Hey there!

So, the first time I ever came to London was when I was 18. My best friend from high school, Kelsey, and I left with an obsession over this place that was fanned by this movie we watched on the flight home. It had just come out and was based in London called Love Actually. Not only did we get excited about seeing all the places we had just seen for ourselves, we loved all of the different story lines. It was cheeky and fun, sad and sweet .. you know, all the things that get us gals’ hearts going! Ever since, Love Actually has been one of my favorite movies and I, especially, love watching it around Christmas time [because, if you haven’t seen it, that is when it’s based].

One of the things I wanted to do during my short term stay here in London was to track down some of the places that they shot scenes from the film. One of the big Christmas tree shots in the movie was shot at Whiteley’s, a very unimpressive shopping center in Bayswater, and the scene where the cheating husband [played by the amazing late Alan Rickman] buys the expensive necklace was shot at Selfridges in central London [don’t go on a Saturday]. My favorite scene in the movie is the one where the art director shows up at his best friends house to tell his wife that he’s in love with her. You know … the “To me, you’re perfect” scene. I won’t say any more … you’ll have to see the movie, if you haven’t, to find out what happens but it’s amazing. That scene is filmed on a little street in Notting Hill called St. Luke’s Mews.

LESSON FROM LONDON
The more and more you walk around London, the more you’ll see small streets that end in ‘mews‘.
A ‘mews‘ is a small street of houses or apartments that have been converted from stables or built to look like stables. Most of the time, they are little streets that lead no where, but some of them do have outlets on both ends.

I had seen this mews on Instagram a few times because I follow some London city snapper accounts [like @prettycitylondon @prettylittlelondon @siobhaise @meanderingmacaroon … they’re ALL amazing if you have a major crush on London, like I do] so I knew there was an ADORABLE pink house on it that I thought would be a cute backdrop to this outfit. So, I was like ‘well, St. Luke’s Mews is on my list of places to see here before I go because #loveactually so that’s perfect!’. Whitney and I get there one day a few weeks ago. We’re walking through and come to find the cute pink house. We set our stuff down on this picnic table outside of the house directly across the street from the pink one. I was snapping some photos and the lady that lives in the home with the picnic table comes outside to grab an herb off of this vine growing on her home [#goals] and she warmly smiles at us. Whitney and I breathe a sight of relief because we really did make ourselves quite comfortable on her picnic table. We apologized and asked if it would be okay if we snapped some photos and she said ‘of course, of course!’ in her adorable English accent. We started talking to her and I built up the courage to admit why we were stalking her street, because of the movie Love Actually. She was so sweet about it, and said she didn’t live here when it was filmed but pointed across the street and said that that house was the one they used in the movie.

I’m sorry ……. WHAT!

Y’all. Let me spell this out for you ….

The house that I had planned on shooting this outfit in front of was WHERE THEY FILMED MY FAVORITE SCENE IN MY FAVORITE MOVIE.

Sorry for the CAPS but yes, I’m screaming. Ha! God has an amazing sense of humor and this is how I know He loves me. Anyway, I thought it was the coolest thing so please, humor me 😉

I hope your week is off to a great start! This outfit’s details are all below for ya! Some items are on sale but I do know sizes are limited in the coat and my pink gloves are sold out in that color. If you’re on the hunt, though, here are some good options for pink gloves. My favorite are the Carolina Amato ones, but seriously consider the White + Warren one, too! I have a huge crush on that brand right now.

Enjoy your Tuesday, loves! I’m hoping to have another gift guide up for you tomorrow! I’m off to go take pictures with Santa for my Christmas cards! Last week, I mentioned that I love sending and receiving Christmas cards and how I wanted to take photos with Santa in an ugly Christmas sweater this year to send along with mine. They’re going out a little later than they should but they should still all make it 🙂

Thanks for stopping by today, lovelies! xo.