Happy New Year

Jan6

Happy New Year! So another new year dawned, surrounded by the usual celebrations despite it being 2013 – unlucky for some; I wonder if wedding venues have felt the pinch with superstitious brides?! For more on why 13 is seen as unlucky see my previous blog ‘Friggatriskaidekaphobia’

https://blahnikgirl.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/friggatriskaidekaphobia-fear-of-friday-13th/

Apologies for the long gap between this and my last post but December was a difficult month for me with my eye condition flaring up again for nearly 2 weeks. I have however still managed to fit in quite a lot, along with shopping for the party season and had an enjoyable Christmas despite everything. Here are my favourite purchases.

Baroque dress from Oasis

Lace dress from Jane Norman

Shoes from Oasis

Early December saw my friend’s baby boy christened. He wore a beautiful gown that was a family heirloom. I always think choosing an outfit as a guest at a christening can be difficult. It sort of requires a dressed down, wedding attire look with an avoidance of black, being that it is a joyous occasion. This is fine in the summer but being winter and tights being required made it more difficult. In the end I opted for this navy dress with butterflies and red cardigan and shoes, all from New Look.

Viva Forever, a new musical written by Jennifer Saunders and produced by Judy Craymer with the music of the Spice Girls opened in the West End on 11^th December and in spite of poor reviews by critics, I dragged my boyfriend along to see it. He wasn’t the only man present but they were a definite minority. Having followed the Spice Girls closely as a young teenager, I found the musical most enjoyable regardless of the weak plot; especially during the last song when the whole audience danced and sang to ‘Stop Right Now’.

I don’t know about everyone else but it took me quite a while to feel Christmassy this year for some reason, with my cards being written out hastily to meet the last posting date and me hanging on tender hooks hoping my online purchased gifts would arrive in time. It probably didn’t help that we had few decorations due to the dining room being half finished. What really got me in the mood though was when I was making my Christmas cake a few days before Christmas; the house was filled with sticky sweet aromas whilst Christmas songs filled our ears and there was the distant sound of a steam engine whistle. We looked out the front and sure enough a steam train was pulling into the station. This must have been a common sound in 1898 when our terraced house was built but nowadays I think always produces a kind of romance.

My Christmas Cake I made

Christmas Eve was spent at home in my cosy PJs on the sofa. Fashion articles often neglect nightwear but I think it is just as important being that many of us girls put our PJs on as soon as we get home. Fabulous magazine did however do a small spread on mixing textures. I went for checked fleecy bottoms with a white cotton vest and a lovely knitted cardigan from Oasis and then for a touch of glam I added pearls.

My partner and I decided to do a tree present each on Christmas Eve. Excitement bubbled and butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I picked up a small, square, neatly wrapped box – could this be the long awaited engagement ring? Alas no, it was in fact a box of dinner party ice breakers! My partner was quickly forgiven the following morning though when I ripped the paper off my main present of my much longed for Ugg boots. I was very spoilt by all with lovely presents but thought a couple of my friends gifts deserved a mention being that they were unusual tree decorations – a felt owl which was very in keeping with the 2012 fashion trend and a bauble from Verona.

Over the Christmas period I spent some much needed time with family which was very nice; especially having my brother, his fiancé and my niece join us for Christmas dinner. I couldn’t resist buying my niece more shoes and these silver ones from Monsoon went down a treat – she wanted them on straight away and wore them to every other event over the period too. My partner and I hosted a New Year’s Eve dinner party with our respective parents which was fun and an opportunity to air the dinner party ice breakers starting with the worst first date each of us had had. As Big Ben chimed we toasted over champagne and had party poppers whilst mumbling the verses of Auld Lang Syne. This year I haven’t made any resolutions as such as my bucket list of things to do before 30 sort of covers it (see previous blog).

https://blahnikgirl.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/when-you-realise-that-you-are-all-grown-up/

Talking of the bucket list, the weight has started to come off albeit slowly with my 5:2 diet. I think I could probably lose far more however if I ate normally on the other 5 days rather than gorging myself on cakes and biscuits. Having signed up for the half MoonWalk London which raises money for breast cancer research; I now need to get in to training. My parents bought me some trainers as despite someone offering to double the money raised if I walk it in 4 inch heels – I think this would be suicide even for me. My fundraising page is now live. I understand money is probably tight at this time of year but it would be great if you could even just sponsor a small amount. My company will match the amount I raise and donate it to their charity Action for Children so you will be helping two charities in one go – great if your new years resolution was to support good causes. Please pledge via the below link.

http://www.walkthewalkfundraising.org/christina_baines

As a year comes to a close it is a good time to reflect on achievements of the previous year and mine and my partners has to be our garden and drive which was completed with much help from my Dad and Uncle. Check out the before and after pictures. Look out for more home improvement in future blogs.

Our garden early on in the project

Yesterday we took my partners niece and nephew to see their first pantomime – Peter Pan at the Churchill Bromley. The tradition of a pantomime at Christmas dates back at least to early 1800s however the “traditional” pantomime is constantly evolving in order to maintain its popularity. We greatly enjoyed it although being the penultimate performance signals Christmas well and truly being over for another year. Guess January blues set in now – let me know how you are combating them.

Until next time ……………………………

The 4 C’s – Cauldrons, Charity, Christmas and Clutches

Nov26

Halloween, Guy Fawkes, Remembrance Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas; there are many festivals to be celebrated now that the colder months are upon us.

The Halloween spirit (pardon the pun) was started by a guy at work bringing in themed cupcakes to raise money for charity. I threw a Halloween party which was great fun and dressed as a skeleton whilst my partner was a vampire. We decorated the house with pumpkins, spider webs and various other bits and bobs to create a kind of haunted mansion. The kids loved the cauldron full of sweets which also contained the odd rubber eye ball (not to be confused with a gob stopper!) I really liked the plates I chose especially when they appeared in the ‘Fabulous Magazine Lustlist’ after I had purchased them!

Rufus even got in the Halloween Mood!

People often assume that Halloween is more of an American festival but in fact it was the UK that introduced the custom to the United States during the mass Irish and Scottish immigration during the 19^th century. The actual origins of Halloween are disputed. Some suggest it has its roots in Paganism with influences of Western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead whilst others argue it has Christian roots. Those following the first line of thought, link Halloween to the Celtic festival of Samhain which marked the start of winter and the end of the harvest season. It was a time to prepare for the winter and there were various rituals and bonfires. People believed that it was a time when souls of the dead and other mythical beings could come into our world. Some of these beings were thought to be harmful and it may be that people dressed up and carved turnip lanterns to ward them off hence today’s customs of dressing up and jack-o-lanterns. The American’s changed turnips to pumpkins as it was a native vegetable and easier to carve (not sure I agree with that last point though – put it this way the power tools were on standby!!). At Samhain youths would also go door to door collecting food and if a household gave food, they could expect good fortune for the winter which may be where the trick or treating tradition may come from. Those who believe Halloween has Christian origins link it to the holy day on 1^st November, All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows. They saw it as a time to pray for those recently deceased who had not reached heaven as well as honouring the saints. Those of this belief sight the origins of trick or treating as the practice of ‘souling’ where poor children would collect soul cakes door to door as a symbol of praying for those in purgatory. It was believed that the dead could seek vengeance on their enemies until all saints day when they moved into the next world and that was the reason that people dressed up and made jack-o-lanterns, to protect themselves from these souls.

Due to Catholic connotations, during Reformation Protestants were against celebrating Halloween and after the 1605 gunpowder plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament, popularity for Halloween declined in Britain, with far more emphasis being placed on Guy Fawkes Night. Being that I held the party between Halloween and Guy Fawkes, we also had sparklers.

This month I signed up to the Moonwalk London to raise money for breast cancer research which takes place next May. The walk was started by a lady called Nina Barough who along with 12 other women took part in the New York marathon in a decorated bra to raise money for breast cancer back in 1996. After that first walk, Nina herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 1997 a team of girls entered the London Marathon for the cause. In 1998, such was the response for a team to walk in the London Marathon for a second time that a separate walk was created for the eve of the marathon. From then onwards, the moonwalk has been an event in its own right with popularity growing year after year. Having never done anything remotely physically challenging, I went for the half moon walk which is 13.1 miles; I better get myself in training not to mention purchase some trainers – I think I would struggle to do it in heels! I can’t wait to start designing my bra. Please sponsor me for this excellent cause; details of my fundraising page to follow in a future blog.

Last week when I was at the hairdressers I read a very interesting article regarding a new diet called 5:2. Basically you can eat normally for 5 days of the week and for 2 days you fast, eating just 600 calories. (Some internet sites suggest for women this is reduced to 500). This diet was popularised by Dr Michael J. Mosley when he was on ‘Eat, Fast and Live Longer’ documentary in August 2012. There has been research suggesting that not only does the diet work; it can also reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s, Diabetes and Cancer. Conversely though there is some research suggesting it could cause eating disorders. I’m always on the look out for a quick and easy fix to losing weight so I have decided to give it a go. I will let you know the progress weight wise but I have done it for a week now and I must admit the fasting days are difficult and it really opens your eyes to the amount of calories in everything which does make you think twice about what you eat even on the normal days.

A couple of weeks back was Remembrance Sunday and I wore my poppy with pride as well as observing the 2 minutes silence. I am sure poppy sales greatly increased on 1^st November – London Poppy Day when my day was brightened by some very handsome young soldiers coming into the office selling them! The total raised on this day for the appeal was £772,211. Armistice Day is on 11^th Nov and commemorates the end of World War One and the signing of the armistice at 11am which ended the war for the Western front. In 1939, the two minutes silence was held on Remembrance Sunday on the first Sunday after Armistice Day in case Armistice Day fell on a week day and interrupted war productions. After World War Two, most events moved to Remembrance Sunday. Both days are now celebrated in the UK. The poppy became the symbol of Armistice Day in 1921 and was inspired by a poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ which refers to poppies being the first thing to grow in the earth of the soldiers graves. The British Legions poppy appeal raises money for those who are serving in wars or have served and their dependants. As a child my Grandma would always take me down to Orpington War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday where there would be parades by the armed forces and Brownies, Guides etc. I remember always wishing my Brownie pack was in Orpington so that I too could have taken part.

As we all begin the preparations for Christmas, lets remember those children who are living in poverty and give something back. November is the Operation Christmas Child shoe box appeal time. Imagine the joy on a child’s face on Christmas day when they receive a gift of your lovingly put together shoe box. This year I did mine for a girl between the ages of 5 and 9. Check out my blog last year for the history of the shoebox appeal and visit their website for more information.

http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/

Before the Christmas parties begin in earnest, I have a few 30^th birthday parties to attend over the coming weeks and I just couldn’t resist this unusual 70’s vintage style magazine clutch by Paparazzi. I will wear it with a plain black dress so that it stands out and takes all the glory! Carrie is seen with a magazine clutch in Sex and the City ‘Where there is smoke’ and I have wanted one ever since. Another great style blog which mentions this clutch is http://5inchandup.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/1970s-magazine-clutch.html

Only 28 days until Christmas so it’s time to start that shopping! Nero’s have released their special Christmas coffees; an amaretto latte and a praline latte so when your feet are sore from dragging round looking for a present for that awkward person to buy for, pop in to take the weight off and indulge. Until next time….

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………………………

When you realise that you are all grown up

Sep30

A few weeks ago I attended the wedding of one of my very close friends. It was held at St Benedict’s Ealing Abbey which was a fantastic choice of venue; very grand which made it feel like a royal wedding. My partner and I were unfortunately late due to appalling traffic and it was most embarrassing as people turned around when we entered the church and I tried to tiptoe to a seat as quietly as possible in my gold stilettos; not an easy task I assure you!

The service was lovely and the bride looked stunning in her white, one shoulder, fish tail dress with jewel encrusted bust and floor length veil. The tradition of Western brides wearing white was popularised when Queen Victoria wore a white dress in 1840. During the middle ages when weddings were less about love and more a union of two families, brides wore rich colours, the latest styles and often prized materials such as fur in order that they may display their wealth to the other family. Poorer brides would wear their Sunday best.

The bridesmaids wore cream and gold Coast dresses with red satin shoes. I wore a red dress I ordered online from a site called Persun who customised it to my size. I accessorised with a toucan clutch from River Island.

Following pictures on the steps of the abbey, we then travelled to the Richmond Gate Hotel. A drinks reception met us with something I hadn’t tried before – cranberry with champagne and very nice it was too. The sun was shining for a change so we could relax in the hotel garden and have some informal photos. Now already my feet were hurting but luckily my best friend was better prepared than I was and lent me some flip flops so I could rest my feet on and off!

The tables were beautifully decorated with flowers and diamonds – after all diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Each table also had a box of London quiz questions which I thought was a rather innovative idea. The favours were boxes shaped like roses with chocolates inside for the girls and a Mario shaped box filled with jelly beans for the boys. Wedding favours were originally called bonbonnieres and began in Europe where the rich gave them as a sign of their wealth. The boxes would have been made of gold or porcelain or precious stones and it would contain sugar as this was a rare commodity then. As sugar became more plentiful, this evolved into almonds and then sugared almonds in the thirteenth century. The common favour for weddings became 5 white sugared almonds in some pretty coloured netting or a box. The 5 almonds were to signify fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. The contrast of a sweet coating and a bitter almond symbolises the bitter sweetness of marriage. Nowadays many different things are given as favours to show the bride and grooms appreciation and as a souvenir of the day.

The wedding breakfast was delicious with smoked salmon to start, chicken for main and a lemon torte for afters. The best mans speech was great fun as he devised a game of bingo where he held up pictures of the groom growing up and you ticked off the ones you had. The cake was then cut and the couple had their first dance.

With the formal part of the day over, the party got started with a mixture of Irish music and popular beats. It was a wonderful day of catching up with friends and partying into the night. My partner and I stayed over at the hotel as it would have been a long journey back and I certainly made paying for breakfast worthwhile, filling up on cocoa pops (I know I should have outgrown them by now, lol), a full English and cinnamon whirl!

Over the last few years I have seen many of my friends get married, buy houses and become parents and I guess as we head at lightning speed to the end of our twenties this is no great surprise. As I sat down to the wedding breakfast I suddenly felt quite behind everyone, with our table consisting of one couple with a three week old son, one couple recently married in July (see previous blog ‘Cultural Celebrations’) and the other couple who married some years ago and have a gorgeous 8 month old little girl. Despite the joy of the day and the happiness I felt for the wonderful couple; a little sadness also washed over me – was I being left behind my peers? A quick Google found many attempts at lists of things to do before you hit 30 (the so called bucket lists) and there was a comedy drama made in 2005 entitled ‘Things to do before you’re 30’. There are also lists of things to give up by 30 such as not using night buses, not getting tattoos or piercing etc and of course Margaret Thatcher famously said if you are on a bus over 30, you have failed. The lists vary wildly, however there are some common themes. Most lists have learning to drive which I can tick off as I eventually passed my test on A Level results day after 5 previous failed attempts – proof perseverance pays off! There are also things such as moving out of home, getting a proper job and falling in love, all of which I can tick. I once did a vision/mood board; an idea from the cult book of a few years back ‘The Secret’ and it is interesting to look at what I have achieved off there. I did indeed start dancing lessons and I live in a Victorian terrace just like I pictured. Sadly I never did make it to become an air hostess although I did get offered the job as one – I just decided I couldn’t survive on the wages. Here I have put together my own list of things I still want to do before I hit 30, some big and some small and now I have 10 months to tick off as many as possible.

Get married – this one is now highly unlikely to happen before my milestone birthday but hopefully I might get engaged before it
Bought a high end designer pair of shoes – the closest I have come is LK Bennett at the moment but I am saving hard for a pair on Manolo Blahnik’s
See India – hopefully going in April, fingers crossed
Do basic motorcycle training and get a Vespa/Lambretta – unlikely I feel but hey at least I have the VW Beetle I always wanted and as my Dad once said, I’m a danger on 4 wheels, what would I be like on 2?
Learn to knit – knitting is once again cool with clubs all over the country
Have some horse riding lessons again
Do the Breast Cancer Moonwalk
Finally start that diet
Possibly still fancy butterfly tattoo on my hip but I am a big scaredy cat – once got all the way to the shop and backed out!

Anyway to end on I wish the lovely couple every happiness for the future and thank them for being such great friends. I also want to congratulate my other friend on attending the wedding and looking fantastic, only 3 weeks after having given birth.

Finally I want to share my latest purchase in keeping with the bird print trend of the summer as I’m not quite ready to let go of those warm days yet. I will team this with my black skinny jeans and some black flats.

Until next time…

‘The Greatest Show on Earth’

Aug29

You would be forgiven for thinking that I was referring to the Olympics but actually I am talking about a far more important celebration – my birthday that just happened to fall on the same day as the opening ceremony. So nice of the whole country to join in my celebrations! Lol! I haven’t seen the opening ceremony but by all accounts it did our country proud and Team GB did very well with 29 gold medals, 17 silver and 19 bronze, putting us 3rd in the medal table. Go Team GB! I did watch the closing ceremony which was fantastic and I especially enjoyed the Spice Girls which took me back to my early teens when I was mad on them and the girl power they stood for. I must admit this is the first year I have taken an interest in the Olympics. I even got my rabbit Rufus into the spirit with a Team GB football! Tomorrow marks the start of the Paralympics.

The origins of the Olympics go back to ancient Greece in 8^th Century BC. The first games held in the UK were in 1908 when such sports as Tug of War were included. We came top of the medal table that year with 56 gold medals!

So another year passes and sadly this will be the last year of my twenties. I don’t feel a day over 21 though! Where have those years gone? Guess I feel a little behind my peers at times given my lack of career path; however numerology does say that those with a birth date of 27 tend to be late bloomers, taking their time to choose a profession. It also says we are creative so perhaps there is some hope for a writing career still.

Being that my birthday fell on a Friday this year I decided to stretch the festivities over the whole weekend. On the day we had a family trip to West Wittering beach. I chose here as despite being some distance away, the place holds good childhood memories. You can park up virtually on the beach and picnic. The sand stretches for miles whilst the tide is out and there is a lot of shallow water making it ideal for children. The car park has been run commercially since the 1920s and in 1952 the local residents bought it to prevent a Butlin’s (or similar) holiday camp being built on it. Check out their website for further details.

http://www.westwitteringbeach.co.uk/

We had a lovely cooked breakfast on arrival cooked on a camping gaz and a picnic lunch, followed by a mouth watering coffee and walnut birthday cake that my Mum made. The history of the birthday cake is quite an interesting one. Since the middle of the 19^th century it has been an important part of celebrating birthdays in the West, however there is evidence of the custom going back to Roman times. Putting candles on the cake is believed to go back to 18^th century Germany. Singing happy birthday became popular in the early 1900s and it was then that the words happy birthday started to appear on cakes.

We had great fun playing tennis and rounders on the sand. When I was batting in rounders, I was so excited to have hit the ball I forgot all about running! I had a bit of a swim and we built sandcastles with my beautiful baby niece who at 13 months is already very cultured; eating olives and feta cheese. Not sure who enjoyed the sandcastles more – her or me and my partner, lol! There is nothing more relaxing than the warm sun beating down on you with the soft sand beneath you, water gently lapping and a slight salty taste in your mouth.

I wore my denim skirt dungarees with a white t-shirt and my bikini underneath. To finish the look off I wore my healed glitter jelly shoes. Now these PVC plastic shoes were hugely popular in 1980s but have had a revival a number of times. People have guessed at their origins with some suggesting that it goes back to just after WW2 when there was a leather shortage in Europe so a French shoe maker developed them. Many people think they are a big no no or only suitable for children but how else can you wear heels to the beach?!

We finished the day with a fish and chip supper and a very pleasant bottle of wine and all returned home rather sunburnt with numerous mosquito bites!

Saturday morning my partner gave me his presents to open and brought me breakfast in bed. That evening I went for a curry where I used to live with many of my friends. I stuck with my resolve to try different dishes and had Malayan Chicken. It was a lovely evening and time flew past meaning that we missed the last train and had to sheepishly knock at Mum and Dad’s door. I wore a butterfly maxi dress from Jane Norman for the occasion.

Sunday was another meal out, this time with my partner’s family and I was lucky enough to be showered with more gorgeous gifts.

I want to use this platform to thank family, friends and my partner for making it another wonderful birthday and at time of posting I am still dragging out my birthday. One of my partners presents has yet to arrive and two weeks after my birthday another one of my boyfriends arrived – a gorgeous mosaic bistro set which will set the garden off lovely when it’s all finished.

I also couldn’t resist these thank you cards from Zazzle, so me don’t you think?

The other weekend my friend and I met up in London as she was away for my birthday. We spent a very pleasant few hours wandering round Harvey Nichols and other shops in Knightsbridge looking at all the lovely things we can’t afford. I especially enjoyed the Louboutin boutique in Harvey Nichols where the assistant informed us that on his crystal encrusted shoes, each crystal is applied separately by hand and so they can take at least a day to make one pair – now I understand the price tag! Being adventurous and keen to try anything a bit quirky, I couldn’t resist trying out Bubbleology – a concession that sells bubble tea within Harvey Nichols. The stall looked more like a science lab, with the staff wearing white coats saying bubbleologist on the back. Bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the eighties. Bubble tea is fundamentally green, black, white or red tea and it can then be infused with milk or fruit and drunk hot or cold. Small bubbles are formed on the top in the process of making the tea as it is shock vigorously, hence the name. In the bottom are small balls of tapioca. I quite enjoyed it; it’s certainly worth experiencing!

We finished off the day in Harrods for afternoon tea in their Georgian restaurant with a glass of champagne included. Now as much as I enjoyed catching up with my friend and sampling some delicious sandwiches and scones and a nice glass of champagne, whilst the piano played itself; Harrods itself was some what of a let down for me. The gold leaf on the plates was faded, the silver tea pots were tarnished and the décor looked tired. My other complaint at the risk of sounding like Samantha in Sex and the City, was the amount of children there. Now don’t get me wrong I love children but I’m not sure they should be attending a luxury afternoon tea plus isn’t it a waste of money for their parents?

To end on, I must share with you one of my presents, a book that must have been written for me, lol! Mum kindly bought me Manolo Blahnik – The Elves and the Shoe Maker. This book combines the old fairy tale with the story of the designer and is illustrated with drawings from the designer. The author also wrote another of my bibles ‘How to Walk in High Heels.’ This has interesting tips on such things as how to change a light bulb.

I also received from a few friends, gorgeous scarves, two with butterflies and one with dragonflies which I will be brightening up my work attire with.

That’s all for this time. Do let me know any beaches you recommend or indeed what your feelings on jelly shoes are. I’m now off to enjoy another of my presents – Champagne with black Raspberry Chambord; kindly bought by a friend to remind me of our trip to London Fashion Week.

Cultural Celebrations

Aug11

The first weekend of July was a fantastic one, if very hectic with my Indian friends wedding, birthdays and a trip to Kensington Palace. I took the Friday off work and pampered myself; having my highlights done and finger and toe nails painted. I then set about making birthday cakes; Ben 10 for my 6 year old nephew and Peppa Pig for my 3 year old niece.

Friday evening was the Sangeet night for my bride to be friend. This is a ceremony which takes place before a Punjabi wedding and in this case was combined with the mehndi ceremony. Women only customarily attend the Sangeet night with a few men attending if they are close to the bride or groom. The event was held at her house and was like a wedding in itself. There was a marquee, a DJ and staff serving food. The beats of the Indian music were already in full swing when I arrived and certainly was in keeping with the English translation of ‘Sangeet’ as ‘sung together’. The many colours of the saris were breathtaking. It is traditional for the women to wear vivid colours to add to the festival feel at a mehndi ceremony. I wore a bright red lacy dress. Mehndi is henna used as a temporary skin decoration and is applied to the hands and feet in very intricate designs. It is traditional for brides to have very elaborate designs; sometimes with the groom’s initials hidden in it. I couldn’t wait to have my hands done and was amazed at the wonderful patterns created freehand with a henna cone which looks rather like a piping bag. As the henna dries it forms a hard layer which then cracks and falls off to reveal a reddish brown stain. Oil is applied to the hands to darken the pigment. The henna lasts for approximately one week.

The delicious scents of Indian cooking set my taste buds alight. Following food, there was much traditional dancing and the DJ’s music was also accompanied by the dholki which is a traditional two headed drum with cotton rope lacing. It was a wonderful experience and on leaving her mother gave me a beautiful bag filled with Indian confectionery.

On Saturday I headed up to London for some British history with my Mum, aunt and cousin and we visited Kensington Palace. This was the home of Queen Victoria before she became queen and many royals have or have had apartments there; including Diana and now William and Kate. Some of the highlights for me were Queen Victoria’s wedding dress and an assortment of Princess Diana’s dresses.

Victoria’s Wedding Dress

Another of Diana’s dresses

Sunday was the day of the wedding itself. I ordered a Lehnga Choli especially from India for the occasion and also wore gold bangles. A friend gave me a bhindi to complete the look and I wore gold, jewel encrusted heeled sandals.

We arrived early; around 9 at the Gurdwara. I thought that was an early start but it was nothing compared to the bride herself who had been up since 4.30 am having her make up applied! The bride was kept in a room by herself as she was not to see the groom before the ceremony. The Baraat then arrived which is the groom’s procession. He carries a sword and male and female relatives of his walk behind him. He looked fantastic in his traditional dress. Milni then took place where the bride and grooms family formally greet each other beginning with the fathers. Garlands are placed around each others necks and prayers read. Breakfast for all then commences. This comprised of samosas and onion barjis with traditional Indian tea and the very addictive Indian sweets.

We then all make our way to the main area of the Gurdwara where the ceremony is held and we are required to remove our shoes, cover our heads and men and women sit on separate sides on the floor. I must admit I was rather worried at the prospect of locating my shoes again in the racks and racks of them! The main ceremony is called Anand Karaj which translates as blissful union. As we entered, we were required to walk up to the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of the Sikhs which is the scriptures of the ten Gurus of Sikhism), kneel down and place money in a box in front of it. The Guru is treated like a human Guru and as such respect is always shown and no one must sit higher than it hence sitting on the floor. The book is placed on brightly coloured cloth and has a canopy over it. The Giani (priest) waves a Chaur over the Guru as a sign of dedication and respect. The Chaur consists of yak hair on a wooden or metal handle and dates back to the times when people would gather round one of the ten Guru’s to listen to his teachings and fan him because of the hot climate. The bride then entered and looked absolutely breathtaking in traditional red and gold with bracelets with like cymbals hanging from them. She must wear the bracelets for 40 days after the marriage although some can be removed after 11 days. The bride and groom then sit at the front with the bride on the groom’s left.

Unfortunately as the ceremony was in Punjabi, I could not understand it but essentially the groom has a sash over his shoulder called a palla and one end of this is placed in the bride’s hand. As each of the Laava (four sacred hymns) are read, the bride and groom circle the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and on the fourth circle they are married. A Sewardior servant then brings round karah Prasad. This is a sweet pudding made of semolina, sugar and butter. It is prepared in a special way with prayers and should be received in cupped hands lifted up for the Sewardiand then transferred to one hand and eaten with the other. It should never be refused or given away. It was very nice and this marked the end of the ceremony.

We then all travelled to a community centre where the reception was to be held. The weather was against us with torrential rain but as I mentioned in my blog last year when my other friend got married, rain is seen as lucky on your wedding day, signifying a lasting union. Thoughts of the weather were soon banished though as we entered a marquee containing a chocolate fountain, fruit, champagne and various tasty fruit juices including lyche.

Once seated the starters were brought out which were delicious. The bride and groom then arrived to a chorus of dholki with the family in a procession behind them. The cake was then cut and they had their first dance to Googoo dolls which was lovely.

The bride and groom then sat on the stage in a lovely white chair. Photos were taken and people went up in turn to congratulate the couple and place money in their laps which is the custom rather than wedding gifts. Our main was then served and the mother of the bride handed out boxed confectionery to us. There was then much dancing until an early finish for the bride to return to her house for a farewell with her family before going with the groom and his family to where they live. As the bride and groom left, we threw confetti and waved them off. It was a wonderful day and it has made me more adventurous with Indian food. When my boyfriend and I went for a curry on Saturday night, instead of my usual Korma, I ordered Chicken Darjeeling which I enjoyed very much.

To end with another celebration; on 20^th July I went to see the Olympic torch relay come through Medway where I live. It was lovely to see the community spirit and the pride of the country that we are hosting this great event. People were out on mass with their Union Jacks and the crowd buzzed with excitement.

I am fortunate enough that this is my second viewing of the torch as I saw it in Skiathos in 2004 when Greece hosted the Olympics but to see it in my own town was something far more exciting.

Anyway I shall end there. Did you see the Olympic torch or perhaps you would like to share some interesting wedding traditions of different cultures? Until next time….

United Kingdom Unites

Jun14

Last week saw a sea of union jacks and red, white and blue all over the country as people celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee including the London Eye being lit in the colours. A diamond jubilee generally denotes 75 years; however it was moved to 60 years in the case of a monarchs rein due to the failing health of Queen Victoria – the only other monarch to have celebrated a diamond jubilee in the history of the UK. I still remember heading up to London for the Golden Jubilee and walking the length of a Union Jack decorated mall with my celebration flag in hand and red, white and blue ribbons in my hair. How the last 10 years has flown.

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations were in a league of their own, perhaps due to the extended Bank holiday weekend. What an event to raise the countries spirits and boost the economy in the midst of recession and the Euro Zone crisis. Over the years there has been continuing debate on the Royal family and its part in the country’s constitution. I for one have always been in favour of the royals as I believe they make us one of a unique set of countries with a constitutional monarchy which makes the a monarch head of state; this brings in a great deal of tourism. It is an institution which some would argue forms part of our identity. My Grandma used to collect special magazines and cuttings about the Royals for me when I was little and I still follow them with interest. Kate and Williams wedding was a great celebration last year with another official bank holiday. Whatever your thoughts however, no one can deny how a celebration such as the Jubilee unites the country, with people of all nationalities, religions and backgrounds joining in the celebrations. The official celebrations saw the queen tour around the country, a river parade, a concert outside Buckingham Palace, a service at St Pauls and a golden carriage procession, culminating in a balcony appearance and fly by; all of which I watched on television as to avoid the huge crowds. There were street parties up and down the country bringing communities together and thousands of others arranged their own parties. I hosted a Jubilee BBQ and went to town with bunting, balloons, flags and union jack plates and cups not to mention my costume!

We also had many things which have become synonymous with Britain such as scones with jam and cream, strawberries and plenty of Pimms! Pimms was first made by the Kentish man James Pimm in 1823 and he served it in his London Oyster Bar in place of the bitter tasting gin. Some guests moved on to a British cup of tea as the evening drew in. I made a Jubilee cake and red, white and blue cupcakes.

Despite the good old British weather letting us down we braved the burgers under the picnic umbrella whilst there was a brief shower; after all it wouldn’t be a British BBQ if it didn’t rain. I thoroughly enjoyed it as I hope did my guests, many of whom also made an effort to theme their dress; with a special mention going to my sister in law with union jack leggings and my friend who dressed in vintage 1950’s dress being that the Queen came to the throne in 1952. Even my baby niece had gorgeous navy shoes, with red trousers with white polka dots and a t-shirt depicting a Union Jack tea pot and cups.

The Queen herself described the celebrations as a humbling experience. I certainly felt proud to be British and a warm feeling of being part of something spreads inside you when they play songs such as ‘Jerusalem’, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and of course our national anthem ‘God save the Queen.’ Now on the subject of the national anthem; composed by Thomas Augustine Arne and first performed in theatres in 1745; I bet the majority of people only know the first verse being that this is all that is generally sung with the third verse sometimes being included at occasions such as the last night of the Proms. I have included the words below to both the first and the third being that this year will see at least three other opportunities to sing it; Euro 2012 which begun on Friday and saw England’s first game this week against France, which was a draw; the Proms which begin 13^th July and of course the long awaited Olympics, starting on 27^th July.

God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God Save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.

Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen.

June also has another opportunity for strawberries and Pimms and that of course is Wimbledon which begins on 25^th June and is the 126^th Championship. Royalty have been associated with Wimbledon since the Prince of Wales first visited in 1907 with Princess Mary. The Duke and Duchess of Kent attend each year and present the trophies. Queen Elizabeth II last attended in 2010.

On Sunday 10^th at a classic car show, the Jubilee theme was continued with many cars adorned with union jacks and ribbons. As my car is blue and white, it already was half way there and I hung official jubilee bunting in the window.

The Royals are also great style icons. Who can forget how Hobbs had a mad run on the coat that Catherine wore for a royal visit to Liverpool and her penchant for LK Bennett shoes. Many brides also want a copy of her Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen wedding dress. The queen is also a great fashion icon with her matching hats and many handbags. I bet there are few other women of her age who still dress so well (mind you she does have a little bit of help, lol). Angela Kelly, the Queen’s senior dresser and personal assistant has designed for the queen since 2002 and with her team they often use some material which was given to the Queen when she was a Princess. I loved her outfit for Tuesday’s procession, service and balcony appearance.

Queen+Elizabeth+during+the+Diamond+Jubilee+procession

Image courtesy of The Mirror

The Jubilee has seen an explosion of British themed fashion. I couldn’t resist this top from Sainsbury’s TU collection! Don’t knock Sainsbury’s especially now Gok’s 4^th collection for them has been unveiled. I shall be teaming this vest top with my black skinny jeans and these red wedges which I just couldn’t resist in the LK Bennett sale. There are also many British themed home products including these fantastic salt and pepper mills from Dunelm Mill which I just had to have. Souvenirs ranged from the usual biscuit tins, mugs and tea towels to the more unusual such as a solar powered waving queen!

Also coming up in June is Father’s Day and I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thanks to my Dad for all he has done for me over the years. The Queen too was very close to her father George VI and was devastated at his unexpected early death in 1952, causing her to take the throne at the tender age of 25.

I would love to hear how you celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee so please do let me know in the comments box. That’s all from me this time but look out for my next blog where I shall report on the Louboutin exhibition now showing at the Design Museum London until 9^th July.

London Calling – 3G

Apr5

The last few weeks have been quite eventful and exciting with London calling (as the Clash put it). There has been a trip to see Ghost, meal at Gilgamesh and stay at The Grosvenor Hotel – hence the title of this blog being 3G (as in 3 places beginning with ‘G’) with a play on words with the phone technology. I, my Mum, cousin and Aunt went to see Ghost the musical at The Piccadilly theatre. After the greatly acclaimed 1990 film starring the late Patrick Swayze, could the musical compare I asked myself. Well the answer was a very loud yes. This is an outstanding show and if you get the chance to go, I highly recommend it; it’s probably the only musical in which I have seen people in the audience crying. The special effects were out of this world. In a film you take them for granted but on a stage where they can’t cut and paste bits together, they really were something else. Afterwards I hailed a taxi – I was not walking in my high heels, and we went to Brown’s for a meal which as always never disappoints and I’m not just talking about the food and magnificent cocktails – our waiter was a lovely piece of eye candy!

Last weekend my other half and I spent a night in London at the Grosvenor Hotel to celebrate 3 years together. The hotel opened in 1862 and has recently been refurbished, maintaining many original Victorian features and was a great choice for me given my fascination with the Victorian era. The hotel was a very luxurious 4*. We went for a meal at Gilgamesh in Camden, which I chose after it appeared on Masterchef. The restaurant is named after the Epic of Gilgamesh which is believed to be one of the earliest surviving works of literature dating from around 18^th century BC. Gilgamesh was King of Uruk and was part human, part God. He suppressed his people so they asked for the Gods help. The Gods sent Enkidu who was part man and part animal to distract Gilgamesh. They fight but then become friends and then seek to gain recognition by killing a demi God. The pair also kill the bull of heaven. As punishment the Gods decide that one of the pair must die and it ends up being Enkidu because Gilgamesh is part God. Gilgamesh then seeks Urshanabi who has been granted immortality to try and find out the secret of eternal life. The walls of the restaurant depict this story. Head Chef Ian Pengelley creates dishes inspired by South East Asia, China and Japan. The duck spring rolls were to die for (I abstained from my no red meat rule for these). I also had a stunning Thai green curry which was a little hot for me but I want my palette to become accustomed to more spicy food. All of this was washed down with a Cosmopolitan and a bottle of rose Prosecco which my other half and I toasted our anniversary over. What really excites you about this restaurant however is the wonderful, lavish decoration that strikes you as soon as you get to the top of the escalator that leads you into this eastern inspired haven. Attention has been paid to every detail, with the intricate carvings of the chairs, not to mention the bar and the soft mood lighting.

The service is fantastic with your glass constantly being topped up. We then went into the Babylon bar (part of Gilgamesh) which was equally as beautifully decorated and then were directed to the so called club. This is where the special feeling of occasion left us as we were sharply reminded of our class. Every table was reserved and apparently to reserve a table you had to have a minimum spend of £500. Very elitist I felt and rather put a dampener on the evening. On looking on their website after though I see that this may have simply have been the VIP bar and there may have been a studio club above the restaurant. We left after this however, with my feet aching in new heels (the price I pay for gorgeous shoes) and found ourselves in a much less extravagant Camden bar, drinking Sol beers and listening to music from films. We then made our way back to the hotel where we ended up in the Reunion bar drinking wine and then purchased a white Prosecco to take up to the room. That final bottle was a mistake though and we hardly touched it before both dropping off to sleep. We both certainly knew our extravagance in the morning when we woke with thumping headaches! It was enjoyable but for the money it cost, I think we would have been better off going abroad as we have done the last two years. When I compare Buddakan in New York where we went last year, with Gilgamesh, Buddakan wins for me, despite some of the excellent features of Gilgamesh. Buddakan serves modern Asian cuisine with a distinctly Chinese feel whereas Gilgamesh encompasses much more of Asia’s speciality foods. Buddakan felt welcoming from the start with the dim lighting and the wonderful painting behind the bar where Carrie had her last single girl kiss in the first Sex and the City movie. There are beautiful chandeliers, offering a regal palace feel to the place. Buddakan felt more exclusive than Gilgamesh as we were not so crammed in and it was quieter, rather than everyone shouting over each other, not to mention the woman with the hyena laugh we had to put up with whilst we ate at Gilgamesh. The bar also had plenty of unreserved seating. We were allowed to spend as much time as we wanted at the table rather than at Gilgamesh where we were reminded of a 2 hour limit.

Now while I am on the subject of Sex and the City, I am so excited to hear about the filming of the new Sex and the City Prequel, based on Candace Bushnell’s books ‘The Carrie Diaries.’ These books follow Carrie in her teenage years. AnnaSophia Robb has been cast as Carrie – you may remember her as Violet Beauregarde in the version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which had Johnny Depp cast as a somewhat scary Mr Wonka. Some people think the Sex and the City brand has had its day, however as a die hard fan I can’t wait for this series and sincerely hope that the rumours of a third Sex and the City film soon become a reality.

In true Carrie style, let’s now turn to fashion. I couldn’t resist these David and Goliath pyjamas.

David and Goliath was founded in 2000 by Todd Goldman whose doodles have now made their way onto T-shirts, Pyjamas, key rings etc. His aim is to make us laugh. I already own a pair of their pyjamas with the slogan ‘Happiness is Expensive.’ Now I love my pyjamas and happily stay in them all day if I am not going out. They are so comfortable and this company makes you look stylish too. Why not give an edge to your pyjamas when lounging round the house and sling on a pair of pearls, like Carrie in the Sex and the City movie or style up a cute nightshirt with knee high white socks with a cute little bow on the side (I bought these last season and can’t wait to wear with my Daisy Duck nightie when the weather is warmer).

The word Pyjamas comes from a Persian word meaning leg garment. It originally referred to loose trousers tied around the waist. During the British Raj, this word was introduced to the English language. In India, pyjamas were worn as lounge wear by the rich who didn’t need to work. Now despite being a fan of pyjamas, I’m unsure on the latest trend of pyjama style outerwear shown on the spring catwalks by Stella McCartney to name one designer.

Admittedly I enjoy the comfort of wearing out my harem pants, palazzo pants and may even consider these geisha pants from Fashion Union but is a matching pyjama style suit a step too far?

Now whilst we are on controversial trends – are dungarees a do or a don’t? It takes me back to my floral dungaree shorts that I loved as a 9 year old. Jean-Paul Gaultier has a dungaree dress in his new collection as seen below.

Alexia Chung has been spotted wearing them in a New York club.

I have decided to embrace the trend for this item of clothing, which was originally created as a protective form of clothing for workers; with women first wearing them in factories during the First World War and an item that has had brief revivals in the fashion trends in 60s, 70s and more recently 2010. I have purchased this dungaree dress from River Island and intend to wear it with floaty blouses and perhaps as an easy item to put on over my bikini on holiday.

Now I will leave you with an amusing story that a lady at work told me. She was with a girl whose shoe fell onto the track at an underground station. This girl hopped up steps to find a member of staff in order to get them to rescue her very expensive shoe and in doing so had a train held outside the station. Numerous commuters were giving her death stares for causing a delay for the sake of a shoe but my heart goes out to this woman. Any self respecting shoe lover including myself would have done the same! Am I addicted to shoes? Probably, my boyfriend was certainly nodding his head in amusement at a girl addicted to shoes who was featured on ‘My Strange Obsession last week’ and giving me a knowing look. Perhaps I better still keep a few pairs at my parent’s house try and resist anymore purchases for a while! Who am I kidding; I already have my eye on numerous pairs!

How High is too High?

Feb13

When I was thinking about high heels and how they make you feel; my mind wandered to other uses of the word high; lately many things seem to be prefixed with it. High fashion, high end, high rise, high price, high speed, high definition, high achiever, high life, high class to name a few. The word high can mean of a great height in its literal sense but usually used metaphorically it means superior or above somebody or something. Generally it suggests a positive attribute but I want to ask when is high too high; thus making it a negative connotation?

I believe high definition television is a phenomenon which men have convinced themselves improves their viewing experience. All the women I have spoken to can not see any difference and as long as I can watch my programmes, I can’t see any advantage. I guess when they have splashed out on all this technology (a male equivalent to shoes) they have to convince themselves it was worth it!!

The high life is certainly something you can have too much of! Most of my late teens were spent living the high life which resulted in an awful lot of debt for one thing! When I was in my last job, I thought it would be wonderful if I didn’t have to go to work again but once I found myself redundant; after a while I realized that you can have too much of a good thing and was actually pleased when I started my latest job.

High expectations can also be a way to set you up for disappointment especially when it comes to men and romance. You do however sometimes find yourself pleasantly surprised such as the lovely flowers my other half got me for getting onto my teacher training course.

Now getting back to the subject of the blog; it is generally thought that a heel of 1-2 inches is low, 2-4 inches medium and more than 4 inches high. High heel footwear lifts the heel of the wearer’s foot appreciably higher than the toes. As far back as the ancient Egyptian times, heels were worn by men and women, although often for practical reasons such as for butchers to walk above the blood, rather than the glamorous reasons of today. Pattens which were a high sole attached to shoes were often worn to keep shoes out of mud and debris. Heels were also necessary for horse riding to keep the foot in the stirrup. Actors would wear them to depict the differing status of characters which they played. Let me refer you to my blog on harem trousers; there is some suggestion women were made to wear heels to prevent them from escaping a harem. Far from the high heels being used to raise the status of a woman, they were in fact repressing them by stopping them escaping from men.

The upper classes often wore heels for ceremonial purposes. Their popularity began in France but soon spread to other countries nobility. During the French revolution the wearing of heels declined as they were seen as a sign of wealth but they were resurrected in the late nineteenth century almost solely for women’s wear.

The stiletto heel (one of my favourites) is named after the stiletto dagger and became popular in the late 1950s. The Beetles era saw these disappear from mainstream shops but my namesake Manolo Blahnik reintroduced them in 1974 with a heel called the Needle and shops like Biba also stocked similar styles. The stiletto’s real comeback though was post year 2000. Manolo Blahnik has said he tries to make women feel like princesses. Certainly if I am ever fortunate enough to get married, the shoes will be more important than the dress to make me feel like a princess. It’s a good job that my other half doesn’t feel intimidated by me looking taller than him as heels have always been my statement!

We often hear of the negatives of wearing heels, such as foot and tendon problems but there has also been a study which suggests that they may help tone pelvic floor muscles thus having a positive effect on women’s incontinence. A note to my many friends now entering the motherhood period of their lives; if you don’t have time for your pelvic floor exercises, just walk around doing the house work in high heels! Talking of which, I met my friends new baby girl the other week. There are so many gorgeous outfits for new babies but I eventually chose a cute pink baby grow with embroidered butterflies.

Women however are resilient and will go through no end of pain for the sake of fashion. According to an American survey 42% of women said they would wear a shoe they liked even if it gave them discomfort. (Bouchez, C. “Tips to avoid Foot Pain From High Heels”) I must admit I am one of these women. People often marvel at the height of the heels I wear; only the other day two women at work commented that they liked my shoes but didn’t know how I could wear them all day long! As a woman was quoted by the New York Times as saying to another lady, trying shoes on in Bergdorf Goodman, “if you love them, you’ll learn to walk in them.” The Belfast Telegraph reports that the average woman owns 17 pairs of shoes – that makes me well above average, especially including my latest purchase of red ballet pumps! It also said the average woman spends almost two thirds of her time in heels.

France has long been seen as the fashion leaders of the world and high fashion or haute couture as it is known in French refers to the design of exclusive custom fitted clothing. It is an Englishman, Charles Frederick Worth nonetheless who is seen as the father of haute couture. He made the dressmaker more of an artist and prepared portfolios of designs to be shown on models at the House of Worth. The French protect the term haute couture and firms must meet certain standards to use it, although since the late 80’s it has been misused to describe more ready to wear lines. Chanel and Christian Dior are probably two of the most well known fashion houses that can officially be called haute couture. Now Chanel is another of my favourite brands. The fashion house was founded by Gabrielle Chanel in 1909. She was nicknamed “Coco” when she was singing in a French café. I aspire to her vision of casual elegance. Chanel is classic and is most famous for the little black dress, along with the quilted bags; launched Feb 1955, the bags have printed in them 2/55, and of course one of the only thing my budget stretches to, their perfume. I got my first bottle of Chanel perfume at 16, Chanel Allure which was launched in 1996. I moved on to Chance, launched 2002 but have eventually picked my favourite as the classic first perfume, Chanel No. 5 launched in 1921. To me it is the epitome of simple elegance. I couldn’t resist a red Chanelesque bag, a bargain in the fashion union sale!

So fashion and good shoes come at a high price but perhaps the way they make us feel can help us to be high achievers. I read an article once that said one should dress for the job they want, rather than the one they have. Good clothes and shoes certainly give me an air of confidence. Now whilst we are on the subject of high achievement; this can come with a high cost too. Generally these people are perfectionists and this can lead to anxiety disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder. Their work focus can sometimes cause them to neglect their personal relationships making them lonely people, vulnerable to depression. So there is another example of when high becomes too high.

Depressing January gave way to February and we all woke on the 5^th to a blanket of snow 3 ½ inches deep. It was Rufus’s first experience and he loved it whilst my other half and I went back to childhood and built a snowman. Interesting useless fact here, although origins of snowmen are unclear, the first illustration of a snowman seen in a book dates back to 1380!

I shall end this blog with high hopes of the year to come; Valentine’s is tomorrow and remember girls it’s a leap year this year which means the woman can propose to the man traditionally. When this tradition originated is unclear although there is some suggestion that it was initiated by Saint Patrick in Ireland in the 5^th century. I shall leave you with the excitement of the spring fashions; pastel denim seems to be popular (I have already bought some mint coloured skinny jeans) but more details in my next blog after I visit London fashion week at the end of the month. I also treated myself to a sheer leopard print top which I thought was a subtle way of wearing the trend, not that my other half agreed, lol!

Remember, I like to think of HEEL as standing for Highly Elegant Efficient Lady – no heel is ever too high!

New Year, New Beginnings?

Jan9

Image courtesy of Google Images

The long exciting build up to Christmas ultimately culminates in a few days which fly past at the speed of light and generally fail to meet expectations. We all put pressure on ourselves to achieve the ideal Christmas and I wonder whether this utopia is actually possible in reality? I for one have spent more than a couple of Christmas’ ill; then there have been the inevitable family disagreements, not to mention tears over inconsequential incidents. We all eat and drink too much, have this imagined pressure to enjoy ourselves and added to this explosive mix an extra ordinary amount of time spent in close proximity to all our family. No wonder January is the busiest time for people filing for divorce!

Christmas eve, I gave myself an impossibly long list of jobs; however I did mostly enjoy these final preparations. I made paper chains and some paper snowflakes; which took me right back to childhood. Mum and I used to make these together and then Mum would pin the chains up in the hall with balloons in each corner. One year she accidently put a drawing pin through a balloon and made us all jump! I embroidered initials on stockings for my niece and nephew on my partner’s side. I don’t think sewing is one of my strong points, especially when time is not on my side! I then decorated my two tiers Christmas cake before finally relaxing with my other half over a well earned bottle of fizz.

Christmas day was spent at my parents which was relaxing and enjoyable. I was lucky in the respect that Santa brought me all I asked for. My brother came over with his partner and my baby niece. It was lovely to see her little face with all the presents. I am teaching her labels young, letting her hold the small Chanel paper carrier bag which my perfume came in! Boxing Day was rather less relaxing. My partner and I had all his family over for the day. First thing I was making sausage rolls and mince pies and once people began to arrive, I found myself icing a chocolate log with an audience! Neither of us had anticipated the work involved. We played the Mr and Mrs game which was great fun although I was rather embarrassed when as game host I had to ask my future in-laws how many times they had had a bath or shower together since they had been married!! The day went off fairly well with only a few upsets but I was sure glad to have my peaceful house back afterwards.

Before you know it we are at New Years Eve. My partner and I decided not to go out this year; I resent the fact you have to pay exorbitant rates to get in places and then spend hours queuing at the bar for a drink, I know I’m getting old and boring. Plus we are back to that pressure to have a fantastic time. Instead I made a Biryani which we followed with bubbly and party poppers at midnight whilst watching the London fireworks on television. New Year has a kind of contradiction about it I always feel. In one way it is an opportunity for a fresh start and optimism but it also can be a bit depressing when you analyse the life goals you have still yet to achieve. New Year celebrations may well have their route in the Janus, the God of new beginnings, doors and gates. This God had two faces; one which looked into the past and the other in to the future.

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My boyfriend and I joined in Auld Lang Syne on the television at the stroke of midnight which got me thinking as to how and when this became a tradition of New Year. The words are part of a Robert Burns poem which was then put with a traditional folk song. The tradition began in Scotland but is now used worldwide especially in English speaking countries and has been for more than a century. The song is generally thought to be suggesting that we remember old friendships which is something important to me; I always send a text to all my friends whether I see them regularly or not at New Year. This custom of mine ultimately led to my partner contacting me again after some years apart back at the start of 2009!

Now January is upon us. I always find it quite a depressing month and it appears I am not the only one being that Blue Monday (the most depressing day of the year) falls in January. The scientists have even come up with a formula for it. The contributing variables are apparently the weather, debt, time since Christmas, lack of motivation and the failed New Years resolutions. That takes me on to these impossible targets we set ourselves year after year. It is thought this idea may have religious origins with the ancient Babylonians being the first to make them. It centres round looking for self improvement each year. The majority of resolutions fail but success is improved by sharing them with friends. According to an article in the Daily Mail, 9^th January is the day most people give up on their resolutions. In hope of improving my success; I shall now share mine.

Get a job (thankfully this can be ticked off already which gives me some motivation for the others)
Lose weight (this is probably the one with the lowest likely success rate)
Improve my appearance for work (an excuse for shopping, not that I need one)
Stop mentioning marriage and proposals to my other half
Stop worrying so much (hang on I am already worrying about breaking number 2, 4 and 5!)

My cure for this dismal month is simple; fill the calendar with things to look forward to! I already have two weddings to go to which gives me justification for two new outfits. I can’t wait to book a holiday so am enjoying researching places to go. In the meantime a bit of retail therapy should brighten my spirits; after all my shoe queen crown is slipping; so far in 2012 all I have purchased is one pair of shoes and they are for work so don’t really count. Perhaps resolution 6 should be to buy at least one pair of beautiful shoes each month; I’m sure I can keep that one. This pair from LK Bennett may even have to be my reward to myself for my new job!

Happy new year to all my readers and best of luck with your resolutions!