Tea for Three at Relay Tea Room

My Saturday has started brilliantly. I got up at 10am (I'm on half term from today, which means lying in for the next 10 days). Yippee!

I had breakfast in bed and then made my way to Brixton market for some Jamaican patties and tea and cakes with two lovely friends. 

I had coffee here before, but today I had my camera with me and took some pictures of the place. The tea place is called Relay Tea Room and is owned by two lovely girls. They make their own cakes (delicious) and have a huge range of teas on offer. As I am a coffee person, I had coffee instead. And can I just say, even though it was only a filter coffee, it is the best one you will find anywhere. Usually, if you order a filter coffee, you get weak, brown water. This one actually tastes of coffee and goes really well with cakes. 

So, we ordered one tea, two coffees, one scone and jam and one Victoria sponge. Absolutely divine. Here are pretty pictures of the goodies:

This is one of the tables in front of the shop, with lovely flowery tea pot. (click on the pictures to see the detail)

I strongly recommend this place when you are down in Brixton. At the moment it's my favourite place in the market. Go and visit their blog. It is fun and you'll get a better idea of the stuff they make. Maybe we can meet there one afternoon?

http://relay-boutique.blogspot.com/ 

There is lots to look at in the market. Right in front of the tea shop is this grocery seller. What a wonderful mixture of cultures and ideas:

Watermelons look good, don't they?
Two doors down, you can shop for some old vinyl records:

And to my right, a hard working man was eating his lunch:

I love the background of his shop. He is a butcher, but I didn't get his stall in the picture. Maybe next time.

And as a goodbye, here is a picture of what I bought today:

I am designing new bags made out of colourful fabric and need these little beauties to zip them. I am spending tomorrow working out how to do them, and I should be posting fruits of my labour very soon.

I am spending the rest of the day at home. I have so much to do: finish a very good book I am reading at the moment, The Secret River, read Saturday's papers (read The Guardian), finish two new big crochet bags I am working on at the moment,... and of course, I will potter around the house (my favourite hobby). I have an invitation to go out for drinks with friends but I feel like staying in tonight.

Have a fabulous weekend and don't forget to check out Relay Tea Room.

Red xx 

Eating healthy - fresh fruit salad!

Hello alI!

I try to have a healthy life style. I do a bit of exercise (jogging, yoga and hoola hooping are my choices of keeping fit) and I don't eat too many sweets (a biscuit or two a day). Quiona is on my menu very often and all sorts of vegetables. I love veggies. However, although I like lots of different fruit, I have to admit, I am not that good at eating them. Don't know why, but there it is. As I am terribly bored of my snacks like oat cakes and nuts, I decided to live on a wild side and actually venture into the world of fruit. And what a feast I made tonight. 
Look what I bought for only £4 in Brixton market today:

As you can see, a lot of delicious stuff. Pineapple (only 70p!!!), three Alfonso mangoes (so yummy), blackberries, strawberries and funny looking pears. The cheapest fruit basket ever. And the most delicious too.

And here is how it looks when prepared in a fruit salad:

Pineapple isn't exactly ripe, so, that's left for the next fruit salad.
What do you think? Beautiful colours? Trust me, it tastes even better than it looks.

What is your health regime? What's your favourite fruit?
I know it is already 10pm, but I am off fora hoola hoop session for about half an hour.

Have a happy and a healthy day.

Red xx

A little bit of Brixton magic

Hello my dear friends,

I haven't posted about Brixton in a while and feel like I've been neglecting my duties :-)

I've been living in Brixton for over 15 years now and still find it fascinating and the most exciting part of London. The eclectic mix of people, cultures, food, shops, restaurants and  market stalls, make it a wonderfully thrilling place to be in. Lately, I have been going down almost every day after work for a coffeee and to read my book. I love Rosie's (will write about that place another time in more detail), but the best coffee you will have in London is at the Federation. It is worth making a trip down South just for a taste. Two young guys opened a small shop 2 x 4 meters big, and very soon they acquired such a following, they had people queuing for a cup of coffee. They moved next door into a much bigger place as the demand for their coffee was getting quite big. Here is their website to wet your appetite. 

http://federationcoffee.com/ 

Just around the corner from Federation is this Afro Caribbean shop that sells such random things, I always have a chuckle and a good browse (although I never buy anything as I wouldn't know how to cook the food). Last time I passed by, they were selling huge snails. They looked dry, but I also think I saw them moving, I can't decide. Here is one of the many pictures I took:

And just to illustrate my point of how mixed this place is, here are the posters on their wall:

And on the other side of the shop, a little bit of street art:

 

And to finish, here is one of my favourite shops in the world. It is a second hand book shop, owned by a cool American guy, who usually plays country music (not my taste, but I strangely enjoy it while I am browsing for books) and has a dog sleeping in front of a counter. A LOT of the books on my book shlef come from that shop. In fact, I was addicted to this place some years ago. I'd go in at least once a week and buy at least one book from him. This went on for months and months. I was broke at the end of this adventure, may I just say.


The other day, I remembered that I still haven't read Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, and went to Brixton for grocery shopping and to go to the library. But before that, I made a stop at the Book Mongers, just to see what's in. And what do you know, In Cold Blood was staring at me from the shelf. Although I love libraries and use them all the time, I just had to buy the book. Only £3 and a new copy too. Win win.
You can find all sorts of stuff in there. Some books are old and used and some are perfectly new. I guess he gets them from the publishing houses or bookshops that can't sell them anymore. More often than not, you will find a newest Booker Prize List book sitting next to an old classic. And there is a great variety too. From philosophy and poetry, to comics, science fiction, travel, novels, LGBT writing,... Come and see it for yourself. But until then, here is the picture of how it looks from the outside:

So that's it for today's tour of Brixton. Come and visit this wonderful place when you get some spare time. The best day is Saturday. It is full of people, and the place is buzzing with activity.

Let me know what your favourite shops are. Where do you buy your books? Where do you go for a coffee and a quiet read?

See you all soon.

Lilly xx

"What's in my shopping basket?" episode 2

Hello, hello!!

I've been working hard lately and have almost finished another bag. All I need to do is connect the seams, crochet the strap and do the lining. As I've now done 5 bags, I am becoming much faster at crocheting although, sawing the lining is still the trickiest bit.

I have ordered lots of new, good quality yarn, lovely, bright colours and can't wait to start thinking up new designs. I am getting some of it tomorrow, so pictures to come very soon.
And as I was running out of thread and buttons, I had a little shopping spree today and spent £30 on goods!!! That's too much, I know, but I bought this beautiful fabric for lining and John Lewis where I bought it is quite dear with prices. Never mind, I love it and it's worth it.
Here is a picture of it. See what you think:

And here is a picture of other purchases from John Lewis. That shop is dangerous. It has everything you need and I can spend hours and hours and lots of money in there.

The orange and green bags you see - well, that's my new obsession. Beads!!! I am starting my own range of jewelry. Just for me, not to sell. I haven't found anything that I like in a while now, so decided to make my own ornaments as I know what I want, just can't find it in the shops. There are a few amazing bead shops in London and like John Lewis, they are very dangerous. Your imagination goes wild once you step inside. As the beads are quite expensive, I limited myself to just these two colours today.

That's all for today. Have you done any shopping lately? What's in your basket?

Lilly xx

Another bag,... in the bag!!!

Hello all,

I have been pretty productive lately and have done another beauty bag. This one is, again, a birthday present for a friend. I didn't have a design in mind, it just kind of happened, and I think it is now in the running for being my favourite. See what you think:

This bag is called Spring Beauty Bag. I know, not particularly imaginative, but couldn't think of anything more exciting, and let's face it,it is spring, so why not a spring beauty bag??

Hope you're all good and your beauty bag is as happy as this one. Mine needs more make up to be perfectly happy :-)

See you all very soon and thank you for stopping by.

Zlata xx

Bags for sale! Come and browse!!!

Hello friends!!!

So the bags are here!!! I've finally finished them. Crocheting is not difficult, it's the finishing touches that are proving hard. I've ripped them out so many times, I think I could have crocheted another bag in that time. So here they are. First one is called Happy Bag, and although I am selling it, my aunt has done it for me. I think it is beautiful and the colours are happy, so I called it a Happy Bag.

Then comes the first bag I have ever done (that excludes the little beauty bag I made for Saff's birthday). This one is called Satchel Bag as it reminds me of school satchels I used to have when I was a kid. I think this is my favourite, I love the design, even if I say so myself. I am putting it up for sale, but so want to keep it for myself. Here are the pictures of how it looks from the front, back and the inside.

And the third and last bag of this collection is called Summery Red. I have to admit, this bag gave me a lot of grief. I crocheted it fast enough, but the lining was particularly tough to do. Well, it was tough for me, because I am a novice at sewing. I just couldn't sew a straight line to save my life, so finally after 5 hours of trying straight lines (till 3 o'clock in the morning!!), the penny dropped and I decided to do a zig-zag pattern instead. So, if the lines are not straight, it doesn't really matter. And in fact, I now prefer the zig-zag finish anyway, so I suppose it was worth all that effort and time. See what you think:

So, there you are. If you like what you see here, please forward the blog to your friends and family.
And I need some feedback from you. I want to put in a little flyer in each bag of how to take care of it and a little bit about the bags themselves. How does it look to you? Is the font ok? Do you like what it says, and do you think I should change any of it?
Here is a picture of how it looks now:

Thank you all for visiting and let me know what you think. Hope your weekend has been good. I've been busy doing drama workshops, partying and cleaning up my messy crochet/ sewing station, so all in all, it's been a lot of fun. See you all soon.
Oh yes, and click on the pictures to enlrage them.

Lilly xx

London, London, London!!!

Hello dear friends,

It's been a while since I last posted. I've been out most of the last two weeks and never seemed to find the time to sit and write. I've been off work for over two weeks now and have done lots of fun things. This has been the best break I've had in a long, long time. I've spent my time meeting friends, eating out, drinking, reading, enjoying the sun, visiting places in London I haven't visited in years. So here is a little collage in pictures of things I have seen. The first one is of Saff and me in front of the Kensington Palace:

I am not a Royalist. In fact, I am definitely a Republican (not politically mind you, just anti royal :-), but I have to admit that I had a fabulous day at the Enchanted Palace. Here are a few pictures of the garden in there:

Gorgeous, don't you think?

I don't often go to Central London, but I went a few times in the last few weeks and captured some interesting images. London is amazing, there is something to look at, at every corner. Here is a cool picture I saw painted on the wall in Covent Garden:

I am not exactly sure who did this, but it sits right next to the London Graphic Centre, so they might have done it, or commissioned an artist to do it. Not sure, but it's quite cool.

Just down the road from here, it's Theatre Land. I don't see things at the West End and don't have much interest in classical or musical theatre, but was quite taken by this image. See if you like it too:

So, there it is. A little tour of London. My break is almost over, and I have to say, not working really agrees with me. So much to do, so much to see, there just isn't time to work.


Hope you are all good and happy. Have you had a fun break and good weather?


See you all soon, and with some crocheting pictures this time.


Lilly xx

Beauty bag for the most beautiful friend.

Hola, hola, hola!!!!

So, the weekend is almost finished and I hope you've had a good one. I had lovely two days and yesterday was special, in particular, because it was my dearest friend's birthday. We spent the day in the Enchanted Palace in Kensignton (lots of pictures to follow in the next few posts), and then had drinks in Clapham South, in the evening. 

My beautiful friend is one of the most wonderful, kind, generous and caring people I know (and will ever know) and it is a privilege to know her.

Here is one of the presents I made for her, which you might find interesting too (click on the picture to enlarge):

As you can see, it is a beauty bag (or a make up bag)! She needed one and I spent considerable time making it (in fact I stayed up till 4.30 in the morning just to finish it in time for her birthday yesterday), but it was worth it as she loves it and I had great time doing it too.

I am also selling these little beauties, £15 each. If you are interested in getting one for yourself, buying one for a friend/ mother/ sister, granny, auntie, or indeed you know someone who would like them, please get in touch. The design can be a combined effort and you can have a say in what colours, buttons or lining you would like.
Please spread the word and give my blog name (Boye By Red) to friends and family you know might enjoy this kind of stuff.

Sorry for advertising, but I really want to reach as many people as I possibly can and friends can be helpful in this endeavour :-)

Have you had a fun weekend, or were you a lazy cat, relaxing and not doing much? 


See you all soon.


Lilly xx

Some people collect stamps. I collect pretty buttons!

Hello dear friends,

I've got so much to do and have been so busy in the last few days, that I haven't had time to properly blog and dedicate myself to it. So, I stole a few moments today to bring you my new obsession. Buttons! I found a shop on ebay selling amazing buttons. They are not too expensive and I can't find big buttons anywhere but here. And not only big buttons, but pretty ones too. Here is the last batch I purchased:

I have recently become crazy about green colour, in particular this one on the picture. I think I want to buy everything in that colour now. I don't have that much money so I better wait till this obsession passes.

So, now that I have kitted myself with so much stuff (yarn, fabrics, buttons, ribbons, thread, tape measure, needles) I seriously have to apply myself to creating things too, not just buying. I don't have an excuse any more, I have everything I need, so apply myself, I will. 
To be honest, I have been wanting to crochet my bags in the last week or so but have been so busy meeting people, cooking, going out, that I haven't had the time to sit and do the work. I've cleared tomorrow just for crocheting, so I should be producing some stuff in the next few days. 
I'm gonna try and learn how to do a button hole on a bag. I have to say it scares me a little bit as I still don't know how to read patterns that well, and my little brain gets all excited and confused. I might come up with a crooked hole. That seems to be my style anyway.

And one more thing before I go. My sister got this new, amazing sewing machine that embroiders things for you, so we spent this Sunday doing my labels. Here is how they look. They are still messy as I haven't cleaned them up and cut the thread, but I think the colours and letters work. See what you think.

So that's all for now. Let me know what you are up to. Have you been busy lately? And what do you think of the goodies above?

And the very last thing,... I'll let you in on a secret,... I used to collect stamps too :-) 
I've still got them, and as nerdy as that might sound, they are still gorgeous. I might share them with you one day.

Have a fab day everyone.

Lilly xx

Pizza, pizza, pizza. Come and get some!!!

Hello friends,

so, my first day of Easter break didn't go as well as I wanted it to. I woke up with a headache and the day just went to potts. But,... Sunday was another story. 
Firstly, I spent it in the best company ever! Secondly, I got an Ipad as a present. For free!!! I can't express how lucky and happy I am. Thirdly, I did labels for my bags (about that more tomorrow) and lastly, I had some seriously delicious pizza. Here are a few pictures of the delicacy that I consumed today;

Three pizzas to go and better than any pizza place can make.

Have you had a good Sunday lunch? What did you have? Did you make it yourself?

Enjoy your week and see you here tomorrow.

Lilly xx

If the sky gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Well,.. I make lemon cakes!

Hello one and all,

So, as I said yesterday, I'll make lemon cakes after I come back from work. And true to my word, I did. They are quite delicious, although I have to admit, they are slightly bitter and I don't really understand why. Maybe too much lemon zest. I can't tell. They are still good with hot coffee.
Here is a picture of a messy working station:

And now the recipe:

Ingredients:

225 gr self rising flour
225 gr caster sugar
4 eggs
one lemon
225 gr unsalted butter
one little bag of vanilla sugar or vanilla essence
time and patience to wait till it's baked

Mix 225 gr of soft butter with 225 gr of sugar. Once the mixture is soft and creamy, add eggs, one by one, not all of them at once. Once the eggs are mixed, add sifted flour, vanilla and lemon zest, thinly grated. Mix until it's all creamy and soft.

Pre heat the oven at 180 degrees, place baking sheet in the tray, then pour the mixture inside. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Take out the cake out of the oven, leave to cool, then cut.
Serve and enjoy. 

This is a picture of the mixture just before it went into the oven.

Cake, freshly baked, just came out of the oven.

And the last two - lemon cake cut, served and ready to be eaten.

Let me know if you have any simple recipes, sweet or savoury. And bon apetit.

Lilly xx

Cupcakes are in town!

Hello dear friends,

a new shop opened in Brixton market on the 1st of April. It is called Ms Cupcake and guess what? It sells cupcakes! Surprising, I know. But it sells no ordinary cupcakes. They are wheat free, gluton free, vegan cupcakes. I just passed by but didn't buy anything. Well, not this time, anyway. I'll sample the goodies and let you know if they are tasty.
Dunja, this one is for you. Another way of luring you to London :-)

There were quite a few people in the shop, looking and buying, so I hope people will flock in and buy the cakes. 


Here are a few pictures I took on Saturday:

I didn't go in and kind of felt a bit intimidated to take pictures inside, but I will go in one day and ask the woman who owns it to pose and say a few words. Stay tuned.


I will be making a lemon drizzled cake in the next few days. Never made it before, but I found a good recipe and as it is easy to make and I love cakes, I think I'll give it a go. I saw some today at a school fair where I work and they were all gone by the time I got served, so I thought I'll make them myself. I'll post the recipe and pictures, so keep looking.


Have a lovely and sweet day everyone, and tell, what cakes do you like? Any good recipes you would like to share?


See you all soon. I am going on Easter break from Friday, which means I will have so much more time to visit places in London I don't usually see. I'll make sure I take pictures and keep you posted.


Milicent xx


P. S. I love the floor in the shop. It is gorgeous!!

Belts, bras and cats on sale - £1

Hello friends,

so the weekend is here and as I often do, I strolled down to Brixton market for a coffee with a friend and for a little browse around. First thing I saw was this delightful image:

As I said in the title, belts, bras and,... a cat for £1???? She was having a little snooze, totally oblivious that she was on sale as well. The woman selling the goods thought it was funny too. 

I then found a cheap stand with thread, needles and little ribbons for my bag adventure. Look what I got for only £6.50

In a high street shop, this would be at least £10. And this way, money stays in the local economy. Win - win situation, however you look at it.


Walking through the arcade, look who I spotted having a lunch at one of the funky Brixton cafes:

Can you recognise the red head in the corner? It is Florence, from Florence and the Machine. She saw me take the picture, so I had to pretend as if I am really interested in stuff around, and not her, so I spent a few minutes pointing my camera at the ceiling. I took quite a few pictures of the lanterns you see hanging. She had her head down when I took the picture so you can't see her face properly, but it is still undeniably her. Brixton is becoming furiously trendy, although next week will be 30 years since the Brixton riots in the 1980's and people are predicting some kind of protest next week. I'll make my way down there to see if anything happens. It might just be a celebration of how multicultural Brixton has become. But the truth is that young black men in the area are constantly stopped and searched by the police, whilst their white counterparts never are. Only recently, a young black musician from Brixton had his house raided by the police and has died while they were there. Was that a coincidence? The investigation is under way, but the community is not happy and the papers today say that although it is unlikely that Brixton will experience the riots form the 80s, it is possible that there will be some kind of unrest. Maybe there should be, so the government and in particular the police, hear what people actually think and feel.


The rest of the afternoon I spent with a friend and then had a Colombian emapanda with chicken (Colombian chicken pattie) and read my paper. 

A fun day in Brixton!!


Hope you are having a fun weekend too. Have you seen anything funny or someone special in the last few days? Do tell.


See you all very soon.


Lilly xx