london calling

One weekend in London, but no Tom Hiddleston sighting. What a tragedy.

On the bright side, I finally got my Nando's fix and it was a historic moment in the culinary world (the Peri-Peri Sauce is magical I tell you). More highlights? Strolling along the Thames River and drinking in the skyline views. Stalking adorable dogs at Hyde Park. Navigated the sea of selfie sticks at Buckingham Palace. Chocolate cronuts at Harrod's. Sponatenously hopping onto an intimate tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theater and catching a rehearsal of Henry VIII (PS: if you're thinking of visiting, you can get a sweet 20% discount of entry on this website). Afternoon tea at Sketch, where the vanilla tea, scones, and Earl Grey macarons were the epitome of sweet dreams (and its bathrooms a museum-worthy masterpiece). Went straight into calorie heaven at Poppie's Fish and Chips, followed by a venture to the pastel-perfect Portobello Road. Narrowly avoided a wizarding duel at Platform 9 3/4; clearly, my Slytherin nature was not compatible with Kelly's Gryffindor character. By night, enjoyed a raspberry beer at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, the same pub once frequented by Mark Twain and Charles Dickens (and I might have demolished some McDonald's fries chips after) 

As for shopping in London...

blazer / top (similar) / nail polish / bag / skirt / shoes 

For retail therapy, Oxford Street was the ultimate jackpot. Of course, it's also a tourist death trap—but I was willing to endure it all for one reason: the flagship Topshop store. On a Saturday afternoon, it was madhouse meets labrynith; mixing fashion-hungry shoppers with four stories of merchandise does not leave a pristine picture. Nevertheless, I pursued a few racks and dreamt of the many pieces I would buy with a Hollywood celebrity budget. While I walked out of Topshop empty handed, I did sneak in a few purchases at River Island and New Look nearby (at least these stores were less hazardous to my health) 

Even though I've now visited survived the original Topshop, I think I actually prefer my trusty location back home at The Grove (the Vegas location is a close second). Less crowds and more sale items is the perfect formula in my book. 

And wouldn't this set make the most fantastic afternoon tea uniform? Please accept me into your family, Prince George.