Monthly Archives: July 2013

The Fashion Clinic #4: Summer in the City

Posted in Fashion by

So the sun is beating down and all you want to do is stretch out on the lounger next to the pool with a good book and chilled glass of rosé for company. Sadly for most of us this scenario only becomes a reality for a couple of weeks a year (if we’re lucky!) when we jet off on holiday. The rest of the time we have to contend with our normal routine regardless of the weather – whether that’s running after the children or braving the tube to go to work (or both!) – so here’s my guide on how to stay cool and look hot (but not frazzled) when the temperature soars.

Smart Collage2

Clockwise from top left: Dress by Hobbs NW3; Top from Zara; Shorts by Asos; Bracelet by Monica Vinader; Shoes by Whistles; Dress by Asos; Jacket by Asos

CasualCollage2

Clockwise from top left: Bracelet from H&M; Dress by Free People; Vest from Topshop; Shorts by Vero Moda; Sandals from Oasis; Dress by Asos

This week’s favourites

Posted in Family Life by

This week has had definite highs (the scorching weather for a start) and lows (all three children coming down with the sickness bug springs to mind…).

Garden centre

A trip to the garden centre at the start of the week to get some new plants and sand for the sandpit.

Jamies Collage

Dinner at Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant with the whole family after shopping for more birthday presents for Clemmie. I had a yummy starter of deep fried squid followed by the Black Angel pasta. I then spent the remainder of the meal trying to steal spoonfuls of Cameron’s salted caramel ice cream – definitely having that next time!

Jamie food

Summer is now officially here! Faking it is the only way to tan these days and I can always rely on Fake Bake’s tanning mousse to turn my limbs from lily white to sunkissed. I also tried the St Tropez Tan Optimiser application mitt for the first time and it really helped to blend the colour and get an even coverage. Highly recommended!

Sun Collage

A game of badminton against Daddy in the garden before bedtime (which somehow seems to have moved at least an hour later than usual..):

badminton

Breakfast on the terrace in the sunshine. Freshly baked scones and a large mug of coffee.

IMG_2948

On my way to a fab 40th birthday party that sadly my husband had to miss as he stayed home to nurse the sick children. The £7 H&M dress had its first outing, teamed with metallic wedges from Kurt Geiger. By the way, if you’re wondering why I’m holding my hands funnily it’s because I was rushing to get ready and had only just applied a fresh coat of nail polish!

dress2

Happy Friday ♥

Posted in Family Life by
Beautiful flowers are a lovely way to mark the start of the weekend

Beautiful flowers are a lovely way to mark the start of the weekend

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Here in London the temperature is set to soar to 27 degrees, my sister is visiting from Sweden with her two kids and we’re going to a 40th birthday party tomorrow which looks set to be fabulous.

Apart from one of the children coming down with a tummy bug yesterday and missing his sports day, life couldn’t get much better!

Miu Miu’s Fall/Winter 2013 campaign – Simply stunning!

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Call me strange if you must but, even though the sun is beating down outside, when the preview of Miu Miu’s new F/W 13 campaign landed in my inbox this morning I found myself dreaming of buttoned-up coats, stripey tights and structured dresses with a hint of flirty polka dot. Sartorially, autumn is my favourite time of year and, if these pictures are anything to go by, next season will throw plenty of temptation my way…

8 9 10 14

Evoking a spirit of adventure and daring, the Fall/Winter 2013 campaign captures the passage of girls in a twilight cinema-scape loaded with intrigue, imagination and femininity. Set at the end of a seaside pier, their stories unfurl against a mysterious cityscape and vanishing horizon, brought to life in an up-tempo quirky dance video where the models move harmoniously with the rhythm and mood of the music. While standing on the dock of the bay waiting for a ferry, they dance away the fun of the night before returning home in the early morning.

In a fabricated reality of noir optimism, Inez & Vinoodh capture a diverse and exhilarating cast of characters including Katlin Aas, Emily DiDonato, Daphne Groeneveld, Georgia May Jagger, Adriana Lima, Marina Nery, Hind Sahli, Anne Verhallen and Lindsey Wixson. From these curious rendez-vous materializes the idiosyncratic sense of adventure that encapsulates this collection.

Music: “Hand Clapping Song”, performed by The Meters

Click here to view the video in full

I only popped in for a quick look…

Posted in Fashion by

…and out I came with a new summer wardrobe for Clemmie (and a pair of shorts for Casper).

Benetton2

Our local Benetton store (in Esher, Surrey) always comes up trumps with its kidswear selection. Even my increasingly discerning nine and a half year -old can usually find something to suit his taste (and mine!) The Sale is on at the moment so there are lots of bargains to be had both for grown-ups and little ones. I saw a shirt I really liked which would look great with jeans or cropped trousers but, as is often the case for me, it was part of the new collection so I decided to leave it for now. But as you can see I did not leave empty-handed…

Benetton Collage2

With the weather forecasters promising sunshine for the beginning of next week, I bought a new summer dress for Clemmie to wear to her birthday party. So pretty I wouldn’t mind one myself!

Birthday dress

I’m dreaming of a white kitchen…

Posted in Interior by

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Lately, a number of conversations with my husband have started with the words “when we do the kitchen extension..” Well, I say conversations but after about five minutes I can see his eyes glaze over as he tries to work out how long he has feign interest before returning to whatever he was doing. While we are both in agreement that we need to sort out our impractical kitchen and conservatory dining area (freezing cold in the winter and boiling hot in the summer – the children have been known to wear sunhats while eating breakfast!) we have decided to put the extension plans on hold for another year until our youngest starts school. For me this means that we have a full 14 months to really plan the perfect kitchen. My husband, on the other hand, does not share my enthusiasm for long term planning and has no doubt filed away the kitchen extension in the section of his mind that says “things to be discussed in a year’s time”.

So while I am waiting for September 2014 to come round I thought I’d share some of the inspirational pictures I have found so far. As it’s early days, the details of what we (read I) want are still sketchy but definitely gleaming white units and a large central island where we can all eat breakfast and the kids can sit and do their homework while I prepare dinner. And, of course, in my new white kitchen the surfaces will always be sparkling and free of clutter while I will be the sort of unfrazzled cook who never burns anything or panics when more than two pots are involved…

See more inspirational images on my Pintrest board  ‘My Dream Kitchen’

Currently Coveting #4

Posted in Currently Coveting by

Free PeopleCollage

This season’s collection from the US-based label Free People has got my name written all over it. The pieces are distinctive without being outrageous and have a laid-back, easy feel with a slight hippy vibe running through the whole collection.

The brand, which hails from the same stable as two other favourites of mine, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, is sold through the Free People website and selected stockists including Urban Outfitters’ UK stores.

In the picture above (left to right):Candies Sweet Tee; Novella Top; Dandelion Top.

Recipe: Lemon chicken with black olives

Posted in Food & Recipes by

ingredients

Last night I tried a new recipe for a chicken dish which is perfect for this time of year – light but still filling with a refreshing taste of lemon.

Lemon Chicken with Olives

.4 chicken fillets
2 garlic cloves
butter for frying
1 tsp salt
a pinch of black pepper
250ml double cream
1⁄2 chicken stock cube
1 tsp rosemary
grated zest and juice from 1⁄2 lemon
a handful of pitted black olives
3 tbsps roughly chopped parsley 

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Slice the chicken fillets in half length-wise. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Melt the butter in a frying pan and brown the seasoned chicken along with the  garlic. Combine the cream, chicken stock, rosemary and lemon juice in a casserole  in a casserole pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and garlic and simmer covered for around five minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the lemon zest, olives and parsley (I omitted the parsley).

Pot 2

I served this chicken dish with potato wedges and peas – yummy!

plate

Bring some Nordic style to your home

Posted in Interior by
I love my coffee mugs and lanterns in white & taupe from Nordic House

I love my coffee mugs and lanterns in white & taupe from Nordic House

One of my favourite online shops for home accessories is Nordic House. I love their simple but stylish Scandinavian inspired pieces, from candle holders and lanterns to cushions and tableware. I bought a set of  three rustic looking lanterns earlier in the year and they look equally great in the garden for al fresco dinners and indoors where add a cosy vibe when the evenings get darker. The white and taupe mugs are another great buy that always attract lots of compliments when friends come around for a cup of tea or coffee. At the moment Nordic House has a Sale with up to 50% off so it’s a good time to grab yourself a bargain. Here’s a selection of my favourites:

Clockwise from top left: Pierced Tealight holders now £3.57 for medium and £4.77 for large; Bamboo tray now £29.96; Summer Hurricane Lanterns now £6.48 for a set of three; Vintage Graphite Love Cushion now £17.97

Clockwise from top left: Pierced Tealight Holders now £3.57 for medium and £4.77 for large; Bamboo Tray now £29.96; Summer Hurricane Lanterns now £6.48 for a set of three; Vintage Graphite Love Cushion now £17.97