Day 22: Weird Day

This is a sample of Mark Fasts work.

This is the Mc Dounalds

More of the Mc donalds

This is the Easter Basket Katie and
Her mom left I took one of the
little chickes cause that is
the closest I have to my animals.

Well last night I while I was trying to upload pictures I decided to lay down and fell asleep. Today I was walking to school to go get my sketch book that I had left with my teacher so that I did not have to carry it through the tour last night and ran into another girl from the flat named Kechena we went to school together and tried to find some of the places they want us to get material and yarns and supplies. I also went to the library to print out some of my research  on a designer I like for my garment his name is Mark Fast and he is a designer here in London,but was born in Canada. On the way home I broke down and got some MC Donald's. Then we came home and the power went out on our block for 20-30 minutes. Katie and her mom left and Easter basket in our kitchen for us which I thought was very nice. I was just trying to upload pictures and my computer went on the frits. I think it does not like me. I will keep trying but not right now.

My dance outfit

Kristena, Bao, Meghan, and me

Chana, Megan, Rachel, and Amie

Kristena, Rachel, Meghan, and our new
friend Amie

Chana and me

Kristena and me

That evening Me and some of the girls went out to a dance club called Gem.They played Destiny's Child and Michal Jackson and even Footloose! We danced the night away. Then we took the bus home. It was alot of fun!

Day 21: School All Day and then Harry Potter tour

Today was my long day which was made even longer because we had a Harry Potter tour this evening starting at 7:45 PM. I got up around 6:00AM to get ready for class then Bao and I left around 7:30 to get to class. My first class today was my textiles class where we learned how to crochet and different Knitting techniques like cable knit which was derived from the Scottish island of Aran it was like the plaid fabrics each family had its own design of cable knit. We also learned about inertia knitting which is knitting a picture into the fabric which sounds and looks really cool.

My second class today from 2:00 to 6:45 today was my Fashion trends class where our professor talked about what he wanted us to do for our group project more and then we watched two very interesting movies both on the BBC network the first was about Haute Couture. Haute Couture by the way has a few restrictions first it has to be made by hand and second it has to be made by a Paris house that is an Haute Couture House. This movie talked about the mindset of the people that wear it and make it which was very interesting, because they think of owning Haute Couture as an investment like owning a priceless painting or silver or gold. Another reason they wear it is because it is wearable art, and the third reason they wear it is because it is a status symbol. Another thing in this movie that was very interesting is that celebrity's are loaned Haute Couture for premiers and such, but rarely ever buy it. It is mostly very wealthy people that we do not know and Haute Couture for them is a way of life.



The next movie we watched was about the fast fashion market here in London. This is a very lucrative business here with the main two competitors that they talked about in the movie being a store called Top Shop and another store called Zara. The thing that makes these shops so unique is the fact that they have the designer and celebrity trends out in a matter of weeks for consumers to buy at reasonable prices. The reason they have such a fast turnaround for their merchandise to be out on shelves may surprise you. These stores decided to bring the merchandising back to their country instead of sending it out overseas, and so they have all their designers’ manufactures and so one here in the United Kingdom which lets them be able to make adjustments to clothing a lot faster and to get the latest trends out now! Very interesting.

After that class we went and had dinner at a little Porto recon restaurant again and hurried to get to the tour.

Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction
 in central London, England, United Kingdom built
 around the area formerly known as Charing Cross.
 It is in the borough of the City of Westminster.
 At its centre is Nelson's Column,
 which is guarded by four lion statues at its base.
 There are a number of statues and sculptures
 in the square, with one plinth displaying changing
 pieces of contemporary art.
 The square is also used for political demonstrations
 and community gatherings,
 such as the celebration of New Year's Eve.

The memorial for General Nelson.

A fountain in Trafalgar Square 

National Gallery Museum in Trafalgar Square.
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square,
 London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824,
 it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings
 dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.
 The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental
 public body of the Department for Culture,
Media and Sport. Its collection belongs to the public
 of the United Kingdom and entry to the main
 collection (though not some special exhibitions)
 is free of charge.

The count down to the Olympics

a church in Trafalgar square

View of Trafalgar square

 Nelson's Column with Big Ben
in the background

Here we are the Ravenclaw group
Muggles be ware!!

So this is where they filmed Harry, Ron
and Hermione trying to get into the
Ministry of Magic.

Another view

This is where Harry, Ron and
Hermione Hide until
they can grab some people
who work at the Ministry
of Magic and put there
hairs in their Polyjucie
potion.

This is the Sherlock Holmes pub
we passed on our other night walk , well
it turns out that in the story Sherlock Holmes
gets to London and stays a hotel called
North Umberland Hotel. This used to be
the North Umberland Hotel. Also, the
ally to the right is one of the seven places
that says they were Diagon Alley well they
are not but it was cool.

This is Saint Pauls and the reason
she took us here was the fact that
first off the place that published Harry
Potter is right in front of here a publishing
company by the name of Bloomsbury who also
published Shakespeare works and
Charles Dickens. Also the right
stair case in Saint Paul's is the
Staircase used to get to Professor Trolonies
Tower which is the Psychic class Harry takes.

This is another view of Saint Paul's
if you look at it during the day under
the Dom is a Phoenix. Also did you know
Bombing London they kept alot of books down
in the basement of Saint Paul's.

This is where Danell Radcliff
went to High School. Did you know
that all three of the main actors from the movies
now live in Nottingham Hill. Also the girl
who played Beatris lives on Merylone High street
where I go to school!

This is a Memorial to the great
fire of London in 1666. for more
information on the monument go to
Monument to the Great Fire of London

This is the front of  the Leaky Cauldron.

This is a shop right beside the Entrance
to the Leaky Cauldron.

This i believe she said is where
they first filmed Diagon Alley

More of the area

This is a building that we passed
that is under construction. We
have seen alot of construction
here lately the reason being that after
world war two they built very cheap
buildings and now they are rebuilnig
them better.

These are some cranes that were
on the job site. This site was on the
Philpot lane.

This is a closer view of the
monument of the great fire.

This is where they filmed Harry Potter
walking through 9 3/4. It is
actually to the right of
platform 5 and 6.

The actual platforms of 5 and 6.

On the way to the real platform 9-11

trolley cart area on the way to platform
93/4.

Our guide in front of 9 3/4.

Me trying my luck to get to
go to Hogwarts!

Rachel, Megan, Kristena, Bao, and
Me

This is Kings Cross right
beside platform 9 3/4

The tour started at 7:45 in the Trafalgar Square right in front of the National Gallery. She took us down to places where the movies of Harry Potter were filmed. For example the part of the last movie where you see Ron, Harry and Hermione trying to get into the ministry of magic and other places like platform 9 3/4, but she also talked to us about where J.K. Rowling got her inspiration for the books Like she pulled inspiration from the Bible, Shakespeare play Hamlet, and even her life and family. Also on the tour she gave us some more information about London itself she was very entertaining and knowledgeable and I really enjoyed it very much. If you are in London and need a Harry Potter tour or just a guided tour in general here is her information: Eleanor M Jackson MA email: eleanormjackson@yahoo.co.uk. There has been a technical difficulty with the pictures.

Day 20: Oxford

Today I got to sleep in yea me. Then I went to school and picked up Meghan and we went back to Oxford Street to get her a dress to go to Legally Blond tonight; I also attempted to show her where this cute souvenir I found for someone she was looking for and they did not have it in. Then we went to an Italian Cafe and I got to have real coffee instead of instant! It was so good. Then we came home. Tomorrow I have class all day, and then the Harry Potter Walk!!!! I am very excited about that!

Day 19: School Day

This is the grocery store where me and
most of my flatmates get our food.

This is the restaurant that we had dinner
at last Saturday where you can get a
burger and a beer for 4.99 pounds.

They do have Fed Ex, now I have
not seen a UPS.

I had school this morning Portfolio one. We drew a life model today thank goodness he was clothed! Anyway, It was quite interesting because they are teaching us here that we should know how to draw to an actual persons size first, and then we can start to elongate them for our fashion illustrations which is different from what I was taught at school. Although, it might have been I was supposed to take the drawing class then take fashion illustration class. Then I got out of class and went to the grocery store came home and ate lunch.I put better pictures up of my flat in case anyone really thought the first ones weren't that great.

This is our Consumer Market Bord.

This is the third mood board for my group.

My Bed

My desk where I write my
thoughts in my blog and more
importantly where I do my
homework.

My entry way.

This afternoon I went out with Meghan one of my flat mates and went shopping for some souvenirs. We had alot of fun and I got a few. (no I am not gonna show them you will just have to wait and see) After that we went back to the flat and had a group meeting about our project in Fashion Trends. We did another mood Bord and a costumer Market board and now I am exosted. So good night!

Day 18 Me day

Today I had a me day where I just stayed in my PJ's and watched Dr. Who [thanks Kristina you got me hooked. LOL;)]and knitted It was boring to most, but I rather enjoyed my self and almost got a whole scarf knitted. yea me!