Insta-London.

Sunshine on a Saturday morning in Marylebone.

In Lantana's, awaiting an amazing brunch (disposable camera preview).

Note my raw garnet necklace from Et Respice Finem sneaking into the shot.

I wished for them, and finally made them mine.

Pistachio, rose, and salted caramel macaroons from Ladurée.

(So expensive you might as well roll up a fiver and eat it? But that wouldn't taste like heaven).

Assorted shots from a weekend of spoiling ourselves.

Little Luxuries: More Macaroons from Bettys.

An unexpected gift, all the more delicious for being so. I ate the last pistachio one last night, and I'm missing these macaroons already.

However, the little green & gold box is beautiful, so that's a consolation... Even if it is now empty.

Little Luxuries: Bettys Macaroons.

This week, as my Mum was visiting, we sampled the macaroons from Bettys. This lovely picture from English Rose Rambles shows just how beautiful they are. I think that's one of the things I love most about macaroons; you almost can't bear to eat them.

Almost.

I am a self-confessed almond addict, and these are the perfect fix.

We got one of each flavour: lemon, raspberry, pistachio and chocolate. I had the pistachio one, and it was just perfect - crunchy and light, and gooey in the middle - and it tasted of real pistachios. My Mum & Grandad approved the lemon and chocolate, respectively. The raspberry was shared out in little nibbles between the three of us, and the verdict was that it was rather too sweet, but a beautiful colour.

Macaroons are such luxury items and the ultimate indulgence, so beautiful and delicate that you can't help but savour them.

Maybe living in York, so very close to a Bettys, will be a bit of a liability.