Sparkling at the Brits | OOTD

Hello lovely reader! For all you fabulous people across the pond, today is an exciting day in the world of music because tonight is the Brit Awards 2018!! Last year while living in London I was lucky enough to make one of my dreams come true and attend this legendary event in music. I had the best time and it was an incredible night that I will never forget. To anyone attending I hope you have a fantastic evening and to those who wish they were going like me, you can watch the show live on YouTube and if you get the AXS channel they are playing it this evening! So as an homage to that magical night I thought would share what I wore with you all.

Blouse: Original-H&M (no longer available), Similar on ASOS, Cute alternative on Zara

Sequin/Velvet Bomber Jacket: Original-Primark, Similar on ASOS, Rebecca Taylor (what mine may have been "inspired by")

Black Skinny Pants: Original-TJMaxx (no longer available), Similar on ASOS

Boots: Original Anne Klein (no longer available), Similar on ASOS, Similar ALDO

Who are you most looking forward to seeing perform? Xx

Warehouse Frills

Hey lovely reader! Today I wanted to share a look with you centered on a purchase I made from Warehouse while living in London. I discovered this brand while having an exploring shopping day around Carnaby and Oxford Street, would highly recommend stopping in their store if you ever get the chance! Luckily they have a US website as well so be sure to have a look!

Sweater: Exact, Similar
Pants: ASOS Similar, Nordstrom Similar
Boots: ASOS Similar, Nordstrom Similar

Bringing My Favorite British Dessert Home | Baking Eton Mess

Hiya lovely reader! As some of you will know, last spring I spent some time in London. I absolutely loved it there and miss it so much! Before going I had various people "warn me" that the food is not the best, to which I was taken aback as it is one of the most culturally diverse places ever which would in turn translate to the food. Needless to say those people were wrong and I let them know. The options in London are endless and everything I had was great! From traditional pub fare to Mediterranean style food and Italian. One of the first nights I was there we went to dinner at a place called Hush in High Holborn and it was there that I was enlightened. For dessert I wanted to try something different, something I had never heard of or had, that ladies and gentleman was Eton Mess. This delight consists of berries, cream, and meringue and is so light and airy you float away. So fast forward five months and ever since being back, I have been trying to incorporate some of my favorite British dishes into my life, looking for recipes and cookbooks to learn from and searching for stores that carry some of the brands I came to love. One of the cookbooks I came across was "An American Girl in London" by Marissa Hermer. As a fan of Ladies of London I was familiar with Marissa and her story and eager to check out her book. So when I saw she had an Eton Mess recipe I had to give it a go!

The nice thing about this recipe is that it is quite simple. The trickiest part is making the meringues and after that you are just putting everything together! 
For the Meringues you will need:
-3 large egg whites at room temperature
-1 cup granulated sugar
-1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
-1 tablespoon strawberry jam
-Stand Mixer

So to make the meringues, 
-Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F & place parchment paper on 2 baking trays
-Next place the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk until soft peaks start forming. Then slowly add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time and then add the cream of tartar. Continue whisking until the mixture has stiff peaks and is glossy and smooth, around 5 or 6 minutes. (I must say I felt very Great British Bakeoff OG while making the meringue. I'd like to think Paul and Mary would approve of my gloss)
-Once you've got your stiff peaks, carefully fold in the strawberry jam. (Marissa suggests taking out 1/4 of the meringue and folding it through that and then through the rest of it. She also added 4 drops of red food coloring to make the meringues pink which I chose to leave out.)

-Next, take 2 tablespoons and place six to eight 1/2-cup scoops of meringue onto the parchment paper and swirl each scoop to give it a peak. They will grow as they bake so leave space between them.

-Bake for 2 hours and then turn off the oven. Do not open it! As tempting as it may be, let them completely cool in the oven, otherwise they will crack. 

Now for the Eton Mess you will need: 
-1 cup whipping cream
-1 cup plain Greek yogurt
-1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (can also use vanilla extract)
-1 teaspoon rose water (optional)
-1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
-2 cups strawberries

To make the Eton Mess,
-Whisk the cream until thickened in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt until it is smooth and then fold through the whipped cream, vanilla, and icing sugar.
-Roughly chop the strawberries, saving a few for garnish

Now to put it all together,
-Break up the pieces of meringue and start layering the cream, strawberries, and meringue in bowls or glasses. If you have clear glasses, it can look really nice to see the layers!
-Repeat the layering as much as you want and then enjoy!

Have you ever made Eton Mess? Xx

Cheeky Quote Tuesday

The Perfect Sunny Afternoon | Notting Hill - Kensington

 Hi lovely reader! We are nearing the end of spring and summer is coming quickly which means more sunshine and warmer weather and with that more opportunities to be outside! Since living in London my view on weather has changed in that when it is sunny, I am more aware of it and appreciate it, feeling like I need to take full advantage of this time and do as much outside as possible! So I thought I would share my ideal day out in London, including where to eat and what to see, and some insta-worthy spots. Notting Hill is a great area with tons of shops and restaurants and of course pastel colored houses that lead to OOTD and Instagram pic goals. Kensington Palace is not far from the main area of Notting Hill and of course houses the royals and some gorgeous gardens which are really worth seeing in the spring and summer. 

Like I said, so cute and picture ready. There are multiple side streets with these colorful homes just off Portobello Road.

Of course you have to start the day off with some breakfast and Eggbreak is too cool of a place to pass up. As with many brunch spots, the place is smaller so there may be a line but don't let this scare you away as it typically moves pretty fast. They serve breakfast items from 8am-12pm so just make sure you give yourself enough time to wait. I got the McMuffin when I went which is of course a play on the golden arches classic but with much more natural ingredients and was really nice. They also serve "regular food" from 12-10pm which I have heard is good as well. And of course after eating breakfast there is no better way to walk it off than with some shopping.

Portobello Road is packed with little shops such as Alice's which is worth a peak inside to see the amount of things in the store! Some of my favorite shops are Ragyard which does really cool clothing and accessories and The Blue Door which has a mix of teas and tea-ware. Portobello Road Market is definitely worth going to and is up at these times:
09:00 – 18:00 Monday To Wednesday.
09:00 – 13:00 Thursday.
09:00 – 19:00 Friday Antique stalls
If you can go on one of these days you'll see everything from flower stands, to tapestries, to old post cards, and souvenirs. 

After you've done some walking and shopping, Farm Girl cafe is the perfect place to have a nice lunch. Now, I will admit that after seeing blogger after blogger post about this place on Instagram I wondered if the food was actually good or if it was just picturesque. So in my honest opinion and based on what I had to eat, the taste and quality of the food is just as good as the amount of photo opportunities, if not better. 

I had a Chicken sandwich which was full of flavor. There was beetroot on it which prior to ordering it I was unsure about but it was actually delicious and one of my favorite sandwich or salad additions now. I also go a side of sweet potato fries which were seasoned to perfection and so good.

 

After lunch you can take a walk or a tube to Kensington Palace where you can relax and enjoy some time outside strolling through the gardens or sitting in the park.

Where's your favorite place to take in some beautiful weather? Xx

Street Art & Street Food | Camden Town

Hiya lovely reader! Today I wanted to share a really cool area in London with you that is full of culture, amazing street art, delicious street food, and some great vintage shopping. Camden Town is a located in northwest London and has a great history with punk culture in the 70s in the UK and was also home to Miss Amy Winehouse. Now unfortunately it is starting to somewhat commercialize (good for some, bad for others) but is still a great place to visit, especially if the weather is nicer. Camden Market has tons of great little shops and some fabulous food stalls.

One of my favorite things about this area though besides the market is all the street art, you can see so many different style and artists scattered throughout the area. 

I would definitely recommend coming here hungry as there are going to be so many foods you will want to try from basically pots full of steaming mac and cheese to massive hotdogs, mexican food, and some decadent desserts.

Do you have any favorite spots or street art in the Camden area? Xx

Iconic London Landmarks | Westminster

Hello lovely reader! Happy Sunday! I hope you are all doing well. I feel like a need to provide a bit of explaining as to my lack of posting here on the blog. My explanation, I am a whole lot busier here than I had planned and school work and experiencing amazing opportunities has come before posting! The bad news is, I haven't posted anywhere near as frequently as I had planned, meaning that before I got to London I was thinking "Oh ya, I'll post after every excursion I take", then I got here and the reality was that I have been go, go, going ever since I landed! The good news is that I have been documenting every step of the way and have tons of photos and notes to share with you, so the posts will come! I want to share not only what I have experienced here in London and in other places I have visited but also tips for anyone who is considering or planning on studying abroad. For today's post I wanted to share what I think is the best way to start off your time in London, whether it be for a few days, months, or even years.

The Westminster area is the perfect place to start because it allows you to get a lot of the touristy things accomplished in one go, seeing many of London's iconic landmarks including the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the Horse Guards Parade, and Trafalgar Square! Now I know this may sound like a lot but I promise you they are all within walking distance of each other which makes for a nice and easy day.

If you are taking the tube I would highly recommend starting out from Westminster station. You literally step out of the station and Big Ben is right in front of you, looking beautiful and majestic. It's a moment for sure. After seeing it in person multiple times I truly believe that photos do not do it justice. There are so many amazing gold and architectural details at the top of the tower. 

You can then either walk across the bridge and to check out the London Eye or head towards Parliament and see Westminster Abbey.

There is sooo much history within this Church, over 1000 years. I haven't been inside yet but am planning to visit before I leave. You can go inside the church for free for worship services. Again the outside of this church is covered in details, both on the sides and the front of the building. 

Then, if you are there on a Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, or Friday (always check the website to be sure) head towards Buckingham Palace around 11am to see the changing of the guards.

Of course you must checkout Buckingham Palace, see the guards, and have a look through the gift shop. Fun Fact, you can tell if the Queen is in based on the flag flying above the palace. If the Union Jack is flying it means she is not currently there and if the Royal Standard is flying then the Queen is in residence! I have been there twice and both times the Union Jack has been up so maybe the third time is the charm?

If it is a nice day, you can have a walk through St. James Park along The Mall towards the Horse Guards Parade.

Then checkout the infamous horse guards, snap a pick or give the gorgeous horses a pet. They don't bite......usually!

From the Horse Guards Parade, walk up Whitehall Street and you can conclude your tour with the lovely lions in Trafalgar Square. This area holds an idealic London-esque view especially when the sun is setting. If you stand at the foot of the lions and look down Whitehall Street you will be able to see Big Ben standing tall amongst the trees and buildings.

Just lovely. So as I said this is the first of many more to come! I have been more "lively" active over on instagram so if you haven't already, be sure to follow @notexactlyplainjane ! Xx