Sundaze 118

There’s a couple of features I’m working on at the moment that I’m trying not to let influence this week’s Sundaze. But I feel like most of my headspace has been taken up by those pieces and, as such, I’m sat here trying to peel the layers of what’s gone on in my world this week.

I suppose the week started jam-packed with work. I’ve been back-to-back with clients recently, which is always a dream, but it means the subject matter for these round-up sorts of posts end up fairly dry! I’ve also excitingly secured a few blog partnerships that I can’t wait to work on: I’m spending the rest of my Sunday afternoon drafting storyboards for my shoots and mocking up post layouts! (Once a nerd, always a nerd…)

Met up with my gal pal Sarah for a delicious Trafalgar Square picnic in the sun on Wednesday. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I really adore being back in the city on a more regular basis, and being able to hang out with my friends. And a little afternoon break with Sarah is just great for the soul.

Recent reads

I’m back into good reading sprints again! March was a fairly slow month for me, but I’ve managed to pick up the pace again and get into a good habit of reading on my commutes and add in an extra 45 minutes each evening.

Most notably, I finished read Pachinko by Min Jin Lee this week. I’ve had it on my to-be-read list for years and spotted it on Kindle Unlimited, the ideal way to read a book 500+ pages long. It’s one of the most beautiful stories I’ve read in absolutely ages; I’ll let the blurb do the rest. In fact, I adored it so much that I went out to buy a paperback for my library!

I also finished Fractured by Dani Atkins and Ponti by Sharlene Teo, which paled considerably in comparison but were still decent reads. Fractured was a sliding doors sort of novel, detailing two outcomes to a woman’s life, polarised by a fracturing. I’d imagine it’d be a great holiday read, but did end up feeling incredibly predictable by the middle and end. Ponti is a book I rated four-stars on Goodreads, but fell short of my expectations. The storyline felt lacklustre and some of the characters definitely could’ve been explored deeper, but I LOVED the cultural inflections and how beautifully the protagonist was presented.

Find me on Goodreads @daisybutter for more reading adventures.

A great week for food!

I mean… am I ever not talking about food?!

Each Sunday, I sit down with my groceries notepad and two recipe books and I create a meal plan for the week ahead, including 4 lunches and 4 dinners. And this week I absolutely nailed it: you all need to try the All-in-One Roasted Tomato and Bay Orzo with Black Pepper and an aubergine dish with harissa and tomatoes from The Green Roasting Tin. I can’t stop talking about these two recipes to everybody I know!

Brighton, for a day!

Yesterday we popped down to Brighton for a day, because it is basically a law to visit the seaside when it’s a) somewhat sunny, and b) a Bank Holiday weekend. Eight(!!) of us hopped on a train and spent a day eating, drinking, laughing and adventuring our way through one of my favourite British cities.

Our first port of call was making a beeline down to the seafront. It’s the most magical thing walking down from the station and seeing the glistening sea in your eyeline almost immediately. Some of my family are currently visiting from Malaysia, and so Dad took them to Brighton Palace Pier for an obligatory stroll. Harvey, Louise, Milo and I stayed back for a little snack in a vegan café on the beach as dogs aren’t allowed on the pier. It was Milo’s first time on a beach and he absolutely adored it!

Next, we’d planned to head to Purezza for plant-based pizzas but they were absolutely packed because of course I hadn’t factored in that it was Brighton Fringe… We meandered through the Lanes and then went straight back to the beach for lunch at Lucky Beach Café on my friend Lucy’s recommendation. Their Impossible vegan burger and BLT comes so recommended from us, and my fam really rated their fish and chips and fish tacos.

Then, we visited the North Laines via the Royal Pavilion Gardens (still beautiful and still one of my favourite spots!), before stopping off for a coffee at Bread + Milk. We loved popping in to Papersmiths, Bird & Blend Tea Co., Pussy Home Boutique and Abode, too!

Our train home was booked for 20.08, so we tried our luck at getting a table at Fatto a Mano for dinner. And it was a huge shame because despite their not taking reservations, the manager was SO kind and kept a table aside for us. But his colleague sat three other parties at our tables, and we ended up having to wait an additional 50 minutes because of her error. We then had the worst table service from her. But the pizzas were delicious (honestly, possibly the best I’ve had!). The jury is out on whether I’ll return because our waitress was SO rude and unhelpful.

Links I’ve Loved

It’s the Royal Chelsea Flower Show this weekend! For any floral fiends reading, Hanh shared a list full of the prettiest floral displays in London right now.
Here are some amazing tried-and-tested time management techniques to help boost productivity.
Got South Korea on your travel list? These are the 14 things you have to eat in Seoul.
I Have an Inconsistent Income—Here’s How I Afford to Travel