New York was, of course, absolutely fantastic. I was visiting with my mum and my sister - so a real girly break, which was perfect for the kind of city it is. And spring was in full bloom, which made it all the more beautiful.
I was in France for work (on this, if you're interested), which was amazing, but completely manic - I've lost track of just how many towns, hotels, restaurants etc I visited while I was there. But I still got to savour many of the simple pleasures of travelling, especially in France - quiet cobbled streets, cool glasses of pastis on sunny cafe terraces, outstanding architecture (old and new), lush countryside and, most importantly for a foodie like myself, some really sublime meals. It's nice to be reminded of just how wonderful Europe is - it's all too easy to take it for granted when it's just across the channel.
Unfortunately, I didn't quite fulfill my aim of picking up some wonderful beads on either of these trips - in New York we just never made it to the bead shop, and I just didn't find anything that inspired me in Paris (beadwise, of course, the city itself is always inspiration!). I'm probably going to have to put my jewellery making on hold for a while - at least, jewellery making for the shop - while I sort out my own jewellery for the wedding, as well as finally get around to sourcing materials for the invites, designing them, and countless other fiddly bits ready for October (which is still a good few months away, but I know it will creep up on us before we have time to realise it). I've still got some beads I want to use for some projects though, so hopefully I might have a moment or two to fashion some new pieces together, just to keep my shop fresh.
