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?

Easter Weekender

Happy Easter!! 

Easter flowers to brighten up the flat.

I don't know about you but this year Easter has sprung up on me! Unlike the majority of my London based friends, me and the boy didn't make plans to visit family for the long weekend (sorry Mum!), instead are using these glorious four days off to relax and do some bits around the flat.

Lyndon and I recently moved into a little flat together in the Kentish Town/Chalk Farm area and, two months in, there are still things to be brought, pictures to be hung and shelves to be filled. So Easter Saturday we woke up bright and early, ate an obligatory hot cross bun and took the bus to Brent Cross.

We headed this way as I really wanted to visit HomeSense - the homeware sister of TK Maxx. Now, first off, I have a confession to make..... I really struggle to shop for clothes in TK Maxx....I can NEVER find anything I like and quickly loose interest riffling through the rails. When it comes to homeware however, boy its a different story.... I literally could have spent hours rummaging in the aisles! Unfortunately Lyndon didn't quite feel the same, however we did leave with some beauts!!

Le Creuset Ceramic Pot - £14.99 Sugar/Tea Glass Jars - £4.99 each

Being a bit of a Le Creuset fan girl, I instantly fell in love with this pastel blue large pot. It's the perfect size for housing our biscuits and with a RRP of £35, I couldn't resist (not to mention it would go perfectly with the Costal Blue Casserole dish I've been lusting after). The glass sugar/tea jars were also a great find; I love the stainless steel lids and detail in the glass, which looks great in our kitchen.

With loads of great brands at discounted prices and new deliveries daily, I will definitely be heading back for another root around - if not just to try and get my hands on more Le Creuset!

New Kid on the Block

I've been staring at this blank post for about twenty minutes trying to figure out how to do this...how exactly do I write my very first post on my first EVER blog?! I'm definitely in unchartered waters people!!

My name is Natalie, a twentysomething living in London. I love Beyoncé, condiments and tie dye...not necessarily in that order!

I've been following blogs for a long time and it was during a blog related natter that my friend Ellie asked "Why don't you start a blog?". Secretly I have wished I had a little slice of the internet for myself but have ALWAYS been plagued by the question of what should I write about....I mean, what is MY niche!? I'm not a trend setter, I'm usually late to the party (both literally and metaphorically) and quite frankly who would be interested in what I have to say? After mulling it over for several months, if not years, (and several pep talks later) I've got to the point where i think..ahhhh what the hell, here goes nothing!

I've been in London for nearly three years now and I love it but sometimes I feel likes she (yes London is a lady) chews me up and spits me out both emotionally and financially. I can often take for granted that I live in one of the best cities in the world where anything is possible. Natalie Riot in the City is going to push me to make the most of this fair city instead of hibernating in my onesie watching rubbish, yet throughly entertaining TV. It's going to be a journal of my life in the city.... the things I see and do, the things I like, my home and place in the city with a splattering of fashion and beauty.

This is all very new to me so any tips or advise you can offer to help me along would be embraced lovingly!

Look forward to sharing this all with you...Welcome to my slice :)

ps - MASSIVE thank you to my blogging guru and bestie Ellie and the boy for helping kick this thing off!