All Wrapped Up

My Favorite Season of the year is officially here! 

The roads are icy, there's a chill in the wind and its officially time to bundle up on those layers (not only to conceal any Christmas sins we've all committed!) 

With so many options out there- what's a girl to do!? We've got you ladies- have a look at our Top 5 Selection of Classic (some not so classic!) Coats to start 2016 with a statement: 

1.This beautiful flekked fabric coat from Jack Wills complete with a faux fur collar. Appropriate for stomping around the city and heading out for date night- pair with the perfect LBD. 

Available here

2. Stand out from the crowd in this Canary Yellow number from Dolce & Gabanna. An oversized Wool blazer fit is just right to hide the extra turkey that we sinned with over Christmas!

 Available here.

3. A printed cape that doesn't look like fancy dress? We're in fashion heaven! This beautiful Alice by Temperly Riviera Cape is the perfect monochrome dream. Pair with well-fit indigo wash skinny fit jeans.

 Available here.

4. Bored of the back to black options? Take this Pastel Pink Chalyan Winter Coat for a whirl.

Available here. 

5. This raw edge trench coat is the perfect hybrid for the in between Winter to Spring period. With the perfect cinched in waist- this is a seasonal winner from Topshop!

Available here. 

The Roast-ess with the Most-ess

London's had a change of heart. 

It seems like the capital has had enough of putting us through rain Ladden hair, long john's and colloquial Cloaks! This weekend we saw something out of the ordinary- the sun had put it's new season AW15 Hat on- and we were most certainly singing hip-hip-hooray! 

Shades and Selfies are ofcourse mandatory on a Sunny Sunday in London! 

In the fear that we wouldn't get a north of 10 degree day for another few months, I threw my new Hunters on...

and ventured out into the English Sticks in search of some Fresh Countryside Air (and a Roast but more about that later) 

When the sun is shining in Great Britain, there really is nothing like it..

Weaving through green grass and a little more than gusty wind

And then we got hungry. 

We came across a row of derelict houses and decided to explore further- low and behold... We Found A Pub! 

Grins the size of Russia across our faces & dreaming all things gravy and stuffing we nestled into our seats and demanded the first thing we saw on the menu "A roast please!" 

And just like magic...

A helm of Roast Chicken, Roast Potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding, Pigs in a Blanket, Roasted Carrots & Parsnips laced in oodles of Bread Sauce

Drool. 

Exasperated and gasping for air without a thought of eating a morsel more...

It was Dessert Time!

A trio of desserts. 

Treacle Tart, Creme Brule, Salted Caramel Mousse and an Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich!

It definitely Treacle'd us nicely for a Sunny Sunday in London!

How did you spend your Lazy Sunday? 

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?

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! 

Claridge's Afternoon Tea

I'm a traveller. 

I love exploring new pastures, tasting eclectic cuisines- hop, skipping across the pond is quite frankly my favourite hobby [and the best form of cardio I'll have you know.]

However, I'm a British girl at heart. I love meandering around the city, complaining about the weather- whether hot or cold, hanging punting in the pub... well you get the drift- and what more British an activity than afternoon tea at that too at a truly iconic British institution-  Claridge's. 

Suffering from this sweltering heat [see what I mean about complaining no matter what the weather] we decided to do the pilgrimage up New Bond St to seek refuge at the holy ground that is Claridge's. 

And what better way to cool down than a restorative glass of the good stuff...

One [three] glasses of restoration later, we made our way through the marble clad foyer

And so began the Afternoon Tea feast...

First up: a selection of delectable sandwiches; it was a tie between the Severn & Wye smoked salmon, brown shrimp butter, & rock samphire on rye bread and surprisingly the Cucumber, crème fraîche 

& rocket on white bread. 

Accompanied by Raisin & Plain Scones- at which point my British heart was chanting it's finest rendition of "God Save the Queen"

After quite literally sandwich loading- it was time to shift the focus...

Oh sweet heaven. 

Quite literally brimming with happiness, and sugar, we waddled back on to New Bond Street to commence an intense shopping marathon in the height of British Summer. 

What's your favorite British tradition to partake in during the summer?