richmond park // duck & waffle // karaoke

Here's a recap of last week:

On Sunday I went to Art 4 Fun in West Hampstead and painted pottery. I was so excited to go and just paint in peace and quiet; but it was very crowded and there were lots of kids around. I still enjoyed it - just needed my headphones in and music on. After I finished painting,  I went to a pub lunch with Andrea, James, and their friend Rich at the Duke's Head in Putney. We went to Richmond Park and walked around enjoying the sunshine until the sun went down. It was my first time in Richmond and it lived up to all the hype I had heard…it's gorgeous and the park is a beautiful escape from the craziness of London.

my painting kit

beautiful girl!

richmond park

Monday and Tuesday were my usual chill days. I did my work outs, cooked dinners, and got things done around the flat.

Wednesday was the start of the tube strike in London. Friends, it was HORRIBLE. I had heard from people that it was going to be rough but I couldn't have imagined it to be this crazy. It took me THREE hours to get from Chelsea to Highbury & Islington for our girl's night at Ali's place. Usually this trip would take less than an hour! The roads were crazy and the strike lasted for 48 hours.

On Thursday after work, Courtney, Ciara, Kirsten and me all went to the Heron Tower to have dinner at Duck & Waffle. The food was incredible and the views were gorgeous. Just see for yourself!

yummy!

london lights

pretty friends

duck and waffle

top of the gherkin

On Friday, I met up with the girls (Ali, Alex, and Alex) at John Salt in Islington on Upper Street. We had a few drinks before heading to Lucky Voice to meet our friend Val for a little Friday night karaoke! So much fun! The night ended at a pub and McDonalds, and a sleepover at Ali's house.

our spice girls tribute

john salt

All in all it was a really fun and busy week! This week will be another crazy one - Taylor Swift, another tube strike, Book of Mormon and a friend visiting! :)

xx

harry potter studio tour

Last Saturday, I finally made my way to Watford (about an hour outside of London) to the Warner Brothers studios for the Harry Potter tour. I had been looking forward to this day for a VERY long time!

As a teenager, my friends and I were completely obsessed with all things Harry Potter (really cool, I know). We read the books, saw the movies, bought each other cheesy HP gear. I may or may not have owned all of the following things as a teenager - a Harry wand, Harry glasses, a tshirt with a very cool lightning bolt, and a necklace with the same. I know you guys, I know; I was a complete geek. But I have always been drawn to the wizarding world of Harry Potter!

I got tickets several months ago so when the day finally arrived, I was very excited! When we first got there, we immediately saw a middle aged couple dressed in cloaks and other wizardy garb. It was the perfect way to start the day. Once you're in, you watch a video about the history of Harry and get some info about what you'll see. Then the cinema screen lifts up and you are greeted by the front doors of 'Hogwarts'. I almost squealed when this happened! I wasn't expecting it at all. Once you walk in the front door of Hogwarts, you are in the Great Hall.

I'll let my pictures and captions do the rest of the talking now…

team gryffindor! 

me and Hagrid

Harry's bed

sets from the ministry of magic

magic is might statue

dumbledore's office

the invisibility cloak

all the wands on display

number 4 privet drive

the knight bus

the spooky cottage from deathly hallows

me and Dobby

diagon alley

the weasley's magic shop

HOGWARTS

It was such a magical day! If you have ever loved Harry Potter, definitely go check it out. You can buy tickets here. 

xx

the good life // food and friends

Wow…I ate out A LOT last week! It's pretty shocking that I didn't gain 10 pounds. Here's a run down of where I went and what I thought!

Monday: My Old Dutch Pancake House on King's Road. 
This place is a staple in Chelsea. It's literally right around the corner from my job but this was the first time I gave it a try. My friend Elaine and I met there Monday night for their £5 any pancake deal. I'm not gonna lie…I didn't LOVE it but I also think I made a bad choice. I got the Italian; it was basically a pancake with cheese, sliced tomatoes and a couple olives. But Elaine, and my co-worker Dan, both got really yummy (looking) pancakes. Elaine got the Roasted Duck (pic below) and Dan got the Chili con Carne. Will I try it again? Maybe…just depends on if dutch pancakes ever take my fancy again!

roasted duck / pancake style

Thursday: The Good Life Eatery on Sloane Avenue 
My co-worker Courtney is officially addicted to this place so after our killer pilates session on Thursday, she brought me and Ciara here to give it a try. It's a small place with only a few tables so I imagine it gets really busy on the weekends. The food is clean and delicious. I felt like a new person after my Goodness Bowl, Berry smoothie, and chai almond latte. It was pricey but worth it!

chai almond latte

the goodness bowl

Friday - Bumpkin Chelsea
This was my second time eating at Bumpkin in Chelsea. We had our work Christmas dinner here so we were all eager to get back and have another great dinner. I had the Chicken Casserole (with dumplings - yum!) and Kirsten had the ribs. We ate half then switched with each other! The food is delicious and British.

courtney and ciara

me and kirsten

After dinner at Bumpkin, we went to The Lazy Fox in Fulham and the Elk. Such a fun night!


Saturday - Mamacita in West Hampstead
This is one of my favorite Mexican places in London! There aren't very many good Mexican places around these parts. I love this place for many reasons - it's a quick walk from my flat, they have fantastic margaritas, and the guacamole is incredible. The downstairs is a funky little bar called Frida's and the upstairs is the restaurant. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures! But I had a great little seared tuna salad with a mexican twist (plantains and tostadas)!

I'll blog again in a few days with all my pictures from the Harry Potter Studio Tours and other fun things from Saturday and Sunday.

K

leibsters // blogging geeks unite

My beautiful friend Alexandra (team starnes takes london) has nominated me for a LEIBSTER award. Basically new bloggers nominate other new bloggers in order to get more readers. 

Let me start by saying that I love getting messages and emails from people who say "I read your blog and I love it!" I'm always SHOCKED that people are interested in what I have to say. But then I remember that I am a small town girl living in a huge city…that I came here to experience an incredible adventure and I am so lucky for it! Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and I hope you continue to do so. I'm not going to stop writing as long as people are saying they like it! 

Here's how the LEIBSTER works…
1. Mention the blog that nominated you in your post.
2. Nominate another blogger with less than 200 followers.
3. Answer the questions.
4. Make new questions for the person you nominated! 

Here's the questions Alex asked…

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. What do you love about blogging? 
3. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?
4. What is your earliest memory?
5. What do you hate about blogging? 
6. What website do you spend the most time on?

7. What can you not leave home without? 

8. Describe yourself in one word. 
9. What was/would be your first dance wedding song? 
10. Tell me something funny that happened to you. 
11. What is the best piece of advice you've been given/found?

And here are my answers…

1. Why did I start blogging? I started blogging for a lot of reasons actually. I love writing; always have and always will. I also love reading. Before I moved to London, I had gotten off of Facebook so I thought starting a blog would be a great way for my friends and family back home to see what I was up to!

2. What do I love about blogging? I love going back and seeing all the places I've been and things I've done over the last 18 months. I also love reading about the journey of moving here, finding a job, finding a flat, meeting new friends, having a wonderful relationship, missing my friends and family…

3. If I could move anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why? I am a beach girl, for sure. I loved living in Wilmington, NC during college and being able to go to the beach whenever I wanted. Eventually I would love to go back to the beaches of NC and live there again. But for now, I'm happy with being in London.

4. What is my earliest memory? I remember the day my younger sister was born. I was only 3 and we went to the hospital to see her. I was with my grandparents and older sister Ashley. 

5. What do I hate about blogging? I actually love blogging! But if I had to pick one thing that annoyed me it would probably be trying to make my blog look pretty. I feel like I constantly want to change the fonts and backgrounds and pictures but I try to resist the temptation. 

6. What website do I spend the most time on? Pinterest, definitely. Because I'm a teacher I get so many good ideas off of there. 

7. What can I not leave home without? Two things - my iPhone and my Burt's Bees chapstick.

8. Describe yourself in one word. Ridiculous. I try to tone it down on my blog so you would never know it if you didn't know me personally. But I get told on a daily basis that I am ridiculous. I love it!

9. What was/would be my first dance wedding song? Well when I got married, our first dance song was James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is (to be loved by you)". I love that song. BUT as I am no longer married and don't plan to be anytime in the near future, I can't answer that question honestly! 

10. Tell something funny that happened to me. Oh this is tough! Funny things happen to me all the time. I think because of my personality, people feel that they can say or do anything in front of me and it makes for some very funny stories! In an effort to not embarrass myself, or any of my friends/family, I'll skip this question. ;)

11. What is the best piece of advice I've been given/found? A couple years ago, before moving to London, I was in a very sad place in my life. I was going through a divorce (something that I never thought would happen) and I had cervical cancer. My friends and family were so incredibly supportive and loving during such a difficult time in my life. I was told on a daily basis to "be true to myself". I've done that ever since then and I am a happier person for it. 

Now for the nomination! I nominate my Aunt Sonya who has a wonderful blog about her life with 3 adopted children (my sweet and adorable cousins) and her crazy husband! :) Here's the link.

Answer these questions and enjoy! 

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. What do you love about blogging? 
3. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?
4. What is your earliest memory?
5. What do you hate about blogging? 
6. What blog do you spend the most time on?

7. What can you not leave home without? 

8. Describe yourself in one word. 
9. What would be your dream job? 
10. Tell me about your most embarrassing moment. 
11. What is the best piece of advice you've been given?

rainy days & american food

Last week crept by. I heard that last Monday (Jan 20) was officially the most depressing day of the year. I was feeling it…I don't get down in the dumps often these days but last week was just no good. It's been rainy, cold, and windy here with the occasional sunshine peaking through. I definitely can't complain though - this winter has been 10 times better than last.

Anyways, Monday and Tuesday were relaxing; I did my work outs, ran my errands, and got things done around my flat. Wednesday nights are girls night with the American crew. We all go to Ali's in Highbury and Islington, drink wine, eat pizza and watch The Bachelor. (don't tell me what's going on - we are a week behind over here!) I think we were all feeling the winter blues this week because we grubbed out!

the damage

Thursday night, I went to Bond Street to meet my friend Allison from UNCW. I took the bus from Sloane Square and got off at New Bond Street/Royal Academy. This is such a beautiful part of central London…loads of high end stores, the Royal Academy, and beautiful streets.

Allison and I met up at the Mandeville Hotel, right off of Wigmore Street. They have a great bar and restaurant there called Reform Social and Grill. I've been there once before for afternoon tea and was dying to go back for dinner and drinks. We had an amazing meal, really good wine, and a nice catch up.

royal academy at night

the bar at Reform Social

beautiful allison

the american menu with a british twist - yum!

I was feeling pretty tired Friday after my big Thursday night. After work, we all went to our spot - the Big Easy on Kings Road for a cheap dinner and a couple cocktails. I came home early and relaxed on the couch for the rest of the night. 

On Saturday, I met a friend for lunch at a pub in East Finchley. It was a gorgeous day - sunny and almost warm. The wind was pretty heavy but I was fine in my sweater and light jacket. After lunch, I went straight to my Pilates class in Hampstead. As soon as my class ended, the skies opened up and it started to pour within 2 minutes of my walk home. I got absolutely soaked! My hair was a mess, mascara was all down my face and my clothes were completely drenched. By the time I got home I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, so I just stood in front of the mirror and laughed. 

what a mess!

After I laughed at myself for a good 5 minutes, I dried off and warmed up. Last night I had reservations at a new American restaurant in Soho called Jackson & Rye. Adam booked it weeks ago so I was really excited to finally be going! We got there and they didn't have our name on the list but they were able to still get us a table. It was crowded so we popped across the street to The Village (a famous Gay bar in Soho) for a cocktail. After 20 minutes, we went back over to the restaurant, sat at our table and started drooling over the menu. This is a Southern girl's heaven…mac and cheese, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, steak and eggs, blueberry cobbler. You guys - the food was SO good. And I had this amazing cocktail called a Floradora. I'm going to try to recreate at home but I'm sure it'll never be as good as the one at J&R. Enjoy drooling over the following pictures….

                                                           

blueberry cobbler

peanut butter cookies and 'milk'

my fried chicken (with creamed corn grits) and adam's steak and eggs

shrimp and grits

truffle mac and cheese

I definitely recommend Reform Social (no reservation required) and Jackson & Rye (reservation definitely required) for some good ol' American food with a twist.

Lots of love from London,

K