That is, until our wedding {seems so far away, right?!}. Because we are in the midst of planning, I just had to attend the wedding dress exhibit at The Victoria + Albert Museum. Ross, on the other hand,  could've cared less about dresses dating from 1775-2014 {"I only care about yours"- well played, sir, well played}, so we visited the free exhibits together, and I went back by myself to buy a ticket for the bridal exhibit {Note: everyone should attend a museum alone at some point}. 

The museum itself is huge...

I love the message above. So, kiddos, that one's for you ;). 

However, the icing on the cake was definitely the wedding dresses! I managed to snap a few photos, despite there being a seemingly strict "no photo policy" {some rules were meant to be broken, especially when documenting bridal fashion!}.

White dresses were made popular by Queen Victoria. 

Women of lower class would wear dresses with color, like the one above {1840}. 

How does a bride move in the dress above? 

Love the simplicity of this dress!

My favorite part of this exclusive exhibit, ending March 15? The video of Kate and Prince William's wedding. I could have sat and watched their wedding on repeat the entire day. The only thing better would have been a display of Kate's dress. I would have died! 

My favorite thing about lazy weekends in Chicago is going to brunch. This was our chance to try different restaurants, although I found myself repeatedly going back to Grange Hall Burger Bar {hands.down. best potatoes in all of Chicago}, Orange {imagine the most decadent pancake flight you've ever eaten}, Bongo Room {to die for pretzel pancake}, and Bub City {everything about this place is ah-may-zing}. So of course, I'm on the look out for some good brunching spots in London.

Apparently, brunch isn't a huge thing here, but Sunday roast is, so Ross and I wanted to give it a try. Roast consists of some kind of protein {chicken, beef, or a vegetarian option}, roasted/sautéed veggies, potatoes. and figgy pudding {not the kind of pudding you're thinking of, but instead it's a large, crispy bread with gravy}. The pub we ended up going to didn't offer a vegetarian roast, so I tried another London speciality: fish + chips. 

Ok, so this has nothing to do with Sunday roast, but this salad was too good to not show off. Presenting: the three beet salad with goat cheese, walnut, and a dijon mustard vinaigrette. My taste buds were definitely happy with this starter! 

Beef roast that Ross certainly enjoyed. The figgy pudding {brown roll toward the back of the plate} was not something we enjoyed. 

Woof. Below are the fish + chips I tried. I've now attempted to like this meal a few times, and each time, I cannot finish it for fear of throwing up on the plate {I usually end up covering it with a napkin so the fish doesn't stare at me}. The fact that they fry the fish with the skin on thoroughly grosses me out. Needless to say, I need to stop ordering this meal. 

So we tried Sunday roast, and I can't say I'm pleased with it {which I guess doesn't surprise me, because I can't say I'm a fan of England's food}. However, that won't stop us from trying to find our favorite restaurant and roast in town. In the meantime, I'll be dreaming of Chicago brunches...:). 

Oh. Em. Gee. I think I died and went to heaven, with heaven being Portobello Market. They sell EVERYTHING you could possibly imagine: food, furniture, clothing, antiques, London memorabilia, toys, art work, photographs, jewelry + accessories. They even have live music: guitarist, beat-boxers, singers, and drummers! Ross and I could not have had a better Saturday afternoon wandering around Notting Hill and exploring this popular market {although, if you ask Ross, it would've been a whole lot better had I not spent money, but if you ask me, I saved a lot of money with all the deals I received using my shopping math!} . Apparently market shopping is THE thing to do on the weekends, so I'm excited to find other local markets and add to our home goods collection and my closet ;).

What's a Saturday without a selfie? Of course, I had to show off my new Euro-style hat to the world while I sipped on a cup of tea {so English!} during a snack break from all the shopping. 

Say what? Yeah, I know. I was shocked too when I read that The Attendant, which is where I went for afternoon tea, was originally a Victorian toilet. In any case, it looks nothing like the toilet you are imagining; the quaint English coffee and tea shop, discovered by my new friend from the AWC {hooray!}, was charming and unique. Just take a look at the pictures below! 

I couldn't resist the mini sea salt caramel brownie. And rightfully so. It was to. die. for. Savory and sweet. What more can a girl want?

Now this is what I call being a "Lady of Leisure": chatting over tea on a lovely afternoon with a new friend :). I'm looking forward to discovering more of London's hidden treasures!  

I also couldn't resist taking a photo of the American wall decor {hashtag ProudToBeAnAmerican ;)}. 

This cute little cafe is tucked away in Oxford Circus, off Regent Street. Look at this view {and traffic- eek!}!

Love Walk Cafe is becoming one of my favorite local breakfast places! 

#nofilter 

 This FREE museum is a must-see when wanting to learn more about London's history!

I just love anything and everything Shakespeare, which made Ross's Christmas gift to me perfect: date night at the theater watching Shakespeare in Love. Funny performance. Beautiful theater. Great company. #success 

The Noel Coward was built in 1903, and is located in Leicester Square. Who was Noel Coward?