Formulate

I remember the first time I saw something with "Jessica" on it in a store as a child--there was a spinner rack of keychains and pens, and I begged and begged my mom to buy me one. She, a quintessential 80's mom, latched on to the idea with a fury, and pretty soon I even had a story book that incorporated not only my name, but information about my life and family members. I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. 

Nowadays it takes a little bit more than my name on a pen to impress me, but I still have a secret love for personalized products. When Formulate contacted me about trying their customized hair care, it was impossible to say no. It was a super simple process from start to finish: I entered some information about my hair type, preferences and goals into their website and waited a few days. The process was easy, the turnaround time was fast, and the product itself is pretty darn great too (don't even get me started on that gorgeous minimalist packaging!). 

Tower of London

The Tower of London was one of the things I was looking forward to most in London, and even more so after attending the Ceremony of the Keys the night before. English history is one of my biggest interests, and there's so much history in this place that it's mind-boggling. The innermost White Tower is Norman and has been standing since 1080--it's nearly 700 years older than my country! Any building would see a lot in that amount of time, but the fact that the Tower was a royal building means that the number of significant events that have taken place in its walls increases exponentially. From royal residence to prison, it's seen over 100 executions--including those of two English queens (three if you count Lady Jane Grey...). Maybe I look a little too happy to be in a place with such a violent history, but I couldn't contain it--I was in my element.

London, Day Two

Day two in London was a pretty packed day from start to finish. We woke up early and took the Tube to Tower Hill, where we walked along the Thames to Westminster. It was a beautiful morning with picture-perfect weather and beautiful views around every corner. London has a feeling all its own, and London mornings, before the city really starts buzzing, are something entirely special.