Harrods

I don't exactly remember when I learned about Harrods years ago, but am very thankful I did. Harrods is a department store in London that is known for several things: its iconic flagship building, its range of products and goods at various price points, and its food hall. Its signature colors are green and gold, a great combination, which they brand very well with their famous shopper bags. When I was in London with Angela a couple of weeks ago, we spent some time walking all around the store, catching up, and having a good time. Since my last visit, they have added lots of new boutiques and small destinations including a Ladurée, a pizza restaurant, and Champagne Bar. In their gallery designated for 'millionaires', we saw some clever money safes disguised as a water bottle and a box of Pringles. It was a real pleasure visiting Harrods and picking up a couple of those shopper bags. I hope to visit again soon!

 

Visiting Home

Last week I was able to travel home to Virginia where I was able to catch up with family, spend time with close friends, and to celebrate the new year. After a very long day spent delayed at O'Hare airport I finally made it home. Once settled, we took my nephew Tyler to the National Harbor where we rode on a Ferris wheel and spent the evening at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. The Gaylord had a special ice exhibition that I'll talk in a future blog. The following morning, I was able to check out PAUL, which is a French bakery franchise that is one of my favorite places to get French pastries, especially macaron. That night I was able to spend time with my sister Heidi and her husband Jeff, who took me to get some delicious Neapolitan pizza from a restaurant called Pupatella. Heidi and Jeff also introduced me to their very cute French bulldog Napoleon. Later in the week, I was able to tour the home of my friends Ryan and Xuan (try and spot on of my paintings in their living room), and I was able to catch up with Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson and their adorable lab/retriever Finbar. It was a fun filled week with lots of good friends, delicious food, and catching up with my family. Future blogs will showcase a lot more of what I did in Virginia -- stay tuned and Happy New Year!