And Just Like That

Feb6

And Just Like That, the long awaited Sex and the City reboot is over, and I find myself disappointed, desperately hoping for a second series and wondering what I will now have to watch on a Thursday evening.

I have been a major Sex and the City fan for years now, as anyone who has followed my blog will know. I actually only really discovered the TV series a year or so before the first film came out, so long after it originally aired, but have since watched all the episodes many times over. I waited at the movie premiere to catch a glimpse of the stars, went on the movie tour in New York City, sought out the series locations when I visited Paris and even had Carrie’s blue Manolo’s as my wedding shoes.

I used to compare my relationship at the time I first started watching with Carrie and Big’s relationship, thinking that was an example of true love but actually I now know that true love shouldn’t be that hard. I am now happily with my Aidan and I had hoped we’d see the return of Aidan in this sequel and Carrie would see he was the one that got away, but sadly not.

Anyway, I was eagerly awaiting a chance to spend more time escaping to New York City and enjoying the glamour and the fashion with my favourite characters. The first episode however left me rather disappointed. For a start, the dynamic wasn’t the same without Samantha. Then there was the way they were trying so hard to be woke, making up for the inequalities of Sex and the City, that it was cringe worthy, and don’t even get me started on Carrie destroying her iconic blue Manolo’s in the shower whilst cradling Big as he died! How could they kill off one of the main characters in the first episode? Mind you given the revelations about Chris Noth, perhaps that may prove to be a wise decision for the future of the series. Should I continue investing in this, I wasn’t sure.

I am so pleased I did persevere though. For me the real strength of the series is the enduring friendships. They are there for each other no matter what and support each other even when they disagree. I hope I still have my same group of friends to go out to lunch with in my 50’s. The fashion is still a joy to see, showing that fashion isn’t just for the young, although I’m not sure what the thinking was behind the bright orange Valentino ballgown with pink elbow length gloves Carrie wore to scatter Big’s ashes in the final episode but I did love the diamond encrusted Eiffel Tower bag which contained his ashes! It was lovely to see the Versace dress of a thousand layers again when Carrie is going through archiving her closet, a nice nod to Sex and the City and that final episode in Paris. There were various nods to Sex and the City but I think they missed one opportunity to once again link back to Sex and the City in the final episode when Che asked on the podcast “What’s your worst break up?” and Carrie replied “My husband died” I was screaming at the TV, the post-it note!

So should we revisit other shows from the nineties and early noughties or should we leave them in the past where they belong and just remember them fondly?

I think the desire to revisit comes partly from our investment in the characters but more so as it reminds us of the happier, carefree times of our youth and let’s face it, most people view the past through rose tinted glasses. It’s also a chance to relive the things we enjoyed growing up, with our children or nieces and nephews.

I recently watched Mean Girls with my twelve year old niece and I think that film is just as relevant today as when it was made in 2004. Girl’s still identify with it as there are still the same cliquey groups and rules you feel you have to follow to fit in. “On Wednesday’s we wear pink.” There was a Mean Girls 2 in 2011 and the girls had a reunion in 2020 to encourage people to vote in the US elections and to celebrate the longevity of the show.

Pre pandemic in 2019, which feels like a million years ago now, my friend and I went to a themed evening of Mean Girls. A leisure centre in London Marylebone, was transformed into North Shore High School for a screening of the movie, with themed photo opportunities, food and drink inspired by the film, and our own Spring Fling after. In the words of Gretchen in the film, it was “so fetch”. You were encouraged to come dressed in pink or as your favourite character, so I wore a cerise pink dress from French Connection.

Last year we were treated to the long awaited Friends Reunion. I can remember watching Friends on Friday nights as a teenager and ever since the re-runs can always be found on some channel or another, ideal for a lazy weekend day, just like a comfy pair of slippers. It was another show I was a great fan of and probably where I first fell in love with New York City. So I was excited by the thought of revisiting Chandler, Ross, Joey, Rachel, Monica and Phoebe. It was nice in a way that it wasn’t a continuation of the story but more the cast getting together on set and looking back at some of the fun they had during filming and their favourite bits, plus interviews with the writers and other stars. It’s like one of the producers/writers said, this was a series about a time in your life when friends are your family and I sure remember that fondly. There are so many classic lines in Friends and it doesn’t matter how many times you watch it, it’s still funny. It is so sad when something that has been such a big part of your life comes to an end, after all it ran for 10 years and was the most popular sitcom for the whole six series, but time moves on and so too must the characters.

Christmas 2019, I had a great evening with a friend at Friends Festive in London. They mock up all the sets and there are loads of photo opportunities along with themed food and cocktails.

Today I finally started to build my Friends Central Perk Lego set that I bought in lockdown but never got around to. There’s something very relaxing in regressing to childhood and building Lego – trust me – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

Talking of reliving childhood, let’s not forget the remakes of the Disney cartoons with real actors/CGI either. I have enjoyed all of these just as much as the originals. Disney can be quite dark but there are always some great messages in their movies and I love watching them.

So what do you think? Are remakes and sequels a good idea or not? Maybe they sometimes take things too far – how many sequels of The Fast and the Furious have we had now? But ultimately I am loving the nostalgia, and for die hard (excuse the pun) fans of the originals there can often never be too many.

I loved Sex and the City and enjoyed both films, despite the second one being panned by many and also to my surprise enjoyed And Just Like that, once I took it as a series in its own right and stopped comparing to Sex and the City. So if the writers are listening, please can we have another series?

The romance of film noir

Apr8

Looking for a night out with a twist? Look no further than the Evans & Peel detective agency in Earls Court, London.

My friend, who has fabulous vintage style and can always be relied upon for a good night out, announced that the theme of her birthday celebrations this year would be film noir. Apart from the obvious translation to ‘a black film’, I’m ashamed to say that I knew little else about this, but Google is always on hand to help.

Film noir is a genre, retrospectively assigned by film critics, to Hollywood crime dramas from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. The Big Sleep, This Gun for Hire, The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity are a few of examples of classic film noir. The films tended to be quite pessimistic as was the general mood in post war America. They are usually saturated with cynicism as well as using stark light/dark contrasts and dramatic shadowing, as a visual style.

For the occasion, I wore a black pencil dress from Pretty Kitty Fashion with wartime seamed tights and a cream faux fur jacket from New Look. I set the outfit off with red Sarah Jessica Parker shoes in a classic t-bar style and a black vintage frame, clip top bag which incidentally, was bought for me years back by the birthday girl. I styled my hair using a Heidi roll tool also from Pretty Kitty Fashion and topped it off with a burgundy pill box hat from Kiss Kiss Heart.

On arrival at the venue, you would never guess in a million years that it was a bar. You are greeted by a simple door with Evans and Peel detective agency written on it and a buzzer. After pressing said buzzer, you follow the stairs down to a dark office, where you are asked to state your case. One of our group stated that their wedding ring had been stolen and they believed the culprit to be someone in our group. The agency agreed to take the case on, at which point, a bookcase opens to reveal the bar. Menus in brown case file envelopes are given out which list aptly named prohibition radiator moonshine beer amongst a selection of cocktails and it’s there I’m afraid, that the theme sadly ends.

Not for us however, as our case had been thought up, based on prior knowledge of the evening’s events that were still to come. Suddenly a member of our group pointed at my friend’s boyfriend and said “it was you who stole the ring!” To this, the smartly dressed ‘doctor’ dropped to one knee and proposed to my friend who was dressed as the classic Coco Chanel. Her expression was priceless, she was completely shocked and clearly not expecting it, but very quickly that turned to pure joy as she accepted.

It was a beautiful moment between them that I feel very privileged to have been a part of. I am so happy for my friend as she so deserves the happiness she has clearly now found. I await their wedding in June with anticipation – I know it will be another beautifully styled vintage event.

Congratulations guys – who says film noir is dark and pessimistic – it certainly brought you guys great joy and happiness.

Channeling Captain Corelli

Oct28

Upon arriving at the Apostolata Spa hotel in Skala, Kefalonia, I had never felt more homesick. To say it was not a good start to the holiday, would be an understatement! The room was tired, the bathroom wasn’t clean and the balcony only overlooked the sea if you looked at a 90 degree angle over it! I don’t want you to take this as a bad review of the hotel though, as the staff were fantastic and took us via golf buggy the following morning, to a room that couldn’t have been more different. From then onwards, thoughts of home diminished and I began to enjoy the usual Greek hospitality.

The town of Skala was about an hours walk from the hotel but there was a regular bus service. In the town there were the usual array of souvenir shops, along with tavernas and a lovely sandy-ish beach. The old part of town also has the remains of a Roman villa.

A game of chess overlooking Skala beach

Frill t-shirt, River Island, shorts, Oasis and Havaianas flip flops. Cat eye sunglasses Accessorize

Some 16 years ago as a hedonistic 18 year old, my friend and I had visited Zakynthos, another of the Ionian Islands and on a boat trip, the guide had pointed out Kefalonia. From then on I always hoped I would get to visit the island, that was the setting of the 2001 film, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and now finally I had now made it there, for a relaxing week with my best friend, my Mum.

Enjoying my first trip abroad without parents – this was taken behind the bar in our favourite place, Ghetto in Laganas, Zakynthos.

The pool at the hotel was so inviting and the first day was spent working on a tan on a lounger by it and swimming in the water that twinkled, like diamonds in the sun’s rays. One of the things I love about a package holiday to the sun is the permission it gives you to lay about doing nothing. This year I decided to try out the slider trend for pool footwear rather than my usual flip flops and I can confirm that I will be sticking to the old faithful in future, as despite looking nice, they are really hard to keep on especially when your feet are wet.

Hotel pool by night

Best bargain beach bag from Iceland!

Sliders from Bershka

I do like to mix it up and ensure I enjoy some culture so the following day we hired a car. The car was a bit of a wreck that struggled to get out of third gear and driving on the island was quite an eye opener. They tell you to stay off unmade roads but that proves difficult when a proper road suddenly peters out into a dirt track! The mountain roads were also very steep and winding and when driving through Skala, I came face to face with a cow running down the road! Thank god for iphone’s or we would probably still be driving around the island as the map the hire company gave us was about as much use as a chocolate tea pot!

Our first stop was the port town of Poros. We refreshed ourselves with a cool drink in one of the tavernas, overlooking the harbour and watched the boats before heading down to a small beach for some relaxation.

After refuelling at a very cute little petrol station, where an attendant dispenses the fuel, we headed on to a beach I had read about, Kaminia. This was a beautiful quiet beach and we relaxed here for a while and I got into the book of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin as having never read it, this seemed like an appropriate occasion to do so.

Lunchtime found us in the pretty village of Kateleios and I enjoyed a traditional Greek salad and moussaka at a local taverna.

Sisson monastery was our next stop. Unfortunately it was closed when we arrived. We then went on a walk in search of views which was probably a bad idea, given how hot the day had become.

The final stop of the day was the Ayii Theodori lighthouse. My Mum loves lighthouses so this was a must have. It was very different to what I would typically picture as a lighthouse but equally as beautiful. It was built in 1829 originally but had to be reconstructed along with much of the island following the 1953 earthquake.

I always try and go on a couple of the organised tours and we had a wonderful day out on the ‘Discover Kefalonia’ tour. We had a brief photo stop in Sami before heading on to the Melissani caves. The temperature dropped somewhat as we boarded a small rowing boat to go into the caves. We had a great guide who sang ‘Just one Cornetto’ as he rowed us around.

Flamingo t-shirt – Oasis, denim skirt – FatFace

The necessity of any sun holiday for me, is a boat trip which was a large part of this excursion. The boat took us around the north-eastern coast of Kefalonia up to the village of Fiskardo – the only town on the island that wasn’t destroyed in the 1953 earthquake. On the way we passed the beach where in the Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Penelope Cruz jumps off the board walk for a swim and also stopped at a little pebbley cove. The afternoon was spent in Assos. On the return journey we had a beautiful photo stop at Mytos beach, which when looking down on it appears to be a white sandy beach but is in fact pebbles. This beach was made famous by Hollywood in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

Approaching Fiskardo

Old ruined houses in Assos

Mytos Beach

Prior to going to Scotland in May, I had my hair dyed rose gold. While it looked lovely, after a couple of washes it just looked like my usual blonde highlights. I brought with me on this trip a wash in, wash out pastel pink hair dye by L’oreal and absolutely loved the results.

The professional job

The DIY job

That afternoon we went on our second organized trip to a vineyard by the monastery of Saint Gerasimos. Saint Gerasimos is the patron saint of Kefalonia and it is believed that he can heal the sick. I very much enjoyed the wine tasting and needless to say I didn’t spit it out. I purchased a couple of bottles to take home.

Saint Gerasimos Monastery

The coach then headed on to the capital, Argostoli. We then had free time to either shop or turtle watch. We spent too long shopping on the beautiful marble street and sadly missed the turtles that others in the party saw but I had seen them before in Zakynthos.

Shop til you drop in Argostoli. Top – Oasis, white jeans and silver mules – New Look, bag – Biba with bunny charm from Asos

There was plenty of time for pampering whilst we were away. We went to a morning stretch class, part of which involved concentrating on our breathing. This was extremely relaxing, particularly given our surroundings; the sea was lapping gently and the morning sun was cooled by a light breeze. Of course it would have been rude to come to a spa hotel and not use the facilities, so we both indulged in a back, neck and head massage which was so relaxing, I dropped off to sleep. I also had a pedicure done.

Food in Greece is always delicious and one of the best meals we had was at a restaurant called Nautilus. The restaurant is designed to look like a boat and over looks the sea. The staff here were fantastic, with one even boning my sea bream for me!

Dressed for Nautilus in Topshop floral maxi dress, Asos silver clutch and New Look flat mules

In Argostoli, I had to try the Kefalonian meat pie, a traditional delicacy which I have since cooked at home reasonably successfully.

As part of our all inclusive package we were entitled to one evening in the a la carte restaurant at the hotel which was delicious and allowed for beautiful views over the bay.

At the a la carte restaurant, I am wearing dress – Zara and red pumps from Milan.

On our final night we followed a recommendation to go to a restaurant in Skala called Sunrise and we certainly weren’t disappointed.

Getting in on the corset belt trend from In the Style – t-shirt dress – New Look, denim shoes – Aldo, silver bag – Asos

I couldn’t leave the island without bringing a little part of it with me including some olive oil and various herbs, to help me cook up some Greek flavours in the kitchen.

I must admit that the book of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin did beat me – despite the excellent story the book is not quite the easy beach read I enjoy. I was not disappointed by the island the book is set on however and whilst not the best of the Greek islands in my opinion, Mum and I had a fabulous holiday as always.

Sun sets on another great holiday

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.

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……….

I Believe in Pink

Aug8

One sunny Saturday in July, my Mum and I visited the National Portrait Gallery in London to see an Audrey Hepburn exhibition. Audrey was a fashion and film star and according to People’s magazine one of the top 50 most beautiful women in the world. Perhaps what made her so beautiful was her innocence, shyness and vulnerability; she never saw herself as beautiful.

Audrey Hepburn by Bud Fraker, for ‘Sabrina’, Paramount Pictures, 1954

The exhibition documents the film stars life through more than 70 images, many previously unseen – consisting of photographs, film stills and vintage magazine covers. Also displayed are a pair of her leather ballet shoes.

Audrey Hepburn on location in Africa for The Nun’s Story by Leo Fuchs, 1958 ©Leo Fuchs

Audrey died in 1993 in Switzerland with her two sons and partner by her side. Now, over 20 years later – she still remains an incredible icon; as an actress, a fasionista and a humanitarian for her work with UNICEF which she became a special ambassador of in 1988. She is a truly inspirational woman and a positive role model for women everywhere. After her death, Italian shoe designer, Salvatore Ferrugamo created a ballet pump style shoe named after her.

Audrey was born in 1929 in Belgium, although through her father she was a British Citizen. She was an accomplished ballet dancer who was dancing by the age of 5, however her ballet teachers deemed her too tall to make a profession of it.

Dance recital photograph by Manon van Suchtelen, 1942 ©Reserved

Her father abandoned the family when she was young and he and her mother later divorced in 1935. In 1937 Audrey and her mother moved to Kent where she attended a small private school in Eltham. Upon the breakout of World War 2, Audrey and her mother fled to her mother’s native country, the Netherlands; falsely believing that they would be safer there. Audrey adopted a Dutch name so as to not stand out. They lived in Arnhem which I myself have visited and seen the bridge that was the centre of the battle of Arnhem; see previous blog. Audrey danced to raise money for the Dutch resistance and couriered letters for them. Times were hard with problems with supplies getting through and Audrey suffered malnutrition as well as depression. This perhaps inspired her later work with UNICEF. After the war they moved to Amsterdam. She then travelled to London where she continued with her study of ballet and also did some modelling. In 1948 she became a chorus girl in London’s West End.

She had numerous small film roles during the early 50’s as well as becoming the face of Lux soap. The first thing people probably remember her for was her performance in Gigi on Broadway in 1951. In 1953 she landed the lead role in a film called Roman Holiday for which she received numerous awards and this could be said to have launched her career.

For me one of her most famous roles was as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s which was at the height of Audrey’s career in 1961. There were people that thought her taking this role was risky due to the characters loose morals. The film is about transformation and the American dream and of course Audrey’s own life can be seen to have followed a Cinderella theme as did many of her film roles.

Image courtesy of The Daily Mail

Her relationship with Givenchy, the Parisian courtier began with the film Sabrina, when pre-production in 1953 she visited him in Paris and used some of his samples for her character in the film. He was never given credit for Sabrina but Audrey made sure his name was always mentioned on her future films. She had a unique style and knew what features she wanted to emphasis; as Chanel says ‘Fashion changes, but style endures’. What began as a business relationship became much more than that and they remained friends right up until her death. She often described him as her psychiatrist. My favourite picture from the exhibition was this one of her in a pink Givenchy dress.

Audrey Hepburn photographed wearing Givenchy by Norman Parkinson, 1955 © Norman Parkinson Ltd/Courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

For this day I wore a pair of wide leg trousers from Oasis. These form part of their current collection which is a collaboration with the V&A museum (a museum close to my heart since the Alexander McQueen exhibition and Shoes: Pleasure and Pain ). The museum gave Oasis some historical prints from its archives for them to bring to life in a new collection. This particular print is an 18^th century print by London-based designer, William Kilburn. I coordinated this with a simple pink vest top from Oasis as I wanted the trousers to be the stand out piece of the outfit. For shoes I matched the background navy colour with these navy, suede Mary Janes which my Mum kindly treated me to in M&S on one of our shopping trips. I like to match shoes and bag and this navy Hobo, also from Oasis is stylish as well as practical – with room for all your bits and bobs. The outfit was finished off with my tribute to Audrey Hepburn – a small tiara like the one Holly wears in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Unfortunately I didn’t quite master the beehive to match.

I wanted to also share my Mum’s outfit of the day as I thought that she looked great too. She wore some beautiful LK Bennett shoes with an M&S blue broderie anglaise dress and accessorized with a LK Bennett clutch bag.

After the exhibition; we continued the glamour and got a black cab to Doubletree by Hilton, Westminster hotel where we enjoyed a pink afternoon tea. We were greeted with pink champagne and our tea was then brought out in a wooden box which didn’t really have the same appeal as the tiered cake stands which are usually provided. Unfortunately this was not one of my favourite teas – being somewhat of an afternoon tea queen as there were only a few sandwiches and the cakes were not really to my taste. The pink theme was consistent however, as along with the usual assortment of sandwiches and scones, there was a pink cone with cream in it, a tart with a pink macaroon on and a champagne truffle sprinkled with pink sugar. I have to admit it was good value for money given that it was under £30 for the two of us.

All in all we had a lovely day as we always do when we get together.

There are many famous quotes from Audrey, my favourite being ‘nothing is impossible, even the word says I’m possible.’ My inspiration for the title of this blog came from the quote ‘I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.’ If this quote isn’t a mantra for all women to live their lives by then I don’t know what is.

The Audrey exhibition runs until 18^th October and is definitely worth a visit.

You Shall go to the Ball

Apr19

The end of March/beginning of April saw Cinderella fever as a new Disney movie, based on the classic fairytale and starring Lily James was released. The first written version of the story was published in Naples in 1634. 1904 saw it debut in London as a pantomime and the first Disney animation was released in 1950. Over the years, Cinderella has become the most loved of the Disney princesses so it is no surprise that Disney decided to issue a remake. This version despite being Disney was filmed in the UK.

A completely free – (yes you read that correctly) exhibition of the costumes/props from the new Disney movie was held in Leicester Square for a few weeks. Tickets were hard to come by but I managed to book some for the Saturday over Easter. Unfortunately I was unable to go due to my eye problem reoccurring and was gutted. My own prince attempted to make up for it though by making me an afternoon tea at home and bringing home a Costa latte for me. It seemed like I was destined not to go to the ball but as a last ditch attempt I queued one night after work to try and see it. I queued for two hours but it was well worth it – seems I was allowed to the ball after all.

Swarovski an Austrian firm founded in 1895, collaborated with Sandy Powell – the costume designer for the film to add sparkle to the production. In all 1.7 million finely cut crystals are used in the film. The Step Mother’s dress is encrusted with black crystals and Cinderella’s ball gown looks magical with the crystal adornment. The fairy Godmothers dress and wand also feature crystals. Cinderella’s ball gown is made of 24 layers of tulle with a circumference of 11.6m.

Cinderella’s Step Mother

The prince and cinderella at the ball

The star of the exhibition and indeed the film was of course the glass slipper also made by Swarovski. The shoe has a 6 inch heel and has 221 facets in a light reflecting crystal blue Aurora Borealis coating and weighs just less than 1kg. It took 6 versions and 150 hours to create the final shoe. 4 pairs were made with each individual shoe costing £20,000. At the exhibition they took a photo and superimposed the glass slipper on your foot so that everyone could feel like a princess.

The famous slipper

A princess for the day

Mac released a special limited edition Cinderella make up range of which I adored the stroke of midnight eye shadow palette and the Royal Ball lipstick – sadly though supplies of them were limited and I was unable to purchase either. I did however get the Morgan Taylor Cinderella collection nail varnishes set which includes an iconic blue named ‘if the slipper fits’.

Being the shoe fiend that I am, I also couldn’t resist this cup from the Disney store.

I finally saw the film last weekend and I wasn’t disappointed. The remake has been very loyal to the original but with deeper characters. The butterfly is used throughout to symbolise Cinderella’s transformation as well as her freedom. In the beginning of the film her father brings her a butterfly toy and her dress for the ball is also adorned with them as is the glass slipper. I almost love butterflies as much as shoes so the glass slipper would be a dream come true. For the trip to the cinema I wore the outfit that I had planned to wear to the exhibition had I not ended up going straight from work. I thought given the saying that ‘Cinderella is proof that a shoe can change your life’ my t-shirt from New Look was very fitting. I paired this with a light pink waffle textured balloon midi skater skirt from New Look and then styled it up with these gorgeous polka dot 50’s style heels which my Mum treated me to some time back in Marks and Spencer and go so well with many different outfits.

Little girls everywhere have grown up hoping that their prince will come and they will live happily ever after as in the story; however as Carrie says in the Sex and the City film ‘in real life things don’t always work out like that.’ Happy ever after is different for every person and for some women that doesn’t include marriage. Are all women always looking for something else to complete their fairy tale ending? We are told now that women can have it all but do they always want it all? I know I am unusual nowadays but I for one will be quite satisfied becoming a stay at home Mum; surely women’s liberation is about giving us a choice of which path we want to take? Hopefully we all live happily ever after.

Summer Time Blues

Apr28

With Easter behind us and the clocks now having moved forward an hour bringing us lighter evenings we can dare to hope that winter is finally over. The summer vibe is certainly evident on the high street and on the catwalks.

Tiffany blue is the colour to be seen in this season. Tiffany and Co established in 1837 as a stationery and fancy goods emporium, first used this blue colour on their catalogue in 1845; before its focus became jewellery in 1853. Tiffany now owns the copyright, meaning that no one knows the exact shade. Many designers have certainly been attempting to emulate it though including Oscar de la renta.

Oscar de la Renta dress

If your finances like mine don’t stretch to designer, never fear as the high street has been keen to get in on the act. Tiffany is seen as the epitome of luxury and as such often features on the silver screen. I hope wearing the colour will induce the same luxe effect and as such couldn’t resist this dress from Boohoo.

If you prefer to wear the colour more subtly, why not invest in a nail polish; Chanel do a beautiful one. Perhaps you would prefer to use the colour on your eyes; pictured shade is Mac Aquadisiac or just a flash of the colour with a fifties style pair of heels from LK Bennett.

Now whilst on the subject of Tiffany’s they collaborated with Catherine Martin to supply the jewellery for The Great Gatsby film, which is released in May. This Jazz age glamour collection allows us all to have a piece of the roaring twenties which I touched on in ‘memories of my Grandma’. The collection mainly contains pearls black onyx and my favourite the sapphire. I picture here a few of my favourites but visit their site to view the full collection.

http://www.tiffany.co.uk/Shopping/Category.aspx?cid=2605758&mcat=148206

So whether you have someone who lavishes jewellery on you or are less well off, we can all have a little something from Tiffany’s this season.

Happy shopping!

Fünfzig Schattierungen von Berlin (50 Shades of Berlin)

Oct29

Life is full of contrasts and contradictions which is what makes it interesting. As summer becomes a distant memory – grey has become en vogue. By that I am not simply referring to the sky but the latest cult trilogy which has overshadowed Twilight – that is ‘50 Shades’. Everywhere women are discussing it. I have now finally read the first book, mainly to see what all the fuss has been about. How can I sum it up? Christian grey is a man of contradictions which is interesting as grey tends to be used to imply uncertainty or a mixture of good and bad. Grey often symbolises boredom but paradoxically the book is very colourful despite the use of grey in the title.

On the subject of grey skies, this month saw the 25^th anniversary of the hurricane in the UK or the great storm as many refer to it; when Michael Fish became a household name saying ‘there will not be a hurricane’. Is anyone else finding it impossible to get up in the mornings now that it is dark and often drizzly? Well the clocks went back this weekend so it should be a bit lighter in the mornings for a few weeks.

Before you all slip in to a grey depression, every cloud has a silver lining and there are some beautiful leaf colours at this time of year making a truly beautiful landscape, almost like a watercolour.

Image Courtesy of Google Images

Fashion has certainly taken somewhat of a lead from nature. Coloured denim is as big as it was in the summer but we move away from brights and pastels to more muted darks such as these burgundy jeans which I couldn’t resist from New Look.

Another transient trend has been birds but more specifically this season owls. This top was a bargain purchase again from New Look. I teamed it with a grey Oasis boucle mini and a light grey cardigan but it will look equally good with my burgundy jeans and my leather biker with knitted sleeves to give more of an edgy rock look.

Nails have also gone back to nature with nude colours. I love a Rimmel brown called ‘Beige Babe’. Whilst on the subject of nails – Nails Inc have produced a couture range where you are able to design the bottle and personalise it and the box – what a great idea for Christmas presents and naturally I thought I would treat myself to one first. Meet my new shade ‘cosmopolitan’.

I find the biggest fashion challenge of autumn/winter is finding the perfect pair of boots rather than the perfect coat as many fashion writers suggest. I may well follow their suggestion however that the solution is not to try and nail it down to one but have a variety. My favourite boots have seen better days; they were a cheap faux suede, black knee high pair from Primark. I treated myself to these biker style boots but foresee myself also getting a pair of Uggs and some dainty high heeled ones too!

A few weeks back I went to Cheryl’s million lights tour at the O2 which was fantastic and I eagerly await the Girl’s Aloud reunion next year. I have a very varied taste in music from Led Zeppelin and Stereophonics to current pop – another ambiguity.

Last weekend I surprised my other half for his birthday with a long weekend in Berlin. Berlin is steeped in history – unfortunately most of it dark with WWII and the Berlin Wall. They have acknowledged this past however as something to learn from and around it developed a modern, buzzing, cosmopolitan city especially at Potsdamer Platz which was the centre for the Festival of Light which took place whilst we were there. Art and advertising was projected onto buildings and coloured lights are placed beneath the trees which create a magical feel.

The most poignant place we visited for me was Gleis 17 at Grunewald station. This is a disused platform nowadays but it was once where many Jews boarded trains to concentration camps during the war. It is now a memorial to them. Along the platform edge are the number of Jews deported each day and it really is horrifying. 1000 to Auschwitz, 1700 to Theresienstadt….. Now it is peaceful and serene with only the sound of the wind in the trees to interrupt your thoughts and prayers.

Other sites we saw were the Topography of Terror which is the sight of the Gestapo and SS headquarters but is now a records centre for the atrocities and takes you through how Hitler got his hold on the German people. Something I didn’t know however was that concentration camps existed long before the outbreak of the war as early as 1933, where people who opposed the Nazi political party were sent. We also visited the site of Hitler’s bunker which now has flats built on it – not sure I would want to occupy one of those flats!!

In some ways the wall and its history had more of an impact on me because it was in my lifetime and therefore easier to identify with. I knew very little of the history before the trip. The wall was erected in 1961 by the GDR to separate East Berlin and the rest of East Germany from West Berlin as it was believed that the West had not been fully de-Nazified. Families were separated and in the East there were strict communism rules imposed by the Soviets including censorship of media materials. The West was being built up and saw great economic growth whilst the East lagged behind. Many East German people tried to escape to West Germany (estimates suggest 3.5 million) either through border houses, over the wall or by tunnelling and many were killed. There is a photo memorial to them by the strip in Bernauerstrasse and a further memorial by the Reichstag. On 9^th November 1989 the GDR announced the border reopened and in 1990 the physical wall was removed. There are two long stretches of the wall left, the first at Bernauerstrasse where they have also uncovered the foundations of the border houses and one by the topography of terrors on Niederkirchnerstrasse. It is unbelievable that this occurred in recent history. When the wall came down in 1990, many gathered at the Brandenburg gate. This iconic structure was also lit up as part of the Festival of Light.

One of Berlin’s more modern structures is the Fernsehturm or TV tower, built between 1965 and 1969 and the countries tallest building at 368 metres. The lift reached the top in 40 seconds, making my ears pop. At the top we were treated to 360 degree views of Berlin. I enjoyed a cocktail appropriately named 360º whilst we were up there.

The weekend we went happened to also be Oktoberfest and at Alexanderplatz there was a traditional German market and plenty of beer on offer. We warmed ourselves with a Jagermeister shot too. I’m not normally a beer drinker but I must confess I quite enjoyed a Berliner and the Rothaus brewery beer Tannenzäpfle or Fir Cone (a beer from the Black Forest).

Berlin had so much to offer, we could have done with a bit longer there but we crammed in the highlights and on the last day, as a bit of light relief from all the history, we visited Berlin Zoo. This has the largest collection of animals due to the fact that when the city was divided, there were two zoos and they have now been combined into the one. I can honestly say it is the best zoo I have ever visited because they have really given thought to the layout with low bars so you can get excellent photos. Of course the elephants were the highlight for me!

On the way home, the sky looked beautiful as we approached Schőnefeld airport, with the sun just coming up. At the airport my partner treated me to some perfume as a thank you – Daisy eau so fresh by Marc Jacobs.

Image Courtesy of Google Images

With X Factor live shows now well under way – the countdown to Christmas has truly begun – only 57 days until Christmas day! Before that though we have Halloween approaching and make sure you visit the cinema to see the new Bond film – Skyfall, released this week – we went today and I must admit I have never been a great Bond fan but I thoroughly enjoyed it and now want to see all of them and Adele has smashed the theme tune. Can’t believe this film marks 50 years of Bond and it’s still as popular today as when the first film was released.

Have any of you got memories of Berlin you would like to share? What are you doing to cheer yourself up on these grey days?

Until next time………………………

blahnikgirl

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