Oh my goodness what a busy few weeks it's been.

It's hard to believe that we are at the end of May already. When life seems to be passing you by and you're struggling to keep up, I think it's important to take time out to compose yourself and appreciate what you've got. We all have stresses in our lives however big or small they may be, it's all relative to you, and how you feel.

Alex and I are country bumpkins at heart, who have somehow been caught up in the whirlwind that is 'London Life'. We pine for a slower existence, something which isn't always possible when work life gets a little crazy.

Every now and then we take a Friday off, to allow ourselves to come back down to earth, to talk about something other than work and to enjoy the little life we are creating for ourselves in Kew. Last Friday we did just that.

On a previous trip in to Richmond we noticed that The Ivy Cafe had opened up in the centre of town. So we booked ourselves a table for breakfast, nice and early to beat the crowds and have a little quiet time before cracking on with 'Date Day'. I've never been to The Ivy before and had heard amazing things. Lets just say... it's all true!

Delicious food, fantastic service and the most stunning interiors. We fuelled up on omelette, bacon, plenty of toast and finished off with a tasty selection of pastries and strong coffee. If you're in Richmond or passing through then I highly recommend The Ivy Cafe.

The next stop was a little impulsive but I feel necessary. I'll give you a little back story... Last year I treated myself to the gorgeous Joules Harbour Top with gold bees all over it. I was in heaven! If I was a top I would be this top. I'd had it only a few months before my darling boyfriend was kind enough to wash it and put it through the tumble drier... removing every single little gold bee! I could have cried. Word of warning ladies, do not tumble dry these tops!

Anyway, back to 'Date Day'. In his guilt Alex had phoned Joules and found the latest version of the top, this time with silver bees (similar here) and he had them put to one side to collect. He's a good egg really! It took us about half an hour to drive to get it but totally worth it. Not only was it gloriously sunny, windows down, music up kind of weather, but it gave us a chance just to sit and chat and most importantly laugh.

In the afternoon we popped over to Petersham Nurseries, we live so close but have never been and so many people I follow on Instagram had posted about it and shared the most stunning photos. In a way I guess we wanted to see what all the hype was about.

We weren't disappointed it was just as stunning as the photos. Tucked away from the road and backing on to common land and the river, it was a place of absolute tranquility. We meandered our way through the plants to the tea rooms where we got some much needed refreshment in the form of sparkling elderflower.

We took a seat in the shade and listened in the background to the music from a wedding that was taking place in one of the green houses. It was just the perfect way to spend and afternoon and really take time to chill out whilst sat in the most beautiful setting. We had nothing and nobody to be rushing around for.

Last but not least, the thing which was the cherry on top of the very perfect cake... As we were leaving Petersham Nurseries my inner country girl was in heaven. I spotted some lovely little Belted Galloway cows on the common land. It really made me stop and think about how lucky I am to be living in a place that gives me the best of both worlds. I am able to commute in to Mayfair with incredible ease, but I'm not having to give up my farming roots.

All in all it was the perfect day!

Pip

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