I have lived in London for over 5 years and I like to think I know this city quite well. Having a baby hasn't stopped me from wanting to explore this ever changing city. I still enjoy visiting the familiar and the favourite places, as well as discovering new ones. The beauty about London is that it is so big and vast, you are never short of ideas and places to visit. New restaurants and cafes are opening up all the time. Hence, I thought it was about time I started a new series called London Stories highlighting those special and beautiful places to visit.

Meet Amalie O'Neill. A graphic designer, soon to be graduate of Central St Martins, stylist and creative director behind the newly established Minimal Affair - a London based decoration design studio. They not only offer stylish and elegant bespoke balloons for any event, they offer a creative service to decorate and style your event to your needs.

I met Amalie last year through our friends at Earl of East London. I recently did a photo shoot with her to create imagery to help launch Minimal Affair. Her energy, passion and determination was infectious. It was such a fun day and the beautiful setting in in central Soho was a dream to work in.

Here are some photos and an interview from the day.

East London has a reputation for being the thriving hub of creativity in London, and this reputation is well earned. We continue to see more exciting makers and creators emerge from this part of London, like lifestyle brand Earl of East London. Paul Firmin and Niko Dafkos are the creative force behind this recently created brand, which they launched just over 6 months ago. Fuelled by a passion for vintage wares, they started a weekend market stall in Netil Market, near the infamous Broadway Food Market. With ambition to grow their business and a desire to support independent makers and emerging brands, they have since moved their retail concept into a shipping container in the same market.

I was recently introduced to London based Kylee Newton, of - a preserving brand - through my friends at 31 Chapel Lane. Through this introduction I got an insight into the world of preserving. As I learnt during my afternoon with Kylee, preserving encompasses a wide range of foods - pickles, chutney, jams, compote, alcohol, cordial and fermentation products like sauerkraut and kimchee. There is more to preserving than just jams and chutney!

Kylee has turned what was a hobby into a thriving business. All her products are made in small batches in her home kitchen based in Hackney, London, which means you are getting a high quality, artisanal, locally made product.

With spring in the air, wild flowers in bloom, and bees busy collecting nectar, I thought it would be apt to share my visit to Bermondsey Street Bees, as part of my "Locality" series.

Bermondsey Street Bees is located in the heart of Bermondsey, an urban neighbourhood located south of the Thames river in London. Borough Markets is not far and if you are standing in just the right spot, you can view The Shard (that spikey skyscraper with jagged peaks). It sounds like an unlikely environment that is suitable for housing bee hives. But it is possible. And this is where you will find Dale Gibson managing his 6 bee hives, located 4 stories above street level, on the roof terrace of his home.

It's been a while since my last post to my Locality Series. Nevertheless, I've managed to put this one together and today I'm introducing Stefan Carlberg, a charming Swede who runs a popular coffee truck called Caffè Mobile, located outside Angel tube station in London. If you're a local in the area, you will know of him or have seen him there. Stefan has been running his compact operation for the last 12 years and is a regular fixture outside the tube station.

After spending a morning with Stefan, and drinking more coffee than I should have, it was easy to see why he is so successful. He is passionate, sociable, and full of charm and chat. He hands out free coffees to the homeless on a daily basis. All his customers are greeted like friends and most impressively, he can say hello in 41 languages. How impressive is that?

I’m continuing my series on Locality where I showcase businesses, makers and creators who are focused on providing a unique service within their local community. A few weeks back, I had the chance to meet this letterpress printing studio.

This week, I talk to The Hampstead Butcher & Providore, a purveyor of premium meats, artisan produce, fine wines and crafts beers, servicing the north London community. With a recently opened shop in neighbouring West Hampstead and plans to open more locations in North London, there is obvious demand for quality local butchers.