No words can really describe how London celebrated New Year. Nothing compares. It’s the best I’ve seen so far. While watching the video below, all I could say was “Wow”. I was like a kid watching with my eyes and mouth wide open. LOL! I love watching fireworks. There’s something about it that makes it so magical. I feel I’m watching a fairytale ending- happily ever after. And would you believe I always get goosebumps when I see nice fireworks? Don’t ask me why because I also don’t know the answer. Hehe! Anyway, I’ll stop blabbing and let you watch London’s New Year 2012 countdown. Enjoy!

Now, what did I say about London’s 2012 countdown? AMAZING isn’t it?! I can’t imagine myself standing there and seeing this live. I might be crying out of joy. It’s just SPECTACULAR! Oh gosh, I feel every adjective I have on top of my head right now is an understatement. I’m lost of words, I’m sorry. All I know is after watching this, something was added to my list of things to do before I die. That is to celebrate one New Year in London!

For the first two days, we went around Warsaw, the capital of Poland. This place was heavily destroyed during World War II, but all the buildings of cultural and historical importance were restored according to the ancient designs and pictures. It’s very impressive. There are more than a thousand historical monuments and places in the city. Here are a few…

Palace of Culture

Lazienski Palace & Park

Chopin’s Monument

Ghetto memorial

Royal Route

Royal Castle

St. John Cathedral

and their lovely Old Town…

Oh, and you know what’s our other memorable experience here in the city? Our hotel in Warsaw was just a 5-minute walk to the mall. LOL! You wouldn’t believe what my mom, sister and I did! After our tour around the city, instead of resting, we went to the mall to shop. We went back to our hotel after 3 hours since we had to eat dinner together with the rest of the tour group. But, the night ain’t over yet! After dinner, we headed back to the mall and stayed there until closing time- until 10pm or 11pm, I think! Oh dear, our feet and legs were really painful. We literally couldn’t walk anymore. This probably topped our Prague walkathon! LOL!

So, what do you think? If you ask me though, Prague is still the best. But Dresden would leave you dumbfounded that there is such place in Germany. Here are more sights around the city. My photos look like the buildings we usually see in paintings. Breathtaking…

Theaterplatz

Hofkirche Cathedral

 Zwinger Palace… really love the Baroque style

Frauenkirche, Germany’s most important Protestant church

colossal mosaic on the Castle wall, called Procession of Dukes

Semper Opera House, which is the only theatre in Germany that bears the name of its architect

The Royal Palace, one of the oldest buildings in the city, was built 700 years ago and reconstructed as a museum

Before going to Berlin, our tour guide was kind enough to let us visit Potsdam even if it was not part of our itinerary. Potsdam is capital of the Brandenburg state, which is just in the metropolitan area of Berlin. A lot of tourists frequent the area since a lot of sights here were built when Potsdam became the residence of Prussian kings during the 18th and 19th century. Here, we were able to see the largest world heritage site in Germany, Sanssouci.

We then continued our trip to Berlin. We drove by Kurfürstendamm, known locally as Ku’damm, the main shopping boulevard in Berlin. Yes, we only passed by it! Why? Because it was a Sunday when we arrived Berlin! Argh! In Germany, all shops are closed on Sundays. When I say “all shops”, I mean ALL SHOPS- even huge malls and designer brands! Imagine our dismay when we knew about it! We actually told our tour guide never to create an itinerary which would bring tourists in the best shopping areas on a Sunday! Haha! I’m pretty sure you can feel my disappointment until now. LOL! But anyway, I think it was better that way to avoid more and more expenses on our end. Hehehe!

Here are some of the major tourist attractions in Berlin:

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

inside Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Victory Column

Checkpoint Charlie (the soldier posed for my camera… haha)

the famous Berlin Wall

Brandenburg Gate.

There are just so many must-see places in Germany! I have yet to visit Munich and Frankfurt. Being in Europe once is never enough indeed!

We started walking around 9:30am and got back to our bus by 4:30pm. Well, it wasn’t as exhausting as it may sound, probably because we were so amazed of the magnificent architectures as we walked along the streets. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe I’ve been to. I couldn’t help but wonder how is it possible to preserve such a place. A number of Hollywood movies was shot here, such as Mission Impossible, xXx, and Blade II.

Our tour began in Prague Castle. Oh, cobblestones are just sooo L-O-V-E! Quite hard to walk, especially when you’re in heels, but it’s just so Europe! I’m in love!

Here are more sights. I wish I could post everything here!

the beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral

inside St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Gorge Basilica

Daliborka Tower

the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town

Church of Our Lady of Victorious to see Sto. Nino de Praga.

How can you get tired when you see all these while walking???

Of course, Prague also has a shopping paradise!

Oh, there are just so many places to see in Prague! A day seems not enough to enjoy the scenery of this majestic city. It’s one city I’d love to go back.

My first stop for our Eastern Europe tour was Vienna, Austria. We arrived in the city around 7:00am. Our tour guide brought us first to the famous shopping area since our hotel check-in was 12:00 nn. ZOMG! I remember when I went to Salzburg, Austria in 2006, there was also a similar shopping haven too (near the Mozart Museum area). Now, imagine my face when I thought of “Austria” and “shopping”! I’m not so sure if it was a good idea that shopping was the first thing in our itinerary. Almost all the brands on top of my head can be found there, such as Zara, Rolex, H&M, Tiffany, and their lovely local stores with hefty price tags. It was just so hard to shop and walk around because of the cold weather at that time. Well, of course, the technique is to go inside the stores to keep warm, but obviously, going inside the stores would mean temptation to buy. Haha!

Oh, can I just say?! H&M was everywhere in that same area!!! Obviously, our first day was already H&M shopping. LOL!

Half a day here is definitely not enough! The next day, I specifically requested our tour guide to bring us back to that area for a last minute shopping before we head to another city. And there, I ended up with my Chanel 2.55 Flap Bag. My love for that shopping area did not stop there. Our last day in Europe, we were brought back to Austria. And yup, you guessed it right… I asked the tour guide for a short shopping stop again. I guess it was a bad idea because I ended up having my Louis Vuitton Trevi. Hehe!

Of course, Vienna is not all about shopping. We went for a city tour and visited the Shoenbrunn Palace. It was not as big and beautiful as the popular Versailles Palace in France, but they look very similar. I think a lot of palaces in Europe were patterned after Versailles. But like any other palaces, Shoenbrunn is still worth a visit as every palace has its own story to tell.

Here are more photos around the city…

State Opera House (which, by the way, is very near the shopping area) Haha! I just had to say that, huh?!

Museum of Natural History & Contemporary Arts,

Maria Theresien Platz

Belvedere Palace

And since my family and I are Catholics, part of our tour is to visit the famous Churches around. One of the popular Cathedrals in Vienna is the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, also known as Stephansdom.

Oh, I just love Vienna, Austria! Well, aside from the fact that I found my gorgeous babies at Kohlmarkt, the sights are simply mesmerizing!

See what I mean?! LOL! This is the reason why I promised myself to do a Central Europe tour again… But with my future hubby. I need good photos of my gondola ride in Venice, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the red light district in Amsterdam, and so much more! Therefore, I need a repeat in the future! So, to my future husband, be ready okay?! Haha! I know, I love to dream. Well, it ain’t bad. I just hope it would come true. Haha! My future hubby should understand that my feet just love to walk to wonderland. LOL!

Anyhoo, more about my itinerary. I really can’t wait to see Milan! It wasn’t included in our Italy tour before. And best of all, I can’t wait to eat real gelato again!!! Part of our itinerary is to go to other cities of France too that we haven’t visited. After which, we’ll head to Madrid, cities in Portugal, then back to Madrid. Our tour is supposed to end there, but since we’re already there, I thought it might be a good idea to stay a few more days in Barcelona. That would mean- Zara and Mango galore!!! My mom agreed, but she’s now probably regretting. LOL! I didn’t realize we’ll have to fly from Madrid to Barcelona. Plus, to add to my mom’s headache, I decided to fly to London. LOL! I just have to go back where I left my heart. Hehe! Oh gawd, I can’t wait to be back!

I may be away for quite a while, but I made sure to prepare everything before I leave. I have scheduled posts to keep you guys entertained until I get back. It’s a mix of my travels (which I owe you guys a lot), fashion and beauty posts. I hope you’ll enjoy them. I worked sooo hard until around 5:00am everyday so please, please stay tuned! ‘Til then lovies!

xoxo,

Lush Angel

Anyway, being sentimental and thinking that I won’t be waiting for a new Harry Potter movie in the next years to come, I began to look back at my photos when I was in UK. Oh, and I’ve seen in the news that there are a lot of tours specifically designed for Harry Potter sights around the UK now. And yes, there are a lot of people availing them! As I dig into my albums, I remember visiting places where some of the Harry Potter scenes were shot. Here are some of my photos. Enjoy!

Who would forget the King’s Cross Station? It’s the train station to Hogwarts! This is where Hagrid gave Harry a train ticket to Hogwarts for the very first time.

And yes, there really is a platform 9 3/4! On the way to platform 9, there’s this wall with a sign “PLATFORM 9 3/4″ and a luggage cart that seems to be passing through the wall! Well, obviously, it’s just for photo op. Hehe!

Can you guess what this is in the Harry Potter movie?

It’s the magical Diagon Alley, where wizards or witches buy almost everything they need, like their wands.

I can still remember getting lost as I look for this Leadenhall Market!

Can you still remember the Half-Blood Prince where Death Eater attacks? Behind me is the Millennium Bridge where that scene was shot. I remember this place was just a walk away from where I lived.

Some of the outdoor scenes in Prisoner of Azkaban and Half-Blood Prince were taken in Scotland. To be specific, they were shot in Scottish Highlands. Well, I wasn’t really able to see the exact shooting location in Scotland since we stayed in the city of Edinburgh.

But did you know that J.K. Rowling worked on the Harry Potter books at Edinburgh? This is where it all started. It’s also believed that the author used many parts of the city as her inspiration.

Now, let’s jump off to Oxford… Yes, this is Oxford and everything was just picturesque! I was like in a fairytale setting!

In Oxford, there’s the Bodleian Library. It was used as one of Hogwart’s interior in the movie. In the Goblet of Fire, this was where Mad-Eye Moody turned Draco into a ferret.

In the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the kids went up this stone staircase leading to the Great Hall.

Last but not the least, who wouldn’t recognize Hogwart’s dining hall, which was used in the Harry Potter series??? This is the hall of Christ Church, which is smaller in reality than what we see in the movies. Amazing!

These are only some of my photos. Sharing everything here would probably take me forever! LOL! I was just inspired to post some of the must-visit Harry Potter sights in the UK. Now, I’m getting even more sentimental. Going through all these pictures makes me want to go back. I believe I’ve said a few times here in my blog how much I love this place. I just feel so at home here. If there’s one place I’d call my second home, it would probably be London. Wishing I could be back soon…

Yes, I used to love my Oakley that time! Horrible alien-like frame! LOL!

The serenade, the gondola, the place (Venezia, baby!) and the architectures- should be a perfect time to do wedding proposals, don’t you think? But for me, not quite! You’re cruising along a canal so yes, it’s stinky! BUT BUT BUT, if my dear bf would want it here, I won’t complain! It’s Venice!!! LOL! Okay, dream on!!!

Dad, what are you looking at?! Wait a minute, are small shades really a big thing that time?! Or, I think that’s my mom’s! LOL!

Anyway, why am I reminiscing all of a sudden? It’s because of this…

Well, I took advantage of the place in one of my makeup gigs. And yes, as you can see, there is a gondola!!!

After doing the makeup of Flaircandy and DJ Chloe of Mellow 947, here I go doing an outfit post. Haha! Flaircandy actually posted already a few photos of her boudoir shoot in her blog. You can see her make-up done by yours truly! As soon as I get copies, I will be posting all other photos here in my blog so I can also share here some of my works.  Again, to Hannah, THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!! It was sooo fun to work with you guys! More pictorials to come! I miss you dear!!!

Anyway, moving on to my outfit… The top is a H&M find from my recent trip to Hong Kong. It was on sale- 50% off, if I’m not mistaken! I don’t usually buy such kind of knit garment since I can only wear it a few times. Why? Well, the holes almost always get caught by sharp objects while I walk. I don’t know why. I’m not sure if I’m just clumsy. But I’m pretty sure such kind of clothes never last if I wear it. Haha! But an elegant poncho for 50% off, why not?!

Since it’s a long cover-up, I wore it like a dress. I just chose to wear something underneath in contrasting color, in this case, a black tank top and shorts. To complete the look, I paired it with a thigh-high stockings and nude pumps.

Poncho: H&M
Nude Pumps: Forever 21
Necklace: H&M
Bangles: H&M and New Look
Rings: H&M
Bag: Balenciaga Giant City

Since we’re already in the topic of reminiscing, I will probably be looking back at this day after several days/ months/ years. This day is quite memorable for me. This morning, I underwent an operation for the very first time. Nothing biggie. It’s just a minor one. It’s just that, it’s the very first time I was cut open. I had this cyst for over a year now. I only had the courage to have it removed just now since the size has grown a lot for the past few months. Thankfully, it’s nothing serious. Well, just a thought for those who have cyst or suspects to have one, don’t be like me! If there’s one thing I learned, whether it’s just a small lump/ bump, have it checked right away. Don’t even wait for it to grow. Don’t be ashamed to consult a doctor just because you think it might be nothing anyway. When we’re talking about medical conditions, there’s no such thing as over-reacting. It’s always best to know its root cause right away before it’s too late. On the aesthetics side, the bigger the cyst, the bigger / longer the incision- and obviously, so is the stitch. This is why my doctor had to refer me to a plastic surgeon to make sure it won’t scar. All my stitches are so tiny, as if nothing happened. But more than anything, I learned to thank the Lord every single day for giving me a chance to live and enjoy His creations.

Seeing the city once again on television as I watch The Royal Wedding made me dig into all my photos of London. Gosh, would you believe I got teary-eyed?! Seriously, it’s the city I missed the most. I would definitely go back to London, but hopefully with my future hubby that time. Haha! Anyway, here are some photos I was able to grab in my hard drive . Oh, and more of my photos in London in this post.

St. Paul’s Cathedral (where Prince Charles and Princess Diana got married)

Big Ben at night

Westminster Abbey (where Duke William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge got married)

Buckingham Palace (where the reception of the Duke and Duchess was held)

The Buckingham Palace is only open to the public 8 weeks a year. I was fortunate enough to get inside the Palace during my stay, but as expected, photos were not allowed. I was just able to take photos of the facade and around the courtyard.

I’ve been watching documentaries about the couple and the wedding itself over and over again and this may sound funny, but I always get goosebumps. I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s as if I’m watching a fairytale. I guess it’s every girl’s dream to meet her prince charming. And Kate, being a commoner, literally met her prince. And a wedding with the carriage, palace, kings, queens, princes and princesses- all these show that fairytales do come true!

But okay ladies, sure we were all glued on our television sets for the wedding, but I’m pretty sure most of us waited for Kate’s wedding gown. It has been the talk of the town months before (and even after) the wedding. Everyone was just wondering who’s designing her dress. We’ve seen a lot of photos of Kate Middleton all over the internet and she is indeed a stylish lady- probably the reason why everyone was curious on how her wedding dress would look.

But before I comment on Kate’s dress, does this wedding dress ring a bell?

This is Grace Kelly on her wedding gown. Grace Kelly was the Princess of Monaco. She was married to Prince Rainier III in April of 1956.

And here’s Duchess Kate Middleton’s gown…

photo from Yahoo!

There are actually a number of obvious diffences between Grace’s and Kate’s wedding gown. One, Grace’s skirt was pouffy, while Kate’s dress had a sleek silhouette. Also, Grace had buttoned-up swan neckline, while Kate donned a sexy low neckline. What probably made the two dresses similar at first glance was the lace longsleeves. But what do you think about Kate’s wedding dress?

Honestly, I never imagined her dress to be simple. I thought a Royal Wedding should always be grand in all aspects. But that simple dress of Kate made by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen Fashion House was enchanting! I love it! It’s timeless, at the same time, it has a touch of modernity in it. It’s very elegant and fitting for a princess. It’s so beautiful that replicas of the gown are expected to be available all over the world in the days to come- just like Princess Diana’s wedding dress.

Duchess Kate Middleton had 2 gowns on her wedding day. The other one she wore during the Buckingham Palace reception. It was also a simple and sleek dress made by Sarah Burton. It was a strapless white satin gazar dress with a diamante embroidered waistband. To keep her warm all through out the night, the dress was paired with an angora shrug. Just like when she was wearing her wedding gown, Kate looked perfect in it.

photo from Yahoo!

How I wish I was in London to get a glimpse of the wedding of the Duke and Duchess. If I was there, I would probably one of those people camping outside the Buckingham Palace. LOL!

Congratulations to the newly weds, Duke William and Duchess Kate!

BUT wait, let me tell you first the story behind this so be a little more patient with me please… Hehehe!

When I was in London, I was really planning to buy my two babies there. Well, I went home with my Balenciaga as seen in this post, but she never met her Brit sister! LOL! Geeesh… God knows what I went through just to get hold of my other baby! Back then, I visited almost all Chanel stores in London just to look for her.  Take note, I searched for her every weekend during my stay there and sometimes even during my lunch breaks or even after office! Unfortunately, my dream bag was always out of stock. The Chanel SA’s in Selfidges and in Old Bond St. informed me that whenever deliveries arrive, the bag I wanted would vanish in just 2 hours! Unbelievable! So maybe it’s really not meant to be. But till the last minute I never gave up on my baby. I was hoping to meet her in the airport terminal. In the end, my dream of having my baby suffered the same fate as all bags in the Chanel store 2 hours after delivery, it instantly vanished.

I came back to Manila with a heavy heart knowing I got so close of grabbing hold of my Chanel bag. Each day, I would just stare at the wallpaper (a picture of my beloved baby) on my computer and wonder when I can have her. At times, I would feel down knowing that the only time I would be able to buy her is when I go to Europe for vacation with my family, which won’t happen anytime soon.

When I was about to give up on her, I found out that one of my supervisors from another team had to go to London for training. I thought I could probably take my chance and ask her to get my dream bag for me. I had some pounds left from my previous trip to London and I couldn’t exchange it to Pesos anymore. Just imagine, the rate now is only around PHP 68  to GBP 1! When I left, it was about PHP 81 to GBP 1! Do the Math!! I would definitely not exchange my pounds right now! I don’t want my money to be idle though so I need to invest it somewhere! LOL! See, I’ve got an excuse!!! And take note, it is valid and it is a good investment since if I don’t buy my Chanel now, the price would probably increase next year (Bag hags out there know how fast these designer bags appreciate!)!

So I wasted no time in asking her if she could bring home my baby for me and gave her my remaining pounds. I knew though that she won’t be able to buy it. Hello?! I visited various Chanel stores every weekend for almost two months and not even a glimpse did I see that bag! And I won’t expect her to visit every Chanel store for me! Hello?! That’s too much! I just told her, if it’s out of stock in the first Chanel store she will go to, she shouldn’t bother looking for it anymore since I don’t want her to be hassled. Besides, chances are there really won’t be any stocks! But in my heart what I actually wanted to tell her was… “Please can you check everyday in Chanel if they have stocks? Please…please….” LOL! Hehehe! You might ask then, why bother asking her to buy it for me if the chances of her finding it in stock was practically zero? Well, I felt something different this time. I knew I was going to have it this 2010 since while I was having my much needed beauty sleep  one night, I dreamed of her! I knew instantly that it was a sign from the heavens above that it will come true. Hehehe!

Two weeks before she got back here in Manila, she already told me that my bag was out of stock. Well, I wasn’t really that disappointed since I expected that already. I was thinking of just keeping the money and wait for the pounds to appreciate one day. Hehehe! And maybe, just maybe…that bag is really not meant to be for me and I was mistaken. I just told myself- Maybe the Queen B is the one for me! LOL!

Last week of April, she reported back to work and I was expecting her to give my pounds back. She called me and said, she has something for me. I wondered if it was my baby. I excitedly asked, “What is it?!?”

“Biscuits from Harrods!” Oh, I miss that mall!!! Well, I won’t deny- I thought she would bring out my bag under her table! Wahahaha! Okay fine, I was hoping until the very last minute! Me and my never say never attitude. Hehehe! But NONE! NA-DA! Just the same, I’m thankful to my trainer back in London who gave me these yummy biscuits.

At around 6pm, I heard my phone ring and it was my supervisor who just came back from London. She needed something from me. I admit this may sound bratty, but I was just fooling around when I said, “No bag, no extension!” She asked me to extend my deadline and I just gave her a deafening silence… LOL! But seriously, I’m not that bad you know. Hehehe!  Well, she thought I was serious… She just said, “No bag, no extension huh?!” After a minute or so, she went to my cubicle and placed this paper bag on my desk!

WAAAAH! Is this for real?! She bought it for me!!!! My eyes almost popped out when I saw it. I was jumping for joy and kept on shrieking right there! LOL! Everyone was stunned and didn’t know what was going on. At the sight of it, I almost fainted and I couldn’t help, but it did bring me to tears. LOL!! Yes, it is for real… It’s the 2010 Chanel GST in silver hardware!!!!! Woohooo!!!! Not a lot of people in the office would understand me for reacting the way I did, but for those of you out there who can relate with me, words aren’t suffice to express the happiness and state of ecstasy I am in right now.  It really made my day! Or shall I say, my entire year! ;-)

Anyway, here are some pictures of my new baby…

a few shots of my Brit baby…

the back…

the interior…

and the Rue Cambon Paris stamping…

P.S.
If just looking at it makes you drool already, how I wish you could just smell the leather. My favorite scent in the world! LOL!!!