Shoe shelves

For those of you not living in GB, this weekend marks the 60th anniversary of the Queen's throne. The practical effect of this monumental occasion is the country gets two additional days off to their weekend. Many people have left London for sunnier pastures but the people who remain will be partying (in the rain) all weekend to Pimms, festivals of all kind including food and music and the Union Jack. For the rest of us...it is the MOST depressing time of the year. Penultimate weekend of the potential last exams ever in our lives, we have 3 more to write in this neverending love affair with becoming a lawyer. When I'm not at the library, I'm at home...waiting for the opportunity to wear these again...

I actually don't have many pairs of shoes (as I thought I did), so we used the shelf as a pseudo book case as well.

Far away from the bottom so guests cannot judge our book selection...

I had a lot of stuff I didn't want to put on display but needed a place for, i.e. flip flops / guest slippers / belts etc. so I used my favourite British brand to store them. They make the best picnic baskets ever and lucky for us, they sell these baskets separately too. We used a mixture of both their champagne cases (the Tiffany blue ones) for our hats and scarves and the baskets for other odd bits and ends. We even use their biggest baskets for our laundry.

So...that's it! What do you think?

Walking faster with Nike Free Run

The other day I decided to try a new coffee joint a friend recommended awhile back. I'm no coffee expert but Mass definitely is a close contender, so I brought him along to taste test it. We went to Ozone Coffee and while we were there, we grabbed a quick bite as well.

Took the opportunity, since Ozone was literally right around the corner, to wear my new awesome Nikes. This is my second pair of runners in the last...7 years? I have been wearing the exact same pair since 2005. I used to only wear them when going to the gym, but ever since I got these bad boys I've been wearing them almost daily. In fact, I'm currently thinking of a way to them tomorrow...

Back to Ozone: above decent coffee (says Mass) but a quaint reminder of a typical NY cafe. One of the best (and worst) things about East London, specifically Shoreditch, is the increasing number of cafes / casual diner types trying to be overly 'East End'. I think Ozone just misses that target.

Have yet to try more of the Shoreditch grinds but with these babies on my feet, who knows where it'll take me.

Paired the runners with some leather pants from Danier, Nico Didonna sweater stolen from Mass, Giordano linen shirt, Wilfred coat, and a Balenciaga bag.

I love that comfort can be such a focal point of an outfit without letting go of an original style. Oh, and by original, I really meant it! If you look closely to my previous post, you'll see my iD inscribed, LLI 84. Colours were also designed by yours truly. If creating your own masterpiece fancies you, just hop on over to the Nike iD online shop and start designing away! I used all black except for neon green in the mid sole and under the mesh. It costs £85 with about £5 for shipping in the UK.

Happy colouring!

Angels

Before I show you the photos from our UAE trip, I wanted to quickly show you what I wore yesterday evening via Instagram.

Excuse the mess behind, we're still waiting on pieces for our bedroom! But here's a glimpse.


Mass is away out of town for the weekend so I rampaged his closet for a sweater (because its still winterly cold out there!) and went out to meet some friends for dinner at Bocca di Lupo. What was more exciting was what we did afterwards! I always try to convince Mass to go with me to a gentlemen's club but for whatever reason, he never agrees. Of course that didn't stop me from persuading two other contenders to pop my London strip club cherry experience! We went to Angels, the Soho branch of Stringfellow's, and admittedly it was a lot more upscale than I imagined! True, it was probably catered to a city crowd and was less seedy than say, the Griffin, but nevertheless, I enjoyed myself! The girls are very friendly, especially to the only girl there that wasn't working ;)

Nico Di Donna sweater, Current Elliot jeans, Helmut Lang shirt, Burberry jacket, Laird hat, Rupert Sanderson shoes, scarf from the Gold Souk in Dubai

BADA Antiques and Fine Arts...and Sun!

It has been an insanely beautiful couple of weeks here in London! I don't know where the sun came from, but it hasn't left and we are all enjoying the patio weather.



Over the weekend my gf and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and headed over to the BADA Antiques Fair on Kings Road (Thanks Robyn!). It took us about a minute to realise we could not (and maybe never will!) afford any of the beautiful fine art and antiques the British Association had to offer.



Took the afternoon to have a typical girly day of lunching and shopping.



Just outside the fair and in the Duke of York Square, there was a farmers market and about a hundred people perched up on the sidewalk and walls munching away.



We were no exception. Yum.

After a long walk, I met up with Mass and he took a few shots as the sun went down.





Just behind me is the Old Street roundabout, home to some of the best coffee shops / alternative bars and restaurants. Worth a visit if you're in London!

Happy Sunshine!

Kooples jacket, Tory Burch crochet sweater, Guess jeans, Ferragamo flats, Fendi scarf, Prada bag, Wayfarers

Baby Tea

In addition to the first post here on afternoon tea in London, this is another review of a tea session at The Connaught.

Some gfs and I organised a get together to celebrate our friend's pregnancy (and almost birth!). At this point she was heavily pregnant and ready to pop at any second but still braved the swelling and came out for a lovely Sunday afternoon. Despite that, she still looked more gorgeous than ever!

For the occasion we chose The Connaught, a beautiful Mayfair hotel. Again, another winner of a Tea Guild award, the best part was definitely the scones. In fact, they were likely to be the best scones I have ever tasted in my life. Coupled with your choice of a variety of different jams, it was truly delicious. They're so special they get served separately; definitely a must try.

Furniture Shopping in London

Insta-Mondays is on hold at the moment to share with you some photos from our ongoing renovation. Our flat has undergone major remodeling since mid February starting with our bedroom. We customised fitted wardrobes and shelves in our loft in an attempt to condense four wardrobes into a huge one. It has, more or less, worked but final touches are still waiting to be put on.

We have ditched a lot of our old furniture and donated heaps of clothes to charity. During the process, we discovered auctioning. In London there seems to be a few auction houses but the one we have really taken a fancy to was Lots Road. If you're looking for a great bargain then you should definitely give this a try. Lots Road is hidden amongst many furniture shops in Fulham but at a fraction of the price. These prices sometimes even beat out Ikea!

These are some of the new additions we've added to our collection.

Two Buddha heads from Lots Roads.


My new vanity desk and a blurry view of two armchairs we also won from a Lots Road auction.


A new coffee table we got from a new cafe / furniture shop down the road from our flat, Pitfield London. I believe its Italian from the 1970's.

Hopefully we can show you some semi-decent photos of our refurbished flat soon!

Dinner by Heston

A couple weeks ago we had dinner at Dinner by Heston. Largely known for bringing a taste of Fat Duck to London, I must admit that he did not disappoint. London is a revolving door of restaurants, always changing and adopting/creating new trends. That said, there are a lot of repeat restaurants in the city who copy the style and palates of others. Dinner, however, was definitely not just another. No white table cloths, just simple ambiance with plenty of tables (unlike pretentious restaurants who need at least 10 feet between each 'elite' table). Apparently you can even take your chances on a walk in as they reserve tables for their hotel patrons anyway; conduct unheard of in a michelin star meal.

Everything was quite savoury, but especially delectable is the Tipsy Cake for dessert. You absolutely must try this. It requires advance ordering but well worth it.

I highly recommend Dinner by Heston and should you heed my advice, here are their details:
Dinner by Heston
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
+44(0)20 7201 3833

And to end, I leave you with a few more photos from that evening. I know, I have a face of a model...what can I say.




Have a great weekend!

Delayed insta-mondays!

For this rendition of insta-Mondays I want to talk to you about Crockett and Jones. I'm a bit bias when it comes leather goods for the soles; I have had it drilled in me that Italian shoes are by far superior to any other shoe out there. When it comes to design, I definitely could not agree more. Between the French and the Italian, they both get my heart rate up. However, when it comes down to pure quality minus the aesthetic, I do think that English craftsmanship is pretty spot on.

There are many fine English shoemakers in London: Church's, Oliver Sweeney, etc., particularly for men. Men can have a mold of their feet made and a shoe that is custom made to fit that specific mold. The model is then kept in their library of clients and every time you want a new pair of shoes, they will gladly make another pair in accordance with those same specifications. Pure luxury at a price of £2000-3000. Some men say its the smartest thing they've ever done; one pair will last them 20 years by getting them resoled every year.



For others, there are stores like Crockett and Jones. Still unbelievable quality but at a more marketable price tag of £350 and up. Same principles apply where a single pair from here could last you years depending on how often you wear them. Just get them resoled every 6 months and remember to use your shoe tree and this fine shoe will keep going for as long as you can. A sound investment for any man.



Over the weekend, we made a pit stop in C&J and Mass tried on some of their shoes. First they measure your foot like above and then pick out a shoe that fits with your measurements. If you do decide to purchase a pair, they will keep your file on record along with your measurements, and when you come in next time you just need to say your surname.



I saw these amazing slippers they had for men which could also be customised with a monogram / colour / lining of your choice for £240. Fortunately I found the same slippers at their women's store down the street! I got a generic stock pair without any customisation or monograms for much less.

If you want to try out a pair of their shoes I suggest going to one of their two stores on Jermyn Street.

“If you want to know the measure of a man look at the shoes he wears“ - Aristotle Onassis

Ladies Day

Yesterday was International Women's Day. Now I can't say I was aware of this holiday before my facebook newsfeed at 7am, but any reason to celebrate us ladies is fine with me. Coincidentally, it was also the day where my gf and I decided to meet up Bicester Village for some much needed girl time and shopping. You may or may not know that I LOVE myself a good deal. In fact, I swear by the Outnet. I don't often shop for high street items; I tend to like to save my money for a quality piece. If that quality item comes with a bargain price tag, then we're sold.



You can understand how Bicester Village got me excited. For those of you who haven't been and are planning on going, it is a simple 45 minute train ride from London Marylebone station for about £30 return fare. When you arrive at Bicester North station, a shuttle will whisk you away to the outlet where you can hunt for the bargains. Of course, like many outlets, you have to search and the stuff is likely to be from two seasons prior. However, if you're like me, I know that no matter what the trend is right now, I would look disgusting in pastel yellow so it doesn't matter if its not current. Like the French girls do, always wear what suits you, not the season.

After a long coffee chat, my gf and I walked through all the stores first before buying anything. I think this approach allows you to consciously budget your money and decide what you really want vs what is just a good deal. In the end, I came out two pairs of shoes richer, both dawning gold and black contrasts. I'll show you the second pair soon as I plan on wearing them asap!


Gucci sandals

Next stop, the antiques trade show, thanks to another generous gf who gave me a spare ticket!

Afternoon Tea

I am absolutely no tea connoisseur by any means, but over the years I have tried my fair share of the English tradition. For my dear friend's birthday, she told she had never been yet so of course I took it as my duty to bring her for her birthday.

Typically I go to afternoontea.co.uk to check out who won a Tea Guild award in the past year and then decide from there which venue suits best for the occasion. One hotel not listed on there but is supposed to be fantastic is Claridges. I have yet to try them and fingers crossed will one day get to! Booking is seemingly impossible though.

Back to Marta's birthday. We went to Hyatt Regency and tried their Sex and the City tea. I realise this might sound a tad cliche, and it was, but surprisingly the mini burgers and mini hot dogs REALLY hit the spot! I guess I am a street dog girl through and through over a petit sandwiches with the crust cut off kinda girl. The menu even had specific tea selection for each of the girls.

One thing to be weary of every time you go to afternoon tea is that if you're looking to bring a male, whether that be your brother / husband / boyfriend / best friend, he should know that he will likely be the only male in the room, at least on the weekend. Weekdays you may find the overseas business meetings taking place.

In any case, if you do make it over to London you should definitely give it a whirl.

Intermix fur vest bought at a ridiculously cheap price on boxing day with my love Ivy, Topshop shirt, Guess jeans, Jimmy Choo booties, Hermes belt, Roberta Freymann necklace

Better times...

@ Yauatcha

Literally floundering in exams right now so not much time to update. Reminding myself of less stressful times: a fantastic day with good food and even better company.

Be back soon!

white in winter part 2

Apologies for the slight delay in this post. Like I said 2 days ago, I love white in winter. Whoever created the rule of no white after labour day was, in my opinion, a fool.

Over a weekend of furniture shopping, Mass and I stopped into a little nook in the London Bridge area where he was originally looking for a flat.

Perfect shopping outfit: flat boots, long coat, and a scarf to keep warm while walking over the tower bridge.

Also wanted to show you the incredibly awesome iPhone case my bf got me for Christmas. It adds about 5 pounds to my bag, but totally worth it.

Fratelli Rosetti boots, Ralph Lauren shirt, Guess white jeans, Acne belt, Burberry scarf

thanksgiving

I'm a huge family person. I would never be able to trade Christmas in another country other than with my entire family. This used to be the same for Thanksgiving until I moved to London almost 5 years ago now. However this year was different. My cousin Katie came to visit and we 'cooked' our own Thanksgiving dinner. It was not pretty. Aside from the melted meat thermometer and the delay of almost 2 hours, it was decent, at best. haha. To top it off, we were constantly receiving texts and pictures from the dinner that was happening back at home. Apparently they had lobster tails AND a new Maserati was added to the family. Nah, not jealous at all.

In the end, I'm still so happy to have been able to see my cousin for a couple days. Above are the photos we took at afternoon tea at Browns and dinner at Salt Yard.

See by Chloe sweater, earrings from Sardinia

Queen

Brian May anyone?



Mass always looks rather creepish at celebrity sightings :P

Went to the Queen book launch last week as my first outing since the flu. I made it through parts of the evening, but not without a photo with Brian May (sorta). Queen has been playing in my flat for the past week.

Massimo Dutti blazer, Club Monaco shorts, American Apparel shirt, Stella McCartney shoes, Alexander Wang purse

proms in the park

Broke out all the rain gear in preparation for a thunderstorm to take over Proms in the Park. Instead we felt a few teardrops from the sky then a double rainbow.

Royal Ascot

fascinator from Selfridges, old Aritizia blazer, Opening Ceremony dress

Every year the Queen hosts a horse raising competition at Ascot. Royal Ascot is attended by thousands of people over the course of six days, including the Queen everyday. Traditionally it was a very upscale event where only morning suits were allowed and females must wear day dresses below their knees, their shoulders must be covered and they must wear a hat or a fascinator. Today, it is really just an excuse to drink champers on the train there and to get inebriated by midday.

Of course there are still the poshier areas, like the Royal Enclosures, where the same dress and manner restrictions apply but in the 'commoner' areas, like the Silver Ring, attendees are normally drunk by 3pm.

Since I moved to London, I had never attended this very British event. This year a group of friends were heading there and I decided to tag along. It was exactly as I pictured, only muddier. A good check of the box to say the least.

Yesterday

Providores for brunch. The best brunch in London. Following that I did some more Selfridges damage (sale season REALLY hurts right now...) and hosted a dinner at mine using a new Gordon Ramsay recipe. (We had the opportunity to go to Dinner by Heston last night but Mass opted to have my cooking instead...sweet right??)

Hope your weekend was well! Photos to come from Saturday...