Paint your soles red

I recently purchased these shoes because I love these shoes. I love the signature red sole (which Louboutin trademarked in '08 and I think is absolutely absurd but I'll let Johanna Blakley explain to you why this is.)

Out of boredom I decided to paint the bottom of my shoes with red nail polish. The result was a bit spotty but from a distance they look alright.

 





The reflection of light makes the paint job look much smoother than it actually is.



A new take on wind power

I am not up on all the latest environmental issues, legislation, debates, ect, ect but I do love seeing technology that could really change the health and longevity of our planet.


I have no idea if the below video is scientifically ludicrous or some small European country implemented this 10 years ago and it's not that great, but to me it's new and impressive.



NY Times - Turbine-Free Wind Power from Antfood on Vimeo.

Brunch at Aubaine

Before the mister and I went to see the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit at the Natural History Museum we sat down for brunch at Aubaine on Brompton Road in South Kensington.

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Where: 4 locations in zone 1

The Scene: Too many bodies adorned in luxury items to count, brunching and gossiping

Delight: Speedy seating and a nice cup of joe

Disappointment: Lukewarm food

I love brunch. So when we booked tickets for the Wildlife exhibit at 1pm (a.k.a lunch time), I thought it was a great excuse to go to brunch. I chose Aubaine not because I had heard anything about it, but because of its proximity to the museum.

On a hunch that people in South Ken like to brunch I made a reservation. I was right to do so. It was a snowy day and the tubes were delayed. Yet, even though we were 10 minutes late and there was a line of people waiting to be seated, we were still seated upon arrival.

I ordered a cappuccino and we both glanced over the menu. Even though I love eggs benedict and could eat it every time I brunched, I am always a little disappointed that I never see waffles on the brunch menu. I know it's an American thing but I think if the British tried it, they'd like it. 

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After a few minutes of deliberation and people watching, (There was definitely a person of interest in Aubaine that morning because a table kept being approached by random diners - the mister and I had no idea who the person was.) we ordered. I ordered the oeufs royal (poached eggs, toasted brioche, smoked salmon, hollandaise sauce) and the mister ordered the croque monsieur (open face ham and cheese sandwich) and a side of french fries.

In about 6 minutes (estimated) our food arrived. Upon my first bite I knew exactly why it arrived so quickly. It was borderline cold. They were busy, I'll give them that, but lukewarm food that is supposed to be hot is a tick in the wrong box in my book.

When we finished our meals, not more than 10 minutes after their delivery we realized that we still had eons until our tickets were valid at the museum. We sat, I sipped my coffee and after the waitress came over for the third time, we decided to order a chocolate croissant to kill time and keep our waitress happy.

Our tab came to about £35 with service which was a bit steep in general for brunch but even steeper considering our food had likely been prepared 20 minutes before we had even arrived.

For not doing any research on Aubaine I still think the mister and I did alright. The atmosphere was buzzing and our bellies were full. I'd go back to Aubaine for a croissant and coffee but wouldn't recommend any of their hot lukewarm food.

Sh*t my Dad says

While on our flight returning from the Red Sea I read a book entitled, Sh*t my Dad Says. The author Justin Halpern originally started documenting this father's ridiculous and sometimes hilarious words of wisdom via Twitter. As he says in the book, one day he had 100,000 people following him and then the next thing he knew, a million, and then came the book deal and most recently the US TV sitcom featuring William Shatner.

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“The worst thing you can be is a liar....Okay, fine, yes, the worst thing you can be is a Nazi, but then number two is liar. Nazi one, liar two.”

I was literally laughing out loud at certain points during this book. Each chapter begins with a quote. What follows is a very amusing story surrounding this father's words. His father has a foul mouth, so some of the humor does come solely from the shock of reading the profanity-filled rants. Surprisingly though, the book is also very touching. 

 

The mister and I downloaded the TV show the other night and watched the pilot. While there were some great one-liners, without the swearing a lot of the humor is gone. Still, we're going to download some more and see what they come up with. After all, William Shatner is pretty bad ass.

Flat Essentials

I like heels but they can be so impractical in London. Therefore, since moving to London I have had to expand my flats collection. I still don't own that many pairs surprisingly, mainly because I find it so hard to find a pair I can walk in for miles. I absolutely love my Cole Haan Nike mary janes, but have had significantly less luck with a very beautiful pair of Sam Edelman's that literally made my toes bleed the first few times I wore them.

It seems to me that shoes designed for dances (or a company whose origins are rooted in designing shoes for dancers), women who are literally on their feet all day, should be able to statisfy my needs for a cute yet comfy shoe. Enter Bloch. Even though I passed a Bloch store on the way to Grad school almost daily I never went in. I think it's time to change that, especially since I foresee a lot of standing and walking with my new commute for my new job (!!).

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Another designer I have been eyeing but have yet to read any testimonials on their comfort is Oliver + Co. While they have absolutely daring prints, these require slightly more commitment because they don't allow returns. And while normally you would have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping (they are shipped from Australia) for a limited time if you purchase 2 pairs (or more) you get free worldwide shipping.  

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 Any other brands I should be shopping that check both the cute and comfortable boxes?

Byron Burgers

In-n-Out Burger and Red Robin are two of my favorite burger joints back home. The mister hated Red Robin and sadly In-n-Out doesn't exist north of California (we lived in Seattle) so my burger dining experiences were limited. Of course there was the always amazing Queen City Grill burger with mouth watering Beecher's cheese from down the street, but at $13 a pop, I wasn't prepared to add it into my top 3 coveted spots.

I've dabbled a bit in burgers in London, even tried to get a burger from the MeatWagon, which turned into a epic waste of time. I had heard about Byron a while ago but it wasn't until about 2 months ago that I got some friends together to go. A more recent visit was what prompted my memory of the lost blog post.

Where: Various. I've dined at the Covent Garden and Westfields spots

The Scene: Not a single health nut in the house.

Delight: A perfectly cooked patty

Disappointment:  My consumption of multiple beers

The simplicity of Byron's offering is what makes it so fabulous. They do burgers, proper burgers, as their tag line touts. (They also serve salads. I'm not sure who goes to a burger place for a salad?) Make no mistake, you will pay a pretty penny for a simple meal but to me Byron is worth it.

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My first visit to Byron I had the Byron Burger (Dry cure bacon, mature Cheddar and Byron sauce) and a side a fries. The secret sauce tasted much like In-n-Out's secret sauce which I believe to be some variation of Thousand Island Dressing.

One of my dining companions had ordered the onion rings and after one ring she proclaimed, "these are the best onion rings I have ever had." She, a young blond Texan is well versed and very opinionated when it comes to deep fried foods, so my expectations for my meal elevated after her comment. And of course it did not disappoint. My one major disappointment was my decision to drink 2 beers with this meal. My friends had to roll me out the front door on the account of massively bloated hamburger filled belly.

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My second visit to Byron was a lunch date at Westfields for some very last minute Christmas shopping. Byron (and all restaurants in Westfields) were overrun with people so I was very impressed when my cheese burger and friend's veggie burger came out (albeit a bit slowly) to the same calibre I had experienced previously.

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I still think In-n-Out will always be my number one burger joint but because of proximity I would gladly promote Byron to my top spot.

Sweet Sweet Love

I love sugar and I love baking but there are a few spots in London I also love to visit to get my sugar fix.

Rococo Chocolates has several locations around town but I have only visited the store on Marylebone High Street. Recently I also saw my local Waitrose stocking a limited number of Rococo products as well. Still, visiting the store and looking at their beautifully packaged chocolates (and of course getting small samples!) is a great experience. I love the Sea Salt and Chocolate combination. 

A short walk from Rococo and just off the insanely busy Oxford Street is Mrs. Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe. This old style sweet shop allows you to purchase candy by weight and therefore sample very small packages of different types of candy. I love the 1950's feel of the glass jars.

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Ladurée is of course a classic and a favorite of many people. I had never had a macaron before moving to London but am very happy that my first experience was with the delectable Ladurée.

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I have to put Kiwifruits on this list even though it is not exactly a sweets store. This is however the only place in London I know of where you can buy sweets from New Zealand. The mister and I don't go very often but if we're in the neighborhood we always stop by for a sugar hit. 

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And last but certainly not least is Cybercandy. They have all my home town favorites: sour patch kids, gobstoppers, chocolates galore. If I ever have a hankering for some sweets from America I can almost always find it at Cybercandy.

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Wildlife Photographer of the year

The mister and I recently visited the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit at the Natural History Museum. This is my second year attending and it was even better than the previous year. The photographs are absolutely astounding and reading about the photographer's journey to that one perfect shot is unbelievable; camping in the wilderness for weeks on end waiting for that one perfect moment or simply walking out into their backyard to discover something extraordinary. There are 118 photographs on display, some funny, some horrific (truly unforgettably images showing the brutality of the animal trade), and some a view into a completely different world. 

The exhibit runs until 11 March 2011 so make sure to check it out. Also pre-book tickets, it's popular. All images courtesy of the Natural History Museum.

Spiced Up

The mister and I received this cute (and space efficient) spice rack as a wedding present. Until a few weeks ago it was sitting empty on our kitchen counter awaiting some handmade labels. Since I am definitely not a spice expert (i.e. if they look even remotely similar I won't be able to tell them apart) I knew I would have to clearly label both the lid and jar as to not confuse my basil with my mixed herbs.

Several completed labels

 

dual labeling system

I was able to whip these labels up in photoshop really easily and if you're wondering, I used 1942 Report font from dafont.com.

Home goods

The mister and I have casually been looking at flats to buy for a little while now. Even though we haven't found anything we've liked, that hasn't stopped me from completely decorating and redecorating my new imaginary flat in my mind. When I ran across these switch plates in the online mag We Like We Love my heart went pitter patter. Details such as a switch plate or a colored vase can really set the tone for a room.

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Betsey Johnson Sunnies

Since I've just returned from a vacation in a warm sunny climate I have spring and summer attire on my mind. Not to mention that it was as bright and beautiful (albeit cold as hell) today in London. I love these Betsey Johnson sunglasses and as an added bonus, they're quite affordable. Now, where can I find them in London?

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