Mixed Bag Featuring the World's Largest Shoe Gallery at Selfridges!

This is a random post because we popped around a lot yesterday! I woke up yesterday morning at 6 am ready to face the day and I got a lot accomplished! I sorted out my bank card, which in Europe is called a Chip and Pin card. Basically, it's just like a regular Visa check card that you get at any bank in the US, but it has a chip in it. In the UK, instead of swiping it at stores, showing ID and then signing a slip at the end of your purchase, you put your card into a mini-card machine and enter your pin. Then you're done. That's it! By entering your pin everywhere, they've eliminated the process of signing and showing ID! Also, once you get your card and pin, you're ready to start using it, no activation necessary! I sorted out my pins and everything yesterday and used my card for the first time! Exciting! By the way, the photo above is a view on our street here in West Kensington.

Hubby had a lunch in High Holburn yesterday, which is near Oxford Street/Picadilly Circus area of London where many of the offices are for worker bees. So while he was signing his contract for his new job, I decided to stroll around on my own and do some shopping. I took a wrong turn and ended up here: in Bloomsbury Square. Bloomsbury is famous because of the Bloomsbury Group, a collective of writers, including Virginia Woolfe, one of my favorites!

This is a statue of Charles James Fox who was a Whig politician many years ago. Don't know much else about him.

Eventually I found my way to busy busy Oxford Street where I agreed to meet hubs after his lunch. Lots of shopping on Oxford Street! It's very touristy and a lot of people work in this area so it's super crowded! I felt like I was in Times Square again with all these people around!

We visited several stores. I got a cute bag at Esprit, we went to John Lewis and eventually, we made our way to Selfridges to have some tea, do some shopping and see the World's Largest Shoe Gallery! I was also looking to score some Chanel Khaki Vert nail lacquer and was told that sadly it's limited edition and completely sold out... sad :-(. I just loved this mobile (pictured above) of all the shoes that hangs in between the escalators at Selfridges!

Selfridges has EVERYTHING and it's quite possibly the happiest place on earth! Some parts of it are very chic and high brow, while others are cute and kitschy! The cigar room was very impressive!

This is the wine store... very nice! And in celebration of London Cocktail Week, we were given the most divine samplers of a cocktail by a nice gentleman from Grey Goose. The cocktail consists of Grey Goose Vodka, Elderflower Cordial, Lime Juice and Sparkling Water. It tasted like lime flavored champagne and was divine! You can't buy Elderflower Cordial in the US so I'm told, so if you're in the states, pick some up on your next trip abroad! It's heavenly in cocktails!

The foodhall of Selfridges is impressive! There are cupcakes galore, a fancy chocolate shop (where I saw these amazing chocolate shoes!), and all kinds of foods to choose from! You can also shop there and I spotted Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, which got me all excited since it's not readily available in most shops here in the UK! Now I know where to get it if I have a craving!!!

This is only a small part of the gift wrap wall in Selfridges! It's gorgeous and these wrapping papers are SUPER luxe!!! Some of them have velvet on them and they are just stunning! I can't wait to give someone a gift!!!

As we made our way to the 2nd floor for the famous Shoe Gallery, I saw this on a tiny newstand! Every detail was addressed! Love it!

This was the light sculpture on the ceiling as I headed up the escalator with the slogan for the new galleries, "What's your shoe story?"

Loved this cobbler table in the entrance. It was arranged with different tables or shelves of some lines and brands in the middle including Nine West, Tory Burch, Hunter and Stuart Weitzman among many many more while the bigger designer lines had boutiques along the perimeter! So many shoes, so little time!

Repetto had a lovely boutique and I couldn't resist touching this beautiful tutu!

The Christian Louboutin boutique was my favorite!

It was beautifully decorated and the shoes were to die for!

These are the famous YSL shoes for Fall. I call them the mohawk shoes! I love them!!!

Of course we had to visit Chanel!

I mocked the yetty boots before, but now they are growing on me...

Jimmy Choo is an English company so of course they were fully represented there!

This was what we saw when we came out. It truly was amazing - there were so many shoes, but funny enough, I didn't find any! I'm having a hard time finding shoes that fit me properly here in the UK. I've been here nearly 2 weeks and only bought one pair of boots and one pair of flimsy little oxfords... that's it! I need to rectify this situation pronto!

We continued exploring a little and I nearly jumped off the escalator when I saw this! Alexander McQueen!!!

And of course I nearly died of happy heart failure when hubby presented me with this gorgeous classic silk chiffon skull scarf in navy blue and grey! I've wanted one for a little while, but haven't been anywhere to get one (no online ordering in Cayman either - boo)... it was sweet of him to buy it for me "just because"! I love it!!!

And final randomness... I bought this ring at a drugstore called Boots whom you may know from their products being sold in Target. 5 pounds... Loves it! And, it didn't turn my finger green! BONUS!!!!

That's all for now folks! HAPPY HUMP DAY!!!