Monday, May 21, 2012

Ready, set, HELP!

 One thing I've never been good at is asking for help.  Way back in my wee days when I was home-schooled (only for a hot sec, THANK GOD) I rebelliously developed this aversion to asking for help because I didn't want to ask my 'teachers' (uh, parents) to help me because my parents were my parents and I didn't want their help [insert foot stomping and door slamming here].  After my poor mumsy and faja lost all faith in teaching me themselves, they flung me into the corruptive public school system and, though I was only in the second grade, the habit was stuck and I still saw asking for help as a terrible weakness.  (Did I mention that my brain wasn't fully formed at this point and most of my childhood decisions were completely irrational?)   As you know, old habits die hard and I still have to remind myself that asking for help is not a sign of weakness- on the contrary, asking for help allows people to be open with each other and often draws people closer.  Asking for help allows us to learn from one another and feel value in the goodness of humanity.  Asking for help is awesome!

I've had to ask for help a lot a lot a lot since moving here.  From train schedules to ear piercing, I've sought out guidance from strangers and have been so touched by how generously people offer their advice, knowledge, and assistance.  I hope I'll be able to return the favor often.

Here's a shortlist of some things I need help finding right now.  If you have a solution* for me, by all means... 
  • I want to find a cool salon/boutique in London to get my left ear double pierced.  I do not want a chain shop and I also do not want to contract hepatitis C, so please keep your recommendations to places that will offer a great experience, a good service, and a clean environment. 
  • To harken back to my aforementioned rebellious streak... I'm going to Ascot on the 23rd of June and have just read the dress code for the Royal Enclosure.  While I'm super excited to be going to such an amazing event, something about all the rules makes me want to push some boundaries, and instead of wearing a bridesmaidy dress and giant hat, I want to find a menswear inspired vintage suit and I want to adorn my own hat, probably with quail feathers.  Ergo, I am looking for the best of the best** vintage shopping in London.  And perhaps a good milliner, too.
  • What are these flowers on this shrubby tree thing in the above photo called? (Mom, you've gotta be all over this one...)  I saw them along the canal in London yesterday and was struck by how blue they are.
  • Cute London-based home goods boutiques?  I need some solid, well-made kitchen and bath things to make my English Gentleman's old bachelor pad a more welcoming place to live.  Besides, who doesn't love a great boutique full of homey things**? 
  • Once my yoga mat arrives  later this week (along with all my heels & books, YAY!!!), I will once again be in the market for a good yoga studio.  I prefer to practice Forrest yoga, but I don't mind Vinyasa or some of the hybrid classes that keep you flexible and moving.  I prefer not to attend a studio that asks me to chant things or try to sell me on some kind of spirituality... unless it promises me a Diane Kruger bod after just one class, in which case I might reconsider. 
*Advising me to 'just Google it' is not a solution.  I'm looking for legit word-of-mouth recommendations here, folks!
**In my book, 'best of the best vintage' = ohmygosh!-worthy deals & truly quality pieces. 
*** If you're in Boston and are looking for a wonderful home goods boutique, I cannot recommend Pod in Brookline Village enough!  From petite Spanish tumblers (which I am at this moment using as mini wine glasses) to eco-friendly shower curtains, linen scarves and glorious bath salts, Pod will have you covered!

6 comments:

  1. Kate, not sure of the flower, I need to see the leaf and height. We definitely missed you and Luke yesterday celebrating Dad's birthday. I wish I was there to discover some fun shops with you....
    Mom

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    1. I wish all those things, too! LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!

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  2. Kate!
    I love your blog and smile somewhat uncontrollably at all of your descriptions of le chat (except the traumatic flying experience - thank goodness for kind friends), but that doesn't really apply here. I have no personal recommendations for places to shop in London (mainly because I never wrote any names down and I was there four years ago... so...but I do have this: http://www.designsponge.com/2011/11/london-design-guide.html I find that their guides are usually useful and if nothing else their shopping recommendations are always really pretty and fun to look at.

    Sending love all the way from California! xoxo

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    1. Thank you so much for reading, Natalie!!! It's so good to hear from you and I'm DYING to see more of your Peru pictures (you + llama = adorbs!). Great point about Design Sponge- I'm totally kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner!

      I lalalalove you! xxx

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  3. Suggest Camden High Street for that piercing. Plenty of shops, can just pop in and out if one doesn't look up to par. My girlfriend got her nose pierced at one the year we studied abroad. I got mine pierced at the very same place a year later (1st time around chicken). Plenty of places, this is where you'll be able to pick. My fiancé also got a killer tattoo in Camden - the guy free-handed it with a ballpoint pen, and it's AH-Mazing! Good luck in London!, says Avanti customer here! Emily

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    1. Thank you so much for your recommendation, Emily! I will certainly check Camden High Street out. I'm sadly not in the market for a tat (well, at least not right now), but as I mentioned somewhere on this blog before, if I find my husband's family coat of arms, I may have to get it inked on me somewhere...

      So cool that you studied abroad here- it's a little wonky sometimes but so far I'm loving my time in the UK.

      Thanks again for posting (and reading!)! Quick question, who do you see at Avanti?

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