i've always loved you + {brilliant beats} the real tuesday weld

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW71BzQ54NI?rel=0&w=640&h=25]

The Real Tuesday Weld - I love the rain

Last night we went to our favorite  hole-in-the-wall Persian restaurant for dinner and then did our week's grocery haul. Nothing special of course but as we walked around, carried our grocery bags, and waited for the bus, it was raining and we were getting soaked. The old me would have been quick to open an umbrella or better yet, wait for a dry day to run any errands at all. The new London me, however, has no problem going out when it's wet and unless it's really pouring (or I'm having an extra good hair day) my jacket's hood does just fine to keep my dry.

As we made the last stop at our favorite baklava bakery, I giggled to myself at the thought of how normal the scenario had become. There we were, wet clothes and wet bags, hitting up our routine spots on Edgeware Road just as we would on any regular day. Heck, a maintenance guy was even squeeging the glass walls of the bus stop shelter not minding that it got spotted with rain drops immediately after! For those of you who live in places where rain/cold/winter is common then this whole posts might sounds crazy. But to those of you more accustomed to year-round sunshine and warmth, you can probably relate to the "I don't do anything when it rains" mantra.

I must be truly acclimated because don't think or say that too much these days. Then again...I've always loved the rain and for the first time in my life, I get lots of it.

when the sun comes out

All you LA/So Cal people? Yeah, I see your tweets and posts about how sunny and warm it is right now but I'll have you know that the low 50's are my new 80's. Okay okay, we're lucky if we hit 80 degrees during the summer here in London but Monday was a surprisingly gorgeous day so I'm going to boast about it because it's what I've got.

Our "it's so sunny we have to be outside" destination of choice was Primrose Hill. It was a particularly windy afternoon so the little hilltop was perfect for flying Joe's kite. I wish I could say that I got in on the action but I was more than content to just enjoy the scenery. It was beautiful, so simple and peaceful. I soaked in every tiny bit of the sunset's golden glow, watched dogs run around like it was the most exciting moment of their lives, was inspired by joggers out in their winter running gear starting the new year off right, and smiled whenever I looked at Joe, the ultimate big kid, having a ball on a windy winter day. This may not be my norm for this time of year (I'm from LA in case you're new to the blog) but I can sure appreciate the change of scenery.

weekend, we

Hi, how was your weekend?

We slept, lounged and watched lots of online TV and movies. Yet after a 1pm breakfast on Saturday we somehow mustered up the energy and enthusiasm to go out to Greenwich for the afternoon. By the time we left the flat and got to the river taxi it was nearly sunset. I was initially bummed to have missed the day's sunshine but quickly got over it as we cruised east on the Thames with a beautiful warm glow trailing behind us.

Greenwich was fantastic. Though we were only there for a few hours and didn't stray too far from the market, I saw just enough to fall in love with its village charm. The market was full of great indie designers and artists, the street-food stalls were just the right mix and quantity (I ate Ethiopian, Joe ate English), and the shops and restaurants around the market block were equally independent and intriguing. It was a mad house as lots of people were doing their Christmas shopping so I'd love to return on a quieter  day to take my time to visit each store (especially a vintage one that had an amazing coat in the window!). We didn't leave empty handed though. We quickly fell for the Arty Globe drawings of London artist Hartwig Braun. We're not really into traditional tourist souvenir items but 1) we needed coasters and 2) his cityscape drawings are awesome so if you're going to buy something "London-y" then this is your guy.

After a round of the best mojitos in town, it was back to the river taxi and onward to our local pub for a final night cap. They have a seasonal hot drinks menu and I'm taking all of the hot cider and hot toddies I can get. We've been spending a lot of time there lately but can you blame us? Especially this time of year when it looks and feels extra extra cozy? On the walk home (literally 45 seconds) we spotted exterior Christmas lights on a residential building - a very rare sight in London as I've only seen retail stores do anything outside. I'll be you anything that those flat residents are American but, I'll take it as it instantly put a smile on my face. Tis the season indeed.

shop hopping

Soon after moving here I attended a London Bloggers picnic and one of the gals that I met was Andrea of Lotus Events. She and her husband, originally from Vancouver, have been busy working on their first UK Got Craft? event happening this weekend. I'm really excited to check it out and support their work and that of other creatives. I just love me a good craft fair!

One of the things that I love about Andrea is that she seems to know about every little shop, cafe, and neighborhood in London - she really gets out there! So, when she asked me to do the photography for her Shop Tour guest posts on Poppytalk (great blog btw) I couldn't resist. I've gotten to know some great little spots since working with Andrea and I can't wait to see what else she comes up with.

The photos above are of some of the shops we've done so far. We have more on the way but I figured that these snippets were worth finally sharing!

I Feel Smug Hoxton Street Monster Supplies (they recently launched their online shop!) Drink, Shop & Do Labour and Wait Handmade Interiors

Oh and it's time to announce the winner of the DIY Couture How to make a cloak book from last week's post! Drumrroolllll pleasseee.......Penny Patten, congrats to you! I'll be in touch via email ;) Thanks to everyone who commented, hopefully you got a little inspiration for a fun autumn fashion DIY!

weekend, we

Hello everyone, how was your weekend?

The season's cold weather officially arrived and that meant that I officially needed to start putting my winter wardrobe together (LA doesn't prepare you for this!). We spent a few hours on Saturday shopping in Marylebone Village and then made our way down to Regent. The streets were so packed with people that you would have thought it was Christmas Eve, or the day after. It was total madness. With all of the hustle and bustle I was happy to take a break at the newly opened Speakeasy Espresso & Brew Bar just off Carnaby Street. It's a great little spot tucked away from the crowds with yummy coffee and excellent service...you must try it if you are ever in the area.

That evening we went out for dinner and drinks with friends and didn't make it back home until 3:30 am. Needless to say, we had a very lazy Sunday only going out to buy our favorite fresh bread from the local Italian deli and for a late afternoon stroll in the park. It was just the kind of R&R I needed after two weeks of non-stop sightseeing and traveling. My mama wore me out!

{about town} pomp and circumstance at buckingham palace

Call it blasphemy but I think the whole thing is silly. I get the tradition and the history but the entire pomp and circumstance of the Changing Of The Guard seems completely unnecessary these days. Well, actually it's completely necessary for attracting tourist like us who pour billions of pounds into the English economy every year.

While I did enjoy seeing the ceremony and thinking back to when the Queen actually needed to be guarded in such a manor, I couldn't help but think that I was watching a Civil War re-enactment or something like that. I mean, why not just hire actors to do all of this instead of using actual trained soldiers who could probably be more useful somewhere else? We all know that it's a dog and pony show for tourist any way - the band played a theme song from James Bond for crying out loud!

My mom said that the Queen should come out on the balcony and wave because "its the least she could do" (I love my mom). Her comment proved what an attraction the entire royal family has become, a living museum basically. I know that I don't know all of the facts and that there are some English Royalist (royal supporters) who would have my head after reading this but hey, it's just me as an outsider looking in.

weekend, we

Hi Everyone, how was your weekend?

We didn't waste anytime showing my mom the major sites of London. After an incredible brunch at The Table near the Tate Modern (you must go - cheap and good), we ventured out to spend the afternoon along the Thames River checking out St. Paul's, The Tower of London, South Bank Center, The London Eye, and of course, Big Ben. It was one of the coldest days we've experienced yet but we had smiles plastered on our faces nevertheless.

On Sunday we trekked east to Columbia Road Flower Market where I've been meaning to go since I moved here in April. It was totally worth the wait - what a charming and lively place! It was actually the most "English" setting I have experienced since it felt like we were in a little village market rather than a big city tourist trap. And the shops! This is exactly the type of street I've been looking for in London - nothing but beautifully curated independent boutiques and small cafes and restaurants. It was so awesome to experience that street for the first time with my mom. She's definitely a great excuse to get out there and see/do new things.

On today's agenda: Buckingham Palace, changing of the guards, and afternoon tea. I guess it was just a matter of time before I did the whole pomp and circumstance side of London.

{about town} photography play

These are just a few of the photos I took during Saturday's dSLR workshop. It was a long day but I'm so happy to have learned more about my camera's functions along with some tricks of the trade. It was also a good excuse to simply walk about town - I need to get back into that.

If you're in London armed with a camera, do check out these workshops.

weekend, we

Hi everyone, how was your weekend?

I spent all day Saturday in a dSLR photography workshop that took us around the Tate, St. Paul's, and Borough Market. I'll share more on that later but the important thing is that it prepared me for Joe's kite flying extravaganza.

On Sunday, as we left our flat to go to this vintage furniture event I noticed that he had his backpack with him. "You've got your kite with you, don't you?" I asked. Busted. I knew that there was no way he was going to let a windy day pass him and his new kite by. So off we went to the furniture flea, bought a few small items (promise I'll share later) and when we were done, googled the nearest park.

Joe got so lucky. The park we found was perfectly spacious and the wind roared right through it. As Joe flew his kite, I practiced some new shutter speed and aperture techniques learned from the previous day's photography workshop and simply sat out and enjoyed the sun. It was such a nice afternoon.

On the way home we found ourselves at Brick Lane (it was market day!) so we stopped to eat some yummy street food and shopped for a dining table here. I wish I would have taken photos of the market and the furniture event but I was seriously spent from Saturday's six hour photography binge and the day's kite chasing session. There's always next weekend though...we'll be in Berlin!

{about town} london gets colorful with carnival

The music, colors, energy, and food of yesterday's Notting Hill Carnival were incredible.

We arrived before noon and luckily got in a few hours of parade watching and relative calm before the crowds hit. And by crowds I mean nearly every Londoner between the ages of 16 and 30 coming to drink and dance the rest of the evening. I'm all for drinking and dancing but this was the kind of thing that you had to be mentally prepared for - we definitely were not. There were DJ stages set up on streets surrounding the parade route and by the time we were ready to leave, those areas were so packed that it took us an hour and a half to find a way out of the carnival zone! There were moments where I got a little freaked out...like "crap, we're the only sober people here!" while everyone around us carried forties or home-made cocktails in large water bottles. Drunkenness in England is a whole other story...

Craziness aside, it was great to get a taste of Carnival culture without traveling too far from home. Brazil is next ... I will definitely prepare for that :)

see more photos here

happy friday + moving day!

Today is the day that we say goodbye to our first London pad but more important is that we will finally be able to stand upright to get clean. You see, we haven't taken a proper shower at home in six months because our "shower hose" doesn't have any water pressure above two feet. The little that it does have barely does the job so we've been using a plastic water pitcher to make do. Yep folks, we've been bathing like it's 1859 over here in London Town! It was funny at first, then really annoying, then I forced myself to get used to it, and then I really hated it. At least I'm a small person that can comfortably fit in a tub, Joe on the other hand...poor guy.

The only showers we've taken are when we've traveled and stayed in a hotel. Those rented waterfalls were the only saving grace for my hair as shampoo became increasingly difficult to scrub out with a pour of the pitcher.

We were all the wiser for our next flat (who would have thought that you needed to test showers, anyway?) and I'm excited to say that we have AMAZING water pressure! AND it comes down from seven feet above! To add a cherry on top, our new flat's bathroom sink has a dual temperature water faucet which means we can finally use warm water. I swear, I really don't understand why using either hot or cold is the norm here. Especially when 1) kitchens do dual so they know it exists and 2) safety laws are so crazy that electrical outlets in the bathroom and wall light switches aren't allowed (you get a pull-string or the switch is placed outside the room). But burning myself with scorching hot water is okay? So strange.

I'm beyond excited to be moving into the 21st century...my hair will be happy too.

Have a great weekend!

let's go fly a kite + {brilliant beats} jim noir

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMO3FNc-C-I?rel=0&w=480&h=25]

Jim Noir - Key of C

Two weeks ago when we went to Hampstead Heath, we sat atop Kite Hill and Joe drooled over the kites that flew high above. Flash forward to Monday, Joe had his own brand new kite - and a new friend. As we got the kite up for its first flight, a little boy ran over to us screaming "WOW!". He was too adorable for words as he jumped around and chased the kite's trail. Joe was just as excited, actually. Behind that cool facade he's a big kid...and I love him for that.