I grabbed a Red Bull from the hotel market on our way out the door to day 2 of the Star Wars Celebration. The time difference and late nights started to get to me but we pushed on! We spent most of the day in line to meet the voice actors and other Star Wars actors. While standing around, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) came walking by asking how our day was going which was such a cool moment. We binged The Clone Wars before going to London so it was really cool to chat with the voice actor who voices the droids.
That night, we had tickets for a booze cruise down the River Thames with some of our friends. The best part of the boat ride was the views of London so after an hour we hopped off at the midway point and looked for our friends at a more lively bar. We took the Tube to The Cocktail Club to meet up with some other friends. Drinks on the boat were nice but we had a lot of fun trying all of the creative cocktails on the menu and dancing.
DAY 3
It was the last day of the convention so I grabbed us croissants and a Red Bull for me to eat for breakfast on our way to the convention center. It was the last day of the convention so I grabbed us croissants and a Red Bull for me to eat for breakfast on our way to the convention center. We met a few more celebrities and hung out with our friends some more before heading back to the hotel to order in. We needed a quiet night in after a busy few days and ordered dinner on Deliveroo, their version of UberEats. I highly recommend Chicken Hub, not sure if it was because we were so hungry or if it’s the greatest fast food we ever ate! The time change was finally hitting us so we enjoyed going to bed early because we had something exciting planned for day 4!
Hello friends! I’m finally sitting down to share all the fun we had on our London trip in April. We found a way to pack as much as possible into this trip. It helps that Jake had been before for a weeklong work trip so he knew the area a bit. We spent hours planning our days before getting on our flight to ensure we could do a lot in a day without feeling too tired.
If you follow along on Instagram, you will know that the reason for the trip was to attend Star Wars Celebration. At first, when Jake proposed going to the convention a year ago, I politely declined because I didn’t want my first trip to a place I’d dreamed about going to for a Star Wars convention. Turns out, the convention was real but it was not the real reason to go to London. Jake had been planning this trip to get me to London to propose in a beautiful and romantic setting. More on that in a later post!
TRAVEL DAY
We took a red eye to London which I highly recommend! The goal was to sleep on the flight to help with the time change but with my bad back I found it hard to get comfortable but everyone else was snoring away on that flight. We landed in London early in the morning and were at our hotel, Aloft, by noon. We booked a hotel near the convention center so we were close which meant little travel time and being able to sleep late. We grabbed lunch at the hotel and took a walk around the area to do some sightseeing. I took a little nap before we headed out to meet up with friends for dinner and drinks at Canary Wharf. We wanted a chill night with some friends because we knew we would have to be up early for the convention the next day.
One thing I am so happy we did was purchase an Oyster card, their version of a metro card. They are easy to buy and reload making getting around very easy. The public transportation system makes so much sense and is easy to navigate. The fares are also very low so get the Citymapper app and plan your route!
DAY 1
Up early to go to Star Wars Celebration! If you are not familiar, it’s a very large gathering of Star Wars fans which Jake is. A lot of his friends came out of the local Pennsylvania Star Wars club when he first moved here so it was nice to meet up with friends and make some new ones. Lots of panels, exhibits, and booths to look at. For Star Wars fans, it’s their version of Black Friday/ Christmas all in one! The convention was fun but I was more excited about the after-party!
A tradition during Star Wars Celebration is that every night there are different parties and the first night was the big Bash. The rooftop bar, Crossrail Place Roof Garden, was ours for the night with Star Wars themed drinks and lots of laughs with friends, new and old.
What I Wore
Packing for this trip took a lot of planning to create a capsule wardrobe to fit everything in my suitcase. I splurged on a black leather jacket from Zara and it was perfect for the ever-changing weather conditions in London. I knew we would be going out a lot during our trip so I bought a pair of leather boots with a comfortable size heel to dress up jeans for nights like the Bash and also looked nice with a dress for a fancy dinner. I brought two pairs of jeans, one dark denim and, black jeans, and brought plenty of sweaters and tops to layer.
I hope everyone had a good week and my friends in the Northeast stay safe in this air quality. I’ve had a terrible cough since Tuesday and trying to limit my outside time as much as possible. Schools went remote today so I’m enjoying my start to the day with a cup of tea at home. For the last month, we have been weeding, planting, and tending our backyard to make it a backyard oasis – a rare find in Philadelphia! My new favorite evening activity is coming home from work and changing into comfy clothes to head to the couch outside to read a little bit before making dinner. Unfortunately, this week that evening tradition has had to be put on pause since I am trying to limit my outside time as much as possible.
We are trying to make the best of the start of summer with this bad air quality. Next week is the last week of school (yippee!) so we will probably be spending our weekend at home getting a lot done on our to-do list. Why is adulting just one long to-do list that never ends?
Philly Things
Last weekend, we were up and moving early on Saturday and went to the Rittenhouse Art Show and Farmers Market. We added on a few more errands in the City because the weather was so nice and we wanted to enjoy it as much as we could. We went to the new Kura Revolving Sushi Bar on Chestnut Street for dinner and we both loved the experience! It had been on our list for a while and not only was the food delicious but it was a great experience. Robots delivered your drinks, food was delivered on a revolving bar and the vibe was really cool. Each plate is $3.50 making it easy to try new things you wouldn’t normally order. My big piece of advice is that this sushi is not your grocery store sushi, it is authentic sushi so go in with an open mind! I tried new dishes and liked all of them and fell in love with conch sushi – who knew I would!
Cork is my favorite store to pop in and “treat” myself. Not only do they have the cutest hostess gifts but they have an excellent wine selection.
Flourish is a store in our neighborhood that sells plants and locally made goods that just had its one-year anniversary. We finally stopped in recently and picked up a few gifts for family.
Shiny Happy People
Anna Nicole Smith – You Don’t Know Me
Selling Sunset
Real Housewives of Orange County
This toner is great and I’ve been using it sparingly because I’m close to running out. It does it all – cleanses, exfoliates, and makes your skin glow. Yes please!
On Sunday we went to Costco and I bought a giant bag of lemons so of course I had to make my lemon pasta recipe! It’s a recipe that I originally found online and it’s turned into throw things into a pan and see what happens.
In a pan, start with oil, garlic, and onions on low. Juice 3 lemons and add lemon juice to the pan while the pasta is cooking. Add the lemon carcasses to the pasta water. Add seasoning to the pan (basil, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, etc). Once the pasta is ready, slowly add pasta to the pan and stir. Add more oil and juice from the 4th lemon and add lemon carcasses to the pan for some extra zest. Let the pasta cook for a few more minutes and bam, lemon pasta!
Finally (finally!) purchased these sandals that were very popular last summer and it looks like they will be in style for a little longer.
With the plastic bag ban in Philly, I had to buy another one of these laundry tote bags to help transport groceries and stuff around.
I’ve been deep cleaning and swapping out decor to get ready for summer. I’ve been looking for a small lamp to put in the kitchen that doesn’t take up that much room and adds some lighting without the harsh kitchen lights. Found this lamp that is perfect and so so sooo cute!
I can’t resist anything gingham so these bowls and cups came home with me. They will be perfect for summer in the backyard and now I need the rest of the collection!
Working on getting through the next Outlander book to prep for the new season this month!
For a lighter read, I’ve been reading Kathy Reichs books that were turned into the series Bones.
There are very few products I have tried that make me this upset when I use every last drop. My morning routine was completely thrown off the other day when I went to use my Summer Fridays CC ME serumand nothing came out. I’ve used a lot of products that claim to make your face look brighter, smoother, etc. and this one actually gave results. It’s a favorite for many people because this serum naturally brightens, improves skin texture, and reduces dark spots and hyperpigmentation. It does it all and looks great under some light foundation and concealer. I found that I didn’t need to apply that much makeup when I used it because my face glows when I use this serum.
The serum is light and dries quickly so I didn’t need to wait for what feels like forever with other products for my skin to absorb the serum. I brought it on my recent trip to Disney and I’m so happy I did because your skin can show signs of travel and lack of sleep very quickly. All of my pictures from our trip turned out great and I didn’t have to worry about what my face looked like with no sleep because of this serum. Sounds a bit dramatic, I know, but when you find a serum that makes your skin glow and hides dark circles and fine lines, buy it in BULK! Or sign up for auto-replenish because that’s a thing now.
Wow. It’s been a busy week for me and it feels like it flew by. One of my goals for 2023 was to come back to this little corner of the internet and start writing again. I thought I set myself up for success and planned out time in my schedule to create content. But as life happens, plans change. I wasn’t looking for a change, anyone who knows me at all knows that I hate change and avoid it at all costs. However, sometimes the Universe finds a way to make you walk to a fork in the road and decide: what are you going to do? All of this to say, I recently left my job and after two days “off”, I started at a new job. Same time of job, just a different company. This week has been busy with onboarding and jumping right into a new job, but I’m excited about this new opportunity.
Philly Things
I went to brunch at Blondie a few weeks ago with an old work friend in Manayunk. Not only is the place so cute, but the food is delicious too! It’s a place to go if you want a cocktail with your brunch. I looked over the menu a few times to try and find coffee or a juice listed that did not have alcohol in it and no luck. I am definitely going again and bringing the boy next time!
The City Winery has become one of our favorite places to see a show. Last year we saw Melinda perform and a few weeks ago I got us tickets to see Vonda Sheppard. She did the music for the Ally McBeal soundtrack and my mom played that CD on repeat when I was growing up. It’s such a smart concept for a concert. You can reserve a table to sit at and order dinner and drinks during the show.
What I’m Watching
The Playboy Murders
Pamela, a love story
Yellowstone
1883
Products I’m Loving
Summer Fridays CC ME Serum
Recent Purchases
What I’m Loving
I recently listened to an interview with Danielle Prescod on a Goop Podcast. Her new book, Token Black Girl, sounded so interesting and it’s in my Amazon cart to order once I get through a few more on my overflowing shelf.
As I was reading about the goals I set for myself this time last year, it was interesting to see what I put my energy into this year. I was dedicated to my job and growing into my new role as my company transitioned and grew. While I made work a priority, I didn’t have much time left in the day for this little corner of the internet. It’s made me a little sad because when I did have a free minute to jump on my laptop and share an outfit or one of my favorite things, I didn’t have the creative energy left to give to Blonde Rosie content.
This year I committed to going out more and trying more restaurants in Philadelphia. We did a good job of making a weekly date night and sticking to it. We love our neighborhood places like Pub and Kitchen or Grace’s Tavern which is great for after a long day and you want to grab a drink with dinner. Pietro’s in Rittenhouse is an Italian restaurant we always forget about we recently took my parents to it and fell in love with it again. After years of walking by Parc, it is now our most frequented restaurant here in Philly.
I set a lot of goals for myself last year that I didn’t get to and I’m accepting that it is okay. I spent more of my free time out with Jake and building relationships with new friends. Now that I’m older I am learning how hard it is to juggle life, work, friendships, and sleep. Having a healthy work-life balance takes work and I look forward to investing more energy into that balance this year.
My Goal For 2023
I like to pick a word for the year that sets the tone for my goals for the year. This year I am focusing on health; my mental and physical health. For years I have been wanting to join a fitness studio and couldn’t because I didn’t have the income to make the commitment. Now I have the income to sign up for classes but I don’t have the time because of my job’s schedule. Funny how life works out that way, huh? When work is busy which feels like all the time, I can feel my mental health taking a toll and I want to do things that are good for my mental health. This year I’m planning to spend less time on my phone, not work late every night, go to bed at a normal time and make time for my hobbies. If you do one thing this year, invest in self-care! I have always been really dedicated to my nighttime skincare routine and use the right products for my skin. I recently went to a med-spa and was told again and again how healthy my skin was.
I have a lot of fun travel planned for this year and I am SO EXCITED! Our trip to London in the spring is booked and I’m starting to shop for it now. In May we are flying down to Florida again to spend the week with Jake’s family and I’m looking forward to sunny warm weather. Jake has been doing a lot of travel for work lately and I’m hoping to join him this summer on his trips to NYC and a few other office visits that come up. I want to plan a few small weekend getaways that are a short drive away and do more things in Philly.
One of the reasons my blog content has been nonexistent lately is because I am trying to save money and not spend it on stuff. Each month I put a big chunk into my savings account that I don’t touch. I’m saving for some big life events coming up in the next few years. This past year, I started putting a lot of my belongings in storage in the basement or getting rid of stuff I didn’t use. I have been loving to look at pictures on Instagram and Pinterest with a minimalistic look. I hate coming home to a messy home and my goal this January while we put away Christmas decorations is to purge and get rid of things that can turn into clutter.
So this year is going to hopefully involve a lot of yoga classes, making time for my mental health, lots of travel, and just slowing down to enjoy life!
Blonde Rosie Blog 