Map Pins

We've had fun marking all of our travels on a big U.S. map and decided to begin marking one of the U.K.  Large map posters are about $12 from National Geographic.  With a little spray adhesive and foam posterboard, they're ready for pins.  We've been using silver glittered map pins to show where we've been.  This isn't the greatest picture, but you get the idea!

The Great British Baking Show

Have you been watching The Great British Baking Show?  It's a baking competition airing on PBS, and it's so great.  I thought that the episode about biscuits was so interesting.  This season was filmed on the grounds of Welford Park, a private home in Berkshire famed for its beautiful fields of snowdrops.  You can catch up here starting from Episode 3, if you watch in the next 5 days.  And I just found out that there's a companion cookbook!  (Find it on Amazon here.)

Thursday Text: Literary Map of the British Isles

I think I saw this on Pinterest...  (It's not a quote or a book.)  It's a literary map of the British Isles - what a brilliant idea!

To Dry For

To Dry For is a fun web site that I learned about from the latest issue of The Simple Things.  It is all about designer tea towels - hence the name.  Here are a couple of cute ones that I found.

Thursday Text: Houses of the National Trust

One of the books that I got for Christmas was Houses of the National Trust. It is fantastic. It's a big, hardbound book with tons of great pictures of houses in the UK that are held by The National Trust. It is a beautiful book that even includes maps!

Boden

Are you familiar with Boden? They are a fabulous British clothing company. They do a great job with color, and they have fantastic dresses.

Thursday Tunes: Ellie Goulding

I've been sampling Lights by Ellie Goulding, and I really like it. She's British, kind of pop/dance, and kind of in the same vein as Frou Frou. She sang a version of Elton John's Your Song at the royal wedding reception, and it's quite lovely. You can sample her music on her web site.

Jelly

Did you see the Martha Stewart Show with Sam Bompas and Harry Parr? I also saw them on the Today Show, and they are fascinating. They're guys from the UK who make incredible jellies, like the ones shown below from their web site. They also have a couple of books out. I'm wondering if it would work to make these from the kind of gelatin that's not made from animals...

Zigzag Bunting

I picked up the latest copy of Wedding Flowers, the British floral magazine, from Barnes & Noble the other day. They had a spread showcasing things in duck-egg blue. It was beautiful. (My scanner wasn't cooperating, so I took a picture of the mag's pages.) I really love that light blue with gold accents. (Like the wedding cake from Fortnum & Mason on the right-hand page.) Anyway, one of the cute things was this floral bunting from Zigzag Bunting. It's a fancier version of the fabric garlands that are so popular right now.

The Dress

It was a lot of fun to watch the big wedding on Friday. I love that the dress had long sleeves! It was very beautiful. Of course, I also loved the long-sleeved dress that she wore to the engagement announcement. And don't you love the outfit that she wore on their first day as a married couple? {All photos from The Royal Wedding official site.}

Royal Wedding China

When we were in the UK I really admired the beautiful china. I only purchased one small plate for my mom - I wish I would have got more! In any case, the Royal Collection has created an official line for the royal wedding. I think it's lovely.

Artisan Biscuits

On Martin Luther King Day we went to Iowa City for the day and discovered the Bread Garden Market. It's a really great place with a mix of organic and "regular" items along with some imports and a lovely bakery. We found a cute box of Artisan Biscuits from the UK called Two by Two. They have the story of the tortoise and the hare on the side - and they're yummy!

Highclere Castle

Are you watching Downton Abbey on Masterpiece? The location is quite stunning. It was filmed at Highclere Castle in the Hampshire region of England. We were actually not far from there when we visited the UK - perhaps we'll have to visit the castle when we return! It was designed by the same person who designed the Houses of Parliament (I think you can see that in the tower).

Jigsaw

You may have heard that Kate Middleton was once a buyer for Jigsaw, the British clothing company. They're rather expensive, but their web site offers a lot of good ideas! I really love the embellished cardigans.

Thursday Tunes: O Little Town of Bethlehem

Last year we heard the UK version of O Little Town of Bethlehem, and we really love it. It is the same tune as I Saw a Mighty Angel Fly in the LDS Hymn Book.

Koh-i-Noor Diamond

I recently read a book about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and learned about the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Queen Victoria wore it to the Great Exhibition of 1851. It later became part of the crown jewels and is currently housed in the Tower of London. Its story is pretty fascinating.

Garrard Jewellers

Garrard is the official jewellers to British royalty and claims to be the world's oldest jewellers. Some of their famous pieces include crowns for Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, engagement rings for Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson, and the Premier League trophy. They have a beautiful web site.

{P.S. I wrote this post before seeing the announcement of Prince William & Kate Middleton's engagement. Exciting!}

Ryder Cup Sweaters

Did you watch The Ryder Cup last weekend? I especially like watching golf when it takes place in the British Isles. The Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor (Wales) was beautiful - when it wasn't raining. And I really liked the sweaters that the U.S. players wore with the actual Ryder Cup on the front. I don't know if it was bad luck to wear the trophy, but I thought the sweaters were great.

Weeping Willows

We were at a golf tournament a couple of weeks ago, and I was noticing the beautiful weeping willows throughout the course. I really love the imagery and symbolism of the weeping willow. I like primitive designs. I am fascinated by weeping willows on grave markers. I took this picture at the cemetery of St. Michael's in Llanfihangel-ar-Arth, Wales, last summer.

Boots No.7

Boots, the UK pharmacy, is now selling beauty products at Target. The only thing that we got at Boots in England was an adapter for the electrical outlets, so I was excited to see their things being sold locally. So far I've bought some makeup and face wash, and they're great (except the brush sheds)!