The Honeymoon: Day 4, The Embassy 🇬🇧

Appointment details: Please arrive at the U.S. Embassy in London at 8:00am on Friday, April 25th.  Please ensure that you arrive by the time stated as it is not possible for late arrivals to be admitted.     

There was no way we could miss this. Paperwork gripped tightly, we walked from our hotel over into a scene right out of The Diplomat.

The Honeymoon: Day 3, Back to London 🇬🇧

Since the honeymoon didn't go to plan, we found ourselves heading back to London on Thursday instead of Cambridge as planned. 

The Honeymoon: Day 2, The Harry Potter Studio Tour 🇬🇧

On the way to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, I didn't think anything was going to make me smile on this trip. The moment we parked in the parking lot, I started crying. I finally let it all out. I was sad and mad. Then I was so happy and excited that we had made it to something I had been waiting years to see. Let's get in there!

The Honeymoon: Day 2, The Passport & Police Problems 🇬🇧

This morning was suppose to be spent lazily exploring Watford, enjoying a spa day and then the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Yesterday changed everything. Luckily not Harry Potter.

The Honeymoon: Day 1, The Robbery 🇬🇧

The test of any relationship is how you handle the tough parts of life. When we boarded the plane for our honeymoon in England, we never imagined that this would be one of those times.

Nerd Crafts: Nerdy Ornaments

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year!  I LOVE Christmas decor and I love nerdy things. I wanted to mash my love of both together in this month's nerd crafts! Hope you enjoy!

Supplies:

*Various Colored Felt

*Clear Gel Tacky Glue

*Twine

*Various Fabric Paint Colors

*Scissors

*Black Tread

*Needle

Serenity Ornament - I used a CD to trace the orange circle.  Cut it out, then placed it under the yellow felt and free handed the yellow circle.  I used this Serenity logo as an example.  I used a red Sharpie to draw on the characters, but think that some sort of paint might work better {I ended up going over it with red fabric paint}.  Make sure you have sharp scissors for the felt!  I used the clear Tacky Glue to glue the circles together and for the twine on the back.

T.A.R.D.I.S. Ornament- This one was easier than I thought it was going to be.  The Tacky Glue worked fine for everything, just let it all dry before doing any painting {just to be safe}.  Black and white fabric painted worked perfect for the details.

Breaking Bad Ornament -  Taking green felt I cut out my squares, glueing two on top of each other for more stability.  I used a white fabric paint for the lettering.  When everything was dried I used the clear Tacky Glue to glue the two squares together in one corner.

Union Jack Ornament - Using blue and white felt, I cut the shapes needed and used red fabric paint for the red stripes.  This one was by far the hardest ornament to make.  I know it is not totally correct, but not horrid for a first try.  Good luck on this one :)

A Silent Film Ornament - This one I made my job harder on myself than necessary.  I took way too much time trying to draw the perfect diamond, when I could have just drawn a square and turned it!

I actually made about four variations of this one to send to all my Lamplighter friends. For mine, it came together as a happy accident.  I had extra black felt and two different sizes. I really like how this one came out.

The original design was cream felt with black lettering.  I then hand sewed a boarder of black thread. This was  super quick and easy {I am not a sewer}!  I cannot wait to give these to all my Lamplighter friends!

Total cost for all the ornaments was around $11.00 and I made a lot!  I had to make three separate trips to Michael's but I did it all for you!  Let me know in the comments how your's turn out and also if you decide to try something different.  Happy crafting!

London Comic Con 2014 with Claireabellemakes!

{Editor's Note:  Claire and I have been online friends for a while now and she is such a great British friend sending me this amazing package during our package swap!  Make sure you check out our posts on that experience!  And of course check out her lovely blog and Etsy shop!  It was so fun to read about an overseas con!  Thank you Claire!! xo}

I’m so excited to be here today on The Nerdy Girlie to share my thoughts on London Film and Comic Con! I was a comic con virgin before this year, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I headed off to Earls Court with my boyfriend on a boiling hot day with my geek mind open. We reached London in good time but realized that Tube + heat + flying ant day = horrendous journey.

Luckily we were meeting family who had lined up as outside was the BIGGEST QUEUE I HAD EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. We soon realized that as we had pre-ordered our tickets we could get in after around 30 minutes in line. So first tip of London Comic Con; pre book your tickets. 

1st impression was honestly “have I entered a sauna”?  Queuing systems were not particularly organized once you got past the entrance of the exhibition hall, so we spent a good 30 minutes shuffling through a massive sweaty crowd with no idea where we were heading or if we had joined a Stan Lee signing or Dr Who line by accident.

Once we emerged from said sweaty nerd bundle (which included people with strollers, what?!) we found ourselves by the autograph line ups which were pretty reasonable and well organized with a ticketing system.  Obviously the super stars were hidden in booths to prevent rushing. Everything was pretty spread out which gave us a good opportunity to people watch, shop and find some good cosplayers to photograph and chat to. 

I loved Lego movie so had to get a photo with this guy!

We heard some people complaining they had lined up for 2-3 hours for various talks and signings, but we visited on the Saturday which is probably the busiest of all 3 days. Bathroom line ups for women were ridiculous also, but I managed to sneak into a staff one with no line after asking nicely yey!

We headed out of the exhibition hall for lunch, getting a stamp to re-enter later in the day.

The cosplay masquerade was pretty fun and these seats went from empty to completely rammed in a matter of minutes. There were plenty of DIY costumes including this awesome TARDIS dress! It looked pretty heavy.

We even got to witness a marriage proposal which was pretty darn cute. She said yes!

Artist Alley was awesome with tons of friendly people willing to sketch you and pass out free comics. The gamer zone was also pretty cool with a retro gaming arcade being enjoyed by all ages. My boyfriend is a game developer so he was in his element there and found tons of 80s games.

There was a good variety of booths to shop at including the Dr Who store, anime stands and tons of kawaii stationery. Alpacasso was EVERYWHERE.

The most cosplayed of the day was Spiderman and there was strong representation for Game of Thrones and Frozen characters. 

The atmosphere was really friendly and I had a great time. Next time we are planning to visit on the slightly quieter Sunday and will grab an early bird ticket for 9am entry to avoid massive crowds. 

All in all a good day, despite being incredibly hot and crowded!

You can find me blogging over at Claireabellemakes or come say hi on Twitter!

London Travel Tips from Being Geek Chic

{Editor's Note:  My dear friend Liz from Being Geek Chic, traveled to London this past fall.  After sharing our adventures with each other, we both thought it would be a GREAT idea to share what we learned from our trips with YOU!  Hoping to help you have an amazing time on a future trip to London, here are Liz's tips.  You can find mine over on her blog Being Geek Chic!}

Liz from Being Geek Chic.

By:  Liz Giorgi

There is no city like London. I promise. It’s absolutely one of my favorite places on the planet and maybe even one of my favorite places in the universe. I can’t know for sure, but you know. Anyway, the point is I can never get enough. I studied abroad there. I loved it so much that I hung out there after college for a while. And I just HAD to go back this fall because I was going through proper tea withdrawals. 

I like to consider myself an expert traveler when it comes to London and its charms. So if you’re considering a trip, here’s five things you must know:

1. There’s nothing quite like a day wandering around a London neighborhood. Hands down, if I had nothing to do for an entire day in Londontown, I would be the happiest. Why? Because London neighborhoods are so distinct, so charming and so historic that they’re worth spending a day or two exploring. Some favorites? Bayswater. Camden Town. Knightsbridge. 

2. Rent an apartment. London hotels are crazy expensive, intensely tiny and oftentimes are not in the most exciting neighborhoods. Nothing will make you feel more like a Londoner than walking out of a skinny row home with little British children skipping to school. Don’t be afraid to just spend some time getting to know the neighborhood (as outlined in #1) and pick a favorite coffee shop and just hang out in the window reading. You will never forget it. 

3. Don’t be afraid of the Overground. The London Underground is the mass transit method of choice for most travelers in London, but when looking to explore some of the outer parts of the city, don’t be afraid to check out the Overground. Just as clean and simple and efficient, it’s a great way to get out to some of the lesser known burbs. Including Leavesden, where you can take a tour of the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studios. It’s AMAZING. 

4. Double decker buses are cool, but skip the touristy ones. Just hop on a proper London city bus and pay the meager two pounds and enjoy the ride. Or use your Oyster card. Come to think of it, your first stop upon arrival at Heathrow should be to get an Oyster card. If you’re not sentimental, you can turn your card back in when you leave and get a refund for five pounds too.

5. Pret is everything. When people ask me what I miss most about London, I often say the tube, or the Victoria and Albert or the parks or the people or the tea. But inside (especially when I’m hungry) I am really longing for Pret. The value of convenient and affordable organic and healthy food on the go can not be underestimated. Just go. Have the toasted wraps, they’re amazing. And the oatmeal. Yum.

{Now that you have read HER tips, head on over to Being Geek Chic to read MY tips for your London adventure!!  Cheers!}

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM LONDON!

We have seen and done so many amazing things so far on this trip and I still cannot believe I am here!  The weather has been pretty good thus far, only one CRAZY rainy day.  Since not much is open here on Christmas day we will try to explore Hyde Park and our surrounding hotel area.  I am having such an amazing time and I cannot wait to share it ALL with you when I return!

Hoping that everyone has a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! xo

Wish List of an Anglophile

Here we continue our countdown to Christmas!!!!  This week with awesome Anglophile gifts!  I am HUGE fan of all things English/British/UK.  Here is around up of some bloody brilliant gifts!

Bracelet.  Leggings.  Weekend Bag.  Mobile case.  50th Anniversary TARDIS ornament.  Wallet.

I cannot pick my favorite out of these gifts!  I want them ALL!!  It is easier than ever to find Union Jack and other British inspired gifts in stores lately!  So if you haven't had a chance to order them online...check out a store near you and I'm sure you'll find something to surprise that special Anglophile in your life!

England trip from Dec 21-28, then Paris till the 1st!

A last minute trip has sprung up for me.  Last night The Hunny, his brother, wife and I, finalized plans for us all to travel to the UK for Christmas and Paris for New Years!  As soon as we had our itinerary all settled, I began to cry like a little baby! This is THE trip I have been waiting my entire life for.  I cannot explain how excited I am and it will not feel real until we land in London and begin traveling the country. I still don't believe it!  I am too blessed this Christmas season.

WHEW...NOW don't forget to check back next week for my last gift giving list!  Share your favorite gifts below in the comments and let's keep this list growing!!  Only 16 days till Christmas!!