Memories Of 2012 In Pictures (And Words)

It’s 2013 (Happy New Year to all my readers from 106 different countries and friends!), and my annual blog report just came in a few days ago, including a lot of blog data I won’t bore you with. However I do want to post my traditional ‘memories of the year’ post. I hope 2013 will be a year as great as 2012. It’ll be a year of changes for me (finally moving to London, yay!). So, here we go with the pictures and words:

January:

I spent New Year’s Eve in Dresden with friends. My blog had its first birthday in January (meaning it’s now almost 2 years old). My family and I had dinner at a lovely Chinese restaurant. Lots of tea drinking, cold weather and vanilla macaron baking in January too. I changed my blog theme for the first time.

February:

I posted my first giveaway ever on this blog. London Fashion Week took place and I loved watching the shows (can you spot Lana Del Rey?). I spent a lot of time taking pictures with the old Praktica I found and sewing bags for friends. I had butterflies in my hair and on my fingers in a butterfly conservatory.

March:

I played a small part in Cabaret, the Musical. Spring arrived and I ordered a ‘Lulu Guinness’ style necklace from the talented JaymieOC. Lulu Guinness press day also happened. I wandered around Dresden, my home town, and took some pictures there.

April:

Back in London. Lulu Guinness for Uniqlo launch (which I sadly missed). I tried macarons at Ladurée for the very first time. I had a little meeting with Tiffany, the new store manager at Lulu Guinness, at their Burlington Arcade store and she showed me around the store a bit. I bought my first Lulu Guinness lips clutch that day too (vintage red snakeskin). I was invited to the Task PR AW12 Press Day. My parents were in London for the first time and I did a lot of sightseeing with them. I went to the Hampstead Fun Fair with a few friends.

May:

My lovely red Cambridge Satchel arrived here. The Christian Louboutin exhibition opened at the Design Museum, showcasing lots of amazing shoes. I did the 2nd blog giveaway on my blog (Swarovski). Wish magazine was launched in London and I immediately ordered one.

June:

The Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee with big celebrations in London and the Clock Tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower to honour her. I watched the pageant and concert on TV and waved the Union Jack.

July:

Berlin Fashion Week started in Berlin and I ran around, going to as many showrooms and shows as possible. One of my favourites was the Vintage Fashion Show. I spent some time in Turkey at the end of July where we had 43 degrees. The Olympics started in London. I contributed to two magazines, Spark magazine and A Little Bit Fabulous.

August:

I spent some more time in Turkey (2 weeks) and watched the Olympics every single day. I also got an invitation to the Charbonnel et Walker Blogger Event. I finally got a DSLR camera (my beloved Canon 1100D). After Turkey I went straight back to London where I watched one of the last Sweeney Todd the Musical shows. I also went to the Heath with a friend to take some outfit pics and enjoy the sunny days. I went to the Notting Hill carnival for the first time. My friend and I ate lots and lots of sushi, and I spent a lot of time shopping. I went to Selfridges to review the Yayoi Kusama x Louis Vuitton collection. I met two lovely fellow bloggers, Milla and Karen. My Old Dutch invited me over to have a meal for free. I chose the berry pancakes and a Reese milkshake. I also received Wish magazine in the post when I came back from London.

September:

Back in London…again. Went to see Mamma Mia the Musical, did lots of sightseeing again, was at the Orla Kiely for Uniqlo launch. I went to Eton and Windsor too. I chalked my hair pink and blue, and posted the third giveaway (Lulu Guinness tote). I became a BFI member and bought tickets for the Great Expectations premiere in October.

October:

Still in London, the Great Expectations Premiere took place on October 21st in Leicester Square. Before the premiere started, I met a really great PA, Linda, who also had tickets to the premiere. I really enjoyed the movie and meeting/seeing all the stars was a little plus. I was invited to the Lulu Guinness Press Day where I met Donna, another amazing PA, and Lulu herself. Another Press Day I went to was the Push PR Press Day. I met with fellow bloggers Kristabel and Becky and we went to the Saatchi Gallery to see the Chanel Little Black Jacket exhibition. I saw Cabaret the Musical. On Halloween my friend Jo and I went trick or treating in Hampstead and Belsize Park.

November:

I celebrated Bonfire Night in Germany with a little bottle of Moet, and a friends birthday party. I took part in an admin chat with other PA’s.

December:

My birthday was on Dec. 21st where the world was supposed to end..of course it didn’t and I had a lovely birthday party. The biggest surprise was my friend from Cardiff being there. I loved all my presents and thanks to all my guests! I watched Les Misérables which will be in cinemas in the UK on January 13th, and you should definitely watch it! I spent Christmas with my family in Germany and New Year’s Eve in Dresden with some friends.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!

A Day In London

In this post I’ll describe what the perfect day in London is for me. Opinions differ, of course, and everyone has an individual idea of a ‘perfect day in London’. I got the idea for this blog post last April, when my parents visited London for the very first time. It was one of the most stressful weekends I ever had! We had exactly two days and they wanted to see everything. We went from Finchley to Hampstead to Belsize Park to Camden to Central London, Sloane Square, Westminster, up and down Oxford Street, to the Tower, Shakespeare’s Globe etc etc etc. After I had (barely) survived that weekend, I realised that probably a lot of people make the mistake to stay in London for only one weekend. This is crazy, especially if they’re here for the first time! There are way too many things to see and two days aren’t enough. I called what we did ‘extreme sightseeing’. What’s so extreme about it? Well, go ahead and try to show your friends, parents or whoever almost all the sights in London, but please don’t forget to post pictures of the blisters on your and their feet!

My perfect day would start with a morning in Hampstead. I’d have breakfast (Brioche French Toast!) at Giraffe on Rosslyn Hill (opens at 7.30am), and would then walk to Primrose Hill in the southeast or Hampstead Heath in the north to watch the sunrise over London.

Afterwards I’d go to Camden vintage shopping and looking at all the cute shabby chic things they sell at the market; maybe I’d also try some Asian food and cupcakes.

Photo by turquoisegrrrl

In the afternoon I would take the tube to Central London (Northern line from Camden Town station to Leicester Square, Piccadilly line from Leicester Square to Green Park and then the Jubilee line to Westminster) to do a little sightseeing tour and see the most famous sights in London: The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Number 10 (Downing Street) and the Horse Guards Parade. They’re not far away from the tube station, but it’s up to you which of the sights you’d like to see.

Then I’d take the Circle or District line to Sloane Square to have lunch at my favourite pancake house, My Old Dutch, and – if your budget allows it - to go (designer) shopping (either that or Oxford Street..and don’t forget Harrods!!).

In the evening I’d take the tube to the Tower Bridge (London Bridge or Tower Hill station) to watch the sunset. Something which I can’t miss on my perfect London day is a musical! I can recommend Legally Blonde, which I saw last October and which I loooooved. It’s at the Savoy Theatre, so that would be my next stop.

In the late evening/ night I would have some cocktails in the Aqua Spirit Bar on Regents Street (roof terrace!).

Photo by blog.blacktomato.co.uk 

Of course there are millions of other things I love to do in London, but since it’s ‘A Day in London’ post, I can’t include all of them.

I wish everyone a Happy Jubilee weekend!

Sarah travels – Dresden, Germany

This a very picture heavy post, because I’m a bit lazy about writing at the moment. Anyway, Dresden is the city where I was born. What I love about it are all the old historic and mystical looking buildings, the art galleries and the theatres. I’m sure you get what I mean when you look at my photos.

I loved this shop window! I love Lancôme, I love Emma Watson, I love the cute lips; what’s not to love about it?

Have you ever been to Dresden or another German city? xx

Vintage camera

If I’d known what was hidden on my attic, I’d have spent some time up there ages ago! From old jewellery to this amazing camera, everything was up there! I own a little digital camera which is okay, but it doesn’t really take very good photos. A Polaroid or Canon is my dream, but I think they’re a bit too expensive..for cameras; it would probably take me a few centuries (yes, centuries!) to figure out how I’m supposed to use it and if I want to buy lenses for effects, I’ll go broke. I was so glad when I found this camera last week! It’s a pretty old Praktica camera which needs film, but makes amazing photos!

The pictures above were taken with my digital camera, not the Praktica, because I haven’t had the film developed yet. But the camera is shown in the pictures as I was strolling through the town and had it around my neck. It was a heavy necklace, I can tell you!

Vintagey moments…

…on a cold winter day.

What books do you like to read on a cold winter day, when you’re in your cuddly and cosy and warm bed? As a child I liked to escape into the world of Harry Potter, St Clare’s and Ink Heart, which helped me understand the importance of the word and books and send me to a world I’d be a part of for hours. Now that I’m older and more mature (at least that’s what I like to believe), I love reading Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk, and am writing my first book. The books I’m interested in may have changed, but I still need to escape into a different world from time to time by reading.

A large cup of tea may also help to keep you warm. A proper cup of tea always helps.

 ”Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.”  ~Catherine Douzel

“Tea is a cup of life.”

 Or just enjoy the beauty of photography on blogs like The Wild Fleur (the most beautiful blog I’ve ever seen), Not Just Another Milla  (a great blog if you love Paris and afternoon tea), Tea Time in Wonderland (a really cute French London and afternoon tea blog) or visit my tumblr at Secret Dreamworld of a PA.