Saturday Stroll

One of our favorite things to do on a lazy Saturday in London is to go for a stroll, so one day this summer we made a delivery to a friend near Little Venice, then meandered down the waterway in search of something to grace our day.

We eventually ended up at the gates of Regents Park which beckoned us in. I blogged about Regents Park 3 years ago, which you can read about here if you choose, but this time

instead of a lot of history and facts,

I thought I would just share some of the beauty

that we experienced that day.

We definitely were in the mindset of stopping and smelling the roses,

because their beauty was absolutely captivating

and so fragrant as well.

These were some of my very favorites.

It was important to look up and around, because there were roses everywhere, some 30,000 of 400 different varieties--oops! There I go again giving you facts, 

when I promised you beauty.

Wouldn't a wedding reception be unbelievable in a setting like this? The celebration of this lucky couple with their family and friends seemed even sweeter amidst the roses.

As the raindrops started to fall, we headed out of the park under our umbrellas

to another favorite hang-out, Marylebone High Street,  where we could duck in and out of  little shops to avoid the showers.

And as it rained, in we went--to one of my favorite shops where the day ended on a high note.

Beauty comes in all forms--flowers and pottery both, don't you agree?

Emma Bridgewater-You're so fun!

 

A second stop on our field trip to Stoke on Trent was to the Emma Bridgewater factory. Emma Bridgewater is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, looking back to the year when Emma first started decorating mugs when she couldn't find a mug that had the look she was hoping to find. She is married to the illustrator, Matthew Rice, and although their business centers about pottery, they also work together to design glass, cutlery, textiles and stationery too.

The factory shop boasts specials and samples, and encourages you to fill your trolley

with loot. Her iconic look is the polka-dot.

And in her kitchen cafe, she even has a top of the line polka dot Aga range cooker, and you too, can have one for £10,000. Maybe you could ask Santa to bring you one??

Another popular style is the Black Toast pattern,

which is offered on many different items.

Also popular is the Union Jack, as well as the floral and bird patterns.

Personalized items can be ordered

or painted by you in their workshops.

One of the highlights of the day was lunch in the Emma Bridgewater cafe. I loved all the fun cutlery, but one look at the price made me realize it wouldn't be going home with me that day.

Good friends and family made the day even more fun

and there was a lot of shopping success that day. 

Lest hubby read this and assume these bags are all mine, I must hasten to say that only one bag out of four was mine, dear. And a word to the wise--the stores are all happy to ship!