UK Loving

First I just need to say that I listened to No Light, No Light by Florence & The Machine three times in a row while driving to my parents yesterday.
No Light No Light by uidnewmediaberlin

I have listened to Shake It Out a lot as well.



I like that the music video is a less creepy version of THIS video.

Second I need to confess that I have watched some Doctor Who at least two episodes from each season (spoiler). Well of the newer Doctor Who, oh and I have not seen any of the current season. I was hesitant to watch the show first because the only thing I knew about it besides being a long running show on the BBC was that Ricky Gervais on Extra's did not want to play an Alien on the show.

But I kept seeing and hearing things that got me curious.
And after Community did a spoof on Doctor Who or should I say Inspector Spacetime, how could I not.

and

Their fake British accents kill me! Speaking of fake accents the episode of Doctor Who where they go to New York and you get to hear British actors doing New York accents is pretty awesome. Actually Andrew Garfield (future Spiderman) did pretty good with his southern accent.

Guess what I have realized, for the majority of our stay in London we were by the Earl's Court tube station and guess what was out right in front. Oh just the Tardis...

Also I saw an episode that had Harry Lloyd who I met while in London after seeing him in a play.

Boom, that practically makes me married to David Tennant.

I always love when he puts on his glasses.

The show can be silly but in an entertaining and fun way.

Je t'adore

Do you ever find yourself so full of love & happiness that words fail you?

My sister Debbie asked our friend Mimi to do some family pictures, I am not sure whose idea it was to do a family video as well but the results are perfection. Mimi did such a great job filming & I love the editing. I came along and got to hold the butterball while they went on rides, you can see me stealing kisses from baby butterball in the video.

Debbie from Mimi Leavitt on Vimeo.

Here are videos from our Europe trip last year in case you have not seen them yet.

LONDON

England from Mimi Leavitt on Vimeo.

PARIS

Paris from Mimi Leavitt on Vimeo.

Pretend Party Planner

After Chelsea got engaged I called my sister Debbie and told her I would be throwing a bridal shower for Chelsea so if she (the real party planner) could just watch out for ideas. The next morning she had sent me a folder with several pictures of ideas. One of the pictures was a random picture of a girl holding a purse with the British flag. I began to wish I could some how think of a way to fit London & Paris into the theme since we loved our trip so much. Then it hit me... I See London I See France Let's Get Chelsea Some Underpants!

I called Debbie she loved it as well we talked about ideas & soon we had pretty much planned what we wanted to do.

The invitation

The red phone box were pins that the girls could take off & wear to the shower. We also asked them to bring the moustaches with them.

Inside we asked the girls to bring some underwear that they thought described them so we could have Chelsea guess who brought which pair. Which we were going to hang using a clothes line & clothes pins. I stamped words on the pins like I Heart Paris, I Heart London, Cheers & Oh La La. Here is a picture from Debbie's baby shower so you can see.

Next up was the food, Debbie had these cute take out boxes that we used. Inside we had baguettes with pesto, mozzarella, tomato & lettuce which is what I ate while in Paris. Then we added crisp which is the name the Brits use for what we call chips.

For desert we found someone who liked to bake and hired them to make blue macarons. Then I made red velvet cup cakes since I know Chelsea likes them & it fit with the color scheme of red & blue. I also made the pendant flags with the French & British flags in the picture above.

Debbie already had the little pendant flags you see that we hung from the tree's from another party she did & the Chinese lanterns.

Then we made our own home made photo booths. We just got cardboard boxes & painted Big Ben with the London Eye & the Eiffel Tower on the other. (Something I should have learned but didn't when painting the Eiffel Tower is start from the top.)

When on our trip in Edinburgh we walked by this window display, I loved it and wanted to make my own version & stick the word phrases for the photo booth.

& voila!

We were now ready to dress up to take pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower & Big Ben!
Oh La La indeed

Cheeky

It may seem like a lot to put together but really we has so much time we just did a little here & there. I had a lot of fun brainstorming & making stuff with Debbie. And really the shower could not have been lovelier so happy to have good friends & my great family who helped me.

Twelve ~ Feb 27th (The End)

We got ready, packed our bags, checked out and had the hotel store our bags as we went out to Portobello Road.

Can you see those clouds? I told Chelsea at one point, those are going to bust open any moment. Which they did and Mimi had forgotten her umbrella. Mimi had been in search of a mini teacup the whole trip & found one right after it started to rain. It was a good way to end the trip. We then went back to the hotel got our bags and made 0ur way to the airport. We arrived in Las Vegas to rain, drove all night through the rain only for it to still be raining the next day. It only made me miss London all the more.

I have put off posting this because I just can't find the energy to write my goodbye. I just can't find the words to express my feelings about going and how much I missed it. I still miss it but the first couple weeks were rough but I am now ready to post my last post and look back with fondness instead of longingness. I wanted to thank those who read my blog or asked about my trip and shared my trip with me, I have loved talking about it. I especially want to thank Mimi & Chelsea for being perfect traveling companions and for making this trip as amazing as it was. Goodbye England, France & Scotland until we meet again, I will carry a piece of you in a little pocket of my heart.

Eleven ~ Feb 26th

We got back to London very late the night before or very early this morning (by this morning I mean Friday Feb 26th) and settled in our new hotel. We woke up to a rather warm morning, or just not very cold with the sun breaking through the clouds. Being from Arizona and finding very few occasions to wear coats we were very tired of ours. So before going out Chelsea and I stepped outside to test the weather. I decided it was warm enough to wear two sweaters and leave the coat behind. We headed off to our old hotel because Mimi had left her heavier coat in the closet. After picking up her coat we headed to McDonald's for some breakfast then to the tube and off to Abbey Road.

Once we got off the Tube the sun was shining more now but the wind had picked up and I was getting cold, thankfully we had Mimi's coat otherwise I would have died. After putting it on I was wondering how I looked, I don't like not knowing how I look in, it just feels weird to me. So I asked Mimi to take a picture of me so I could see, but her and Chelsea did their commentary bit. "Oh it looks great on you....it brings out your eyes....I love that on you." They would do this if I ever asked their opinion or expressed concern on my appearance. They never did take a picture, so I could see. They apparently thought I believed them, or thought that was sufficient.
I grew up listening to my parents radio stations that played golden oldies so the early Beatles music was always familiar to me, even if my parents aren't fans. But in high school I began to get more familiar as friends & a cousin put songs on mix tapes & Cd's. Not to mention how I love a good Beatles cover, I Am Sam soundtrack anyone? So although I am not a die hard Beatles fan their music has and does play a big part in my life.

Abbey Road is rather busy but the drivers are use to pedestrians and just stop to let you go. I actually followed Chelsea across the street but was not even thinking about how the pictures would look. But thankfully Chelsea has her wits about her and timed it better and kept her steps in time with me so we got some good looking photos.

I then went over to get pictures of Mimi & Chelsea, I love this one because Mimi looked back at me and had such a great smile on her face.

We then went to get a look at Abbey Road Studios.


After seeing what people had written on the wall I thought it would be great to write something for my nephew William who calls The Beatles song I Will, his special song. So I pulled out my pen and began to write. We had seen a camera guy & a reporter getting footage and interviewing, but after almost two weeks with Mimi and her camera I was good at just going about my business and pretending they weren't there.

But what is funny to me is earlier when Mimi was getting shots of the studio the guy was filming her and she had no clue. I kind of wish she had noticed her reaction would have been great. I got pictures so I could prove to her how close he really was.

After I was done writing I gave the pen to Mimi so she could write & she gave me her camera to get pictures.

After she got up I still had her camera around my neck and my camera in my hand when the TV reporter and camera man came up asking me about my thoughts on Abbey Road being sold. It was a Japanese station, I don't know which one or if it was ever used but a funny experience all the same. Even if I was uncomfortable, I just tried to pretend I was cool & new what I was talking about. I am sure I said um or ah a hundred times though.
Mimi was upset that she couldn't get a picture since I had both cameras. I have this vision of me being on the TV screen and seeing two hands reaching in and taking the camera off from around my neck. And me never missing a beat with my interview because I am a professional.


This shot makes me think of celebrities being stocked by the paparazzi, at least the expression on my face does, you know the face of being annoyed of getting caught on camera unexpected.
After doing a little shopping at the gift/coffee shop we headed to Leicester square to go see if we could catch a showing of Leap Year. I know, I know it didn't look that great and it was all me, I told the girls they could drop me off at the theater but I wanted to see it. When I saw the previews I did want to see it despite it looking cheesy. And mostly for two reasons it takes place in Ireland & second Matthew Goode is in it. It also didn't hurt that Amy Adams was in it, I love her. Right before I left I watched Chasing Liberty a movie I had never seen and feel in love with Matthew Goode. I had seen him in other stuff and thought he was cute but Chasing Liberty moved him up to boyfriend category. As soon as it was over I remembered Leap Year and wanted to go see it, sadly it was only playing in one theater in the valley with only early showtimes. So when I was in London and I saw Matthew's beautiful face on the side of double decker busses proclamining it was coming Feb 26th the Friday before we left I knew it was fate.

We found a theater where it was playing huzzah!!! I don't remember who suggest we get a picture of all three of us by taking a picture of the mirrors, but this is in fact the only picture with all three of us from our trip. Mimi & Chelsea like that I appear to be glowing, you will have to ask them why it is a funny story but to long to explain here.

The first 10 minuets or so of the movie were pretty painful but once she was in Ireland and Matthew was there, I enjoyed myself. Beautiful Ireland & beautiful Matthew with a beard!!
After the movie we headed over to Westminster Abbey to get a better look. By this time the wind was insane. Mimi explained that it was because the clouds and trapped the warm weather and now that the clouds wear all gone the heat was rising and pushing the cold air down. So although it was a beautiful sunny day, the wind was killer. Chelsea & I sat on this bench to try and hide from it while Mimi got some pictures.

Here you can see Westminster and London passing us by again.

It was a beautiful day but the wind soon drove us back to our hotel, where we were going to get ready for the Jack The Ripper that night. We decided that there was no way to get ready for how cold it was so we scrapped Jack and headed back to our hotel to start packing up.

Six ~ Feb 21st

Our plan for Sunday was simple start off by going to the Victoria Albert Museum which was just down the street from the church, have lunch, go to church, hurry to Abbey Road and get some dinner.


Here is the inner court yard for the Victoria Albert Museum.

Chelsea and I examining a baptism font.

I wish you could see the designs that were on the stones they were so beautiful.


When I first saw this I only noticed the the guys on horses and it wasn't till I walked by it again that I saw Christ carrying his cross. It moved me that someone so long ago felt so passionate about something that I feel so passionate about to create this. And here I am who knows how many years later being moved by it.

Chelsea & I moving through the museum, poor Mimi left her camera at home since she didn't think she would be able to take pictures since she couldn't at the Tate. Poor girl had to use my crappy camera.

There were a lot of these little sculptured scenes around this I don't even know what it was. This one is of Adam & Eve being cast out of the garden of Eden.

We thought the Library was closed but look we got in!!


Mimi caught me smelling the books and asked me to do it again, several times actually.

Church was nice, they had good speakers, it was just almost all the girls were American (big surprise huh). I mean I can go to church back home and hear speakers with American accents. It was a large ward, it pretty much filled up the chapel which was a good size. For Relief Society (the class for women) we went up to the third floor and had a fantastic view out to the building across the street. I wanted to take a picture.

We stopped back at our hotel hoping to change and make it to Abbey Road but by the time we changed it was almost dark outside. So we decided to go to Sherlock Holmes for dinner so Mimi & I could try Fish & Chips.
While waiting for our food Mimi took pictures of us, I love it because we all are making funny faces and looking out the side of our eyes. Mimi hates getting her picture taken but I just would remind her that her mom will be mad at her if she doesn't let me.

Mimi & I both ordered Fish & Chips which came with mashed peas, yum. (that is called sarcasm)

Chelsea got some kind of meat with applesauce if I remember right. I ate some of her carrots I remember that.
There was only one waitress working there so I was more patient waiting for our check. But I did get board and start playing with my food. It started with me putting my mashed peas into a rectangle shape on my plate. Then I built a little chip cabin over the peas.

Mimi helped by sharing some of her larger fries, then she built her own chip Stonehenge. I think Chelsea was a little embarrassed and was worried what the waitress was going to think or say. I said that I would leave her a big tip if she was able to take them with out knocking them over.

The waitress ended up coming while we were taking the pictures and she loved them and said she wished she had her camera. And she took all three plates with out knocking them over. We left her a large tip in the shape of a smile face.

When we got back to the hotel we caught the end of the BAFTA (British Acadamy of Film & Television Arts). Chelsea was very excited to see Colin Firth win, which made me happy since I have loved him since I was 15 years old.