Ruby Romance

Jun27

In May this year my parents celebrated 40 years of marriage which is an incredible 14600 days of matrimony. From that wonderful union they have 2 children and 2 grandchildren and they still love each other as much as they did on their wedding day. My brother and I clubbed together and bought them a garden companion seat with a celebratory plaque.

Sitting on their celebratory bench

What an achievement 40 years is in this day and age where people are all too quick to file for divorce. Marriage isn’t easy and has to be worked at but my parents are testament to it being possible for love to last a lifetime.

How different the world was in 1976 when they married. Technology which we now take for granted was in its absolute infancy. Can you imagine a time when you couldn’t just google the answer to any question that popped into your head and you had to wait in at home if you were expecting someone to call you? 1976 saw Ford release the first Fiesta which was to become in 2014 the UK’s bestselling car, Concorde did its first commercial flight, England won Eurovision and number 1 the week of my parents’ marriage was ‘Silly Love Songs’ by Wings.

Traditionally the 40^th wedding anniversary is referred to as the Ruby anniversary. This association is because the ruby is believed to have an eternal inner flame which glows brighter each year just like the passion and love in a marriage.

My parents decided this landmark was worthy of a big celebration so my Mum and I set about planning an event akin to a small wedding reception. Dinner was held at a golf club for family and friends with a DJ after. We decided on a theme of travel which may seem ironic to those of you who know my Dad well as he hates holidays. However I thought the travel theme was appropriate in more of a metaphorical way because of the journey they have made together through 40 years of marriage.

An old suitcase was used for the table plan and we hung a luggage tag for each table’s guests inside. Each table was named after somewhere my parents had visited together – thank goodness we didn’t have more than 5 tables or we would have been stuck on locations with their limited holidays! The table name was stuck on a cut out of a suitcase and a photo of them in the place put on the back. Place name cards featured a suitcase logo. The centre piece of each table was a single red rose – a symbol used to denote total devotion to one person.

I made up favours for the tables which were love hearts in a ruby coloured organza bag and I made a cake for them with a photo of them cutting their wedding cake on the top.

For the event I wore a dress from Coast, similar to the style of my bridesmaid’s dress at my wedding and reddish/pink in colour to tie in with the ruby theme. I accessorized with some silver diamanté sandals which I got in John Lewis when I was a bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding (see I do wear some shoes more than once!) I also had this gorgeous fan shaped metal clutch with a 1920’s art deco feel to it. I got this from Vintage Styler. I added a red butterfly clip in my hair.

At the entrance Mum decorated a small table with old photos from the day, decorations from the wedding cake, along with her garter, which was her something blue, blue being seen as a colour representative of constancy and loyalty; and other trinkets hooked over her arm on the day including a horse shoe and a rolling pin. The rolling pin would have been seen as something useful to give a wife so she could make meals for her husband (often a wooden spoon traditionally rather than a rolling pin) and a horseshoe for good luck going back to the 10^th century when horseshoes were used to mark the door of Christians thus protecting them from the devil. Many wedding customs are the same today although the gifts hooked over a brides arm are not so common nowadays – I know I didn’t receive any at my wedding.

My Dad gave a wonderful speech which detailed how they met as a blind date and how he had always loved her and the speech ended with him presenting her with a ruby ring. I also gave a short speech which included a poem which my uncle composed music to and sang at the wedding but unfortunately he was unable to make the party for a second performance of it. The poem is called ‘The Life that I Have’ and was originally written by Leo Marks in 1943 for his girlfriend who had recently been killed in a plane crash. It was used as Poem code during the Second World War. It was common for secret messages to be passed using a poem as code but was proving unreliable as the enemy could find the original source of the poem – Marks got around this by using his own creations. The poem was famously used in the film ‘Carve her Name with Pride’.

A fantastic evening was had by all and it was beautiful to see Mum and Dad dance once again to their first song from their wedding ‘I’d like to teach the world to sing.’

The month of May also saw my husband and I celebrate our second wedding anniversary. Cotton is the symbol given to the second anniversary symbolic of the couple becoming closer and their lives becoming more intertwined. It is also said to represent the couple learning to be flexible and adapt to each other’s needs as cotton is both strong and soft. I bought him a shirt – which he wore to Mum and Dad’s do and some cotton trousers. He bought me a cotton vintage quilt I had fallen in love with from the shop Kiss Kiss Heart in Rochester. We celebrated with a trip to Port Lympne Safari park (one of our early dates) and a curry in a new Indian restaurant in Rainham.

My gorgeous quilt

Two years has flown by and I’m sure the next 38 will too. I hope we can be as happy at 40 years as my Mum and Dad obviously are.

40th joint pic

Las niñas hacen de Barcelona

Jun12

May Day Bank Holiday arrived and it was time for my girly holiday with one of my closest friends. The last time I went away with friends was in 2009 so this break was well overdue. Every girl needs quality time with her BFF.

After enjoying the full Spanish splendour of Paella and Sangria in a cute restaurant in the Olympic area, the casualty of the first evening was not me but my red suede sandals from M&S. Having only ever worn them to the party and not fully comprehending the length of the walk between the transport hubs and the restaurant; by the time I boarded the metro my toe was bleeding profusely – much to the shock of an innocent passenger. The shoes were not salvageable. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to my husband when he told me only to pack one pair of going out shoes! Of course this did give me an excuse to go shoe shopping – not that I really need one!

Love this mod style dress from M&S would you believe, as were the fated shoes!

The espadrille is of course Spain’s claim to fame in shoe terms. The shoe which originated in the Pyrenees dates back centuries with some suggesting they go as far back as the 14^th century. The defining characteristic is the jute rope sole and the name originates from esparto, a tough, wiry Mediterranean grass used in making rope. Yves Saint Laurent popularised the wedge espadrille after meeting Castaner a Spanish manufacturer of espadrilles at a trade fair in Paris in 1970.

Whilst in Barcelona, I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity of visiting the first Castaner store which opened in 1994 and was aptly named Christina. Although the Castaner brand originated back in 1927, it only really began to flourish as fashion footwear in the 60’s when colour was added to the shoe. The meeting with Yves Saint Laurent no doubt also helped bring the brand to the forefront of fashion. The Castaner family still heads the company and its Mediterranean roots remain at its core. I purchased a stunning pair of navy wedge espadrilles.

Naturally I went to Barcelona for reasons other than footwear but couldn’t visit without experiencing a true Spanish brand whose craftsmanship has stood the test of time.

We only had two full days in the city and like many other European cities; it is a city of contrasts with a vast amount to see. We joined the hop on, hop off open top tourist bus for the first day in order to get a general feel for all the city has to offer.

The Barrio Gotico gothic quarter is steeped in history and was built around an old Roman town. It is here that the wonders of medieval architecture can be enjoyed, not least with La Catedral. Sadly we couldn’t find the cloisters where geese roam free as it appeared to be closed off for maintenance.

That evening having already sampled the paella – we opted for another Spanish culinary favourite; tapas.

The second day consisted of a jam packed itinerary. We wandered along Las Ramblas – the most famous street in Barcelona. The street stretches from Plaza Catalunya to Port Vell Harbour and the Christopher Columbus statue. The trees that line the pedestrianised part of the street provide a canopy from the Mediterranean sun whilst you explore the stalls selling everything from souvenirs to flowers to art work and take in the living statues.

Making the most of the denim revival in a New Look dress

A visit to La Sargarda Famillia was a must. The church designed by Gaudi is still being built today but the elegance and grandeur of the place can not be lost on even those most lacking in architectural appreciation. The foundation stone was laid in 1882 with Gaudi becoming involved a year later and current estimates suggest it may be complete in 2026 to celebrate 100 years since the death of Gaudi. The project is funded by tickets sold for the attraction and private donations. The sunlight streams through the many beautiful stained glass windows and bounces around the ornate web of angled columns thus creating a similar effect as when light seeps through a canopy of trees. Lots of Gaudi’s work drew inspiration from nature.

The next stop was Park Guell – another piece of lasting Gaudi heritage and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Originally this was bought by a count to become an exclusive village of houses with landscaped gardens and he hired Gaudi but commercially it flopped and in 1922 the city bought the area to make it a public park which now gets an estimated 4 million visitors a year. It is a truly enchanting place. There are beautiful mosaic tiled areas and gate houses that resemble gingerbread houses. A much photographed mosaic lizard is a defining attraction of the park.

Finally we rested our tired legs and got the cable car up Mountjuic, thought to once have been a pre Roman settlement, for some beautiful views of the entire city.

Our final night was spent in Placa Reial, a pretty square just off of Las Ramblas with many restaurants and night spots set around a central fountain which is lit by unusual lamp posts which are Gaudi’s first known works in the city. We were entertained by the original Spanish art of Flamenco. Flamenco was first mentioned in literature in 1774. A flamenco show is extremely passionate and quite exciting to watch; some what of an assault on the senses. There is a guitar player and the dancers wear shoes like tap shoes. The women are dressed in beautiful dresses.

Our final morning was passed with breakfast on the golden sands of Barcelona’s coast. It is easy to think of Barcelona as a city break and forget that it is also on the coast; giving you the best of both worlds. I highly recommend Barcelona for a city break with a difference.

Wearing a T-Shirt bought in Mango whilst away – a brand with Spanish origins

A Mother’s Day treat for Mother and Daughter

Mar19

Mother’s day – just another over commercialised day like Valentines? Maybe, but I wonder how many people know the true meaning of Mothering Sunday in the UK? It was in fact a Christian religious day which fell on the 4^th Sunday of Lent and was when parishioners returned to their mother church i.e. the one they were baptised at. The American mother’s day which is celebrated in May, was created by Anna Jarvis who wanted to honour the peace activist work that her mother had done before she died as well as honouring all mothers, reasoning that they generally do more for us than anyone else. Although the founder of it, she actually protested against the commercialisation of the day, suggesting that sentiment should be shown in hand written letters not through purchasing cards and gifts. Since World War II, when American soldiers came over to the UK, the day here is now more like the American one when people treat their mothers to cards, flowers and gifts but still remains on the 4^th Sunday of lent.

I decided to celebrate it a few days early this year with Mum. I have long enjoyed scouring the variety of kitsch shops that Rochester has to offer so jumped at the chance of being invited, with a guest, to attend an evening at the shop Pink Flamingo to celebrate their 5^th birthday. Pink Flamingo also has another branch in Whitstable and is a ladies clothes, shoes and accessories shop.

For the occasion I decided to embrace the Americana look seen at London Fashion Weekend and wore my nautical stripe blue, ¾ length sleeve dress by Winser with a denim jacket from Oasis. I then added a pop of red with my LK Bennett wedge sandals and Floozie heart shaped bag. I also added a scarf tied to the bag to give a unique twist, seen by Elie Saab; the scarf was une souvenir de Paris and features the Eiffel Tower. I did my hair in what the industry is calling the grown up bunches as seen at Marni. These are simple to create but look like you have really made the effort. Divide the hair in a centre parting and then leave a small strand from each half loose whilst tying the rest in normal bunches. Then wrap the left over strand around the band to hide it and pin with a kirby grip. I swept a turquoise blue eye shadow from an old Virgin Vie palette over my lids to create the ocean eyes seen by Diane Von Furstenberg this season.

On arrival in Rochester Mum and I treated ourselves to a coffee and cake in Fleur de Thé. This is a beautiful tea room, where all the shabby chic decorative items are also for sale along with refreshments. I had a slice of their Oreo cake and it really was a huge portion that although nice, left me feeling quite sick.

Next stop was Rocket, a shop that specialises in vintage design clothing and I bought a lovely 1950’s style turquoise skirt with white polka dots on. I’m thinking I might purchase one of the taffeta underskirts to really set this off.

We browsed Kiss Kiss Heart, owned by the same people as Rocket but with a greater emphasis on the homeware than the clothes and I liked so many things in there especially a floral Fiorelli bag; but settled for a butterfly shaped ceramic dish.

By then it was getting on for 5pm so we made our way up the high street to Pink Flamingo. On arrival we were treated to a glass of pink fizz and there were some cupcakes decorated with pink flamingos and a variety of sweets on offer.

Pink Flamingo stocks Great Plains London, Cath Kidston and Irregular Choice, amongst other brands. Irregular Choice shoes were created by British born designer, Dan Sullivan in 1999. His vision was to create truly unique shoes rather than the neutral and black shoes that dominated the market. His designs are influenced by his punk rock era upbringing on the Kings Road coupled with his extensive travel around the world.

On this special open evening, there was 20% off anything purchased and a chance to win either a pair of Irregular Choice shoes or a Cath Kidston bag. Unfortunately I wasn’t the lucky winner of either.

I tried on various pairs of Irregular Choice shoes, feeling that there should be a bit of this originality in my shoe collection however in the end I didn’t think I would be brave enough or quirky enough to pull them off. I may pluck up the courage at a future date as each shoe truly is a work of art in its own right.

Mum bought a pair of sandals by Lunar which I had also had my eye on and I bought a Great Plains mint coloured top.

Together we spent over £30 and so received a free goodie bag. The goodie bag contained some Tamaris lip balm and hand cream, some shoe horns and a bracelet.

All shopped out, I then treated Mum to a meal and Prosecco at Pizza Express. My Mum really is my best friend and I love that I can talk to her about anything and she listens and advises without judgement. I can always rely on her to be honest with me, even if it’s not always what I want to hear. However many times we mess up, we can always rely on our mothers to love and forgive us. Commercialised or not, I think it is only right that we celebrate all our mothers do for us – not just on this one day but throughout the year.

Let me know what you did with your Mum on her special day.

A Gallery of Fashion

Mar13

February, along with September is always a highlight in any fashionista’s calendar as it is London Fashion Week. I attended the 18th London Fashion Weekend, organised by the British Fashion Council, as I have done in previous years. It is an opportunity for anyone to get a sneak insider preview of the season’s trends as well as giving access to designer brands at discount prices. This time it was held for the second time at its new home, the Saatchi Gallery and this was my first time at this new venue. The Saatchi Gallery has moved location numerous times but its current location is in the 1801 Duke of York HQ which is a beautiful pillared building, just off of the Kings Road. The Kings Road has always been renowned as one of the great shopping streets of London, so is a fitting location, with more than enough glamour to complement the fashion event.

Image courtesy of Google

For this occasion I decided to embrace the current 90’s trend of cropped tops and wore skinny jeans, with a black vest top and a cropped sweatshirt bearing the name of fashion’s bible – Vogue. To learn more about Vogue check out my last blog I accessorised with a small backpack (another 90’s throwback) and my Kookai suede boots. My hair was done in 2 French plaits. My new favourite leather look biker jacket, kept the winter chills out. On a previous occasion I wore another cropped sweatshirt, this time grey with a Mickey Mouse logo and again following the seasons braid trend, this time with a small french plait at the front of my head.

Fashion week has been at the forefront of the media recently with the suggestion that rather than show autumn/winter in February and spring/summer in September, this would be swapped so the items seen on the catwalk appeared in the shops before the hype from fashion week is a distant memory. They also want the shows to be less about the media and buyers and more about consumers.

Upon arrival, with our silver tickets, we received a Preen by Thornton Bregazzi tote bag filled with goodies. The designer couple, met as students on the Isle of Man and began with a shop in Portobello road sharing their love of Victoriana. Twenty years on they are now a global brand with a signature look of combining femininity and masculinity in their designs. The bag was a pretty floral design mixed with a geometric pattern. My favourite goodies inside were the Garnier Moisture Bomb and Maybelline lip balm.

My friend and I opted to view the trend show rather than that catwalk show in the hope that we would get more achievable ideas for our everyday looks for the upcoming spring/summer season. I treated us to front row seats too.

It was disappointing that the models stopped just short of us so when they posed we could generally only see their backs. Another disappointment of the day was the quality of the refreshments. There was a small coffee bar that only took cash and a champagne bar which had all the ambiance of a cardboard box. They did however provide us with wrist bands so we could go outside for sustenance.

The trend show was presented by Laura Jackson (you may remember she had a collection at Oasis last autumn) and was styled by VeryExclusive.co.uk. The hair was done by Toni and Guy and the make up by Maybelline. The four trends showcased were Beautiful Botanicals, Americana, Pop Art Brights and New Romance.

Laura Jackson sporting the mesh trend

Beautiful Botanicals promoted the floral motif which I love because it is so feminine and evokes the feeling of a beautiful British summers day. This particular dress is Paul by Paul Smith.

Next up was Americana, drawing on the components of the American flag – stars, stripes and red, white and blue. I loved this military style jacket as well as this denim jacket which were both Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Pop up Brights as its name suggests injected a lot of colour onto the catwalk. Make a statement with accessories in clashing pantones with your outfit. I loved these two dresses; the striped one by Karen Millen and the other Love Moschino.

The final trend was New Romance and embraced feminine ruffles, pastel colours and lace.

Both my friend and I fell in love with the Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes with glitter heels seen on the models in the final trend. Unfortunately they would blow the budget but online I managed to find a similar style by Miss KG, only nude instead of black, which were a fraction of the cost so of course I had to buy them for my ever expanding collection.

MarcJacobs

Miss KG

Afterwards, my friend and I browsed all the designer pop ups including Miss Patina loved by Taylor Swift, Ukulele and Bad Denim amongst many others. I couldn’t resist a nautical striped dress by Winser that was reduced from £79 to £39! I was pleased to see that they had a shoe gallery this year and especially liked shoes at House of Spring and Alexander White but was for once restrained on purchases!

When we had literally shopped ‘til we dropped we headed to a pub on the Kings Road for a good old catch up over several glasses of wine.

Did you go to London Fashion Weekend? If you did, let me know what you thought of it or perhaps you were lucky enough to attend the main London Fashion Week that precedes it; in which case I would love to know what you thought the key trends were coming out of that for autumn winter. Until next time….

En Vogue

Mar6

Vogue magazine takes its name from the French phrase ‘en vogue’, meaning ‘in fashion/style’. Vogue started life in 1892 in USA as a weekly newspaper with the intended audience being the American aristocracy; America had glamour and showmanship but wanted to emulate Britain’s class and style. The title may have been a consequence of the fact that during that time, both the USA and Britain looked to Paris for their fashion guidance. Condé Nast bought Vogue in 1905 and changed it to a bi-weekly publication. It was as late as 1973 that it became a monthly publication.

The British edition of Vogue was first published in autumn 1916, so celebrates 100 years this year. To mark the centenary, the National Portrait Gallery London has organised an exhibition entitled ‘Vogue 100: A Century of Style’ which runs from 11^th February – 22^nd May 2016. The exhibition consists of some 280 prints from the Conde Nast archive and international collections. The show is a who’s who of photographers, models and celebrities over the last century. There have been over 1500 issues of Vogue to date and still it remains the authority on fashion.

Claudia Schiffer - Herb Ritts resized.jpg

Claudia Schiffer in Paris by Herb Ritts, 1989 ©Herb Ritts Foundation/Trunk Archive

For the exhibition I wore a navy long sleeve butterfly dress from Asos with a leather biker jacket from New Look to contrast with the girly butterflies and give the outfit an edge. My shoes were some Mary Jane black patent shoes which I got in the Oasis sale and I absolutely adore the gold detail on the heels. To match the shoes I accessorised with a beautiful gold and black box clutch from Aldo. I had been admiring a very similar one from Biba but this one was a great find at half the price. In my hair I had a navy suede alice band, the inspiration for which came from Chanel’s autumn/winter 2015 catwalk where the black ribbon was worn by their models. Ribbon always slides out of my hair so the alice band is a great alternative to achieve the same look. I also sported this trend in Hong Kong with a black leather alice band see previous blog.

Spot the difference?

black patent shoes

The exhibition was laid out with a room for each decade from the magazine’s birth up to the current day. Many original images were used – with rips and scribbles to prove it. The earliest surviving vogue print was one of an heiress to a Philadelphia banking fortune which featured in the third issue. There was also a long room which had laid out a copy of an issue from each year of Vogue’s production along with iconic images of models over the years displayed on the walls. Vogue magazine has evolved over the decades and has seen some of the greatest defining fashion eras; the roaring 20’s, swinging 60’s and punk rock to name a few; what Vogue doesn’t know about fashion isn’t worth knowing and it is now considered by many to be “the fashion bible”. Celebrities are desperate to feature on the cover. As well as the exhibition being a tribute to fashion over the last century it is also a great overview of the key historical events in Britain with the tribute issue to each of the deaths of George VI, Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana. Cecil Beaton who proved to be a great asset to Vogue following his first published photo in 1924, covered the coronation of the Queen in July 1953.

There is somewhat of a lack of imagery from the early war years as in 1942 Vogue recycled the majority of its photographic prints to help the war effort. Vogue was however vital to the morale of the home front and there were in depth reports about the war, showing a more serious side to Vogue. The depth of report was not seen again until 1993 when Marie Colvin revisited post war Baghdad. Post WWII, Norman Parkinson’s photos re-emphasised traditional values and signalled that the nation could once again think of prosperity.

Fashion is Indestructible by Cecil Beaton, 1941 © The Condé Nast Publications Ltd

Early editions of Vogue came with patterns for women to make clothes but as the art of dress making lost its popularity and people had a greater disposable income to use in shops, these disappeared.

In 1953 Vogue revealed a new fashion demographic in the young and developed ‘Young Idea’ pages. This youth culture strengthened through the 50’s and 60’s and in 1955 Mary Quant and Alexander Plunket opened a boutique in Chelsea aimed specifically at the young, called Green Bazaar. Mary Quant claims to have launched the mini skirt in the 1960’s, named after her favourite car and later popularised hot pants. The 1960’s were a classless period. For Vogue, David Bailey became another prominent photographer at this time which is much attributed to his special relationship to the model Jean Shrimpton.

Vogue is known for its firsts – with 1966 seeing Vogue use the first black cover model. Vogue’s first colour cover was as early as 1932 by Edward Steichen and Vogue led the field with the finest quality colour pages. Vogue.co.uk was launched in 1996 and the first digital issue of the magazine was launched for iPad in 2010. In 1936 there was a shoot called ‘April comes to Paris’, which saw fashions modelled in the streets of Paris rather than in a studio and it was novelty to see clothes in everyday situations. It’s interesting to see how fashion photography has changed with the advent of airbrushing and Photoshop. There was a print at the exhibition of a swimsuit shoot in 1930’s and you can clearly see it was shot on a cold day as the model has goose bumps on her legs – something they would never show nowadays.

The magazine featured Christian Dior’s first collection in 1947. In 1939 there was an interesting spread entitled ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a waist’ showing the love affair Britain had with the corset. August 1994 saw the explosion of the Kate Moss phenomenon – an ordinary girl from Croydon and turned fashion on its head, changing the way we saw beauty and style.

My favourite cover was July 1926, Vogue constellation by Eduardo Benito and I was able to purchase a print of it in the store.

Following a couple of great hours spent immersed in the exhibition – my friend and I decamped to the gallery restaurant that overlooks Trafalgar square. Despite the rain it was a lovely view of London and we enjoyed afternoon tea with a champagne cocktail each.

The first man to feature on the cover of UK Vogue was Manolo Blahnik in 1974. Manolo Blahnik opened a new boutique in Burlington Arcade – only the second shop in the UK on 3^rd Feb this year. I tried to get to the opening night cocktail evening but unfortunately it was already fully booked. Would have been great to get a couple of quotes from him directly as my blog is named after him. I did however visit the new store after the Vogue exhibition and it truly is a little bit of heaven. I was almost intimidated by the luxury of the store and was anxious that my shoes, wet from the drizzle might mark the soft cream carpet. I need not have felt anxious however as on entering the store, the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. A lovely guy in purple Manolo’s showed us around the store. I pointed out my lovely wedding shoes as worn by Carrie in Sex and the City and he asked if I had worn them since. He thought it hilarious when I replied only in the house and said ‘some people have slippers, you have Manolo’s!’ The store appears to be quite small until you make your way up a winding staircase to the second floor where more delights decorate the Victorian fireplace and shelves. By far my favourite pair of shoes I saw was the rose bud sandals but at over £900 they are sadly out of my budget.

Manolo rose

It was a fantastic day out and inspired me to start colouring in my Vogue colouring book that I received for Christmas. 2015 saw the rise of the adult colouring book with at least 4 of them appearing in Amazon’s top 20 book sales. It has been suggested that they can assist with mindfulness and I did find it surprisingly relaxing.

Vogue colouring book, ‘Love’ keyring as seen in first Sex and the City movie and a Yankee candle

Check out the Vogue exhibition whilst you can and they even do a combined ticket so that you can enjoy afternoon tea in the restaurant too. It makes for a stylish girls day out. Here’s to the next 100 years of Vogue!

Vogue 100: A Century of Style is at the National Portrait Gallery, London, from 11 February – 22 May 2016, sponsored by Leon Max.

February Freeze

Feb21

Being typically British my blog would not be complete without a good old discussion about the weather. It feels like a lot of the winter has been mild but windy and wet, however I did buy an exquisite umbrella, that almost, and I stress almost made me look forward to a wet day. It is by Lulu Guinness and has a birdcage design on it.

One morning this week as I stepped out early to walk to the station, my breath visible in the air, morning was starting to light the street, which makes a pleasant change from going to work and coming home in the dark. The fingers of Jack Frost had lightly caressed everything, from the early daffodils to the wine bottles left out for recycling. That time of the morning is incredibly peaceful with just the sweet melodious chorus of the birds and the milkman going about his round. The winter sun eventually breaks through and burns away the frost after bathing everything in a beautiful golden glow when the frost twinkles like diamonds.

So February has brought winter with it which pleases me immensely as I can wear the rather expensive pompom hat, which I purchased from a stall in London’s Hayes Galleria the last time it got a bit cold; only for it to warm up again a few days later!

Bobble hat

Pompoms have been big this season, with a real peak at Christmas, although the trend has continued into 2016. Many fashion writers have said they represent the ‘fun’ element that has been missing from fashion. There are some lovely pompom shoes available, especially this pair by Aquazzura which are sadly way beyond my budget.

Aquazzura shoes I couldn’t resist the hat as well as getting a bag charm. Fendi was the first to showcase the pompom bag charm with its ‘bag bug’ which was a pompom with eyes; and other designers and retailers have been quick to follow suit. A pompom bag charm can instantly update any bag for the season, which saves our pockets when we are still paying for the expenses of Christmas.

This pompom I bought from Asos is designed to look like a rabbit rather than being made of rabbit fur as some pompoms and other clothes are.

Rabbit pompom

Fashion and Fur has had a long and turbulent history. Back in the Stone Age furs were worn for warmth. In the middle ages, fur was generally used to line garments but the Victorians brought about the change of wearing it on the outside, with the fur coat as we know it. Fur has long been seen as a status symbol with the more exclusive furs being reserved for the upper classes. Fashion designers widely embraced fur in their collections and it wasn’t until the 1980’s that real opposition to it began. Activists would throw red paint at people in fur as seen in the Sex and the City movie when an activist throws paint at Samantha whilst shouting ‘fur is murder’. PETA have done various prominent advertising campaigns against the use of fur in fashion including the 1991 campaign ‘rather go naked than wear fur’ which numerous celebrities took part in, including Kate Moss.

About a billion rabbits are slaughtered every year for their fur. This is an issue particularly close to my heart, mainly due to the fact I have kept rabbits as pets for most of my life.

My wonderful rabbit Rufus

I would never eat rabbit and have even boycotted a restaurant because it is on their menu. I realise however that this is a small stand to make considering I still wear leather shoes and eat meat and other animal products, something Karl Lagerfeld was quick to come back with to the critics of Fendi’s use of fur.

I think the key is that animals should be treated humanely whether they are being used for food or fur and many so called fur farms just don’t do this and of course that is wrong. It seems abhorrent that an animal should suffer in the name of fashion; especially as faux fur has come on so much. Some would argue against the use of the faux fur though as it is made from an oil base which is not a sustainable resource.

Britain and the USA have quite stringent rules on the treatment of the animals used to produce their fur but other countries are unfortunately not so scrupulous and many of their exports are not clearly labelled so you may well be buying their products unwittingly.

It is a shame that in recent years fur has become more popular in fashion again and even some of the models who opposed it in that 1991 PETA campaign have since been seen wearing it.

Everyone is of course entitled to their own views and as I say unless you are a vegan being against fur does have some sense of hypocrisy to it but in my mind, cruelty to animals is never ok and I am quite happy to wear faux fur. I think that it should be law that things are explicitly labelled so that the consumer can make an informed choice about what they buy, whether it be food, clothes or cosmetics.

Political rant over, I shall get back to the weather and what I have been doing, whilst staying in the warm and the dry has appeared to be the better option.

I completed my first shabby chic project, following a course I did last year which you can read about here. My husband inherited a rather ornate but very old fashioned cabinet in a dark wood from his Grandfather. I must admit that it wasn’t something I was that keen on in its original state but was the perfect canvas for shabby chic. I used Autentico Vanille paint for the base and then used Autentico Pitch Green to paint the panels on the doors and bring out the detail on the drawers. I finished it off with Autentico clear wax and put new drawer pulls on. I was quite pleased with the finished result in the end but I did learn a few lessons for the next project.

Shoe Cabinet

This weekend I braved the weather and headed up to London for the Vogue 100 – A Century of Style exhibition which you can read all about in my next blog. In the meantime try and keep warm and dry and roll on summer!

Walking a different Street

Feb7

The onset of December found my emotions in turmoil as I had somewhat of a midlife crisis. The phrase ‘midlife crisis’ was the brainchild of Elliott Jaques and states it is ‘referring to a critical phase in human development during the forties to early sixties, based on the character of change points, or periods of transition’.

My so called crisis might be occurring in my early thirties but it certainly was during a period of transition. Perhaps it’s a late quarter life crisis. Suddenly I am questioning all my past choices, pondering my future options and wondering if I am missing out on things. I think half the problem is I want it all and unless you are a millionaire, it’s just not possible to have it all. The snag is that by taking one road in life, the others are left untrodden; you will never know what would have happened if you had taken one of the other roads – every action has a reaction. Life is short, often too short and death eventually comes to us all; David Bowie being a case in point. What matters though is that we enjoy the time we have and experience as many things as possible. We can hope that we leave a lasting impression on the world which there is no doubt Bowie did. I would like my writing to be my legacy and hence I have toyed with the idea of writing full time.

Flowers for Bowie outside Zizzi’s in Beckenham which used to be the Three Tuns pub where he played

My husband and I have just bought our first home together see previous blog and despite me paying towards the last one; this one feels like it is both of ours as we chose it together and my name is officially on the mortgage, so I feel like I now have responsibilities. The baby question is asked constantly as is the case as soon as you get married but as I wrote previously I flit between two camps on this decision. Marriage is something I have always wanted but I sometimes wonder if I focused too much on this when I was younger, rather than embracing dating, the single life and my ambitions more.

The lead up to Christmas was fairly busy. At the beginning of December I got one of my Christmas presents early which was a trip to the Coronation Street set. As sad as it may be, I have been watching Corrie for about the last 20 years and it’s one of the few programmes I never miss. Coronation Street first aired on 9^th December 1960 and is the world’s longest running soap opera still in production. The set moved location from central Manchester, Quay Street to Media City in Trafford in December 2013 and following the move, the Coronation Street Tour was set up at the old site. The tour was originally due to close October 2014 but was extended until 31^st December 2015 so this was my last chance to go. Despite the abysmal weather it was lovely to walk the famous cobbles and see some of the interior sets and costumes. The wardrobe department buys items in shops it believes the character would typical shop. In a month the make up department gets through 6 eyeshadows and eyeliners, 15 bases, 4 blushers and 10 lipsticks! We got to have a photo behind the bar at the Rovers and being the rebellious one of the tour group, I had to ring the bell for last orders!

corrie pic

Sometimes my life feels a bit like a soap opera, in that I feel what I do will be watched and judged by others. I guess the modern social media culture has only enhanced our knowledge of other peoples lives and to some extent is the only way I get to unleash my writing on the world.

We combined this trip North with seeing my oldest friend from school who had her baby at the end of October. My outfit for this occasion was a denim pinafore dress with a white pussy bow blouse underneath, both from Oasis and some snakeskin black ankle boots from New Look. The pinafore was a big trend for autumn 2015 and the trend looks set to continue into early 16 with a 60’s revival going on. The key to the look is layering and on Boxing Day, I wore it again with another season must have, the polo neck.

Early December I was suffering some kind of chest infection so finally got to meet my best friend’s baby boy on 16^th Dec when he was almost a month old. All these babies coming on to the scene this year within my friendship group have probably been one of the catalysts for this early mid-life crisis. I realised that the dynamics of our group had drastically changed. No longer are we the care free twenty somethings, who’s biggest worry was what bar to go to on a Saturday night; we all have responsibilities now and are perhaps what you might term as ‘fully grown up’.

The week before Christmas I went to see my favourite band, Stereophonics at the O2. I have lost count how many times I have seen them and usually they don’t disappoint, however as much as I still enjoyed this gig – it wasn’t as good as all their previous ones. I looked around the arena and everyone looked to be in their 30’s or 40’s and there was even a pensioner there. This was the other catalyst for the mid-life crisis. I suddenly realised these people were my age and how long I had been supporting the Stereophonics. Kelly, the lead singer even brought on his two daughters which finally shattered my hopes of ever going out with him (joke!).

Christmas was a family affair and spending time with my nieces and nephews again makes me question if and when I want to have children myself. My present to myself was a pair of New Look black suede, fringed heels which I wore Christmas day and Boxing Day, as well as to a gathering at one of the new neighbour’s. These sorts of treats would of course become a distant memory if I were to have children or become a full time struggling writer.

One of my nieces we treated to a fashion design tool as when I was clearing out, I found designs I had done with my fashion wheel. Unfortunately they don’t sell the fashion wheel anymore and I have to say that this is a time where the new toy is not an improvement. Instead of rubbing over the plates to get an outline and then colouring it in, you now have to trace the outline which requires much more patience.

A sign of the times was the same niece telling me that when she grows up she wants to win X Factor and her brother wants to be a You Tuber. I must be old as she then had to go on and explain to me what a You Tuber was. What happened to ambitions like being a nurse or a vet? I question whether I made the most of the opportunities I had when I was younger. I never saw myself as working as a PA as I do and whilst I did at one point fancy being a vet; my most enduring ambition was to be an air hostess. Despite once getting through the interview for British Midland, it never quite fitted in financially or relationship wise.

There’s no point ruminating over the past, it cannot be changed but the future can and that brings me on to New Year’s Eve. New Year is a chance to start afresh on a new road and reach out for what is truly important to you.

This year for the first time in ages I was invited to 3 parties! Like buses they all come at once. We went to a friend in Bromley’s house party which was enjoyable despite only knowing the hosts. I wore a gold sparkle dress from Oasis with leggings and some gorgeous suede red sandals I got in Marks and Spencer especially for the occasion.

After a quiz which my team won, they got out the game of 2015 – ‘Pie Face’. For anyone who has missed this phenomenon, you essentially put your face down on a rest and have to twist according to the number you get on the spinner. Eventually a hand is released which throws cream in your face!

There was no way I was going to have a go after the time I had spent on my makeup! It’s not often I really make an effort now but for this party I went all out. Here are the products I used to achieve my look.

Benefit Boi-ing concealer, SJP NYC Perfume, Magnifibres, Max Factor lipgloss, Max Factor Skin Luminizer foundation, No7 Pop and Glow, No7 Dramatic lift mascara, Benefit That Gal primer, OPI couture de minnie mouse nailvarnish in ministyle, Bibbidi Bobbidi blueberry lip shimmer, GHD straightners, Model Co eyeliner pencil, Max Factor creme puff and Urban Decay Naked 2 palette

After we toasted in 2016 at midnight we set off Sky Lanterns or Chinese lanterns as they are often referred to. The idea is to make a wish before you let the kind of mini hot air balloon fly away. They are not illegal in Britain but have been banned in many other countries despite them having been used for centuries. This is because there is a danger when they come down that they might cause fires or harm animals. Ours never took off which I don’t know what that says about our wish for the New Year.

So the time has come once again for resolutions. Inevitably we all make them and then promptly break them by February. I saw an interesting post on Facebook with a lady sipping a cocktail on a weight machine that said ‘I said I’d give up alcohol and go to the gym; I made it to the gym!’ One thing I am determined to do is lose weight. I’m not going to do a Bridget Jones and let on to you how much I weigh, along with an analysis of each day’s calories, but suffice to say I am heavier than ever and wearing the biggest size clothes I ever have. I need to lose around 3.5 stones and I am really serious about it this time. No more fad diets, I am just slowly going to reduce my intake of food (not alcohol – that would be an empty promise!) and try and get back into walking regularly. I love my fashion and it just doesn’t look right on me anymore. My thirties should be a time of being comfortable in my body before old age sets in and I really am not comfortable at this weight. Yes you can be confident at any weight but I am not and the time has come to really take action.

I suppose I am seeking excitement and change – perhaps like Madonna I need to reinvent myself every decade. Further hinting at the diagnosis of a mid-life crisis I am considering on one end of the scale a change of hairstyle to the other end of the scale with a tattoo and in between somewhere comes the idea of another piercing. We will just have to see what the year brings; you never know, I may even learn to be content; I wouldn’t hold your breath though!

Something Old, Something New

Nov11

Nothing can beat that feeling of holding a new baby in your arms, so small but perfect in every way; their whole life in front of them with endless possibilities. I was fortunate enough to have this experience again at the end of September when my new niece was born – the beautiful Georgia Alyssia, sister to Emilia Rose. I couldn’t resist this cute little outfit for her.

Once again as I looked down at her beautiful face, my feelings of broodiness returned. In October two of my friends gave birth to little boys. My best friend is due to give birth to her son later this month. There seems to be something in the water lately but I guess that’s what happens when you get into your thirties – everyone’s life course is changing. Cocktails are swapped for nappies and bottles. I have to ask myself am I ready for that change? On the one hand, I have always wanted a baby and the biological clock is ticking. On the other hand though, I am enjoying seeing the world and splashing out on the latest fashions, especially enhancing my shoe collection! There is no doubt that having a baby changes your life and your priorities. Suddenly that little bundle is all that matters, they come first and your needs are pushed to the back of the queue. Do I feel I have done all I want to do with my life and am I ready to hand over to children for the next 18 years? It is a massive commitment and one which one should not enter into lightly, however if you wait until you are ready, is one ever ready? There is of course another issue; we all take for granted that we will be able to have children – that is of course by no means a certainty and until you start trying, you won’t know.

Anyway I guess you are wondering, what the old is that I refer to in the title of this post? Also at the end of September, I had my first experience of a lunar cinema. This is an outdoor screening of a film – I guess kind of like an American drive through but without the cars. Rochester castle was the venue. Rochester castle is a stunning medieval keep which is 125 feet tall. The historic town of Rochester has a fascinating history and was a favourite of Charles Dickens. The Pickwick Papers and Great Expectations have references to the town. The castle – lit up against the night sky provided the perfect backdrop for the screening. They were showing the much acclaimed 1986 film, Top Gun. I love this film and have seen it many times but never on the big screen. Tom Cruise for me was in his prime at the time of this and Cocktail, pre scientology. We laid out a blanket to mark our spot on the grass and as the film opening credits were rolling, opened our bottle of rose Prosecco. Despite it being fairly warm still in September I can report that it was pretty cold as the night drew in and I was glad of my new blanket wrap, an autumn trend, which I bought from Jane Norman. Another trend seen on autumn’s Prada catwalk was the Prada ponytail which I also tried out for this occasion. Essentially the hair is pulled into a high ponytail and a piece of hair wrapped around to hide the hairband. The ponytail is then clipped to the side with a pretty barrette. After the film we warmed ourselves up with a curry.

Prada pony

Prada ponytail

Whilst we are on the subject of old and new we should be moving house tomorrow so unfortunately blogging will have to take a bit of a back seat as I concentrate on packing and unpacking boxes.

I would love to know which autumn/winter fashions you are loving as well as any advice on the should I, should I not baby question. Until next time……….

An Oriental Affair

Oct12

As the taxi wound its way up the wide sweeping driveway and South Lodge came into view, it was clear that this was going to be a wedding of grandeur. South Lodge in Horsham is an impressive country house, which development started on in 1883 with final substantial additions made in 1911. It was used as a hospital during the Second World War and opened as a hotel in 1985.

The wedding was of an old friend of mine to his fiancé who is originally from Hong Kong. This was part one of their celebrations with the ‘away fixture’ as they are affectionately calling it, a Chinese banquet in Hong Kong, at the end of October which we are also attending so look out for a future blog post!

Inevitably as happens at these sorts of events where small talk is a plenty between strangers, the question came up of how I knew my friend. This is always an awkward one as we actually met on Facebook, when we were both single, but when we met up it became clear there was nothing remotely in the way of a spark between us, but we got on and so became firm friends.

For this special day I chose to wear a 1950’s inspired halterneck circle dress, in a red rose print design from Rocket in Rochester. My shoes were my red Sarah Jessica Parker designed heels which I bought some time back but had yet to wear. The outfit was completed with a red envelope clutch bag from Dorothy Perkins.

The ceremony was outside and it was thankfully a beautiful bright sunny September day, albeit a bit on the breezy side. We sat on rows of white chairs that were decorated with colourful pompoms, with a red carpet inbetween, leading to the stunning gazebo at the front. My friend looked the happiest I have ever seen him as he waited for his bride to appear. His suit was accented by a deep purple cravat and cummerbund, to correspond with the colour theme of the day.

We all turned to see the stunning bride in her gorgeous white dress, walk down the steps from the lodge and along to the gazebo. She had 7 bridesmaids which were a vision in their purple dresses.

The ceremony itself seemed quite short but I guess that is because I am used to church weddings. Whilst they signed the register, my friend’s sister played ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri on the piano.

There was then a drinks reception where the champagne flowed freely and there were a number of tasty canapes. Photos were taken whilst we all relaxed and got to know each other. There was an interesting take on the group photo-the photographer laid a rope out in a heart shape and got us to stand around the edge. He then removed it and took the picture – I always had wondered how they do these funky group shots and now I know!

Soon we were welcomed by the toastmaster inside from the gardens, to find our name on the ornate table plan that was a world map, with the tables named after places the couple had visited. It was also decorated in purple and with butterflies – themes that ran through the whole day. The travel theme was also incorporated in the guest book which had a watermark of world map on each page. We then entered a large medieval style room. Round tables were adorned with silver candelabra that had real candles and ivy wrapped around them. There was some debate on our table as to whether or not the candles were real but this soon became obvious when the wax started to drip down. The bride changed into a beautiful traditional gown for the meal, which her mother had worn for her wedding.

The favours were in red and gold silk bags and were Jasmin flowering tea. Yunnan in China is where flowering teas come from but it is unclear as to whether these are an ancient idea or a modern phenomenon. They are essentially dried tea leaves with a dried flower in the middle. When boiling water is poured on the bulb, the leaves open up, revealing the flower.

Following the meal, sweets were brought round with the tea and coffee including macaroons with the couples initials piped on the top. We then retired to the bar and games room whilst they cleared the tables to make way for the dance floor. There was a sweet table, with paper bags that were personalised with the couple’s names in purple text. We browsed the stunning pre wedding photo books – a custom of Asian weddings since the late 1990’s.

Once the room had been transformed, with a black and white checkered dance floor we entered for the cake cutting – the cake was also decorated in purple and butterflies. Following that was their first dance, which was to ‘Fly me to the Moon’. The bride and her bridesmaids who all met at dance class then treated us to a magnificent display of dance.

It was then time for what I had been waiting for – the mixologist! The names of the cocktails were personalised to the couple. The barman would make any cocktail you wanted. Particularly spectacular was the one he set light to. A few cocktails later and a box of props came out which made for some instagram worthy photos.

It was a day to remember; I wish the couple many happy years together and look forward to part two in Hong Kong. It is wonderful to see a couple that compliment each other so well.

Two Decades of Music

Sep27

V festival celebrated its 20^th year this year and despite being hailed one of the most commercial festivals (the V standing for Virgin group who sponsor it) it is also one of the safer of the music festivals. Being that it has less of a rough reputation than other festivals, I was quite surprised to see the floor littered with balloons and capsules from ‘laughing gas’ and people openly doing it. I know it is a so called ‘legal high’ and maybe it’s my old age but I was disappointed to see the popularity it has gained in our youth culture when the dangers are still largely unknown. Ok rant over!

The festival is split between two sites over the penultimate weekend in August – Hylands Park Chelmsford and Weston Park Staffordshire with bands playing alternate days at each location. The initial concept of playing two locations in one weekend was the brain child of Jarvis Cocker, lead singer of the band Pulp. As with all music festivals, camping is very much a part of it, however I have never had the full experience of festival life in a tent as I have never wanted to get muddy and be stuck with portaloos and no proper showers! Perhaps I’ve missed out, but the older I get the more I like my creature comforts. It does amaze me how well groomed some girls manage to look despite spending the night in a tent!

This year was the third time I have been to V for the day at Hylands Park. Two of these times including this one, I was motivated to go by my desire to see Stereophonics who have performed at V an impressive 8 times. This time I dragged my husband along with me.

My outfit for the event was a nod to the boho trend of the season combined with a punk/rock edge. I wore studded denim shorts from Oasis; Stereophonics latest band t-shirt and a white crochet waistcoat from Miss Selfridge. Now as you all know by now – the most important part of any outfit for me is the shoes. Rain was forecast for the day so being that it was held in a field; I went for practicality (for a change) and picked some Dr Marten lookalike boots by Joe Browns from Debenhams. These made me feel quite rocky but the flowers gave them a girly edge. The bag I used was from Asos and reminded me of Chanel’s quilted bags. In true boho style, I plaited a small piece at the front of my hair and clipped it back. Then with Fudge Urban hair art in pink ink– I gave it a punk rock edge.

After a lunch eaten whilst the Proclaimers finished their set (you’ve got to love 500 miles) we browsed some of the stalls and I couldn’t resist a pink rose flower garland for my hair which I thought set my outfit off a treat.

It began to rain so we headed for the cocktail tent and then moved on to the only stage that was undercover, the sure arena. I hadn’t heard of the band playing there although they were reasonably good and I’m sure many people including us were just there for the shelter! The rain became more of a drizzle and we headed over to V media stage to see Ella Henderson.

More drinks were consumed whilst catching bits of The Kooks and George Ezra before we made our way further forward to watch Ellie Goulding. Her performance was outstanding, the energy she put into every song was really to be admired and I’d love to go to one of her gigs in the future. After having some dinner, we moved over to the MTV stage to watch firstly Clean Bandit being that one of their songs, ‘Rather Be’ we used in our wedding video as it was so popular last year; then finally it was time for the performance I had been waiting for, the Stereophonics!

As usual the Stereophonics didn’t disappoint with a fantastic set including stuff as far back as ‘A Thousand Trees’ from the Word Gets Around album in 1997, right up to their latest single ‘C’est La Vie’ from Keep the Village Alive album. I was in my element dancing away but sadly we had to leave to catch our last train just as they were playing my favourite song Maybe Tomorrow. That’s the problem with being a headline act – it means they are on last. I will just have to wait until I see them on tour at the O2 in December, or so I thought.

Little did I know I was to get to see them far sooner than that. My friend managed to get us two tickets for their album signing at HMV Oxford Street on 11^th September when their 9^th studio album, Keep the Village Alive was released. There were probably about 200 people there and we had to queue for over an hour but it was worth it for those few minutes spent stood in front of the band I have admired since I was 16. Other bands have come and gone for me but Stereophonics are the longest enduring band for my favour. My friend and I were like soppy teenagers all over again and it was quite a surreal experience. I got to shake hands with Kelly and Richard – the bands only remaining original members. I asked Kelly what his favourite Stereophonics song was and he said maybe ‘Local Boy in the Photograph’. I once again wore my Keep the Village Alive t-shirt which they all commented on. There was a limited edition CD for sale of them live at the Royal Albert Hall which I bought.

I got the latest album signed by all four members and I got Kelly to sign a publicity photo which I bought of him on line some time back. Over the years I have lost count of the number of times I have seen them perform – the most memorable ones being a gig at the Round House in Camden where I managed to get near enough to the stage to get a good photo of Kelly and when I starred in their ‘My Friends’ video, which was followed by an intimate gig for about 250 fans. On that occasion I got to put my hand on Kelly’s shoulder.

Last week Keep the Village Alive reached number 1 in the Official album charts – their sixth album to make it to the top. Just shows that even 18 years after they first came on the music scene, they still have what it takes.

Music is such an important part of my life and it sees you through the good and the bad times. Here’s hoping Stereophonics carry on for the next twenty years!

blahnikgirl

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