Winter Wonderland

London during the festive season is beautiful. 

All the streets in Central London are covered in lights and there is so many things to see and do. 

It truly is spectacular.

Just before Christmas my Frenchy and I decided to explore London by night and see how beautiful this city is. We ended up at Winter Wonderland.

Located at Hyde Park, there is kilometres and kilometres of things to see and do at the Park. So where to start? It's nice to stroll around the different markets so why not enjoy a hot cup of steaming mulled wine while you do?

Mulled wine is a traditional European drink enjoyed during the festive season. It's made from red wine and seasoned with spices. For me, it was an acquired taste! It took a few mouthfuls until I started enjoying it. As it was cold outside, I chose to enjoy my mulled wine, steaming hot!

Once you have your mulled wine or other beverage of choice, it's a great time to explore the markets. Here you can find gifts for yourself or even your loved ones. Now that Christmas is over, it's nice to treat yourself. There is lots of unique jewellery, handmade leather goods and much much more. You'll be sure to find something.

There is also so many activities to do at Winter Wonderland. You can play sideshow games, go ice skating, explore the ice kingdom and for the adults, you can go to Bar Ice for a chilling drink. Some activities require pre booked tickets so plan ahead.

After the many activities, it's time for some food. Upon exploration of the Park, there are many food stands to choose from. You can have your pick from German sausages, burgers, fries and for the sweet tooth, you can enjoy waffles or French crepes! There is even a bon fire where you can enjoy roasted marshmallows!

Winter Wonderland is a great place for everyone. You can enjoy a romantic evening walking around the park with your loved one and even the whole family. All this fun is only a short 5 minute walk to Hyde Park Corner tube station!

If you haven't explored Winter Wonderland yet, you definitely should! But be quick, they close the doors on the 3rd of January!

To see more posts from my time in London, follow the link here.

All I want for Christmas is shoes...

Christmas is a time to spend with your family, eat lots of food and if you are forunate, exchange gifts with your loved ones. Whilst I value anytime with my family as precious and priceless, I do also love getting presents.... I mean, who doesn't?

For me, my gift this year is exploring the other side of the world with my Frenchy but a girl can dream about overflowing stockings and mountains of presents under the tree.

And being a shoe-a-holic, all I want for Christmas.... is shoes! 

During my short time in London, I've been exploring different London stores, coveting the different shoes and dreaming of the time I'll be able to afford the pretty shoes.

So, I've compiled my London shoe wish list by budget.

Under £100

This has been a difficult month for me. Settling in to London has been rough and getting back into work, well, I've had to make some adjustments! And I've had to budget my money and stop buying shoes! *insert gasp here* But by lowering my budget, I've discovered some reasonably priced shoes here in London... 

Especially at Zara. 

I am currently coveting these elasticated black ankle boots for just £30 ($62). I love the simplicity of them, the chunky heel and the tapered toes. The perfect shoes for everyday!

Elasticated ankle boots
Image via the Zara website

Under £200

I have a weakness for black suede, high heels and strappy sandals, so when I discovered these caged 'Gracie' heels by Carvela, I was obsessed immediately. They are made of suede, they are strappy and they have a 11cm high heel. Perfection.

What's not to love for just £120 ($250).

Gracie caged heels by Carvela
Image via the Kurt Geiger website

Under £500

How amazing would these heels be for a New Years Eve party? I looooooooove these Anouk pumps by Jimmy Choo! I love the classic pointed toe, the gold sparkles and the high heels of course. I spend a lot of my spare time window shopping in Selfridges and when I saw these, I wanted them for this upcoming party season!

Jimmy Choo Anouk heels
Image via the Selfridges website

Coming in under £500, these heels are the perfect party companion for just £425 ($879).

And 

Break the bank £££...

The best thing about Winter is the fashion and I'm currently obsessed with these grey suede 'Lowland' long boots by Stuart Weitzman. I've seen them all over Pinterest for the passed year but when I saw them at Russell & Bromley, I fell in love all over again.

At £595 ($1232), these boots are sure to break the bank but the versatility is totally worth it!

Stuart Weitzman 'Lowland' boots
Image via the Russell & Bromley website

While I am still crazy obsessed with fashion and footwear, this year for Christmas, I would trade all the shoes in my collection, just to spend the day with my family on the other side of the world.

Merry Christmas to you all!
May your day be happy and prosperous with the special people in your life!

Top 5 tips for surviving London on a budget

A lot of people complain about how expensive my home city of Perth is to live... Well, I have to say, London is even more expensive! And when you haven't earned your pounds yet... It's seems like you have a money pit draining from your wallet.

So here are my top 5 tips for surviving London on a budget.

1. Everthing is more expensive in Central London, so find accommodation further out into the suburbs. While this is a catch 22, you'll spend more money on commuting, you'll save money on accommodation, surrounding bars, restaurants and supermarkets. The benefits sure outweigh the negative.

2. Don't be afraid to shop at the cheaper supermarkets. There is an amazing place, I have only just discovered, called Poundland! Everything is only 1 pound... Amazing right? It's a good place to stock up on your toiletries,  non perishables and other basic supplies. It's a place where you can buy non branded products so you aren't paying for the label.

3. In the 1st point, I said it can get expensive when you commute into Central London, but you can buy Travelcards for the London transport system. This will be Zone specific so you'll pay a less amount if you stay within your Zone options. Just remember to stay within your selected Zones otherwise you'll pay a penalty!

4. If you are thirsty at a restaurant, ask for a glass of tap water not bottled water. The price for bottled water in a restaurant is ridiculously over priced. If you ask for tap water in a restaurant, they legally have to give it to you. Save your pounds for wine and drink the free tap water!

5. Don't take taxis in this city! It's definitely only for the rich and frivolous! If you miss the last train, don't forget about the many, many night buses you can take. It will be so much cheaper and it will be during the off-peak time so it will be even cheaper.

I am still settling in to London life, what are your money saving tips for surviving London?

Check out more from my London Series.

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My true passion

My true passion lies in the pages of Vogue magazine.

The glossy pages have me coveting the latest designer fashion, falling head over heels for the most beautiful shoes and dreaming of the moment I can afford the luxury.

I love my current life. Travelling with my Frenchy is amazing. I love visiting and exploring new places and I love the life lessons that go with it. But sometimes, I wish I could settle back into my old life, surrounded by my 200 pairs of shoes, without the responsibilities.

But, I recently found a great way, I can have a taste of both worlds.

Before leaving France, I applied for a position as the Clothing Specialist for a busy London company. I was fortunate to be the successful candidate for the position. 

Now, every day at work, I get to meet and style new customers in the latest fashion, I get to learn about the fashion industry in one of the fashion capitals of the world and I get to do it all in a new city. On my way home from work, I stumble upon little London bars and restaurants, sample different cuisines and discover great places to shop in this big city.

So what do my duties include as a Clothing Specialist in London?

While I'm still in training for the Company, I style new and returning customers in luxurious, high quality fashion and accessories. I also get the privilege to see all the new products for the upcoming season, before we release them in stores. This means I get to create new outfits and style the latest fashions before they hit the streets.

The ultimate reward for me! :)

I'm still finding my way in the Company and developing my position, but for now it's a great way to be surrounded by fashion for one of London's biggest companies, while still exploring more of the world.

What is your true passion?

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Top 5 things I'd love to change about London

I've been in London for officially one month now and while I am still in the honeymoon stage of our new relationship, there are some things that I'd love to change about London.

So I've compiled a list of the top 5 things I'd love to change about London, to make sure we have a long and happy relationship for the future!

1. This is one seriously expensive city. And when I say seriously expensive, I mean, it's really, really expensive. If you are planning on moving to London to work and save (like me!), don't expect the saving part to happen right away. Whilst, I still love this place, it costs more than 10 pounds a day, to travel into Central London and rent costs almost your entire pay cheque, it takes some serious work hours to make ends meet.

2. You will feel like a tiny little ant when you are in Central London and you will be forever getting out of the way of crazy shoppers. There are so many people here. It's a highly populated place which is permanently hustling and bustling. If you are someone who hates really busy places, London isn't for you.

3. You will never, ever get a seat on the Tube during peak hour. Now as a young person, I know I shouldn't complain about standing on the tube for 20 minutes but when you work on your feet all day.... It's nice to be able to sit down during your commute.

4. You will work many, many hours in this city. While you may work a traditional 9 hour day, it will feel like an extremely long day when you add your commute to and from your work. If you are like me and can't afford living in Central London, you may be based in Zone 3 or 4, which makes your working day feel so much longer.

5. The city goes dark by 4pm. The first day in the city, I was in shock that the streets were in total darkness before I had my afternoon coffee! Seriously, why?

So, while I am super excited to discover a new city, I can see this being one of those love/hate relationships. 

Check back next week for more on the London Series.

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5 months away...

My holiday is well and truly over now!

I've been very fortunate to spend 4 months in France, travelling around the country and living in my Frenchy's hometown of Angers. While I had an amazing time which I will forever remember, it's nice for my life to have more structure here in London.

Since the age of 14, I've been working. I worked casually while in high school and University and then full time once I graduated. And during my 11 years of professional experience, I barely took any holidays.

So for me to take an extended holiday was a shock to the system! 

It was difficult for me to have no structure or purpose to my life. But now that I'm in an english speaking country, working hard, I feel more like myself.

So what is next for me and my Frenchy?

While it's our goal to work hard and save some money, we still want to travel and explore new places here in Europe.

Our next destination will be somewhere I can see and feel snow. Living in Australia, I wasn't lucky enough to experience snow. The only time I saw snow, I was 4 years old. I have a few pictures and a short video of me in the snow but I was too young to remember it and properly experience it. So, after Christmas time, we will save our money and plan our snowy escape!

For now, I am settling into my new position as the Clothing Specialist for a busy London store, our future aspiration is to take mini vacations around Europe, while continuing to earn and save our money.

For us, we have no time limit on London. If we love it here and find a successful work/life balance, we will work hard towards our future careers while enjoying much needed vacations in between.

To follow my 4 month vacation in France (and surrounding countries) click here for the full details.

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