Elmo

I meant to post about this a while back but summer was too unmissable and I indulged in some major blog slacking. Luckily, it's all still going on and so still worth going on about. ELMO - East London Mobile Workshop - is awesome, and it thoughtfully popped along to our local park for a weekend of completely free, very indulgent artsy craftsyness. 

ELMO is a roaming pop up artist's studio, housed in a converted Bedford Bus (it looks spectacular), offering free creative workshops across East London to kids and grownups alike. We spent a day creating some swoonworthy ombre and gold screen prints (Pablo was especially proud of one he made saying "Joy" for his auntie Zara Joy's birthday), but the real highlight was the following day's letterpress fun. The staff were incredibly patient despite the humming gathering of interested folk, and took a real interest in helping us to create some little bespoke prints. Pablo made an "INDY & PABLO" banner with his papa, and I reeled off a stack of temporary Cake of Dreams business cards. The whole experience was a lovely indulgence, and shockingly, utterly *free*. That's virtually unheard of in this town. Keep an eye on them @elmo_works for news on upcoming pop up fun. Next up is Film Making with no.w.here in Mile End. Is 18 months too young to start making movies....?

London Loves

Summer was teasing us for a couple of weeks, but now it has bid us farewell autumn is easing us in gently. Lots of sparkly, mild afternoons to run around in the leaves and get to grips with wearing jumpers again. We had a lovely last weekend with Nanna & Quinto before their return to Spain for the winter. After a morning at Coram's Fields we stumbled across an incredible French bakery, run by two enthusiastic and charming brothers, who showed us how they make raisin buns and gave us bags of free beignets whilst regaling us with tales of their family baking business in Cannes. Incredibly delicious and such a rare warm atmosphere. Highly recommended: Aux Pains de Papy. For god's sake buy some sacristans, like a hundred, and try not to eat them all at once. HEAVEN.

I basically only dress them in dungarees now. Can't help myself.

As we ambled back up to King's Cross, stuffed with croissants and brioche and with a french stick under each arm, we discovered the King's Cross Square Carnival in full swing. It would have been rude not to stay and brave the Helter Skelter, after which we headed up to Granary Square where the festival continued, celebrating the history of King's Cross with singing chimney sweeps, Victorian fairground attractions & some busty, dusty wenches.  

I think I'm a little bit in love with Granary Square now, and the whole regeneration of King's Cross. The perfect juxtaposition of old and new makes living in this big stinky city feel a bit exciting. 

rock n roll wedding

My gorgeous friend Kamila got married this Saturday and the wedding was spectacular. Ceremony at Camden Town Hall - described by many as "the most considerate wedding ceremony of the year" because it was lovely and brief but totally moving and perfect. Then a big red bus to take us all to Conway Hall for what was essentially a dream gig. The bride and groom (aka The Dead Flamingoes) played a song together in lieu of a first dance, and then we had the total treat of dancing the night away to Richard, Kamila & Teddy Thompson, The Pretenders, Edwyn Collins and more... It was totally magical, and very champagney, and the squids were left with grandparents throughout. I got to actually dance (badly) with my husband for the first time in about a year. We even managed to trundle unwisely on to The Groucho Club until 4am. Whoops. Things got slightly pear shaped on Sunday when we had to take the in-laws for a Sunday roast on 1.5 hours' sleep, and Konch realised that someone from St Etienne had gone back to Oxford with his suit jacket...