It's a New Year

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm back after an extended holiday hiatus. I didn't actually mean to go m.i.a. the entire Christmas season but there was just too much going on (obviously). So, a quick catch-up on some of what went on...

Christmas Day was all about family. A huge early morning breakfast (pancakes, proper cake, omelettes, salad, toast), church, and then a massive spinach pizza and lots of wine for lunch. In my family Christmas is about food. I unintentionally ended up looking pretty retro 70's, captured here on Instagram filter "1977".

Christmas Day, 2012

My ever-growing love for Instagram (belated) has blossomed over the holiday period, because suddenly I had all this time to take pictures of things outside my usual fashion realm.

Santa also came through roaringly.

Lancome perfume, an owl face bangle, & a box full of frilly underwear from VS!

Pony hide bag from one of my faves, Bush Princess

On Boxing Day we packed the car to the roof and headed into the countryside. The Kenyan countryside is a stunner this time of year. Everywhere the hills are green and rolling as can be. At the country homestead, everything is charming and life there is soo different to the city. The days last long and there's nothing to do all day except explore the land, cook a great deal, and play Scrabble.

A sheep.

Kids at the homestead, Byron & Ruth.

Birds galore as we buy fish at Homa Bay

New Year was perfect if low-key this year. Our plans to go to the coast having fallen through, my Czech friends decided to have a chlebicky (kle-beech-key) competition. Chlebicky is a specialized open sandwich Czechs eat at this time of year. Not really grasping the full cultural significance, I made mine with an egg salad base, grilled zuchini, feta, and sundried tomato. I'm not the greatest cook in the world, but unbelievably, I won! There was no prize, save life-long bragging rights (which was good enough) and lots of frothy champaign at midnight :-)

The winning 3 chlebicky; mine is the one on the top.

Chlebicky; this one (made by my Marek) has organic eggs, ham, & caviar. Fancy.

 

Happy new or continued beginnings to everyone. Now we do it all again...