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 (!!).
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.
Any other brands I should be shopping that check both the cute and comfortable boxes?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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| Several completed labels |
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| 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.
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.
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?
