♥ A walk in London

♥ this shop looks dreamy

This morning I have some wonderful eye candy to share with you.

sass&belle: home accessorises
Have a look at the website. Isn't Sass & Belle just so magical?

It has draemy little homely things and I could probably spend a fortune in it

Here the address:

Sass & Belle Address
Address: 21-22 New Row
Charing Cross
London
WC2N 4LE

♥ drin drin in portobello

Hi all,

I decided to add a yummy post today. I bumped into this fantastic gelateria just last weekend and I was first really impressed about the design of the shop and the graphic they have used about brand, sign, packaging and all paper stuff. After that I couldn't help to taste the icecream and ... it was heavenly! OMG!!! It was so soft, delicate, creamy ... such a delicacy!

DrinDrin is located in the heart of Portobello Market right next door to the Electric Cinema (189 Portobello Road London W11 2ED) and it's open every day till late (11 p.m.).

When I got home I immediately checked thier website and it seems they spent a great deal of time to create recipes from most refined artisanal Italian tradition, the gelato is completely natural. They try to avoid emulsifiers and non-natural thickeners. You can taste gelato or sorbetti as well.

If you are are around don't miss it!!!

Visit also http://www.dridrigelato.com/

♥ cycle hire london

I wanna share with you this new brillian initiative of London' s governament: cycle hire. They are really everywhere and it's reallye asy to take it and ride!!

Well done!

♥ Yoga Session in London

This post to say I found a really cozy and friendly place where I had a really relaxed lession of yoga. I found this thanks a post on secret london.

The centre is called YOGANESH CENTRE and it's neal Benthenal Green tube station. The teacher was so nice and cute, she follewed us on every steps and it has donation based classes!! After my lesson I was totally regenerated!!

Anyway after that I bumped into anothere oh-so-cute venue just on the right of Yoganesh: the gallery cafe: some tables on the terrace outside, a big glasses door and a really cozy atmosphere inside. Yestarday there was a gig as well so I felt totally in love with this small cafe. I looked for some review oon line and it seems quite cool especially on Wednesday and Friday evening but also it's very fancy for the Sunday brunch.

♥ Celebrate 10 Years of Tate Modern

Last weekend it was the festival to celebrate Tate Modern’s 10th anniversary and there was a free arts festival for all in the turbine hall. This event was No Soul For Sale – A Festival of Independents. The festival brought together over 70 of the world’s most exciting independent art spaces, non-profit organizations and artists’ collectives, from Shanghai to Rio de Janeiro.
Here on the rigth some snaps regarding the exibithion I saw, actually all of them were very strange and weird, honestly I couldn't get the properly meanings of everyone. There were also some perfomrances,art events, music, and film. I had 2 hours of really good time.

♥ lovely birds

This afternoon I went down to the city to buy some accessories for my new sweet home. I went to Muji, Butlers and John Lewis. I got losing at John Lewis, 7 floors of everything and trust me you can find there loads of really pretty things at convenience prices but you can spot them out after an hard and scrupulous research, this definitely means you should go there without boyfriend!!

Anyway I found everything I was looking for and also lot of wonderful other thing but I was good and I didn't buy them ... so far! I found so many stunning things on bird theme and I immediatelly felt in love with them! I'm going to be back really soon!! I collected some pictures of them here on the right, are not all these birds so cute and gorgeous? All of them are from John Lewis: you can hang these oh-so-pretty fabric bird decorations or this delicate bird ornament, made just from wire and wood, around the home to brighten your space in summertime.
The metal tealight holder (on the top) is perfect for adding a Victoriana-inspired look to home and of course it can miss a little bird hooked on top. These pretty bird-shaped placecard holder with a silver finish are my favorite after the bed sheets: pastel-coloured, embroidered birds perch prettily on this chic and white bed linen. Girls ... I need to be back there right now and pick them up!!!

♥ last news from London: WHITE CHAPEL GALLERY

My last exploring took this straordinaty gallery: WHITE CHAPEL GALLERY (E1 7QX).

It is a public art gallery on the north side of Whitechapel High Street. Internationally acclaimed for its exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and its pioneering education and public events programmes, the Gallery has premiered international artists such as Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Nan Goldin, and provided a showcase for Britain’s most significant artists from Gilbert & George to Lucian Freud, Peter Doig to Mark Wallinger. Actually all of their exhibitions are quite odd and weird but you can miss it!

♥ secret london

Do you believe this place is in London??! Promise!! I was really surprise when I bumped into this amazing and marine area!! I was walking and looking for a pub to have a beer after work and I found this stunning place (incredible!!!) and also a gorgeous pub. I couldn't stop myself to pop in just a moment and share this only photo I took early, actually my camera battery was empty. Stay tuned I gonna go there tomorrow to take lots of snaps!!

♥ still london

Hi all,
Last week I was really busy looking for e new flat in London. I had lots of viewings after work but also on last Saturday and i took the opportunity to explore some new areas . Moreover, trust me, I saw lots of rubbish and odd properties. I can’t believe there is lots of guys they don’t care about their properties. Some flats are totally dismissed and dirty, in one of them there isn’t the washing machine, in another it misses the couch and on the advertising they say: totally furnished! Honestly I expected to find some s**tty flats. Eventually I found one and it’s amazing! This flat is just renewed and TRULY TOTALLY FURNISHED!

Anyway I was talking about this because all this looking for gave me possibility to discover new areas in London and I was quite surprised because I bumped into 2 really pretty zones: Dalston (E8) and Wapping (E1W).
Dalson is at north-east of Angel and north of Shoreditch, it is an urban area with definite touches of Shoreditch chic - before Shoreditch went the commercial route, that is. I think it a new area for eclectic and stylish people. Anothere amazing area but more residential is Wapping: is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames, it's so nice! Full of docks and boats!! Wapping's proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, such as the Prospect of Whitby and Wapping Stairs. Many of the original buildings were demolished during the construction of the London Docks and Wapping was further seriously damaged during the Blitz. As the London Docklands declined after the Second World War, the area became run down, with the great warehouses left empty. The area's fortunes were transformed during the 1980s by the London Docklands Development Corporation when the warehouses started to be converted into luxury flats. Fantstic!

I wanna show you some great little places I bumped into during my flat viewings:
Dolston Superstore
on Kingsland High Street, the main artery dissecting Dalston. Suited to its surroundings, it’s a confidently cool and slightly camp New York-style dive bar split between two floors, clad in cement, brick and steel vents. It’s enlivened with fluoro flashes, tables for two, graffiti, art installations and in-the-know aural offerings. The long, wooden bar is top and tailed by a DJ booth and an open-plan kitchen. Downstairs, the intimate and dark basement is decorated with graphic illustrations and there are retro televisions on the bar and a corner DJ box. This is a very fashion-conscious, arty place, and the people that come here are in keeping with that. There are lots of gay (and straight) young couples enjoying drinks and larger groups of people gearing up for a night out. I had just a beer and was ok, in terms of food, as well as substantially sized, modestly priced sandwiches, burgers and salads, there’s a daily selection of own-made cakes. Entertainment-wise, I know there are plenty of ants in these pants with regular DJ showcases, exhibitions, launch parties, barn dances and music nights. And of course there’s also free wi-fi.
Opened only last year and has become swiftly known for its eclectic line ups and awesome theme nights.
Location: E8 2PB

Wapping Project
The Wapping Project is a centre for the arts in East London located in the historic Wapping Hydraulic Power Station. A multipurpose exhibition and performance space, the Wapping project features newly commissioned works by visual artists, choreographers, composers, writers, poets, designers and film makers. They have a restaurant and bar. The music policy and atmosphere are surprisingly unpretentious and it has a live, fun, upbeat vibe. However, quirky East End glamorous style is the norm here, so dress to impress. A word of warning: the upstairs bar is heaving by 10.30pm so it’s best to arrive earlier if you want a seat.

Enjoy your weekend!!

♥ City guide: still London

Hi guys, sorry for my absence but I was off and i took all those days to relax myself and try to guess...where ddi i spend the most of them? Exactly, in London! I had really wonderful time!
Here the best things I'd like to share with you:

♥ COCKTAILS SCHOOL @ 69 colebrooke row . We had a classroom on 5 amazing cocktails in this supe cool bar. It's in angel in a nook just off Upper Street.
If you fancy trying some of these unique cocktails then do book one f their Cocktail Masterclasses. Tony Conigliaro and Nick Strangeway are truly the greatest bartenders in the world. Thank you guys, it was great!!!
♥ GORDON'S WINE BAR is the oldest wine bar in London. The atmophire made me wow!!! It buried deep beneath the street where you only can see a suble sign and a really small door. Downstairs is all bare brickwork arches and candlelit tables. Ideal, if you're looking for somwhere to take your first date. It was crowed of drinkers of all ages. You can breathe the love of this unique venue and of good wine.
♥ SUPPER CLUB is a place in Notting Hill just off Portobello Rd, it's quite cool. You can eat, drink and dance there. Honestly it's not my cup of tea, too cool and apparence but it was nice because we spent much time talking randomly on our bed/table, it was pretty relaxeing.
♥ GREENWICH is so cute. I went there on Sunday and i bumped into a sweet market, so nice! G. is crowded of restaurants, caffee, bars and pub and we had a down right English fish&chips. you have to go on the hill and watching the skyline...awesome! Also you can get G through the foot tunnel under the Thames. FYI: It is 1,217 feet in length and approx 50 feet deep. Its original purpose was to allow south London residents to work in the docks on the Isle of Dogs. It was designed by Sir Alexander Binnie and was opened on 4 August 1902 at a cost of £127,000. The tunnel is lined with 200,000 glazed white tiles. It is open 24 hours a day, although the lifts do not always run the full time.
♥ CANARY WHALF is a large office and shopping development in East London really close to Greenwich, actually is a new business district. It's built on the site of the West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs so there are lots of little docks and the atmosphire in the night is quite stunning because there are lots of restaurents on the rivers and the view is great, if you like the skycraper. ok it's not the best place in London of course but if you are around it's worth to have a walk there.

♥ from London

Every time I go to London I love it more and more, Actually nothing special happened (maybe one happened but this is my secret!) I did just lots of Xmas shopping with my friend Cecilia and it was quite excited and really fun, running through many shops, streets, stalls and big chains! But we have reached our goal: to find all Xmas presents!!!

We went to Anthropologies like Suze suggested me in the past days and all things into this shop are so cool and definitely divine! At first the layout is great, so cute and so particular, they take care of everything. The home accessorises are so sweet, lovely and delicate I’d like to buy everything and about dresses? Ah, they are heavenly and dreamy! His style is a perfect mix of country, vintage, cute, French flavor with an accurate pinch of new. It has gone straightly in the top5 of my favorite shops in London.

Where did I find other Xmas presents?
• Cat Kids Bridgewater
• Mark&Spencer
• Papercase
• Selfridges
• Muji
• Agnes b.
• Lots of shop in Lamb’s Conduit Street
• Lots of shop in Angel area

Just a tip and steer about Japan Centre. Their take away shop has moved from Piccadilly to 14-16 Regent Street (SW1Y 4PH) you can eat there on some big wooded tables or you can take away of course, they are still the best sushi in London. Everything cost 50% less after 9 pm. Hurry up!!
This time I had dinner in an Italian restaurant just to get a taste of Italy: I went to Ciao Bella and I had a pizza more tasty than the last pizza I ate in Italy!!! If you missed Italy you would be there. I snoped this very hidden bar whee you can grap a drink after dinner and I promise I drank the most delicious, tasty and grat drink in London, of couse the owner is italian, Tony. He does lots of different and innovative cocktails mixing several and rare flavors such as rose, violet and something similar the perfume channel n°5!! We tasted 3 drinks and all of them was great! A really cool place in Angel, a tiny space, with a capacity of only 40 people, will be identifiable only by a lantern and have no name at all. you can find it looking for 69, the civic number of the street where it is (69 Colebrooke Row (N18AA). Don’t miss it!
At least I’m already planning my next trip to London! It’s better to be addict of London than addict of drugs…

♥ my London's bags:

Hey all of you, sorry for my long absence but my trip in London was really adventure and quite long and after that I was sick too. At least I've not got the wi fi yet in my new and sugary flat (to be honest it's quite strange not having the net but also, at the same time, really "old style"!!, I knitted and read a lot, well done!). Here on the left some of my Londoner purchases: some cds, sugary stickers from Paperchase (I use to buy stikers every time I come to London), scarfs, some Muji's stuff, a fantastic and extra cool plume hairband and ... others. I also bought 2 really divine dresses @ Portobello's Market. I definitely LOVE them. As a very good friend I got some gifts for some special friends too.

My shops' list:

Muji

Cath kidston

Primark

Paperchase

Rough Trade

♥ city guide: London - cool places to leave your mate wordless

Are you looking for some amazing, stunning and quite impressive places in London to grab a drink? Here my top6!

♥ the bar on the top of the tate modern, fantasting in the morning for breakfast time.
♥ vertigo42: ideal for a romantic and sunset drink, all London around you
♥ oxo tower: better for a special dinner
♥ coq d'argent at bank: make me wow!!! a special guy took me here, it was amazing, maybe it's better in hot season! It brings a touch of glamour and style to the City, offers stunning views across the Square Mile. Believe me if you wanna impress someone this is the perfect place to take her/him, believe me!
♥ gordon's wine bar: really posh but always cool
♥ princi: quick sweet stop during the day, just a delicious italian corner in Soho
♥ momos: north african restauran near Regent St, in the basement there is a stunning club, don't miss it!
♥ sketch: lovely club!!

Enjoy your day!! I miss London a lot... gosh!

♥ city guide: London - cute shops

Here I'd like share with you some really cute shops I've discovered in London. When I got them I believed to get crazy, I wanted buy everything .. too much amazing and divine things.

• CATS KIDSTON: is one of the most influential and original design companies to emerge from the UK in recent years. They have accessories, bags, clothings for women, children or babies, fabric, homeware in lots of floral, cute objects or dots prints. Absolutely must to go and buy something!
• EMMA BRIDGEWATER: they made pottery, all their cute products are unique and decorated by hand, and as well as decorating using hand-cut sponges
• POTTERY CAFFE': is a lovely place to relax by emma Bridgewater, you can have a go at creating your own, totally unique piece. I know you will enjoy the experience with your friends as I did!
• MARIMEKKO: Clothes, interior, design
• TWENTY8TWELVE: Clothes
• DAYLESFORD ORGANIC: homewere but also organic food

This is my top6 but the list should be much more long. Visit these stunning shops and then enjoy to discover others by yourself.

♥ cityguide: London in two days - restaurants

London's city guide will take me a lot of time because i lived there 4 months so i actually know quite well it and i had chance to discovere lots of amazing and cool places. In every corners of London you can fins a beautiful place to spend your time to grab a bite or to have a great meal (breakfast, luch, brunch, dinner, all you want!!): bars, restaurants, snacks, lounge area, take away, supermarkets, pub, club and more.

Here my Top10 and they are absolutely "must have":

1. CHA CHA MOON - Chinese Noodle Bar
2. HAKKASAN - Michelin star winning - Cantonese/Chinese
3. DAYLESFORDORGANIC - organic, fresh, seasonal and local food
4. LE FORMAGERIE - Stylish and unconventional Tasting Café
5. LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN - sweet and salt bakery
6. MOMO'S - moroccan -not for food but its so cool!!
7. EAGLE, Farrington Rd - the oldest pub in London
8. ELECTRIC - Portobello Road - Sunday brunch
9. MAROUSH - Lebanese culinary art
10. YAUATCHA - is a very glamorous place - dim sum restaurant, part tea-house and French patisserie

and then: Canteen, St John, Vinoteca, Ottolenghi, Favella chic, Smiths of Smithfield, Ciao bella, Busaba, blablabla...really too much!!!

♥ city guide: London - the best Markets

My purpose of today is to tell you what markets are like in London, I've chosen just some not all market you can find, they are really too much. Keep in mind they are consantly changing and this is why they are so interesting, every visit brings new surprises.The best for me are the followed.

Borough Market - fresh food
Borough Market is an unmissable destination for London food lovers, catering to both top chefs in search of premium ingredients or just freshly prepared mouthfuls of culinary excellence. You'll find cured meats and crème caramel, tapas and fine cheeses – all in a bustling atmospheric setting. Borough Market is a food lovers' favourite free-for-all. This stunning food market offers a vast array of little artisans and difficult-to-find ingredients. The market is a delight for all the senses, and is best enjoyed with a big shopping bag and empty stomach whit those take-away delicius foods, there are a lot of places to grab a bite to eat, stalls cooking take-away food . On Saturday mornings - London Bridge

Columbia Road Flower Market guide - flowers - indipendent shops
With thousands of flowers crammed into one noisy Victorian terraced street, London's Columbia Road Flower Market is a taste of the Old East End. It's also one of the best places in London to pick up blooms and plants and a great way to wake yourself up on a Sunday. Columbia Road is full of cute gift shops. The flowers and plants are some of the best and cheapest. Columbia Road is also home to some of our favourite independent shops in London. It's the ideal place to relax at one of the many coffee shopsthat have sprung up around the street. Close to Brike Lane

Portobello Road Market - antiques - clothes - vintage - food
is a London institution. It's crammed with antique dealers, vintage fashion stalls, new and weird cloths and retro memorabilia but also lots of food stalls. Push on past the meagre pickings after Elgin Crescent and explore the fashion market under the Westway flyover. Best visited on a less-frantic Friday or Saturday morning, it’s here you’ll find fashionistas and frighteningly trendy teens delving through troves of prized vintage, boutique fashion and retro memorabilia. Otherwise, you’ll find them posing in the Portobello Star, the newly refurbished traditional-boozer-meets-chic-cocktail-hangout. If you are going to visit it on Sunday morning you must have brunch there, there are a lot of awesome places where you can have it. I suggest these fantastic ones:

• Electric Cinema (191 Portobello RoadLondon W11 2ED)
• Tom's Delicatessen (226 Westbourne GroveLondon W11 2RH)
• DaylesFordOrganic (208-212 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RH )

A lot of tourists look for that blue door (‘Notting Hill’), well it is in ...

Spitalfields Market - clothes - vintage - food - young designers
In the 2003 Norman Foster redesigns Spitalfields Market (close to Liverpool st) now there's still plenty here to enjoy. On Thursday and Friday you'll find vintage or new fashion, antiques, ethnic or sweet or organic foods, young designer and ... space to breathe, on Sundays you can find everything you want, it's surely crowded. It is the best of markets. It now offers a different shopping experience: shops or stalls, chain restaurants or special ones like Canteen or St John's Bread. On one side lies an arcade of smart shops and eateries bordered with orderly market stalls (Spitalfields), and on the other, a cross section of stalls crammed into Old Spitalfields, the last remaining portion of the original market. A. Gold (42 Brushfield StreetLondon E1 6AG) is a little shop where you can taste or buy a variety of traditional British foods including cheeses, meats, teas, beers, wines, dairy products, biscuits and cakes, confectionery, condimentsoriginal and the best sandwiches around Spitalfields I've never had. They also bake a really special brown cake, the best I've never tasted!

Brick Lane Market - clothes - vintage - food - young designers - bric à brac
Brick Lane Market is where Eastern promise meets East End chaos, it the Bangladeshi area. As well as bric-a-brac and fruit and veg, you can now pick up everything from retro furniture to vintage jewellery or young designer's items, they sell directly to the pubblic, and stolen stuff too!! Brick Lane Market is growing faster, there are lots of independent boutiques like Laden Showroom (Independent designers shop. A wide range of womenswear, menswear and accessories including hats, jewellery, bags, belts and shoes, Victoria "Posh" Beckam is his devoted client!). The Old Truman Brewery, about half way up Brick Lane, is now home to a lively media / fashion / arts scene, with the buildings converted to studios and workspace, there is an indoor market too. An other indoor area is Backyard Market, it's a parking adapted into a market space on Sunday. There are lots of nice and weird places to grab coffee or a bite of handmade cakes or to have drink or meal in the afternoon. Get up on a Sunday to explore one of London's most successful local markets. If you fancy a Sunday curry this is the right place. Here some cozy places:

Vibe bar
Chili Pepper
Brick Lane Beigel Bakery (the oldest bakery in this area, really cheap and 24h opened, lots of celebrity use to go there to grab a night bite)

Thai Supermarket (you can find all thai flavours and foods)

♥ city guide: London & the first 2 hours

Last years I spent almost 4 months in London for work and I've definitely fallen in love with it! It's quite easy, I know!! Am in LOVE with London. First step: listen this tune and fall in love with London such as me: London Calling By The Clash
I'd love give you some tips about the City. I decided to post some different news, here I advice you what you can do in London just arrived there! Go to the pub!!!! Out of joke here some tips:

♥ To get the city from Stansted airport you have a lot of chances but the cheapest (£9) is by Transavision bus, up to every 30 min and it takes 55 min to reach Liverpool St. The fastest is The Stansted Express, it runs every 15 minutes and reaches Liverpool St in 45 minutes (£18).
♥ Hotels, I LOVE this so cute, cozy and family and cheap Hotel: Celtic Hotel in Russel Square (WC1N1DD).It's very confortable, just restroctured and in a really nice area. If you are looking for some more nice place is suggest you The Zatter (http://www.thezetter.com/), i stayed there with my ex boyfriend ... trust me it was amazing!!! Anyway its important to find the hotel in zone 1, surely better if its close to tube stations.
♥ Transport: moving in london is really easy by tube, bus or cab. Buy the Oystercad, it's London's travel smartcard, add money to it so you can pay as you go on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services. The aim is to ensure that Oyster always charges the lowest fare.
♥ Now get the closest rubbish pub to your hotel and enjoy your first beer in London such as a londoner!!