LA Recap

frolicking in the waves with my love

wearing skin baring clothing

showing S my home

spending quality time with my mama

lounging ocean side with my little brother

taking in the beach views

gaining weight

pretending this is my sail boat (thats a sail boat right?)

visiting multiple beaches

laughing with my bff

eating fresh strawberries

drinking wine 

beating my little brother

watching him love california

exploring gorgeous beaches

reading porn

being with family

walking around my favorite so-cal island

Our trip to California was a complete success,

the only downside was we couldn't be there longer.

The above photos are some of my favorite moments.

Stephen was MORE then impressed with the states,

and fell pretty hard for California.

I made sure to show him only the prettiest places,

 avoiding any and all locations where the crazies hang out..

(cough..downtown LA...cough)

He really loved the hospitality of southern Californians..

their laid back, lax, and general easy going nature..

the way they wanted to really get to know him..

know his story,

and take the time to make him feel welcome and at home.

Strangers were also kind,

and of course, the food service..i mean, it is a force to reckoned with..

the quality of food, portion size, and customer service at restaurants in the US is obviously the best in the world, and S really took to its charm and finally understands why all i talk about is how much i miss US food.

The question EVERYONE is asking, is will we move back to the states?

YES.

Will we move back to LA?

it is not currently on our radar.

But there are other places in california to live ;)

We do have some things in the works and if all goes as planned we will be settling in the USA summer/fall of next year (2013).

And we will be back again for the month of December!!

HOLLER

(clearly i'm still thinking i'm in LA)

Conversations (USA Edition)

The following are a few conversations I quickly jotted down so that I wouldn't forget..

*note: in the UK there isn't a single poisonous animal or creature, except for like, a bee, which doesn't really count, except they really do scare the life out of me and make me cry.

Stephen: I want to catch a lizard

Me: go for it

Stephen: are they poisonous?

Me: No babe. 

Stephen: are you sure?

Me: Yes.

Stephen: its not like a gecko?

Me: uhm..no?

Stephen: hmm.

Stephen: Look at that spider!

Me: ew

Stephen: is it poisonous? 

Me: i really don't know...

Stephen: I'm not going near it.

swimming in the pool:

Stephen: I want to see if i can hold my breath and swim to the other side of the pool without coming up for air

Me: go for it

Stephen: but i need to be able to open my eyes

Me: then open your eyes....

Stephen: i cant!

Me: why?

Stephen: can you do it?

Me: yes...

Stephen: and its safe?

Me: yes....what are you even talking about?

Stephen: well i don't know if the water is safe here...

Me: oh my god. seriously? 

Driving in the car S is looking out the window:

Stephen: hmmm Baja fresh (pronounces the J as a J instead of an H sound)

Stephen: why arnt people walking on the sidewalks?

Me: because they are driving in their cars

**Stephen took the GRE while in California in Camarillo, i dropped him off and picked him up when it was over

Me: how was the test?

Stephen: it was good, i finished early.

Me: did you just wait outside? you could have gone somewhere

Stephen: well i started walking, but didn't know if it was safe where I was, and no one is on the sidewalks, so i felt insecure and weird walking down the street.

Me: there were coffee shops and places around the corner from you?

Stephen: yes but some of them were in Spanish or something and I didn't know if it was safe.

S: what's this?
Me: BBQ sauce

S: what's this?
Me: Sourdough bread

S: what's this?
Me: rye bread

(at grocery store)
Me: welcome to our cereal aisle
S: you guys have a problem

S: where are we going?
Me: to the bank, my mom has to get some cash
S: wait..why arnt we parking?
Me: its a drive through bank
S: (horrified look on face) you are joking me right now
Me: no...
S: this is just too far...(takes picture of drive through bank)

$150 credit to Jigsaw clothing!!

$150.00 STORE CREDIT

I am really excited because today's Giveaway is from one of my favorite stores,

Jigsaw.

It is originally a London based store but now has made its way to the USA (one store being in Beverly Hills, CA!)

and has incredibly well taylored, simple, classic, and even eco friendly pieces.

Jigsaw is offering one of you the chance to win $150.00 in a one time gift code to use on their site!  The pictures above are a few of my favorite pieces, and I personally have the grey tunic and am IN LOVE with it. (1,2,3)

To enter:
 (must be a follower of ATP to enter)

{open to US, mexico, and Canada residents only}

separate comments for each one you do...

1. Visit Jigsaw London USA and leave me a comment telling me what you would get with your credit

2. follow Jigsaw on twitter

3. like Jigsaw on facebook

4. like Across The Pond on facebook

***CLOSED***

WINNER:

*gift code cannot be redeemed for cash

Orange County

never normal

my uncle, my brother, my mom, my stephen and me.

Balboa Island, my FAVORITE OC location

Salt Creek Beach, my FAV Southern California beach, just a little north of Laguna before Dana Point

We spent our last full day in California driving around south Orange County.

I lived in Orange County for four years before my move to England. 

I did my undergrad degree there,

got my beautiful golden puppy there,

and had one of the best jobs ill probably ever have there.

Orange County holds a special place in my heart for a number of other, much more personal, reasons.

Going back set a ping in my heart,

but made me so thankful for the lessons i learned while living there,

because those experiences,

those life altering changes,

are what brought me to where I am now.

Plus I think it is one of the more beautiful places in California.

Stephen agreed.

*If you ever find yourself in Orange County I recommend the following:

Breakfast at Wilmas Patio on Balboa Island (get the egg enchiladas with a side of hashed browns)

Drive down PCH from Newport beach to Laguna, it is one of my favorite drives.

Stop off in downtown Laguna for some shopping and an ice cream cone.

Continue on PCH towards Dana Point and go to Salt Creek Beach...plant yourself on either the giant grass hill or on the sand and admire the spectacular beach front homes.

Do dinner at Javiers in Crystal Cove for some good mexican food and views of the ocean. Dress nice, because this restaurant is swanksville.

Then have some Red Mango (fro yo) right around the corner for a healthy dessert.

Or if you find yourself in North Orange County,

you MUST visit Old Town Orange and dine at Havens Gastro Pub for some amazing small plates, 

or for Mexican Gabbi's is a MUST. They make their own tortillas right there, and the food is insanely good.

If you are looking for some shopping, South Coast Plaza has everything your heart desires.

Happy Memorial Day!
A few years back I was spending it on Balboa Island!

Time

I really love the look of watches on women,

boyfriend watches,

or more feminine watches..

I have a boyfriend style watch that I got for like 10 pounds on sale at asos.

But that was over a year ago and I'm ready for a new one..

as much as i wish i could drop a couple hundy (yea, i said hundy)

and be part of the cool kids michael kors watch club,

that's just not a realistic option for me right now

(my birthday is in december though..just sayin..)

So I thought id browse the sale section at asos again to see what they had to offer. 

My top cheap choices:

watch 1/watch 2/watch 3/watch 4

Confession: I never set the correct time on my watches because i don't wear them to tell the time..it's purely aesthetic..and also it may or may not take me an absurdly long time (no pun intended) to figure out what time it is on a watch that doesn't have the numbers...

*hangs head in shame*

And this post is what happens when you cant sleep at 4am because of jetlag..

which is also known as the danger shopping zone.

June

A lot of you asked about the yellow shorts..i found a similar pair here

I have some spots available for sponsorship in June!

Shoot me an e mail by clicking the contact or sponsor tab above, for more info if you are interested.

I would love to work with you to help promote your shop/blog/life//pets/babies/clothes/social networking addictions etc.

Black Jacket

Blazer:Zara (similar)    Shirt: HM (similar)   Jeans: JBrand  Shoes: Zara  Sunglasses: almost the same ones here: TopShop

Saw a similar outfit on pinterest and decided to re-create.
Wore it out to dinner one night with the fam.

It was perfect for an outdoor evening meal.

It is day three of being back in Scotland after spending 2 weeks in LA then 5 days in Florida.

I'll be giving you the low down on our USA adventure next week,

along with some of my favorite Stephen comments that occurred.

Hope you all have a good weekend!!

El Matador Beach

1 is the amount of hours  i slept on Monday night

2 is the amount of hours it took to fly from Florida to JFK airport on Tuesday morning

3 is the number of planes we flew on

4 is the number of airports we were in 

5 is the terminal number S and I had to RUN back to because i left my passport on the plane we had taken from FL to NY (nice one Megan)

6 is the amount of hours we had to wait until our flight departed from NY to London

7 is the amount of hours it took to fly from NY to London

8 is the amount of times i thought i was going to puke the entire day

and skipping ahead..

30 is the amount of hours we were awake and traveling

and 20 is the amount of hours we slept last night.

Needless to say WE ARE BACK IN SCOTLAND

and although we are not at the magnificent El Matador Beach in Malibu, California

the sun is shining,

and the weather warm..

so I am not completely devastated to be back in the UK.

yet.

Brunch

Scarf: c/o designingmason  Jeans: HM(recent)  White t: HM  Shoes: New Look (in orange here)

We brunched at Duke's in Malibu on a lovely Sunday.
If you are visiting LA,
or live in LA and havent been..
Brunch at Dukes is where.it.is.at.

They have this sprawling buffet with every thing you could think of..
its a flat rate,
 you can load up your plate as many times as you want..
and dine with views of the ocean
clearly this is my kind of place.

PS
In one week Stephen gained 7 lbs.

Welcome to America.

*post script: I JUST got back to Scotland after being awake and traveling for over 24 hours. Can't wait to catch up on life, your blogs, your worlds, and get back to my regular routine after i sleep for 48 hours. 

Bloggers Firsts

Today we are flying from FL to NY

then NY to London

then London to Glasgow..
it ends up being two days of travel, minus the one day break.

awesome.

While I'm away I thought id have a little guest post action for the day.

Since Stephen is experiencing a whole slew of "firsts"

first time in the USA..

first time in CA, and FL..

first time experiencing mexican food and BBQ and large portion sizes..

First time gaining 12 pounds in two weeks..etc

I thought i'd bring back my "Bloggers Firsts"

series today,

Here is Britney telling you about her "first."

Boobs are involved.

Hi!  I'm Britney from The Musings of a Twenty Something Wife.

And today I'm bringing you into a HUGE part of my past.

A part of my past that has yet to be apart of the blog-o-sphere.

I'm talking about everyone's favorite topic.

Boobs.

I want to tell you about the first time I ever bought a Victoria's Secret Bathing Suit.

Remember when you were in middle school and when girls were made fun of because they were apart of the IBTC [itty bitty titty committee]? Well folks, I was never apart of that.

I began to blossom in middle school.  All of the boys wanted to slow dance with me and I just thought it was because I was pretty.

Of course, I noticed that I had a little bit more goods in that department than every other lady my age but, I clearly did not see what everyone else saw.

Huge knockers.

I'm talking big like D cup by 8th grade - and that was just the start.

I didn't really start notice my seemingly large lady parts until I was in high school.

And everyone seemed to notice them too.

(Cue the violin)

It was really difficult time for me - which may sound funny because most of the girls would have killed to have the curves that I had but, I hated them.
I felt as though it was the only thing people looked at when they saw me.
It was all the boys cared about and wanted to poke. 
I would only wear sports bras in an attempt to squish them down, when really it just made me look like I had a large uno boob.
So not cute.
I could never wear the clothes I wanted.
And bathing suit shopping always ended in tears.
I could never just buy a normal cute bathing suit like everyone else, I had to have mine special ordered.
With just the tops costing over $100.
I would be so jealous of all of my friends in their cute and sexy bikinis from VS and sometimes I would order one in the largest cup size they had but, I was always disappointed because they never fit.
Le Sigh.
(End Violin)
After high school and half way through college, I finally decided to do something about it.
I went and saw a plastic surgeon.
I was warned of the scarring, I was warned of the possibility of them "growing" back, and I was told that medical insurance would probably not cover it because I was so young.
So we went through the process and I was denied.
I was crushed.
After more research I went to see another plastic surgeon.
He was so friendly.  He supported me and gave me loads and loads of information about my surgery.
He said that my scarring would be minimal and that he could fix any scarring I wasn't pleased with.
He told me that he wouldn't take no for an answer from my insurance company.
I had grooves in my shoulder from where my bra straps sat, and  horrible pains in my back.
He was like my very own booby angel.
He took care of everything and then the next thing I knew I was scheduled for surgery two weeks later.
Fully covered by my insurance.
The surgery was a breeze.
I had one and half pounds removed from each breast.
I was off pain killers in two days.
The day I left the hospital, I ordered my very first Victoria's Secret bathing suit.
I was so stinking excited.
Unfortunately, I couldn't try it on for about four weeks because of all the tape and stitches and all of the ugly sports bras I had to wear to now shape my itty bitty boobies.
But when I did - I was in tears.
It fit.

I'd love for you to come over and see me and say hi!
Find me here.
Blog / Twitter / Facebook

***
comments off so you can go give her some love.

Hollywood Party

Grey T- HM (old, similar); Jeans: HM(recent) ; Heels: Zara  Necklace: Made by Me  Sunglasses: Topshop

I wore this outfit to my one of my best friend's Birthday parties.

It was Stephens first "Hollywood party"

Located in the heart of Hollywood,

where people are actually incredibly friendly,

eager to hug you,

close talk you up,

and usually touch you if they are passing you (not inappropriately..well not in this situation).

The touching is what shocked S the most..

And really, I don't mean inappropriate touching..

i mean like when someone is in your way,

and they sort of put their hands on your arm and are all "oh excuse me sweetie" 

and move past you.

Stephen was taken aback by how just outright comfortable people are in their own skin..

and how they dress.

People were dressed in everything from shorts and a T with accessories (both men and women..)

to wedges and black mini dresses..(just women..and maybe a few men)

Before we left my mom's he asked me a dozen times if i was sure a chambray shirt, brown pants and tan boat shoes was okay..

then we showed up and about 5 guys were wearing the same type of outfit..

duh.

And while we all may be typical former or current industry people,

who are a tad extroverted

and very american..

S LOVED everyone.

a lot.

well done team.

well done.

*high fives*

While I am in Florida..

I am probably getting settled at my grandmas house after our 5am arrival..
She has dial up..
So needless to say I probably wont be "seeing" you guys for a little while..


My grandma called my mom ahead of time to see if it was okay if S and I shared a room...
considering we have been living in sin for the past year..
my mom said it should be fine.. ;)


We are in separate beds though..
Don't worry..


Here are some ladies to entertain you in my absence!

****


Abbey and I have been blog friends for a little while now..
She is super sweet,
funny,
and is one hot new mama.


I also own two of her lovely necklaces.


You will instantly fall in love with her.

hello, Across The Pond admirers! I am Abbey from Along Abbey Road, a personal life and style blog. I am the queen of randomness. I am addicted to chocolate. Honestly. I eat it every day, and would probably go through withdrawals if I stopped. My favorite movie is The Holiday. I have literally watched it at least 82 times. Jude Law and Cameron Diaz should totally be real life lovers. Which reminds me, I should also inform you that I am a self-proclaimed pop culture whiz. People and Us Weekly are close companions of mine. I have been solely ordering the McChicken from McDonald's for the last 12 years of my life -- when I was 12, I got food poisoning from Mickey D's, which sent me to the hospital and I just can't summon the nerve to eat anything else on the menu anymore. Sad story, huh? If you can add, you would have arrived at the conclusion that I am 24 years old. If you can't, no judgment here. I am pitiful at math too. My husband, Matthew, is my partner in crime and my comic relief. We've been hitched for almost 3 years and love snuggling on our 2 month old baby, Luke. Being a mom is definitely the best thing in the world. 

On Along Abbey Road, you will find the ridiculous, the sentimental, loads of pictures, projects, and my personal style and tastes. Come take a stroll!

BLOG  SHOP

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You know that dream we all have to live on an excluded Island?
Away from the hussel and bussel of life and all of its crazies?
Well Shiela is actually living that dream..
jealous.
She is a beautiful soul with a beautiful blog..
because clearly living on an Island makes you an amazing person.
go figure.

Hi there!  I'm Sheila and I blog over at The FailteHouse. I am a twenty-something adventurist and aspiring photographer who happens to live on an island, where I have happily hosted about 70 visitors last year (All friends and family, I am not running a hostel here!). On that note, my blog is dedicated to telling the stories of my amazing island visitors, giving you a little bit of morning "coffee" inspiration, and to the DREAM AWAKE series, filled with inspiring interviews and highlights from fellow bloggers and dreamers who are chasing their dreams and living life to the fullest. Most importantly, the FailteHouse is a place where we choose Joy each day! So come on over, because I can’t wait to meet you and hear all about your story! 

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*****

I don't think I could say enough nice things about Camille,
her comments on my blog constantly bring a huge smile to my face..
She is the absolute sweetest thing,
and a GORGEOUS mama to her lovely little girl.
She makes motherhood look attractive with her motivation to stay fashion forward.
She is someone everyone can relate to,
I promise,
you will LOVE her too.

Oh, hello! My name's Camille, you can call me the MOD mama. I'm a wifey, mama,  blogger, and fashion DIYer. I am so good at all of these things (or so I tell myself). I now live in Charlotte, NC but my hometown is Washington, DC. I am the oldest of six kids (yes, we were that crazy family that pulled up everywhere in the big, obnoxious 15 passenger van). I am desperately trying to hold onto style through motherhood...no matter what! At life in MOD I like to keep it real and attempt to show you (mama or not) that it is very possible to look and feel great through all of life's changes and confinements (translation: tight budgets). I think Meg is a fantastic lady. In fact, I have professed my undying love for her on many an occasion. I am sure you feel the very same way; therefore, you are welcome over to my place any time! Cheers.

BLOG