3 Days In London: What to Do, See, & Eat

Thursday, July 23, 2020


 

I had always dreampt of visiting England, and specifically visiting London and it did not disappoint (read my post "Love Letter to London"). While our time in London was short, we did manage to see a lot of places and get a good taste of all that London has to offer the "anglophile" traveler. 
Day 1: 
Day 1 in London consisted of us taking a bus from Oxford to London. The bust ride was about and 1.5 hours....but it was the worst 1.5 hours of my life because I very unluckily was nauseous the entire time (not a fun way to start off a day of travel). 
We had tickets to Kensington Palace that we had bought the night before, so we had a specific time slot for entrance. Because we had luggage with us and were not checking into our air bnb until later in the day, we used "Nanny Bag" to store our luggage. I had previously used "Nanny Bag" when I was in Paris, but in London we had some issues finding the location, but were thankfully able to find another place around the corner, just in time to get to Kensington. 
It also happened to be a very rainy day in London, which kind of put a damper in our plans to explore Hyde Park more in depth. However, we were able to walk to Kensington in plenty of time, grab Lattes and Scones to recharge (we seriously lived on lattes and scones in England) before we started exploring Kensington. 

Kensington Palace: This was definitely high up on my list of places to visit because I ADORE Queen Victoria (I was kind of obsessed with her in high school), so seeing where she grew up was pretty amazing, not to mention that many other royals have lived there throughout the years. 
Tea At The Palace - There is a lovely tea room at Kensington that we were planning to have lunch at, but they were closing early for a private event, so sadly we didn't get to have tea. Since we were famished and didn't get to have tea, we stopped off at Pret a Manger a block or so from Kensinton to grab sandwiches before we picked up our luggage. 
Transportation - After we picked up our luggage we opted to take an Uber to our air bnb instead of maneuvering the trains with suitcases. 
Groceries - after we checked into our Airbnb (see my post: How to Book an Airbnb) we walked to the Sainsbury grocery store a block from our apartment to grab food for meals. I made sure to book an Airbnb with a kitchen so we could save money by cooking a few meals. Sainsbury's is my favorite grocery store in the UK....if you are ever there you have to get their mini boxed chocolate cake...seriously sooooo good (checkout my Travel Vlog to see what I am talking about) 

Would have Added - British museum

Day 2:
Our second day in London was definitely packed! We had a good idea of the places we wanted to visit on day two, but we figured out our official schedule and plan the night before. 

Tower of London - An iconically historic tourist destination, but a foundation to British history nonetheless. The Tower of London is an incredible place to visit because it holds so many unique stories about British history, royal espionage, famous prisoners, etc. The crown jewels are also housed at the Tower.
Tower Bridge - Just across from the Tower of London is the Tower Bridge (often mistaken as the London Bridge)....this is the bridge that everyone takes pictures on (#instagram spot). There are walkways on either side of the bridge so you can walk across to get a view of the city as well as snap a few pictures. 
Sky Garden (tickets online) - This was a cool place we found when researching places to visit in London. Sky Garden is essentially an indoor garden at the top of a sky scraper, there are tons of plants along with multiple bars and a restaurant. It is a great place to take pictures and also to get a view of the city. Sky Garden is free to visit, but you do have to sign up for a ticket slot online. 
Covent Garden - An iconic shopping destination, Covent Garden is fun to wander around. This is where you will find street vendors, pastry shops, along with all of your designer store fronts....this is where you want to shop (or window shop)
London Eye viewing - If you want to get a good view of the London Eye, it is just a short walk from Covent Garden. The London eye is actually across the water from where we viewed it, but it was a great spot to take pictures of it along the river. You can book tickets to ride on the London Eye and get a view of the city, but the tickets are expensive and  I have always heard that it is overrated. 

Day 3:
This was our last day in London and we wanted to fit as much in as possible! Day 3 was definitely heavily focused on food and cool cafes/bakeries. Additionally, we spent a lot of time on the underground going back and forth around the city. London't underground is a great transportation system and something that we LOVED about it (compared to places like NY) is that once you hit $7 of fair you get to ride free for the rest of the day, so we definitely took advantage of this our last day! 

ELAN - ELAN is one of the cafes that will come up if you research instagrammable spots to eat in London :) We definitely chose to go there specifically for that reason. Something to keep in mind is that there are different ELAN locations in London and each looks different inside...we went to the one that had the hearts on the wall (it was the Hans Cres, Knightsbridge location)  
Victoria and Albert Museum - Fun fact...all the museums in London are FREE!! Some of the museums have specific exhibits that you have to pay for, and many of them have a place for donations, but you don't have to pay an entry fee. The V&A museum is the world largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design, while also having sculptures and many unique objects on display (they even have Beatrix Potter illustrations). They also have a wonderful permanent fashion exhibit that goes through styles throughout history and I really enjoyed it. 
Buckingham Palace - Buckingham Palace is one of the places you absolutely HAVE TO VISIT while in London! We quickly stopped by the palace to peak through the gates and get a few pictures before heading to our next stop. We didn't go at a time where there was a changing of the guards, so if you want to see that you would have to look up the times that happens. 
Sketch / Egg Pods - One of the most #instagrammed spots in London (in my opinion)!! Sketch is a multifaceted restaurant with different types of dining including a bar/lounge, tearoom, and dinning room....however, it is well known for it's famous bathrooms known as the "Egg Pods" because they are quite literally eggs that have toilets. 
We mainly went to Sketch because we wanted to see the bathrooms and take pictures of them, but you have to dine at one of their restaurants to gain access....we didn't really have a plan for how to get in (surprisingly) because we didn't want to pay 50 pounds per person at the Gallery (the pink tearoom) so we basically just told the hostess at the door that we wanted to take pictures in the bathroom (he wasn't even fazed) and he told us that we had to dine in to do that...all the dinning rooms require reservations (which we didn't have) but thankfully he was super kind and gave us a table in the lounge/bar where we ordered tea and juice (and were hard core judged)
Peggy Porchen - This is another one of the very Instagram worthy spots in London! It's a bit of a walk to get there at the closest underground station is a good five or so blocks away, but it's definitely worth it! Peggy Porchen is known for their baked goods, pastel colors, and season door decorations (which everyone takes pictures in front of). You will probably have to wait in line to order, but they do have seating outside. 
Westminister Abbey / Parliament Buildings - You can't be in London and not make a stop to see Westminister Abbey and the Parliament Buildings (whose architecture is so beautiful). This is also where Big Ben (the iconic clock tower is), but it was sadly under construction and covered in scaffolding. 

Would have added - Harry Potter Platform

I can't wait until I get to be in London again! There is definitely so much to see and do, everything from British History to Instagrammable Places. I was actually supposed to be in London for two days this summer back in June, but sadly that trip had to be rescheduled to next summer in 2021 (fingers crossed it works out). 

If you haven't seen my England travel vlog, you can check it out on YouTube and see everything we did in Oxford and London! 


Have you been to London? What was your favorite place to see?

- Madison

I Remade my Dream Designer Dress!!

Monday, July 6, 2020

Original Designer                 vs.                My Rendition

At the start of Quarantine (back in March) I threw myself back into sewing and extending my knowledge of design and sewing techniques. I have created MANY THINGS since then, but my favorite project has definitely been recreating one of my dream dresses, this Strawberry Tulle dress, from the New York designer Lirika Matoshi. 
I have been following this designer on Instagram for about a year and have always loved all the dresses, especially the strawberry tulle one, so I decided to try and make it myself. This was definitely a project a bit outside my comfort zone since I had never worked with tulle or sequins before, but it ended up being easier than I thought! 
I started my project by making a muslin mock up of the bodice, using pattern pieces I had adapted from my slopper set. After I had worked out the adjustments on my bodice I started on my dress, which involved a LOT of gathering, layering, and problem solving. I ended up using about 5 yards of each tulle fabric and absolutely LOVE how it turned out! 
I filmed a video of my sewing process / part tutorial for this dress, so if you want to see all the details that went into this project, just hop on over to my YouTube! 


Have you ever remade a dress that you saw?
What else should I remake?

- Madison

A Love Letter To London

Thursday, June 18, 2020


Dear London, 
       Thank you for making all of my "British" dreams come true and living up to all my expectations. You did not disappoint with your quintessential history and stunning architecture....walking through the streets of London was like walking within the pages of a story or period drama. You came through with the swoon worthy "British Accents" and hearing them in real life made me want to speak "Brit". Your culinary taste is impeccable and you taught me that baked goods, pastries and tea are their own food group and meant to be eaten and sipped daily. For this small town girl, you made "posh" look effortless, but I don't know if I could get away with it outside of England :) Walking in the midst of your architecture and history was living a real life dream that I didn't have to wake up from. I can't wait to visit you again! 

XOXO

Okay, so maybe I went a bit overboard on my UNDYING LOVE for LONDON, but seriously, visiting London was a DREAM!!! Ever since High School I had dreampt of visiting London and the more period dramas I watched, the more I felt my heartstrings being tugged towards that historic city. While I this post is SUPER LATE in coming to the blog, considering I visited England in March of 2019 (and we are now in June of 2020) I wanted to make sure I captured my travels and shared my adventures with you all. 
At the start of 2019 I had just arrived home from my first International trip to Scotland and Paris and was fully consumed by the "travel bug", immediately dreaming of where I wanted to travel next. It just so happened that we had family who were living in Oxford England for the year and they invited my sister and I to stay with them if we made a trip to England.....that was all the push I needed to book tickets and start planning a trip to England during spring break of 2019! 
We stayed in Oxford for the first few days and then took a bus to London for the remainder of our trip to visit all the London Sights! 
London did not disappoint! And while I honestly think that Oxford was my favorite part of our England trip (and Blenheim Palace was also awesome), London has it's own unique charm that makes you love it in a different way and it's really everything you image it to be and more!!
If you have been following me for awhile, you will know that I am a HUGE period drama/British drama fan, so getting to visit the city that holds so much of the charm I have seen play out on the screen in TV and Movies was truly a dream. 
I am going to share ALL the details for what we saw, did, and ate while in London in my next post, so keep an eye out for that post coming soon!

In the meantime, you can watch my England Travel VLOG to see more:



Have you visited London?

- Madison

Thoughts On Being Single

Tuesday, June 16, 2020


Dress: Ross  |   Hair Clip: Marshalls

A couple of weeks ago on my Instagram stories someone asked me about dating and it got me thinking about so many important things in this season of my life. 

I think singleness is often something we look at as a bad thing, like something is wrong with us and our life...or that something is missing. The fact is, I’m single...I’ve been single for 24.5 years (that's weird actually typing it out), but you know what, I kind of love it! Since I've never been in a relationship I guess I don't know what I'm "missing out" on, but even if you have experienced a relationship, I think there is something beautiful to be found in singleness. 
I think singleness is often something we look at as a bad thing, like something is wrong with us and our life...or that something is missing. I mean, once you hit 20 everyone starts asking you “So are you dating yet?”...it’s like being in a relationship defines our status in society! I think the whole mindset around relationships and dating is even more skewed when you have been single your whole life (like me). 
But what if singleness were the best gift? What would you have to change about your mindset to see your season of singleness as a blessing and not a curse?

When our season relies on our mindset, It's all about how we think about and view the situation, because how we view our current season determines not only the outcome of that season, but the lessons we learn in the midst of it. 

If I can't view my season of singleness as a blessing (instead of a curse) and see all the great and positive things about it....if I can't be content in my singleness, then I am never going to be content in a relationship...changing my mindset about relationships and being single might take me changing my plans for life (or at least what I thought my life should look like), an instead rely on God's plan...even if it's not what I expected. 

Here's the real nugget of wisdom I've gleaned over the last 5ish years of my life....If my reason for desiring a relationship is in thinking that it will satisfy some desperate need that I have, then I am going to be let down and dissatisfied when that season comes, because as imperfect human beings, other people cannot satisfy our lives and fix all of our problems...finding joy and contentment in life starts with looking inside of ourselves. 

The fact of the matter is that this SEASON will never come again, so we should embrace it & value it, instead of being disappointed by it. Sure, you might not be where you want to be. Maybe you thought you would be married by now, or at least be in a relationship (fact: 15 year old me thought she would be married at 25). But there is a season for everything, and maybe you need this season of singleness to learn a lesson you need for your next season? 

 Maybe your not ready yet (as much as you think you are) and God knows that (he sees beyond the here and now)! Just like any aspect of my life, my currently non existent “love life” is all about TRUSTING God’s plan and his timing....I could meet "Mr. Right" tomorrow and if that happened I would jump on board with God's plan, but if not, I am fine with my season & find fulfillment in it. 

Of course as the years pass by and time ticks away it always get’s me to asking myself “at what point do I take steps to put myself ‘out there’ instead of waiting for someone to show up on my door step?” (theoretically, not literally, but hey, that doesn't sound like a bad plan). Because if we are being honest, it would be so much easier if I lived in the 1800’s and my parents just set me up with a rich guy who made 10,000 a year, or I met some young rancher who put an add in the newspaper and became a “mail order bride”, instead of me having to figure out this whole “modern dating” thing.

The funny thing is that the other day my mom looked at me and said "You know, I was thinking, if you ever want to try a Christian dating site, you should just go for it, see what happens"..... I'll be honest, I was not expecting her to say that and I honestly had to laugh because since Quarantine started I keep getting ads online for dating sites/apps. In all honestly, I see the positives of dating sites/apps, I can see the huge benefits those resources have for people (especially introverts), but at what point do you make that choice to try it out....is making that choice an act of desperation of taking matters into your own hands or is it an act of self growth and taking a leap of faith? Is really “putting yourself out there” a leap of faith in trusting God, or is it a stance saying you don’t trust his plan and timing and want to do it your way?

(for clarification, I don’t think I will try online dating any time soon…lol) 

The real message though, is that SINGLENESS DOES NOT DIMINISH YOUR VALUE, and it doesn’t take away from your life, just because your path looks different than another, doesn’t mean it is any less important.
I’ve learned over the years that If you aren’t content being single, you won’t be content in a relationship...you have to love and accept yourself for who you are first, before you can love an accept someone else. You have to embrace every season to enjoy the next! 
Relationships were never meant to satisfy all of our needs, as humans we are imperfect people, so what makes you think dating will complete you?

Only God can COMPLETE you, and if we can learn that lesson now, our future relationships will be all the more fruitful & we will value them more because we lived in Joy through our season of singleness!

Use this time to hone your talents, spend time in your favorite hobbies, deepen your relationship with God, serve others, travel, etc. This is your season to grow as a person! 


How are you living with joy and embracing this season?


-Madison

To The Girl Who Struggles Making Friends

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Skirt: Thrifted  |  Shirt: Thrifted  |  Shoes: Keds (Poshmark)  |  Purse: Thrifted (Fossil)  |  Earrings: Target (old) 

If you read the title and though “that describes me”, I’m here to tell you that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

You might feel as though you are alone in this season, but you are not alone in the struggle. 

I’ve always considered myself to be one of those people who can count her close friends on ONE HAND...or maybe a few fingers (if I’m lucky, maybe in some seasons of life, two hands). However, I’m not one of those lucky people who has the same friends for their entire life. Sure, there are still a couple friends I had when I was a younger that I still stay in contact with, but my life has very much been one that encompassed the “friends for a reason & friends for a season” saying.

When I say “friends” I don’t just mean the people whose numbers are in my phone, the people who follow me on social media, or the ones I know will say hello to me when I see them in person and maybe start a conversation...it’s more than just the surface level, I know you, you know me, beyond the trivial.....friendship to me goes beyond that and is deeper.

I count more people as “acquaintances” than I do as friends, and if your someone who knows me and your reading this, please don’t be offended. I think in a world of social media and extroverts we’ve come to redefine friendship as the number of people who follow us, or who are in our phone contacts, or who we see frequently...but sometimes true friendship comes from those you don’t see frequently, but those who are their when you need them and check in on your life.

I've always been someone who struggled to make friends. When I was younger I used to think that there was just something wrong with me...that was before I knew I was an Introvert and that my difficulty with conversation and fear of meeting new people was just part of who I am. However, even though I now understand myself more and know my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to conversation and human interaction the whole "friendship" aspect of my life is still a struggle. 

I mean, gosh darn it....I will be 25 in November and I still haven't figured this thing out!  

As an introvert though, I crave and value deep and meaningful relationships that are created through connection. I want someone who will be there to listen to my deep thoughts or crazy ideas or ask how I’m doing, over wanting to just go out. Friendship in my mind is more a dance of slow intentionality rather than spontaneous events. 

I struggle making friends because I’m an introvert...and I am not using that as an excuse (because trust me, I have stretched myself a LOT this last year), but being an Introvert influences so much of my social life because I’m not naturally outgoing and it takes awhile for people to see the real me (not to mention it takes awhile for me to open up). However, I also struggle making friends because not many people take the time to get to know someone, beyond a first (or second, or third) impression...we live in a day and age where we want instant results and we think that scrolling through their Instagram feed or watching their stories gives us all the information we need...but true connection comes through authentic effort!

In all honestly, in this season of my life right now, I feel as though I have more acquaintances than real deep friendships, and while that can be frustrating at times, I am really okay with that. I am a very independent person, so unlike my Extroverted counterparts, I can easily live a happy life in my own world...however, that doesn't mean that I don't long for people who fill my life up as much as I would hope to fill theirs. 

This last year I have really put myself out there to meet new people. Was it scary? YES!!! Do I still get freaked out being around them even after 8 months? YES!!! Have I met some great people? YES!! Do I still struggle with conversations around them? YES!! However, life is about doing the things that scare you and challenging yourself to grow! I am on a journey of learning to make friends, because making friends as an adult is HARD!!! It was so much easier in high school when friendship just naturally blossomed because your paths crossed over with people who did similar things as you. 

In this season of life, I have learned that I sometimes have to reach out to others, whether it is people I have known for awhile or new people I meet. I often reach out because I know what it's like not to have someone reach out, and I never want others to feel that way. However, one downside to my Introverted INFJ personality is that I have a habit of easily walking away from friendships that are one sided...some call it the "silent door slam". And while that sounds so harsh, sometimes as people we need to make hard choices that are best for us mentally and emotionally, and that's okay. It's okay to "unfriend" people in real life or to take a step back to assess the situation. It's okay to walk away when your lives go different ways. 

So to the girl who struggles making friends, know you are not along! Know it's okay to let go of those relationships that have frayed over the years. Know it's okay to be your own friend for a season. However, never discredit the growth that comes when you challenge yourself to get outside of your comfort zone and do the thing that TERRIFIES you...meeting & talking to new people! 

Do you find yourself in a season like mine?

How have you challenged yourself to make friends?

- Madison

I Made A Dress Out Of A Bedskirt

Monday, June 1, 2020

Dress: Me Made (watch the tutorial Here)  |  Heels: Boohoo   |  Purse: Thrifted  |  Clips: Wallmart

I'm FINALLY BACK ON YOUTUBE!!! While I have been uploading and sharing my travel Vlogs to Youtube over the last two years, I haven't created any other content. I have been wanting to be more present on YouTube forever, but it took a worldwide pandemic and HOUR locked away in my studio to give me a new idea! 
Since I have been spending most of my time in Quarantine sewing in my garage (yes, my studio is in my garage) I decided it was time to start filming videos of my sewing projects, everything from behind the scenes, tutorials, fashion education, etc. 
My first Sewing Tutorial video is LIVE and I am sharing a fun Recycle & Redesign project, turning a bedskirt into a ruffly dress (the dress in this post)!
My style aesthetic lately has been largely inspired by all things ladylike, ruffly, and romantic and this DIY dress is all of that and more. 
If you want to see how I turned a thrifted Bedskirt into a Floral Spring dress, you can watch my video on Youtube or below!


Have you ever made a dress out of a bedskirt?

Would you want to see more sewing videos?

- Madison
Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )