Back to the Future

In my last post, I told you about my five favorite cities.

Today I'm going to tell you about one of my top three evenings in London.
It was all thanks to East Village London.

Secret Cinema's showing of Back to the Future created such a buzz in London.
All of the hype was so well-deserved!  It was the most incredible experience.

Matt wasn't able to go but my friend Erin was happy to join in the fun.
Of course, we were not going to turn down the opportunity to play dress up
complete with victory rolls and red lipstick.

You'll have to excuse the quality of the photos.

As this was a top secret experience, no cameras or cell phones were allowed.

Luckily, they were selling disposable cameras!  It's probably a good thing

I wasn't lugging around my DSLR as I was able to really enjoy the event.

The movie Back to the Future was the perfect choice and it was exactly like traveling back in time.

Once we entered we walked through the  American suburb of Hill Valley, popping into to the various houses all fully furnished with vintage delights.

We even visited with with "Doc" to talk about time travel.
All around us peaople were acting out various scenes complete with American accents.  You never knew when some one was going go running by or a fight would break out.  It was spectacular.

We took a right by the old Texaco gas station and arrived at the town square complete with the old Clock Tower.

The square was surrounded by shops, diners, a travel agent and a bank.  Erin was serenaded by a gentleman with a ukelele.  Everything was authentic and absolute kitschy fun.  The high school dance was in full swing in the

high school gym straight from the movie.

We spent some time just exploring and regularly gushing about the awesomeness of it all.

You can imagine my delight when I discovered the diner was serving iced tea! (with gin)

There was even an 80's bar tucked away.  Soon it was time to settle onto our checked blanket to watch the movie.

It was projected onto the clock tower.

But this was certainly not the end of all of the drama and fun.  A live 50's band played, actual cars and skateboarders raced around the square!  As the scenes were playing out on the giant screen, the action was also being acted out in real time complete with pyrotechnics and stunts. And, of course, the time traveling DeLorean!

From start to finish it was one of the most incredible and fun experiences I've had.
I felt like a kid again...pure delight and complete fun!
I'm so impressed with what they were able to pull off with this event.
I don't want to miss what they come up with next year.

A huge thank you to East Village London for inviting me!

When the Olympics were here two years ago, apartments were built to house all of the athletes. Those apartments are now available for lease and a whole community has built up around them.

Before walking over to the venue, we had cocktails and munchies in one of the apartments.
It was modern and spacious. The setting is special, too.  Not what you usually get in London, a neighborhood with plenty of room and green space. 

I'm truly impressed with how the area developed for the Olympics is now becoming one of London's nicest communities.

via East Village London

via East Village London

via East Village London

via East Village London

via East Village London

Here's a video they've put together to introduce you to London's newest neighborhoods.


Have you revisited the East Village London and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park since 2012?

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I was a guest of East Village London for the Secret Cinema event.
All photos (except where noted), writing and opinions are my own.   
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers. 
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  

#LDNBloggersTea at the Conrad London St. James

About a year ago, I decided to plan an afternoon tea for bloggers and hatched the #LDNBloggersTea.

We’ve now enjoyed four quarterly teas at some of London’s nicest hotels and interest in the event continues to grow.

Each time there are familiar faces as well as new faces, but we all have the connection

of putting a piece of ourselves on the internet.

It’s a fabulous group of bloggers from all over the world blogging about a variety of topics.

Our most recent #LDNBloggersTea was at the Conrad London St. James 

(previously the Intercontinental Westminster). It’s a gorgeous, lush hotel

located in the heart of London. We were lucky enough to get a preview of their

upcoming holiday tea, the Christmas Snow Scene.

Somehow they’ve managed to take a traditional Christmas dinner and put it onto a tea stand.

They really outdid themselves on the savoury course.

Here’s the menu (but you have to imagine Christmas melodies from a harp playing

in the background and a glass of champagne in your hand).

Brussel sprout salad
(everyone raved about this brussel spout & goats cheese mousse)

Turkey ballotine

Venison bite

Smoke salmon & lemon crème fraiche

Cured gammon & mustard

Beetroot & spinach
Cranberry sauce

Freshly Baked Orange & Cranberry Christmas Spice Scones

Served with Devonshire clotted cream, home-made strawberry jam and blackberry curd

(very generous with the cream!)

We each had our own selection of tea served in a large silver pot to get us through the afternoon.

Then came the pièce de résistance, the magical snow scene served under a pane of frosted glass.

 

Winter berry Christmas Tree

Chocolate Orange Battenberg Present

Snowflake Macaroon

White Forest Yule Log

Christmas Postcard marshmallows

Mini Meringue Snowmen

Edible Snow

Pastry Chef Zoe came around to explain each of the sweet creations.

It’s obvious they really put their hearts into this menu.

 

It was a delight and we were reluctant to mess it up, but quickly overcame that reluctance

 as we tasted treat after treat. My favorite was the Yule Log, soft and sweet.

The Winter Berry Christmas Tree was a real surprise, a tangy berry mouse

with a sweet chocolate brownie.

 
It was absolutely magical.  Between the creative and tasty menu, the attentive and friendly service, the beautiful setting of Emmaline’s and the interesting and exciting company it was the perfect afternoon. If you want to treat someone to a very special tea experience in London this holiday season, this is the perfect choice. 

The Christmas Snow Scene runs from November 24^th to Christmas Eve and is £37 or £45 if you’d like to add free-flowing Laurent-Perrier champagne. Yes, please.

If you are interested in attending a future #LDNBloggersTea, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’ve passed the torch to Melanie from Sunny in London who will be planning future events. But, you will definitely see me there. I can’t wait for the next one!

Have you ever experienced a afternoon tea in London?

 

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  We were offered a discounted rate of £30 per person for our tea.

Writing Mojo

Today, I’m going to tell you about a fun blog hop with an interesting twist. I was nominated by my friend Gay. We met when our daughters became BFF's years ago and we’ve stayed in touch. We haven’t seen each other in many years, but we stay connected from afar. Gay is such an inspiring woman. A fierce and wonderful mother, a new grandma, a speaker, photographer and writer, not to mention, she has the voice of an angel. Above all, she is an encourager with a huge heart. You can find her at Captive Heart.

This blog hop is about writing. I would never call myself a writer.  Writing is something that I wish that I could excel at, but it's always been elusive.  My husband and dad both have self-published books (shameless plugs) and someday I'd love to do the same.  But, I have no idea what I want to write.  

I'm an accountant. I love accounting. No, really. I do love it. But, I also have a strong creative streak in me.  Which is why I feel so lucky to have this blog. The photography and writing is the perfect outlet for that side of my personality.  But, currently I find myself in a bit of a rut.  In my last post I told you about the unplanned break and not being able to get my rhythm back. 

I’m so inspired by other bloggers, especially those that have the gift of writing. I'm hoping maybe you can help me get my blogging mojo back.  I'll answer the questions and give you a little insight into my current writing process.  But, what I really want is some suggestions on how I can improve this process, so that I'm once again enjoying writing and publishing things that I'm proud to put out there.  

What am I currently writing or working on?

I’m currently finishing up my recap of the trip to Provence. I have just a few more posts. I really did drag that one out but I didn’t want it to be over. The next big series will be about the road trip we took with my dad and brother. That one is going to be quite a few posts also. I want to capture all of it and document the special time we had together.  There are several other small trips that I haven't blogged about yet, not to mention the posts about our life in London.  I feel so behind right now.  I realize all the pressure is self-imposed, but I have a tendency when overwhelmed to just stop doing anything (hence my recent hiatus.)  Any suggestions on how I can get caught up?  Or should I even worry about it? 

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don't know how to answer this question other than to just say it's my voice.  In a sea of travel/expat/random blogs, I don't think this one stands out that much.  Which is perfectly fine with me.  My blog started out as my personal journal during a time of major transition.  I was shocked when more and more people started reading along and connecting with me.   For a while it became all about growing the numbers and "building a brand," another phase of the blog that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Conventions, networking, press trips and meeting some pretty amazing people.  But, I quickly realized that I couldn't maintain that, particularly after going back to work full-time.  I'm not sure that I would even want to.  Now, my blog has gone back a little in the other direction again.  I'm hoping that I can find a balance between the two.  A personal scrapbook that connects me to people and opportunities.

Why do I write what I do?

My blog turned three years old this month.  I can't believe it.  Going back and reading old blog posts makes me so happy.  It reminds me of fun and adventures, wonderful times with family and friends.  Struggles and how I got through them.  And the photographs are such a treasure to me.  I love my little piece of the internet and feel bad that I've been neglecting it lately.  That it's felt sometimes like more of a chore than it ever should.  

Thankfully, fall has always felt like a time to reset and restart.  So that's what I plan to do.  I write this blog for the same reasons today that I did on day one.  To record, celebrate and connect.  I'm glad that Gay gave me a chance to remember that.  

How does my writing process work?

I don't really have writing process (I'm sure you're really shocked).  I usually just sit and write, lately reluctantly.  My photos are often the focal point.  Sometimes it feels lazy to let them tell the story for me, but I put just as much into the photographs as I do the writing, sometimes more.  I've developed such a passion for the photographs.  But, I know that I'm neglecting the writing.  

I feel that my best writing comes from those posts that I write in my head for days and days, on the tube, in the shower, when I can't sleep.  Then when I sit down with my laptop, the words just flow.  Those are my favorite, but few and far between.  I also feel that my writing has changed the longer I blog.  I've toned down my sarcasm a little and I self-edit more than I used to.  Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  My writing process definitely needs some work and a shot of inspiration. 

Any suggestions for me?

My nomination for this blog hop is you!

Tell me about your writing process.

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Jumping Rope

Remember when you were a kid, jumping rope with your friends?  They'd get the rope going.  You'd stand on one side.  Bouncing along to the tap of the rope on the sidewalk.  Trying to find that rhythm before you jumped in and got going.  That's what I've been doing for the past few weeks.  

I took a little break from the blog for the move and the new job.  But as things settled down, I couldn't quite find my way back into blogging.  My rhythm was off and I was afraid of getting tangled in the rope.  It's still a bit off, but I thought I'd better just jump in and get going.  Besides I've really missed you guys.  

I'm gonna start off slow with just a little up date on life lately with the help of some instagram pics.  

The weekend before the big move we hopped a plane for Majorca.  We had beautiful weather and spent a few days lounging by the pool chillaxin'.  It was a good thing because the following weekend was the move.  There were definitely some glitches.  When we arrived at the new flat, followed quickly by the moving van, we discovered the it hadn't been cleaned along with some other issues like a broken showerhead.  

It was a long day of phone calls and arguments trying to get everything sorted.  We just piled everything up in the center of the living room and went to the pub.  The next day it was cleaned so we could start the long task of settling in.  That very next Monday I started a new job (which I really like).  Talk about a stressful week.  But I'm so glad that we did it.  I never have to deal with that 90 minute walk/bus/train/tube/walk commute ever again!

I really love our new place!  It's a one-bedroom on the 3rd floor (4th really) of a gorgeous red brick Victorian building, complete with red carpeted hallways and beautiful birdcage elevators.  The location is crazy.  Sloane Square is in central London at one end of Kings Road near Chelsea.  It's the best place for people watching.  You never know what you're going to see.  I plan to take my camera on a little walking tour in the next few weeks, so I can show you more. 

I also had to say goodbye to dear Erin.  (You'll remember her from the Provence posts.)  She's now back home in Canada and we all miss her terribly.  But before she left we did a little time traveling.  We dressed up and went to see the Secret Cinema Production of Back to the Future.  I can't even tell you how amazing it was.  One of my top three nights in London.  I'm going to try in a future post.  

Oh, and I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my 28th birthday.  Matt did good, don't you think?  Love my new earrings.  

I'm settling into my new job and we're settling into Central London. I'm even looking forward to cooler temps and the holidays.  But not before a huge trip home at the end of October to see my sweet baby girl get married!  It will be the very first trip home in almost three years.  I'm so excited and nervous at the same time.  

So there's a little update on what's been happening.  Here's to finding that rhythm again.

How to you find your rhythm?

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Food, Photography and Smiles

A few weeks ago I was invited to a photography workshop taught by

award winning photographer, Paul Hames. 

I was invited by Joe Blogs Blogger Network and Simply Health.

What brought these three various things together?  Smiles.

 What makes people smile?  Food.

Y'all know how much I love my camera.  I love the way it connects me to the world.

My blog is obviously very photo heavy.  Which is why I'm so embarrassed to admit to anyone

that I always shoot on automatic.  I've tried manual a few times but I have a complete brain block.

So you can imagine my reaction when Paul instructed us first thing to turn our cameras to manual.

Terrified and excited, all at the same time.

For the next few hours, my camera was on manual!  I was very tempted to turn it back.

But, I resisted.  And I'm actually pretty proud of the results. 

After sitting us down and taking us through the basics,

we all walked over to the Kerb Food Market at King's Cross to

try out our new skills with the camera and have some lunch.

Before turning us loose, we had one more lesson on Capturing the Perfect Smile.

Here are the tips from Paul:

• Don’t say smile. This is the worst thing you can say. It will produce a false smile and is unimaginative.
• Engage with your subject. Make friends. Appear interested but also be yourself and genuine. Make your subject feel special and tell them how easy they are to work with. This will put them at ease.
• Clichés do work. Hands on hips makes someone project and feel more comfortable. You can also make them look round then back again with different smiles.
• Make sure you’re smiling and projecting positively yourself. It’s infectious.
• Say something funny. We all have a good joke or a story. This is otherwise known as an icebreaker. Do everything you can to get that smile.

  With beautiful models like these three, it wasn't hard at all to capture that perfect smile.

Melanie from Sunny in London

Sarah from The Wanderblogger

Mandy from Emm in London

Then it was time to check out the food offerings.

I'm much more comfortable photographing food rather than people.

But, I did find one willing subject.

This is what I had for lunch from Bill or Beak.

It was amazing!  Shredded duck and pork in a Vietnamese dressing with coriander,

chili and mint salad topped with tempura shallots.

It tasted even better than it looks which is fantastic.

It was a fabulous day which all combined to make

taking my camera from auto to manual not nearly as scarey as I expected.

Photo courtesy of Joe Blogs

 Simply Health provides affordable healthcare with a focus on exceptional personal customer service.

They have over 3 million customers and their services include Simply Dental Plan.

Thanks so much to Simply Health, Joe Blogs and Paul for a day full of smiles.

 Do you have any tricks for capturing the perfect smile?

Special Announcement: I have the date & venue for the next #LDNBloggersTea.

 Festive Afternoon Tea
Sunday, September 28th
£30 per person with champagne
Intercontinental Westminster

We will previewing this year's holiday tea for review.

Space is limited, so email me asap at Selena.Jones@me.com for your spot.

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 *I was invited to this photography workshop by Simply Health for the purposes of review.
 All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.