Got these at the Oxford Circus TopShop for £70, suede and braided nubuck!

My boyfriend tells me he just spent $70 on an Electric Organ and I’m pretty sure I’m gearing up to spend that much on shoes between yesterday and today alone. And this is not taking into account the 8 other pairs I’ve purchased so far this summer.

I shipped a bunch over to New York, land of no sales tax on shoes and clothing under $100, in his trusted custody. Oh dear.

And since I haven’t done one of these ‘minor details of what’s going on in my life,’ here’s a quickie!

Lately I’ve…

1. Been working quite a lot. I gotten a part-time job [though my current hours are edging dangerously near to full time] for the summer, and naturally, have already gotten tickets lined up ready to squander all my not-quite-earned savings away: yes, m’dears, I’m going to JAPAN for Christmas vacation.
2. Does anyone else find the Fantasmic Disneyland radio commercial song oddly catching? When it comes on I find myself humming along much too frequently.
3. Been slowly (not quite surely) putting up a few backdated posts about my Europe trip, which is more than I ever did for my China vacation last summer.
4. Also been trying to figure out how to compact all the shit stuff I want to get back to New York in late August packed into one under-25lb parcel mail box, a medium-sized suitcase, and 2 carry-on’s. I’m trying to stay away from a suitcase being one of those carry-ons.

Day 7 was the day of the bank holiday, which meant in clear UK fashion, most things were closed and people got the day off. General jetlag and tiredness were overcoming us slowly, and so we split into various groups and trickled out of the flat in small groups once again. My group left a little later than some others and had only one target: Camden Town and its markets.

I took no pictures today, being a little photo-whored out, but I did make most of my gift purchases that day and had an interesting sandwich at a very normal-seeming bar that served the very goth-based clientle that seemed to permeate Camden Town. Ladies, if you’re ever looking for old-style platform leather boots or corsets, this is your destination. Trinkets, and the usual market mish-mash are also relevant, but the former because it makes this place unique.

Things I got? A purse, posters, crystal soil, a wine-glass made out of a recycled beer bottle, cloth-wrapped bead bracelets, and a pocket watch that I will probably wear as a necklace in the future.

We were up a little earlier on Day 8. We decided to take a look at London’s infamous Soho, which is not an acronym, first thing in the morning. The girls and I almost decided to take a peak at one of their curious adult-themed shops, but turned back as soon as three heavy, gruff looking men exited their chain-draped door. Whoops.

This picture expresses Soho, London in a manner a little bit cleaner than some other picture might.

Instead, we found ourselves in a vintage magazine-meet ex-redlight district: lots of old Playboy magazines, some Vogue ones, tons of vinyl, and some crude postcards.

From there, however, we stepped up our class and headed for Kensington Palace, home of many princesses.

Queen Victoria statue on the far side of the palace, depicted in the background.

Waiting in line to be seated.

The day was cloudy as usual, and the line wasn’t too bad. We split into 2 groups of 6 to be seated, which all happened quickly, though the manner in which the host addressed us could have been a shade or so more friendly.

You don't need to purchase tickets for Kensington Palace to eat at The Orangery, a restaurant in the palace itself touting tons of deserts and teas perfect for high tea!

A sneak look at some of the other guests at the Orangery.

In a fitting manner, the centerpieces are little orange trees. Their specialty is Roobois tea, made out of oranges. Frankly, a bit strong and overpowering in the orange for me.

Next we continued our slow ascent into the flamboyant by looking up (and speed touring) Harrods, which has just changed management. Are the new owners as flamboyant as the old? The decor doesn’t seem to have changed, though I had trouble locating their touted 400,000 Pound [Sterling] rock (and I don’t mean diamond or weight) in the huge maze.

Since we couldn’t afford anything from the actual store, we went down to Harrod’s own gift shop and purchased a musical bear for our director’s new son, who was also the reason of his absence from being our chaperone.

Everyone loved the bar so much that they all decided to get one as gifts for family or friends with new babies!

Tuesday also happened to be student night at one of the clubs we looked up, Tiger Tiger. We made a mad rush to make it by 11pm to get the student discount price of 5 Pounds. If you ever visit the place, head downstairs immediately. I have a silly picture of me dancing in the awesome groovy-themed 70s discotheque that I will not be showing.

It rained a lot again on Day 9, but we were prepared because our company visit with Winterflood Securities, provided us with these awesome umbrellas. Unfortunately, though sturdy, these umbrellas were also bulky and heavy, and a great many did not make it out of the flat on the last day. Many towels didn’t either.

Let’s just keep moving on through the days as I make a power-post of the final few days in London. Day 10 was uneventful so far as the touristy goes, though we did visit KPMG, one of the Big 4 Accounting firms. As our final full day in London, we did some R&R before we headed off for, rather perfectly symmetrically, for Picadilly Circus once more, this time to catch our 7pm Les Mis showing, our 30 Pound rush tickets in hand.

Shopping in San Francisco yesterday, success. Yes, let it be known that this is the real motive of coming back to California, friends and family be damned.

My favorite purchase (other than my boots), however, is my random bird cage from Ross I got for $10. I now sits in my window and makes me happy every time I look at it.

This is because I saw giant birdcages with ruffle ostriches peeking into them at Anthropology [where all those who shopped at UO go when they turn 30 and are willing to pay 5x that for a shapeless shirt that they could should only wear if they were 3x less fat] and that made me want a bird cage.

Have also been getting quite ridiculously tired of F21 (gasp!) because of their shod quality and clothes that disintegrate within 5 washes in freezing cold water. Can’t get over the fact that I can pay in the mid-$30s for a decent pleather imitation (haha, yes, I know what I’m saying) of an awesomely ripped-up jacked. Mine is in plum.

Speaking of Urban Outfitters, though: $39 jeans sale! Yeah, I’ll shop at Antropology when I’m 30.

Arden B.’s sales people didn’t match their clothes. Amusement abound. Their little cousin Wet Seal had some major understaffment issues and confusingly set up sales rack containing non-sale items, like awesome gray/shiny jeans that I would only pay 50% less for since they obviously snag and break easily, case and point by the snagging of the product in hand. So instead got the Most Confusing Jeans in the World in that the most Real they have going for them is the button and the back pockets. Eat that, $40 jean leggings advertised by Anthropology

Think will ask for Doc Martens for birthday since my cheap (but awesome) combat boots are dying from salt erosion thanks to stupid East Coast weather & the insipid practice it incubates known as salting the roads aka killing my shoes.

Happy 2010!