Category Archives: Playground

Something for the weekend: London style guide

If you’re anything like me you love to explore and find one-off quirky boutiques, bars, restaurants and other hidden gems. My friend Zoe bought me the London style guide for my birthday that just happens to be a mini bible on all of the above. Its written by Saska Graville and she promises to get under the skin of London and introduce you to off the radar places that only locals  know. What makes this book stand out for me is the fact that she features in-the-know locals, like Abigail Ahern and their favourite haunts. The design of the book is pretty cool too with loads of photos to help bring it to life. In London it can be so easy to stick with what you know so I’ve made it my mission to discover new places each weekend using this book.

Hope you’ve got a fun weekend planned. xx

Leave a Comment

Filed under Playground

Happiness is marriage bliss

Hello it’s been such a long time since my last post and I’ve missed you. I’ve kinda been busy though. Doing some stuff. Nothing special, just planning a wedding, getting married etc. So, I haven’t had a chance to blog for a while but I’m back and I’m sporting a new name. That’s right folks, I’m no longer Sommer Kiely. You are now looking at, wait for it…. Sommer Pyne. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? With a name like this there are a whole world of opportunities. I was joking with my friends that I could launch my own brand of toilet fresheners. Sommer Pyne Freshness maybe??? Ha ha maybe not. It does feel incredible though to be married to my beautiful husband. I still giggle when I refer to Will as my husband as it feels so grown up and I’m such a kid at heart. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to that. Or just grow up for that matter!

Our wedding day weekend extravaganza was the most beautiful and incredible experience of my life and I’m still buzzing. It’s hard to explain the emotions I felt on the day but it was like that feeling you get when you’re a child the night before Christmas. Only 10 times better because you’re there to celebrate the love you have for a very special person and the most important people in your life are there with you for the same reason. Then throw into the mix the beautiful countryside of Ibiza, sunshine, sangria, great food and dancing all night. The result? Me being more deliriously happy than I’ve ever been. It felt like a very  good dream that you don’t want to wake up from but you know you have to at some point.  I can’t believe how quickly it went after months and months of planning but I can’t complain because I now have some incredible memories that I will hold onto forever.

My our friends have been so lovely and have been posting photos and messages on Facebook which was so nice to come back to. It’s helped keep the dream alive and every time I need a pick me up I just scroll through all the photos of our friends and family having fun. I can’t wait to share our whole wedding day with you and everything we did to make it so special. As soon as I get the professional photos all will unfold.

 

After saying goodbye to our friends and family, which by the way was so hard after having such an amazing time with them, we took some much needed time out in Ibiza. There were definitely some tears especially when I had to say goodbye to my brother and sister who were heading back to OZ. So to get over our post wedding blues and the stress of the last nine months we did what we do best: Ate, drank and laid around like lizards in the sun, rolling in and out of the pool. We stayed at Es Cucons which is a lovely boutique hotel in the top north of the Island and is also very special because our friends got married there last year. A five minute bike ride from the hotel takes you to the cliff top views you can see below. Another favourite  haunt of ours is El Chringuito beach restaurant for the ambience and food. Imagine a white-washed interior with day beds that look out to sweeping ocean views of Formentera and Dalt Vila with Baleric tunes playing in the background, whilst sipping on ice-cold rose. Its pure bliss and you won’t want to leave. To get there you need to drive past the salt plains and you can often see pink flamingos. And of course no trip to Ibiza would be complete without having cocktails or dinner at KM5. There are so many amazing places to mooch around in Ibiza and the best place to get the lowdown is White Ibiza.

  

It was good to reflect and refocus my energy and think about the future and all the possibilities that it holds for us. I’m a big believer in dreams and this year and next is about making those dreams a reality. Dream big x

2 Comments

Filed under Eat + Drink, Playground, Wedding

Step into a beautiful era

When I walk through the doors of Les Trois Garcons I feel like I’m being transported to a beautiful era just like in the movie Midnight in Paris.  Behind the unassuming facade of a converted East End pub, is a decadent fantasy world that will stir the childlike curiosity in you. Picture high ceilings with large crystal chandeliers, taxidermied animals in costume jewellery, dark wood panelling with olive velvet green drapes and an eclectic mix of vintage ornaments and art. The interior is unconventionally beautiful and if you’re into interiors it will take your breath away. The modern french cuisine is good but the incredible surroundings are definitely a pleasant distraction.

They have also opened a lifestyle boutique called Maison Trois Garcons in Shoreditch London, which I visited last week. It’s just near the restaurant and their bar, Loungelover. The shop contains a mixture of antique, vintage and contemporary pieces sourced from England, France and Sweden. Maison Trois Garcons also provides a search-and-find and interior design service. Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me but I managed to find some images via Heart Home magazine.

Happy Friday hope you have a fun-filled weekend xxx

Leave a Comment

Filed under Eat + Drink, Playground

Meerkat stance

Here are a few things that made me sit up like a Meerkat…..

I went to a Nelly Duff pop-up gallery at Somerset House last weekend where they were showcasing a number of artists. One artist that got my attention was Dan Hiller featured above. ‘Father & Son – bronzage’ and ‘hoarse’ were my favourites. Hiller depicts realistic poses of late-1800s people who have been altered by having animal elements added. His subjects range from reclining women to skulls resting on plates, but the archetypal and iconic effect of the black lines blurs the distinctions that are normally implied by reality. His art looks like diagrams from ancient textbooks but reveal a world that doesn’t exist yet.

If you have a sweet tooth for art get your daily fix and pop into the Nelly Duff gallery located in the lovely Columbia Road in East London.

The School of life is a cute little cultural shop in Bloomsbury London. They offer workshops and sermons on how to lead a better life through good ideas for everyday living. They address such questions as why work is often unfulfilling, why relationships can be so challenging, why it’s  even harder to stay calm and what we can do to try to change the world for the better. I’m excited because they have just launched six stylish books – Learn how to ‘think more about sex’, ‘find fulfilling work’, ‘thrive in the digital age’, ‘how to change the world’ and ‘how to stay sane’. The authors Alain de Booton, Roman Krznaric and Tom Chatfield will be touring London, Manchester, Dublin and Edinburgh to launch the series. Books designed by Marcia Mihotich.


If you’re looking for a present with more substance check out their online shop or buy a gift voucher for a friend theschooloflife.com

Source: Vogue beauty

Beauty Mart is a new concept boutique opening in Harvey Nichols offering hand-picked edits of beauty must haves. Products have been cherry picked from big beauty brands, rather than stocking the whole range – for example, offering just Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream,  not the rest of the brand. The brain childs behind this concept are Millie Kendall (co-founder of the make-up brand Ruby & Millie) and Anna-Marie Solowij (former Vogue Beauty Director). They will also be extending the idea into vending machines which will initially launch in store but the creators hope that they will eventually appear everywhere from airports to sidewalks. What a brilliant idea; all the best products selected from 170 brands in one place!!

Check out Skandium’s new shop on the fourth floor of Selfridges. Feast your eyes on the beautifully designed furniture and drool over the limited-edition gold desk designed by Hans Wegner.

x

Leave a Comment

Filed under Playground

Summer in the air

It’s a ridiculously gorgeous  sunny day in London and it feels like Summer is just around the corner. I’ve spent the morning at Venn Street market eyeing up the delicious food on offer and then had a lovely breakfast at Fantasia in the sunshine. My hubby to be is on the decks and I’m dancing around spring cleaning and filling the house with flowers.  I think a bike ride and picnic in Battersea park is in order. I love London when the sun shines!  Enjoy your weekend and make the most of this lovely weather xx

Source: Pinterest

Leave a Comment

Filed under Playground

London’s secret society

London is a buzzing city and there is alway something new and exciting to wet our inquisitive appetites. Maybe not so new but something I absolutely love and highly recommend is Secret Cinema. I wanted to share a post from We Heart magazine who I think capture the experience of the night brilliantly. Follow the link to get the lowdown Secret Cinema | We Heart; Lifestyle & Design Magazine.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Playground

Happiness is sharing

Hello out there, anyone there??

This is my very first post and hopefully one of many more to come. I’ve wanted to start a blog for a very long time to share the things that inspire, excite or make me happy. I hope by sharing these things with you I will tickle you in some way. 

It’s amazing how quickly life passes you by and I find myself wanting to do so many things, but never getting around to doing them all, so today is the start of something new. I’m actually going to start doing rather than talking about doing it. My motto for today is just do it! Life is about exploring, creating, discovery and having fun and I want to capture some of that and share it with you on this blog – ha ha that is if anyone follows me ;)

Here are some ideas that might inspire you to break out of your daily routine and try something new:

Throw a dinner party for your close friends. The more effort you put in the more rewarding it is for you and your guests. I recently hosted a dinner party for some of our close friends and I made a lot of effort because I wanted them to feel special.  I always pick a theme and use that as a thread when planning a dinner party. This helps you decide on the menu, table setting and cocktails. For my last dinner party the theme was Pan Asian so I dressed the tables with neutral tones of brown and white, using dark coloured bowls and chopsticks. Each dish was served on slate serving boards with banana leaves as decoration. I also used bamboo steamers as serving bowls and I made chinese paper bowls to hold the salt and pepper squid. The night was a hit and we all had fun catching up and enjoying the food and cocktails. My friends  really appreciated the effort that we went to and sent us lovely cards and emails, which made it extra special. 


Ditch the sofa and get out and about. There are so many exciting things going on in London and who better to turn to for the latest info than the cool cats over at Urban Junkies. If you want to know what’s hot in the arts world or where to eat & drink or the coolest travel destinations Urban Junkies can point you in the right direction. This week I’m going to make time for the things I want to do and check out at least one art gallery or place of culture! Why don’t you do it too?!

Now that its starting to get cold there’s nothing better than getting cosy and watching a film. If you’re a fan of films then do something different and go to Secret Cinema. I won’t disclose too much infomation because it supposed to be a secret shhhhh. I can tell you one thing though, i’ve never had so much fun going to the cinema.  The next event is in November so register and book as tickets sell out quickly.

Disappearing Dining Club

Now something to wet your appetite – I’m a big fan of pop-up restaurants because I like the element of surprise and unique dining experiences and all that goes with it. One of the pop-up restaurants I plan to visit is the Disappearing Dining Club.  Each month they hold dinners in reclaimed or unusual places in London with like-minded people who love food. Next month they are holding a dinner dance in a secret location in a huge old factory that has been turned into a gallery and multi-media arts space, with super high ceilings, huge factory skylights, industrial brick and a smart, modern raised gallery area. Menu, location, DJs and musicians are announced a week before each dinner party. I’m told this is one of London’s best kept secrets and I’m very excited to be going whooohooo! I will let you know how I get on.    

These are just a few things that I wanted to share with you but there are plenty more where they came from. Hope you find this interesting and please do feel free to leave any comments.

Sx                                                                                                                

2 Comments

Filed under Playground