Other inspiration for my autumn 2010 look is from COS, a UK high street store. How perfect are those outfits for lazy Saturdays (or maybe the leather outfit for a bit more of a night out on a Saturday)? I just adore the neutral beige and charcoal colours that come back when the leaves fall.
Sorry, no pictures yet of Madrid. We got home relatively late last night and I just wanted to crawl into my bed. So instead, here's a few old pictures of the Barbican. One of my favourite spaces in London - it is an art, dance, theatre, culture and conference building just off the 'City'. It also has residences and business space mingled in.
I'm loving the Michael Kors Fall 2010 collection as my inspiration for autumn in London. The beautiful colours, the 70s re-imagined and a bike - exactly the type of Londoner I'd like to be. The heeled boots are also an essential September buy item. Though I am a little worried that biking in them will destroy them immediately.
Shoreditch never fails to disappoint me on a weekend. And now a friend has introduced me to a non-members rooftop restaurant at the top of Shoreditch. Good drinks (like Sangria or reasonably priced ciders) and amazing view, it was a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
It's high tea across London today. A Visit London initative, people across the capital are taking tea in memorable sights including the rooftop of westminister abbey. I'd go for the cucumber sandwiches.
It's the first day of Spring. It's sunny, warm (14 degrees) and beautiful out in the capital. Today is one of those days that I'm glad I live in London. Flowers are blooming and market shopping is mandatory this weekend.
home of Amy Winehouse, Kate Moss and other iconic trouble/style makers - Camden Market is definitely the place to see any and everything when it comes to fashion. It originally started as a craft market back in the 70s and now is this huge massive antique, fashion and just about anything market. You can also get scrumptious sugar donuts (4 for £2) to keep you going as well as just about any other food. But get the donuts.
Last Sunday, L2 and I took some friends up to the market (it was L2's first experience too) and I went crazy! Purchased - a charcoal grey balloon dress with pearl detailing on top, a black feather headband that will look great if I go out at night and tame my very large hair, and some black Ray-Ban knock-offs for France. L2 bought an original sex pistols album for a friend for a deal and a half.
I'm still wishing I bought a Blair Waldorf style headband in charcoal and this amazing fascinator for Ascot. It was white, ostentatious and perfect. I guess I'll just have to go back and hope it's there.
It's hard to explain how London is small yet gives the appearance of being huge. Most people don't get a sense of how close things are together due to the tube lines. You go underground for 5 minutes, take a 2 minute tube ride and go up for five minutes and suddenly you start thinking things are a 20 minute walk minimum. In reality, it was probably easier to face the outside crowds and walk the 5 minutes to your next stop.
Redundancy and recession are the daily headlines in the city. Obviously the global economy isn't too hot but London/the UK are apparently going to suffer the worst of it. As London relies so heavily on the finance district and there is not as much financial regulation as you even see back home, it's equalled some very impressive bailouts and more impressive job and monetary losses.
It does not make for pleasant conversation or environment when most of my tube rides home consist of one person saying they got made redundant that day. There are days I wish L2 and I had come about three years earlier. The boom would have been better for us and sending money home at more than double the currency would have set us up when we returned to the native land.
Instead – we're keeping things minimal and crossing our fingers about what happens next!
well I'll admit I was a bit disappointed not to surf this weekend, but my weekend did not disappoint. Determined to make the most of it, I met for drinks and snacks with fellow cdn Lily in London Bridge at local hotspot Roxy. Greek tapas were an interesting choice and probably best if not repeated.
Saturday I did all the annoying errands, picked up a few trinkets, and L2 and I walked all through the West End just because we had the time. I wanted to head back to the Saatchi Gallery but was getting exhausted so we skipped it and watched In Bruges at home instead. L2, his sister Kaili, her husband LB made it down to the gallery in November but I want to see some of the new additions to this amazing venue. If you ever drop into London, please go. It's moved from Waterloo to Sloane square and it has just the right amount of art to space ratio. Let alone the art is amazing!
Sunday started as relaxing and moved to frantic. It was the start of Chinese New Year so we made it up north for some dim sum with a friend and then booked it to Waterloo to catch a train to Farnham (where L2 works) for dinner with colleagues. Farnham is very quaint (castles, brick and apparently loads of horses) but I was not keen on the hour train ride home at 10.30 on a Sunday night.
It was no surprise that London decided to go all out for Christmas. Despite being multi-cultural, it's a very traditional city with a large focus on materialism. To be honest, it's worth all the christmas jingles and ads as a decked out London is stunning.
Images lights leading up to the London eye and Carnaby Street at night (not mine!).
My london is not Gwenyth Paltrow's London.
So L2 and I scored this weekend and are headed to a four star hotel on Friday night because we got it for £10. A last minute sale - we're going to be sitting in the lap of luxury to the north of Hyde Park. Sometimes this town really loves me!
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