Day 5


Had lunch at Oomoo today (my second time. Read about the first here). Had a bri, bacon and cranberry panini. It was so delicious. I'm getting hungry again just writing about it.
And another chai latte, of course.

Also went to Asda, a grocery store they have here, and that was quite a fun experience. It was neat seeing all the foods and things that are different then back home.
Or even the same foods, but packaged differently.
For instance, the Oreos I bought were in a little roll instead of a big package. Very odd.
And were described as "cocoa flavored sandwich biscuits".
Which is just wrong if you ask me...
(Side note: They don't taste nearly as good as they do at home, but Oreos are Oreos so I take what I can get!)

It rained today.
Right as I headed home from church too. Of course. So I had my first rainy walk in England, which was a bit unpleasant with the cold. But such is life here in Liverpool.

It was a pretty chill day for the most part though. Helped out with a few things at the church, had dinner with a very sweet couple who were really fun to talk to, and ended the night with watching Pirate's of the Caribbean with some friends.

Oh! I almost forgot, the most exciting news: We've booked tickets for London!
We are going to explore and be tourists for a few days (I mean, what else would you do in London?) I'm really excited to see everything, I can't wait.


Day 4


Went to Mystery Park yesterday.
The weather was glorious.
So warm and sunny.
Or at least warm compared to what it has been.
It hasn't rained once since I've been here, which is very unnatural apparently.
My friend and I just laid in the grass for a bit and soaked in the sunshine and fresh air.
As I laid there, with the wind playing with the hem of my dress and my fingers playing with the grass, I couldn't help but revel once again in the fact that I'm here. I still find it kind of crazy, even though I've been here almost a week. I've dreamed of traveling abroad for quite sometime and the fact that I've finally gotten to just seems a bit beyond me sometimes for some reason.
I'm not really sure why it's so hard so comprehend.
I get really excited about it at times and I get all silly thinking about it.
And then other times I almost feel like I've lived here for ages.
It's hard to explain.

Church was also really good. Had quite an interesting guest speaker and heard this song for the first time. Which I really liked.

Later in the evening we went to The Richmond Tavern (coincidentally named), which I really liked!
I wish we had places like it back home. I feel like we either have bars, or we have restaurants.
Or a combination of both.
This was a proper pub. Or at least I thought so. The locals might correct me, I don't have much/any experience with pubs so I'm probably wrong, but I liked it none the less.
It had a classier feel and was a brightly lit, clean and comfy. A place filled with people just having a good time. I feel like we don't really have many places like that.
Correct me if I'm wrong though, Richmonders!

Tried Marmite when we got home. A popular food over here. Or condiment... What have you.
It was interesting.
Tasted salty and kind of like bacon. I probably wouldn't eat it voluntarily, but I wouldn't complain too much if it was already on something someone gave me to eat.
Also tried Flapjack. Chocolate to be exact. Now that I loved. So scrumptious.

It's late and I'm off to bed. I've been so bad about going to bed at a good time. I really don't know if I'm tired from jet lag still or what but I haven't felt very rested the past few days.
Need to fix that.


Day 3


Started the day off with a cup of tea (of course) and then headed to see The Walker Art Gallery which is home to one of the largest collections of art in England, outside of London.
It was really nice, I liked it a lot. However I didn't see any pieces that I recognized. Not that I study art history, but I thought I would at least have seen one or two...
I'm probably not going to be visiting many other museums while I'm here, if any, because I would rather be out exploring than in a building looking at history. It's very interesting and I like it, don't get me wrong, but I'd rather be out seeing it for myself.
You know?
However it was really nice to visit at least one, especially an art one, since those are my personal favorite.
Though I must admit I think the VMFA is still my favorite.
But I'm biased.

After that we went home and just hung around a bit and relaxed.
I've really been loving the house I'm staying at.
There's a fireplace in nearly every room, and though most are not in use, it adds a romanticized charm to things. I also love the old fashioned heaters everywhere. Which I really love for some reason.
Also England, or maybe just Liverpool in general, seems to have a thing for lace curtains.
Which, again, I love.
I also found this to be the case in New Mexico actually.
Or maybe I just notice lace curtains everywhere I go because I have an odd love for them.

Went on a walk around the neighborhood later in the afternoon.
I love getting out and exploring by myself.
There's just something about the quiet solitude of being in a new place all by yourself and discovering things on your own, at your own pace that I really love. Almost makes you feel as if those things are all yours, just for you. Does that make any sense?
Probably not.

Attended a party later in the evening, which was fun. It was interesting to see, or rather hear, that everyone here listens to relatively similar music actually. There were a few songs that were foreign to me, but for the most part I recognized most of it.
Another observation: there were some gorgeous shoes.
Speaking of shoes, I walked over two miles in heels last night.
The highest pair I own, might I add.
Not the first time I've done this, however I feel like it still warrants some praise. It's not easy you know. Especially when it's cold out.

That's about it really.
Another lovely day in Liverpool.
It's slowly stealing my heart.

P.s. April is here!


Day 2


Yesterday was a pretty short day on account of my sleeping in until 12... Thank you jet lag.
However it was a pretty nice day none the less.
Had some tea with breakfast (lunch?) and something called digestives.
Digestives are scrumptious.
When I was asked if I wanted one I was a bit confused at first... I thought it was a pill or something to help with your digestion! but it's actually a cookie of sorts.
So yummy.
I'm obsessed with them.
You dip them in your tea and they taste just wonderful. I'm going to have to buy a pack or two to take home.

Went to Kidz Klub with my friend in the early afternoon which was a really neat experience. Essentially it's a program that goes around to different primary schools in more deprived areas and puts on a little hour event for them. They have games and music and a little play about something from the Bible that they teach on. It's really neat and all the kids were so sweet. I couldn't get over them, in their little uniforms and accents.
Seriously precious.
I was surprised at how quickly they warmed up to me. Some came right over and asked me questions and told me funny little things as if I was already their best friend.
I wish I had another opportunity to participate in it again because it really was fun.

After that we went to a little coffee shop called Oomoo and had a chai tea latte and a blackberry muffin. Very delicious.
It was a neat little place. If it was back home I would go there quite often I think. I loved the atmosphere and the furniture and decorations. I liked sitting so that I could face the window and people watch.
The people who worked there were very nice as well.
Everyone's always so friendly and asks where I'm from and if I'm enjoying it here.

We've been walking everywhere for the most part. Only taken the bus two times and have had someone drive us only once or twice. I really have enjoyed that aspect of being here. I love walking. I really wish I lived in a part of Richmond where I could do that more and actually get somewhere. It'd be nice to bike or walk to the places I need to go.
Not to mention gas (or, "petrol" as it's called here) is just so expensive.
Walking through the quaint neighborhoods has been fun. I love the different windows and doors on all the little houses and flats. With their in-the-middle door knobs and lacy curtains and chipped paint and worn wood.
Though a little old man knocked on his window at me one time while I was taking a picture of his front door... guess he didn't like that... Oops.

We went to the youth group at Frontline later that night. Saw some of the people I had met at the movie the night before and met some new ones. I look forward to getting to know some of them better.
Everyone was quizzing me on various American terms (for instance, they call band aids "plasters", bangs "fringe" and sweaters "jumpers"), it was fun. I did feel a bit funny being older than the youth and about as old as the leaders, yet participating with the youth activities but it was fine for the most part.

After that we had a quiet dinner at home of some yummy leftover pasta dish (I really haven't had anything I didn't like here so far), blogged, had some tea (of course), caught up on emails, looked into a possible trip to Scotland and went to bed!

Not too eventful but a nice day all in all.

Day 1


So much has happened in the brief two days that I've been here, I honestly have not known where to start in blogging about it. Not to mention I've already taken well over 200 photos.
(Side note: as I'm typing this I'm thinking in a british accent. It's clearly gotten to me.)
My friend gave me the idea to share a "photo of the day" with my posts, to give you an idea of what it looks like here. Which I think is what I'm going to do, because I don't really want to spend a ton of time editing photos and such while I'm here. 
So I'll save the picture heavy posts for when I'm home. 
Sound good?

I'm currently sitting in the living room of the house with my friend (who's also blogging) and listening to some Bon Iver and still thinking how it's so crazy that I'm here. I'm not sure I'll ever quite get over it.
But anyway, things are going quite well!
I've loved it here so far. Though I do miss home a bit.
Getting used to the different customs and sayings and different words for things has been fun. 
I'm sure you will hear much more from me on that later.

The initial drive from the airport to Liverpool was so exciting. I think it finally hit me that everything was real when I got on the plane, but it was of course made even more real once I was out of the airport.
I had completely forgotten that everyone here drives on the opposite side of the road, so it was a bit of a shock at first! I've since gotten a little more used to it, though it still throws me off at times. 
I couldn't stop looking out the window as we drove though, at the signs, the cars, the buildings, taking everything in. It was a bit surreal in all honesty.
After getting settled in the house a bit (all my housemates are so sweet and welcoming), I took a bus to a busier part of Liverpool. The first place I went was a local craft store called Abakhan which had two floors and was ginormous. My kind of place. I had to keep telling myself "you don't have room in your suitcase, you don't have room in your suitcase" to prevent myself from buying everything. 
I did purchase a few little things though. 
Next I went to the cutest and most lovely book shop I've ever seen. The owner was so very nice and all the shelves were just chocked full of the most beautiful books. I picked up a little copy of Dickens and then a memoir of Jane Austen's. 
Appropriate I thought, considering.
After that I visited the docks which were lovely as well. I apparently arrived on an unnaturally beautiful day so the sun was shining and everything looked just beautiful.
Also had the opportunity to go to a candy shop and tried some Haribo, Treacle, and Flying Saucers
All pretty tasty.
After a bit more wandering around I had dinner at "home" (as it shall be called while I'm here) which was a delicious spaghetti sort of dish. It surprised me to find that they don't say blessing or grace before eating here. Apparently that's an American thing to do. 
After dinner we went to the movies (or rather "the cinema") to see The Hunger Games because my friends hadn't seen it yet. I fell asleep several times from the jet lag so it's a good thing I'd already seen it.
That's about it for the most part, as far as the first day goes.

As a last word, these posts are more for myself than anything. So that I can remember all of my trip a few years from now. I don't really expect many people to read this. What I have to say isn't that interesting! However, I know there are some of you who wanted to be kept up to date and were interested in reading about my adventures, so I figured this was the easiest way to go about it.
And to those few, thank you! Thanks for letting me share this adventure with you and thanks for wanting to hear about it. I look forward to sharing more with you as my trip progresses.

Cheers then!

First Impressions

My first impressions of the UK (Liverpool to be more specific) are as follows...

They do indeed call strollers "prams"

Apparently, and I quote: 
"You have such skinny squirrels in the states. We have well taken care of squirrels here."

"Cheers" Is another way of saying thanks

Upon landing, the little boy behind me on the plane started singing Frank Sinatra's 
British children are very appropriately musically educated

Calendars here are called "diaries"
(So imagine a grown man saying that he has to go write down a date in his diary...)

I will never get used to driving on the opposite side of the road

I've started thinking in a british accent

They DO have Krispy Kreme here!

While at a craft store today (I mean... come on guys, it's me) I heard Justin Bieber's 
Brits love the Biebs too

It's true what they say about the tea obsession... 

You know how we have TJ Maxx? Well here it's TK Maxx 
I kid you not

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All jokes aside, I'm here safe and sound and I've already had an adventure or two and can't wait to have some more.
Photos to come!

P.s. This is my 300th post and I'm almost at 300 followers!
Craziness. 





Maddie & Taylor

Meet Maddie and Taylor.
Maddie and I have been good friends for quite some time and we have shared many wonderful adventures growing up. We don't get to see as much of each other now a days but every time we do we pick up right where we left off. She is truly a great friend and I love her dearly.
 Her Birthday is coming up and so, after collaborating with her boyfriend Taylor, I drove to Yorktown to surprise her with a lunch date and photoshoot! 
We had such a great time. 
As I mentioned before, it was quite possibly one of my favorite photoshoots that I've ever done.
I mean, when you have models as good looking and cute as these two with a back drop of the beach... How could you not?
See for yourself.
P.s. Aren't their outfits so adorable and nautical? Yea. That wasn't even planned.
Too. Cute.

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I told you they were cute.

Make sure you check out the rest of the photos here!




A Week In Review #3

This week I...

-Was featured in two lovely sponsor posts over on Life as Twiggy and Sea of Blooming Dreams
-Went and saw The Artist. Such a good movie. Very much enjoyed it and I left wishing I could live temporarily in the 20's. So glamorous.
-Went to the eye doctor
-Ate the most ginormous rice krispie treat I've ever seen
-Went to a new Restaurant
-Shared some photos from my trip to Yorktown last weekend
-Discovered a new kind of oreo
-Had last week's tutorial featured on Fabulously Flawed!
-Had a successful photoshoot
-Saw the midnight premier of The Hunger Games (I mean let's be honest, who didn't?)
-Noticed my freckles coming back
-Knit some ties (once I get back from England there's gonna be a big shop update!)
-Wore a kimono
-Tried out some new hairstyles
-Went to the VMFA and enjoyed a nice early morning walk on the first day of Spring
-Did some grocery shopping
-Enjoyed the foggy mornings we had. I love foggy mornings.
-Shared a fun photoshoot! It involves balloons.
-Ate at one of my favorite restaurants: Mekong. If you like Vietnamese you have to go!
-Celebrated one of my brothers Birthday's. I love him dearly.

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How was your week?



Lebs & Mackenzie

Meet Lebs & Mackenzie.
Lebs is my very handsome brother and Mackenzie is his super cute girlfriend.
It was so much fun taking pictures of these two.
They've been dating for quite sometime now and originally we had talked about doing a Valentine's Day photoshoot to celebrate that. But our schedules didn't coordinate until a bit after V-Day so we decided on just a cute little trip to the park instead.
This is the result.
I'm a little bit in love with the turn out.
See for yourself...

 
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Aren't they precious?

Make sure you check out the rest of the photos here!