All posts by Lar

30 January 2014

AsianCajuns in Seattle

Cath and I got to spend five lovely days together in the beautiful, piney, hilly city of Seattle! We hope that while we nibbled nigiri, picked fruit and veg at Pike Place and did some thrift shopping, you guys stayed warm and toasty.

Cath and Troy had a ~~maddening~~ leisurely nine hours at Sea Tac before they could fly home to icy Atlanta last night on the red eye. And I know that’s the least of the crazy ice stories from the south east.

We’ll have some delectable posts coming up soon on our Seattle-ness (what a wonderful city you have, Seattlites!). I feel so very lucky that even though this past year has been a struggle health-wise it’s more than made up for it in the number of times I’ve been able to see my twinie! Next up? We’ll be in Atlanta together again for about 2.5 weeks while I have surgery #2 (for my endo) and recovery. Silver linings abound.

—–

Dear Cath,

Oy, I can’t believe you guys had to do that nine hour waiting game yesterday. I know you must still feel the greasies and the sleepies, that special combination only obtained by long hours cattled in an airport and long flight.

So glad you guys got home okay. Did you have to sled on your suitcases to get from MARTA to your house? Can’t wait to see you Sunday — sooo sooooon!

Love you like rain loves the PNW,

Lar

Category: Experiences, General AsianCajuns Info

12 Comments

22 January 2014

Sun Worship

Lar

Sun! Lots of brilliant warm glowiness hitting my face — ahhhh heaven. My body is totally breathing a sigh of relief from the influx of much-needed vitamin D. Thank you, thank you, San Luis Obispo (and Pam!).

I truly forget how very dark Scotland can be. I complain about the darkness constantly to anyone with a pair of ears, but at a cellular level I think my body believes it will forever be lacking a key vitamin and has learned to live with it — ungracefully. Our few weeks in Atlanta were pretty gray and now Matt and I are in Seattle for a month — more perpetual grayness. But the second we stepped off the plane in San Luis for a long weekend I swear I became a different person. With sun I’m the lighter, happier, blissed-out version of my Scottish self.

Apart from the glorious sun, this SLO trip was: cool nights by the fire, the sweetest raspberries, orange trees ready for the picking, cool sand and even cooler waters, deeelicious for-reals Mexican food, Monarch butterflies, water swirling around pier posts, avocados that taste like avocados, the murmur of prayer, desert hills, sparkling water.

We are back in Seattle now and I feel like a tantrum-throwing two-year-old. Wahhhhh! Where’s my sun?! I want my sun!!! And there aren’t enough SAD lamps in the world to make up for the real thing. Maybe I’ll just move SLO to Edinburgh. Sounds like the most feasible option to me.

In the meantime, the best next thing? A visit from my twinie!!! Cath and Troy get here Friday and I can not wait!!! They will add some much needed glow to the pacific northwest.

I hope those of you under piles of snow right now feel the heat of the sun through these piccies and have lovely beachy day dreams to keep you warm and roasty toasty.

——-

Dear Cath,

Atlanta, Seattle, and then Atlanta. I feel so spoiled!!! This is the most I’ve seen you in years!!! Getting more surgery sucks, but I feel like it has the biggest silver lining known to cloud-land (aka, the sky).

I think you would really like SLO, but I think I will forever be biased about it because of the sunny sun sun and the Scissor Sisters and having a SIL there who is the hostest with the mostest. Can you believe we’ve never been to Cali together? You in LA and me in SLO and SF. We should meet in the middle. Between the bright lights of Los Angeles and the tawdry lights of San Jose.

I can’t wait to see you guys!!!!!!

MUCHO LOVES,

Lar

Category: Experiences, Lar's Style

13 Comments

16 December 2013

The Ultimate Gift-List

Lar

I am supposed to do a fantastic/last-minute-ish gift list for you guys. Not that this blog is about “supposed tos” but Cath thought it would be a nice thing to do for you lovies. You know, be helpful bloggers, and not just navel gaze. Well, I’m totally going to be an unhelpful, self-centered blogger and do the latter.

This is about Cath and getting to be her identical twin.

I’ve been living thousands of miles away from Cath for almost 2.5 years now and not for a moment has it gotten easier. I miss the rest of my family and stateside friends so much too, but this is different. My homesickness ebbs and flows, but my twin-sickness (?) is constant. When I try to explain twin-sickness to people, the best I can come up with is that it feels like I’ve left a limb behind. There’s a constant tugging that never ever goes away until I’m close to her again.

I literally feel like my DNA is trying to tell me that because we were essentially the same organism at one time, we were never meant to be more than 30 miles apart from each other once we got past the zygote phase. After more than two years apart (with sparse holidays together scattered in between), I finally realize this is never going to feel easier or better as long as I’m not by her.

So my best Christmas present ever is getting to spend three weeks with Cath this year. And if I made a gift list, this is what it would look like:

So I’m sorry because I know that is the least helpful gift list for anyone else (excluding our parents, me thinks!). I do think though, that the best gift-lists are the ones with people on them, don’t you? I know I’m saying that during the last scramble to get your Christmas shopping done, but I hope it makes you feel a little less harried knowing that even if you don’t find the perfect thing for your wonderful people, they still get you! Mariah Carey, you knew it from the start (or at least early 90s), didn’t you?

——

Dear Cath,

I know future plans are still up in the air, but I wanted you to know how much being together means to me. I can’t wait to see you in just a week and a half! Yahooooooo!!!!

Category: Cath's Style

11 Comments

2 December 2013

AsianCajuns at Auchinleck House

Lar

Cath and I spent seven glorious days together at this Georgian estate, once the family seat of biographer James Boswell (not to shabby, Bozzy!):

Isn’t she lovely? We rented her with a dozen other wonderful friends from The Landmark Trust to spend the week reading, watching movies, taking long walks in the Ayrshire countryside and eating and eating and eating. It was all very Jane Austen, if JA wore skinny jeans and watched Lord of the Ring movies on a projector. She must have left those bits out of her Pemberly descriptions.

I still can’t get over how massive the house is. We had 11 people in our party and were constantly loosing each other. The dinning room was cavernous, the library had squashy couches and the kitchen had an industrial stove. What more could you ask for, really?

Here’s part of the gang eating in the kitchen (yes, even the kitchen is fancy pants ):

And to work off the piles of food and drink, we tramped around the muddy farms surrounding the estate during the day:

And then of course, there was the main event: Thanksgiving dinner!

American readers, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too. Canadian, British, et al readers, we hope you are having a wonderful start to the holiday season. Tell us what you’ve been up to this past week.

—–

Dear Cath,

At this very moment you are flying over the Atlantic somewhere — noooooooo. How did that week go by so quickly? I love that we’ve gotten to be together so much this past year for two people living on opposite sides of a ginormous ocean. But somehow I get even more homesick for you when I see you more?! I don’t like it! ARGH!

I know I should stop moaning because I’ll see you in four weeks (yahoo!!!) but I don’t think I’ll be truly happy until we are living within spitting distance of each other again.

Love you to Auchinleck and beyond!!!

Lar

Category: Edinburgh, Experiences

12 Comments

18 November 2013

Lar’s Four Simple Goals

Lar

Making goals or resolutions can be a bit daunting, can’t it? I think goals can be great motivators, but there’s also a heavy shovel-full of guilt that can tag along with any unfulfilled to-dos that I think is worth avoiding because guilt is the opposite of good-for-the-soulness. And if you are making goals they should make your toes wiggle with glee and excitement at new possibilities for growth and not feel like one more thing on your list of a million should-dos.

When Cath mentioned doing her four simple goals last week, I did hem and haw a bit about doing it with her but I love the fact that these are mini and bit-sized which equals more toe-wiggling potential. These smaller, short-term goals seem much less daunting and onerous. So without further ado, here they are:

1. Random acts of kindness
As much time as I spend shopping for gifts for other people during the holidays, I feel like I end up thinking a lot about myself and what I want. To pull myself out of the me-me-me trap I’ll replace the wish list in my head with things that I can do for other people, not just the ones I’m buying gifts for but strangers too.

2. Work toward staying calm during the holiday madness
Like most people, I tend to get a little overwhelmed during the holidays: keeping track of who to buy gifts for, making sure I have the appropriate outfit for an office Christmas ‘do, coordinating and scheduling travel plans. I think the way to tackle this would be to stay mindful. Being mindful is tricky during the calmest moments, so I’ll need a bit of help. This article seems like a good start.

3. Move mah body!
I’ve never been good at consistently exercising so I’m going to keep this almost ridiculously easy goal-wise. Yoga once a week for an hour. I know that sounds like a weeny goal, but it’s more than I do now! We don’t own a car here in Edinburgh so I do walk a fair bit throughout the week, but I know that doesn’t cut the mustard or really work-out my muscly bits.

4. Draw/Sketch
I’ve been saying that I’ll draw more and I never do. So again, teeny baby steps, but it’s a start: one hour a week. For some accountability: I have to show what I’ve done to someone else, either my husbando or Cath via skype.

As Cath said, we’ll check back in with you guys and let you know how we did with our four simple goals. And I’m going to be sneaky and tack one more on.

5. Sneaky #5: No guilt
Even if my four goals don’t quite work out the way I expect them to, I’m not allowed to feel guilty about it. I think that would be the worst take-away from this goal-making, don’t you? I want my list-of-four to be gentle reminders and not strict task-masters with wagging fingers and stern looks.

Now what do you guys have to say about this goal-making? MichelleK, Mia and Diane at Snapshot Fashion shared some great goals on Cath’s post in the comments. Anybody else want to share?

p.s. There’s no little note to Cath this week because SHE’S COMING TO SCOTLAND ON SATURDAY!!! Matt and I are spending Thanksgiving together in a grand ole house Downton Abbey style like we did last year and this time I’ve got my twinie with me. Hope you guys have something equally as awesome to look forward to this week!

xx, Lar

Photocredits: DesignLoveFest and Pinterest

Category: Lar's Style

10 Comments

4 November 2013

A Long Weekend in Brigadoon

Lar

Scotland is notorious for its rainy temperament, but even at its most cranky it is one of the best places in the world.

Most of our five days in Perthsire have been cold, windy and rainy, but when the sun shines I swear this place looks like something from the pages of Brothers Grim. This from a girl who was never that interested in fairy tales and who used to think nature was best left alone to the bugs and people who enjoy the sound of water-proof clothes rubbing together.

So be warned: I’m going to bombard you with pictures in this post. I want you guys to get a taste of the magical place that is the Highlands of Scotland. And then come for a visit.

Here’s a few pics of the wee cottage Matt and I stayed in:

One of Scotland’s famous peaks, Schiehallion mountain, covered in snow — this was our view from the front door of our cottage:

This has got to be the Brigadoon bridge. Is that Gene Kelly behind that peat bog?

We drove through Dull, Scotland: sister city (village?) to Boring, Oregon. Cath and I have been fans of the Dull & Boring Facebook page for a few years. Boring, don’t feel left out. Next time I’m in Oregon, you and me have a date!

Matt and I foolishly decided we are now, after two years of living in Scotland, as hardy as Scots. Foolish! Foolish, I tell you! Hiking in the driving sleet and freezing rain is not for us. Don’t let Matt’s triumphant stance with walking sticks fool you:

p.s. Just because something is labeled water-proof (North Face, I’m looking at you) does not mean it’s water-proof in this damp country. We were soaked to the bone in water-proof trousers, jackets and hiking boots after 20 minutes of schlepping up this hill.

Enough griping! Look what happens when the sun does comes out. It’s autumn and the Highlands turn into gold:

One of the highlights of the trip was going to the wee village of Fortingall and ogling the oldest living organism in Europe: a 5,000 year old Yew tree! It was 56 feet in circumference before the Victorians got souvenir-happy and chopped the base to bits. It’s still growing though and mightily impressive:

Another fun “fact” about Fortingall? Many ~~questionable sources~~ claim that Pontius Pilate was born here. Yes, here, this teeny village of Fortingall in the heart Scotland. And, yes, that Pontius Pilate from the Bible. Apparently, Pontius’ dear ole dad was stationed up here with his Roman legion. So maaaaybe? Anywhoodles, I find the Oldest Living Organism Yew Tree way more awe-inspiring than Ponti P.

Speaking of myths v facts, Loch Ness is no where near Perthsire, but we figured these tees would be appreciated near any loch. So we had a mini photo shoot by Loch Tay:

See anything, Matt? Nope, just a questionable shadow and ripple across the loch:

Egads! The Loch Tay Monster is sighted. Lar flees, Matt runs to the rescue:

And one last picture of Brigadoon (aka Dunalastair Estate) because it just looks so unreal:

Hope you guys didn’t get carpal tunnel in your scrolly finger. I promise my next post won’t be so long. But aren’t you Scotophiles now? Come rain or shine, this fairy land won’t disappoint.

—–

Dear Cath,

I can’t wait to see pics from your mountain weekend!!! In some ways, bits of Perthshire look EXACTLY like northern Georgia. There’s more trees than on the west coast of Scotland and the mountains look kind of similar from afar. I’m guessing you guys didn’t need three layers of clothing made out of wool and Gortex to go tramping around the Blue Ridge mountains.

And as nice as long mountain weekends are, I don’t like that we couldn’t skype! Miss you oooodles! We must skype midweek then, okay?

Love you like water loves Scotland,

Lar

Category: Edinburgh, Experiences, Lar's Style

15 Comments

2 November 2013

A Sunrise in Perthshire

Lar

Cath and I are both on mountain weekend get-aways: she’s in the Blueridge Mountains in Georgia and I’m in the Highlands of Perth in Scotland.

I’ll do a proper post for Monday, but I had to share these misty sunrise photos with you! It was breathtaking in person and my non-existent photography skills don’t do it justice.

I wish you were here to gulp in big lungfuls of this air with me: it is sharp and cold and so clean. And its so quiet here. Once in a while birds twitter, the wind rustles the autumn leaves, the cows moo, but otherwise it’s utter stillness. I think this city girl is turning into a country girl in her old(er) age.

Matt and I are staying in a wee stone cottage complete with a crackling fire, tartan rug and bedrooms tucked under the eaves. I’ll show you more Scottish country twee-dom in Monday’s post!

—–

Dear Cath,

Matt and have gone into serious hibernation mode here in Perthshire. It’s freezing rain most of the day, so we’ve holed up in our roasty, toasty cottage and eaten our way through lots of vegan/gluten-free meals. Gluten-free toast (with coconut oil and manuka honey — soooo good) and lots and lots of roiboos tea.

It’s been getting dark here around 5, so last night we went to bed around 9 pm, as in we were asleep by then! Hence my ability to be up way before sunrise.

Hope you and Troy are having a wonderful time up in the Blueridge Mountains! Can’t wait to hear all about your trip! Are you guys hibernating as well?

LOVE YOU like mountains love mist (they do),

Lar

Category: Edinburgh, Experiences

6 Comments

21 October 2013

Confession: I am a Minimalist (kinda, sorta)

Lar

It’s been two years since Matt and I left our friends and family stateside and hoofed it to Scotland. Man, time flies when you’re having-fun-but-also-experiencing-an-exhausting-time-of-LEARNING-THINGS.

And learning stuff is painful, isn’t it? It usually involves changing and change is a cranky, inelegant process. I don’t know about you, but I get grumpy and petulant and just want to zone out in front of Netflix with a big ~~plate of cookies~~ bowl of oatmeal.

But the annoying thing is, the pain and the crankiness and bumbling around usually leads to good things. Most of these things I’m sheepish to own up to because the grumpy part of me wants to stay mad at how annoying the process of learning was. “Oh so you want me to stop eating all that’s delicious in life like sugar and wheat and meat and cheese because of a chronic disease?! Talk about adding insult to injury, body! Thanks a lot.” Now a year and half later (after much, much sniveling) and I feel healthier and actually excited (cue sheepish look) about living a healthier lifestyle. I feel a bit embarrassed because I used to be the sweet-tooth queen and now I’d choose a bowl of oatmeal over a stack of cupcakes.

You want to hear another batch of crazy (oatmeal over cupcakes?! uh-huh)? When I was living in Atlanta my favorite thing to do was guilty Target shopping. You know where you tell yourself, oh I’m just going to pop in just to look and then leave $100 poorer with a designer-collaboration outfit, two new lip glosses, Method floor cleaner, and a festive utensil jar.

Well, I don’t do that any more. And it’s not just because there’s no Target equivalent in the UK (I could force Primark to be Target’s doppleganger if I squint real hard and look sideways). And it’s not because I don’t get hit by the compulsive shopping bug every once and a while. What’s changed is 1) I don’t have the space to put an extra utensil jar and 2) I’ve learned more about how unethical a lot of shops are.

If you are a long-time reader (hello, you!) you’ve heard me talk about #2, so I’ll stick to #1 for a minute: lack of space to put impulsive buys.

Exhibit A: Our shared wardrobe.

Matt and I fit all of our clothes in this and a shared dresser. Erm, obviously Matt hogs most of the space (cough, cough).

Exhibit B: Make-up storage

This biscuit tin and tea cup hold all of my make-up and most of my skin products. I’ve tried to reduce the amount of products I think I need and have been slowly replacing my chemically make-up with more natural alternatives. Next up? Home-made deodorant. I know that’s a bit cringe-worthy, but anything that might be healthier for my body, I’ll give it a go. Aren’t you glad I live in a cold climate?

Exhibit C: Our Kitchen (corner in our) Family Room.

You can’t add more stuff to a kitchen that’s basically your couch’s side table.

I never meant to become a minimalist. And I’m not really. I think a real minimalist would poo-poo my unnecessary decorating or some bits and bobs I keep on the shelves because it makes me feel like I’m Emily Henderson. But generally, Matt and I kinda sorta are minimalists. If we buy something, a new shirt for instance, we’ll give another piece of clothing away to the local charity shop. There just isn’t room in that dinky wardrobe for more stuff.

And our kitchen corner? We have just the right number of pots and pans that we need and no more. Everything we have gets used and used a lot. The thing is (cue sheepishness again), I like it. I really like it.

There are days when I bemoan the fact that I wear the same clothes over and over again and don’t look like my former fashionista self. But I like knowing every single item of clothing I have. It feels liberating compared to my former self who would walk into her closet (walk-in closets?! what are those?!) and get overwhelmed by choice. Maybe I was never a true fashionista to begin with because I know a lot of stylish ladies love expressing themselves through their clothes. I would get confused instead of creative. A quasi-uniform always sort of appealed to me.

It’s shocking to find out that as a former shopping-happy, Louboutin-yearning, cake-devourer I could become a quasi-minimalist, gluten-free vegan who almost happily chooses chamomile tea over a Pumpkin Spice Latte, all in the space of two cranky years.

p.s. Did you guys notice how I dropped in those outfit pics at the top of the post like I was going to talk to you about fall layering? Thanks for sticking with me this long if you’ve made it down here. Instead of layering tips, I gave you cranky change and minimalism. Don’t hate me. Cath will make it up to you with a Give-away post tomorrow!

p.p.s. If you want some true minimalist inspiration and how-to, read about Emily’s 30 Day Minimalist Challenge on Spatial Drift and Esther and Jacob’s 100 Days of Less Challenge.

——–

Dear Cath,

Sheesh, I was long-winded in this post. Did you make it through all that? What do you make of this whole minimalist thing? I think you would slip into this groove much more elegantly than me. When we were teenagers and early 20ers I felt like I was the one that always bought lots of crap and you were always on the look-out for nicely made, quality items. Maybe we are both quasi-minimalists at heart? Sacre bleu!

Miss you like mad and wish it were Christmas already so I could see your face minus a pixelated Skype window.

Love you like I used to love cookies and now love oatmeal,

Lar

Category: Lar's Style, Uncategorized

28 Comments

7 October 2013

Cemeteries, Skeletons and Stretchy Pants

Lar

I didn’t think about this at the time these photos were taken, but I hope it doesn’t weird you guys out that I look so cheerful in a cemetery. I know headstones and buried bones are morbid, but I’ve always been a sucker for old stone (Cath too — she just was partying at a cemetery in Decatur a few weeks ago). If they are in the middle of the city like this one in the pics, they are beautiful, serene green spaces tucked into bustling urban life. This particular cemetery is just below Edinburgh Castle — a pretty darn good view if you are going to rest your bones anywhere for eternity, eh? (Sorry, too morbid again?). And I do enjoy reading headstones and thinking about what those people living in 1830 in Edinburgh must have been like.

Even if you still aren’t a fan of tip-toeing around burial plots, doesn’t it get you into the Halloweeny mood?! It makes me want candy corn and caramel apples, and to smell bonfires crackling.

Since our two year stint in the UK began, it seems more and more people are embracing Halloween. Nobody knows what candy corn is (or Milk Duds) and it’s still sometimes tricky to find pumpkins, but there are more decorations this year than the previously. Just look at these at our favorite local, FYUL. Martha would be proud!

Re: the stretchy pants. I’m afraid Cath will continue to have to be the lone fashion inspiration on this blog. Apart from having a teeny tiny wardrobe these past two years, I’ve also discovered the joys of leggings and jeggings! Those black stretchy things that even at their peak of trendiness a few years ago made onlookers feel ambivalent at best and like they got a dose of TMI at worst.

But I’ve embraced leggings and their pants-pretending cousins, jeggings, whole-heartedly. My abdominal area is still not quite back to normal after my surgery 10 weeks ago, and an elastic waist band feels like a gentle hug rather than a corset like my skinny jeans do. And they are perfect for layering cosy sweaters and tees. If you are worried about a TMI situation occurring (or is that me just being paranoid?), layer longer tees under your shorter sweaters or blouses.

Outfit details: gray cardi Lands End, black tunic and leggings New Look, fair trade necklace by Mettle, shoes are Vara by Ferragamo

———

Dear Cath,

I’m so sorry you’ve been dealing with this nasty virus right when you are meant to be in NYC! I wish I could be with you to give you chicken soup and then fly with you to your conference. I’ll be thinking about you all week and sending you lots of healthy, happy vibes from Edi!

Love you like candy corn loves Oct. 31,

Lar

Category: Edinburgh, Lar's Style

17 Comments

24 September 2013

My Love/Hate for Autumn

Lar

Clear, cool days. Crunchy heaps of leaves. Crisp air (a cliche, but it is so crispy, isn’t it? Not another word for it). Pumpkin-spiced, cinnamon-y coffee drinks. Scarves and wooly sweaters/jumpers when they are still a novelty to layer and not just a means of keeping the winter from sapping your body heat. Oooo it’s all so good isn’t it?

Living in Scotland, we start fall early. Right at the beginning of September to be exact. The temperatures dropped, I started wearing layers and drinking even more cups of tea (something that doesn’t really slow down in the summer in Britain — a cultural difference I’m still slightly confused about. Hot tea on a hot day cools you down, you say? I tried it and I’m not buying it!). Curling up in a cozy blanket and lighting a chai scented candle. Yes. You feel good, autumn. You really do.

The flip side to autumn wrapping it’s luxurious cozy arms around me is. the impending darkness. Living in Edinburgh we are pretty far north — on par with Sitka, Alaska. I don’t know much about Sitka (was there a Sandra Bullock/Ryan Renolds movie set there?), but it sounds cold and northern. Edinburgh isn’t the same kind of cold, but it is the same kind of dark. By the middle of December the sun will have set by 3:39 pm. That doesn’t sound too crazy until you factor in the angle of the sun before it sets — it’s just 15 degrees or so off the horizon. All. Day. “Long.” Making the days dusky rather than, well, sunny. And the sun is just barely above the horizon after 2:30 pm, so it is pitch black by 3:30. Oooo I’m getting shivers down my sweater-swathed back just thinking of it!

I remember even living in southern Atlanta I would feel a twinge of sadness knowing the days were shortening, but before living in Edinburgh I had never experienced dusk all day — a sun rise so low it doesn’t clear the five story buildings that populate Edinburgh.

So as much as I love the change of summer into glorious fall, I also inwardly panic. So what do you do with the panic? You bring out the big guns: the sun lamp, the vitamin D pills, ~~the whisky~~, the making-the-most-of-it by planning a holiday someplace with a fireplace and stacks of books. You learn how to hibernate.

But before Matt and I go into deep hibernation mode (I think we are about four more weeks before we can’t tear ourselves from our sun lamp-lit flat), we are trying to soak up Edinburgh’s goodness. We have to because during the winter there’s a lot of mumbling, at least from me: (grumble, grumble, rubs hands together) “Why is it so dark, why is it so cold and windy! We’re inside and it’s still windy! Why is the freezing rain horizontal? How is that possible?.” Repeat. And repeat until. oh end of April. Wah wah. Whine whine. I’m a deeelight to live with in the winter, I can tell you!

But there is a lot about Edinburgh that is spectacular in the mean time. This stony city was made for the riot of colours autumn wears and the coziness you feel safely tucked away in a pub or café. Matt and I just discovered a new neighborhood haunt called FYUL (that stands for Food You Utterly Love, though I like to pretend it’s an Icelandic word I don’t understand). As you can see in the photos, the decor is gran’s living room meets salvaged loft space, and the food is delicious. Oh and do you see — the chairs are wearing tweed! I love a good tweed-covered anything (including vintage cars). We’ve already been three times in the past week. It’s so good it might actually keep us from hibernating the entire winter season.

Don’t forget to enter Cath’s Fantas Eyes giveaway below, lovely readers. I’m pea green with envy — such lovely sunnies.

——

Dear Cath,

I know you’ve Instagrammed FYUL but I had to do a proper post and tempt you even more! Today when we went back I got the veggie plate and the muesli again. Deeelicious! Matt got the soup with the crusty bread. That’s one of the hardest things being on a gluten-free diet — no eating the crusty bread with the toasty soup or the grilled pita slices with the humus. Le (grand) sigh.

Has hints of fall hit in Atlanta just yet? I can’t remember exactly what it felt like this time of year. The leaves haven’t actually started to change here, but the air certainly has. I forgot how beautiful Edinburgh can be on a blue-blue sky day when you can see for miles and miles.

I wish we could cozy up together under a faux-fur blanket and watch You’ve Got Mail while drinking spiced hot drinks (I can’t bring myself to say Pumpkin Spiced Lattes when I know I can’t drink the coffee or the milk — I’m going to learn how to make vegan chai that’s delicious — I’m gonna!).

Sending you lots of love from autumny Edinburgh!

xoxoxoxoxo,

Lar

Category: Edinburgh

10 Comments