On our first day, we started at Lamb’s Conduit Street in Bloomsbury and got breakfast (a flat white and croissant) at Tutti’s.

Lamb’s Conduit Street is a sweet little pedestrianized street with plenty of independent shops like Persephone Books, a publishing house which focuses on neglected mid-20th Century women writers.

From there, we took the Tube to Oxford Circus. We stopped in at Liberty on Regent Street, which always has such lovely things. Check out the Tudor style and wood beam ceilings.

Anthropologie has a shop on Regent Street.

And paused before heading to Hamley’s, the British equivalent of FAO Schwartz, with five floors of toys!

I loved their Lego version of the Royal Wedding.

From Regent Street, we took a cab to Covent Garden. We stopped for some fresh juice at Neal’s Yard, a cozy little courtyard with a few restaurants and close to the famous Neal’s Yard Dairy. Neal’s Yard is where the production offices for Monty Python used to be.

Then it was on to the Apple Store in Covent Garden.

Finally, we walked back along the river to our hotel by Tate Modern before dinner.

Ever since we got back from the U.K. this spring, I’ve been hankering for a good cappuccino, a flat white, an espresso. The kinds of coffee that was so plentiful and rich and wonderful over there.

I finally decided a new coffee maker was in the cards and after much research, I bought a Nespresso Citiz with Aeroccino Frother this week ($299, Crate and Barrel). The machine arrived yesterday and like a kid on Christmas morning, I woke up this morning and made a cappuccino! And wow! Best cup of coffee – dare I say – uh, ever?!

The espresso (I used Arpeggio) came out so beautifully I could’ve cried. The milk frother made perfect steamed milk with froth. There was zero clean up. Nespresso heaven!

On a trip to Anthropologie last weekend, I spotted this London Style Guide by Saska Graville and had to check it out.

I realize that it’s one of those books that are almost instantly out of date from the moment they are published (better as a blog, perhaps), but in this case, it makes for a nice coffee book for $24.95. Great photos and good recommendations of places to eat, sleep and shop, broken down by neighborhood.

We also got The Stylist’s Guide to NYC by Sibella Court. I love the book selection at Anthropologie.

BTW, did you know that Anthropologie has a shop in London on Regent Street? We walked by it on our trip to London a couple of months ago (mental note: must post London photos from our trip next week!)

But sometimes, it is great to spot something you’d actually like to see!

Last weekend, we went to the movies and saw “Frances Ha.” along with a couple of British films that I would love to see …

First up, “About Time” written by Richard Curtis of “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill” fame. It’s due out Nov. 8 in the U.S.

Secondly, Simon Pegg stars in “The World’s End,” which looks as good as “Shawn of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.” It’s due out Aug. 23 in the U.S.

Thanks, Lillie, for sending this!

At the risk of alienating half of my readers (note: I am convinced that discussing British teeth is #18 on the list of ways to annoy the British), I feel obliged to share the latest news item.

According to a survey by the British Dental Health Foundation …

* Seven million Britons do not clean their teeth regularly

* One in seven admitted to leaving it two whole days before they picked up a toothbrush

* 21 per cent also said they forget to floss

Sacre bleu, right? But the study continues and expands into the general realm of common decency and hygiene:

* 25% forget to cover their mouth when coughing and fail to wash their hands after going to the toilet

* 7.5 million Britons also forget to shower daily

*Sighing and shaking my head* (and recognizing that a survey stateside would likely provide similar results)… What do you make of all of this?

Check out Buzzfeed’s collection of top 12 places you’d never know we’re in the U.K. (including spots that are dead ringers for Italy, Greece, India and New Zealand.)

“Assuring your hairdresser the water temperature is fine, despite a strong suspicion your scalp is beginning to melt.”

“Speeding up to pass a pavement hog, then feeling you must keep up the uncomfortably fast pace until at least a mile away”

“The shock of lifting an index finger from the steering wheel to thank a fellow driver and not receiving an acknowledgment finger in return.”

Read the feed and add one of your own here!

Thanks, Vicki, for the tip!

Read the list and feel free to add to the list in the comments here!