Sunshine

Last Saturday it was surprisingly nice so a few of us figured that we had better take advantage of the sunshine and get out to see a few more sights. We wound up at the London Tower/Tower Bridge area, snapped a few photos and grabbed a cider at one of the pubs. I didn't get a chance to actually go in and see the tower, due to the fact that it was a bit out of my price range, but it was still awesome to see. I figure if I have any money left at the end of my trip after my shopping binges at Top Shop and the flea markets I can always head back over to peak inside. I am off to Scotland for the weekend and couldn't be more excited to escape this busy city for a few days! 

London Fashion Weekend

Well, I figured since I was in London and all, it would be quite shameful of me not to attend a fashion show. My friend Olivia and I ended up going to the Vodafone London Fashion Weekend, which was pretty much like a little after party for fashion week. The event was held at the Somerset House (which was awesome), and they had it set up so that almost every room was filled with different designer clothing that we were able to purchase at a very discounted price. Although I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful clothing, my favorite part of going to events like this is to scope out all the street fashion, so many stylish people in London. The vibe in London right now is very rocker cool, 90's, grunge and I really dig it. There is so much black, chunky boots, hideous Doc Martins, and leather everywhere you look. Therefore, I naturally wanted a black leather dress to wear at the show. Luckily I found this little gem in Top Shop's vintage section. It was a bit pricey, but it's real leather, has a subtle high-low hem and I figured every girl needs a leather dress sometime in their life, right? The day of the show was so cold, rainy and windy, just down right horrible to be frank, but we still managed to have a good time! Let's be honest, I always love a good fashion show. 

Vintage Heaven

One of my favorite things about London is all of the markets that are scattered throughout, which I am sure rings true for many vintage, fashion and food lovers. This past Friday a couple of friends and I made our way out to the Portobello market in Notting Hill, also known as the cutest neighborhood in all of London. Seriously, the homes are to die for. They ranged from bright corals and turquoises, to really calm pastels and grays, all finished off with the perfect amount of white trim decor. Ah.. one day, one day. Once I finished admiring all of the homes I was ready to eat some treats and dig for some goodies. For lunch I stuffed my face with cute little red velvet cupcakes, healthy, I know. I gazed around at many different jewelry booths and wound up buying a couple rings and an awesome gold-chained clock necklace. Some of the vintage clothing at this market is pretty pricey, but I managed to find this leather jacket and Levi's denim vest for just five pounds each. Needless to say, I was pretty happy. The best part about this market is that when you are done scoping out all the different booths you can pop in to one of the many cute cafes and shop all of the boutiques in the area. I couldn't have thought of any better way to spend my Friday. 

Cheers

London, London, London... where to even begin. The first couple of days were spent just going over boring things like the differences between the American and British culture, how to navigate the tube.. blah blah blah. We also did some pretty touristy sight seeing. We went and saw Big Ben, the London Eye, Regent's Park and St. Paul's Cathedral. I actually really enjoyed Regent's Park, it is just across the street from my flat and has some really awesome running paths. I even ran into some tennis courts in the middle of the park, it made me wish my dad was here to go hit around with!! Please note, the only thing nice about my flat is the view. It is literally the smallest room you have ever seen and the bathroom resembles all too closely to an airplane bathroom. At night, my friends and I tend to hit up some local pubs or more relaxed bars.  I haven't quite made my way to the crazy club life yet here in London. This past week has been busy getting settled in, preparing for school and planning trips, but I promise to post some more pictures soon! 

The Land of Everything Green

My last stop before heading to London was the wonderful country of Ireland. My week in Ireland was a bit different than the rest of my trip, I spent a lot more time seeing the countryside instead of just the city.... And we were kicking it in bed and breakfasts rather than hostels. Thank god. Colin and I spent our first couple of nights in Dublin. During the day we went to a few different historic sites like the James Joyce House, The National Museum of Ireland, and a couple statues here and there. Being tourists and all, we were bound to check out the Temple Bar. It was actually a great atmosphere; we enjoyed some live music and a couple pints of Guinness. Yes, I drank Guinness. For the rest of our trip we rented a car and drove around the Southern coast. Obviously, I was no where near the steering wheel but it was still a bit frightening at times driving on their tiny roads! My eyes were sealed shut a good percentage of the trip, to say the least. The first day on the road we visited Killarney National Park and I even wore some yoga pants and tennis shoes to explore. Ain't ya proud of me mom? The next day we drove around the Dingle Peninsula, which ended up to be my favorite part of the trip. We stopped at some amazing views and even climbed a teeny tiny mountain. The weather was wet and dreary, but it made the experience feel all the bit more Irish that way. Ireland definitely won the award for best scenery and parks throughout my trip. Who knows... I may be back sooner than I think, Dublin isn't too far from London, right?