Category: travel

July 9, 2017 – Shoreditching (OOTD #63)

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Oh dear, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

When I started blogging, I promised myself I wouldn’t let it go so many days between posts that I had to apologize to my readers for my tardiness, yet here I am.

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Am I "edgy" yet

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In my defense, London has had me distracted in the best way possible. There’s so much to see and do here, and every morning, I found myself eager to get up and start the day and every night, I found myself exhausted from the day’s adventures.

No need to worry though – my dear friend Amanda has been doing an excellent job documenting my outfits over these last several days, so the daily blog posts will continue from now on, just with a bit of a delay. Perhaps it’s better this way – gives me more time to distance myself from the day and give a true reflection, eh?

Anyway, flashback to Sunday, July 9 – probably my favorite day for the whole of my trip. We saw Shoreditch that day, which, for those of you who don’t know, is a charming little neighborhood in London that’s basically a hub for hipster culture. There are dozens of amazing little vintage shops run by guys with beards and girls in beanies, and I spent more money than I probably should’ve in the Brick Lane Market.


But what was best about Shoreditch was that it wasn’t crawling with tourists like some of the other places we’ve seen have been. I get it, London is a big exciting city, and people from all of over the world flock to it as a center for western history and culture (myself included), but the huge tour groups and confused-looking people standing right in the middle of the street trying to read a map get a little annoying.


Granted, I’ve been that confused-looking person standing in the middle of the road before, but that doesn’t make it much less annoying.


Second best to the lack of tourists was the amazing street art in Shoreditch. I mean, just look at some of the gorgeous photos I got that day, and it had nothing to do with having interesting angles or particularly good lighting. It was all in the backgrounds; they’ve got some stunning works all over the place there, and I wish I could’ve stayed around to get even more photos.


I also had fish and chips from Poppies’, which is, according to Trip Advisor, one of the best fish and chips places in London. To be honest, I don’t really like cod, but this was pretty good. I don’t know, I’m visiting London, I feel like I have to taste the signature dish whether I really want to or not.

Shoreditch: 10/10 would recommend if you’re planning a London trip.

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It was as good as it looks, don't worry

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Art's pretty cool

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Street art is cool! (London edition)

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That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Turtleneck: Free People

Skirt: Abercrombie

July 8, 2017 – Unconventional Pride Outfit (OOTD #62)

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London: Day 4


We told ourselves we were going to give ourselves a “relaxed” day today – it wasn’t. Now, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t still fun – but relaxing? You could probably cross that off the list of descriptive words.


We began by heading over to Waltham Abbey, a small, historic town just about 15 minutes away from Broxbourne. Amanda and I agreed, it was one neat little area. The oldest towns in America are only a couple hundred years old because, of course, our country is also only a couple hundred years old, but this, this just made Jamestown and Plymouth look like children. The church has been around since 1030 (or so the Wikipedia article says), and every building in town oozes with antiquity.


After walking around a bit there, we were dropped off at the station to catch a train into London….only to find out after Sue drove away that the Waltham Abbey station was closed. It was whatever, we were able to walk over to another one that was open, but it was 20 minutes of stress in my life I didn’t need.


We had originally wanted to go back to Oxford Street today, but, as we found out, the Pride Festival was going on in that area, so it was closed. That didn’t phase us though – we decided to go to Pride then, instead.

Since we didn’t know we’d be going, we didn’t have any rainbow attire, so we might’ve looked kind of out of place, but it was so packed and crowded, I doubt anyone was paying attention since the number one priority for most people was just to stay standing. I’m used to crowds, and I don’t mind them, but this was bad. There were moments I couldn’t move, I was so smushed up against other people. I’m sure they had really tight security, given everything that’s gone on in London in the least year, but it was an excellent place for a terrorist attack.


We got a few photos and decided to get out of there quickly.


After that, we hit up Buckingham Palace. We didn’t get to see the inside or anything, but the outside was enough. It was stately – beautiful, grand, and kind-of cold. I’m glad we saw it – it’s arguably one of the most British things in all of England, and as a tourist, it was fun to see – but it’s not like a museum you got to walk around. We got our photos, and within 20 minutes, we were done.


In my opinion – the best kind of tourist site!


Last on the agenda was to get some food and drink at a pub. We opted for this old one called The Camel, which, let me tell you, had the most delicious chicken pie I’ve ever tasted. I also bought a pint of ale, which I managed to get through maybe 3/4 of. The more I drank, the more I liked it – or, rather, tolerated it. I’m not an ale person, apparently.


That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Shirt: Forever21

Bralette: Aerie

Pants: the LOFT

July 7, 2017 – Shameless Tourist Style (OOTD #61)

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London: Day 3

Yesterday was what Amanda and I have been calling our “tourist day” because we hit all of the typical London tourist things: Big Ben, the Eye, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and the O2.


The two standouts of the lot were easily Westminster and the O2. Westminster makes the list because we kind-of, sort-of snuck in without paying admission – what we had planned on doing was simply attending one of the free Holy Communion services so we could at least see the inside a bit, but we ended up having to leave early because we were concerned about making an appointment we had at the O2. So we tried to slip out the back…just to find that the doors we had gone in had been closed off.

We probably wandered around the Abbey for 30 minutes trying to find the exit. I’m not complaining though, like I said, it allowed us to see more than we would have had we done what we originally planned to do, which was just admire the outside. Plus, we didn’t have to pay admission! Though I do feel kind of badly about that, wish I had found a place to leave an offering or something.


From there, we rushed over to the O2, where we had booked ourselves in for one of their Up at the O2 experiences, where you basically get to climb and walk up on top of the O2. It was spectacular – both the climb and the views. Since we’re lame and wanted to skip out on things like the Eye and Sky Garden to avoid waiting in lines, this was one of our only chances to see London from up high, so that was definitely neat. If you visit London, I would say that this is one experience you can’t miss out on, assuming you’re cool with heights.

That evening, the nieces of the woman we’re staying with took us out for dinner and drinks. In the US, the drinking age is 21, but here, it’s 18, so I got to have my first full alcoholic beverage as a legal adult. I ordered some sort of elderflower and gin cocktail, and it was actually quite good. Neither Amanda nor I had much trouble finishing our drinks off.


After that, we headed home. It was a long, exhausting day, and we just wanted to get some rest. London’s been fun, but also rather draining. I’m so glad I’m here though; it’s a nice way to spend a bit of the summer!

I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Shirt: Unknown (thrifted)

Pants: J. Crew

Top: Thrifted

Trousers: J. Crew (thrifted)

 

July 6, 2017 – Full But Fulfilling (OOTD #60)

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London: Day 2


We headed into the city for the first time today, and I feel like we did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself.


We purchased travel passes for a week so we’ll be able to make it around the city via bus, train, or the Underground (it’s still very hard for me not to say subway, haha). Took the Greater Anglia train into Liverpool Street from Broxbourne, and from there, we can hop on the Underground to get about anywhere.


I love the Underground. It’s ridiculously easy to navigate – totally different from the subway system in New York, which is a mess that I’ve ridden plenty of times and still don’t quite understand. Another huge help is that I downloaded an app called CityMapper, which helps you decide what transport to use based on your location and where you want to go. 10/10 would definitely recommend – I don’t know where I would be without it!

Today was a pretty full day – we saw St. Paul’s Cathedral (didn’t go in because it cost like 20 pounds and we’re cheap), and then we got lunch at a place called Ask For Janice, where we heard they had some of the best crumpets in town.


I’ve admittedly never had crumpets before, so I don’t know how they compared to other crumpets, but they were really good! I’d definitely go back. Crumpets, if you haven’t heard of them, are basically small pieces of bread kind of like an English muffin that have been coated with about 5 cups of melted butter – terribly unhealthy I’m sure but also terribly tasty.


From there, we got back on the Underground to get to the British Museum for afternoon tea. Amanda and I both ordered elderflower, and it was absolutely delicious. Probably some of the best tea I’ve had in my life. And the little sandwiches and cakes – oh, it was all so amazing, and I was sad I couldn’t finish it all. The British Museum itself was also quite interesting, very warm and crowded though.


The rest of the day was spent shopping on Oxford St., where I very specifically wanted to see a Zara. I don’t believe we have any in the US (and if we do, it’s only one or two in a major city, none of which I live near), so I probably spent more time and more money there than I should have, but it was worth it.

And in the evening, we went to see Wicked on West End. Now, I saw Wicked many years ago in Louisville, when the US had a tour of it, and I fell in love. It was my first Broadway musical, and I was in awe of the talent and production that went into a show. The West End performance was no different – it’s probably been 10 years since I saw Wicked last, and yet I was still blown away. Plus, this time I knew the songs, so I was able to hum along a bit.

By the time the show got out, it was probably 10:30 in the evening, so we got the Tube back to Liverpool Station and then a train back home.

Like I said a very full, but also a very fulfilling day.

I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Shirt: Free People

Skirt: River Island

July 5, 2017 – Jet Lag Fashion (OOTD #59)

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London: Day 1.


Arrived in the Heathrow Airport this morning to a pleasant surprise: customs wasn’t a hassle to get through! It was very smooth in fact, and while I think the man at the passport counter definitely thought it was sketchy that I didn’t know the last name of the person I’d be staying with off the top of my head (see, all Amanda and I have ever referred to her as is “Sue”), it was still much easier than expected.


From there, Sue picked us up and drove us home, about 45 minutes away in Broxbourne. We were terrible company. I felt rather bad, as I could tell how hard Sue was trying to make conversation, but we were so jet lagged and out of it that it’s quite possible that we didn’t even hear some of her questions. She was a good sport about it though.

The little bit I saw from the Heathrow windows was all I actually saw of London today; the rest of the day was spent either napping at home or wandering around Broxbourne and the surrounding neighborhoods. At one point, Amanda and I decided to go for a walk into town simply to look at the architecture and houses – it’s all so different from what we have in the US.


You know, I assumed we’d see plenty of “British-looking” buildings, but in the same way that you see “American-looking” buildings at home – like, there’s a colonial or ranch style home every five houses in any given suburban neighborhood, but they’re not all over. Here, in Broxbourne, I don’t believe I’ve seen anything that doesn’t look like a Tudor-style cottage.


I love it!


So what did I wear today for a day of one part napping, one part staring in awe at the British-ness of everything? Too much, in all honesty; I was sweating rather profusely there at the end of the day. It was a cute outfit though – plaid slacks, purple cardigan, silk scarf – so maybe it was worth it.


Tomorrow, we’re headed into London for the first time, so I’m going to try to get a good night’s sleep. Wish me luck!

I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Sweater and Pants: THE LOFT

April 30, 2017 – Until Next Time (OOTD #10)

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New York City: Day 4.

I’m gonna keep this one short because it’s getting late and I’m about to catch my plane home. In truth, I’m glad to go. I’ve been raving about how much I love New York, and trust me, that hasn’t changed, but what I love is the city, and I don’t want to leave – but that’s not necessarily true for the people I’m with.

That’s not really anything against these kids – I can’t think of any group of 40 people who I could tolerate spending 24 hours a day with for 4 days. We’ve had a ton of fun together, but I’m ready to get away from them for a while.

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Today was a pretty-low key day. We went to the 9/11 museum, went back to Little Italy for lunch, and then did some shopping around Chinatown and Times Square. The 9/11 museum was easily one of the highlights of the trip. It was such a moving experience, but I didn’t take any photos there – it didn’t seem appropriate.


Outfit-wise, things were pretty low key as well. I went for all black – not for any particular reason, but sometimes I just feel a little edgy. You really can’t go wrong with black.

And that’s it for today. I should be home before too long, and then it’s back to school tonorrow. Goodnight for now.

Top and shorts: H&M

Choker: Francesca’s

Bonus mirror selfie:

Also, be sure to check out my new Instagram! I just started it a day or two ago, and I’d really appreciate a follow! I follow back 😀

April 29, 2017 – On Top of the World (OOTD #9)

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New York City: Day 3

Here we are, with our third and second-to-last Day in New York winding down to a close. In the entire time I’ve been here, the most prominent emotion I’ve felt is exhaustion.

But after exhaustion, what I’ve felt is joy.

I love New York. In fact, it always surprises me when I hear the other kids in my tour group say that they could never stand to live here – for me, it’s more like how could I not live here?

Yes, it’s dirty and crowded and the people are rude, but it’s just the kind of dirty, crowded, rudeness I adore.

Today was spend doing mostly tourist-y things (okay, this entire trip has been pretty tourist-y). We hit St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Top of the Rockefeller Center in the morning and then the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the afternoon.

The outfit for that part of the day was a pair of loose, colorful shorts and a denim top. It was simple, but practical for the day’s purpose – which was a hell of a lot of walking. To make things a little more interesting, I layered a simple gold necklace   on top for something of a boho look.

That evening, we took a dinner cruise on the Spirit of New York.

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新年快乐 / happy chinese new year !🏮

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I changed into something a little fancier – a traditional Chinese silk qipao dress.

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boom boom (qi)pao

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There aren’t many occasions where I can wear this out (in fact, Chinese New Year is probably one of the only occasions I ever wear it) but I decided to make an exception this time. It looked sad and dejected sitting there in my closet unworn, so I packed it because it’s a crime to not wear a dress like this that fits so well.The boat itself was nothing special, but, with the sun setting and the water sparkling, the marina it was docked on made for some beautiful photos with my friends.

 

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Concrete jungle wet dream TOMOATOOOOOOOO 🍅

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That’s it for now. I’m exhausted, and I fly home tomorrow.
Outfit 1 –

Shorts: Francesca’s

Top: Ann Taylor LOFT
Outfit 2 –

Dress: eBay
Bonus mirror selfies:

Also, be sure to check out my new Instagram! I just started it a day or two ago, and I’d really appreciate a follow! I follow back 😀

April 28, 2017- Springtime in New York (OOTD #8)

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New York City: Day 2

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An oldie but a goodie #throwbackthursday

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Another long day has passed, and lemme tell you – I am exhausted.
Today’s agenda has included a visit to the The Today Show, The Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Little Italy, Chinatown, a Yankees game, and the Empire State Building.

If that sounds like a long day to you, believe me it was.

It was a ton of fun though!

The best parts were when me and a small group of friends were able to split off from the main group and explore the city in our own, such as our excursion to Little Italy.

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Street art is cool! (New York edition)

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I had the best food at a restaurant there called La Bella Vita. The pasta almost brought tears to my eyes, it was so delicious. Another bonus: our waiter had beautiful hair and an even more beautiful accent.
The outfit for today was built for both style and comfort. A high neck bralette layered under a lightweight canvas jacket meant I was prepared whether it was a sunny afternoon or a chilly morning (we experienced both). High waisted jeans meant I had more skin protected from the dirty New York surfaces, and my old black booties with a squat heel was comfortable to walk in.

That doesn’t mean my feet didn’t still feel like lead at the end of the day.

Jacket:

Bralette: Aerie

Jeans: Hollister

Also, be sure to check out my new Instagram! I just started it a day or two ago, and I’d really appreciate a follow! I follow back 😀

April 27, 2017

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New York City, Day 1:

Greetings from New York! What a long day it’s been. And I don’t just mean that figuratively – I have been up since 3 AM. It is now 11 PM in the evening, and we’re still going.
It’s been a great day though! Our flight left from Kentucky at a bright and early 6 AM and landed in NYC at around 8. Not bad, right?

Not quite. Our school group was split into two groups, and the second group didn’t arrive until 10ish, meaning I had two hours to sit around LaGuardia and drink coffee, play cards, and *attempt* to take chic airport photos.


Once we finally got our entire group together, we loaded up our luggage into a tour bus and sat. And sat and sat and sat. I’m gonna be honest, it kinda sucked.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore New York. But a tour bus with a broken air conditioner is NOT the way to do it.


The best part of the afternoon was stopping in Central Park for hotdogs and a brief stroll.


My friend and I might have gotten a bit lost, and we might have separated from our group just to realize we couldn’t remember the rendezvous point, but it turned out okay in the end! Plus, I got some killer photos of the city.

So what does one wear for a day of flights, tour buses, and walking around the city? For me, the answer was simple black leggings, a basic white tee, and an oversized grey jacket. The fun wasn’t in the outfit itself here – it was in the accessories. I love this big floppy black sun hat – it makes every outfit a little more chic.

That evening, we headed out to a Broadway production of A Bronx Tale. A Broadway production, of course, requires something a little more fancy than leggings and a t-shirt, so after freshening up at the hotel, I had to change.

 

This outfit involved a eyelash lace red dress with sheer mesh at the chest layered under a bedazzled cardigan, all tied together with some black tights.

Fun fact: I wore that red dress to the Sadie Hawkin’s Dance my sophomore year, and I got the sweater at an H&M when I visited NYC in fifth grade!

The nice thing about Broadway musicals is, no matter how little you like the plot, the characters, or the songs, you can always be assured that the talent and the production value will be top notch.

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here’s an old one

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I’m no theatre critic, but I found A Bronx Tale quite enjoyable!

That’s all for tonight. I’m exhausted. See you in Day 2.

Outfit 1 –

Jacket: Forever21

Shirt and leggings and hat: Target

Outfit 2 –

Dress: MissGuided

Jacket: H&M

Tights: Ann Taylor LOFT

No mirror selfies today. Also, if you’re wondering why some photos have the usual brick background of my house, it’s because I took them in advance in case I didn’t have time to get photos while I was out!