Lady In (A) Red (Bed)

It's already pretty cold here in Edinburgh, and we decided that we would buy a lovely warm throw for each of us this week. Our room is relatively warm, but there is a big window next to the bed which lets in all sorts of drafts so it seemed like a wise investment. We bought our throws in John Lewis quite cheaply, and managed to find two matching red pillow cases in British Home Stores which were only £3 for two as they were the display cases. So now we are all snug and warm as we sit in bed.

I came across this sweet little frog that my mum gave me when clearing out one of my drawers the other day, and decided to pin him up on the door frame.

 

We have also been given some new plants, including an aloe vera plant and this umbrella tree which I think is really delicate and pretty. One of our upstairs neighbours was keeping them in the hallway, but when the fire department came to check the building to make sure all the exits were clear (Coming home and seeing a fire truck parked outside your house as you walk down the road is a little unsettling!) they told her she had to move them so she gave them to us. They are in the shared sitting room at the moment, but when we have our own place I think they will make a lovely addition.



Thursday Things

My chocolate mint plant had (has?) greenfly. Or something similar, and similarly icky! Can indoor plants get greenfly? After a quick Google, I have learned that apparently yes, they can, because indoors, the bugs are seperated from their natural enemies! My boyfriend noticed the problem: I rarely wear my glasses, and I couldn't see the tiny little bugs until I looked very closely. He sprang into action, wiping the plant with soapy suds, and it seems to have got rid of most of them. But I confined the plant to a different room: I don't want tiny little bugs in my bedroom!

Does anyone have any tips for keeping indoor plants healthy and bug free? Or any suggestions for plants (herbs especially) that thrive inside? Since we decided to stay in our flat until January I feel much more at home here, and it's nice having some plants around. I love being able to pluck off a few mint leaves to boil with some new potatoes, or add some fresh basil to a tomato sauce.

My boyfriend tried his first Pimms yesterday! It was really sunny, so we stopped at a little pub with seats outside on the way to see Jim Jeffries perform for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It wasn't really my thing, but it was nice to go to our first festival show. We saw the fireworks go off around the castle too which was lovely. Everyone in the street just stopped what they were doing and watched. We're hoping to see Paul Merton's improv show next week.

Chocolate mousse: the well known cure for sore teeth!

I had to go to the dentist to get two fillings done today, and my mouth has only just stopped being half numb, so now now I'm going to go and eat some soup and chocolate mousse! Hope you're all having a good Thursday.



Chocolate Mint

On Sunday we decided to go for a wander around the local market in the afternoon. The market has a lovely, very friendly atmosphere, and offers a wide variety of stalls, from wines and cakes to jewellery and plants. Today, we sampled some delicious cupcakes from Cuckoo's Bakery (red velvet for me, black bottom for him) and bought our first plant for the flat, a chocolate mint. We've wanted to get a plant for a while, and at £1.20 it was definitely worth it.

Unfortunately, on the trip home my cupcake got really squished. I opened the box to check and it had fallen over... there was cream cheese frosting everywhere! But I still managed to eat it of course, and I got some bites of the black bottom one too! They were so delicious.

T-shirt from somewhere in New York, jeans and shoes from Topshop