lovely jubbly london

Sunday

I'm Loving {January Edition}

Call the Midwife

The BBC's newest drama set in the 1950s. Why did I wait so long to start watching it?!

 

 

Spiced Roasted Chicken by Gourmet

Delicious, quick and easy! Double up on spices and add some wine to the deglazing process and you've got a winner.

 

Cold Weather

Call me crazy, but I do love cold weather in winter. I want a winter that feels like winter. If it would only snow...

Bespoke London Street Signs

The London street sign is an icon we all know and love. I remember when I first moved to London looking in my A-Z to see if there was a street with my surname.

There is. Oh, how I wanted it for myself! 

Luckily, you no longer need to do anything illegal to have your very own street sign. You just need the money!

Thanks to TFL's new service, it doesn't even matter if your name is a real street or not. Best of all, these are real genuine signs made by the same people who make the ones you see all over London.

If trains are more your thing, they even offer railway signs.

Aren't they amazing?

For you fellow expats, these would be great souvenirs to remind you of your time spent in this glorious city. 

TFL Bespoke Signs

All pics from TFL

Saltine Substitute

I've finally found a reasonable substitute.

It's only taken nearly 11 years.

Y'all can thank me later. 

Rainy Day Necessities

brolly & welly socks

BB Cream {blemish balm}

Blemish Balm is definitely the latest beauty craze to hit the UK.

When I saw an ad for a free sample I figured I'd give it a go as what's not to like?

Touted as the secret weapon of actresses in Asia, it sounds like the perfect all in one solution for any skin type. Don't Asians always have lovely perfect, even skin?

Now, I normally don't try new makeup and I must admit I've been wearing the same foundation since I was 14* but BB cream sounded like an amazing product.

When I put it on, I was impressed. It definitely evened out nicely and went on better than any liquid foundation I had ever tried. My pores looked small and I had an overall glow.

The problem? It only comes in 2 colours. Light and dark.  The light isn't very light and appeared a little orange. I certainly don't know how it can be pale enough for the English Roses of the world.

So overall, Garnier BB Cream gets 4 out of 5. It seems to do what it says on the box but unless you've got a bit of colour, you might be out of luck. Get your own free sample here.

*My holy grail foundation is Chanel Mat Lumiere (I think it's still called Double Perfection Powder in the US). The colour is amazing, it goes on easily and gives a flawless finish. I've stuck with it through two name changes and it's the only high end beauty product I can't live without. I'm not the palest shade either which is why I was surprised the BB Cream didn't work for me.

Sunday Stroll

I'm Loving {September Edition}

Can you believe it's October? Me neither!

These are the things I loved in September:

Garnier Simply Essentials Eye Makeup Remover

I ran out of Clinique and ended up picking this up in Boots for use the same evening. Since it was only £3 I knew even if I hated it, I wouldn't be upset at wasting money. I love it. It's just as good as Clinique and less than 1/4 of the price. Winner!

 

Downton Abbey

So happy it's time for Season (or Series as the English say) 2! Actually, I'm happy it's that time again for all the TV shows to return.

 

Pink Lemonade

I can't believe summer arrived the last week of September. Nothing reminds me of childhood summers like drinking lemonade out of a jar.

 

Pie

I've been eating my fair share of pie lately. I bought some mini pie dishes at Crate & Barrel which makes it so easy to whip up two varieties at once and they are a steal at $2. Of course they also make it quite easy to polish off an entire pie in one sitting. Be warned!

Fashion Friday: Forever 21 London

Forever 21 opened while we were in Portugal and I finally made my way down there last week unsure of what to expect.

I was surprised to find three floors of bargains. Prices were actually comparable to what you would find in the US. Bracelets were a couple of quid and most clothing was around or under £20. London fashionistas have definitely found a new mecca.

The Help Movie

I so loved this book.

Sadly, in another case of unfairness, it comes out in the States in August while we have to wait until the end of October to see it this side of the Atlantic.