An Artist's Thoughts

Monday, July 14, 2014

3..... 2..... 1...... BLAST OFF!!!

So I'm in the final days of my stay here in London....

These last few days have been really low key! Which is totally a good thing!!! No "Go Go Going" for me... just a chillaxed morning with coffee and a book, which is very surprisingly AWESOME!!! Who'd-a-thought?!

But now my mind is racing on what all needs to be done when I get state side then home. WOW!!! A LOT OF STUFF!!! Stuff for work, stuff for school (starting in just over a month for me), stuff for friends and fundraising (helping them, which I offered to do), and people to see because I miss them and some need supportive hugs. For another words.... go go go go GO GO GO GO when I get home.

But as for yesterday I went back to the market Brick Lane Market for "Luncnier" (Lunch/Dinner). We seriously stuffed our faces for our last time going to this Sunday Market. The plan was to go get some seriously amazingly wonderful ice cream at "Chin Chin Labs" just around the corner from the Stay Club (where I've been living for the past 3.5 weeks). The ice cream is made right there on the spot, in a matter of seconds!!! And... Let me tell you.... it's out of this world amazing!!!!

The ice cream, like I said, is made there right on the spot.... they use Nitrogen to make it.

Here in about an hour we are all leaving for our last "Brunch" with our Professors (Suzanne and her husband Kevin) at Cafe' Renoir. I'm not taking my big camera stuff to get pictures... But I'll have my iPhone on me to get some pictures. This place is about a 6 minute walk from our place.... and LOOKS really cool!!! Click on the name of it (I made it a "hot spot" link to take to to the 360 degree look of this place). I'll finish this blog when I get back with the pictures from it.

Brunch was AMAZING!!! Cafe' Renior was out of this world!!! As soon as you walked in you were greeted with the aroma of lilies (there were fresh cut lilies at the bar). It was a total instant LOVE of this place when I walked in. Our professors were waiting for us at our tables (in the back of the place) and it was like you walked into a painting!!! SOOOOOO TOTALLY GORGEOUS!!!! Okay, my words aren't exactly describing it so here are some pictures to show you what I mean.

The front of the restaurant

The back where we were. The wall decor.... I couldn't tell what medium it was? It had a chalk feel to it, but also an oil paint? It could have been Oil pastels with a clear overlay to seal the paint? But I'm not 100% sure. It was really cool though!!!

Our table decor, fuchsia colored daisy!!! SOOOO PRETTY!!

I ordered Buttermilk Pancakes with jam, and well done bacon (it's Canadian bacon.... not a huge fan of it).... It was AWESOME!!!! Totally made up for my failed job of attempting to make them in my flat. LoL

I got a large cinnamon vanilla cappuccino too.... YUMMY!!!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Abbey Road = The Beatles Path

So a bunch of us went to walk the infamous walk across the street like the iconic Beatles did at Abbey Road. It was a BUSY crosswalk!!! As well, there were a BUNCH of tourists there doing the same sort of pictures as we were!!!

This was just outside of the Tube Station

Taylor!!!

The Beatles original recording studio (I think)

This was cool, a bunch of little tiles made up their house's street number

I saw this car and liked it... it's cute!!! & extremely SMALL!!

What kind of car is this? Because it's really cute!!!

Allie, Katherine, & Jason resting while we get our "shot" of fame on the crosswalk

EPIC!!! This dude photo bombed us at the perfect time!!!!
Me (in the front), Taylor (in the middle), Martha (at the end), and some random dude crossing the street!!!
LOVE IT!!!

Martha, Katherine, Taylor, and Allie

The Tube escalators

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Victoria Revealed

On Thursday - it was a chillaxed morning. I had made plans the night before to go to Kensington Palace, and I was leaving by like 1:45 PM.... but that changed. I ended up going to lunch with Nora, Allie, Taylor, & Katherine to this buffet where they weigh it by the plate. I also think it was a vegetarian restaurant too. That's not bad.... Just a new food style for me. It was good!!!! A lot of things were prepared differently, and there were new foods that I've never tried before.

This is a picture of the area we were sitting. Out side under the coverings (it was rainy). The sign for the place is on your left.... "Tibits"

I didn't make it to Kensington Palace until later. The marble statue of Queen Victoria that is at this gate was done by her artistic daughter; Princess Louise.

The lovely young Queen Victoria

This part of the palace was covered with quotes and the queen's thoughts.

The dining area

The future King Albert said this about his bride, Queen Victoria

There were SO many amazing paintings!!!! But I think this one is my favorite of the Queen

This was cool. It was a bunch of layers of the hall that were placed to look three dimensional.

You all are probably wondering why the pictures of the paintings aren't straight on... Well we weren't allowed to use our flash and there was a horrible glare on them from the lights in the rooms.

A royal bed for an infant

Queen Victoria in her older years

Now to the royal dress closet of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and Princess Diana. I asked about Princess Diana's wedding gown and the guy I asked says that it is in the US on tour, but when it's not it is at her family's home on display, not at Kensington.

The first of the gowns are Queen Elizabeth's dresses from her younger years with newly wedded Prince Philip.