Holiday Adventures

Dear Everybody,

as this week is halfterm I have the week off and decided to use the time to do as many things in London as possible. I only have about two months left until I go back home, which makes me panic that I won't have enough time to see and do everything that is on my bucket list. So I am really grateful for the time I got. And also it's just nice to sleep in for a whole week. 

Saturday

On Saturday I went to the White Cube Gallery on Mason's Yard off Piccadilly. It is a small but lovely gallery for contemporary art. Then I went for a long walk to Fleet Street to visit Dr Johnson's House. Mr Johnson wrote the first important dictionary which you could have a look at in his house. But most importantly you could play dress up, the most fun you'll ever have in a museum. Why I chose to be a man I don't know though.

Sunday

On Sunday Celine and I went all the way to South London to visit the Imperial War Museum. It was a great place to refresh everything I learned about the two world wars in school, but more interesting displayed. We even found a piece of the Berlin Wall. 

After having great Mexican food at wahaca we walked along the Thames till we reached Battersea Park where we relaxed before heading home. 

Monday

Yesterday I started my week off with a great breakfast and then we headed towards Canary Wharf. We visited the Museum of London Docklands and strolled through all the shopping malls. Canary Wharf is a great place for everyone who loves shopping and it's also lovely for having walks along the docks and canals in the sunshine.

Tuesday

Today I got up a bit earlier because Celine and I had to catch our train from Paddington to go see Windsor Castle. Although it rained all day and we were soaked and frozen it was an incredible experience. The State Apartments are incredibly beautiful and beyond all imagination. There was one room that basically consisted of gold. 

Another amazing exhibit is Queen Mary's Dolls' House. It was huge and extremely detailed. They even wrote miniature books for its library!

                                      

See you!

Two Boys Kissing

Dear Everybody,

today I have a book recommendation for you all. The last few weeks I have been reading 'Two Boys Kissing' by David Levithan. The book was first published in 2013 and tells four stories. 

There are Harry and Craig, the two boys kissing, trying to break the world record for the longest kiss. Harry and Craig used to be a couple but broke up some time ago. 

Then there's Avery who meets Ryan at a Gay Prom. They instantly fall for each other and see where love can take them.

Peter and Neil are in a realationship and then there is Cooper who is alone and doesn't know how or what he feels.

When I first picked up the book I thought it would be a light-hearted, funny story about all of their lives and how they connect. But this book is so much more than that. 

In a beautiful way it describes the feelings and struggles of these LGBTQ+ boys, how they try to be themselves, how hard that can be; how they fight for equal rights and acceptance; how they become role models to future generations. 

This book is for everyone who wants to understand better, who is willing to learn. It shows you the positive and negative aspects of love and is in no way exaggerating. It is real. And that's why it is so worth reading.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Dear Everybody,

last weekend I had the pleasure of going to Shakespeare's Globe to see 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. I didn't know what to expect, whether it would be quite traditional or a modern adaption. After standing in the yard for three hours I can confirm the current adaption is a mix of both. But most importantly, it's the most hilarious play I have ever seen. As a sign outside of the theatre states "the play contains naughtiness of a sexual nature", but it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, it supports the humour of the story. 

For only five pounds you can get tickets to stand in the yard. And believe me, standing for three hours is absolutely worth it. In addition you will be extremely close to the actors as they also use the yard as a stage. I nearly got kicked by a fairy!

If you are ever in London for a longer time, I definitely recommend seeing a play at the Globe as it is an unforgettable experience. 

On Sunday, all I really did was eating while strolling through East London. Celine and I wandered along Brick Lane and over Spitalfields Market and had a delicious lunch from one of the cute little huts at Pump Shoreditch. It is a small food market off Shoreditch High Street with selected independent sellers and now one of my favourite places in London. Not only did I indulge in delicious indian streetfood and the most delicious bubblewaffle, but they also had live music there. 

If you are from London or have been here before: Where are your favourite places to eat?
See you!

My Skincare Routine

Dear Everybody,

today I am writing my first beauty related post. I recently went out to buy some new skincare products and changed my skincare routine. It has helped me so much and my skin has improved immensely that I wanted to share those products with you.

I always had problematic skin and struggled with acne for years. I tried everything to fight it but nothing really helped. So a few weeks ago I decided to head to Lush and get some natural products to use on my face. I went in there and picked up three awesome life changers which were recommended to me by a lovely and very helpful shop assistant. 

Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser

This cleanser is made with rose, lavender, chamomile and almonds. The almonds help exfoliating your skin while the flowers help soothing it. I use this every morning now and it leaves my skin incredibly soft and glowing.

Eau Roma Water

After cleansing my face I use the Eau Roma Toner Water. It also contains lavender and rose water and different from other toners I tried so far, it doesn't dry out your skin but gives it even more moisture. 

Mask Of Magnaminty

I apply this mask two times a week and leave it on for about seven minutes. It helps drying out spots but doesn't make your skin feel like the Sahara's ground. I also love the fresh peppermint smell it has and it makes for funny pictures, because you look like Shrek having it on your face.

I hope you liked that kind of post and maybe got some inspiration on what to try skincare wise. I understand that bad skin can make you feel insecure but with these products my skin improved so much, that I feel confident going out without foundation on, because my skin just looks lovely.

See you!

From North To South

Dear Everybody,

I just realized that last weekend I travelled through London from East to West and then from North to South. So I've basically been all over the place in two days. 

On Saturday I started off towards East London visiting the Bloomberg Space. It is a quite small exhibition space, but if you are interested in contemporary art check out their website to know about current and upcoming exhibitions.

I then had to walk all the way to Cambridge Circus to pick up theatre tickets. I love walking thorugh the City on a weekend because it just is empty and really silent. It was also lovely to walk along the Thames in the sunshine. After picking the tickets up I just had to survive Oxford Street and Regent's Street on a Saturday. I met Celine at Piccadilly Circus and we went to Fortnum and Mason to marvel at the beautiful Alice in Wonderland decoration. We went for a short walk afterwards and then Celine had to go home early. I spent some time in the Embankment Gardens reading before I headed home as well to get pizza for Celine and I. We watched the ESC that night which made for a lovely evening. 

On Sunday we travelled all the way down to Richmond in the South of London. Richmond is really beautiful and quiet which was perfect for a long Sunday walk. We also brought a blanket so we could lay down in Richmond Park and have a nap in the sun. Another highlight was definitely seeing wild deer trotting through the park not caring about all the amazed tourists taking pictures of them. 

I hope you had a sunny weekend.

See you!

Denim + White

Dear Everybody,

as the weather was perfect last weekend it was my chance to wear a skirt without tights for the first time. I decided to go with a simple look, styling my new denim skirt from Primark with a white tee. To top it all off and to protect me from the sun I wore my grey hat. For a pop of colour I went with turquoise sandals and necklace.

See you!

High Up Above

Dear Everybody,

a week of sunshine has passed. On the weekend every Londoner was either enjoying or complaining about the 'heat wave'. Being from Germany, 28 degrees are the perfect summer temperature for me and I woudn't consider them a heat wave. Therefore I enjoyed my weekend in the sun. 

On Saturday Celine and I took the Tube to Hampstead to visit Kenwood House. It is a beautiful mansion and art collection and a welcoming escape from the sun for some time. And you could dress up as a king or queen, which was great fun. Nevertheless we spent more time sunbathing on the lawn and walking through Hampstead Heath. Unfortunately I had to go home early that day to babysit.

For Sunday we had tickets to go to the London Sky Gardens. Located on the 35th floor of an office building they open up a pretty amazing view over London. And when you look up through the glass roof, you'll spot airplanes flying by super close. It is also a great place to go out to eat, with a brasserie, restaurant and bars. But beware that those are on the expensive side. 

At lunchtime we left the skyscraper behind and had lunch in a cute little bistro tucked away halfway under London Bridge. We sat outside in the sun on old beds used as benches and enjoyed delicious food and Pimm's. To escape the sun for a bit we decided to visit Southwark Cathedral, which also had an outdoor chess board. So Celine took the time to teach me how to play chess and we played my first ever chess match. I lost miserably. 

See you!

Get The Dungarees Out

Dear Everybody,

as you have seen in my Spring Haul last week I recently bought some denim dungarees. With the weather being lovely and warm last weekend, it was my chance to wear them for the first time. I went for a casual look wearing the dungarees over a simple grey tee and throwing on some ankle booties. 

Do you like dungarees for the warmer months? Let me know!

Dungarees - Primark (12 pounds)

Grey T-shirt - Brandy Melville (16 pounds)

Boots - H&M (last year)

Sunglasses - Primark (2 pounds)

The weather continued to be brilliant and I spent as much time outside as possible. I hope you had a great week too.

See you!

Keep Your Face Towards The Sun

Dear Everybody,

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Mine was three days long because Monday was a bank holiday here in the UK. Luckily, it was a warm and sunny weekend so I spent most of my time outside.

On Saturday, Celine and I visited Somerset House and took part in the free Historical Highlights Tour. We learned about the royal history of the palace which today holds a lot of different art exhibitions. Most impressive though is the huge fountain covering nearly all of the inner yard. With differnet restaurants and cafés and outdoor seating Somerset House invites to spend summer days there enjoying the sun, water, food and art.

                                     

On Sunday we started our day with a walk through Holland Park which I have to say is the most beautiful park I have ever seen. It is even nicer than Regent's Park and I thought nothing could come close to that. Of course we got lost again as we always do in parks. When we finally found the right exit around lunchtime the next challenge was to find a Pizza Express. We had a lovely meal sitting outside being served by the nicest waiter ever. Full of energy we walked through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park to go pedal boating on the Serpentine. It was so much fun and a great way to enjoy the sun.

Although I had another day off yesterday I didn't do much. I slept in and then took the Tube into Central London to go for a run. My aim was to finish a halfmarathon and I did it in 2:35 hours. I was (and I still am) so proud of myself for accomplishing this, that I treated myself to Chinese food for dinner and then had an early night.

See you!