Cocktail parties, Little Black Dresses and Leopard print.....

Forget Cheese & Pineapple...who know Pate & Pomegranate was the way to go?  It was a rather tasty canape that I ate for the first time over at Snowy Stylista's house last Saturday night, at a little cocktail party she threw for girlfriends and colleagues.  Copious amounts of homemade Punches and Cocktails were consumed by all and for me it was a welcome Saturday night off from Hospital visiting but my Mum understood that, having known E for the past 10 years, I didn't want to miss the opportunity of attending her farewell Soiree before she heads off to her new life in the French Alps, mid November.

As always, E was well ahead in the style steaks and would shrug off that comment saying that she just threw on a dress she has had for 2 years and a pair of shoes she has had for 18 months.  The only difference is, these were not any old items that she threw on.  Her dress showed everybody how important it is to have a Little Black Dress in your wardrobe.  E's plain shift from Hobbs, originally bought for her brother in laws Wedding in the Whistler Ski resort, was classic styling with a twist, the twist being the maribou feather trim around the neckline.  Being a big fan of feather Boa's and anything fluffy and furry - this dress certainly got my vote!  Belted to show off her enviable size 8 petite figure, as per usual, E was the Belle of the Ball.

The complete outfit was topped off with her beautiful Leopard print Louboutin court shoes, because just like me, E is a massive fan of Leopard print and although it continues to make an appearance each season, in more recent years it has fast become a wardrobe staple which looks terrific with a range of colours.  The key to wearing Leopard print successfully is to keep it simple with just one piece, a jacket, cardigan or dress.  For those that aren't so brave you could start with a belt, clutch or shoes.

Plenty of sexy Toe Cleavage going on with these babies!

Its E's last day at the Salon today so I have just rang the florist and ordered her a bouquet which I hope will last until she leaves in a couple of weeks.  I am going to miss her so much, we hit it off from day one, with constant talk and devouring of every Sex and the City episode as we watched it and endless discussions about the latest "it" bag, shoes and fashion in general. I loved that she rang me from London when in the middle of the above shoe purchase, as she deliberated between Jimmy Choo, Charlotte Olympia and the shoe "God" that is Mr Christian Louboutin!

Steal E's style by purchasing a simple black shift and picking up some maribou from your local haberdashery store to trim the neckline.

Hobbs Black Shift Dress, £139 from John Lewis Dannijo Gold Plated Cuff, £170 from net-a-porter Christian Louboutin Leopard print pumps with chain trim, £565 from net-a-porter
Fendi B Belt, £255 from net-a-porter

Its Speziale, so speziale

Can't believe whats happened to the Per Una range at M&S!  I am not sure who I normally associate this (usually) colourful collection of clothing with, (I mean who exactly is their demographic?) but Boy has this range had a makeover with the introduction of its new "Speziale" injection! 

Speziale is a Couture inspired range of clothing that oozes style, sophistication, quality and glamour, with gorgeous faux fur jackets and gilets, more LBD's than you can shake a stick at, cozy cashmere separates to form the basis of any winter wardrobe and the most adorable mac I have ever seen, I am totally lusting after this ruffle bottomed beauty, I mean, who cares if you are freezing your bits off, if you can have outerwear this stylish?



Ruffle Bottom Mac £85

View the whole collection at Marks and Spencer 



Giving it some Wellie!

I don't get to wear my Pucci Wellies that often, they come out for Schools Cross Country events, torrential downpours and trips to the Co-op for essential supplies when we have Snow on the ground and any other conditions where I don't want to ruin my Uggs. 
They are a tad bright for everyday wear, but I can't say I haven't lusted after a pair of Hunters, especially when they collaborated with Jimmy Choo which led to waiting lists for the mock croc effect beauties, but sadly I can not justify investing in a new pair whilst my old ones are still going strong and that is the great thing about Wellies, they last forever!

There is no doubt that Hunters are "hot" again this season and allow the Fashionista in you, to wear essential winter footwear with style, whether on the school run or for winter walks in the park, (how great do the classic black look when styled with a leather biker jacket above?) and now you needn't be put off by the fact that your feet get cold in them and you have to rummage for your husbands fishing socks to keep warm, as a new addition to the "Hunter family" sees the introduction of Micro Fleece Hunter Socks to keep your Tootsies Toasty!

The Socks bear the Hunter logo which you display over your Boots and come in a huge range of plain colours or prints, allowing the Hunter wearer to update their look on a regular basis. The reasonable price means that they make a great gift for any Wellie wearer (why not update your cheap and cheeful ones?) with prices starting at £16 for a plain pair and going up to £29 for prints or faux fur trim, they really could be the most popular "Stocking" present this Christmas!






The Hunter socks are already a sell out at net-a-porter but Office Shoes have all the styles still in stock, but you had better be quick!
 



Hunters available from net-a-porter and Office Shoes


Jimmy Choo for Hunter available here

Will you have a pair of Hunter Socks hanging from your Mantlepiece this Christmas?

My Xmas and Birthday Wishlist - sorry its rather long.....but you have to give people a choice right?

This is my real wishlist as opposed to a list containing Louboutins, Burberry Boots, Fendi PeekaBoos, Chanel 2.55's, and DVF dresses, which would be a "Dream On" List. 
This is a list complied for my nearest and dearest to hopefully take the headache out of the fact I have a December birthday, so there are two celebrations to buy for - lucky me!  Truly, its not so lucky when you have friends getting lovely presents in the summer months and who wouldn't want to be a Baby of the School year?
Now that I am on the slippery slope to Menopause, I realise the importance of being a Summer born baby!  My best friends birthday is 17th August and rubs it in at every opportunity, how she is almost a year younger than me - Bitch!
Anyhow, I realise that I have 4 children, 2 of whom are students, one who is still at Primary School and only one who works full time and to be fair, doesn't earn a lot, so I have to be realistic.

I still have my heart set on an Alexander Wang Bag but it is my full intention to ask OH for a gift of money so that I can hopefully pick one up in the January Sales, as the summer sales saw them reduced by a couple of hundred of pounds, which is not to be sniffed at and I am not worried if I don't have anything to open from him on the Big Day, after all Christmas is supposed to be all about the kids right?

Its the studded base that does it for me!

£870 at net-a-porter

£790 at net-a-porter



My favourite and "Cult" Cleaner £48 from John Lewis

I realise its a tad expensive, so I may have to ask for this one instead......but it is my second favourite and one I have used since Liz Earle first created her range of botanical goodies....

It has won as many Beauty Awards as Eve Lom at a fraction of the price and works on the same "wash off with muslin cloth" principle..£13 from John Lewis

Next up some lovely smellies....

I have been using Tom Ford White Patchouli  for a while now, but fancy his Black Orchid this year...

From £42 at John Lewis

I love decent body lotions and potions and am in desperate need of this wonder product as my legs get really dry in Winter ....


This Works, Skin Deep Leg Oil, £35 from Boots.com and although this may seem a little expensive it is currently on a 3 for 2 which you can mix and match with other beauty ranges such as Caudalie, Burt Bees etc  - what a result when present buying!

A scented candle would go down well, they seem so over indulgent when buying them for yourself don't you think?

I adore the smell of Freesia's so would choose this fragrance from the Diptyque range, £36 from John Lewis

Now I don't hold out much hope of receiving the next item on my List.  I first read about this product on Tania Kindersleys Blog, Backwards in High Heels and put it on my Christmas List last year but it was sold out at Harrods.com.  This year it appears that Harrods no long stock it, or at least not online, so if any of you have seen this product anywhere, please let me know, or if anybody speaks French, can you tell me if they will ship to UK on this site http://www.compagniedeprovence.com/produit.php?id=473.

La Compagnie de Provence's Pommade Corporelle l'huile d'olive encense lavande.

OK, so now back to the matter in hand. Instead of drooling over body pommade's I will never get my hands on, lets turn our attention to things of Beauty.  I always put my favourite Lancome Mascara's down on my wish lists each year and the great thing is they always come in a gift set at Christmas time which includes eye make-up remover and a black eye pencil.  Only problem is I have about 4 eye pencils I never use, I really must give them to my girls but the eye make-up remover is a great size for travelling!

Lancome Mascara Giftset £20 John Lewis.

I quite fancy a woolly hat this year.  The only one I own is a Missoni Baker Boy Cap which only gets worn when it is absolutely freezing so this Cable Knit Beret from Jigsaw would go down a treat......


Could I have it in grey or mole please? £29 from Jigsaw

 
Or the black faux fur number £39 again from Jigsaw so that I can pretend I am starring in Dr Zhivargo!

Although my luscious locks may well be hidden if you buy me one of the lovely hats above, I still need to look after my hair in the best way possible and my favourite shampoo and conditioner by a mile, are by Federic Fekkai.  This stuff is a real treat for me and knocks spots even off of the professional range I buy from the Salon but at these prices - you would expect it to!


Frederic Fekkai Shanpoo and Conditioner, £19 each from John Lewis

I've been sky+ing the Jamie Oliver 30 minute meal series on Channel Four and am today making Jools favourite pasta dish for Supper.  I love the idea that you can churn out a culinary delight in just half an hour and as every evening is currently spent on hospital visits, I need all the help I can get in creating tasty and nutritious family meals in minutes.  This book would also be a must for any working woman with little time to spend in the kitchen.  Having just finished eating that dish, I can confirm it is utterly delicious and so full of flavour.  Took me more like 40 mins but that was because I had too much pasta in the pan, which took longer than expected.

£11.70 from Amazon

Uni Girl is a huge fan of Brothers and Sisters and it is a series I really wish I had watched, but sadly I never realised when it was on, to actually set the series link and record it, and now I think they are on series 4, so I would love to catch up by way of a Box Set.

The Box Set of Series 1-4 is quite expensive at £78.97 but I would happily make a start on Series One for just £13.97.

No Christmas list of mine would be complete without the inclusion of some slippers and pyjamas.  I am a bit sick of the £2 ones from Tesco as they don't usually see me into February before the soles have gone flat which makes your feet hurt on wooden floors, so I want something with a bit more substance this year please. If you don't fancy spending £75 on a pair of Ugg Slippers which I know you won't and I am trying to be realistic and stick within budgets here, then this faux fur pair with stay fresh technology will do nicely!

£15 from Marks and Spencer - don't forget, I am a size 6!

I am not bothered about receiving a Birthday Cake but am salivating at the thought of mouthwatering sweetness with a box of Macarons from http://www.bougie.co.uk/ but remember you need to order at last 5 days before your desired delivery date if shopping online (that means by the 10th December at the latest please) or you can buy instore from their Belgravia Shop if OH fancies nipping up "West".  They keep fresh for up to 7 days and can be frozen.  A box of 16 costs £30.

I would also be happy with a gift voucher for Ann at Bedhead or Bev at Ginger, two of my favourite  Therapists that I go to for different things.  The beauty of a gift voucher is that even if you only have £10 to spend on somebody, at least it goes towards a treatment, but don't make the mistake of buying them for anybody who does not like to be pampered as so many vouchers go unused which means the Salon gets to keep your money!  If somebody has precious little cash for a voucher at our salon, we don't write the amount to spend on it, we may write "Brow Wax" which is only £5 or "Shape and Paint" which is £10.

So all that remains is for me to email this list to my family members and friends but in the meantime, as many people are stuck for ideas of what to ask for at Christmas time (not a problem I have ever had), why don't you take part and do a (realistic) Wish List?  If you do, make sure to leave your links in the comments box and I will add links each time I do a post.  If you don't care to take part, then at least let me know what you are lusting after and if you normally provide your family with a list, your covetable items may give the rest of us some fresh ideas. xx

P.S. A note for the kids and OH, just click on the underlined links to take you directly to the products I want - you are such loves xxx 

Something for the weekend.....

I have never been so glad its the weekend!  The cold dark mornings have had me struggling to get out of bed this week, so a few well deserved "lie-ins" to recharge my batteries and give me the strength I need as I enter into the 5th week of exhausting hospital visiting, will be more than welcome and although I shouldn't be happy that work has gone really quiet, because that means I am not earning any money, but at least I have had some time to do a few posts and make a start on catching up with you all! See there is always a plus side!

I am off out tonight (shock, horror).  Snowystylista is having a "leaving" cocktail party at her house for her colleagues and friends, so I was honoured to be invited.  She leaves in three weeks time to begin her new life in the French Alps along with her OH. Not sure what I shall be wearing as yet, but one thing I do know for sure is that my nails will be painted with Chanel's Paradoxal.  Finally getting my "mits" on this gorgeous colour has at least managed to dampen my desire for the Limited Edition Khaki which I really can't bring myself to pay £30 for on ebay! 
Paradoxal is not as you see in the bottle or even in my photo, where it looks purple(ish). Once its on, it actually looks dark grey, weird how the camera picks it up to look like it does in the bottle but at least looking grey with just a tinge of metallic purple means it goes with virtually all of your winter wardrobe.  So if you only buy one new nail polish this season......

It was Little Mans 10th Birthday on Wednesday, so now that all the family Birthdays (except mine & OH's) are out of the way, I realise it is now time for me to concentrate on Christmas and make a start on the present buying and not just what I need to buy for others, but also a list of what I want to recieve!
I shall make a start with the White Company who have 10% off of all their Christmas Stock.  I shall be buying gorgeous Winter Fragrance Candles for friends, Cashmere Bed Socks for my Mum and putting their luxurious Cashmere Coat on my wish list!

Whatever you do this weekend, stay warm and have a great one! xxx

Your a Fake, Baby... (and the real fur option)

Still love the song "Fake""by Alexander O'Neil and now I really can be a "Fake" Baby, with my new shaggy fur coat!

Snowy Stylista had told me about a great faux fur number she had seen in TK Maxx by Gharani Strok, with an original retail price of £179 but selling for £60.  It was love at first sight but sadly they didn't have her size so she intended to go back a few days later to see if any more had come back in stock.  Whilst there and seeing that they did have my size, she text me through a picture and I responded with "yes, yes, yes" completely forgetting that I am on a shopping embargo until the January Sales, having had Claudia's 18th Birthday 4 weeks ago and Little Mans 10th, earlier this week!  It was so sweet of her to think of me, I find friends in general wouldn't do that, I really couldn't say "no" could I?

My jacket gives more than a little "nod" to the Anna Sui number pictured below, so if you are looking for the "Glam Factor" when it comes to your winter outerwear, then a shaggy faux fur number can easily take you from day to evening, eliminating the need for more than one new coat this season.
Whatever colour you choose, they transform Skinny Jeans and Classic Flat Boots for coffee with the girls or lunchtime drinks and are surprisingly warm and cosy even on the coldest of days (I wore mine one day last week and couldn't wait to get it off, but this week its a different story!). 
Team with your Little Black Dress and Louboutins  for after work cocktails or Christmas Partywear Glamour.

Anna Sui Faux Fur Coat £725 at net-a-porter

Faux Fur Jacket £120 from French Connection

My "real" Fur yearning has also been taken care of recently with a beautiful gift from a fellow blogger.  When teawithonesugarplease was having her winter wardrobe sort out, she asked me if I wanted her real fur jacket.  Initially, knowing that TWOSP is a beautiful teeny tiny lady, I suggested that the coat would be suitable for my two size 8 daughters but when it arrived (or when I managed to get to the post office to collect it - finally) and my eldest daughter saw it and tried it on - I thought "excellent it will fit me as well", so we are all going to share it, the skinny kids will wear it belted and it looks great styled that way.
This vintage jacket is of remarkable quality and does not smell like a "wet dog" as my ebay find did.  TWOSP would have made a nice bit of money selling this on ebay, but she gave it to me, the kindness of some people is truly touching, I just love my blogsphere friends!

Juicy Couture Rabbit Fur Hooded Jacket, £250 from net-a-porter


So I truly have all my coat/jacket options taken care of this season and will soon need to buy a new wardrobe just to accomodate my outerwear when you take into account I bought a Puffa Coat for the school run and got gifted an Isabella Oliver Cape back in February!
Meanwhile, the essential Pea Coat  I have been lusting after for the last couple of years, doesn't seem so essential anymore and goes on the back burner once again and can wait till next year or the January Sales.

Have you gone for the faux or real fur "glam" option this season?

Note: No animals were killed in the making of this post and don't bother leaving me a nasty comment if you eat meat and wear leather, I don't condone the killing of animals for their fur alone, but have no problem with wearing vintage fur or fur/skin from animals that would be killed for meat.