The Run up to the Main Event

My wardrobe changes a lot.

I may put on an, attempted, well ironed and starched formal number one day, or chuck on a creased shirt and worn in biker boots another- but the one article of clothing that stays constant in my wardrobe is my signature uniform in the run up to the main event- my dressing gown.

Call it what you may-dressing gown, silk robe, I've even heard a whisper of a housecoat from a friend that reigns from the northern regions- it’s the one thing I can’t bear to be without.

Wearing my trusted silk number at least once a day for the past year, it is officially safe to say that it has seen better days- and it is now time to, alas, find a replacement for my trusted companion. With a slightly heavy heart [ok shelving the dramatics], I started my search into the market for the perfect replacement and came across the luxurious Julianna Rae.

A tailor-made approach to luxury Robes; Julianna Rae’s apparel is designed for the healthy, active, independent woman who have a sense of style and most importantly a sense of themselves.

My favourites from the collection include the Il Cieli Spa Wrap, and what’s more it’s reversible! 

Fine & delicious silk on one side, and delectably soft mini-terry on the other- that’s definitely a two in one worth investing in!

I also fell head over heels for this La Tresor Silk Wrap with a delicate lace trim on the sleeves and side seam pockets- the perfect getting ready companion before heading out for an evening in the city!

Stocked mainly in the states, you can pick up one of these babies here.

Go on ladies- wrap yourself in luxury this spring! 

Trois a Charm: Tasting with La Petite Maison

So the patisserie chef over at La Petite Maison heard I had a bit of a sweet tooth...

What a crazy notion. 

Having been to the restaurant a bunch of times, I'm ashamed to say that I'd never tried the desserts! The Tagliolini? Check. The Poulet au Foie Gras? Why ofcourse! But I'd always stopped short of getting my hands on the holy piece of parchment that reads 'Les Desserts'. 

La Petite Maison are currently in the process of re-jigging their infamous dessert menu to introduce a slightly more cocoa focused undercurrent- and asked me to come in to throw in my two pence. Presented with the thought of chocolate and one of my favorite London eateries- well how can a girl say no?! 

I threw on this number...

that you can get your hands on here, and skipped off to the Brook's Mews eatery to meet with my dessert connoisseur. 

After a measured glass of Langoa Barton [warning it's pre 2000- so watch those fumes and avoid the embarassment of nearly choking to death in a full restaurant], I was ready for my trio dessert trial. 

Round 1: A molten chocolate and chantilly cream shot topped with a thick and buttery biscuit- that strangely melts in your mouth like a croissant. Sacre bleu! 

My only critique being- where's the rest of it? I could quite literally shot buckets of the stuff! 

Round 2: A whole heap of happiness. The Chocolate ice melt on a chocolate crumble base...

Go on have another look...

 Cheeky. 

And for my final trick... 

An innovative take on a chocolate parfait- complete with a hazelnut base, a thick slab of chocolate infiltrating the middle and a log of iced berry coulis sat oh so delicately on top. Definitely my favourite of the three. 

While still experimenting with the menu, this new wave of desserts will be with the eating public [yes that's all you fine people] just in time for Summer so get those reservations at the ready! 

Beulah London

As you all know, I love personalized things.

I’m forever on the hunt for unique gift ideas where I can emboss someone specials initials, or sew down a meaningful quote or something just to put a personal spin on what could otherwise be known  as a ‘generic gift’.

I'd heard about Beulah London's infamous personalized scarves from a friend who was dropping serious birthday gift hints 

but my are they so much more than that. 

With my official writers cap on- Bow down to Beulah London.

I first learnt about Beulah London- the real brand, while travelling across India exploring local and imported textiles and fabrics. With a concept that was established in Delhi, Beulah London is a sartorial approach to a carefree way of wearing today’s fashion.

Providing a sustainable livelihood to women who have come out of sex trafficking, Beulah has an absolutely beautiful message behind the brand. Representing the journey of women out of darkness and despair into a new life of hope and restoration, a 'Butterfly Effect' if you will. 

 Beulah London channels a positive social change in collaboration with fashion which I’d encourage all readers to become a part of!

And what’s better- you can look good while doing good too!

I have swooned and fallen straight for the Spring Summer ’14 collection from Beulah.

And I’m not talking puppy love- this is real unadulterated passion people!

My favourites from the collection is this Bisque number

that I most definitely will be wearing to friends weddings this season! 

This absolutely stunning Ornament gown perfect for events from gallery openings to benefit gala's. 

Art Deco Earrings and an open decolletage- definitely a winning combination!

Stay on trend this season with this pastel powder blue number

and rock with nude or taupe courts. 

Beulah London is without doubt one of my favorite picks for this coming season, so get swept away with the movement here. 

The Sunglasses Edit

As we transition into the eagerly anticipated summertime, nothing quite finishes a look like a great pair of sunglasses. 

Sunnies are great to rock with any outfit, and with the huge variation in stores at the moment- where do you start?!

Some are round, some are square, some are heart-shaped [not really an area of the store I’d gravitate towards-just saying] and don’t even get me started on frame-size! That’s way too much choice for one girl!

So let’s make it easier for you shall we?

If you’re face is square shaped- you know one of those fortunate ones with a strong jawline and cheekbones high to the sky-you’ll want to reach for aviators or wayfarers- the stronger your features the bigger the lenses.   

Go classic with these Vintage Chanel Wayfarer’s

Or update your look with these 13ns by Miu Miu.

If you’re feeling a little risqué, then throw a curve ball and go for these Ray- Ban blue leansed aviators that I’m absolutely in love with at the moment.

If your face is wider at the top than toward your jawline- a heart shape if you will- then you need to own a cat eye frame. These gorgeous Dior frames are a wonderful way of feminizing what is quintessentially an overpowering shape.

Or these Butterfly framed Prada beauties that you can find here.

If you’re face is an oval reach for a larger frame as this will fake and chisel high cheekbones [the higher the cheekbones the closer to god ladies.] Detailing on the arms of sunglasses will bring out your temples and frame your face- so go for these large framed Petra Sunglasses by Topshop

Or these Miu Miu embellished cat eye sunglasses

Get Meow’ing you little sun protected minx you!

My favourites at the moment happen to be these incredible frames from House of Holland

These Illesteva 2 round-frame acetate sunglasses

          

And my ultimate pick of the season has to be these Aviator Metal Mirrored Sunglass by Cutler and Gross available here.

Don't just bare the glare ladies- protect those eyes and look good doing it!

My Last Week in Instagrams

As I'm sure you already know- when the sun is out in London it's a cardinal sin to sit in doors. 

All of a sudden you're reaching for your phone, making plans and living on the edge [otherwise known as leaving your house without a jacket]. Unfortunately, in my case, my over enthusiastic sunshine messaging put me in the awkward positioning of triple-booking on a multitude of days which has made for one very busy lady! 

This week I watched Beyonce rock The O2 Arena with a friend

while enjoying a glass of Sir Perrier. 

Beyonce was absolutely incredible and make the experience even more incredible- Jay-Z joined her on stage!

 N'aww.

I threw on my staple sunshine colour- White

and took a stroll through Regents Park- one of my favourite places ever. 

and watched the sun disappear into the darkness at The Boundary [blogged about here]

I got dolled up to attend a show at The Barbican Centre, London- had a heat hair dilemma 

which was quickly resolved with a mad hair shake and a dash out of the door in this Baby from the Topshop Kate Moss Collection.

Ravishing from an overly active day and night, I made a pitstop at Duck & Waffle  

and destroyed one of my favourite cuban desserts- Torrejas 

Too good To-rrejas. [resist for my slower friends.]

I took a long countryside drive

to view a spanish-inspired property with the most incredible views of London.

Having burnt off an adequate amount of calories galavanting around in the sun, I took a trip to the incredible Levant to celebrate a friends birthday and indulged in one of the tastiest mixed grills I've ever tasted.

Followed by a tower of desserts ranging from rose glazed grapes and buttery baklava 

Inspired by the range of delicious flavours and foods that I'd tasted, I cooked up a storm in the kitchen for my family 

And ended the week on a high note 

A high note topped with ice cream that is- did I forget to mention that? 

See upping the degrees, ups the productivity! How was your week in the sunshine? 

The Little Black Book: Rooftop Bars, London

 After fleeing the country in search of sunshine, I’m pleased to say I have grounded my wings and it feels so good to be home again!

The sun is bounding down, smacking the ground and putting the biggest spring in my step [no pun intended.]

One of my favourite things to do when the weather’s this great, is sit outdoors and natter away with friends with rounds & rounds of delicious cocktails. So I thought I’d share my Little Black Book of Sunshine spots with you all;

For those of you on the East Side- throw on some of these sunshine accessories

Daisychain from here, Deco Bangle from here, Azzure Beads from a beach shack, String Bracelet here

And head to one of these spots:

Boundary Restaurant, Rooms & Rooftop.

Located on St John Street in Shoreditch this is one of my favourite places in London! 

Good when the sun rises, sets and disappears- Boundary serves up the most delectable Gin Fizz’s ever- the perfect accompaniment to the Fruits de Mer platter that includes the yummiest sea jewels. [Don’t be conned by the ‘up to 4 people to share’- we wiped this clean with just 2 of us.]

Golden Bee, Shoreditch

Take a stride over to Singer St in Silicon Valley, and sip on a sugar & spice when the sun sets! 

This place is my favourite when darkness falls as you can huddle around the warm FirePit to keep warm and spend hours chatting away with friends without my signature Rudolph looking nose when the degrees take a dive. [Definitely ups the romance factor when you’re not reaching for a tissue every 3 seconds!]

Shoreditch House

A touch of LA located in the East Side, order a round of Apple Cooler’s poolside while strutting your stuff in your swimsuit. 

Not a fan of sipping poolside? Not a problem! Skip over to the rooftop restaurant that serves up an Italian-inspired menu. Definitely get the Spicy Sausage Pizza- and drool.

Finished a long day of work in the city and fancy blowing off some steam with a good view- throw on a summery outfit

Blouse from here, Skirt from here, Shoes from here, Womancase from here.

And head to one of these rooms with a view:

Radio Rooftop Bar

Good music and even better company- Radio Rooftop Bar is definitely the place to be. Located at the top of the internationally renowned me by melia hotel [literally branches everywhere from Cabo to Barcelona] they do the best Watermelon martini’s in the city. [Tried and tested by yours truly- you know- for your safety ofcourse].

Coq d’Argent

Always brimming with suited professionals, Coq d’Argent is known as the cities child. It’s the perfect sunning spot for those all important al fresco meetings in Spring time. As beautiful by day as it is by night, always advisable to make a reservation at this place as it’s high in demand by those city professionals! 

If you’re peckish, I can’t recommend the Poached egg and asparagus enough- light enough to enjoy on a summers day but packs a flavour punch like no other- get ordering!

Skylounge London

A view that encompasses all things London, Skylounge is definitely the choice for a more romantic rooftop beverage. Order from the extensive cocktail list [the Sky at night was my favourite] and enjoy with the moreish chocolate churros [one won’t be enough- you have been warned.] A must see when the sun is a’shining.

For those of you who’ve spent the day lazing around on the west side and milling between shops. Your arms must be tired with all of those bags! Get accessorised for the sunshine and pile on some of these accessories:

Sunglasses from an anonymous source [it's a long story], Bag from here, Topaz ring from here, Double armour ring from here

And seek refuge under the blazing sun at one of these fine rooftops:

Aqua, 5^th Floor

When the sun comes out, head up to the 5^th floor to enjoy a cocktail in the hub of London’s shopping metropolis. With views that span the rooftops of Soho and Mayfair, the staff are an absolute delight and more than happy to help when choosing from their mile long menu. Kick back with a ‘Bloody Gazpacho’ and soak in the scenery.

L’Atelier’s Salon Bar and Terrace

The definition of sleek and sexy in the city, the L’atelier de Joel Robuchon hides away this gorgeous bar that’s both loungey, sophisticated and most importantly warm. Having been to the restaurant for delicious dinners over a dozen times, I stumbled across this cheeky little hideaway and have converted to a sole cocktail hour destination. The Cherry Cola Cuba Libre- don’t even hesitate!

Sanctum Soho Hotel, London

A choice of the inner bar, covered lounge with a cosy fireplace and a hot tub area- what’s not to love about the Sanctum Soho Hotel Roof Terrace Bar. It’s absolutely perfect for hanging out in the summer and a good break from the bustling streets of Soho. Reach for the wine list at this one- the Gavi 2011, Italy will definitely enhance your sunshine induced grin.

What’s your favourite spot in London when the Sun’s shining?