Ho, bloody, ho.

the perfect ornaments. 

tea and coffee festival @ southbank centre

best way to let the sugar and caffeine addiction run rampant: the tea and coffee festival (which really turned out to be a dessert festival). 

My favorite vendor, Outsider Tart. Planning on visiting their store before leaving for the states to stock up on sustenance during the long flight. 

 A pumpkin brownie from Outsider Tart. Twas my first pumpkin dessert of the holiday season and certainly not the last. 

 Another christmas fair that popped up along Southbank Centre!

Winter Wonderland @ Hyde Park

best place to ring in the christmas season: england (and apparently, germany). coming to london has opened my eyes to many things, including the fact that the british and the germans take christmas extremely seriously. i suppose this isn't surprising since both seem to excel at delicious hot drinks, such as mulled wine, mead, "special" hot chocolate; hearty meat dishes; and rich desserts. in the past couple of weeks, christmas fairs and outdoor ice skating rinks have been popping up all over town. the lovely P recently visited and we went to the christmas fair in hyde park.

Nick Mulvey @ the London Jazz Festival

ben l'oncle soul's opening act, nick mulvey, was the aesthetic opposite of the main act. this native londoner had a very simple, jose gonzalez-esque sound and something i'm much more used to. i loved it. 

no pictures, but his music can be found here. Highly recommend "venus come to share"

Ben l'Oncle Soul @ the London Jazz Festival

best dancing, singing, and sartorial inspiration: ben l'oncle soul. had the opportunity to check out his november 12th show at queen elizabeth hall in the southbank centre.  he was the definition of "electrifying." in addition to singing a bunch of original songs, he did some wonderful covers of the white stripes, prince, marvin gaye, and gnarles barkley. (sorry for the low quality photos. my questionable photography skills + boyfriend's intense choreography = blurriness)

Perhaps his most famous cover, "Seven Nation Army": 

hot chocolate + sweets = happy jen

best place to end the day: fleet river bakery. This lovely corner of the earth happens to be hosting a hot chocolate festival this month for which each day a different hot chocolate flavor (white chocolate, toasted hazelnut, coconut, etc) is served. i've found that attempts to stop by and "check out" the flavor of the day usually end up with me 2.5 pounds poorer and 5 minutes late to class (but oh sooo happy!) 

a kitchen with a view

\

food for thought

best place to get my "responsible eater" on: food for thought. with a menu that changes daily, amazing desserts (there shall be an entire post devoted to the fruit scrunchy quite shortly), and most dishes around 4 pounds,  this vegetarian restaurant has become a favorite. 

mixed salad

a friend's scone! mmhm. 

chocolate covered everythings

best way to stay connected to cali: continue my obsessions across the pond. back home, i was in a committed relationship with chocolate covered expresso beans. here, i have started seeing (quite seriously, might i add) chocolate/yogurt covered banana chips, chocolate covered hazelnuts, and chocolate/yogurt covered brazil nuts. i think it might be love

 heaven

my soulmate(s)

some of my favorite creatures and creepers

california love: i love london, but oh how i wish that i was back home with my homes sharing some s'mores bars and stories on this night

mulled wine

best way to fend off the cold: mulled wine. thanks to the cold weather, mulled wine is becoming as prevalent as mayonnaise. highly appreciated.

mulled wine sold near tower bridge

borough market

best place to wander around in london: borough market. one of things i appreciate most about my location is how close it is to this farmers' market. the entire place makes me homesick for sf and the pride that people have in advocating for sustainable food systems. it's a wonderful place to just get lost and explore. still quite different from markets in sf, though: less emphasis on environmentally friendly growing methods and organic foods. much more beer, sweets, and meat. funny how different farmers markets really highlight differences in community tastes and values.

here are some scenes from this morning:

i live in the front left hoof! 

working (it) out

cheap therapy: walking to/from school to my flat/hobbit hole has turned out to be the best way to clear my mind and get some "exercise" in. every day the walk is equal parts tiring and surreal.

a view of the thames

 my hood. very diagon alley. note the starbucks at the corner. 

card sold at the local convenience store. i kinda love it?

hey halloumi

worst discovery for mediterranean food addiction: halloumi cheese. chewy and salty, it rivals feta in its tastiness. something (my belly) tells me this is where my future pounds (in two senses) will be going:

halloumi on my falafel burger

New Look

best discovery of the week (thanks D!): new look, an electro synth pop duo from Canada. moody and danceable. perfect.

"The Ballad"

Robyn

latest girl crush: robyn. who could resist this adorable swede? her pop escape is making this a swift recovery.

Performing "Call your girlfriend" on Ellen. That backflip!

"Indestructible"

"Time Machine"

Illustrated Book Poster

bought a sheet of wrapping paper covered with illustrated books and decided to use it in my room as decoration. it's kinda fun.