Lace, Liberty Prints, and Lorarty

I head off to Madrid tomorrow morning for the weekend so I'm going to be MIA for a bit - caught up in tapas and the Prado and all the splendor of Espana! I will certainly post about it when I get back!

For now though, my tour of London markets continues...

If Borough Market is foodie heaven, then Camden Market is the haven of the fashion hungry. Sure, there's plenty of touristy, I Heart London tank tops, but in amongst the mad clutter (that goes on for block after block, sidestreet after sidestreet, floor after floor) there are some genuinely awesome fashion discoveries. I spent about three hours wandering around there last Sunday, spent way too much money and barely dented the pile of fantasies displayed for shoppers to paw through.

I was especially surprised to note that lace designs and liberty prints were HUGE trends. I tend to shy away from both as a rule, going for more bold tribal prints and solids, but the array of tantalizing choices made me determined to return to the States with at least one of each in tow.

Here is what I came home that day with:

(There's an Aldo surplus store on Camden High Street and they were having a HUGE sale and I fell in love with these instantly. About as close as I'll ever let myself get to clogs.)

(I dug through probably a hundred little lace dresses until I found this one. The tulle inserts in the lace are what sold me - I can't wait to wear it!)

This ring (and the one below) are from Lorarty, a designer specializing in wire jewelry. His pieces are MIND-BLOWING. As of now, he has two shops in London and one in Spain, but nothing in the US and his e-commerce site (www.lorarty.com) needs a lot of work. Once he gets it up and running though, all he needs is some publicity and I'm sure his sales will take off - I wanted to buy up half of his stock just that day! We got to chatting, and he told me that he's been designing for about 10 years now, that he uses only the best copper wire (with very few pieces in silver) from a supplier in Istanbul so that no one can replicate his work, and he even gave me a little demonstration on how he creates the jewelry. I told him I wanted to send some pictures to a few American magazines so he let me take a few but the lighting was so bad that none of them came out! I was SO disappointed when I got home! Maybe I'll go back and try again...

(For more information on Lorarty jewelry, email: info@lorarty.com)

Oh, and there's food here too:

Foodie Heaven and Dining Alfresco

Last weekend I ventured forth to explore a few of London's famous markets. From my experiences with markets in California, I expected a few locals with carts hawking their wares - little did I know what a giant, swarming PARTY markets can be! At Borough Market (located just south of London Bridge), I spotted girls walking around shopping for exotic condiments with glasses of champagne in their hands! Not to mention the live bands and (at Camden Market - to be covered in a later post) an actual DJ!

I visited Borough Market midmorning on Saturday. My goal was to pick up some bread and cheese and maybe a peach to take and eat out in St. James's park for lunch. This I accomplished, but it took all of my will power not to spend my entire day and budget wandering around and trying everything! Definitely coming back.

(assortment of sugars...I want to try cooking with these!)

(Cheeeeeeese!)

(Yes, these are ALL olives. I sampled a few and they were so delicious I wanted to try them all but I don't think the vendor would have been thrilled with that...)

(Nuts and dried fruit)

(Turkish delight. Since reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I've been dying to try Turkish delight so I practically jumped at the vendor when he started offering samples. I had an almond flavored one and, while it was good, if I were Edmund I would have asked for something chocolate instead.)

(Raw fish. Un-sushified raw fish. Apparently it looks tasty to this guy.)

(Buns, baps, loaves, muffins, croissants, chocolate pastries...have I proved this is heaven yet?)

(In addition to ingredients, there's also a ton of vendors selling already prepared yummies. Stands like this one with giant bubbling vats of chicken curry are all over the place.)

And if the food wasn't enough, the Southwark Cathedral towers in the background to give the place even more character.



(My lunch: peach, wholegrain bap, soft cheese - I couldn't for the life of me understand what the lady said this cheese was called, but it was on sale...not my favorite, but I usually prefer hard cheeses or blues anyway.)

(It was the first sunny day since I'd arrived in London and the parks were packed with families, young couples, old couples, singles, backpackers...really a very cool vibe, something I wish California did.)

A sound track including Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap and Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch completed the perfection of my afternoon. (Totally random side note, Drive it like you stole it by The Glitch Mob is another amazing song though more appropriate for walking down Regent Street to my internship than relaxing in the park - thanks Maddie!)

FIFA WORLD CUP!!!

I hate to admit it, but I really knew absolutely nothing about football (American speak: soccer) before I came to the UK this summer - I knew you're not supposed to touch the ball with your hands, and that's about it. However, the frenzy over the World Cup is infectious, and I've found myself swept up and the shouting and jumping and excitement, just like everyone else.

My friends and I were lucky enough to find ourselves in Trafalgar Square at 14:45 GMT on June 11. There was a HUGE screen set up in front of the National Gallery with piles of flags and noisemakers (and security) and hundreds of people crowded together to watch the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.


There was a giant football for people to sign and root for their home teams - so of course we had to get in on the fun.

(That's me - signing my support for the good old US of A)

Even Mini Cooper was getting into the World Cup spirit!!!

For the US vs UK game, the boys and I found an old British pub called the Globe and trotted up rickety stairs to join a pile of Brits crowded around a "telly." True to the American rebel spirit, we cheered on the US, something we certainly wouldn't have been bold enough to do in a larger establishment, but the 1 - 1 tie game left us a bit flat. Still, quite the British experience.

Next American game though, we're going to go to an American venue like Hard Rock Cafe or the Sports Cafe and just get rowdy. :)

On a side note, not EVERYONE in London is obsessed with football. I spotted this sign in front of a pub by Borough Market:

Her Majesty's Official Birthday

Saturday, June 12th was the Queen's official birthday (her real birthday is earlier in the year, but due to the probability of rain they celebrate it in summer) and the Tube was PACKED with tourists and Londoners alike heading to Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of the iconic ruler. Crammed up against the fence in a mass of people seven rows thick for probably a quarter mile, I managed to snap a few pictures of the pomp and circumstance. Unfortunately, there was an adorable little boy sitting on the fence in front of me that blocked most of my shots by enthusiastically waving his flag in front of my camera.

(The lavender spot in the carriage is the Queen!)

(Buckingham Palace Mall, after the festivities)

(Buckingham Palace, tourist-free)

Grand Sights Around the Historic UK

I've been in London for about 3.5 very full days now and so far I've been able to dash around the city a few times and take in some of those very essential (and in some cases not so essential) touristy things that you're just "supposed" to see while you're here. No good shots of Big Ben or Tower Bridge yet, but they're sure to come by the end of the summer.

(Wellington Arch)

(Westminster Abby)

(The site of the Tyburn tree: not really a tree, but an ancient gallows where they used to hang multiple criminals at a time. In those days, people used to take days off work and pay to go watch executions...like a cheap version of the Roman Colosseum. I kind of wonder why the Brits decided they needed to remember this spot. Then again, they do mark the doors of places famous murderers lived, so maybe it's a thing over here...yeah...stay away from houses with black plaques on them...)

(Prince Albert Memorial)

(Queen Victoria Memorial)

(Physical Energy Statue in Kensington Gardens by George Frederic Watts. I just think this is beautiful.)

(Marble Arch)

(The French Institute. I absolutely love the brick! Right down the street from the Natural History Museum. This is where classes for our program are held on Friday mornings. Business communications and all that; nothing any of us don't already know. The program is run by a company called EUSA. Totally shady bunch. We're spending a ridiculous amount of money to be here and I dunno...I'd really like to see where the majority of that money is going.)

(I took this because everyone takes pictures of the red telephone booths. I kinda like the black ones. They look like they should be secret entrances to the Ministry of Magic or something.)

New York City Dreams

I'm now in London and it's completely fabulous (and quite rainy at the moment) so if I don't hurry up and post about New York, I'm going to forget everything that happened! We'll make this quick: New York is AMAZING. Just in case you had any doubts, believe me, it is. I spent my first day there lost, just wandering around, getting a feel for the pulse of the city and loving every beautiful second of it. I started out by the Brooklyn Bridge and wandered up Broadway until I hit Washington Square Park. Passed by this incredible DVF creation at Bloomingdale's along the way:

I also stepped into my new favorite place in the whole world: Dean and Deluca. Apparently it's a chain - I ran into a few others while in NYC, but this is seriously one of the most inspirational food spots I've seen! The cheese selection alone was enough to make me drool with delight, not to mention the produce, sauces, chocolates, meats, wines and dried fruit (pictured below)!

(Looks like I got water on the lens of my cell phone's camera...)

After that, I took a train to what Google said was the Met but instead it turned out to be a giant Macy's! I finally succumbed to asking directions, proceeded to get lost again, and finally turned up at 81st and 5th, at the steps of the famous museum - pictures of red carpets and the splendidly dressed immediately flashed through my imagination at the sight!

I spent over 2 hours browsing around - would have been longer if my feet weren't so exhausted. Here are a few of my favorites:

(Early Native American art...why scientists believe in aliens...)

(I really like the basic block canvases. I know it doesn't make much sense, but there's a dramatic simplicity to them that fascinates me.)

(More simple...)

(This is an enamel on canvas piece by Jackson Pollock from 1950 that I'm completely obsessed with. I absolutely love his work - one of my life goals is to have a huge work of his on my living room wall someday!)

(No art museum would be complete without a Rauschenberg. I wouldn't necessarily want any of his pieces for my own, but I can stand and look at them for ages - there are so many layers! I love how he used such unexpected materials.)

(Some exquisite furs from the American Woman: Shaping a National Identity exhibit. It was an incredible collection of vintage garments and I almost got kicked out for taking pictures so I just ended up sketching my inspiration. All I can say is that there will definitely be an oversize lace vest in a future LCS collection!)

(The Egypt room. Is it bad that I really want to host an event here - isn't the space perfect?)

After the Met, I wandered around Central Park for a while - really beautiful and relaxing - until a came across the boat pond. There's a little stand with seating in front of it called KnishKnosh where I stopped for ice cream and the adorable little old Ukrainian lady who ran the place ended up giving me one of her homemade muffins, drenched in whipped cream and chocolate sauce for free because she said I was pretty!

(Boat pond)

From Central Park I wandered on down to Bergdorf's. There was a huge sale so the shoe section was a literal zoo - I thus quickly proceeded to higher ground to start and the fantastic works of some of my favorite designers: Balmain, Rodarte, Burberry...

(Blurry shot of a Jil Sander coat - I love the Audrey Hepburn-esque cut and I have the perfect fabric for an LCS version!)
(This is an absolutely terrible picture, but I had to record this somehow. It's a Rodarte dress made of overworked leather and different thicknesses of tulle. In person, it's DIVINE. Priced at over $9,000. Yikes.)

From Bergdorf's I met up with Tina and we had drinks at the restaurant on the 7th floor, overlooking the park. Yummy stuff and very much needed. Then on to La Maison du Chocolat for an early dessert. I had a champagne truffle and a dark chocolate Quito and I can safely say that they were the best chocolate I've had in my life. I'm coming back someday for their hot cocoa. (Another item on the list to come back for is an espresso bar called Fika which I've heard is amazing, and the rooftop bar of the Peninsula Hotel) Then we grabbed dinner at Fig and Olive, a really well designed Italian place. Mildly overpriced, simple but insanely delicious food. I ordered the Penne Funghi Tartufo (penne with cremini mushroom, Parmesan, black truffle paste, fresh parsley and scallion) and I spent each bite mentally pinching myself it was so good. Later that night we stopped at the Charthouse on the New Jersey side for another drink. Terrible service and very strict about carding but there's a peerless view of the NYC city skyline lit up at night through the long glass window.

The next day, Tina and I hit up Canal street and breezed through the crazy madness of swarming vendors, then on to Little Italy for lunch at a family friend's restaurant, Da Giorgno's (I think). It was really cute, quite busy, and the gnocci al pesto was really good - not too rich - but the sangria was a tad weak for my taste. Hit up Lombardi's pizza the day after for lunch and yes, it is the best pizza. Kind of reminds me of my mom's :)

Nashville

Yikes!
I can't believe I've been traveling for almost a week now! It's way too much to try to do Nashville AND New York in one posting so we'll stick with the former for now and hit the later as soon as possible.

Let me begin by saying Nashville is really great but I could never ever live there. I had a brilliant time with my friend Colin though, and that was really what it was all about anyway.

(When I saw this guy at the airport it was like a sign: Welcome to the Country Music Capital!)

After I landed, Colin and I went to this hole in the wall in downtown Nashville called Sam's Sushi that seems to be a bit of a landmark and it has more of a code than Cal Beach! Locals refer to Sam as the Sushi Nazi - apparently he screams at people when they treat the place like a normal restaurant - and there's certainly a code required to get service. Should have taken this as a sign. Dorothy, you're not in LA anymore.

Later we headed out to a park where there's a life-size replica of the Parthenon. It was cool but not conducive to sitting so we walked around this huge pond thing and found a tree that stretched out down over the water. I said I wanted to climb it, of course, and Colin is totally that guy too so we clambered out over the the water, sat back, and had a couple glasses of wine and just talked and watched the light from the illuminated Parthenon on the water as
the shadows of the ducks crissed and crossed. It was perfect. And very Tom and Huck. (I wish I had pictures!)

The next day consisted of more Tennessee adventures including a 25 foot rope swing into a river in the middle of nowhere and the most amazing ice cream shop I've ever seen. Not much to look at, but the Pied Piper's has the most inventive flavors I've ever come across! We sampled Orange Curry flavor. It tasted like Orange Curry. Chai Tea tasted like Chai Tea. I swear if they had Snozberry ice cream it would taste like Snozberrys too. It started to bucket rain right as we left, but I managed to snap a picture to remind me.

(Pied Piper)

(Random shot in the middle of Tennessee nowhere)

That night Colin took me on a bit of a walking tour of the city. Capital building, the bridge out over the river, some famous green where they used to have big concerts. Wish I could remember the names of these places - most of my pics came out blurry because it was late at night too... We tried to get on the roof of the Roosevelt hotel - unfortunately after 23 floors in the elevator and 7 floors on foot, the door was locked and security was right there to kick us out. Haha oh well.

We waded around in a fountain to spite the logical world and left our fading marks on the city. Great night.