‘Do not think of shoes but of masterpieces’ Diana Vreeland, Editor in Chief US Vogue

Aug13

If ever there was a city that was made for me it’s Milan, What’s not to like? A fashion capital, in a country where they are connoisseurs of coffee, creators of prosecco and masters of food.

Our trip in March was somewhat a last minute affair and to be completely honest only came about when I heard that Manolo Blahnik was holding an exhibition there. I managed to convince my husband that this was just something I had to go to being that he is my favourite shoe designer of all time.

Dress by Sugarhill Boutique, Converse shoes and bag from New Look

The exhibition, held in Palazzo Morando, certainly didn’t disappoint. Manolo is an absolute genius. His design drawings are works of art in their own right and the shoes are just stunning. His imagination is infinite and he takes inspiration from people, nature, travel, artists and architecture. Born in 1942 in the Canary Islands to a Spanish mother and Czech father, his journey into shoe design happened by accident. He went to art school in Paris, before moving to London in the late 1960’s. The feet of Greek sculptures had always fascinated him and then in 1971 he met the editor in chief of American Vogue and as she perused his portfolio, she was taken by his shoe drawings and she told him to ‘Stick to extremities and make shoes’. He then learnt his trade through observations of factories in England and Italy and actually received no formal training in shoe making. He did some collaborative work before opening his first store in London in 1973. Since then his career has gone from strength to strength and he has won numerous awards and received a CBE from the Queen.

I first fell in love with his designs following my obsession with Sex and the City, where the main character, Carrie has an addiction to his footwear. I was married in the same blue satin Manolo’s as Carrie married Big in and they remain one of my most treasured possessions.

Hangisi by Manolo Blahnik

The collection on display takes you on a journey through Manolo’s imagination with over 80 original drawings and 52 shoes. Each shoe is crafted with such attention to detail and he sees them like characters in a story, giving each a proper name. Some of the embellishments are absolutely stunning as are the range of different materials utilised by Manolo.

Following the visit to the exhibition it was time for a cappuccino and a flick through the trusted Lonely Planet guidebook.

We then took the opportunity to get some exercise and explore a pretty local park, giardini pubblici, before admiring the fantastically alluring designer shop window displays in the Quadrilatero d’Oro or golden quarter. There was time for a quick espresso stop at a very glam espresso bar, Sant’Ambroeus that has an impressive chandelier and given the time of year some beautifully wrapped Easter Eggs.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat before joining our tour party at the Castello Sforzesco. This 15^th century fortress was the home of the Sforza dynasty that ruled Milan during the Renaissance. Following a long walk around with what felt like an intense history lesson, we finally got to see what we had booked the tour for – Leonardo Da Vinci the Last Supper painting. It is an amazing sight and it is hard to believe it was painted in the 15^th century. We refuelled with a delicious Italian icecream before jumping on one of their vintage trams.

The second day we walked around the awe inspiring Domino, a gothic cathedral of elaborate marble construction with no less than 135 spires. The nearby shopping arcade, Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II is worth a look whilst you are in the vicinity. More than just a shopping arcade, the neoclassical building is constructed of iron and glass and shaped like a cross. Even if you hate shopping it is well worth popping inside to admire the incredible architecture. It was then time for a refreshing cosmopolitan on the roof terrace of Aperol, overlooking the magnificent cathedral. The bar is an ode to the 1970’s drink with a huge sculpted orange bar. I then had to nip back to the hotel to put on jeans in order to go and look inside the cathedral, which is just a magnificent inside as out.

Blouse Mango, Skirt with braces Dorothy Perkins, Converse shoes, Socks Oasis, Bag New Look

My cultural brain suitably enriched, my shopping urges were once again calling so we took the opportunity to browse a couple of vintage shops before regrouping with a latte.

That evening we visited the Nottingham Forest cocktail bar. You have to get there prior to opening and queue as it is so small, but it was so worth the wait. The cocktails are just so varied and imaginative. Some even use liquid nitrogen and come smoking. I of course had to order the Sex and the City. The glass of cosmopolitan was brought to me in a plastic stiletto and there was a surprise flavoured free gift from Samantha – I’ll let you guess what that might have been!

The final day we booked a classic Fiat 500 tour of the city. A car so iconic to Italy was the only choice for me. The sun shone brightly and our enthusiastic guide and driver showed us all the key sights of the city in just over an hour and a half. It is strange as I ended up owning a Fiat 500 by chance but I now love them almost as much as I love VW Beetles – I only said almost!

Jeans Oasis, Converse shoes, T-shirt Kiss Kiss Heart and bag Biba

We then ventured down to Navigli, the canal district where I had a delicious pizza and even got my husband to sample one as they offer a cheese free pizza. Of course there was an ulterior motive for me visiting this area. Mentioned in the guidebook was a shoe shop called Mauro Leone – for fashionistas on a budget. I bought a gorgeous pair of red patent leather ballet pumps and I can honestly say they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever bought.

At the airport on the way home, I bought another souvenir of my trip – a Pandora charm shaped as a stiletto.

It was a truly amazing trip and I remain ever grateful to my long-suffering husband for agreeing to go just for a shoe exhibition. I absolutely loved Milan and suggest it is a right of passage for any fashionista.

Walking in their Shoes

Apr17

As an avid shoe lover, I have long admired the great designs of Manolo Blahnik, Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Sophia Webster, to name but a few. For one day only, thanks to a wonderfully thoughtful Christmas gift from my husband, I got to experience what it’s like to be that designer, on the amazing ‘become a shoe design icon’ course, run by ‘I Can Make Shoes’.

It was a wet Sunday when I made my way by train over to trendy East London – Bethnal Green and found The Pill Box where the courses are run; but nothing was going to dampen my enthusiasm.

The arty Pill Box

It was a nice small class of 3 which made for a great learning environment. Our teacher Kiren was inspiring when she shared how she too had attended this course a few years back and now not only teaches but also is designing and making her own collection of shoes.

The class began with an introduction to the anatomy of a shoe. Before being able to design a shoe, it is important to understand all the components that make one up as this can have an influence on the art of the possible.

It can be quite daunting to be faced with a blank sheet of paper and just a template of a foot to design around, but we were given various books to get the creative juices flowing. I’m sure it will come as no surprise to most of you that my favourite of these was ‘Manolo’s New Shoes’.

Manolo book

Manolo uses watercolours, pencils and china ink to create his drawings which are works of art in their own right. Some are sketches and design concepts whereas others are created after the shoe has been made as a kind of portrait of the shoe. I would love to own one of his original drawings and came so close when I signed up for the launch of his wedding collection event where each attendee would receive a drawing but alas I was too late and the event was already full.

No one can fail to be inspired by his work and further books showed me the kinds of sources of inspiration designers use. I was particularly taken by the use of travel to inspire and from that began to look through photos of my own travels on my phone. My creativity was sparked by a photo I had taken at Parc Guell in Barcelona.

The tower turned upside down was the basis for the heel on my peep toe sandal which would be blue and white woven leather, with a blue ribbon to fasten it around the ankle. I also designed a second shoe based around some of my favourite things; it was a black court shoe with pink ribbons that laced up the ankle. On the front was a butterfly and the heel was designed like a champagne flute. I could have happily continued designing all day but the next step was making a template which would be used to cut out the leather.

A last in the shoe size required is used to create this template. A last is like a mould made of wood or hard plastic which has a shape similar to a human foot. There are different lasts depending on the type of shoe being made i.e. flat shoe, heeled shoe, boot etc.

There are various ways of making the template which can then be used to cut the leather. The technique we were shown involved using masking tape. The strips of tape are applied in a certain order until the entire last is covered.

The next step is then to transfer the 2D design onto the last thus making it 3D and ensuring that each section is suitable comfort wise in relation to the foot. We all made a template for a simple court shoe as that forms the base of many high heels so is then a transferable skill.

Once the shoe is marked out, including the side seam as courts are rarely made in one piece; a craft knife is then used to cut round the lines. Excess tape is then removed leaving just the template design which can then also be carefully peeled off the last.

The template is then laid flat on a plain sheet of paper and stuck down. In order to make it flat, some little snips are required around the vamp (piece that covers the toes or the front part of the shoe) and the side seam. It is important to then write the last reference and the size on your template for future reference.

A line is then drawn around the masking tape to allow a 2.5cm lasting allowance which is the leather that will fold under the last and be joined to the inner-sole board and a 0.5cm folding allowance for the seam on the topline of the shoe as well as at the side seam where the two sides are joined.

This was as far as we went on this course but the next step in the shoe making process would be to cut out the template around the pencil lines, lay it on the leather and then cut the leather.

This has definitely made me want to go on to learn more and I would love to make my Parc Guell sandals – depicted on the left in my drawings above.

I highly recommend this course to any shoe fanatic! Many shoes are now mass-produced but the best ones are still hand-made and when you see the amount of work that goes into the process, it is no surprise that hand-made shoes command top dollar!

A Hollywood Wedding

Mar19

February saw one of my very good friends, Alanna get married. Her and her husband couldn’t be more well suited. Since we were in school she had always had a fascination with India and dreamed of visiting which she went on to do. Her husband’s roots are in Goa and he proposed to her at the Taj Mahal. Due to the Portuguese influence, many Goan people are Catholic so even the couples religious beliefs are aligned. They are both lovers of travelling and both selfless, giving people, a true Hollywood couple.

Despite being a cold February day, the sun was shining for them when we arrived at the church in Earlsfield. For the day I chose to wear a floral dress from Chi Chi London. I paired this with some silver sandals which I have had for many years from Faith and a silver clutch from Asos. For my hair I took inspiration from a newspaper who had done a spread on Hygge hair. Hygge was big at the end of 2016 and its popularity continues. Hygge is a Danish word and essentially means cosy.

The groom wore a white suit with a pale blue cravat and waited smiling at the altar without any of the usual signs of nervousness. When the bride entered on the arm of her father, she looked stunning, a true princess. The dress had a corset top embellished with delicate jewels and then there was a magnificent full taffeta skirt, finished off with a full length veil. Following her down the aisle were her two triplet sisters in stunning Karen Morgan dresses, accessorised with red shoes and a red flower in their hair.

The service itself was charming with well-chosen hymns and readings including ‘Give me Joy in my Heart’. Outside the church there was a confetti parade which was lovely given that many churches no longer allow this.

Me with the bridesmaids

The bride and groom’s transport for the day was the grooms lovingly restored VW beetle. Anyone who knows me well, will be aware of my life long love of these classic cars and seeing his brought back fond memories of my own car which I sold a few years ago due to it rusting away on our drive.

The groom being fanatical about films could have chosen no better venue for the reception than Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. The studios were built in 1935 around a large Grade II listed Victorian house, Heatherden Hall where the reception was held. Pinewood has been the location of many films from Oliver Twist, to Carry On, to Bond to Harry Potter. It was named Pinewood due to the number of trees in the area and the connotations of wood to Hollywood – the US film epicentre.

The wedding breakfast was held in a grand room, complete with a tall, ornate Victorian ceiling. The tables were named after lines from films, such as ‘You remind me of the babe’ from Labyrinth which we sat on and ‘You don’t have to kiss me’ from Rocky which was the top table. I’ve listed the other names and I’ll leave it for you to work out which films they come from, let me know in the comments when you do!

‘What? Fuzzy Wuzzy was a woman?’

‘You are and always shall be my friend’

‘Hey you guys!’

‘Wax on, Wax off’

‘Luminous beings are we..’

‘What we do in this life echoes in eternity’

‘It’s not the years. It’s the mileage’

‘Get to Da Choppa!’

‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift’

‘Pop the trunk!’

All the stationery encapsulated the couples love of travel, designed like an airmail envelope with a background of a world map with hearts marking places they had travelled to together and love themed postmarks including one showing date and location of the engagement.

During the delicious meal of leek and potato soup, lemon and garlic roasted supreme of chicken and fruit crumble, the background music was all film anthems including tracks from Star Wars and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The speeches continued the theme of the movies with the best man speech being set out in episodes. The grooms speech almost brought me to tears as it was clear that he is totally devoted to her.

The cake was beautifully made by the Groom’s sister-in-law. It picked up the pastel blue in the grooms cravat in the icing flowers on it and was topped off with two doves symbolising everlasting enduring love being that doves mate for life.

The cutting of the cake is a significant part of a couples special day not least because it is the first task that the couple undertake together. For the cutting, the couple used a sword. They then fed each other some cake which represents them nourishing the relationship for the rest of their lives and providing for each other.

The cake cutting was followed by the first dance to Phil Collins’ ‘A Groovy kind of Love’.

The evening entertainment then got well underway and we all enjoyed lots of dancing and karaoke from some of the groom’s family.

It was a truly wonderful day, well deserving of an Oscar and I wish the two of them a very long and happy marriage. They are the proof that there is someone out there for everyone, who is their perfect match. Congratulations guys and enjoy the Italian honeymoon.

Flying through the months

Mar11

Can you believe we are already in March? I can’t believe how fast the last few months have gone, it doesn’t seem five minutes ago that we had Christmas to look forward to and now we are faced with lots of cold weather and a long wait until Summer.

Christmas countdown traditionally begins on 1^st December with an advent calendar. Advent calendars were first used by German Lutherans in the 19^th and 20^th Century. Advent calendars have moved on a lot in recent years, with children no longer content with opening a door to reveal a Christmas picture or poem. At the very least they expect a chocolate now and some calendars give toys such as the Lego calendar. Being a big kid, I have never tired of an advent calendar and thankfully I am clearly not alone as there is now a large market in adult advent calendars offering candles or beauty products. This Christmas I decided to try a beauty advent calendar. These range quite a bit in price with the Liberty one costing £250! After some research I settled on the reasonably priced House of Fraser one at £25 as this also had all 24 doors, rather than the 12 some calendars offer – presumably to represent the 12 days of Christmas. It was quite exciting to see what beauty product you would get each day and by far my favourites were a glitter eyeliner, a blusher and one of the lipsticks, all of which I have been using regularly.

What really got me in the festive mood was the Dickensian Christmas celebrations in Rochester on 3^rd December. For this I wore skinny jeans from Oasis with a white pussy bow blouse from Oasis and my trusty New Look faux leather biker jacket. I accessorised with the gorgeous blue velvet flats and handbag which are also from New Look and my subtle take on the velvet trend for Autumn/Winter 2016.

Rochester as I have mentioned many times before in my blog is one of my favourite places. It was also a favourite spot for Charles Dickens and the cobbled streets and old style lampposts make you feel you have truly been transported back in time as you watch the costume parade. We took the opportunity to watch a street performance of Miss Havisham’s story before warming up in the pub over lunch.

Santa’s reindeer even popped down!

There was a photo opportunity with Fagin.

We then made our way to the Christmas market and fun fair. The market was a bit of a let-down if I am honest as I had been expecting the Bavarian style wooden huts you see in London when instead the stalls were in marques and a lot of the items for sale were quite tacky. The funfair was good though and forever the kid I had to have a ride on the carousel.

20161203_145353_resized

I have wanted another piercing ever since I had to let my nose piercing close up earlier this year after an infection so I went and got my rook pierced – part of the ear. It was quite painful after so I went and recovered with a latte and a large piece of cake in Fleur de the.

Number 12 or 13 is the rook

We ventured out into the cold and darkness just in time for the evening costume parade with lanterns. The snow machines were on and we all walked up to the castle where the carol service was held. It was a magical evening and totally set me up for the festive period. We warmed up and lubricated our tired voices with mulled wine in a local pub before heading off home.

The following weekend, my husband and I took our niece and nephew to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. This year marks ten years of Winter Wonderland and each year it seems to get bigger and bigger. It was another cold day and unfortunately turned into quite a wet day too. I had bought a new hat, gloves and scarf set from Oasis and wore a long padded coat from New Look which although less than flattering, is extremely warm – it gives you the feeling of being wrapped up in a duvet!

We visited the magical ice kingdom which this year had the theme of an Arctic Adventure. This is an awe inspiring sight whether it is your first visit or not, with incredible detail on each of the ice sculptures. There is also a slide made of ice which once again brought the kid out in me and ice thrones which of course kids love due to the connotations with Disney’s Frozen.

The boys enjoyed the bumper cars whilst my niece and I went on the swings. Later my niece wanted to go on a roller coaster. There was an extremely long queue but the wait was made slightly more entertaining by a kind of fun house along the way. The ride was a disaster as she was so scared and I felt so helpless when she asked me to make it stop. You would have thought that would have put her off rides but she still wanted another go on the swings before we left!

Putting up the Christmas decorations is always for me traditionally accompanied by listening to Now that’s what I call Christmas and sipping on snowballs. This year I finally persuaded my husband to put lights outside – something I have always wanted.

We hosted Christmas day this year for the first time and had my parents and my husband’s parents over. I wore a black lace dress from Oasis and sparkle tights also from Oasis and accessorised my hair with a flower band which I got at London Fashion week and is by Her Curious Nature.

We had a really nice day. I really enjoyed setting out the Christmas table. Dinner was lovely and I got some wonderful presents – my favourite being a shoe design course! Look out for a blog on that in the next month or so. We played Cranium which was a laugh and watched the Christmas tele and before you knew it, it was all over for another year!

Boxing day was spent at Mum’s with my brother and his family. For this day I wore an Oasis jumper with a basic black mini skirt from Asos and purple Uggs that I got in New Zealand a few years back.

Between Christmas and New Year my husband and I visited Scotney Castle and decided to become National Trust Members.

New Year was spent with friends. I always find New Year rather depressing as it is another reminder of what you have not achieved and a time to set resolutions that you invariable break way before the end of January! I guess I can at least remember 2016 as the year I finally got promoted to a PA. We also finally finished decorating our bedroom. It was so nice to get rid of the grey striped wallpaper that was there when we moved in.

As with every other new year, I once again set my usual resolution to lose weight and decided to try the milk diet which was the diet of choice for 2017. The full diet suggested you eat nothing and just drink 4 pints of full fat milk a day. That seemed rather extreme so I went for the modified version where you drink a glass of milk before each meal with the aim of then eating less. I did see some positive effect from this, loosing 3lbs in the first week but as per usual it was the same as most fad diets and I had given up within 3 weeks.

January always seems to drag so I was glad when we got to the end. The final weekend in January; Saturday evening was spent at a Fawlty Towers evening which was a great laugh. For this I wore a black pleated skirt from Asos, a gold stripped crop top from Kiss Kiss Heart in Rochester and accessorised with shoes I purchased at London Fashion Week by Alexander White and an Aldo clutch.

That Sunday we had a trip to London to see the Play that Goes Wrong. The end of January of course marks the start of the new year for the Chinese and this year is the year of the Rooster!

February saw a return to my early twenties with a night out at a club on Tottenham Court Road for a friend’s birthday. I must be getting old as I was quite taken aback that they wanted to scan our ID before letting us in and by the fact there are now bouncers on McDonald’s on the Strand! I am also way too old for the torturous 2 hour journey home on the night bus! Having said all that though it was a fun night. I reworked the outfit I wore to the Fawlty Towers evening this time accessorising with gold Oasis t-bar shoes and a gold clutch.

So now 2017 is well underway and we have certainly seen some cold weather. Easter is late this year meaning that Summer feels even further away but there are some exciting things coming up so keep looking out for future blogs.

Twinkle Twinkle

Dec29

A Star – to geometrists a type of non-convex polygon and to astrologers a luminous ball of gas. Stars have long been represented in many ways in culture and in art and the most common is a 5 pointed star. No one knows for sure the origins of this symbol; some believe it is from Egyptian hieroglyphics whilst others think it is because when you look at a star it appears to have 5 lines coming out which are diffraction spikes caused by the way light enters the eye. On the US flag the stars represent the heavens. Stars are also commonly used a symbol of fame. This is perhaps because you look up to stars in the sky and people look up to famous people.

Whatever the reasons behind the five-pointed star symbol, Autumn/Winter 2016 has seen the star become the go to print. Below I show you some of my favourite uses of this cosmic symbol in this seasons fashions.

Star blouse Zara, Jeans and shoes Oasis, Bag Aldo

Starry T-shirt New Look, faux leather metallic skirt New Look, shoes Oasis, handbag Coach

Star nose stud jewellerybox.co.uk, glitter star headband Boohoo and necklace mynamenecklace.co.uk

Sandals by Office

Pyjama top and socks by Oasis, lounge pants by New Look and slippers by Asda

Earrings Apples and Figs at London Fashion Weekend

Au Revoir Summer

Dec12

September can be seen as the prelude to dark, cold winter days but to Fashionistas, it only means one thing, time for London Fashion Week!

Once again I attended London Fashion Weekend at the Saatchi Gallery – a chance for the everyday followers of fashion to access the latest seasons trends. This year my long suffering husband gave up his Formula 1 viewing to attend with me – that’s what I call love.

I always try to make an effort with my outfit as you don’t want to let yourself down at one of the biggest fashion events of the year. I chose a baby pink floral prom style dress from Boohoo with an embroidered denim jacket from New Look. 2016 has definitely been the year for embroidered denim and I love the French element on this jacket. I paired the outfit with some cute black flats with multiple straps which I picked up from Zara after they featured in Fabulous magazine. My trusty black quilted, Chanelesq bag was a perfect accompaniment. The finishing touch to the outfit was a cute Alice in Wonderland necklace that I discovered in a quirky shop in Rye. I was ecstatic when I was complimented on not just my dress, but also my shoes and necklace by people at the show.

I was in my element wandering around the pop-up boutiques and my husband didn’t whinge once although I’m sure he was biting his tongue.

I was intrigued by a pop-up perfume boutique – Miller Harris which I don’t believe had been at the show before. The company was founded in 2000 by Lyn Harris who trained for five years in Paris and draws on nature as a base for her fragrances. There were six multiple choice questions for the customer to answer about themselves and that would then point to the scent for you. I have to say it was pretty accurate as it pointed me to Rose Silence which was the scent I had initially been drawn to anyway.

Miller Harris Perfume Questionnaire

It didn’t take long for me to find my way to the shoe section of the show and as soon as I walked in, I spotted some stunning black and gold tassel heels by Alexander White. The brand was founded in 2014 by a graduate and the shoes are designed in London but made in Italy. I couldn’t resist adding these to my ever-expanding collection especially given they were an amazing bargain at only £175 when the RRP is £450!

Having given my credit card a workout, it was time to chill with a latte. Even the coffee cups are given a style edit. This year Lavazza partnered with Mother of Pearl – a brand whose signature is prints.

Following a browse of the accessory floor where I picked up a pretty green and black floral headband by Her Curious Nature and persuaded my husband to get me an early Christmas present of star stud earrings by Apples and Figs – there was just time for a glass of champagne before the start of the highlight of the day, the trend catwalk show.

Her Curious Nature

This year the trend show was styled by Avenue 32 and presented by Laura Jackson. Three key winter trends were presented.

The show opened with ‘A Velvet Affair’. Velvet is often associated with Royalty due to the expense involved in its production as well as its unusual look and feel.

Dress by Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini

The designers and stars alike have certainly taken to it this season. In order to avoid looking like granny’s curtains, I have opted to go the accessory route with this trend and couldn’t resist these pumps with matching bag from New Look.

The second trend was ‘New Look Lace.’ I have always loved the delicate nature of lace and the air of femininity it gives to an outfit. I particularly like it used in high neck blouses which gives an outfit a Victoriana feel.

Blouse by Perseverance London

The final trend showcased was ‘Winter Florals’ and I’m pleased florals has continued as a trend, through from summer.

Dress by Needle and Thread

Dress by A.W.A.K.E.

Dress by Needle and Thread

The designer tote bag has become a key part of the event and this years bag designed by the iconic shoe designer Sophia Webster was far from a disappointment. Sophia founded her brand in 2012 and it has been more than successful; she has even started a line of children’s shoes. How cute is it that mother and daughter can have matching shoes – I would love a little girl to be my mini me in Sophia’s shoes! The bag was filled with some great samples as usual – I particularly liked the Maybelline Baby Lips, it leaves lips lovely and soft as well as giving a hint of colour.

Finally I decided that it was time to put my husband out of his misery, despite his impeccable behaviour so we retired for Sunday lunch in The Trafalgar – a vintage decorated pub 0n the Kings Road.

Next year, the event has been renamed London Fashion Week Festival and will move to The Store Studios on the Strand as part of the British Fashion Council’s pledge to build on consumer engagement with British designers.

Look out for more posts on this seasons trends and let me know how you are styling them.

Genie Grant me a Wish

Oct30

Back in July the dreaded birthday came round again. I wish I could stop at 33, or better still be 30 again. It’s not a lie if I say I am 30 and a bit – just suggests a much smaller bit than may be the truth.

Anyway being that none of my friends had seen our new home – I decided a BBQ was in order to celebrate.

Now every year we seem to purchase a BBQ – use it once, not bother to clean it and it ends up at the tip. Now we have a garage to store it in, we decided to invest in a slightly better quality one. Turns out cheaper ones are best however as almost straight away the handle on the lid broke so guess what, once again we didn’t clean it but instead of the tip, it ended up back at Argos for an exchange!

We were blessed with nice weather on the day of the do so I wore a tropical design jumpsuit from Oasis.

Jumpsuits have been in fashion for a few seasons now and I love how flattering they can be. My favourite one is a navy one I purchased from Joy and I have accessorised this two ways to make it look like a fresh outfit.

Jumpsuit Joy, suede shoes M&S, clutch Oasis

Jumpsuit Joy, Clutch purchased in Hong Kong, Shoes LK Bennett

I was truly touched at the number of family and friends who came to my celebration, especially given some of the journeys involved. One friend travelled an amazing two hours – thanks to you all.

The key room I wanted to show off was our newly made over summer house. This was a miserable, cold, blue room when we moved in but I have taken great enjoyment in making it an ideal place to sit and relax, enjoying a glass of wine on a summer evening.

BEFORE

AFTER – Check out the homemade bunting (a joint project by my Mum and I)

On my actual birthday, my Mum and I went into Rochester which has long been my favourite town.

For my outfit on the day, I took inspiration from Fabulous Magazine and put my own twist on a denim/victoriana combination.

The Fashion Spread from Fabulous Magazine (free with the Sun on Sunday)

Shirt with bow Lookagain.co.uk, denim pinafore Oasis, white frill ankle socks and black quilted bag Asos, Shoes Faith

We enjoyed browsing the kitsch shops before relaxing over a delicious afternoon tea at Fleur de The.

I was really spoilt by everyone and got so many amazing presents that it would take far too long to list them all here.

Two presents that I feel must have a mention however were my sister in law’s inventive presentation of a wonderful cocktail set and my other sister in law’s notebook which couldn’t have been more perfect.

The evening of my day was spent with my husband and we went to see the amazing Aladdin musical in London. The best way I can describe the show is like a pantomime with a million times better costumes, props and cast. It is an absolute must for any Disney fan.

The show got me thinking, what would I do if I had a genie and could only make three wishes? This is a lot harder than one might think and definitely would take some careful consideration; assuming that is that one of the wishes couldn’t be for three more wishes! I already feel very blessed but guess I would ask for all my family and friends to remain happy and healthy as my first wish. Narrowing down the rest of my wish list might be hard although would be nice to be thin but be able to eat whatever I liked and to remain youthful!

Another fabulous birthday, courtesy of all my loved ones, thanks again.

All Aboard the Maple Leaf

Oct9

Canada is synonymous with maple syrup (Quebec is responsible for 75% of the world’s output), bears and Mountie’s – that was about all I knew of Canada but it was another place to tick off my travel bucket list so I decided it was time to learn more.

After the horrendous flight out to the States and the hustle and bustle of New York City (in my opinion the greatest city in the world outside London) my husband and I were pleased to join the Amtrak train for a 12 hour relaxing trip which would whisk us through up- state New York and into Canada. Some of the scenery on the journey was breath taking and I had plenty of time to ponder my trusty Lonely Planet guide on what was the longest train journey I have ever done, not that it felt like it. The stop at the Canadian border was a little chaotic with them first suggesting passports would be checked on the train only to then detrain us and our luggage to go through the check!

Upon arrival at Toronto we were surprised at the grandeur of The Fairmont Royal York hotel we were staying in, across the road from Union Station. The hotel was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is steeped in art deco opulence being that it opened in 1929 and has often been the hotel of choice for Queen Elizabeth II. We only ventured a few steps from the hotel to grab dinner, still tired from our long journey. Here I sampled a Canadian sundae which had maple leaf biscuits in it.

The following morning after refuelling with a Starbucks (a life saver for lattes in any foreign country) we joined a coach trip out to Niagara. The first stop was right up my street with a visit to a vineyard and a wine tasting. Needless to say I purchased a bottle to take home.

Sporting the seasons off the shoulder trend with a red Oasis top

When we approached the falls – nothing could have prepared me for such a spectacular sight. Pictures really do not do justice to what in my opinion should be included in the seven wonders of the natural world. Victoria Park offers fantastic views of the falls and apart from the visual experience there is the audial one of the power of the water cascading down. More than a million bathtubs of water plummet downward every second according to the Lonely Planet Guide.

Following lunch overlooking the falls we joined the Hornblower boat trip, formally known as the Maid of the Mist tour. This is an experience like no other. It is a chance to view the falls up close whilst feeling the mist or spray and hearing the mighty roar.

The tour finished with a stop in Niagara on the lake village. This is such a quant 19th century village that really is what you think of when you imagine an American or Canadian village. The boutiques are wooden and painted in pastel colours. The highlight was the Christmas shop! We also found a jewellery shop where my husband treated me to a Pandora maple leaf charm exclusive to Canada.

Once back in Toronto, we rounded off our day with a trip to the Rogers Centre Baseball stadium to see the Toronto Blue Jays. Neither of us really understood the complexities of the game but it was great to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of what is an integral part of North American culture.

Canada, although part of the continent of North America is in some ways very European being that it has had a long history of both France and England ruling it. To this day, although now independent – our Queen is still their head of state. Montreal is the only officially bilingual city; speaking both French and English. The landscape and the people of what is the second largest country in the world is truly diverse and by visiting only the Eastern side I fear we may have missed out on some of the beauty the country has to offer. Toronto itself is the most multiculturally diverse city in the world with over 140 languages spoken. It is said that over half of the people that call Toronto home were born outside Canada.

Had we had longer in Toronto, I would have liked to go up the famous CN Tower in the glass lifts but sadly it was time to move on; we did however get to admire the 1970’s structure illuminated by the nightly light show.

Souvenirs of Toronto

Our next stop was Ottawa – Canada’s capital. One of the main attractions here is the Rideau Canal with a series of 8 historic functioning locks. The banks are flanked by the parliament building and Chateau – Laurier – a hotel which is a national historic site.

The following morning we observed the changing of the guard ceremony outside parliament. The ceremony echoes that of England’s changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

We refuelled at Zak’s Diner, a typical 1950’s American diner, where I enjoyed pancakes and maple syrup and a coffee milkshake.

Unfortunately there wasn’t a lot more to do in Ottawa and the weather also took a turn for the worse. We spent our final day here riding the open top tourist bus and getting soaked. We did jump off the bus at the Canadian Mint which was an interesting insight into how coins are made as well as getting to feel the weight of a gold bar. We also visited the Notre Dame Cathedral-Basilica which is the oldest church in Ottawa, built in 1841.

I was taken by a local delicacy here called the Beavertail which was served in the Byward market. The name comes from the shape of the sweet treat which is a fried dough pastry topped with any number of delights – I had a cinnamon and apple one.

Back on an Amtrak service, we headed to Quebec City. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me, along with Niagara. Not having really practiced my French since A Level, I was looking forward to being surrounded by it; after all it is such a beautiful, romantic sounding language. We stayed at Hotel Clarendon, one of the oldest hotels, built in 1870 and right in the hub of the old town. A few short steps from the hotel the Rue du Tresor can be found. This is a short, narrow street which has been commandeered by local artists to showcase and sell their work, giving the air of Monmartre in Paris.

There is plenty here to while away a good few days with the most famous site being Le Chateau Frontenac which is in fact a luxury hotel originally built in 1893 by the Canadian Railway.

The funicular, across from Le Chateau Frontenac, is a must and transports you to the beautiful cobbled streets and squares of the lower town where murals, statues, street artists and amazing boutiques can be found.

Denim pinafore – Oasis, shoes converse, bag Biba, necklace Andrea Garland

For another angle on the city, outside the city walls, we ascended the Observatoire de la Capitale for views at 221m up. You can see all the green roofs which started off copper, like the one on the historic armoury building which is being rebuilt following a fire in 2008. We also admired parliament building Hotel du Parlement which was mid renovation. The front lawn has statues honouring women obtaining the right to vote.

Unfortunately the weather let us down again and we ended up on a walking tour of La Citadelle in the teaming rain. This fort was built over a century, starting with the French in 1750 and finished in 1850 by the British. The fort serves as a base for the Canada’s Royal 22s and was intended to serve as a defence to an American invasion which of course never happened.

We finished the day with a meal and a bottle of wine, in a restaurant that had an accordion player to entertain you whilst you ate.

Following the floral trend from spring/summer 2016 with a midi skirt from Oasis – top and shoes also Oasis, clutch bag Aldo

Following a visit to Basilica Notre-Dame de Quebec which is one of the continents first cathedrals, I wanted to make the most of the romance of the place, so I persuaded my husband to part with a somewhat large chunk of our cash for a horse and carriage ride around the city which was stunning and we finished up the day eating at the Auberge du Tresor 1640 restaurant, thus named after the year the building was constructed – the oldest building in Quebec City with a hard to miss bright red roof.

The final leg of our tour, took us to Montreal. We arrived late afternoon and our stomachs were requiring some attention. An Indian restaurant called Gandhi which was listed in the guide book caught our eye. We decided to walk it from hotel but picked the most dodgiest route possible which meant our initial impressions of Montreal were not the best. The meal however was spectacular and after we wandered back to the hotel via a much nicer route; taking in the Basilique Notre Dame which was beautifully lit and passing a number of projections on the walls which is a project depicting the history of Montreal in advance of the 375 year anniversary next year.

Feeling a little tired of city sites we decided we wanted to get out to Mont Tremblant and the Laurentian Mountains to see some of the breath taking Canadian landscapes you see in photos. It appeared from a quick search online that to do the trip in a day there was only one bus a day out there that departed at 0730. Foolishly thinking this couldn’t be true, we set off on foot for the long walk to the bus station, arriving around lunch time only to find that the internet had of course been correct and there was only that early bus to Mont Tremblant if you intended to do the trip in a day. Feeling hot and sweaty from the long walk, we were desperate to not write the day off and the Lonely Planet guide mentioned the town of St-Jerome as the gateway to the Laurentians. That was a place we could visit in a day so we purchased a ticket and waited in the nearby picturesque park of La Fontaine, soaking up the sun before joining the bus.

Nautical style top M&S, shorts Oasis

The book mentioned a beautiful cathedral to visit with a beautiful stained-glass window. On arrival late afternoon we discovered said cathedral closed an hour earlier than the book had said.

Disappointed, we wandered about only to find ourselves among the local down and outs. This was my first bad experience in many years of Lonely Planet guides. We parked ourselves in a bar and just drunk until the bus returned to pick us up. Never have we been so glad to see a bus!

Shattered from the day we got the metro back to our hotel rather than walking back from the bus station, changed and then enjoyed a meal and a few cosmos in a restaurant near to the hotel.

Mod style dress M&S

The final day was unbearably hot and we were up early hoping to see a few more sites and then cram in the obligatory last minute shopping.

We headed out to the Olympic park, built when Montreal hosted the Olympics in 1976. The funicular that takes you to the top of the 165m Tour de Montreal is well worth doing if only giving you the chance to say you have been up the world’s largest inclined structure.

I couldn’t leave Montreal without going inside its most famous sight – Basilique Notre-Dame. It was built in 1829 and has a stunning alter and a midnight blue ceiling covered in stars. Celine Dion was married here in 1994.

We walked back to the hotel to check out via Place Jacques Cartier which in the centre of old Montreal is a square full of activity with stalls, entertainers, cafes and bars. Nelson’s column stands at the north end of the square.

All that was left to do before heading back to the airport was some shopping. I was amazed that even my husband caught the shopping bug. We got some great deals in North Face and I couldn’t resist an eye shadow from Sephora.

Before we knew it we were on the flight home. It was a whirlwind of a trip that once again we tried to cram too much into. On reflection I think we should have either spent more time away or had more time in New York and Toronto and then a few days in Quebec. I hope one day I will get to do the Rocky Mountaineer train trip and experience Vancouver and some of the picture postcard views of Canada away from the big cities.

A New York State of Mind

Jul31

New York is a city that I, like many before me, fell in love with it from the moment I first arrived.

My fourth visit to the city that never sleeps, at one point felt like it was never going to happen. Generally one leaves Heathrow airport with the feeling that better advantage could have been taken of the shopping. I can however vouch that seven and a half hours is more than enough time to explore every nook and cranny as well as being responsible for my credit card getting rather a battering. Even my husband who is usually reluctant to part with more than £15 for a shirt, treated himself to a blue checked one from Pink.

A free Pimms, a couple of glasses of champagne and many purchases later – we finally boarded the plane. We arrived at JFK in the early hours and finally rocked up at my Mums friend’s house on Long Island just in time for an early breakfast. The garden and my Mum’s friend’s hangover suggested her granddaughters graduation party the previous evening had gone off with a bang; what a shame we missed it – damn you American Airlines!

Not about to waste anymore time – sleep was abandoned for, would you believe, more shopping at Deer Park outlet mall. I couldn’t resist this Coach bag. Coach was founded in 1941 and began as a workshop in a Manhattan loft. I loved the bags long before their first flagship store was opened in London in 2011 and what a year to purchase one, as this year marks Coach’s 75th anniversary.

Coach bag.jpg

My husband must have had some sort of lobotomy on the flight over as he even purchased a number of labelled shirts! Following the shopping, refreshments were sort at, get this, a drive through Starbucks!

Leaving my Mum to catch up with her friend, my husband and I met some friends for a drink on one of Long Island’s many beaches. Later we finished our first day at a typical American diner.

The following morning, my Mum, my husband and I all boarded the train heading for Manhattan.

Being a die-hard Sex and the City fan; I was desperate to visit Carrie’s apartment on Perry Street. On a previous trip to New York, I had done the Sex and the City movie tour with a friend, but Carrie’s apartment is omitted from the tour due to complaints by residents.

T-shirt limited edition for the new release of the Jungle Book, by Kenzo, skirt Asos, shoes Oasis, bag Biba, rabbit bag charm Asos and sunglasses Gucci.

After posing for the all important Instagram picture outside the apartment, we walked to the High Line garden. This is an urban regeneration project completed in 2014 which has made a raised linear park out of a disused rail line which served the industrial Meatpacking District and Chelsea. We did it because it was listed as one of the top sites in my guide-book and was one we hadn’t seen on previous trips. I don’t think we had been missing much! It was rather a let down and appeared as though it had been neglected of late.

It was a baking hot day so we paused for refreshments at the Bus Stop Cafe in Greenwich Village. I indulged in American pancakes.

Everyone was then dragged by me on a pilgrimage to the Manolo Blahnik store, which, eventually, I had to admit defeat on after Google maps sent us on some what of a wild goose chase. I’m sure my credit card was breathing a sigh of relief!

The subway took us down to Tribeca district and we went up One World Trade Centre which stands close to the site of the original twin towers that were. It is the tallest building in the Western hemisphere with the observatory standing at 1254 feet. What a fabulous view of the city and well worth a visit.

Afterwards we reflected on the horror of 9/11, the terrorist attack of 2001, as we looked at the many names of the victims around two waterfalls which stand on the sites of the original north and south towers.

Dinner was in another diner and then we saw Mum back on her train to Long Island from Penn station.

My husband and I walked from our hotel near Madison Square Gardens down to the East River. It was raining on and off but that didn’t put off the hoards of people going to see the 40th Macy’s Independence Day fireworks display. I got into the party spirit with a celebratory headband.

American’s celebrate 4th July as Independence Day as it is the anniversary of their independence from the UK which was obtained in 1776; not to be confused with what Nigel Farage dubbed our Independence Day on 23rd June with the Brexit vote. Incidentally everyone we met was keen to discuss Brexit and how we felt about it.

The fireworks were absolutely amazing and despite the number of people, it was a great party atmosphere. Even the Empire State Building was lit up in red white and blue.

We retired to a bar where I had a Cosmo – after all what else would I order in New York City?! A cab then took us back to our hotel.

I left the city that’s ‘so good they named it twice’, wanting more. I would have loved to have experienced the boating lake in Central Park had we had the time as well as exploring the shops of 5th Avenue. Perhaps next time I’ll visit during Thanksgiving. It certainly is a city I will never tire of.

Look out for part two of my holiday blog where we join the Maple Leaf train.

A High brow Saturday

Jul24

In June my friend and I visited the Good Ship Benefit, the new facelift given to HS Hispaniola until 31^st August 2016; a permanently docked boat on the River Thames close to Embankment tube station, with a lovely view of the London Eye whilst relaxing on the Hoola decks.

As we stepped on the boat we were directed to the brow lounge. The room is an explosion of pink and the ultimate girly boudoir; the back of the sofas even have a makeup clad eye on them. The pillars and carpet were black glitter and there were also novelty bunny chairs. The bar was in the style of a beauty box.

We made ourselves comfortable and our illusionary afternoon tea was served along with a glass of fizz. Now I guess I should have guessed from the name of the tea that this would be no conventional afternoon tea, but I didn’t and I must say that this was one afternoon tea which didn’t meet my expectations. Things started well for my sweet tooth when what looked like sandwiches were actually cakes. The problem was that this also worked the other way round with items that looked like cakes being savoury. This to me was just plain weird – your eyes are telling you sweet whilst your tongue is shouting savoury!

Following the tea I was looking forward to having my brows shaped; this being the year of the brow and Benefit having long lead the way with brows, opening their first Brow Bar in 2003 at Macy’s in San Francisco. I was only then told that we should have booked an appointment and that there were none left today due to a hen party. This was in no way clear on the website so I made my feelings known and a kind assistant called Alison agreed to do them in the end as long as I wasn’t expecting a full make over. What a difference well defined brows make to your face! She used BROWVO! conditioning eyebrow primer which enhances the thickness and fullness of the brow, which I need given previous over plucking, as well as extending the wear of other brow products. She then used precisely, my brow eyebrow pencil in shade 02 to define the brows.

Look at the difference – one brow before and one after!

I always associate the Benefit brand with 1950’s glamour and so for the occasion I wore a turquoise polka dot circle skirt with a petticoat underneath both from Rocket in Rochester and a plain white vest top from Oasis. I matched this with some old silver sandals from Faith which resemble ballroom dancing shoes. I accessorised with a long heart necklace from Queen Bee in Canterbury and a stunning mint clutch shaped like a book from Aldo.

We were given a tour of the boat which also has a restaurant called Lashitude, decorated in black and orange in homage to Benefit mascara; The Pinkton Parlour – a beautiful pink cocktail bar and the Porefessional vault – an accolade to their wonderful pore disguising product. Disappointingly though we were not able to see the vault as it was booked for a private party. There is of course also a shop where you can indulge in purchasing all of their great products.

It was a shame we couldn’t see the ship in its entirity and it also rained which meant cocktails on the decks was not possible. I did feel a little disappointed with the day especially being that I have been a fan of Benefit make up for some years.

Benefit cosmetics were founded in 1976 by twin sisters in San Francisco. They began with a beauty boutique specialising in products to solve beauty dilemmas and then went on to expand into department stores. Benefit went international in 1997 and now sells at 2000 counters in 30 countries.

Live by the Benefesto; ‘We believe in WHISTLING WHILE YOU WORK IT…and faking it ‘til you make it.We believe in FAST & FABULOUS BEAUTY solutions…and that glamour is GRABBING LIFE BY THE GIGGLES and not letting go. We believe if at first you don’t succeed, APPLY MORE LIPSTICK…that SEXY gets you everywhere…and if you can’t be good, BE GORGEOUS.’

Until next time…..

blahnikgirl

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