Style and Cupcakes

As most of you know, there are times when I can be described as 'not a people person'. Sure, for the most part I like meeting new people and talking to them (there are times, in fact, when I start talking and can’t shut up). There are other times, however, when people get the better of me. It’s partially from working in retail and being paid to talk to too many stupid customers. It’s also because I am an Anderson (we are not known for our people skills).

What I am rambling about is that big crowds of people, who are aimlessly wandering around, do not work well with me....which is why I should have thought more carefully before leaving the house today. My mission was to walk around, visit some of the big department stores. I also wanted to go to two cosmetic stores (The Body Shop and Lush). So I looked up their store locations and noticed that they each had stores located near each other on Portobello Road. Great, I think.

What I totally forgot is the Saturday Market at Portobello Road is a sea of humanity. And they are all milling about, looking this way and that way. It was so busy when I first got there this afternoon I couldn’t take any photos or I would have been run over by people. Once it died down a bit, I managed to take this.

I did stop freaking out and visited a few of the stores. I highly recommend Stumper and Fielding to any men visiting London who are looking for some lovely tailored clothing. They sell beautiful wool jackets, stylish hats, and classy leather shoes. I was really tempted by their scarves, which are all woven in Scotland. It belongs on the Sartorialist Blog.

http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Another fantastic store was AllSaints Spitalfields. Not only does it sell some serious fashion, but their shop windows look like this.

Hundreds of sewing machines!

The highlight of the day was my visit to The Hummingbird Bakery. I have made a number of treats from their cook book (baking book?), so it was special to go to the bakery. On Saturdays it is so busy that they only sell treats take out (they even hide the tables and chairs so you can’t use them). You can also buy select cupcakes from a lady outside the bakery, but I chose to wait in the long line and selected these pretty ones for myself.

On the left, carrot with cream cheese frosting. On the right, red velvet with cream cheese frosting. There were some fabulous looking chocolate cupcakes covered with chocolate sprinkles, but medically I’m not supposed to have caffeine for awhile so I had to pass on those. I ate the carrot cupcake while I wrote this post and will somehow manage to save the other for tomorrow.