Tuesday 31 July 2012

a new bag

Some love shoes, some love make up but my vice is definately bags. I am obsessed. I get it from my mother who is equally obsessed. Like mother, like daughter as they say. 

I like to invest and if I am going to spend money on a bag, I like to buy classic styles that are going to last me a while. 

So here is my latest addition...the Givenchy Nightingale in Khaki. It is a classic style that Givenchy issue every season in different colours and three different sizes.



It is from the Spring Summer season 12. I luckily got 40% off after searching online from a boutique in Milan, Italy of all places. I personally think it looks more chic in black but I never wear black and so I thought Khaki suited me better. I mean there is no point having a bag you are not going to use.



Sunday 24 June 2012

meet fergal and olive...

...our cats.

I don't want to be a crazy cat lady but I love my cats. Living in London its difficult to give the room and space a dog deserves. Plus we are out of the house most of the day and this would not be fair for a dog.

A cat on the other hand is a bit different as they are more independant and sleep most of the day.

Both Fergal and Olive are from unwanted homes and have long stories to go with them. Anyway I got them both within their first year of their lives and they live happily with us now.

Fergal is small and a very handsome tabby. He acts like a dog and follows us everywhere around the flat. Like everywhere all the time. He is also quite needy and can't be left on his own for long.

Olive is the lady of flat and basically we are all her minions. She is very cool and laid back and the complete opposite of Fergs.


Worm fun.



zzzZZZZZZZZZ


Monday 11 June 2012

the silver spoon

Another wedding = trying to find a suitable wedding present.

I personally do not like buying from pre-picked gift lists as I find them impersonal. But at the same time I don't want to buy something that they already have or something that the couple will not like.

I have a wedding at the end of the month and decided to buy the couple the holy grail of Italian cookbooks. I know the groom likes to eat and the bride likes to cook so its a no brainer. Plus who doesnt like italian food?

We already have the cookbook as well as the french version. This cookbook is HUGE and takes two hands to carry if you know what I mean. It is well thumbed cookbook in our household as it has every italian recipe you could want plus more.

What sold it for us is that apparently this is the most sold cookbook in Italy. I think that says it all really.


You can buy it at Amazon here.

Sunday 10 June 2012

whistles

If I was asked the question, "What is my favourite shop for clothes"?, I would have to say Whistles.

I am in my thirties and what I want in what I wear has changed to what I wanted in my twenties.  These days I want to have quality well made clothes that will last. I also want clothes that can transit between seasons and for several years to come.

Hence for me, I think Whistles is my go to shop. It is more pricey than H & M and Zara for example but you do get what you pay for.

I have several pieces from Whistles including seven dresses and a classic navy wool peacoat and I do intend on building upon this collection. I buy my pieces in all manner of ways. In the store full price or in the sale and second hand on ebay. On their website they also have an "outlet"section where discounted pieces can be found.

My wishlist:







june purchases

The internet makes shopping too easy. The internet is bad. Well that's what I tell myself but in reality I have no willpower.


I am not going to reveal everything I have bought lately because that would be facing up to reality so I am going to provide an edited account.


My first purchase is a gold and coral ring. There is a story behind the ring as it is similar to a ring that I saw in a magazine years ago. That ring was from a boutique in Turkey and with no name or reference to help me hunt it down my search could go no further. Anyway I was browsing Etsy (I love Etsy) and noticed a ring that looked similar to the ring that I had seen previously. Better still the stone within the ring was coral which is my favourite colour. So here is the ring and I love it. I had it made in sterling silver and plated with 24k gold (if I only I could afford it all to be made from pure gold).


The jeweller can be found here and she was very friendly and helpful as I asked for the ring to be customised. I highly recommend her.


My second and third purchase is in homage to the designer Isabel Marant. I love how the french dress. Effortless, chic and simple and funnily enough quite hard to achieve in my opinion. Again Isabel Marant is not cheap and a bit overpriced considering her 'look' is rather casual. One of her staple and recognised designs are her infamous Dicker boots (shown below) but at 365 GB pounds a bit out of my price range.
The original Isabel Marant Dicker boots

ASOS have some great boots at more affordable prices. They actually have a great dupe for these boots here but I chose the August boots shown below. I am short at 5ft 3.5inches so I chose a boot with a lower rise up the ankle as a higher rise boot would cut me off and make me look even shorter. I love these boots and they are so comfortable and I will wear these with jeans, dresses and skirts.


ASOS August Boots



My final purchase is a vintage blouse from Etsy which is also not so faraway from Isabel Marant.



I intend on wearing all the above with black skinny jeans for a friend's birthday party this weekend. Its a shame the party is not in Paris :)

Tuesday 22 May 2012

french madeleines with raspberries and fresh lemon curd.

I love Paris but who doesn't right? Living less than 15 mins away from Kings Cross St. Pancreas, OH and I have booked a day trip to Paris after the Summer. I can't wait. I have been to Paris numerous times and each have their own memories. 

This time, however, I want to visit the best thift store I have ever visited near the Gard de Nord. A chance encounter has now resulted in a long distance love affair ;)

I bought a new french cookbook by Rachel Khoo called The Little Paris Kitchen to bridge the gap until I go. I am not ashamed to say it but I want to be Rachel. I love her kitchen, her style and her bright lipstick! This is the stand out recipe for me, French Madeleines with raspberries and homemade lemon curd. So quick, easy but extremely delicious. I never knew fresh lemon curd was so easy to make. The only thing though is that you need to get a madeleine tin ..which for me is an investment as I know I will be making them again and again and again.


fresh out of the oven


delicious

Wednesday 9 May 2012

claridges high tea

Fact. I love tea. This isle is famous for it's tea and it's tea drinkers. Unlike continental Europe, tea is drunk with milk...always.
Another fact. Tea is personal and everyone likes to drink it in their own special way. Strong, weak, little milk, a lot of milk, with sugar and without sugar. Its complex.
What goes best with tea? Cake. So my Scottish friend and I ventured to Claridges for High Tea. There is nothing I enjoy more than good conversation with an old friend over tea and cake and hence I thank the Universe that someone invented high tea.
I have been to The Dorchester twice before and The Ritz for high tea and so I wanted to see how another establishment did it. Checking out the Tea Guild Awards Of Excellence list we chose Claridges Again with anything that is good in London we booked months in advance to get a time and date that was convenient for us.


The hotel itself is steeped in history with photos all over the lobby of its famous visitors. With architecture and buildings being the main part of my job I really appreciated all the original art deco features inside.

The Lobby

The Tea Room

On to the tea. The choice of tea was excellent and the food was also excellent and unlimited. Yes you heard right, food at high tea is unlimited. All the high end establishments offer unlimited portions of cake and sandwiches but in reality there is only so much one can consume




In my opinion I felt that The Dorchester is the better place to experience high tea. The service is razor sharp and the food just seemed more memorable. They offer a sandwich, scone, pastry and chocolate course whilst Claridges only had the first three courses. By no means, Claridges was not bad but The Dorchester just edges in front on the service aloneThe Ritz for me did not impress so it comes in third after The Dorchester and Claridges.

nathalie lete

So let me introduce you to my latest obsession..Nathalie Lete plates from Anthropologie.
I remember seeing these a while ago but the price put me off as I had just purchased a property and hence colourful plates were not a priority at the time. Anyway I was in Anthropologie on King's Road at the weekend and they were still there and fortunately for me, my friend offered to buy two for me as a way of a thank you for letting her stay at my place for the weekend. 
I love Nathalie's illustrations for their colour and quirkiness. Her website is here. She is half french and japanese and I can see influences from both cultural backgrounds in the style of her work.
An obsession doesn't stop at two plates so I went back and bought four more. I actually want two more so my collection is a nice even eight but the OH has told me enough is enough...for now ;)
I have seen many stating that they buy the plates for display only but I think these plates are so delicious and good enough to eat.....from.


I love them all but I think the girl and boy plate are extra quirky

Thursday 12 April 2012

old style dining

More food. As we were entertaining visitors over Easter we had booked to eat at same places which for a tourist would be nice to experience.

We firstly booked to have Sunday lunch at Simpsons on the Strand. It probably offers the most decadent  and showy lunch you could ever have. It used to be an old men's club and now is open to the public serving food to which it has done for many many years. It is most famous for its Sunday Lunch which is carved by Chefs at the table. A man in the corner is playing the piano and its pure culinary theatre.

On to the food. The food is ok and it is very traditional but the meat was cold as it was constantly being wheeled from one table to another for carving. I would not go back specifically for the food but I would be happy to take someone there if they wanted to experience old style dining the British way.

 The old booths where the men used to play chess

The ornate decor

Traditional roast beef with yorkshire pudding.


We also went and had breakfast at probably my favourite breakfast place  The Wolseley. I love this place and I try and take all my visitors here. The food (especially the breakfast) is just amazing and the art decor interior, which is all original, is just gorgeous. It used to be the showroom for Rolls Royce back in the day and then Barclays Bank. It is now a restaurant that is open from 7am till late. The atmosphere is always buzzing and you are likely to see some celebrities. My favourite star spot was Roger Moore at this place. Anyway, celebrities aside the service and food is great which is why I always go back. The only problem is you need to book. You can walk in and chance your arm at a free table but more than likely during peak times you will not get this. The prices are also reasonable. Breakfast for 4 including a main breakfast plus a pastry and drinks was £50.


Eggs Benedict


The art decor interior


The grand ceiling

Wednesday 11 April 2012

notting hill

Sorry about the lack of posts of late but I have been busy with Easter. Easter brought eggs but also visits from family. Anyway prior to all this , OH and I went for a walk around Notting Hill and Portobello Market. This part of West London is just lovely but it also quite touristy. So here is a diary of our day. Note the weather, it was gorgeous.

The street where I would love to live. George Orwell lived in one of these houses.


I love this shop and I always love looking around. Unfortunately, though lovely it is, it is also very expensive.


Resident "guard" dog


"The" bookshop


Pizza East for lunch


The best pizzas in town..seriously they are.



Thursday 29 March 2012

le gavroche

I love food. Its pretty evident in the number of posts so far. As mentioned I and the other half will eat anything and anywhere as long as it is good. It was my birthday recently and as a treat I was taken to Le Gavroche website. You have to book months in advance (3 at least) as it is so busy. This probably is not helped by the fact that the patron chef, Michel Roux Jr, is on TV a lot especially with Masterchef.

I don't want to bore you with the history ( find out more here ) of the place but it has a long and established one in London.  It is somewhere where I have always wanted to eat. 



Anyway the restaurant has 2 Michelin stars so there was high expectations. We decided to go for the dinner taster menu which comprised of 8 courses and cost 100 pounds. It is steep but at the end of the menu and having enjoyed every course it was well worth it as the quality was so high. The cheeseboard alone was like the shop display of Neal's Yard Dairy. So much cheese, so little space left in the tum (for the record I love cheese).

We even got to meet Michel Roux Jr ourselves and he came to chat with us after our meal. This alone made my birthday. 

Le Gavroche also does a reasonably priced 3 course lunch for 52 pounds but again if you can get the booking its worth it. 


Course 7 or 8. Dessert. 

Monday 26 March 2012

liz earle cleanse and polish

I love this stuff. I have been using this for many years and it is just the best. Prior to this discovery I used cleansing wipes which were very drying on the skin. You know, the feeling when your face feels really tight and stripped of its natural oils. I had heard lots about this product via customer reviews mainly from the beauty media world (just google Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish to see what I mean). Find her website here. This stuff takes everything off your face including waterproof mascara in one easy moisturising step. The cream is thickish and you put this on your face and then you clean it off with hot water and the linen cloth that comes with the cleanser.


I purchase mine always from her flagship store in London at the Duke of York Square near Sloane Square. The main reason is because if you purchase anything from her main store you always get a complimentary travel size item. These travel sizes in there own right are around 5 pounds so its a good deal and the samples are indeed great for when you go away. Her other outlet where you can purchase is John Lewis.

I also use her moisturiser which is also very good. I like her products as she uses natural ingredients. I highly recommend this skincare range and I have already have got 3 fellow female colleagues using the product.

Monday 19 March 2012

yorkshire parkin

Yorkshire parkin is basically a ginger cake but is milder than the Jamaican kind. This cake is the easiest to make and only takes 10 minutes to weigh, mix and get the combined ingredients in the oven....this is only because I have made this cake so many times and know the recipe really well :).


This is the cake straight out of the oven.



We normally have it just with tea but we served it with ice cream above as it was a good contrast with the warm cake straight from the oven.

When the cake is completely cooled a sticky layer forms on the cake due to the golden syrup. In my opinion the stickiness makes the cake even more of a winner.

Ingredients:
225g/8oz self raising  flour
110g/4oz caster sugar
1 tsp ground ginger 
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
200ml/7fl oz milk
55g/2oz butter
110g/4oz golden syrup


Method:

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Line a 22cm/8in tin.
Sieve the flour, sugar, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.

In a small pan gently heat the butter and syrup until melted.

Beat the egg into the milk.

Gradually pour the butter and syrup into the flour and stir. The mixture will be thick.

Pour in the egg and milk and stir until smooth and pour into the lined tin.

Bake for 45min or until golden brown

Sunday 18 March 2012

mimi berry

I have been on the look out for some leather pouches for my bag. I usually carry around my daily essentials in my bag, like all girls, but I don't like things floating around in my bag.

After some time searching I found these pouches from Mimi Berry website. They were the right price, size and are handmade. Mimi Berry used to have a really quirky shop that used to be on Cheshire Street off Brick Lane. I have been in and had a look around en route to the Beyond Retro vintage clothes warehouse. Unfortunately, this shop has now closed and she now has a showroom near Bethnal Green.

So these are the pouches that I picked.


The top one is called Alice and is in the colour grape. The pouch is much more deeper in colour than the photo shows and looks good with the gold zips. The purse below is called the Dotty Penny in Taupe. I bought the last one as it was in the sale and I believe is no longer available.

You can fit a lot in these pouches. Below is what I carry in the purple one.


I could probably fit more in but the above is all I need. 

The taupe dotty pouch is to carry my phone and my keys as they are a nightmare to find in my bag sometimes. This pouch will also double up as a mini clutch as and when I need it.


I have to say that these pouches are really well made and the leather is soft and gorgeous. Mimi Berry is having a sample sale soon and definitely plan on going to grab some bargains.

Friday 16 March 2012

tokyo diner

Met the OH (other half) in Covent Garden yesterday after work. A little incident whilst washing a delicate cardigan the night before and an uncouth drying technique = ruined cardigan. So went to get a new one. We were lucky we found a replacement half price in the sale so to celebrate the saving we went to get some Japanese food in Chinatown.  There are not many Japanese places in Chinatown compared to the Chinese choices as you would expect but I have always walked past Toyko Diner and wanted to try. Once sat down and looking through the menu I realised there was no Japanese people eating there which in my view means the food isn’t that good. I ordered the Katsu Curry and OH ordered the Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box.


Katsu Curry (Pork)


Chicken teriyaki bento box

Not feeling optimistic, I actually found the Katsu Curry quite good though I have had better. Its better than the Katsu served at Wagamama which is weird shade of yellow. The Bento box, in my opinion was lacking in some oomph. I just felt everything looked a bit sad in their individual compartments. Again I have had better and at £16 it was not worth the money. The Katsu curry by the way was £10.60.

I would go back for the curry if I needed a quick eat but with the Baozi Inn and Leung's (which are both great) round the corner I don’t know how likely this would be…but at least I know it’s an option.

Thursday 15 March 2012

peanut butter and chocolate cookies

Tried the oven for the first time last night. To be honest I prefer the old oven because it heated up quicker but alas I guess I have to get used to the new one.

I made peanut butter and chocolate cookies last night. I always use the same recipe from The Hummingbird Cook Book because quite frankly these cookies can’t be beaten in my opinion. They are crunchy but chewy in the middle plus I make them extra large too.  If I require chocolate in recipes in most cases I will always use Cadburys’ Daily Milk Chocolate chopped up. In terms of the peanut butter I prefer a chunky version for the added texture and crunch.



Do you like my jam jar glasses? They are actually old jam jars that indeed make great glasses. I discovered this tip when I was visiting friends in America over 10 years ago and my friends used jam jars all the time!

This is the recipe. They always turn out good.

Ingredients

225g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
200g light soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
240g peanut butter
340g plain flour
2 1/2 teaspoons bicarb.
1/2 teaspoon salt
75g dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 170c/325f/gas 3. Grease and line a few baking trays with greaseproof paper.

2. Mix the butter and 2 types of sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Turn the mixer down to low, and add the peanut butter and vanilla extract.

3. Then add the dry ingredients, flour, bicarb and salt, and mix until the dough is smooth. Stir in the chocolate until it's evenly mixed.

4. Arrange on a baking tray in balls with gaps between as these cookies spread. Bake for 10 minutes, or just until they start to turn golden at the edges and cracked in the middle. If they feel soft in the middle, still take them out, as they continue cooking after being taken out of the oven and this makes them perfect and chewy after they've cooled.

5. Enjoy with a glass of milk.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

byron burgers

The new oven was fitted today and you would think we would use it straight away but instead we went out for dinner. The other half and I love eating out and trying new places.  We are not fussy where we go, from Michelin star to local cafe, as long as the food is good.

Tonight we went to Bryron Burgers website in Angel. A fairly new gourmet burger chain, I wanted to see if it could beat the burgers at our favourite place Hache website. The objective for the founder was to replicate the burgers he had experienced on a trip to America. I wanted to see if he had achieved this.
The other reason why I wanted to pay a visit was of the interesting decor. Each of Bryron's establishments have a different theme, probably with the message to say to customers that 'we are unique'.


New but "old" decor


I have to say the decor was more impressive than the food. we didn't want to make comparisons with Hache but in this case we had to to judge it properly. In a nutshell though Byron burgers are cheaper with the meal below costing £22 (2 burgers, 3 sides) but we agreed we would have paid the extra for a hache burger.


I have to say I was disappointed but I find that "cool" eating establishments in must cases don't deliver on the food.  


Monday 12 March 2012

charity begins at the supermarket

On my way home from work if I need to grab some groceries I go to Sainsbury's in Camden Town. Its one of the biggest supermarkets around these parts and its more importantly convenient. Monday is the worst night to go as everyone is restocking after the weekend but it was my turn to cook the evening meal so off I went.

After picking up the things I wanted I noticed these bags by the designer Matthew Williamson for sale. More information on them here. I did read about them a few weeks ago but I thought unless I wasn't there on the day there was no way I would be able to get my hands on one. 

They come in the colours coral, teal and khaki. I picked the coral one after much deliberation as its the most summery.


So if you want to do your bit for charity I think this is one of the most stylish ways to do it. The bags cost £5 and available at participating stores. I am going to use it as my swim bag as its so roomy.