::inspiring Mondays::

I'm almost home and that is what makes this week so brilliant. That and everything else! 

This feel good feeling really made it easier to survive some minor episodes of today... I missed my train by three minutes. Yep, three! I was on the bus and every.single.thing.that.could.delay.the.bugger.did! So I missed the train. Next train: 1h11m later! Oxford station, you and I know each other well! Leaving work, delayed train. Just seven minutes. And then 10 more sitting in full view of Oxford station but unable to reach it. On a train with no open windows because it has air conditioned... except it didn't. One boiling Joey coming right out! Ta mucho FGW!

Yet, none of this is of any importance for when I get home I can eat a peach in the garden and continue knitting the mini baby cardi I'm doing for baby cousin-nephew... it looks so adorable! I envisage some baby squeezing going on. Gently, of course!

:: SUMMER!
:: going home at the end of the week. for ten days! ♥
:: sunbathing in the garden! Yay!
:: sardines. Cornish sardines!
:: a cooking adventure... more to come here! ♥
:: homemade pizza bake-off. Expect Nicky to blog about it.
:: cat sitting with JJ.
:: flip-flops. yellow flip-flops.
:: vinho verde.
:: knitting.
:: food photography!

How was your start to the week? Dramatic but fun? Just fun? Sunny? Have a lovely week whatever the start :)

::inspiring Mondays::

 

The sun is barely shining today, but I still have this feel good feeling one has when looking at yellow. If I had to pick a colour for my life, I'd say yellow. I'm a lover of colour in general, I love red (the majority of my accessories are red, like my iPhone cover) and orange. And now green. Yet it is yellow that makes me skip a beat in pure happiness when all else fails.

It's been almost a week since my birthday and all I have to say is... birthdays rock! There were people and smiles and laughter and food and presents, for almost a week, quite remarkable! And lots of yellow! I loved it all!

:: my birthday!
:: yellow {HEART}
:: my family and friends.
:: cake. cakes. cakes.
:: Old Trafford.
:: much needed back massage. bliss!
:: the iPhone. Little Brother and I text for free. yay!
:: photography.
:: my flatmates. who just smile when I've setup a mini photography studio in the kitchen.
:: sunshine!
:: adding to my British education by going to the Proms... tonight!
:: picnics. I love it!
:: bowling. such good fun.
:: lemon drizzle cake.
:: hugs.
:: hum... yellow! Hahahaha

How's this Monday going for you? I wish you a lovely start to the week, preferably with some sunshine.

the story of a birthday

I cannot begin to explain to you how AWESOME my birthday was. Proper kid awesome, with eyes wide open in amazement and smiles filled with happiness. Some days just work, you know, and I have been lucky enough to have one of those days fall on my birthday.

My friends, people, my friends are something else. I'm not speechless often, but looking at how unbelievebly amazing my day was, I'm left unable to properly articulate how I feel. Happy sums it up, but it's only just the tip of the iceberg. And of course there's also my family and the brilliant LMrJ. I'm pinching myself still...!

As promised, my day in images...

 

::inspiring Mondays::

 

This Monday is my last day as a 31 year old woman. Tomorrow I turn 32 and I'm already excited about it. The plan is to go to Manchester and... breathe now... watch a match at Old Trafford, a British football cathedral. The cherry on top of the cake is that we're watching one of the semi-finals of the Olympics football (not Brazil, but hey... at Old Trafford I'd watch dead cockroaches sing).

I love celebrating my birthday. As a kid growing up in Portugal, having an August birthday is not the best thing ever, as most of the country goes away on holiday and you're left with a few family members to have cake with, if you're lucky. Fortunately, I had a few cousins and I could still play around, but nothing spectacular. Having survived this somewhat traumatic childhood, I am now a birthday celebration addict! Give me cake and candles, anytime! Or every year, that will do!

:: one day to my birthday!

:: early morning run. how I love it! it's good to be back!

:: the Olympics. still amazing!

:: where were you on the 9.64 seconds Usain Bolt took to become an even greater sports legend? I didn't even blink!

:: enjoying the silence.

:: photography.

:: playing around photographing in the kitchen.

:: settling into my new house.

:: artist friends. bespoke unique jewellery pieces for every event I attend. Yep!

:: lovely saturday lunch and chats with said friend.

:: Friday pub. I can laugh!

:: a very chilled Sunday, with some knitting... green cardigan almost done!

:: homemade bread. it's the simple things, really, isn't it?

In my dreams, I would like to share my birthday with you by preparing a post on my day. Let's make it a Monday resolution then! Have a lovely start to the week and smile :)

Global kitchen

LMJ enjoys eating, especially ice cream and Mum's food and Portuguese cuisine and homemade cakes and muffins and... yes, you get the idea. It also happens, LMJ enjoys cooking.

Time for the kitchen and pots and pans is often short, especially considering my other interests, so what better way to make the time than to create dishes to be photographed? And then eaten, of course? To participate in a food blog!

Eva and I are starting a bilingual food blog, in Spanish and English. How cool is that? Very, I think!

The blog is called Cocina Global, or Global Kitchen and it aims to bring together our love of food and photography. 

How will it work? Well, at the start of the month, we'll select an ingredient; during the month, we will share little snippets of information and fun facts about said ingredient, such as its nutritional value, main producers,... and the list goes on. Finally at the end of the month, we will show you what recipe each of us has cooked with it, illustrated with what we hope will be yummy looking photos! In a perfect world, you'll be sending us your photos too, with or without recipes.

Amidst the food and the food photography, you can expect to find a little bit of silliness, with a good example on our profile photos. Above all, we are hoping to have a great time, in the kitchen and out! It would be great to see you over there!

::inspiring Mondays::

The London Olympics have taken the UK by storm and as a resident of this island I am proudly on the bandwagon! I'm loving it! Last Friday, LMJ watched the Opening Ceremony in awe! Seriously, Queenie, jumping off a helicopter with Mr Bond was simply brilliant. And light pink really suits you. Also, I'm available to housesit the corgis; I can provide references.

A young generation of athletes lit the Olympic torch together. Absolutely amazing! To me, this was the best part of the ceremony, bringing everyone together and truly inspiring a generation. I felt proud to be here.

The Olympics have brought about a new discovery for yours truly... I feel for this country as if it were my own, a little bit my own. As the games unfold, I find myself wanting everything to go well for more than just because; I am Portuguese, Portugal is my home, and am an adoptive daughter of this country too. It feels good! And while were at it, these Games will be excellent for me, cheering for three nations, Portugal, Brazil for LMrJ and Team GB! 

:: Women's Gymnastics. It is absolutely fabulous! My jaw has not quite got back to position yet... amazing!

:: The Olympic spirit! How wonderful it is to be part of it.

:: London so close. 

:: homemade red velvet cupcakes for LMJ. My heart just warmed up!

:: Champagne for the picnic, the pre-Olympics picnic. Style!

:: LMrJ. I miss him so but it is worth every single moment!

:: Olympic hockey... I like it!

:: friends who live close to the Olympic Park and let you sleep over.

:: laughing. I've laughing a lot these days and I love it!

My Monday has been filled with the Olympic spirit. I believe it is inspiring a generation, or several! I wish you all a wonderful week filled with inspiration and smiles.

::inspiring Mondays::

... on a Tuesday. More on that in a minute, after I let you know it's SUMMER in Oxford. Proper flip-flop-wearing summer with Pimms and picnics and sunshine and heat. That's how you make a Joey happy, you give her a little bit of summer when summer should be and it's done! 

Elke has been in Oxford until this morning which made my Monday feel like a long weekend of treats. Elke and the summer have made me a very happy lady indeed. We watched life go by with a glass of wine in the sunshine and we talked about our plans and our Ms. We had lovely and open chats about everything and nothing; it's so important to talk about nothing only to realise you feel full of happiness afterwards. 

:: SUMMER! 

:: ice cream 

:: sunshine! 

:: Elke. 

:: cooking projects. in spanish! 

:: picnics. 

:: SUMMER! 

:: having a garden 

:: Little Brother's emails. 

 :: Pimms in the sunshine. Oh yeah! 

I hope you had a lovely start to the week, wherever you are. I will leave you now to enjoy the summer. Have I told you we have a summer in Oxford? Yep, we do!