A sweet sixteen photoshoot in Windsor!

Last week I had the privilege of meeting beautiful Emily,  her mom, her aunt and her three gorgeous little cousins. We had a fantastic time walking around Windsor taking photos, which she is having as a keepsake of her holiday in England and of her sixteenth birthday. 

This photoshoot was truly a breeze! We were blessed with a fantastic day, despite some earlier grim weather forecasts! Windsor was full of Christmas cheer and it was a beautiful, crisp day. We walked around the station and town first ... 

...and then we walked along the myriad of little tea rooms and quaint shops in Windsor. 

...and we went to The Long Walk, the 2.5mile path that connects Windsor Castle with Savill Gardens. This place is truly breathtaking. It's a must-see in Windsor! We were there just before sundown, which is a bit strange at 2.45pm, but there you go. We got some wonderful photos thanks to it! :) 

It was great meeting Emily and her family, I hope she is having a fantastic time on her holiday! 

Bonfire Night in Brockham!

...so now we go from the colourful tradition of the Dia de Muertos to the celebration of Bonfire Night in Brockham, Surrey! I have been living in this chocolate-box like village for a bit over a year. My husband was starting a new job in the area and I used to drive 100 miles every day to look at houses. One sunny day in July, when I had almost given up hope, I came to a viewing. I drove up to a sign that said "Village of The Year", which sounded promising. And then, I was welcomed by this: 

...and I immediately thought - I MUST LIVE HERE. 
Happily, we ended up in a beautiful cottage and we are very happy here. I knew about bonfire night, but little did I know about THE bonfire night in Brockham. 

It seems that this celebration dates back to the 1880s. Brockham is deemed to be one of the biggest bonfire nights in the whole of Great Britain (though Lewes in East Sussex is fighting the title) and  it certainly is one of the most traditional. The committee work all year fundraising and recruiting volunteers. Work to build the bonfire starts six weeks before the night, and the finished bonfire resembles a rather large Christmas tree. A papier-mâché Guy Fawkes, around 2.5m tall sits in front of the bonfire and he is taken on a torch-lit procession around the village. It is a beautiful but slightly disturbing sight at the same time. 

Excited children run around the bonfire, and parents take as many photos of this lovely display before it is all reduced to ashes. The celebrations start early on - there is a fancy dress competition in the church hall and catering stalls set up shop quite early. People start arriving at around 4pm and the village is locked down from 5.30pm. This year the weather was dreadful, but it didn't stop thousands of visitors from coming and enjoying the amazing firework display. It is easily the best firework display I have seen in my life. You will have to excuse the following photos, as they were taken with an iPhone - I decided to leave my camera at home, as the weather was so bad and looking after the littles was a priority. :) 

So there we have it, a beautiful, colourful and a bit bizarre festival on our doorstep. Hopefully next year the weather will be kinder, I will have a powerful flash and a faster lens (that is a hint, hint for Father Christmas!) and I will be able to share more bonfire photos with you. 

Dia de Muertos in London!

So that's it. Halloween done and dusted. But not if you're Mexican. You also have the Dia de Muertos to look forward to!

You might have noticed that the "catrina" or "calavera" look is taking the world by storm- you can find the design printed in bags, T-shirts, posters - almost everywhere. You might also have heard, or even seen The Book of Life already! This film depicts in quite a simple, but very colourful way, what death means to us Mexicans. Even though people are indeed quite sad -and are not afraid to show it, in a huge way!- at the time of death of a loved one, in years to come they are remembered in a much happier way, thank goodness (believe me, a Mexican wake is very depressing ...) 

The original design of the "Catrina" was created sometime between 1910 and 1913 by illustrator José Guadalupe Posada. It was a satirical illustration depicting the huge social difference between the rich and the poor in times of Porfirio Diaz, president of México at the time. The Catrina is an image that all Mexicans know from a very young age.

Another thing we are very familiar with is the "pan de muerto" - this is a delicious, rich bread that is eaten throughout October and November. You can walk along streets anywhere in Mexico and you can smell the delicious aroma coming from bakeries and artisan bakers' homes. As I mentioned before, cooking and baking are another passion of mine - so I bake my own Pan de Muerto for my family and friends here in the United Kingdom. 

Maria de la Paz Tissier, a Mexican lady who has lived in the UK for nearly 20 years, is the mastermind behind Mexico Lindo y Querido, an organisation which creates colourful events to show Mexico's magical culture to the UK and the rest of the world. She has a team of amazing people who invest their time in organising these fabulous festivals and events for everyone and always free of charge. The admiration I have for Paz is immense, and I am very privileged to have her as a friend. This year´s celebration took place at Rich Mix London in trendy Shoreditch. 

We had a great time listening to the "Calaveras" (short poems about friends, family or public figures, usually depicting their deaths in a humorous way), poetry and we also loved watching the dancing routines and singing of traditional Mexican folk songs. There was a main altar with all the traditional offerings - food, drink, pan de muerto, fruit and marigold flowers, which in Mexico we call by their pre-hispanic name: cempasúchitl. This year the altar was made in honour of the 43 students who were "arrested" in Guerrero, Mexico for protesting against the government and nobody knows what has happened to them ever since. 

There was plenty of food and drink too, and many planned activities for the little ones, from making printed T-shirts, to decorating sugar skulls (a favourite sweet treat in Mexico!), face painting and dance competitions. 

Here are some photos, I hope you enjoy them. :) 

Toddlers + Pumpkins

My youngest daughter is nearly three years old. She is the light of my life. And despite enjoying lovely days at home, I think we were both ready for her to become a bit more independent, so she started attending a nursery not too far from home. The place where the nursery is enclaved has to be seen to be believed: it is absolutely beautiful and a National Heritage site. So it is a joy to come and pick her up in the afternoons! 

I sometimes also pick up her very best friend, Basil. He is one of the most gorgeous toddlers I have ever seen. I had some ideas about them playing with pumpkins along the beautiful garden near the nursery. Fortunately, they were more than happy to oblige.