Getting Organised

At the weekend we watched a documentary about tiny houses. I like the ethos behind this movement - a return to living simply in houses of around 100-400 sq feet. In a way I've inadvertently become a tiny-houser myself; our flat has basically three rooms, and I doubt it's more than 500 sq feet in size.

When you have two people living in a petite flat, it's pretty essential to keep it as organised as possible. Unfortunately the work I do means that I often have various piles of paper - reports, documents, books - taking up space on the coffee table. Not ideal! 

My solution was this cute fold-able storage box. Picked up for a fiver from Tiger's new-ish store on Tottenham Court Road (which, dangerously for my wallet, is walking distance from where I work) it's just the right size for chucking in those bits and bobs that don't quite have a proper place to be. As well as the fruity pattern, my favourite feature is that the box is held together by press studs - so when not in use, the body of the box can be folded down and fitted inside the lid. Neat, no? 

Easy Crochet Drawstring Sunglasses Case

Last week I met up with some crafting buds and did my first bit of crocheting in a long time. I don’t know what it is, but I just haven’t had any crafting mojo of late. Maybe it’s because the touch of yarn makes me feel a teeny bit grossed out when the weather is hot and humid… too warm! Get away!

Anyway, I decided it was about time I did something about my lack of a proper sunglasses case, since I’d been carrying my sunglasses around IN A SOCK since the start of summer. Yeah, I’m pretty classy.

I went for a simple two-tone design using some orange and mustard yellow yarn I already had in my stash, and crocheted a long rectangle, switching colours a couple of times. I’m actually quite bad with getting my US and UK crochet terms confused – I believe this is in UK double/ US single crochet. Once I had my rectangle to the right size (including an extra few centimetres to accommodate the drawstring), I turned it inside out, crocheted up the edges and flipped it the right way again. I then made a simple drawstring by crocheting a length of chain stitch, tying off the end and then weaving it in and out of the spaces in the top row.

I’m quite a slow crocheter, and this project only took me a few hours to complete and barely any yarn. If you’re looking for a quick, simple project to get your toe back in the crafting water – or even try crochet out for the first time - I’d definitely recommended giving a drawstring glasses case a go. 

Roasted Baby Aubergines with Tahini Yogurt Dressing

In my humble opinion, baby vegetables are always superior to their full-size counterparts. ALWAYS. So when I spotted baby aubergines in my local supermarket, I need I had to make them into something delicious. 

You can find the recipe over on my food blog Whole Food Happy now.

Barcelona Part 2

Drinking: a cup of coffee with a good book on our little balcony, every morning before Ben woke up. Gin and Tonics the size of our heads at La Pepita. Little glasses of wine for €1.10, straight from the barrel at Bodega la Plata. 

Hanging out: at Parc de la Ciutadella, with the ducks and the chattering green parakeets. On the beach in Barceloneta (under a parasol!). At our apartment in Gràcia, a brilliant little 'barrio' in the north of the city. 

Reading: The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith and Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - perfect for a sun-soaked holiday.

Enjoying: the crazy bustle that is La Boqueria Market. People watching from a table on Plaça Reial over a glass of chilled white. Eating breakfast on our little balcony every morning.