HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISTER!

My beautiful sister celebrated her birthday today, and I'd like to wish her a very happy birthday!

As she is over 8 months pregnant, most gifts are tricky - beauty treats, clothing, etc all not quite right. I was thrilled when after a day of appointments, I took myself off to the Laura Lee jewellery boutique in Covent Garden and spent almost an hour trying not to shop for myself...I settled on this engraved gold disc necklace, which Laura added a tiny ruby for me. Also available in rose gold or sterling silver, I love that she can add small charms to it, an initial for the new baby, a star or a flamingo!

Moving North...?

Last weekend I travelled to Stockholm for a weekend, and am in agreement with a recent feature in Stylist magazine "Isn't it time you thought about moving to the Norcs (Northern Europe)?" read it here, there's also the regular listing on Forbes, showing Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands as some of the happiest places to live...

The argument stands up for itself, ranging from simply cleaner air and water, ahead of the pack maternity and paternity packages (up to a year and a half in Sweden), beautiful geography, and the fact that most countries have been relatively unhurt from the Recession (even including Iceland which has strong business links in tourism, arts, law and computer programming).

 

In just a few hours, I feel in love with Stockholm (and I'm sure that the rest of Sweden is wonderful too!). Staying in the super-cool Story Hotel, I was right in the centre of the best shops and the touring boats harbour, which took me around the city taking in the sights in 2 hours. The city is calm and everyone so friendly and happy to speak English (I can't even try to get the Swedish language in a day or 2!) - not to mention beautiful too!



The gorgeous sink in the Story hotel room

 

Wall art in the room at the Story

The food was incredible and I now have an addiction to the bread which is on offer before every meal! A lovely spot we went to was Riche restaurant, a modern cool place serving traditional Swedish dishes.

 

Riche restaurant - the place to be seen for lunch, dinner or drinks

The evidence is in...very compelling, and the only thing I can balance against the strong case to Move North is the extreme weather and light (or lack of) in Winter and Summer....OK, I'll be very happy to come back for weekends!

I ♥ Boden at London Fashion Week

Check out my recent blog post for Boden, I challenged myself to wear my favourite pieces from their collection each day to the shows at London Fashion Week, and I loved it!



DAY 1 - breton  top £29 with a statement necklace £39 and bejewelled ballet pumps £85




DAY 2 - straight-leg cropped trousers £85



DAY 3 - bouclé wool Notre Dame jacket £135

DAY 4 - two colours of the spotty wool scarf £29 worn together

 

DAY 5 - leopard printed tote bag £149  and to inject colour I tied the orange spotty wool scarf £29

You can also read it, by clicking here.

Carven meets Robert Clergerie....

Favourite French designer Carven (see my previous post on them here) have collaborated with French footwear designer Robert Clergerie on their first capsule collection.

Leather and python, £627



Leather, £383

These two classic-chic French labels, have designed edgy wedged brogues and ankle boots, due to hit http://www.net-a-porter.com/ during September. Get them when you can!

In-My-Bag Topshop sequin tee

I have felt for a while, that I was getting a bit old for Topshop (I will not disclose my actual age, but safe to say, its not that old)...but I recently popped back in, and came out with a full carrier bag of goodies. One of which is this cute sequin jersey t-shirt, which is so handy for layering under sleeveless dresses, worn with jeans, etc.

Jersey and sequin t-shirt, £30 Topshop

I loved it so much, it bought the same style in black! Topshop - we're back on-track...!

I-Spy Something Beginning with M

ooh another tricky letter to choose a designer...Take your pick from Marc Jacobs (or even Marc by Marc), Marchesa, Missoni, Milly, Mulberry...but I do think, that if I had to choose a designer, whom I could happily dress head-to-toe in, it would have to be Michael Kors.

The ultimate New York power-house just celebrating his 30th anniversary, he delivers stylish, chic and time-less glossy fashion (think knitwear, fitted sheath dresses, wonderful understated eveningwear) to covetable accessories and to die for watches (I currently sport one of his watches, and always get comments on it). Always with a slight sporty, but lady-like tweak.


Lizard-print jersey dress, £1,120 Michael Kors at http://www.net-a-porter.com/

 ...If you find his catwalk collection and accessories a bit pricey - check out out his diffusion line MICHAEL Michael Kors...



Belted jersey dress, £285, MICHAEL at http://www.net-a-porter.com/

The Help movie

I went to a movie screening today of The Help, which I absolutely loved. Its a very inspirational and hopeful story of black women who work as maids (and the rest) in a 1960's Mississippi. The story is a painful one and very hard to think that this was just 50 years ago, but it is beautifully told, and shot. Not to mention the clothes are gorgeous, from the waspish prim ladies to the ambitious career-driven work wardrobe to the Marilyn-Monroe-a-like with a heart.

Please go and see it and love it like I do...you can also buy the book here.