London Eye

Thanks for your patience, everyone - I am back home in the States now (yay), and would have never made it without the help of my Ole Faithful! She's gotten her butt kicked from being trapsed around the world a time or two but still manages to carry on without fail.

I know a lot of you had questions about what I had been doing this past week and it was no vacation (I don't mean it was bad - but I had like no free time!) I manage events and shows for a living, and went to London to oversee an exhibit stand at a trade show.

I stayed in the Docklands area of London - specifically Canary Wharf, which I've never been to before. It is a newer part of town and nowhere close to central London (where all the action is) but it had a nice vibe. I did manage a couple of hours of down time and had drinks at the Bleeding Heart, went with a co-worker to buy fabric at Liberty and did a speedster tour of all the must-see sights of central London.

What didn't I like? Holy moly is it pricy there. It cost £90 ($120+) to take a taxi from Heathrow to my hotel - and the exchange rate now is better than it used to be for the dollar! That and I was on the cusp of getting run over almost all the time because I never remembered to look the other way (I know, I know, stupid American ...). And I the show was business attire so I had to dress appropriately ...

Top: J. Crew Victoria (worn here before)
Jacket: J. Crew herringbone (similar online here and here)
Pants: J. Crew wool crepe (similar online here and here)
Shoes: White Mountain wedges (I know - boring, but sensible if you do as much walking as I do!)

What did I like? London has always been one of my fave cities so it was cool to see a different part of it. And as usual with me, I had too much food and way too much beer. I know England does not have a reputation for being a great culinary territory but I've had nothing bad to eat there. My dinners were all delish and consisted of  fantastic Argentinean steak and wine at Gaucho, crunchy yummy fish and chips at Curve, traditional British pub food at Brown's and super-fancy (but sooooo good) Indian at Dockmaster's.

But there's nothing like coming home and enjoying this now beautiful weather in the SE. I've got a ton of catching up to do on all your blogs - hopefully I'll have some time to do this weekend!

Late September

I made it to the UK in one piece! And got near-zero sleep on the plane as I was fighting discomfort and watching The Back-up Plan, Letters to Juliet, and the A-Team. I'm staying at a hotel in the Docklands area which is a newer (?) part of the city that I've never been to before - which is great for exploring. I met with a friend for dinner at Gaucho and wore the following:

Top: Lands' End Canvas gingham poplin (previously worn here and here - similar online here and here)

Jacket: J. Crew herringbone blazer (worn here before - kind of similar online here)

Jeans: Lands' End modern flare (similar online here)

Shoes: Guess Lawri wedge (worn here before - similar online here)

Bag: J. Crew tote

Scarf: kind of overkill for the fall weather

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I am still in partial sleep deprivation mode, but because I am in a fall state of mind and still kind of upset by the SE's lack of progress in joining the rest of the country in chilling weather, here is a fall OOTD I didn't really wear out (but want to and threw on for fun last week). I busted out these tights that I got on $5 super-sale earlier this year with this new cozy sweater dress also scored on sale (which is snuggle warm and not at all itchy).

Dress: Anthropologie Cordial Embrace by Sparrow
Top: Anthropologie Curated tee by Little Yellow Button (worn here before)
Belt: Anthropologie Infinity
Tights: Anthropologie Berry Bush in black (similar online here)
Shoes: Franco Sarto pumps (similar but pricey online here)

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I know the October new arrivals are the buzz of the Anthro-loving community today, and I wanted to share some of my new wishlist toppers. Cozy sweaters are definitely some of my new favorites for this year, which also includes the sweater dress in bright wintery colors.

What's on your Anthro wishlist for fall/winter? Have you noticed your tastes changing as you put together your needs list for each season?