[original photo source]

Hi friends! Welcome to a new Friday Five! I know it’s been awhile. Sorry about that! I hope you’ve been loving the Fall season so far! I know I surely have here in London! The leaves are definitely starting to change and it’s been fun to see leaves on the ground for once. Being from Florida, you never really get to experience what others know so well as ‘Fall’ or ‘Autumn’. It’s one of the things I was looking forward to the most being here for a few months. I’ve definitely started to bundle up more any time I leave my flat. I love it! 

Without further adieu … here are this week’s categories!

 I’m excited to finally receive these cute items in the widget above. I’m really needing a little puffy vest. I didn’t bring any with me! I don’t shop from my beloved Nordstrom as often as I did when I was at home because it takes quite a long time to get here but … I couldn’t resist the above! Can’t wait to style these for you guys! 

While we just said hello to Fall, it won’t be long before the Winter weather heads this way! I can’t encourage you enough to consider grabbing a solid piece of outerwear NOW before things start selling out. I am, personally, going to be tracking down THIS jacket in the Oxblood color! 

“How you walk with the broken speaks louder than how you sit with the great.”

“She left pieces of her life behind her everywhere she went. It’s easier to feel the sunlight without them, she said.” 

“I will spend my life on meaning, on connection, on love, on freedom. I will not waste one more day trapped in comparison, competition, proving, and earning. That’s the currency of a culture that has nothing to offer me.” Shauna Niequist ‘Present Over Perfect’

“Because there is nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s pushed away.”

“A man who wants to lead the orchestra has to turn his back on the crowd.“

 • Where did you get the black jacket you have been wearing in your Snapchats?

The black jacket is HERE. I purchased it before I left for London, knowing that I’d want something to really keep me warm when it got super cold later in my trip. I usually throw it on in the morning and at night

• Can you post the chili recipe you used to make the chili you shared on Snapchat?

Yes, you can find the chili recipe on my Pinterest HERE. 

• I’m coming to London. Where should we eat?

I have a laundry list of places to eat here in London but I want to wait until the end of my trip to share a full guide to the best eat’s in London. For now, I’m happy to suggest SticksNSushi in Covent Garden, Muriel’s Kitchen in Soho before a show, and, Churchill  if you’re looking to grab a drink with a view, head to the rooftop at One New Change. Also, always look into making reservations ahead of time to ensure you will get a table. It is possible to pop in to restaurants without a reservation but, if you do research, and see that it’s possible to make a reservation … I’d encourage it.

• I’m coming to London. What should I wear?

It’s starting to get chillier here in London. I think layering is key. Pack one jacket that will keep you warm and bring it with you throughout the day if you think you will need it. What I’ve found is, you will be cold initially but, as you walk around throughout the day and as you travel on the tube, you will get hot. So, having the ability to gain or lose a layer is the best way to go! Also, you will be walking around A LOT if you’re coming to London to explore and visit as a tourist so bring comfortable shoes, and I think that is different for everyone. For me, I love these Nike’s and these Tory Burch flats. I love wearing booties and heels but they’re – honestly – just not practical for all-day wear here. 

• Are you worried about Hurricane Matthew damaging your home in Florida? 

Yes, of course. I am moreso worried about my Dad’s house because he lives on the intercostal waterway. The storm surge alone is going to be extremely detrimental to their home. It is going to flood, for sure. They have been in New York, where my stepmom grew up visiting, all week and have been watching all of this develop from afar. My brothers have helped prep their house as much as they can but you can’t stop a flood, you know? My roommate prepped our apartment as much as she could. She put my mom’s urn in a safe place – the only thing in the apartment I care about – took my mirrors down in my room, took things off the shelves, brought the patio furniture inside, etc. prior to evacuating. All of my friends at the beach have evacuated to a safe place. I’m just waiting to hear back about my Aunt Jan, my mom’s oldest sister. So, once I know she is safe, I’ll feel a little better even though I hate that this is really happening. I just can’t believe it.   

• My friend from home, Lyndsey, came back from Scotland last Friday and, since it was Whitney’s last night in London, we decided to go to a show. We ended up deciding on WICKED, which I had never seen before. [BACK STORY: In a post post, I’ve shared that one of my guilty pleasures is musicals so you can imagine how excited I was to have people that wanted to go with me to see it with me! Ha, musicals aren’t everyones ‘thing’.] Y’all … if you love shows and are coming to London … I highly suggest going to see it. It is SO SO good!

• Lyndsey shot a few outfits for me this week and I’m really excited about them. She has learned so much and come into her own as a photographer. Can’t wait to share them all with you next week!

• On Tuesday, some blogging friends arrived here in London … Marissa from StyleCusp & Kathleen from CarrieBradshawLied! I am living in a really small space here but I feel so thankful that so many of my friends have been able to come and visit 🙂 

• My photographer here in London, Victoria, and I have been talking about taking a little mini trip one day in the next coming weeks. The other day we set a date and I cannot wait! It’ll be to shoot some Fall looks around some outlying London cities that I have been wanting to visit. She is so much fun to spend time with. It’ll be cool to spend the day with her and see what we can capture and share with y’all! 

• I finally ate at Churchill Arms here in London. You have surely seen it on Pinterest. I had heard they had amazing Thai food, unheard of in most traditional English pubs, but just hadn’t made it over there to try for myself. Marissa, Kathleen, Lyndsey and I went the other night. It’s as good as I’ve heard. Recommend it! Grab a drink at Kensington Wine Rooms beforehand like we did! It’s right next to it! 

Thanks for stopping by today, y’all!

A couple quick things ….

Don’t forget to take advantage of the 46% discount on my three favorite TULA products HERE.

Don’t miss out on an amazing Friends & Family Sale over at Gigi New York!

The bag I am wearing in THIS outfit is currently between 25-30% off with code WEAREFAMILY

Also, Nordstrom always price matches and has great discounts over the weekend, so check out their sale department!

I hope you have the best weekend, and all of my Florida people … I am praying praying praying for you!! 

Happy Weekend, friends! Love y’all! xo.