What Posses Me: Downton Abbey

Oooh yeah.

what posses me: teatime

Teatime. My favorite time. Without question or exception. 

An occasion, any occasion, to meet with and enjoy company in the cruelest of winter weather (of which we have not seen much here in Salt Lake). An occasion to sit with your thoughts of the budding new year and a good book near the faux-fireplace, listening to eccentric old ladies a'chattering.

Left and top right teatime at the Beehive tearoom. 

Hazelnut tea with orange-cranberry scones.

Bottom left teatime at Mazza. 

Cardamom tea with orange-blossom simple syrup. 

An after-holiday luncheon. To myself. Again.

what posses me VIII: when iceland comes a calling

If you have know me longer than, say,two seconds,

 you will know that the only place I have had on my mind for a 

long, long time is

 Iceland. 

Ask me about the Vikings, I dare you. 

I read Icelandic guide books for bedtime reading 

and keep Icelandic primers close at hand.

 I wish my last name ended with "dottir". 

So, because I love my Icelandic day dreams so much, 

I almost didn't want to share this. 

But, I did. 

Because I'm super nice. 

Inspired by Iceland is an initiative by the Icelandic government to encourage people ousted by Iceland

 fierce volcanoes to travel there regardless. Anyone remember Eyjafjallajökull? (Did anyone ever learn how to pronounce that?) I remember by plane to London almost being affected by Eyja-eff-me-kull, that's what I remember. 

what posses me VII: when the cold feels precious and new

I love this photo from wit + delight's pintrest board. 

Here are some other favorite winter scenes gripping my imagination lately: 

 Black and white winter icicle-y wonderland! 

Something about cycling in the snow in Scandinavia really sets my heart a'fluttering! 

Photographers unknown.

What Posses Me: Part VI. Genius on loan.

Elizabeth Gilbert relays a truly inspiring message about the origins of creativity.

 Let us not be weighed down by the heavy thoughts of the responsibilities that come with housing creativity, and the duty to share it, but less us do as the Romans do (literally) and be awed by the sheer luck we posses as simple mortals to be able to have creativity and the divinity to create beautiful things be "on loan" to us. 

Check out her TED talk here.

What Posses Me: Part V. Sunday Morning Scones

Hello, Earl Grey. 

Spent the morning baking orange + currant cream scones and drinking life-sustaining liquids, e.g., tea. I have been feeling quite depressed lately not being able to be in the kitchen, what with the 90 degree heat and having our floors redone to boot. Forcing baked goods onto friends and neighbors always cheers me. 

My fool proof go-to recipe for cream scones is from The New York Times Cookbook, my absolute favorite cooking manual/bible. I keep it near for a little light breakfast reading. 

...light breakfast reading? 

Oui. 

What Posses Me. Part IV. Dreaming of a Bluebell Forest.

Today, despite the chill in the air, the sun is hot, my wheatgrass and cucumber lemons are growing beautifully on my porch, and I am inside. Exhausted. Researching locations for study abroad adventures next summer. I came across this lovely little film by The Godfriod Brother's. I'm leaning heavily towards a summer in France or Belguim, if only to be near the idyllic Hallerbos! It's my dream to sit in this forest and marvel at the absolute beauty ever since I found a picture of these bluebells many months ago.

What Posses Me. Part III. A few shots of a brief time in Paris.

One week ago last year, I was sunbathing in a glorious shimmering Paris- eating croissants and drinking espresso every morning, (my, what small coffees they have here!) spending the afternoons climbing the stairs up to the Sacre Coeur, and my evenings having quiet dinners in side street cafes. 

One (yester)day to the year, I was despondently making my last tube trip out of London after a rainy, yet unbelievably glorious, summer spent discussing Agnes Varda films around the cozy tables of the British Film Institute's cafe and trapezing around the quaint parks and high streets. 

Alas, after a brief summer at home in Salt Lake, (most just drinking iced tea, buying knick-knacks at the farmer's market, and reminiscing about our days in London) a disturbingly educational few months in Istanbul, and a quiet four months of reflection, wanderlust has struck me again. With a vengeance. Today, most of all, I am Paris dreaming, remembering the warm sunshine, my love of the French language, the food, and the winding streets of Montmartre.

Ah, Paris!

What Posses Me (while I eat my Sunday morning cream scones) Part II

The English Countryside

Ightham Mote

Shaftsbury, Dorset, England 

What Posses Me. Part I.

One day, after days of studying are gone and textbooks are my past and beauty is my future, I will see...

The Blue Forest (de Hallerbos, Dutch for Halle forest) in Halle, Belguim. The bluebells bloom for only a few weeks every spring, carpeting the forest floor and transforming it into a fantastical dream land. 

It is where fairies live.