Dear Diary, Dear Frances

Shoes elevate me. 

Not only literally [at 5ft 3.5 inches I can do with all the elevation I can get], but emotionally too! A well made, well crafted shoe is the perfect finisher to any outfit. Ripped jeans? Polish it off with a pair of courts. Pencil Skirt? Throw on a pair of Mary Janes- the choices are endless! 

So what's a girl to do when the number of shoes, good & bad admittedly, are endless but we have, woe, but only two feet?

Well wasn't it Marilyn Monroe who put things in perspective for us? 

"Give a girl the right pair of shoes, and she can conquer the world"- Marilyn Monroe

Let's take it back to basics shall we- strong design aesthetics and respect for artisian details also known as Dear Frances. 

Dear Frances shoes are the product of creator, Jane Frances, who trained at the London College of Fashion and ModaPelle Academy in Milan- the best of London and Italy? Yes please!

My favourite from the collection? 

The AW14 Arch Boot...

Rock with a cape, leather pants and something sparkly

Whether you're looking for the perfect present for someone special or you just fancy treating yourself, definitely the latter in most cases, head over to Dear Frances now and pick up your AW14 shoe-style staple! 

Heaven Scent

It's getting closer to Christmas.

The lights have gone up, the smell of pine trees linger in the air and everyone's generally a lot cheerier for this time of year!

 As the palette of my wardrobe changes and my general look turns to a more wintery one, to avoid ever receiving perfume as a Christmas Present [never the way to go gentlemen!] I tend to mix up my scent prior to the holidays!

So what are my favourites for the season? 

Fresh as a daisy by day, Miss Dior Cherie never disappoints me. We all have that go to scent, despite season or occasion, and this is that for me! 

For the evening, My top pick has to be Velvet Orchid by Tom Ford. This little beauty of a bottle is a staple in my bag at the moment- whether I'm off to dinner with the girls or dancing the night away 

Love. Love. Love

I've been after the Burberry Cape with my initials on it- you know the one that SJP was rocking recently

Unfortunately, if your initials aren't SJP, CJD or OP [that is my ladies Sarah Jessica Parker, Cara Jocelyn Delevigne or Olivia Palermo there is little to no chance of you getting your initial embossed and rolling around like the caped crusader. [I know this from a heated phonecall I may or may not have had with a Burberry Sales Assistant] 

So if your looking for your Burberry fix, I'd definitely recommend the My Burberry perfume for a on-the-go type of spritz and spray

What's your seasonal fragrances of choice ladies & gents?

Date Night and Candle Light at The 1901 Restaurant

I'm a sucker for Romance.

You know that age old story? Boy meets Girl, Girl meets Boy, Boy surprises girl with a well thought out grand romantic gesture [or at least a few smooshy uploads on instagram] - you know that age old tale? So you can imagine my excitement to tell you all about my new found spot for a romantic evening.

But first things first, you've got to get the outfit right: 

The genius, New-York based designer Joseph Altuzarra has entered into a venture with Net-a-Porter to send the best of the big apple straight to us lovely Little Londoners-  shop your own version here 

Wear it with a pair of these bad boys available here and it's fair to say you'll leave your date floored for the evening... 

Now, back to date night...

Running slightly late, as usual, I arrived at the entrance of The Andaz Liverpool Street's 1901 Restaurant with my accomplice for the evening.

"Just this way madame..."

Now I'll let you into a little secret  but you've got to promise me you'll keep it to yourself! Deal? 

On the last Wednesday of every month, The 1901 restaurant becomes transformed with a sea of romantic candles that'll guarantee to give you that breathtaking moment with your loved one...

See what I mean? Stunning.

Gasps and Fluttery hearts later- we were seated. Hours of conversation, pondering over the extensive 350 bottle long wine list [ The 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Réserve’ will not disappoint] and oggling at the incredibly talented saxaphone player- we were ready to order. 

The menu is fabulous. Straight, to the point, no airs and graces- tell me what's in it so I can devour it [in a romantic, elegant and orderly fashion so not to appear anything less to my date ofcourse!] 

Crab for Starters and Beef Fillet for mains- it all sounded relatively simple... [ Mandatory Disclaimer- mood lighting is fabulous for the ambience not so much for the pictures...]

But don't let that fool you ladies and gentlemen, what arrives to your plate is a host of well thought out flavours and presentations that will undoubtedly be sure to leave you securing a reservation for your next visit before you even step a foot out of the door.

Struggling to breathe we scoured the dessert menu before deciding it wouldn't be as romantic to be rolled out of the restaurant [I'll most definitely start with dessert the next time- I had a pang of food envy from the table next to me as the dessert looked incredible!] 

Filled with what can only be described as wonderful memories from a lovely evening [well that and oodles of Mash Potatoes]- we were floored by the excellent food and service at 1901. 

But don't take my word for it... for your fix of delicious dining in a special setting you can find more details about the Andaz Candlelight's Evening here. 

Designers to watch: Aquazzura

I've been through a lot of change this year. Ups and downs, a real roller-coaster if I'm honest. And as we draw closer to the end of the year it's fair to say...

I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes- much to the credit of Edgardo Osorio's new line, Aquazzura. 

Taking the best from Colombia, Miami and London- Osorio combines the best in luxury and impeccable craftsmanship [not to mention one fine eye for dressing women's feet] with his fall/winter 2014 collection.

Hues that span a plethora of colours ranging from primary to fiery, Aquazurra has fast become the go to shoe for ladies across the globe. Designed to take you from not only day to night, but lift your sensory awareness to a realm of exotic skins and golden pineapples [The Willy Wonka of the Shoeworld if you will] - Edgardo Osorio is fast changing the landscape of footwear fashion. 

What I'll be strutting this season? The Amazon, Leaf and Lola ofcourse!

 So ladies, slip your feet into a pair of shoes from Aquazurra this winter and strut your way into the holiday season!

Cigarettes & Men at The Chiltern Firehouse

Ok... so perhaps the title is a little misleading- but this change in weather has made me want to be a little controversial. 

I'd been to Chiltern Firehouse previously for dinner but had never experienced the brunch/ lunch sitting. Getting a classic case of food envy from my counterparts that had raved about the airy atmosphere and slightly less hectic sitting- I decided it was my turn... the brunch/lunch menu was something that I could not possibly do without. 

I threw on my Sunday best...

and enlisted the help of my favourite male companion...

My Chanel Boy Bag [which you can find here] A bit of an investment piece but I promise you- you'll definitely put it to good use! 

One lengthy Uber and a brief confrontation with a more than slick Italian man at the door- we marched our way through the outdoor seating area into the main restaurant.

It's beautiful. 

So Chiltern Firehouse used to be a firehouse, funnily enough.

Now it's the humble abode of André Balazs' newest and much raved about hotspot. His name might be familiar to you [unless you've resided under a rock for the last decade] He's the statuesque man behind Chateau Marmont in Hollywood and he's hop, skipped and jumped across the pond to set the London market on fire[house]. Sorry couldn't resist.

Having heard so much about the lunch/brunch sitting- I was already attempting to articulate my excitement as we walked through the restaurant... 

Now what was meant to be a brunch/lunch turned into a bit of feast... 

The crab doughnuts were a home run for me- soft, fluffy and filled with the freshest most delicious crab meat. The Monkfish was slightly over cooked and made for a bit of a rubbery experience, but it was more than compensated by the crunch of the puffed barley and the waft of fennel from the puree. 

And for dessert you say? [Because who in the right mind doesn't have a four course meal at circa 2pm in the afternoon...]

Me: "What's the Frozen Apple Panacotta?"

Waiter: "It's a panacotta maam" 

Me: "I hate panacotta-does it taste like panacotta?"

Waiter: "Not at all maam. " 

Now I thought this was just one of those appeasing lies I was told by service that I'd immediately regret buying into once the dish arrived at my table...

He was absolutely right- this was the most abstract tasting panna cotta that I'd ever had and it was incredible.

The praline dessert failed in comparison for me slightly but was all in all a delicious experience. 

Fed, full and suffering from minor food sweats we headed for a stroll through my beautiful city...

Race you to the Firehouse Readers! 

All aboard The Hogwarts Express!

I'll be honest- I've never been Potty about Potter. 

I mean he was ok... the spells and the magic definitely prompted for an "ooo" and an "ahh", but to say that Harry was a home run for me would've been a gross exaggeration. 

Until now. 

Having gotten hopelessly lost on route, we rocked up to The Wizarding world of Harry Potter and checked in..

Surprisingly a much easier process than London Heathrow.

We entered the magical & secret world of Harry Potter...

I didn't say it was a well-kept secret.

Dressed in our Sunday best we meandered our way through the realm...

Picking up fashion tips from the one and only Professor McGonagall who was quite literally losing her head at all this fashion talk...

All fashion and no wizadry she sent the naughty kids to the cupboard under the stairs to think about what they had done...

But we hopped on our wheely and off we escaped.

Parched at the unfortunate series of events we stopped for a brief beverage...

Ok we stopped for a few...

After guzzling a few too many Butter Beers, we took the wrong left and ended up somewhere unknown...

Harry wasn't home- unfortunately. 

Realizing that we clearly weren't cut out for a wheely, we opted for a more traditional method of transport...

A much easier way of getting around- we took a right at Dumbledore's office...

A left at Mr Mullpepper's Apothecary...

And landed at our destination...

Isn't she a doll!

All magic'd and marvelle'd out we went in search of a magical wand to transport us home...

"Wingardium Leviosa" 

Ok so we didn't quite levitate home- we drove.. but engines and carburetors? Well if that's not magic I don't know what is!