Countdown

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this before but I'm a bit of a Beyonce fan....  

It might have something to do with us sharing the same birthday (yeah this is my favourite fact that I love telling EVERYONE - it was bound to come up sooner or later!) or it might just be because she is amazing!  But what's even more amazing is that I'm going to see her at the O2 tomorrow - yes me and Queen Bey will be breathing the same air....

I have no idea how I'm going to concentrate all day at work!

Natalie Riot in the...Country!?

So I started this blog to try and make the most of living in the city, to push me to explore and make the most of all that it has to offer....

So the last few weekends has seen Natalie Riot in the Country....see what i did there?!

Weekend 1: Rye

My first weekend away took me to Rye in Sussex for one of my best friend's hen do weekend. I have never been to Rye before, and with it being only a short distance from London, it made the perfect setting for a weekend with the girls. I loved walking along the cobbled streets and having a good old nose in all the antique and charity shops.  One of my favorite shops was Jane Wick's Kichenalia which housed some of the most beautiful vintage kitchen wares..I literally just wanted to take everything home with me! I also really loved the penny arcade which housed the weird and the wonderful! (see Sidney above).

We stayed right in the middle of Rye on the quaintly named Mermaid Street. As we stepped into Tower House on the Friday evening I couldn't believe that I was going to be calling this home for the weekend! Complete with piano, cinema room and fabulous bathrooms it made the perfect backdrop to our murder mystery evening and the many games of murder in the dark. I think Tower House is probably the most luxurious place I have ever stayed in - I'm mean, there was underfloor heating - and I absolutely fell in love with it!

One of my real highlights of the weekend was our garter making workshop at Sew Not Strawberry Jam. With tea and cake on our arrival, the workshop was set in the picturesque Kent countryside and made for a fantastic Sunday afternoon activity. Sam was a fantastic teacher and really reignited my enjoyment of sewing and textiles - so much so I'm currently looking for similar workshops here in London (blog post for the future!).

We all had such a great weekend it was a complete wrench to leave Tower House and Rye. Next time we are all together will be the wedding - EXCITING!!!!!!!

Weekend 2: Cotswolds Wedding

The following weekend saw myself and Lyndon head to the Cotswolds for one of Lyndon's colleague's wedding. The weekend didn't get off to the best start with me missing the train by 50 seconds, but luckily we managed to catch a lift with some fellow wedding guests!

The wedding was held in the stunning Cripps Stone Barn and I spent most of the day in awe of how beautiful everything was (including the bride herself)! The day was truly wonderful; the food was insanely good (we ate canapes, the most AMAZING lamb I have ever tasted in my life and creme brulee - er DREAMY!!) and all the personal touches (table props, books and salvanian families) were just perfect. We then danced into the night with copious amounts of presecco and Beyonce, leaving with a cute jam jar full of beautiful flowers (which managed to survive the journey home!).

Now I'm just wondering where I can go next?! Have you been away anywhere nice recently?

I've Seen the Light

The Light Show - Hayward Gallery, South Bank

Bottom 4 pictures courtesy of  The Light Show

The Light Show was one of those exhibitions I had eagerly awaited to visit. Having booked my tickets a couple of weeks in advanced, I was almost giddy with excitement as we walked along London's South Bank towards the Hayward Gallery...and wow I was not disappointed!!

I've become a bit of a fan of light art and installations after seeing Tracy Emin's neon signs at the Hayward and Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored  Room at the at the Tate Modern last year, so immersing myself in this exhibition was a joy!  Atmospheric and interactive, I could have spent all day watching the shimmering lights of Leo Villareal's Cylinder (pic 6) or feeling the warmth off Cerith Wyn Evans' illuminating columns (pic 4).

I absolutely loved this exhibition and whilst I could detail every aspect, that really misses the point! The Light Show is all about the experience; the sensory and emotive effect of those dazzling lights so I urge you to visit and experience it for yourself! Due to its popularity, they have extended its run until the 6th May, but be aware, tickets sell out daily so you have to book in advanced. Get booking and hot step it down there peeps!

This exhibition has definitely inspired me to use light more in my home to create mood and decoration. One of my favourite things in my flat is my heart shaped light brought from Ikea roughly 8 years ago. I love turning the 'big light' off and curling up on the sofa to watch a film under the soft glow of the heart. I've recently been looking for something similar for my bedroom so, with recent adventures  in mind, I've been looking for ideas...

The Wish List

L-R

Plumen Bulbs Selfridges Pisa Suspension Light Owl Line Lights 

Seletti N Neon Sign Moroccan Style Lights White Fairy Lights

I love all of these - I'm particularly a fan of the simple fairy lights and think they are a great way to add decoration to your home without much effort. I also had  to include the Philips Hue bulbs in this line up....some friends of ours have some and they are so great! Controlled by an iphone app, you are able to do a huge range of things with these bulbs, from changing their colour and brightness to remotely turning them on and off....check out the vid above to see what they can do! They are definitely at the top of my list of things I want for the flat...although I may have to do a wee bit of saving for them.

Do you have any pretty lights in your home?