Hiya guys! So on Wednesday , Ben and I both had a day off and with the previous nights forecast of up to 10cms of snow fall I really wanted to go a little out of London to see where all the snow was at. So it was off to Hampstead Heath , a location I still havent visited. Hampstead Heath is North London , and its Hampstead Heath Park and Parliament Hill are often pidgen holed as a 'gay area' sure there is a gay community in the 'Heath but it is also a very posh , sophisticated kind of area and I could see as soon as I got there why anyone , gay or straight would want to live there its positively beautiful! As soon as we walked out of the tube station we were blinded by the white blanket of snow already covering the streets , queue then slippery stumbling.
It is very difficult to walk on icy , slippery , slushy , foot paths let me tell you! I was actually ok, I had my Volleys on to provide me with sufficient grip. Ben however in his sexy pointy nightclub shoes I bought him from ZU , not quite as much grip. It was straight to Starbucks for coffee...
...and then it was time to walk up to Hampstead Heath. Walking through the streets lined with amazing houses/units/flats - it became quite apparent that a. yes hampstead heath is a gorgeous sophisticated posh-esque area and b. man its snowed a hell of a lot last night!
Ben was loving the mischeivousness the snow sparked and everytime we walked passed a big tree he would run up and push it so that all the snow on the branches would fall on me as I walked underneath the tree - thanks babe! I made up for it with my lovely snow fight skills!
Once we finally got to Hampstead Heath , the amount of snow that covered the park and hills , was overwhelming. It literally felt like we had walked into some kind of a movie set in the snowy forest. Think like the Chronicles of Narnia. It was breathakingly beautiful!
The snow really was very deep , 10cms at the very least , possibly 15 Ben estimated. The atmosphere was beautiful also, on 'snow days' especially if the snow is this heavy many residents of London dont go into work and most chidren's schools are closed (so there's an excuse for the parents to not go into work) so the 'Heath was filled with the laughter of playful children tuboganning with their parents or making snow men and their parents having equally as much fun. There was a lot of dog walkers taking their dogs out for a play , and even me who is scared of dogs as im sure all my readers are aware , was kind of ok with all the dogs being around - kinda being the key word there hehe. It was funny coz at moment snow would fall and you'd have to wipe snow out of your eyes, but nothing could take away from how happy Ben and I were about this snow day , we were the children running around having snow fights.
We also made a snow man , this time accesorised with ear muffs/head phones , scarf & a bag too!
...and we both fell in the depths of the white white snow , many times , laughing every second!
By the end of it all our feet were very wet , snow turns into water remember , yes you seem to learn this when your socks are all wet and slushy - we planned on going home getting change and then heading into the West End for a bit of a shop around but by the time we got home we also learnt that playing in the snow for hours like little kids makes two grown ups very tired! So we just spent the rest of our day in the warmth of heating watching movies and every so often I would look at Ben and think , 'its nice to have a boyfriend you can just play kids & have fun with'
...and that is all for now you guys. Until next time xoxo Deni
It was quite a fun afternoon and I had the absolute yummiest (is that a word-i dont know-i dont care) Salt & Pepper Chicken from an Asian food stand! It was incredible and for the first time in 6 days I had some form of Soft Drink - 7up! Last night I had a quite night in with Shane (ben was working late) and for the first time in my life (after I coloured Shane's hair) - I put some highlights in my own hair. Now I always get my color done proffesionally , I swear against doing it at home , but in true 'recessionista' style I thought - what have I got too lose , if I stuff it up I'll just get it fixed. I wanted a few random blonde streaks to add to the few blonde streaks I have left and the end result was quite successful. Some bits are blonder than others but its all fun :)
So there you go I think I did pretty ok! Currently I'm watching a Beyonce/Jay Z mash up on telly before I get ready to go and work a night shift at Diesel. Yes - you read right - a night shift! From 9pm to 6am - we have to pack up old sale stock and send it to the warehouse. It could potentially be a fun night , I always have fun with the girls at work , we'll just blare some hip hop tunes and the music should get us through :) Bye for now all my readers xoxo Deni
Now my week has been mostly work consumed , however I did have a day off on Wednesday. As I looked through my window the rain pouring from the London sky made me want to stay in bed all day , but me being me wasnt about to let a free day go past without doing some kind of exploring. I decided to head into the Westfield Shopping complex as I haven't been since I got here and mostly because its all under cover safe from the rain. I slipped into my vintage Versace sweater and my ripped Cheap Mondays but felt the need to brighten up this all black winter look. I layered my jeans over my Vintage Striped trousers I bought from Absolute Vintage. The result - altough slightly uncomfortable , layering skinny jeans over ballooned style trousers is like trying to squeeze a watermelon into a banana peel - however , was just what I wanted! 
The vest top would look fantastic layered over a white tee , black tee or white shirt. I love this peice! The cardigan was on another level of beautiful. The perfect steel-grey colour, this peice really made you appreciate the quality of the fabric. The length of the sleeve was perfect too!
The two peices looked amazing layered together and I noticed they were displayed that way on the runway when I got home and checked the full collection once again , online. At just over 400pounds for the vest and over 600pounds for the cardigan these goodies didnt leave with me that afternoon , however they inspired me to a. keep an eye out for this trend hitting the high street or b. find similar fabric and whip my own up! They were definitley beautiful peices! I continued to walk around Westfield but suddenly felt rather un-inspired. There's something too sterile about shopping centres and I much prefer to walk around quaint little areas discovering unique little stores. Going to Westfield felt how I imagine it would feel walking into a brothel - its all there served on a platter for you, no discovery of your own - now wheres the fun in that. I headed home to have some dinner with Ben and it was back to work the next day. Tonight i'm going out for drinks with Ben and a few friends and i'm working the whole weekend. I will however fill you in on any adventures that happen along the way so its cheerio for now! xo Deni
I almost couldnt breathe - whenever I eat Pizza I must have DC its just not the same without it! I decided if I was going to do this properly I needed to make it more interesting, even after just a day of almost only orange juice , the taste was starting to make me feel sick. So off to the supermarket it was to add some spice to my juice-sex life hehe I decided on an appealing bottle of Apple & Raspberry juice and also a Tropical Juice as there was a '2 for' offer - bonus! As I poured a tall glass of Tropical Juice to go with my Pepperoni Pizza I have to say it wasnt all too bad , the tastes of Peach , Mango & Pineapple poured through my lips with substantial amount of pleasure I must say - maybe I can do this afterall. Lets see how we go xoxo Deni
So yesterday I consumed as much DC as I possibly could and then last night I stocked up my fridge with Orange Juice - this will be my alternative drink of choice along with water. Day one has been difficult. This morning I walk to the fridge - no Silver & Red smiling at me from the fridge shelf. Lunch time comes around and I walk across to EAT (a food chain) to grab some soup! Thai Green Chicken Curry Soup - AMAZING - nothing compliments hot soup better than cold Diet Coke - I looked at it sitting there in the fridge waiting for me to succumb to its temptation and grudgingly chose the 'British Apple & Raspberry' juice. Soup & Juice - I dunno :(
As I got off the tube at Liverpool Station (my destination) I noticed a woman from a distance sporting an eye-grabbing faux fur (i think) coat - 'Follow her' I thought. I needed to see the rest of the outfit. From behind her swung a gold 'Hello Kitty' enviro-bag that literally made me smile from ear to ear , up next I noticed a pair of black leather gloves with encrusted bows at the entry and finally I realised her long blonde locks were very GaGa inspired! This womans look was fun! When she pleasantly accepted my proposal of posing for me , I couldnt stop smiling. She really was having with the way she dressed which I think at the end of the day is what its all about!
As I continued to walk up along Liverpool Street I noticed three kids - I use the term 'kids' loosely as they would've been about 24-25 years old - who had casual-cool style down to a tee! They were 'too cool' to pose for me , I could just tell , but I managed to snap them walking away! I love the girl in the middle and the way she's teamed this sequinned zippy with tights & cons!
As I continued to walk towards the Spitalfield Markets , I noticed a couple walk out of a trendy cafe (the same cafe I just saw my GaGa inspired fashionista walk into). They were both the epitome of cool but the girl caught my eye immediatley. With her floral print dress layered under her oversized cardigan and perfectly cropped leather jacket. Her unique jewellery and Ray Ban Wayfarers were the perfect addition to her Kate-Moss-cool ensemble! She was very sweet and told me that she too was a blogger - I wish I asked her what her blog was - honey if your reading please get intouch with me and let me know so I can visit your blog :)
As I walked up to the Brick Lane markets , thats when all the creativity really started to flourish. These kids were cool and they knew it - and by kids I do mean kids. Most of the trendsetter's I saw ranged from 17-23 at the oldest. But they all had one thing in common - individuality. Each look different to the next - yet slightly similar , I mean if I had a pound for everytime I saw a girl wearing a vintage fur coat I could've bought myself one - however as I walked down Brick Lane this girl caught my eye. She was rocking vintage in an almost 'fancy dress' way. It was as if she had gone into her grandmother's closet and came out a new person.
Her animal print faux-fur coat , teamed with what I'm guessing is a real fur stole , vintage hat & belt strapped across the knitted wool dress she told me 'her mum makes...' were funked up with her badass military boots. A cigarette appropriatley in hand she posed happily for my lense. As I continued to walk towards the bridge I noticed a very cool japanese couple. They posed with great pleasure and when I complimented her bag she informed me it was Jeremy Scott for Lonchamp. Jeremy Scott is a cool American fashion designer who has done very graphic collaborations with the likes of Adidas and french design house Longchamp. I'm lovin this duo!
Last but not least was my favorite girl of the day! As I walked further into the hub of Brick Lane I noticed a 'Religion' store - Religion is one of my favorite t-shirt labels. I can always find a Religion tee I like & with SALE written in enormous writing on their shop window I had to go in. The second I walked through the door I noticed one of the floor staff. Her style IMMEDIATLEY stood out from the crowd. Black & White striped jerseye long sleeve , sleeves rolled up and I later found out it was a menswear peice she customised herself by sewing in some shoulder pads (adding a very Balmain feel to her look). Faded black cuffed shorts , black tights and boots completed her look. On her right wrist stood a solid white watch , exactly like my black one , its modelled after the Chanel J12 - whether or not it was infact Chanel i'm not sure because I was too in awe of this girl I didnt even look for a label. I got speaking to her and found out her name was Sadie & she was the manager of the store. I asked if she could step outside to pose for me. 'I'll just grab my jacket' she said in her New York accent (english born - just got back from NYC -- this girl was getting cooler by the minute) and then she put on the Givenchy inspired , Religion leather jacket I eyed in the store about 5minutes earlier. This girl = amazing! She epitomises the kind of style I love , confident , tough , glamorous and down right cool! She took my breath away.
I walked away from my Sunday Style Snapping so incredibly inspired by the streety style I saw today. Its because of girls like 'Sadie' that I want to be a fashion designer. They inspire me so much , their individual style , their thoughts , their music choices , the styling of their outfits - this is the girl I want to design for , this is the type of girl I want to lust over my clothes - London I am overwhelmed by the inspiration you continue to give me! Thankyou xoxo Deni
All in all a very good night had by all! On Friday morning Ben was up bright and early to go to Paris with the girls for the weekend so we kissed goodbye and then it was off to work for me. On friday evening me and Ruth headed to Topshop to see what the sales had to offer. There were quite a few cool peices however all the crowds were giving me an absolute migraine and I all to often buy things on sale that I never really end up wearing. On Saturday I wasnt due to go into work till late in the afternoon as we've been so quite lately I just had to go in towards the end of the day to do a 'Denim Assignment' for head office as I am now the official 'Denim Guru' for womenswear which means I will be training all the staff on new Denim styles that come in and how to sell them etc... anyway , this suddenly made my Saturday an open book of things to do. I decided to hop on the tube and head into Covent Garden as I havent explored that area for a while. As soon as I got out of the tube station I could hear , see and smell the rain that was pouring heavily from the winter sky. I immediatley opened up my umbrella and decided to tackle the crowds (Covent Garden is always so busy). I headed straight to the H&M to see what their sales had to offer. I had been in and out of H&M's Flagship on Regent St all week , but its good to go into the smaller stores as they dont tend to be as busy as the bigger stores and sometimes their sales are better too! BONUS! Well I was right to do so as I found the following amazing low-crotch grey trousers , that belt up on the waist , on sale for 5pounds! I've been trying to be really good and not do any shopping so I thought a 5pound purchase was justifiable! 
After my explore around Covent Garden it was back into the West End. As I got off at Green Park tube station I headed toward 'Dover Street Market' one of my favorite stores in London , as I noticed the other night while walking to the tube, that they were redoing the concept in store - they do this quite often. So I decided to go check it out. I walked up the stair level to see the ready to wear & couture floors (as first floor is mostly jewellery and fragrance) and the new concepts in store were incredible. Each display , each section of Visual Merchandising and absolute master peice. While perousing some of the new Comme Des Garcon runway-couture peices I landed upon a very well constructed little jacket. The silhoutte and combination of fabrics caught my eye and the sequinned right shoulder pad took my breath away even though the price tag read 1,200 pounds 'its free to try' I thought , I walked into the 'Red Box' also known as a fitting room. Literally a Big Red Box situated in the centre of the room upholstered in red velvet ceiling to floor - automatically transporting me to a warm sexy ambience & atmosphere!
Next up I thought it was time to get my hair cut as I havent had it cut for 2 months! As we are in a recession ladies and gentlemen , I headed straight to a salon called 'SuperCuts' - use your imagination! The salon dont actually take appointments you just kind of sit and wait for your turn. So I sat waiting in fear of which of the 3 hairdressers would grace my locks. I ended up with a Lithunian immigrant who's just moved to London and has been here for 3 weeks. She could speak about 10 words of english and somehow with my reference pictures of how I wanted my hair cut and her broken english , we came to some kind of understanding of how I wanted my hair to look. I sat there actually choking back tears because I was so scared she would ruin my hair , however the finished product ended up being exactly what I wanted - I should have had more faith in my english-challened hairdresser - she proved me wrong! Here is my do -
After my haircut it was off to work on this Denim Assignment - while we were down in the office , Clinton one of my work mates came rushing down screaming that 'Matthew Williamson' and amazing designer of his own label and also for the Emilio Pucci line - was upstairs shopping. Naturally I rushed upstairs , even though I wasnt technically 'working' I thought - fuck-this I can still serve him - when I got up however the lovely Lisa was serving him and it was quite obvious he didnt want to be interrupted (rumour is he's a bit of a prick) but he gave us all something between a smile and an icy stare , as he frolicked around with his boyfriend. I was kind of annoyed because had the situation been different I would've introduced my self the way I did with Stella McCartney , but it was quite obvious that Mr.Williamson didnt want to be distubred. As we walked downstairs I managed to snap a few shots off the security camera's.
After our brush with Matthew - the Diesel crew headed to the pub across the road from our work for some drinks. It was there that my workmates made me drink my first pint of beer. For those of you who know me , you'll know beer is not really my drink of choice! However I downed a pint of Stella and really enjoyed it. It was a realy fun night involving beer, peanuts & laughter!
So there you have it from 5pound trousers to 1000pound couture, a haircut, a pint of beer & another brush with a famous designer this is my London Life xoxo Deni
Along the way I stumbled on a really cool little church right in the centre of the main street...
I continued my walk up following the signs toward the Royal Observatory. Along the way I stumbled upon what felt like walking through gates that sent me into the past. A town square of sorts that housed several buildings now called 'The Old Royal Naval College' then called the 'Palace of Placentia'. As I walked through the cobbled stone pathway I literally felt like I had walked into the 18th Century. Pictured below is the Greenwich Hospital (not a hospital anymore just a really cool old peice of architecture) I didnt know this at the time as I was my own tour guide but this is where Elizabeth I (as in the 1st) was born - pretty amazing facts!
Opposite the hospital are 2 identical buildings framed by arch ways. One is a beautiful old Chapel 
Here are some pictures of me by and inside the Chapel. As I sat there in the gaps of the arches I was so at peace with everything. It was cold but not freezing , the sun was shining through my red Ray Ban Wayfarers (circa wayfarer mania 2007) and I was in an incredible historical location. Life was good and It was just a very beautiful almost spiritual moment - sounds corny.
The church was quite nice on the inside too , nothing overwhelmingly grand but still with a look, what Impressed me most were the amazingly crafted ceilings it was absolutley stunning.
Adjacent to the Cathedral was the 'Painted Hall' which I was most certainly very impressed by. From the minute I walked up the stairways and saw the painted-hall , as it is aptly named , I was just blown away. The rows of candelit long tables set an ambience in the room that made me feel like I stepped into a Royal Dinner , it was absolutley incredible and I relished every moment.
So as I left historical-heaven it was off to cross the road to head towards the Royal Observatory to go climb the hill and see this view. The hill was very steep I must say , but with the green surrounding me I couldnt get the smile off my face - Greenwich is a must for all visiting London its just beautiful. Once I finally got up to the Observatory , I saw the Greenwich clock displaying GMT , I read a few plaques that helped me understand what exactly I was looking at a clock for.
...and this was the glorious view from the top of Greenwich Hill you can see the buildings of Canary Wharf (the business district) in the background and on a clear day you can even see St.Paul's Cathedral. The air was so fresh and crisp and it was just a lovely reward for my climb.
...after my adventures in Greenwich I went to meet Benny as he finished work. We walked through Selfridges where Ben spotted Jamie Oliver shopping in the book section - I didnt even noticeand was kicking myself for it , I actually walked back to go find him but he had already gone! We then went for a walk through Hyde Park and by this stage of the day the temperatures were really dropping. As we got into Hyde Park we noticed the Serpentine (lake - which runs through the park) had frozen over. We decided to go check it out , Ben tipped his toe on the ice and it shattered a little bit to reveal water. Not as frozen as we thought. When we got around to the other side of the lake I thought "Oh wait now its my turn to go check it out". Now I'm going to try describe this as best as I can in words. We both walked over the the lake where there was a slight step down , the step down was icy and slippery and just as I raised my leg to tip the ice Ben and I both slipped , literally almost slipping into the frozen lake , we somehow regained balancce and got back up onto dry-ish land and burst into what felt like 20minutes of i-almost-peed-my-pants laughter. I was actually crying from how much I was laughing at the situation , it could have been quite dangerous but wasnt an for that I was greatful. All in all a hilarious end to my glorious day! I leave you with this picture of the Serpentine at Sunset. Stunning xoxo Deni
