How to spend 48 hours in London

Palace of Westminster

What do you do if you have 48 hours to spare in London? There's literally so much to do and see there that one can barely fit it all into a week, much less 2 days. London is best explored on foot. It's like cracking open a Kinder egg. You never know what'll surprise you just around the corner. A house that Mozart once lived in. The ornate designs of a building.  A row of terraced houses in varying pastel cotton candy hues. It's a city where historical buildings intermingle with modern architecture, sometimes rather disharmoniously and at other times, the stark contrast may amaze you.

For me, the sight of the magnificent Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster just as I get out of Waterloo station never fail to leave me a little awestruck. A stroll along South Bank is perhaps one of my favorite things to do when I have a few hours to myself in London.







South Bank

The café on the top floor of the Tate Modern has a sweeping view of St Paul's Cathedral. It's a great spot to rest your weary legs, enjoy a hot cup of coffee while gazing at the spectacular view right in front of you.

Shakespeare's Globe theatre is only a hop and a skip away and if you're a foodie, the Borough market which has been in existence for nearly a thousand years is a popular choice. I wanted to push on to get another close up view of the Tower Bridge but St Paul's Cathedral beckoned instead. I managed to dash in just in time for their 10:15am Choral Mattins.





Outfit: Zara coat, Uniqlo sweater, Frame Denim Le Garcons jeans (on sale here and here), Charlotte Olympia Kitty flats and Hermes Garden Party TPM bag.








Fournier St

After the morning service, I had a sudden desire to explore East London, a part of the city that I rarely visit. How shall I put it?  While West London (Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge etc) is like the obedient child - all spiffy, polished and proper who minds her Ps and Qs, East End London is a rebel. One who's an individual and cares little about conventions. It's unashamedly gritty but there are pockets of the area that are fashion forward, edgy and yes, even pretty.

The charming terraced houses on Fournier St and Princelet St, a short walk from Spitalfields Market with their colorful shutters have a certain rustic Provençal charm to them.







National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery is served by 3 tube stations (Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Charing Cross) that are an easy walk away. I remember being held spellbound by the paintings at National Portrait Gallery on my very first visit there more than 18 years ago. For someone who simply can't draw even if a person puts a knife to my throat, I find it amazing how the artists could paint such luminous skin just the way the light would fall on the face.

Hunger pangs reminded me that no matter how beautiful art is, my stomach rules. I went in search for a bowl of ramen over at Soho before heading to Amba Hotel Marble Arch where I'd be spending the night.






Amba Hotel Marble Arch

I woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning. I can tell you that it was no mean feat for I've been a night owl all my life. The stupendous view of floating baubles above Oxford Street with the gradient pink sunrise in the background was totally worth the agony of having to forcibly peel my eyelids back.

I'm sure a few passersby bagged an eyeful of this crazy unkempt hotel guest with her arms stretched as far out of the window as possible to get a shot of this view. #crazyphotographer. Be sure to ask for a room with a view if you plan to stay at Amba Hotel Marble Arch.







I asked for room service as I preferred not to scare fellow guests while clad in my PJs and face devoid of any make up. It was a nice change, scarfing down a large breakfast while peering out the window and watching the world go by. There was never a dull moment on Oxford Street as hundreds pounded the street even in the wee hours of the morning and dozens of double decker buses roared past. The windows and walls are so well insulated and soundproofed that I couldn't hear a squeak.







I tend to travel light as I don't normally check in till late. That means I would be walking for miles with a bag over my shoulder. My overnight bag for the past few years has been my trusty Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere 35cm.

I'm not big on make up but I do love Laneige BB cream cushion (I wear #21 Natural Beige), Laura Mercier brow powder (U.S here), Bobbi Brown blusher (U.S here), Laura Mercier concealer (U.S here), Bioderma Créaline (which I'd tipped some into a small travel bottle), Shu Uemura lash curler, MAC eye shadow (which is all broken up. Argh. It's mostly used as a highlighter), Lancome Hynôse Drama mascara (U.S here), Lancome eyeliner, NARS eye primer and Moroccanoil. I've also picked up quite a lot of REN skincare and Apivita samples over the years which are great for short trips. They take up little space in my bag and I toss them in a bin when they're finished.







My room came equipped with a Nespresso machine and several capsules as well as an electric kettle if I wanted to make myself a cup of tea or hot chocolate. I did a little jig around the room the minute I clapped my eyes on that coffee machine. I simply can't function in the morning without a good cup of coffee and no, instant coffee powder doesn't cut it. There was a mini bar tucked away in the cupboard with complimentary water, soft drinks and snacks.

I hit the shower (LOVE their monsoon shower) and got ready to check out. Thankfully, Marble Arch tube station is just 2 minutes away as my legs were a little stiff after walking for miles the day before.





Saatchi Gallery and King's Road

These photos of Chanel Mademoiselle Privé exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery were taken a few weeks prior to this trip but I thought I'd sneak them in. I love Duke of York Square, the area surrounding the Saatchi Gallery with its water jets sprouting from the ground, the Saturdays market and King's Road. Shopping along King's Road is always a pleasant affair. The pace is never frantic as few tourists ever venture this way.








Natural History Museum

I did a little detour to the Natural History Museum to take a peek at the skating rink and carousel. They were gearing up for the Christmas countdown. The garden was transformed into a mini winter wonderland which at a glance, looked like something out of a fairy tale book.

While the Natural History Museum may be Lil L's favorite museum, mine's the V&A which is a minute away. I've been to both multiple times but there's still so much to see.








Farm Girl, Notting Hill

South Kensington tube station is conveniently located opposite Natural History Museum. The circle line took me all the way to Notting Hill Gate and from there, it was a 10 minute walk to Farm Girl café. I've been dying to check out the new and much hyped Farm Girl cafe, hidden inside a little alleyway off the busy Portobello Road. Yes, the coffee there costs far more than anywhere else I'd been to. It's one of a handful of cafés that will actually use almond milk in their hot beverages. Lately, I have developed an allergy to milk. A spoonful of milk will reduce me into a quivering wreck with severe abdominal pain that'll last for several days.

There were quite a few gluten free options (whew!) and a new revelation. Frying Burford brown eggs in coconut oil. Absolutely D-I-V-I-N-E. I decided to try matcha latte with almond milk with much trepidation. I'm not much of a tea drinker but caved in when they agreed to do a little latte art in the shape of Bronté, the owner's French Bulldog. Spirulina with matcha takes a little getting used to.

My 48 hour jaunt to London was short and sweet. Sadly, it was time to head home on the hour long journey back to Winchester.


I was a guest of Amba Hotel Marble Arch. Do check out their website for more information. 

Black Friday Sales 2015

It seems like we've embraced the American culture of Black Friday and Cyber Monday with great gusto. Here are some of the great deals happening this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and readers in the U.S. One of these days, I've got to try pumpkin pie. It's a completely alien concept for me to put pumpkin in a tart but hey, there's always a first time!

Discounts on basics at Uniqlo

Get 30% off at Boden with discount code 3Y7L

Get 20% off at Selfridges with discount code SELFCCE

15% off everything at Feel Unique with discount code BLACKFRIDAY15

20% off everything at ASOS with discount code CYBER

Up to 80% off over at Elyse Walker.

Explore The Cotswolds: Chipping Campden and Bourton-On-The-Water

After spending an entire day at the sleepy village of Bibury, we checked into our room, a last minute booking on AirBnB. The spotlessly clean (and new) room and a bathroom all to ourselves cost me a grand total of £35. Yup. That's it. After a hurried breakfast, we set off on our journey for the next Cotswolds village on my list - Chipping Campden.

The skies had turned grey with ominous clouds on the horizon. It was barely 12.30pm but it was already getting dark. The drizzle had turned into a downpour. Chipping Campden is an affluent and bustling market town with nary a spot in sight to park my compact rental car. I felt like I'd stepped into a Barbour advert seeing that's the preferred attire here. Jodhpurs were a common sight too.





We were getting wetter and colder by the minute as we trudged up and down the streets looking for a café with an appealing menu. Lil L and I finally agreed on Huxley's, a gastro pub-cum-café housed in a 500 year old building with a large open fireplace. It's small and packed to the gills with regulars where the staff pretty much knew everyone by name. We perched ourselves by the fire because frankly speaking, we looked like drowned rats and this was the quickest route to get dry and warm.

My beef casserole was fantabulous. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender, infused with guinness ale after hours of stewing.  Lil L waxed lyrical about her mushroom on toast. We had to hurry along to our next destination - Bourton-on-The-Water.

Well. When it rains, it pours. I'm talking about torrential downpour here. We ended up huddling inside the car at the parking lot as the rain came down hard and fast. We had a moment of respite so we dashed out and did the world's fastest sight-seeing in the history of mankind. And then ran into Smith's of Bourton to seek shelter and enjoy their famed cakes. The lime and coconut cake was divine. I rarely if ever walk into a tearoom decorated with all things chintz (I'm allergic to floral prints). It was such a novelty experience......for me anyway to be in a proper old fashioned tea room, drinking tea instead of tossing back cups of coffee and surrounded by floral prints.

Too bad about the weather. Guess we'll have to make our way back again to The Cotswolds.

Breakfast, manicure and massage with Yawn London

I received an invitation to a leisurely breakfast in Pimlico, courtesy of Yawn London. It's hard to turn down food, a neck massage and manicure along with some decent company. Talking to kids all day can make your brain go a little wonky and I don't mean in a good way.

I'm always paranoid of being late as getting around London can be a logistical nightmare. More so if you're missing the inbuilt satnav DNA in your body like me. Surprisingly, I arrived with plenty of time to spare so I decided to wander around the pretty streets of Pimlico. The council workers were in the process of installing Christmas lights and attaching mini Christmas trees to street lamps. There were so many pretty terraced houses to ogle. I thought I'd take a peek at a nearby realtor's office to check out the listings in the area. Bad idea. Where's that weak-kneed/light-headed emoji when you need one?






The breakfast was held at No.11, a spacious and airy cafe with plenty of armchairs and sofas which looked so inviting that one may have trouble extricating themselves after a coffee or two. The neutral decor with splashes of pastels gave off a sense of serenity making it a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle outside.

It was such a pleasant surprise to bump into Christina (check out her fabulous Instagram account) who always left such sweet comments on my IG feed. Her sunny and positive disposition certainly put a smile on my face despite having little sleep the night before.





Alice Whiteley, co-founder of Yawn along with her team, Charlotte and Tamara were so welcoming that they'd instantly put their guests at ease. Three years ago, Alice was a successful business management consultant as well as a mom of 3 who led an incredibly hectic life. She'd stumbled upon the idea of producing her own line of quirky but comfortable sleepwear by accident while out shopping for pajamas.

Finding none that ticked all the boxes, she'd set about putting wheels in motion. She flew to India to source fabrics and worked with a team to design the print while simultaneously holding down a full time job and juggling mommy duties. Let's pause here for a second as I feel rather exhausted just thinking how she managed it all.







All their prints are hand drawn and custom made just for them. The cashmere blend socks are absolutely divine and kept my feet toasty warm during cold autumn days. Believe it or not, I've only ever worn old raggedy sweats and t-shirts so it's been bliss having a set of proper pyjamas to slip into at night. The brand's all about relaxation which is something we tend to forget to do in our ever fast paced lives where we try to cram more into 24 hours than ever before.

Yawn pyjamas are now stocked online as well as in various independent boutiques throughout the U.K and Europe.