London Landmarks

My trip to London was an amazing and whirlwind experience. Filled with delicious food, good friends (new and old), great sights, and incredible festivities celebrating my close friend's wedding, this was truly a memorable time.

Aside from all the wedding celebrations, we tried to cram as much sightseeing as we could into our already jam-packed schedule. We visited the usual tourist attractions such as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, London Bridge, Millennium Bridge, and Trafalgar Square. We walked everywhere and I loved taking in and seeing the city's historic and cultural landmarks. The buildings and architectural are one of my favourite parts of London -- they're so elegantly beautiful and I love the Victorian and Gothic Revival style of some of the buildings.

Here's a look at some iconic London sights. I will be blogging about various aspects of my trip for the next little while, so be sure to check back for more!

Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

Outside the gates of Buckingham Palace

The London Eye

St. Paul's Cathedral

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

 

Westminster Abbey

On the Millennium Bridge overlooking The Shard

London Bound

The past week has been hectic to say the least.  Running around getting stuff ready, planning our itinerary -- it’s always stressful in the days leading up to a trip. But the day is finally here and I'm flying off to London tonight! I think I've finally managed to figure out most of my packing, now it's just getting everything to fit in the suitcase. The blog will be on hiatus for the next two weeks while I'm away, but once I return, I will have many London related posts so be sure to check back then. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at my beautiful sari that I will be wearing at my friend's wedding. I'm a bridesmaid and I'm so excited to wear this!

Wimbledon Inspired: Tennis Dresses

With Wimbledon in full swing and my being in London next week (just missing Wimbledon), I was inspired to do a post on tennis dresses. I haven't played tennis since I was a kid, but these super chic dresses makes me want to serve up one on the court. Tennis dresses are a sleeveless tank style with a feminine silhouette -- think pleats, collars, and fit-and-flare styles. This sporty-meets-high-fashion wear is something I could definitely ace (I had to insert a tennis pun). Maybe it's time to dust out that old tennis racket I have lying somewhere as I envision beating Maria Sharapova in my cute tennis dress...or not.

1. Jill Sander Navy White Cotton-Blend Dress 2. Joseph Casey Pleated Stretch-Crepe Dress 3. Victoria by Victoria Beckham Silk and Crepe Dress 4. Parker Lucia Dress 5. Diane Von Furstenberg Delyse Fit and Flare Dress 6. Robert Rodriguez Grommet Detail Flare Dress 7. Herve Leger Scalloped Bandage Tier Flare Dress 8. Sarah Stripe Fit & Flare Tank Dress 9. St. John Milano Fit and Flare Dress

Banana Bread Cookies

If you love banana bread as much as I do, then you'll love these little banana bread whoopie cookies. They’re super moist and healthy (made with coconut flour and sugar), and have the same delicious flavour you get from banana bread. It also takes almost no time to whip up. I opted to make just the cookies itself, minus the whoopie part with no coconut butter, although now thinking about it, I don't know how I could turn down coconut butter. I would suggest halfing the amount of salt and cinnamon that the recipe calls for; the first batch I made, I found the salt and cinnamon to be a little overpowering.

Packing Essentials: London Edition

In one week from today, I will be heading to London, England for my good friend's wedding. Packing is stressful enough as it is for me, but when everyone keeps saying to pack for all weather conditions in London, it doesn't exactly make things easier. Summer in London is not like Toronto. It doesn’t get as hot and it rains quite a bit, so it’s been a bit of a challenge trying to plan my outfits. I’m thinking jeans, leggings, one pair of shorts, and lots of layers. I’ve compiled this collage as a way to organize and figure out the essentials of what I need to bring. Hopefully this will make the actual packing process a little more bearable.

1. H&M Broderie Anglaise Blouse 2. Dolce & Gabbana Shorts 3. Elizabeth and James Frankie Crepe Blazer 4. Raindrops Fulton Black Birdcage Bubble Umbrella 5. Rag & Bone 'The Jean' Jacket 6. Mason Maxi 7. J Brand 811 Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans 8. Victoria Beckham D-frame Mottled Acetate Sunglasses 9. Marc by Marc Jacobs Natural Selection Messenger Bag 10. Sam Edelman Jolie