Lovin' the Union Jack and Giveaway Time

The much adored flag of the United Kingdom, often referred to as the Union Jack, is a favorite icon here in England, as well as around the world too. The souvenir shops are full of all kinds of gadgets and knick-knacks that tourists can stuff in their suitcases to take home, but if you look outside of the souvenir shops you'll find some better options in sometimes unexpected places.

The trendy shop Accessorize always has fun items to pick up that are popular with everyone.

You can find Union Jack teapots anywhere, but fewer any cuter than this one from Emma Bridgewater.

Pillows are easy to find, and stuff in a suitcase--

I love the color palate of this one from Laura Ashley.

Or you could just do your whole bedding around the Union Jack theme.

Look at your feet--you'll find door mats,

or  at eye level again, some napkins,

and I love this little baby set of T-shirt and shoes. How cute is that--"made with love"?

Chair and ottomans are easy to spot,

but this one of a kind sofa was one I spied in an antique shop. I'm sure it would fit perfectly somewhere, but not in my house.

Could you use a rubbish bin?

For some of the yummier options, how about these cupcakes,

or eclairs,

and you could use your Union Jack cutlery to finish them off?

Guardian

Spotted these custom order shoes by Aruna Seth, which at 3000£ is exactly one pound per Swarovski crystal used to fashion these beauties.

And one of my favorite interpretations of all-this floral design spotted in Jaegar sometime ago.

Isn't it especially lovely?

Now because I always have you in mind, I've picked up a couple of extra Special Souvenir Editions of Hello magazine the past week, just full of Jubilee photos and articles.

To be eligible to win, just leave a comment here before Sunday, the 17th, and I'll draw from the names who are listed. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Jubilee Parade

Our final day of Jubilee celebrations climaxed with the Queen's Procession from Westminster Hall to Buckingham Palace. Our little group of friends arrived around 11 AM for a three and a half hour wait, but we were rewarded with spaces up front along the street for our efforts.

We decided to position ourselves along Whitehall between Trafalgar Square and Parliament to get the best view.

The time passed fairly quickly, and we met some fascinating folks,

who amused and delighted us. 

These two gals were lucky enough to win tickets to the big concert the night before and we enjoyed hearing their first hand experiences.

This was our favorite "bobby" of the day. He delighted us 

while we waited with his friendliness and humor.

My little buddy next to me had the greatest idea and had brought his coloring book to pass the time.

Before long however, the queen with her lady in waiting passed by in her limo, on the way to Westminster Hall to lunch. Isn't her little driver so cute? Of course, everyone was sad that Prince Philip had not been able to accompany her on this amazing day due to an illness. A few quick changes had to be made along the way to accommodate his absence.

She was soon followed by Prince Charles and his family. Now it was another hour or so to wait, before they would exit in their carriages for the procession.

Over 1000 servicemen and women participated in the parade,

men of all sizes,

and quite a few women on horseback too.

We were positioned just beside The Cenotaph, Britain's official war memorial honoring those who have given their lives for their country,

and every group of servicemen and bands paused at that spot to honor those gone before.

The bands were plentiful

and entertaining, playing up and down the street to our delight, helping to pass the time.

And then the time had come, the queen was approaching preceded by the Drum Horses of the Life Guards, announcing

 her carriage, a 1902 State Landau, the same one used by Kate and William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day.

Originally, it was to have been the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip in this carriage, but due to his absence,

she was accompanied instead by Prince Charles and Camilla.

Even Prince Charles respectfully removed his hat when passing by the war memorial.

They were followed by Princes William and Harry along with Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.

The Mall to Buckingham Palace was closed off to us as we tried to head that way for the Balcony appearance, so I had to borrow this photo, but it was such a fitting ending to see the immediate close family appearing there, accenting the line of succession in the years to come.

It's been a joy to celebrate with all my fellow Briton friends as they honored their queen and her 60 years of service to the county. What a remarkable achievement she has made in history!

And now....

It's Countdown time to the Olympics!

Diamond Jubilee Concert

It was time for the Diamond Jubilee Concert. Having applied in a lottery for tickets months ago, and not getting tickets, like most ordinary folks, we decided to head to Hyde Park with friends to watch it on the big screens there.

And what's a picnic/concert without strawberries and cream?

Everyone made themselves comfortable on the lawn, waiting for the BIG show to begin.

Everyone has been caught up in the 4 days of Jubilee Spirit,

even the young

and this "elephant" dressed in his Union Jack flag.

The jubilant mood was contagious, with a lot of flag waving, cheering,

and dancing to the likes of Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones, Renee Fleming, Stevie Wonder, Will.i.am, and Robbie Williams to name a few.

One of the most stirring and poignant moments of the night was the premiere of the song, "Sing," written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gary Barlow, which was written for the queen herself. If you have a chance, listen to it here....

The sunset provided a dramatic accent to the evening,

as Elton John and Paul McCartney finished out the night.

A full moon, spectacular light show illuminating Buckingham Palace, and fireworks topped the magical evening bringing it to a dramatic close.

If you are reading this in America, the concert is being aired Tuesday night on ABC. Don't miss it!