Stonehenge, Bath, & Windsor Castle

This weekend I took to the touristy side of things and did a tour of Stonehenge, Bath, And Windsor Castle. All three of these stops had something to offer, but I think one of my favorites was Stonehenge. I love the mystery behind the giant monument. Despite the pouring rain, my roommate and I were still in awe. Stonehenge is something I have always seen in pictures, but to be standing right next to it was quite exciting. I can't imagine how the monument came to be, the rocks are nothing short of enormous. My second favorite spot was Bath. The architecture was stunning. It was all inspired by Roman architecture and I only wish we had more time to spend there. We did walk through the Roman Baths, which was so crazy to think that they were used daily so many years ago. It was a long journey, but I am so glad we took the day to see all of these monuments.

Alexander McQueen at the V&A

By far one of my most favorite museum excursions has been the Alexander McQueen exhibit. McQueen pushed the limits of fashion and left a longstanding mark on the world of fashion. As I was walking through the exhibit it was so interesting to learn about all of the inspirations he had for his designs. One thing I loved about McQueen is that he wasn't just putting on a fashion show, but almost a walking art installation. There was so much thought and creativity behind all of his pieces and his catwalks. Being able to see all of his designs up close is definitely a chance that I will probably not get again any time soon. I also enjoyed the jewelry exhibit in the V&A and sitting in the grandiose courtyard surrounded by beautiful bright purple hydrangeas. The V&A is unlike any museum I have ever been too, but the first I would go back too.

Dalston Type Safari

This past week we took a journey to Dalston for a type safari. I didn't quite know what to expect, but I was very satisfied with the outcome. I really enjoyed learning about all of the different types and what they conveyed about the building you were about to enter. I was never aware that something as simple as what font was used on a sign could have such an impact on the consumer. One of my favorites was the Radio City Music Hall style sign. It was nice too see that there is some American influence in the land of the Brits. The tour really gave me a new outlook on how to use fonts and really think about what I want to convey when creating something.

Howth, Ireland

This past weekend five other girls and I ventured to Ireland. We all had a wonderful time hanging out in the pubs and visiting the countryside. On Saturday we took the train just twenty five minutes outside of Dublin to the wonderful fishing village of Howth. The views of the green hills and Irish Sea were more than I had imagined. It was so nice to get a change of scenery from the hustle and bustle of London to the picturesque views of Ireland. Along the way we found various maps to help guide us through the town. One of my favorites looked like it was hand drawn and had a sort of whimsical feel too it. I feel like it went along with the vibe of the town. It also put everything very simply and was easy to read. Another map we found showed the coast line and all of the fish that could be found. It was located along the marina next to all of the sail boats and fishing boats. We loved our day spent in Howth and I only wish we could have spent more time exploring the countryside, but I am sure that I will be able to go back someday. Fingers crossed!

A Day at the Races

Ascot. A Modern British Class. Our day at the horse races has definitely been one of my favorites so far. This event was so distinctly British and I have never experienced anything like it before. I loved seeing everyone all dressed up and looking nice. We had perfect weather for the day and I never knew how exciting horse racing could be! Everything about Ascot was so chic and posh, even the signage and branding. All of the signs were blue with white print. The Ascot logo uses a modern typeface, and goes perfectly with the Ascot theme. All of the signs that were directing visitors were also blue with a simple white type, making them simple and easy to read. Overall, it was quite a lovely day indeed. I hope that I have the chance to go back for another day at the races.

Neal's Yard, Covent Garden

Last Tuesday my roommate and I took advantage of our day off and took to adventuring around London. We decided to explore the area of Covent Garden. The area is full of shops, restaurants, and brick lanes. After wandering for a while we stumbled upon a secret ally called Neal's Yard. After walking down the alley it opens up into a beautiful and colorful courtyard. The design of the courtyard was completely opposite of the rest of Covent Garden. Covent Garden was mostly brick buildings, and Neal's Yard was incredibly bright and colorful with flowers on all of the buildings. I think one of our accomplishments of the day was managing to finish a twenty inch pizza in a restaurant called Home Slice in Neal's Yard. It most definitely was not our intention, but holy cow this pizza was delicious so we figured we would just power through. We walked enough in one day, so we could splurge a little right? We had so much fun seeing this part of London and have gone back since. It's a charming and quaint place in the city.

Exmouth Market

In With The Old 

Sunday afternoon my roommate Emily and I decided to do our usual stroll through a market. On the rainy Sunday we made our way to Exmouth Market, one little street tucked away in Finsbury. As we were walking we came along an adorably unique store called In With The Old,  Purveyors and Makers of Quality Hand-Crafted Products Made in London. This store was the epitome of Anthropologie, but all of the merchandise was made in London. The design of the store was simple, and had the same rustic feel as Anthropologie. On my way out I grabbed a few of the stores marketing materials. The logo for the store is simple, elegant, and gives a good depiction of what the store is about. The design on the postcard uses a simple block type and has all of the necessary information about the store without being too cluttered or overwhelming. I was so excited to stumble upon this gem of a shop in the market. Exmouth also includes many delicious restaurants with a lot of outdoor seating, and a fun spot to hang out after a long day. Overall, Exmouth was a quaint market to relax, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy a Sunday afternoon.

Oxford

Last Friday we made the journey to Oxford. I thought Kensington was picture perfect, but I stand corrected. Stepping off the train after arriving in Oxford felt more like stepping into a storybook. My favorite part of Oxford was the architecture. There were various types of architecture throughout the city, but I think my favorite was Christ Church. It was so massive, and the fact that Harry Potter was filmed there added to the magic. The building was constructed in the English Gothic Style and when standing in the doorway, I felt like a small speck of a human in the gargantuan entrance. It England holds surprises around every corner, and has not yet ceased to amaze me. 

A stroll through Hyde Park

Hyde Park 

During my time in London I am lucky enough to be living across from the most beautiful and glorious Hyde Park. Finally after almost a week in Kensington I made my way through the gates. It was exactly as I dreamt it would be, and all the more beautiful. Everywhere you turn there are trees lush with green foliage, or blooming flowers pouring through the endless gardens throughout the park. This place is so large that signs must be placed everywhere to guide the visitors along the paths to the different sections of the park. Each sign is dainty and elegant, which one would expect since Prince William and Princess Kate preside on the grounds. 

My favorite part of the park is the Peter Pan statue. Being a long time J.M. Barrie fan, I was thrilled to see the statue in real life. As we were walking through the park I pictured the scene from the movie Finding Neverland when Peter was flying the kite, and the idea of Tinkerbell was invented. This made wandering through the park even more magical. I still have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure that this isn't all a dream.

This Way. The signs in Hyde Park use a san serif font, making the signs clear and easy for any park goer to read. 

Cheers!

"Second star on the right, and straight on 'til morning" J.M.  Barrie, Peter Pan 

A weekend by the seaside

Brighton

This weekend two friends and I took an hour train ride out of the city to the most wonderful town of Brighton. I researched the area before hand and could not wait to get there. When we stepped off the train, the city was even more spectacular than we could imagine. The city is filled with endless pubs and coffee shops, all unique and tasty. We managed to walk a whopping thirty miles over our two days in Brighton. The architecture was a mix of adorable San Francisco style town homes mixed with a slight Indian style pier and royal pavilion. The city stole my heart and is by far my most favorite place in England so far. I would highly suggest that anyone thinking about a day trip to go. 

Cheers!

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