Holiday in the City

Whenever I'm home I try to spend as much time as possible in the city. I've been lucky and have spent more time than usual in my beloved city. The hustle and bustle combined with the low-key atmosphere of Chicago makes it the unique city that it is. I've been lacking in photography but have captured a few images of city life throughout the past weeks. 

Had to include Duncan's Christmas gift. ADORABLE! (Thank you Larry!)

Motivation

I'm alive, don't worry! I apologize for my lack of blogging... I think it has been 2 weeks! As usual, Christmas was chaotic and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Unfortunately, the packed social schedule has gotten to my waistline... 

Last night I went to the Blackhawks game. While I am not much of a sports enthusiast I have grown up around hockey and LOVE the Blackhawks. During a break they played this video - it got me in the mood to work out right then and there! Watched it on my iPad in the gym working out, got a few strange stares. 

It's starting to look like Christmas!

Guess what I woke up to this morning?!

My prayers have been answered, it finally snowed! Probably because of all the Christmas going on at my house.  

My 'unique' Gingerbread house, there is no denying that I have no artistic ability whatsoever!

Yum.

Little Rosemary tree to use fresh Rosemary for cooking! Smells amazing! And adds a little something extra to our zen plants.

Hershey and Duncan got Candy Cane dog chips... Duncan LOVES them. 

Not so Christmasy but had to include this amazing Volcano roll. I've already gotten sushi twice in the 5 days I've been home. Mmmmm. 

Morning serenity

Nothing better than morning tea in a Christmas mug! 9 days!!!

Home for the Holidays

It's been awhile, Windy City. Even though the London weather was making me question the legitimacy of Chicago's nickname. But now that I am back, I can attest that Chicago is in fact THE WINDY CITY. Last night and today were filled with gusts of wind and rain that took my favorite umbrella right out of my hand and into the sky. It also added to the confusion when crossing the street, definitely still used to cars coming from the right, not left. Wasn't expecting that... But it felt SOOO good to be walking in an AMERICAN city. While London certainly doesn't provide one with culture shock, sometimes you just need some U S of A in your life. This 3-week break back home could not have come at a better time. I was going a little stir crazy in London! My jetlag has been all funky, but I'm over that now and back to y'all. I know I've been neglectful recently, forgive me! 

Our amazing Christmas tree. My mom outdoes herself every year... 

Now that I'm home I have lots of shopping to do!!! 

More importantly, I've got all of this to do! Pretty ambitious (I know) so we will just see how much of this I actually accomplish.

Change is coming!

I've been home for less than 24 hours and change is coming! More soon. Xxx

Ps - made delicious homemade vanilla and cinnamon French toast with cranberries and blackberries. Thanks for the whole foods iPad app!

December Love

It was 58 degrees today. Even the gusts of wind couldn't stop me from doing a little jig. 

Take that Chicago.

Harrods

Just thought y'all should see Harrods!!! Going this weekend for the last time before break, can't wait! Maybe I'll pick up a gold bar for myself. 

Don't let this happen this holiday season

Oh Harvey Nichols, you did it again!

Winter Warmers at Althorp

Last Saturday Mariel and I made our way to Northampton to attend Winter Warmers at Althorp. Of course Althorp is Princess Diana's Ancestral home, and has been since the 16th century. Currently the 9th Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, lives in the home. That means these 3 crazy beauties, who made headlines at the Royal Wedding, call the stately country home of Althorp theirs. 

Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza (twins-19) with their sister Lady Kitty (20) at the Royal Wedding. They live in South Africa with their mother, and are no strangers to the media in London or Cape Town. Why wouldn't they be?! They're the Princes' cousins!

Mariel at the town center in Northampton.

We were served lots of mulled wine and mince pies when we arrived at Althorp - British Christmas traditions.

We got to Althorp a little early which lucky gave us time to take a few pictures outside, because pictures inside were prohibited! (of course I managed to take a few)... Outside there were pheasants, sheep, deer and cows roaming free! Despite its grand beauty, the estate had a country feel. Inside it was amazing to see that the home was actually lived in. Personal family photos everywhere, dips in the seat cushions, flat screen TVs mixed with 100 year old beds in the guest rooms... 

The stables. At one point over 100 horses lived in here. Now it is where the Diana exhibition is held every summer. I sure hope to get back for it! 

Snuck a picture of Mariel in the portrait gallery. 

After the tour of the house we were served traditional English tea in the state dining room. LOTS of yummy scones, cakes and sandwiches. And all served on the Spencer china!

 Cute little Christmas decorations!

Althorp is the place of Princess Diana's burial and while we didn't get to see it, it is another reason I hope to go back to Althorp! 

What have I been up to lately?

Well, lots of nothingness. I feel like I haven't done anything of substance (besides schoolwork) for the past week or two. Oh wait, I went to the Clink Prison Museum on Saturday... interesting experience that turned out to be. I seriously felt like I was in a haunted house. There were still blood stains on the walls from hundreds of years ago. Lovely I tell ya. And we were the ONLY ones in the museum. Who woulda known about all the torturous acts that took place in the Middle Ages if it weren't for the Clink.  

Guess where I will be in exactly 1 week from today!!!

Anyways I'm sorry I've been neglecting yall.... change is on the way. 

I want to work at Goldman Sachs

As I've previously mentioned (and is widely accepted within the LSE community), a job at Goldman Sachs is the end all be all for pretty much every LSE student. This video sums it up perfectly. Absolutely hilarious!!!! [Warning: inappropriate language]

Procrastination

While I should be working on my 8 page paper tomorrow (less than half of which is done) I figured I'd share my Turkey Day experience. 

It involved more of this:

than this:

Can you honestly call this a Thanksgiving meal?!!! Ran out of mashed potatoes... hence the french fries. But more importantly, how TINY is the portion. The Brits do not understand what an American Thanksgiving is. 

At least I got to watch the Packers!!!

And see my two chums visiting from Luxembourg.

So I hadn't really done much planning for Thanksgiving and then it just sort of popped up. I was too late to buy a ticket to many of the numerous Thanksgiving dinners at restaurants around London. My friend from home and I were thinking of cooking... but knew that probably wouldn't work out. Plus we had two other friends from home visiting. At the last minute we heard of the place called 'Jet Lag' which had a Thanksgiving dinner that you didn't need a ticket or reservation for, so we hightailed over there. Unfortunately, they were quite packed. Using my negotiating skills, with the help from my long eyelashes, I got the manager to set up a new table for us. Even though it was probably a fire hazard, it was a pretty good seat with a view of the projection screen showing football. It felt like an hour before we ordered.... so insert a few glasses of wine. By the time we did order... they were basically out of everything! I was really out of luck... I didn't get mashed potatoes, stuffing or turkey! Luckily the boys got stuffing and turkey... but the portions were tiny! I settled for chicken and vegetables. Then we made our way to this club Plastic People. There was a Scream show that my friends were intent upon seeing. The club (you know I AM NOT a clubber) was pretty neat and intimate. It felt kind of hidden, actually I think it was pretty discreet. It ended up being a great night, but naturally (of course) I was exhausted only a short while after getting there and made my way to my cozy bed. Let's just say the next morning was not one of my happiest moments....

Happy December!

Now that it is December there is not a better way to start off the festivities than with a 

Cartier Winter Tale! 

No other brand in the world has such a history of refinement and class. Every girl dreams of owning a Cartier piece one day. Hopefully someone's dream will come true this Christmas! 

While it is not featured in the video, my favorite Cartier piece is the 'Panthere ring' which was named for Louis Cartier's creative partner. The feline motif is a tribute to devastating seduction, mysterious beauty and untamed character. It can be seen on the likes of Rachel Zoe, Cameron Diaz, Nicole Richie, Mary Kate Olsen and countless other divas and fashionistas. The simple elegance and fierceness of the piece allows it to be paired with absolutely anything.

My version can best be seen here, although it is quite an old and goofy picture! I absolutely love it and pair it with everything!

Give Colorfully

Enjoy!

I feel like I've been kind of all about the videos lately... I guess YouTube is a new obsession. Hopped on that train a bit late... 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Watch this awesome footage of the Macy's Day Parade from the 50s!

Do not get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. 
- Galatians 6:9

An Evening at the Abbey

Regretfully I've been slow getting around to this. A few weeks back (well actually the end of September) I attended Evensong at Westminster Abbey followed by a private after hours tour. I was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity and jumped at the chance. Apart from Westminster Abbey's own grandeur and historical significance, it was the little chapel where this occurred:

Yes, THE Royal Wedding. The event of the decade adds yet another dimension to the Abbey. The Abbey is the only Abbey in England that is under direct control of the Queen, I guess when your grandmother is the Queen that makes for an easy choice regarding wedding venues. 

The evening started out with a wonderful Evensong from the Abbey's choir. It was absolutely enchanting. I was seated in the first row. Bottom left of this photograph, precisely. For the Royal Wedding, Kate's family and friends were seated in the area I sat for Evensong. I could really feel the presence of a royal extravaganza, even though it had been a few months.

The Abbey was absolutely packed for Evensong. Partly because it was the end of the tourism season, but also the Royal Wedding has increased Westminster Abbey traffic enormously.

Photographs were prohibited inside the Abbey, but I couldn't help myself from taking a few snapshots. 

This the view across and to the right from where I was sitting. Not sure why those lucky lads got to sit in the pews - I was jealous! They were absolutely breathtaking and the detailing was so intricate. For the Royal wedding the choir sat in the front of these pews/stalls. Behind them were William & Kate's friends and the Cabinet.

 

This is across and to the left from where I was seated. We are viewing where William and Kate sat during the service!!! 

Their chairs were in another part of the Abbey... which I later illegally touched! Oops! Oh and I think I could still smell her perfume. 

After the service I was treated to a phenomenal and in-depth tour. Our tour guide had actually been a choir boy for the Queen's coronation! To put it lightly, he knew the ins and outs of the Abbey. 

Here are a few highlights:

The alter floor.

This is a birds eye view of the alter area. The floor is thousands of years old and is made from Italian glass and stone. Do not think that it is a mosaic because in fact all these pieces were cut to mold together! The general public is not allowed on the steps or near the alter area... but it pays to know a few people. I was able to stand in the exact spot where this:

and this happened:

I also had the pleasure of seeing the King Henry VII chapel. This is where the Most Honourable Order of the Bath has the ceremony of knighthood. All of the Knights that were ever knighted have a stall in the chapel (obviously they overlap). Whichever Knight currently holds the stall has their armor above the stall and their plaque added to the others of that stall. 

Here is Queen Elizabeth's Tomb. Very opulent. In fact, it is on top of her sister Queen Mary's, with only a small plaque indicating it! 

I was so fortunate to have this experience. The Abbey is truly magnificent. You can feel the history around you - nearly 7,000 human beings are buried at the Abbey, which about 20 are Kings or Queens. Being at the Abbey makes you realize and appreciate God's greatness on a whole different level. I would definitely recommend visiting Westminster Abbey!