London calling!

So here I am in London town, just as bustling as usual, I am currently trying to write while siting in a very trendy bar at St Martins Lane hotel listening to a lovely african man play the drums to very cool music - so excuse any mistakes it is loud in here but they have wifi!

I think I have been walking around dreaming of the sunshine in Stockholm today as it is 18 degrees and raining here :( 2 days shopping, first day was an adventure in Islington and Shoreditch but one wrong turn and a dodgy map and I ended up discovering the estates of Hackney - 30 minutes of walking later I finally found a bus to take me closer to where I was meant to be! I have been mastering the london buses this trip!

Above are a few shots of the stores in islington, a gorgeous store called "Loop" specialising in very impressive knitting yarns and patterns, I was blown away - the girls where so nice and it could even make me think about picking up the needles again! The store next door named "SMUG" a small and unique homewares collection with a cool name in a very cute pedestrian walkway full of antique stores. And then the super cool store of Abigal Ahern, a moody black store with oversized items and lushly coloured flowers - stunning! 

Second day out and about and I started off with the elegance of Harrods! a store that somehow manages to be perfect and beautiful each visit even with the hundreds of thousands of tourists who flock through it each year. How I'd love to see AURA in Harrods (you may be seeing a pattern here:) Now if you have some spare cash below are a couple of gems worth considering, a big rock of Amethyst at 22kilos and a giant Pyrite from Peru weighing in at 100kilos and on sale for 10,999 pounds! Only at Harrods! 

The new Paul Smith kids collection on display in Harrods windows, it is amazing to be able to travel the world and see all of this wonderful retail! Harrods and Oxford Street definately defies the suggestion that retail is slow - these stores are so busy its crazy! 

Anthropology in The Kings Road - how I love Anthropologie - this store is amazing, always inspiring and fresh - each time I visit I am just overcome - strange I know but there isnt much else like it in the world really and this Kings Road store is fabulous, I could just stay in there and admire all day! 

Above, is a wishing pond in Anthropologie and below a lovely display of green ceramics in a garden rotunda I guess youd say. Now I dont know any other store with their own pond??

Another bus ride and the window of the Regent street store above (sadly closed - 8pm is just too early in a city with so many stores!!) anyway very sore feet and on to my ridiculously cool hotel past the beautiful Liberty store and a few happy tourists and locals in Soho- every night in London seems like Friday night! 

Hard to say goodbye to a beautiful hotel like this! So until next time good old London town now on to the most romantic city in the world for some more shopping! x