Another day, another lunch at my desk

Conde Nast style, obviously.

The Deposit

Princess Jasmine and I have had a bit of a falling out. Truth be told, I've gone right off her.

At approximately three o'clock this morning, my foot collided with a steaming pile of present, personally delivered by HRH.


Now, I know what you're thinking - 'Ah, poor little thing. Probably didn't know what to do or where to go' - that furry little beggar is the most vocal creature I have ever come across, and howls like a banshee at my window when she wants to come in. But when she wants to go out? A truly deafening silence.

My second point of contention is her choice of depositing spot - the mat directly below the toilet. One would have to be a gymnast to miss it - especially in the dead of night. I did not miss it. I, infact, was right on target.

I could almost hear her cackling as I rather unceremoniously shut her out in the garden, and began to load the washing machine with soiled goods.

I have had better mornings.

Lion Heart

Last May Florence told me I had to be a lion hearted girl, who was ready for a fight. And last Thursday night she sang it to me.

Florence and the Machine played to a sold out Somerset House, on a brilliant Summer's evening in the capital. In the company of Hannah, one of my all time favourite people, and with three days of Lovebox just around the corner, my rabbit heart couldn't have been any lighter.

The Concrete Jungle

Arriving in Manhattan amidst busy bustling people, smoke and smog and general agitation was like coming home. I am, and have always been most at home in a city. I know how cities work - how to get where you want, and what you want. Cities energise and inspire me and I love meeting a new one.

New York City and I got on like a house on fire.

Daniel and I were city dwellers for five days, living the tourist dream with trips uptown and downtown, to the lower east and upper west, and pretty much everywhere inbetween. We battled Times Square and Rockefeller Center in the morning, spent a sunny afternoon in Central Park and climbed the Empire State Building at night. We ate Italian in Greenwich Village, Vietnamese in ChinaTown, cheeseburgers on 5th Ave and mexican in Williamsburg. We partied with the indie kids in Brooklyn and the lost kids on Coney Island. We shopped in SoHo and got cultural at MoMa. We took a boat to see the Statue of Liberty, a subway to see Ground Zero, and a yellow taxi everywhere else.

We had a really, really wonderful time.

The Empire State - Goshen

First stop JFK, second stop Knapp Terrace, Goshen. Upstate New York, home to Judy, Mike and David Osburn.

The first leg our trip was a homecoming for Dan, a chance for me to meet his wonderful and welcoming family, and to experience the New York not so many people see. This New York is green and lush and quiet. This New York is about long walks and iced coffees, swimming in fresh water lakes and picnics. It is about barbecues, a bonfire and my very first smore. This New York has groundhogs and chipmonks and deer in its backgarden. This New York goes to see drive-in movies (with extra film lovers smuggled in the boot), eats ice cream and cheese burgers and chicken wings by the dozen. This New York attends eighties parties and dances to Madonna and Culture Club - and jumps over official looking ropes to watch fireworks from the top of a hill on the 4th July.

This is what this New York looks like.