Strand on the Green

Oh, London, how I love thee...

However, recently I have particularly loved the quieter bits as opposed to the city.

One of my favourite spots is a little place called Strand on the Green. It's a small part of the London Borough of Chiswick and Hounslow by the river. It's such a quaint area, and whenever I am there I feel as though I have stepped out of London as it's so calm and peaceful (and quiet unless you have cyclists or birds squawking at you, but they're usually pleasant enough)

It is one of my favourite places to go to, to just sit and relax in the sun, either with a book and an ice-cream sitting on a wall, or outside a pub with a drink (there are some great pubs there!)

Last week, my best friend Anna and I decided to go for a nice walk and a spot of sunshine by the river. We took lots of photos...so here are a few :)

Jumper - Uniqlo

Coat - Mango

Trousers - Topshop

Low Top white Converse

Before we headed to Strand, we couldn't resist taking a few postbox photo's. I'm not really sure what prompted us to do this...

A moody bus stop photo. For those who may want to know, I decorated that bag myself when I was 14. 

Sitting on the wall overlooking the river 

I love the tartan print on these trousers

Sitting on yet another wall overlooking the river in all its glory.

A little bit of converse love...

Places I recommend in the Strand on the Green area:

- Cafe Rouge

- The City Barge pub

- The Bell and Crown (it is SO GOOD!)

Buses:

391 (on Kew Bridge), 440 (to Gunnersbury and walk), 65 (on Kew Bridge), 272 (to Grove Park and walk)

Tube & Train:

The nearest tube station is Gunnersbury which is a 5-10 minute walk from the Strand area

The nearest train station is Kew Bridge, which is a 5 minute walk

Tailored Smart

For once, I am dressed smartly...?!

No I joke, sometimes, I do like to dress up a little bit, and this was one of those days. As I had a slightly fancier lunch to attend, I took a little longer to think about my outfit choice for the day.

I wanted to go for a slightly more tailored look by pairing these tartan trousers (which I do dress down quite often, even though they can lift any outfit) with a pinstripe shirt. I rarely wear shirts, but I do love them. They make me feel instantly smart and are quite literally a timeless piece - particularly if they are striped or just plain white. And this shirt, is no exception.

Shirt - Jack Wills

Trousers - Topshop
Boots - Office

Rubens and his Legacy

 Jumper - Tommy Hilfiger
Jeans - Levi's 479 (Booty flare fit)
Boots - Office
Scarf - Accessorize

Yesterday (25th March 2015) I went to see Rubens and his Legacy at the Royal Academy. Having always been a lover of fine arts (and having previously studied it at a more advanced level) I was very excited.

It was absolutely breathtaking. The exhibit included so many loaned paintings of his and many more paintings from other artists that took inspiration from him during the more Classical period. His work was truly incredible - so rich and beautifully created, particularly his oil paintings and etchings. I really recommend visiting it while it's still on! (Although it is quite long and due to time restrictions, I wasn't able to finish viewing it in one day - so I'll probably go back some time next week, as I am a member of the RA)

Although it is technically Spring, it's still quite nippy out in London, so I chose to wear this gorgeous linen jumper from Tommy Hilfiger, which I bought on sale last year, as it's just that perfect thickness for the in-between weather. We took these photos in the courtyard entrance to the museum - how amazing is this sculpture?!

Hope you're all having a wonderful start to Spring!