Mini photo shoot in Oxford :)

Christ Church, Oxford, England.

This past weekend, my friend Tiff and I visited Oxford for the day. It's just a quick 50 miles away from London. It is just as cute as I had imagined it to be...like a town in a storybook. After taking the Oxford Tube from London's Victoria coach station, Tiff and I first stopped at Christ Church. 

There was a special student price, £6.50, which gets you into many areas inside the Christ Church. We toured the actual church, the grounds, the great hall, and more! 

Scenes from Harry Potter were filmed here and some of the studio sets took inspiration from Christ Church, as well. It really does feel like Hogwarts inside. 

I'll share some more of my trip to Oxford tomorrow! It was a blast and such an easy day trip from London!

ps. Check out my Harry Potter experience.

Treats and Sweets: Brighton

                 

Street art of Brighton.

A day trip to Brighton!

Since my last visit to Brighton with my sister in 2011, I have said I would love to move there when I am older and have kids. It seems to have everything I want...the beach, a small town feel, less than a two hour train ride to London, the list goes on and on. And after returning for a short day trip, I can confirm I still feel the same! 

The  famous Brighton Pier 

Relaxing on the sunny beach 

The Royal Pavilion 

Outfit of the day!!

Sweater: Forever 21

Jeans: Francesca's 

Shoes: h&m

Hoodie: Primark

Scarf: Spitalfield Markets

Backpack: Urban Outfitters 

Sunglasses: Forever 21

Holland Park: the most beautiful park in London

I almost skipped going to see this park because I wanted to take a nap after class...I am so glad I didn't! The flowers were the best I've seen in London, and that is saying something because London does it's flowers well!
                              

I can't wait to go back this week with my friends. There are so many photo spots that I couldn't take advantage of in just one visit. Not only that, but I feel like it is the forgotten park of study abroad students, so it will be nice to show my friends a new spot. I'm glad someone recommended it to me or I probably would have missed it!

                              

               

My day working in Surrey.

After two trains, a quick walk, and a cab ride, I arrived to this gorgeous building for work. As I have mentioned before, my internship site here in London is with a private members' club. I usually work in the clubhouse in the center of the city but recently I got to go to Surrey to experience our other location.

After a morning of working at the computer, I got to explore the grounds. The whole time I just imagined what it would be like to grow up spending my summers there. It was like a movie, and it was perfect. 

                      

purple and green.

purple and green. by hopefullyfashionable featuring J Brand

The Duck and Waffle.

What do you get when you combine a duck, waffle, mustard maple syrup, and an amazing view of London? You get one of my favourite restaurants in London, Duck and Waffle. It is the highest restaurant in the city, located on the 40 floor of the Heron Tower in East London.

I know, I know...but was the food good? Duck and waffle isn't something I would pair together, but it was AMAZING! It had a fresh waffle, chicken confit, topped with a duck egg and mustard maple syrup...the flavors together were magic. 

                 

The prices were a bit higher than I am used to, but for the views, the splurge was worth it! The sun was shining, the skies were blue, and there isn't a bad table in the entire restaurant. 

Cheering at The London Marathon.

One of the main items on my bucket list is to run a marathon. More specifically, I would love to run the one in Pittsburgh followed by the one in London.

So, obviously when my roommate asked me if I wanted to volunteer at a cheering station for the 2014 London Marathon I jumped at the opportunity. It was INCREDIBLE! I think the only time I stopped yelling was when I had to take a sip of water.

We were stationed near Embankment tube station around mile 24 of the race, which we didn't realize until after we were done cheering. We were wondering how everyone was going to finish by the looks of them as they past because we thought we were at the halfway point. Haha. 

The marathon ends on the Mall at Buckingham Palace. This is the street all dolled up a few days before the big day. 

                    

The Phene in Chelsea

Recently, my friends and I wanted to explore Chelsea a bit more. We figured we would branch out and go somewhere besides the delicious Bluebird Cafe, which has become my go-to Chelsea lunch place.

The Phene is similar to the Bluebird but it's a bit off the beaten path (aka not on the Kings Road). Renovations were just completed on it so it is brand new and looks very fresh! Everything is bright and the menu was fully revamped.

We decided to on a Saturday for an early lunch, which I highly recommend! We had a whole corner of the surprisingly large dining area all to ourselves and the service was amazing. 

My Menu Choices:

Drink- A Sunshine 5 (cranberry, pineapple, apple, and orange juices with lime)

Main- Truffle macaroni and cheese, spinach and herb breadcrumbs, and a garden salad

Almost home.

In this moment, I am excited about life. I am enjoying my last few days here in London, looking forward to going back to Rome, but most importantly I am just relieved that I get to see my family within the next two weeks (4 months is a loooonnnggg time). It is strange because I love London so so so so much and know that I have loved it more than any other city I have lived in or even been to, but recently I haven't been sad about leaving it. I think it is because I know I will be back here, somewhere in the UK, within the next several years. Not only that but in the mean time I will have so many adventures that will prepare me for a full-time life here.

I have taken advantage of every opportunity and lived with no reservations. I hope that this will help make my transition back into American life a bit easier...I think having no regrets or 'could have, should have' moments forcing me to wish I was back in this semester will help me live in the present. *fingers crossed*

Summer Swimwear.

Summer Swimwear. by hopefullyfashionable featuring crochet beach cover-ups