Naughty Little Pleasures!

 

That title will make you smile – for we all have them.
The little things that make us giggle and feel alive and mischievous.
They are of course always slightly naughty – for on the whole, they are very indulgent and completely wicked!

That hand dipped chocolate truffle from La Maison Du Chocolat,
or a sliver of Bleu d’Auvergne – one of those succulent soft cheeses that just melt in your mouth.

Or perhaps a glass of one’s favourite champagne,
or an hour in a hot, steamy bubble bath.

Or an afternoon off work to go shoe shopping instead of slaving away in the office writing reports….and then succumbing to a pair of Jimmy Choos, when the budget was for a pair of Clarks.
Oh, the list could go on and on.

 Delectable shoes from Jimmy Choo!

Right now, the greatest treat I find myself wanting to soak up and enjoy is the sunshine.

Every time a ray peeks out from behind a cloud, I race out for a walk with the dogs, trying to get as much sun as possible in case it disappears for yet another month.

How we’ve survived this infernal winter I have no idea. I reckon we could count on one hand the number of days when the sun has been out for a full 8 hours this year.
Not good, let me tell you, for a Kiwi girl with a love of long hot days and sunshine. I swear, I have never looked so anemic in my life and were I to hit the shores of my homeland right now, I fear the shock of my pallor would be misconstrued as illness.

Manly Beach Sydney – My home down under!

Last weekend, the sun came out, and not to miss one single ray of it, I skipped out, with a friend to one of our favourite spots on the outskirts of London – Petersham Nurseries. (Just on the Thames near Richmond) A place of flowers, heady fragrances, lazy afternoon teas and exotic cakes – a place, in other words to indulge in some of those wicked little pleasures!

I love the colour of these primroses – pink merging with lemon – Very scrumptuous!

Flowers mixed with ornate chandeliers and rusty old mirrors -Fabulous!

For those who have been there I do not need to tell of it’s allure – of it’s magical old glasshouses, that exude a rustic charm and arty appeal. Of ginormous antique pots filled with deep cream narcissus whose fragrance fills the room with a heavenly aroma. The beautiful cafe with it’s tin tables and delectable fresh food and the wonderful selection of potted plants and flowers and other fabulous bits and pieces for sale, set in such a stylish display as to tempt even the non plant lovers.

A glasshouse filled with antiques and plants! 

Louise and I indulged in a fabulous tea – she had Victoria sponge oozing fresh cream and jam and layered in strawberries and edible purple pansies. Not being able to eat wheat, I tickled my taste buds with a grilled aubergine and feta salad which was both delicate and decadent all at the same time. The colours of both dishes were a feast in themselves with vibrant pinks and reds and greens; many ingredients coming straight from the very gardens and hothouses around us.

Mmmm, jam and cream with strawberries and pansies.

It got us talking about colours and nature and what hues go together

and why we don’t wear such vibrant colour combinations as are found in plants. Why do we as humans tend to go for muted tones or dark shades, especially in the long cold months.

Walk down Oxford street in the middle of winter and the crowds of people merge into one big blur of grey sludge and then wow – right in the middle you will spot a brave soul in a hot pink fuchsia coat. She’ll stand out and look amazing.

I love pink hydrangeas.. and white ones.. and for that matter, purple as well!

 

So my dear curvy readers – my old challenge for you once again…. make one of your special little treats this spring be something bright and colourful – I dare you! Wear something different, something you haven’t contemplated before, something that will bring a bounce to your step!

 Perhaps a fabulous vibrant blue or fiery red dress, a tropical tangerine top, a lustful lemon scarf or an intense green pair of shoes!
(Do such shoes exist?) Time to break out of winter and get in the groove – spring is here and with it comes colour!

Kick up your heels in something new! – One of our splendid 1950′s dresses.

And as for all those other ‘naughty little pleasures’ this spring – well enjoy! I am not about to share what mine are, so I hardly expect you will divulge yours either !!!

p.s – and no, don’t worry, we wont be measuring those indulgences next time you come in for a fitting! 

But then again, we might just have to!!

p.s.s For Petersham Nurseries check out their website at http://www.petershamnurseries.com

 

 

A New Year

 

A New You

 

A New Me!

 

(Fireworks around the London Eye)

 

Phew – we've all survived Christmas for another year. What a palava it is – with all the parties, the madness of last minute shopping, the excesses of too much food and alcohol and frivolity, the family dramas, the sadness of not being with family and friends that are no longer here, or live in other parts of the world. Love it or loathe it, Christmas is a time to get through – and hopefully dear readers, you are still all in one piece and have sailed through ready to face the new year.

 

(Getting waylaid with some of my staff on the way to our Christmas party!)

 

 

I've somehow managed to hang in there. What with an over abundance of parties to attend, I was more than happy to have a quiet family Christmas tucked away in a little cottage by the sea, where many an hour was spent on bracing walks with the dogs along coastal paths battling gale force winds and non stop rain, and even more happy hours were spent in the local pubs whittling away many an afternoon by the fire with a stiff drink and a laugh with the locals.

 

(Into the pub for a lazy afternoon!)

 

 

Christmas brings a certain poignancy with it as well, for one cannot help but reflect on the year that is ending and the new one that is about to start. Come the end of the year I, like most people I think, always give myself a bit of a self assessment of achievements that have been accomplished and goals that have been reached. Being a highly driven, always on the go type of soul, I can't help but look back and wonder how much more I could have fitted into the year and what I could have done differently to have made my life and work better.

On reflecting over the past year, the word 'courage' kept coming to mind. Take the glorious year that Britain had with both the Olympics and the Golden Jubilee. The courage of all those athletes to dedicate their lives to their chosen sport, not knowing for years whether they would succeed or fail. To move out of their comfort zones and to push themselves to the very limits of training and discipline in their goal to succeed. Some excelled with medals and some went home with nothing, but they all had the courage to get out there and try their very best.

 

(The thrill of the Olympics!)

 

 

The Golden Jubilee likewise celebrated the reign of another woman of great courage – HM Queen Elizabeth the Second. I had always thought of her merely as a dedicated woman, committed to her role within the country, until I had a conversation with an elderly lady who spoke of the immense courage the Queen has had throughout her life, to rise to the role in which she was thrust, through no choice of her own, and to make it successful. To also have the courage to face criticism on a daily basis for the little things – how she acted, what she wore and what she said. For making decisions on how to be seen to be acting through a recession, how to behave through an era of great technological advancement, and so the list goes on. So easy would it have been on many occasions for her to bury her head in the sand and hide.

(Looking gorgeous in blue!)

 

It all got me thinking – of how those in life that are successful and fulfilled are often the ones that have had the courage to take risks – be they big or small. Maybe they have had to go out on a limb and risk everything to achieve their goal, or have had to face criticism from contemporaries and family, or maybe they have had to overcome an immense fear and face dreadful uncertainty in their aim for something better. Maybe they have just had to make really difficult decisions. It can be scary of course at times to strive for success and real happiness in work and our personal lives – but the rewards are there waiting.

 

(Climbing the impossible mountain!)

 

Believe it or not, I regularly meet courageous women who come to the studio for clothes and face 'clothes fears' head on.. Let me give you an example. It is remarkable how many girls face fears about wearing a dress. They receive an invitation to attend a wedding and not having worn a dress for years, decide to throw out their trousers for a day and don a dress for the special occasion. I have yet to meet a woman who has done this and who has regretted it. It is amazing how many women have not worn dresses for ten, twenty, thirty years.

 

One lady recently had a dress made for a wedding she was attending a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time she had put on a dress and shown her ankles since her own wedding twenty eight years ago. After the event she wrote me a card to say that she was so glad she'd had the courage to ditch the trousers for the day and wear a dress. In fact, she had had so many glowing comments and so much attention, that she had not wanted to take it off and had considered wearing it the next day to work! 

 

 

(Not sure I will be ditching these trousers this spring – they are heavenly – made from a double crepe silk – ultimate luxury in trousers!)

 

 

So ladies, I challenge you all to summon up a little courage this year – for that is indeed what I plan to do. To try something new, be adventurous, make hard decisions, take risks, put aside fears and hesitancies which hinder and to move forward in life. Nothing like a courageous spirit to sail into the new year with!

 

(Looking incredibly demure in green – a colour I have never worn before, but thought I would try.

 Worn with an old vintage necklace- not sure if the whole look is me or not – but there's nothing like trying something different!)

 

Keep your eyes peeled on our website this year, for we have lots of fabulous fashion shows and events coming up which will be packed with great fun, gorgeous girls and of course heavenly clothes!

Here's to looking and feeling fantastic in 2013!

 

 

P.S.

Farewell to Mr Boffin

 

 

 A few days before Christmas I had to say a very tearful good-bye to my dear old cat Mr Boffin. At the ripe old age of 20 his heart was getting a little dodgy and he was becoming feeble, so that terribly tough decision had to be made that it was time to say farewell.

 

He was a typical villain of a cat, sharpening his claws on the best pieces of furniture, rolling about on the laptop as I was working, sleeping on things that he shouldn't have been on. He had a habit of catching mice, bringing them into the house and letting them go under the bed – all in the middle of the night of course.

But my dear Boffy was an adorable cat who loved cuddles and snuggles and who purred loudly with pleasure. He made me laugh, he terrorised the dogs and he ruled the house in only a way that a cat can do. It is all horribly quiet now without him and I miss him enormously as only cat lovers will ever understand.

 

 

 

The Day Buttons

 

 

Met Camilla

 

 

– Duchess of Cornwall.

 

 

 

Warning ladies, this is a dog blog – so if you are not partial to our furry little four legged friends, I would leave this blog here and now, before you shake your head in horror at this very trivial tale!

 

(Buttons – My scruffy old dog!)

 

 

There are some days in life when one wakes up with no idea of what events will unfold. Sometimes these events are horrific, other times sad, sometimes joyful and other times just outright odd. This is an account of a very odd event.

It was Thursday the 14th of June. The day started as always with Buttons and I trotting off to work. The sun shone for the first time in weeks, so after our first customer who had popped in for a fitting left, Buttons and I headed out for a brisk walk along the Thames. We had 2 hours before a young lady was coming in to have her wedding dress designed.

 

 

 

Buttons was full of enthusiasm so as always ran through as many mud puddles as possible, rolled in some smelly muck of an indescribable nature and all in all became a complete mess. We both felt jolly good being out in the sun with the wind whistling through our hair. As we headed back to work, we stopped off at the local butcher, a friendly fellow who knows my dogs well and who always keeps a special bag of assorted hip, knee and back bones which he saws up for Buttons and me to collect whenever we are passing by. Armed with a particularly mammoth bag of these gory bones, and feeling particularly ebullient from our invigorating walk we rounded the corner near our studio to find a little crowd gathering outside the church across the road.

Intrigued as to what was going on I inquired and discovered that Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall was due to arrive at any moment to view the Jubilee Flower Show that was within. Well now, given the opportunity to view Camilla up close and personal aroused my curiosity so I decided I may as well join the few spectators who had gathered, and check her out.

 

 

 

Buttons was rather whiffy, or maybe it was the slight abattoir smell emanating from the plastic bag – whatever it was we attracted the attention of the security men. They looked at Buttons with suspicion, obviously trying to think of some reason or another to move her on. In a very serious voice the head man inquired as to whether my dog would become excitable when the Duchess of Cornwall arrived. I replied with an equally authoritative voice that, unless Camilla had recently turned into a cat or a squirrel, there was very little chance of Buttons becoming excited in the least. He was not amused and walked off with an air of exasperation. Obviously he had drawn the short straw when it came to the morning's security jobs. A few old ladies with zimmer frames, a smelly dog and a couple of classrooms of local primary kids posed no threat whatsoever. His face gave it all away – he was dreaming of guarding the Duchess of Cambridge who evoked far more interest and passion with all sorts of excitement likely to take place. A dull day indeed for him.

 

 

 

Camilla arrived, slid out of the car and headed straight for the old dears with the zimmer frames. They were overjoyed and enthusiastically shook hands and passed pleasantries, when all of a sudden it happened. The lady standing next to me started jumping up and down, yelling out for Camilla to come and shake her hand. I looked at her in horror – willing her to either shut up or disappear, but before I knew it Camilla turned and came over to this most exuberant woman. They shook hands whilst that sinking feeling washed over me that like it or not, I was next. Juggling the bag of bones and Buttons' dog leash I emptied my hand enough to politely shake and say hello, she smiled and scratched Buttons on the head inquiring as to what her name was.

 

(Camilla – The Duchess of Cornwall meeting and greeting in Barnes)

 

“This is Buttons” I replied, looking down at my mud covered, terribly smelly dog.

“ Well, hello Buttons”, said the Duchess of Cornwall and continued to give Buttons a jolly good scratch. Looking back at me, she somewhat mumbled, “ Well I had better head into the church to see the flowers” and with that Camilla was off chatting to the school children as she went.

 

(One of the displays in St Mary's Church – a horse covered in grass!)

 

I was overcome with this incredible desire to burst out laughing. The situation was worthy of bad comedy. I was only glad that the bones had not tumbled out in the muddle and that Buttons had not decided to jump on her with filthy paws. We had somehow got through intact!

 

(Buttons at the scene of the excitement!)

 

And as for Camilla, well her cornflower coloured suit was lovely – well cut and obviously hand sewn, she was most unassuming and pleasant and had the air of someone who would really rather avoid such fuss. I could see she would much rather sneak into the church unnoticed to have a look at the displays within.

 

(One of the displays in the church – Apparently this a floral version of the Queen's Coronation Dress – Great imagination needed! )

 

Buttons and I dashed back to work – a little late. Buttons happily collapsing on the terrace to gnaw on one of those delicious bones, completely unaware of the little odd event that had come our way.

And so it was that the day continued and little does she know that despite the mud and putrid odour she is one of the few scruffy labradoodles that have had the honour of having their head scratched by the future Queen of England!

 

( A royal Banquet – I wonder how many dogs are hiding under the table cloth? – I've heard it has happened on a number of occasions.)

 

For those of you who are planning on meeting the royals in a more formal, civilised fashion we have a number of lovely dresses you would look truly super in!

 

 

P.S You may be happy to know that after work, Buttons had a bath, so that in the event that we happen upon any more royals she will not smell like Paddy McGinty's goat!

 

 

The Joyous Month of June

 

 

(My prize pink and lemon striped roses.)

 

June just happens to be my favourite month of the year. The weather is usually hot, there are flowers bursting forth with much gusto in gardens all over the countryside, roses are in full bloom (my all time favourite flower) and fetes, fairs and days filled with summer activities are a plenty.

 

 

 

And this year there has been the Diamond Jubilee. What a weekend it has been of parties, festivities and rain!

 

(I loved all the flags and bunting that adorned so many streets and houses – fabulous!)

 

Here at the studio the dressmakers have been sewing like crazy for weeks getting ready a host of bespoke dresses for garden parties, riverside lunches and evening dinners to mark this auspicious occasion.  We have had ladies attending marvellous events up and down the country, not to mention in London and on the river to celebrate the Queen’s sixty year reign. 

 

(Queen Elizabeth II looking gorgeous!)

Did I attend any such events?  Well now, let me tell you about my own little adventure in seeing the Queen on Sunday as she sailed past on that most glorious barge – The Spirit of Chartwell.

 

( The spirit of Chartwell – beautifully bedecked in flowers )

 

My Dad, being the fervent historian that he is, convinced me that it was an event I simply had to be part of. Such a spectacle had not been seen for 350years and unlikely to happen again this century, so be part of it I would! As no invitations had landed through my letterbox for a party on a riverside balcony or anything else as remotely luxurious, I was up bright and early on Sunday morning cooking a hearty breakfast and making a pile of sandwiches to get us all through the day – and what a fortunate foresight it was that I had prepared – for once jammed into those crowds it was impossible to move, and it turned into a very long day!

 

( And the crowds went mad…)

Sunday the 3rd of June was cold, rainy and miserable. I found myself at Barnes station along with what can only be described as the rest of Barnes – kids, parents, grannies, pushchairs, picnics – all determined to get on a train. Alas the trains were jammed full as they rolled into the station…one after another packed to the rafters. In scenes reminiscent of time I spent in China in the late 1980’s a few people were shoved with much force onto a carriage – but the situation was impossible.

 

(Packed to the rafters in China)

 

After hours of pushing and heaving the only solution was to catch a train in the opposite direction and go way back to the start of the line to then get on a train to go back into central London. Hours later I arrived at Waterloo station with my squashed sandwiches, having combated claustrophobic conditions, screaming children and irate people all exhausted at the mere travel into town.

 

(Waterloo train station – was nearly impossible to move.)

More pushing and heaving went on for hours on the banks of the Thames – standing in the rain being shoved, trod on and squashed. But the mood was jovial, the camaraderie great as people all weathered the conditions for what seemed like an eternity. Friends were made, life stories swapped, laughter abounded as minutia filled the hours of waiting. Kids climbed trees and were hauled down by Bobbies on the beat, young men regaled stories of heroism in similar situations whilst swilling endless cans of beer, their stories getting bigger and better with each pint, women secretly whispered that their legs were getting tired, and old men peered through their binoculars at young ladies going past. Oh it was all happening.

 

(Braving the rain….)

 

And then the boats at last came.  Some regal, some tiny, some rowed by men in costumes, and some by women in fancy dress – they all went past with great flourish and much aplomb. Bands played with great gusto and the crowds cheered.

 

 

 

Suddenly, the mighty Chartwell appeared – it was breathtaking in real life – huge and impressive with its gold bow and flower decked tiers.  The Queen waved and we waved back and cheered and clapped. The hours of being squashed like sardines in a tin seemed like nothing. It was all worthwhile, just for those few minutes of seeing with ones own eyes the splendour of history in the making.

 

(The queen resplendent in white.)

 

I will not bore you with details of the wet bedraggled trip home that took hours, nor of the battle it was to actually get off the train on my return to Barnes station – the feeling of being part of something great buoyed up the tiredness of the day.

 

(Love the legs girls!)

 

On Monday, Barnes was a buzz with street parties. Ours was fabulous with the neighbours all cooking up a big barbeque and chatting for hours. The spirit of the day was evident with all the good humour, laughter, kids tearing about and lots of raucous singing.

 

(Despite the rain all the neighbours had a jolly good time!)

 

The women gossiped as always about what the royals had been wearing and I secretly lamented the fact that none of them were remotely near a size 14 and would therefore never need to pop into our studio for a dazzling new outfit!  The Queen, I have to say, looked fabulous. I loved her white sparkly outfit and hat and thought it suited her perfectly.

 

(The Royals aboard the barge. Knitted by some very clever local knitters and spotted in my local knitting shop!)

 

 I can’t resist telling you about one neighbour who had a little too much to drink and insisted on singing at twice the volume of everyone else, completely out of tune and approximately three beats behind everyone else. I am sure you can picture the scene! It had us in a complete state of giggles just watching him for in general life he prides himself on being a very proper gentlemen who wouldn’t put a foot wrong, but yesterday, he seemed to be overwhelmed with the joie de vivre of the day and let go, much to the amusement of most of the neighbours!  

 

 

(Whoops – hope it wasn't me that was tiddly and singing out of tune – by the look of this pic it could have been! – actually, I cut the fellow that was, out of the picture – he may not have like being identified!)

 

To end this fabulous weekend I would like to wish the Queen many more years of fabulous reign. (Not rain though – we need sunshine)

 

 

So back to my love of June and all it entails. There will be bike rides and picnics along the river, a day at the races, lazy afternoons with friends soaking up the sun and  garden parties that make the most of the long warm evenings surrounded of course by all those fabulous sweet smelling roses.

  I love old fashioned roses – the big full blousy type that you can poke your nose right into and take a deep breath of a heady, almost honey fragrance. The bigger, frillier and more scented they are the better – with their velvety petals and depth of colour and character!  I have them in my garden climbing all over walls and fences, up trees – over gates – wherever takes their fancy. I’m not one for keeping roses under control for they remind me of women – the big bouncy ones who are vivacious, curvaceous and full of verve, making the most of opportunities and life! 

Nothing like doing the impossible ladies and climbing the odd tree – scaling an impossible wall and peeking over a gate!  Then again, just lazing in the sun and doing nothing is sometimes jolly good as well!

 

 

Enjoy Summer ladies – and enjoy wearing all your gorgeous new clothes – I know you are all going to look stunning!

 

 

There's Nothing like a New Year.

 

 

2012 is here….

 

 

(Fireworks over Big Ben)

 

I like nothing more than the start of a new year. Fireworks exploding with much gusto, Champagne corks popping, ridiculous New Year resolutions being made that will never be kept, Auld Lang Syne being sung, mainly out of tune due to a little too much drink and an overwhelming feeling of good spirits. It gives me the wonderful feeling that new opportunities, new beginnings and new adventures are all about to start. And this new year is no exception, for I feel full of energy and optimism that it is going to be a fabulous year, difficult in some ways perhaps, but jolly good in other ways !!

 

 

 

 

Maybe it was all the sea air I breathed in at Christmas time clearing out the cobwebs in my old brain, that has given me so much verve – but whatever it is I feel like bouncing into the new year with much vigour and enthusiasm, ready to face whatever comes my way with vibrance and passion. Sounds rather dangerous!

So let me tell you about all the exciting plans for Carolyn de la Drapiere this year.  Oh but before I do, I must tell you ladies, that this Christmas, I discovered Dorset. Indeed Yes !

 

 

(Weymouth harbour)

 

 

Dorset at Christmas time was lovely. Our tiny cottage by the sea with its roaring fire and old beams set the scene for a perfect English Christmas. You see, I am still thrilled to have cold Christmases after all the hot humid ones of the southern hemisphere. Cosiness with a log fire, a roast Christmas dinner that doesn't make one break into a sweat whilst cooking it, as it does in the sizzling Australian heat, Christmas lights twinkling from real Christmas trees that are beautiful and perfume the room with a delicate forest scent – divine. All goes to making Christmas a wonderful time for me.

 

 

 

 

When I was a child growing up in Australia and New Zealand, the Christmas cards at the time were somewhat ludicrously traditional English cards – depicting scenes so far removed from the reality of life as we knew it. They were the stereotypical cards of pretty little thatched roofed cottages surrounded by holly trees. Robins sat decoratively about twittering away, and then of course a light powdering of snow made the whole scene look so magical that it seemed like fairyland. As a child with a very active imagination I always thought that this was how Christmas should really be and that for some reason or another we were missing out on the real thing, what with our hot days and scorching sand at the beach, where we typically spent our Christmas day having a BBQ and swimming!

 

 

 

 

Likewise was my immense fascination with castles – only read about in story books. These amazing labyrinths of rooms and corridors, seeping with intrigue and romance fuelled my fertile mind and to this day I never tire of looking through one. So imagine my absolute delight, when rounding a corner one day last week whilst on a drive through the Dorset country side, to see a gorgeous old castle sitting majestically amongst the trees and lush green fields dotted with pristine white sheep.

 

 

(Lulworth Castle)

 

 

My childhood fantasies, of princesses locked in turrets with dashing young men bounding up on white stallions to rescue them and gallop away to some fabulous place, all came back to me!

 

 

(I love the symmetry of this castle – wonderful shape, beautiful grounds – think I could live here quite easily! )

 

 

But Dorset is not all about castles and fairy tales, oh no, for it is also the home of the brilliant Thomas Hardy, an author who is known for his very realistic tales of hardship and struggle.

 

 

(Thomas Hardy – The realist)

 

 

His Characters often seem to be in the somewhat overwhelming and indeed overpowering grip of fate and are mostly viewed as tragic – struggling against their passions and social circumstances. No fairy tale endings with Hardy. Quite frankly, I have decided life is too short to read any more of him and have therefore not opened one of his somewhat depressing tomes since teaching, many years ago, 'Far from the Madding Crowd' to a class of somewhat cynical 18 year olds studying the depths of moral responsibility in relation to tragedy. All a bit much I am afraid, and I shall leave him tucked away in Dorchester where he lived and died.

 

 

(Max Gate – The home of Thomas Hardy)

 

 

Dorset I discovered has fabulous coastal scenery. And it was in the discovery of this, that I also discovered that I am not as hardy as I thought I was. Picture the scene of a lovely little coastal village with a fabulous hill set high above it, and the suggestion being made that the hill should be climbed to see the view from above !

The sun is shining, the day is mild and the idea sounds nothing short of blissful. Imagine however, ten minutes later, being half way up the hill on a particularly steep incline, the weather has turned nasty, sheets of heavy rain pelt down, a strong wind is blowing and the top seems miles away. The hill has turned into a mountain and the whole experience is no longer that much fun. Does one turn and run down, or do you soldier on with the fortitude of Sir Edmund Hilary and get to the top?

Not to be beaten by a bit of rain, heavy as it may be, or head-on winds, I sallied forth only to find myself being overtaken by hardened hikers in full wet weather gear, spiked boots and professional walking sticks! They'd obviously checked out the weather forecast first! Soaked to the skin and somewhat puffed I saw the view, the sun came out and all was jolly again – until one had to face the somewhat slippery and extremely muddy slide back down that intrepid hillside!

Oh ladies, let me tell you, I am one for luxury, but a little mud doesn't hurt on the odd occasion!!

 

 

 

(Lulworth Coast)

 

 

So as for the fashion in Dorset….. well, I never really saw any. Just vast amounts of walking gear on people that certainly had their kit together – though I always love checking out the different coats, scarves, gloves and hats that women put together. It was in Lyme Regis that I made the greatest fashion discovery of the week. A hat shop stuffed full of the most fabulous handmade hats imaginable. Owned by a very creative lady, Alison Tutcher, who literally whipped hats up from all sorts of old mismatched pieces of fabric and sweaters – the place was an Aladdin's cave of original pieces. How I love finding people who make completely different things from the norm. It is always inspiring and of course, being the hat lover that I am, I just had to try on lots of those fancy pieces of frippery and succumb to the odd one or two – or three!

 

 

 

(Lyme Regis)

 

(Pop Goes the Weasel – Hat Shop by the Sea)

 

 

 

 

And now to the New Year. What does it hold?

 

Well ladies, look out for some fantastic events coming up. I am planning a fabulous afternoon tea in May with a full jazz band and dazzling fashion show. What fun to sip Prosecco, tap one's foot to a little funky rhythm and watch as ladies strut down the catwalk in glamorous curvy clothes for the summer season. Joining us on the catwalk will be a full lingerie show by a local designer – what fun that will be seeing pretty bras, knickers and basques being sexily shown off by some gorgeous models.

And what would a fashion show be without some handsome men? A range of menswear will also be modelled by some dapper gentleman, just to give a bit of balance to the afternoon's events !

 

 

 

 

 

In contrast to the luxury and delicacy of sipping tea from fine china, comes the outrageous and absolutely hilarious photoshoot with the London Welsh Rugby team. Nothing like some big beefy boys and a curvaceous model to make some sparks fly!

You may wonder what on earth I am doing with a rugby team? Well dear readers, my interests are many and varied and watching rugby is another little pastime I rather enjoy…. so why not sponsor a rugby team and have some fun with a photoshoot?

And besides, we all need, as you will agree ladies, a little bit of 'rough' in our lives!

 

 

 

(London Welsh at Old Deer Park)

 

 

Another big photoshoot is coming up in February with the amazing Italian photographer Alessandro Capocetti. He is absolutely brilliant and will capture our summer collection beautifully. We are doing the shoot on a catwalk to enable us to video each item as well, so that you will be able to see the clothes from all angles as the model walks and turns and spins ! All very new and exciting.

The list goes on throughout the year and I shall keep you well posted of events and promotions coming up.

But to start the New Year let me introduce the brand new page on the website dedicated to the studio, with lots of new pictures, and an incredible video clip as photographed by Alessandro… the photos are soft, subtle and simply gorgeous!

Check out the tool bar along the top of the website to find the new 'studio'section.

 

 

 

 

As we have more and more women (and the odd man) coming to the studio to buy clothes and enjoying the experience, we thought it would be fun to give those of you who cannot come to visit us a better 'virtual' tour of where we are and what we all look like. So click on the link below for a full tour of our 'little hidden shop of luxury' for curvy women.

 

 

 

 

So ladies,

 

As I swing open the doors to the New Year, I wonder what this year will bring?

 

I feel like bursting forth, full of enthusiasm and with new aspirations bounce down the stairs of that lovely castle with great ebullience, ready to tackle new challenges and goals head on!

 

 

The grand doors to Lulworth Castle – How I would love to swing them open, run down the stairs singing the song that Julie Andrews sings from The sound of Music as she escapes from the Abbey….

'What will the day be like – I wonder…..?'

But I would change it to – 'What will the year be like?'

- I do wonder!

 

 

Happy New Year to all my dear readers. I hope it brings much happiness, health and goodness to each and every one of you!!

 

 

I will leave you with a couple of silly pics of me trying on hats in Alison's fab shop!!

 

(I really liked this Cloche design)

(And as for this look…. not too sure!!! But the hat is cute!)

 

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 

 

xxxx

 

(Sunset over the Dorset coast)

 

 

Tis the Season to be Jolly……

 

 

(Christmas in London – How I love it, for there is always so much to do and the lights and decorations are so pretty!)

Well would you believe it, Christmas is here again? Without any warning it springs upon us with such force and with such a multitude of parties, events, fairs, dinners, open evenings, balls, charity events etcetera etcetera, that I for one am left gasping.

 

And if you love Christmas like I do, you will be making the most of the festive season and enjoying it all to the max!

 

(Party invitations…. what fun to be had!)

 

The whirlwind that Christmas stirs up though, is at times beyond belief and I for one have decided that it should be given a hurricane rating !

 

This Christmas is definitely a ten.

How ladies, do we ever cope? What with all the merriment:- the mulled wine and dancing, the plotting and planning of parties, the shopping and cooking of festive fare, plus having to work, how do we get through it?

 

(The fun of decorating the table for the big Christmas dinner!)

 

I wonder myself, for before Christmas I am aiming to finalise the spring collection for next year which is a mammoth job in itself, plus organise a fashion show and two photo shoots, plus see all the lovely clients who are in and out of the studio everyday. Added to that is fitting in the writing of a hundred or so Christmas cards to post before the cut off date, plus baking the traditional Christmas cake, which should have been done literally months ago, along with the brandy soaked pudding – and as for Christmas shopping and buying a myriad of gifts, then wrapping them beautifully – well now, it is all simply too much for words.

 

 

 

Oh and I forgot to mention all the other things us women do – the decorating of the house, hosting a couple of parties, all the kids activities if we have kids, organising the turkey, cleaning out the spare room for the in-laws who are coming to stay, organising the cat sitting when you go away for a few days, and doing that huge grocery shop that we all feel compelled to do a few days before the 25th of December, as if shops are going to be shut for the whole of January!

The only thing for it of course is to realize that something must give. Either that or hire a 'Christmas Assistant' who does half of it for you ! Now that would be nice – one's own Christmas Elf !

 

 

So what does one do, when they have too much to do? Well if you are like me, you ignore it all, procrastinate like crazy and sit down and write a blog about it !

 

I have to admit to getting rather lazy in the midst of it all. The first thing to give is the bedroom. It currently looks like a bomb site from having six nights of parties and festivities out on the trot – clothes being flung everywhere and left piled on chairs, shoes and bags stacking up in a very impressive pile, hot hair rollers, curling tongs, make up, perfume, necklaces, earrings and other jewellery bits, not to mention lingerie galore – lacy little bits and pieces peeking out from where ever they have landed as I have whipped them off and toppled into bed. Then there's all the other girlish paraphernalia scattered wildy across my old oak dressing table – which incidently I have moved with me from one country to another, so fond of it am I.

 

Quite frankly the room is a mess… Maybe if I was Tracey Emin I could sell it off as an 'art piece' – for it certainly says something about a busy woman's life.

 

(Lingerie from my favourite lingerie shop – 'Truelove' – In Barnes – Not the type of luxury to be left scattered about – But then again it is so gorgeous to look at and should not to be left tucked away in drawers either!)

 

 

Any man reading this will be horrified, as will my mother. Somehow, men manage to keep it altogether, as do mothers. Men don't attempt to multi task at Christmas time – or at any other time for that matter. And mothers seem to be able manage it all without getting in a mess….

Yes, Christmas is a bit of pressure pot for us ladies…

So here's a few cheery Christmas tips from me!

Have a few Christmas outfits lined up and ready to go, so you're not running around the house the day of the party, despairingly telling whoever will listen, which is usually only the cat or dog – that you simply have 'nothing to wear!'

Make sure you have the really “ Big Events” like the Christmas Ball sorted weeks beforehand. Have the dress hanging and ready to go – organise the entire outfit right down to shoes, accessories and stockings! (Yes, you don't want to be running around a few hours beforehand, trying to find an 8 denier pair of sheers to complete the outfit. You're bound to end up in a pair of old tights with holes somewhere or another feeling like a right lemon! )

 

(Glorious tights from Truelove Lingerie -Barnes)

 

I know lots and lots of you are well organised when it comes to your clothes for we have been madly sewing some amazing dresses over the last few months in preparation for special Christmas occasions. I hope you have all been the belle of the ball!!

 

 

If you don't have the time to don an apron, get out the mixing bowls and stir up some magical cakes, pies and puddings in the kitchen, don't feel guilty! I sure don't, for if I don't have the time to do all that baking or I simply run out of energy, I buy mine at a local Church Christmas Fair and they're always fabulous – none of us have been rushed off to hospital yet with any strange food poisoning illnesses! And just think, someone else has put a lot of time and effort into baking those scrumptious goodies, so why not feel good about supporting them – and if you're really wicked, (like one woman I know) you can just pretend you whipped them up yourself anyway! Keep your impressive baking skills for other times of the year, when things are not so manic…

 

(Gingerbread house made by the kids!)

Writing all those Christmas cards – Well, you can do one of two things:- stay up all night with a large glass of your favourite tipple and just get it done and hope that the last fifty are legible. Or you can do the unthinkable and send one of those email Christmas Cards that make a lot of noise as cartoon characters run across your screen. ( I personally am not fond of these, as I like the good old fashioned cards that you can sit on the mantlepiece and look at every time you wander past, knowing that at least once a year, that old school friend from thirty years ago, still remembers you exist. However, I have been known out of desperation to send those email cards – horrors! But much better than someone thinking you have forgotten them altogether!)

 

(Not hard to work out where I just received this card from… a land down under, where the sun is shining and it is hot- oh to be there for a little of that sunshine! My friends send me these cards to tease me…)

 

 

Decorating the house, well now, the best thing to do is to let the kids to do it. And then accept that everything may be a little higgledy piggledy and not quite how you'd have it, but it will do. Don't put the pressure on yourself to run around after they've gone to bed fixing it all up…just go to bed and have a jolly good sleep knowing they think it's fabulous.  Let's face it – Santa's not going to be overly worried if the baubles on the tree are not quite in the right place and things look slightly wonky! I have a very enthusiastic housekeeper that does mine and hey ho, the whole house looks like something between a Walt Disney film and National Lampoon's Christmas !!

Mmmmmm……..

(My amazing, energetic housekeeper Renata caught on camera making a start to the decorating!)

 

The turkey and groceries – well girls, this just has to be done! I somehow manage to remember to put in an order with the local butcher for one of their supposedly free range, totally organic, happy, healthy turkeys, that have had a good life on some very pretty little farm somewhere in Devon and are totally unaware of what their destiny will be until the last second! And the groceries – well a midnight shop at Sainsburys is the key of course, when no-one else is about and the only people you have to do battle with is the shelf stackers who have the aisles full of boxes, making it impossible to get around. At least they are not in terrible moods and suffering hangovers from the office party that afternoon!

 

(MMMmmmm… what a turkey-  not sure mine have ever looked as good as this one!)

 

And what of your partner / husband / boyfriend through all this fuss? The aim of course, is to get him through the whole thing as unflustered as possible! My Advice – don't expect anything major as far as contributions are concerned, unless they are as enthusiastic about Christmas as you are. Men on the whole just don't get it at all. They enjoy the end result, they just don't see the need for the tension it brings, and quite frankly I totally agree. There's no need for us to be perfectionists when it comes to Christmas – relax, enjoy it, and laugh your way through a festive time!

 

(A happy chappy!)

 

So get out those party frocks, the impossibly high heels you've had languishing in the back of the cupboard and head off to the next festive fun filled event knowing that there are never going to be any Oscars given out for the 'Perfect Christmas Organiser / House Decorator / Christmas Card Writer / Turkey Cooker '. Your family and friends would much rather remember you for the fun you had and your infectious laugh, than your grumpy old frown when things didn't quite go to plan!

 

 

Have a fabulous, fun filled Christmas all my dear readers and catch up in the New Year!!

xxxxx

p.s…. I'm off to clean up the mess in the bedroom which will make my husband very happy!: )

Postscript added some days later…..

 

p.s.s……Got out of the big bedroom clean up by an evening visit to 'Winter Wonderland' in Hyde Park  -  Much more fun !!

 

 

( The view across the Serpentine- so pretty on a clear moonlit night!)

 

 

But you will be relieved to know that it has now been done and I am starting the new week off with a spotless bedroom! All ready for another mess to brew!!

 

   MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

xxxxx