Weekly Love: Week 99

Today marks the end of my last week living in London full time. I had my last lecture of the year this morning, and though I have my flat until June and I'll be running backwards and forwards to attend meetings, events, two exams and to see friends, I'm catching the train back to Canterbury and now getting all my post sent to my parents house. I have enjoyed London, but I think I am going to enjoy having my base this Summer in the country a lot more - can you imagine living in London during the Olympics? It would be a total nightmare! 

1. Shooting Easter campaign images for Pilgrims Nook Holiday Cottages. | 2. The truffle 'H' box from Hotel Chocolate my friend Ed gave me for my birthday. | 3. Alix made my Green Pea & Mozzarella Soup for lunch and took this lovely photo of it on Instagram! | 4. Spring themed mini cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery at the Nicole Levy A/W12 Press Day | 5. On Sunday I spent the morning shooting in Hyde Park for Havianas Espadrilles with two of my lovely readers, Laura & Laura! (The latter of the pair wrote this lovely post on the morning!) | 6. Social Media 'Like' & 'Share' M&M's c/o Ebuzzing.

• Kate Spade now make watches. This is rather important information! 
• The new Threadscence look book is this weeks source of Californian wanderlust.
• 20 Inspired Ways To Monetize Your Blog.
• The Secret Starbucks Menu. I'm pretty sure you could try and order some of these combinations here in the UK, I certainly don't order off the menu in Starbucks, and the staff in Liverpool Street Station Starbucks are always happy to make my drinks just the way I want them! 
• To celebrate their 13th birthday, NYLON have posted all their past covers in a pretty epic Facebook album - best magazine ever!
• Briony has posted the second part of her fantastic guide to things to do in Paris. 
• This info graphic breaking down Pinterest is simply fascinating. 
• As ever Rose's recipes are making me look forward to Summer cooking!
• Gala Darling on how you can still be a feminist if you're a style blogger. 
• Isacc's article gives a fascinating invite into moving to America. 
• It is from two years ago, but I have only just come across it; Arianna Huffington's lecture to Yale University Law Students about the future of journalism, and in particular blogging is fascinating, easy to listen to and only about 20 mins long if you feel like some audio for a change!
• Selin has listed all the reasons why I think it is stupid to invest in a Kindle, and more - long live the book!

What have you been enjoying this week? (Aside from all of the beautiful sunshine!)

An Evening With Motilo & Natasha Zinko

Last night I was treated to champagne, bellinis and delicious canapés care of the online network Motilo in the Natasha Zinko jewellery boutique on Maddox Street (it joins Regents Street and New Bond Street). It was lovely to finally meet and get to know the Motilo team, putting names to faces, and to be able to check out some truly beautiful and unique pieces from a designer that I knew little about. 

Purple is my favourite colour so I felt right at home in the deep purple boutique, decked out in comfy velvet colour block arm chairs, and gearing up for Easter with egg shaped tea lights and big bunches of tulips everywhere.

I usually feel really unladylike eating loads and loads of the canapes at events like this, but the food was too good not to. The catering was done by Novikov, a new Italian/ Asian restaurant in Mayfair. They have never done catering before, it was a special for this event. I was a particularly a fan of the parma ham wrapped melon chunks, the little bowls of marinated and roasted vegetables with mussels and the little bowls of marinated paella, chilled and served with a perfectly boiled quails egg half.

One piece of Natasha Zinko jewellery I was already aware of were her now famous bunny rings. Sorry the picture is not very good, but are they not adorable? The bunny motif, as well as that of elephants and sculls ran through a lot of her other pieces.

What I was particularly interested in, however was her pieces featuring skeletons and sculls. I don't know why, but I like my jewellery to have a slightly morbid or creepy streak...

I thought these suspended skeletons on swings were slightly creepy and rather awesome at the same time. I love the mixture of morbidity and the childhood motif of the swing, these earrings really make me think of mortality. (Yes, I know I started to sound like an art thesis there, I used to study both art and art history - my analysis of things come out rather academic at times, you should see me around the collection of Ancient Greek pottery in The British Museum or the Wilton Diptych in The National Gallery!)
What is your favourite piece from the Natasha Zinko collection? 

Places To Eat In London: The Riding House Cafe

On Saturday with my friend Rachel I decided to check out The Riding House Cafe in Fitzrovia for brunch, an all day brasserie just North of Oxford Circus. It had such a lovely theme and atmosphere, and there was so much yummy food we could see coming out the kitchen, I really want to eat there again soon!

Volcom x Boxpark: A First-Timer Guide To Visiting The Store

Do you remember my feature a few weeks ago on Californian DJ Duo Posso's collaboration with awesome Californian lifestyle and clothing brand Volcom? After I'd checked out the collection I headed off to visit Volcom's Covent Garden Store in the Seven Dials, and while I was there I heard that they were opening a new store local to me in Shorditch's Boxpark.

Now, even though it is really close to my flat, I'd never been to Boxpark at all, and before I'd Googled it I had no idea about the concept. Basically Boxpark is a series of shipping containers stacked up for five years outside Shorditch High Street overground station each containing pop up shops. How awesome is that? 

The new Volcom store is in box no. 13, head along the side of the container tower at street level to find it.

As each store has to fit into a shipping container, they are all pretty small, so I love the way the mirror down one side of the Volcom store makes it feel so much bigger than it really is. The wood panelling really reminds me of the ski lodge at Sierra in Lake Tahoe - it look me back to watching the world champion snowboarders filming in the snow park under me as I went up in the ski lift last Easter.  

Before you really start to explore the store, you really need to just stop for a moment and look up at the ceiling. Now, I really, really wish I was one of the artists who worked on this thing because it is just simply incredible. 

Next, observe the mens jeans to your left, and wish that all denim stores were helpful enough to display all of their jeans like this. 

 

I'm thinking of the beach here, an excuse to wear one of these pretty rad mens tee shirts with flip flops and sunglasses over your bikini? 

After looking enviously at the menswear, it is time to move onto the womans collections (as well as the Volcom core collection,  they have quite a few pieces from the Posso collaboration in store), but not before taking a moment to check out the sound quality on the Posso x Volcom earphones! 

If you're not feeling it already, the best way to ensure that you leave the store feeling totally inspired is to check out the great inspiration board on one of the back walls. It is too late to get a flight out to Coachella, right? 

Finally, take a moment to observe how awesome the shop mannequin in the womanswear section is. Usually in stores you'll see white mannequins, black mannequins or even pink ones. Only Volcom is awesome enough to have Volcom print shop mannequins! 

If you live in London and you've never been to Boxpark or to a Volcom store, I urge you to grab a friend and head over. Once you're done shopping, on the top deck you can treat yourself to anything from frozen yogurt to Mexican food and sit out on the deck in the sun! 

Weekly Love: Week 98

Spring sunshine is the most fail proof way of putting a smile on my face. This week has been a pretty chilled one, hanging out and catching up with my friends and enjoying some of the various cultural pursuits London has to offer such as the V&A, The National Gallery and the Tate Modern. I'm catching the train back to Canterbury this afternoon to spend Mothers Day weekend with my Mother and to work on the holiday cottages for a bit before heading back to London for a couple of weeks of bloggers events and my 19th birthday and dinner, before heading home again for Easter! 

1. Now Spring has sprung it is time for regular Raspberry Frappuccinos from Starbucks. | 2. The London Eye from Westminster Bridge on a sunny Saturday afternoon. | 3. Outside the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Tate Modern on Southbank. It was one of the best exhibitions I have seen in a very, very long time and if you are all interested in art, or you are not a big fan of art but you like to see pretty or crazy things, I really suggest you go and see it - it is worth the ticket price just to see the Infinity Room where lights, mirrors and darkness really make it seem as if you can see for infinity. The exhibition runs until June 5th. (And for more of a preview, Krisabel was brave enough to sneak a few pictures in the exhibition!) | 4. Outside the V&A Museum. | 5. An absolutely delicious chicken burrito from Poncho `no. 8. | 6. If you don't want to pay to see the whole Yayoi Kusama exhibition but still want to enjoy some of her work, in the education centre on the first floor of the Tate Modern she has recreated this childrens installation she originally put together in Queensland, Australia where anyone who walks into a totally white room is handed a sheet of coloured dot stickers and are allowed to stick them wherever they want - pretty fun and pretty awesome!

• Briony has written a guide to her favourite things to do in Paris, and she has ticked every single box so far of things I enjoy doing in France or want to do in Paris next time I visit - I can't wait for part 2 of this guide! 
• Jordan's Pinterest Board is making me seriously excited for the summer!
• Ming Makes Cupcakes has to be sone of the coolest and most different baking blogs I have come across in a very, very long time.
• I love the new MINKPINK for Nasty Gal collection!
• We're all pretty used to coverage from the big three fashion weeks (New York, London & Paris, I don't seem to hear much from Milan these days) so Kani's post on Melbourne Fashion Week made a really refreshing pick me up! 
• Want your chance to arrear of an enormous billboard? 
• Andy's photos make me seriously want to drop everything and head to the beach. 
• I found Becky's post on caring for her pet African Pygmy Hedgehog really fascinating, I love unusual pets! When I was a kid I used to keep Giant African Land Snails!
• As usual Mademoiselle Robot's photos are giving me a serious case of California wanderlust. I remember driving through Gold Rust town on the way down from Tahoe to San Francisco last Spring - it really is just like in the movies! 

As if this post needs any more Yayoi Kusama, I really, really want this copy of Alice's Adventures I Wonderland that she has designed and illustrated. In other news, how awesome is the Super Mario-esque soundtrack? 

Also, a quick FYI, if you live in London and you love Motel Rocks, they are having a sample sale at their Great Portland Street showroom (71-73 Great Portland Street) from 10am Friday 22nd to 7pm on Saturday 23rd March!


What have you been enjoying this week? 

Blitz Vintage Department Store: Why I No Longer Hate Vintage Shopping

When I wandered off Brick Lane the other day to visit Blitz Vintage Department store I had already decided two things. One, that I was not going to blog about my visit because so many people have blogged about Blitz already, and two that I probably won't even like or want to buy anything because I really don't like vintage shops, most vintage clothes or vintage shopping. However, after spending about half an hour in the store those two notions had disappeared right out the window. 

I think the reason I loved this store, while I usually hate vintage stores is because it is all so well curated. Everything is arranged by style, colour, trend, all in different areas and really well spaced out around the store, unlike other vintage stores that tend to be really crowded with stuff, which is I think the main reason why I actually enjoyed shopping there. There are also fitting rooms to try the clothes on, which all vintage stores don't always have, and everything is clearly priced, something else I loved, because I hate having to ask how much something is or spend ages looking for a price in vintage stores.

I think Blitz really is the place to go to in London if you are looking for vintage cut offs (or jeans or denim jackets as you can see in the firs photo as well). Most of their cut offs are made from vintage Levi's and as well as having so many different colours, cuts and fits of black and denim styles, they have fashion colour styles as well such as, at the moment bright red and pastel pink (which I picked up a pair of) all at only £20 a pair! I might be going back at some point for a black pair...

Photos from the in store photo booth - something I will be utilising the next time I stop by and I am with friends! Bizarrely, I have never actually taken photos in a photo booth with friends...

There is also a lovely vintage coffee shop in store I would have grabbed something from if I had not made a Starbucks run right before hitting the store!


Blitz Vintage Department store stocks vintage clothing, jewellery, accessories, books and homeware from the 40's to the 90's and can be found on Hanbury Street, which is just off of Brick Lane (if you are coming from Liverpool Street and Spitalfields, the road you walk down to get onto Brick Lane, just keep on walking across Brick Lane). They also offer a 10% student discount on trend collections. 

Daylesford Organic, Notting Hill

Ever since through her blog, The Londoner, Rose introduced me to Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill, I have gradually been discovering all of the wonderful little shops and eateries it has to offer every weekend. One place I really must make plans to eat at soon is Daylesford Organic.

The first thing I gravitated towards when I stepped inside was the bread in the window - it all looked delicious, and was very reasonably priced compared to what you'd usually pay for bread in higher end stores like this.  

All furry friends must be left outside of course!

Fine, buying your product like this might cost a bit more than getting it in the supermarkets, but as well as being safe in the knowledge that everything is organic, it is all beautifully presented! 

I adore apple and elderflower juice of any form, and if it were not for the fact I'd have had to lug it around Portobello Market all afternoon, I would have treated myself to a bottle. 

In the back they have a restaurant which I now really want to eat in, I can imagine that the food being served must be delicious, and I love an all organic fresh dish! 

As anyone eaten in Daylesford Organic before? I'd love some of your reviews or recommendations! They have another cafe in Pimlico and sell their product in Selfridges Food Hall, as well as having their farmshop and cafe in Daylesford, Gloucestershire. 

Student Suppers: Super Easy Meat Free Chilli

I love a good Mexican, but I find making Mexican food at home is tough, and hard to get right unless you're willing to get everything right out of a packet or a jar. (Fajitas? Guilty as charged.) However, I recently discovered this uber easy formula for meat free chilli that is super easy to make, super healthy and you can make in a great big pot and store in the fridge to keep you going for a few days.

Places To Eat In London: Granger & Co.

It had been a while since I had been to Notting Hill for a brunch excursion, so on Saturday morning my uni friend Evie and I decided to check out Bill Granger's restaurant Granger & Co. on Westbourne Grove. It was absolutely packed, and we had to put our name down for a table and wander the shops for half an hour before we could eat, but it was well worth the wait!

Weekly Love: Week 97

Hey guys! How has your week been? Mine has been pretty chilled and relaxed, I got the chance to pop over to Westfield Stratford City at the weekend for a little bit of shopping, I have watched way too many episodes of Californication, and aside from that horrible rain we had in London on Wednesday the weather has been rather lovely too! I've also had a couple of really exciting meetings this week for things that are going to be happening in the coming months so watch this space, I can't wait to share these projects with you! 

1. Nina Dobrev covers the new February issue of NYLON. | 2. Essie's 'Nice Is Nice' and O.P.I's 'Last Friday Night' make the most dreamy nail combination. | 3. Pink Champagne at the Tiffany & Co. Party. | 4. Pink Shimmer & Champagne Cream filled macaroons from the Tiffany & Co. party. | 5. If you buy Glamour at the moment you get a 100ml Percy & Reed Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Mask or Finishing Polish - at £2 a pop I picked up one of each except for the Hair Mask - keep an eye on The Glossy Guide for some reviews (my review of the Finishing Polish is already up)! (Other savvy shoppers may have noticed that this months Marie Claire comes with a Neals Yard hand cream, Cosmopolitan with combinations of 2 Clinique miniatures (Moisture Surge, Superbalm Lipgloss, High Impact Mascara & my personal go to face scrub, 7 Day Scrub) and GQ has a £20 Kurt Geiger gift card. | 6. My favourite chocolates, Guylian sea shells as a chocolate bar!

• Kat has interviewed one of my favourite photographers, Lara Jade. 
• I think these absolutely adorable hand iced cookies are enough to make me swear off of cupcakes and macaroons for life (almost!)
• How awesome is this new 'All That Glitters Is Not Gold' tote from Alphabet Bags? 
• IFB has some great tips on solving blog design disasters - I think every blogger ought to read and take note!
• I need to make a load of these tassel garlands for my bedroom. 
• How adorable were the Fifi Lapin cake pops at the Fifi Lapin & Juicy Couture party?!
• This 'Los Angeles' in photos post from Mademoiselle Robot has prompted a serious case of Californian wanderlust. 
• These photos actually make me want one of those Giles dinosaur bags. 
• Laura Ashley's cake pop masterclass looks brilliant, I think I am really going to have to give it a go!
• Gala, Nubby and Kat are all pretty awesome, and I love the photo shoot they recently did together Las Vegas style! 

How amazing is this video of Paris Fashion Week with Garance Dore. I'd love to catch up with Emanuelle Alt and flip through a copy of Vogue Paris with her! Also, how about meeting Isabel Marant herself?! And how sweet are Garance and Scott Schuman together?

Also, just a little FYI, if you book a hair appointment at Lisa Sheperd until March 31st and say you are a reader of my beauty blog, The Glossy Guide you will get 25% off and a complimentary shampoo and conditioner, how awesome is that?   

What have you been enjoying this week? 

Spring Essentials: The Statement Necklace

Ever since I picked out my now beloved Hobbs jewelled statement necklace out of a massive bin at their Sample Sale back in January I've really developed a thing for statement necklaces. Going to London Fashion Week really did not help, where there were so many beautiful and creative necklaces on display. As it stands, I still have not purchased another one, but I am planning to - even my friends have started to comment that I seem to be wearing it every time I see them! 

Topshop Beetle Necklace: £22.50 | ASOS Plastic Spike Necklace: £12 |  Assad Mounser Necklace: £235 | Forever 21 Neon Yellow Rhinestone & Chain Necklace: £8.40 | Kenneth Jay Lane Gold Diamond Necklace: £235

I spied this beetle necklace in Topshop on Oxford Circus the other evening while I was waiting for friends, and I recognised it instantly from one of Nicolette's recent blog posts. I love jewellery with unusual elements such as insects, and I think this necklace will add a little bit of individuality and quirkiness to any outfit. 

My favourite piece in this entire roundup is the neon yellow rhinestone and chain necklace from Forever 21, a total steal at only £8.40! As many of you know, I wear a lot of black so I think this will be perfect to jazz up some of my outfits - I actually caved and bought it the last time I was in Forever 21 in Westfield (I prefer their Westfield store to their Oxford Street one, I think it is just so much easier to browse in and much less crowded!) 

Accessorize Antoinette Collar Necklace: £18 | Kenneth Jay Lane Red Spike Necklace: £260 | H&M Pink Necklace: £6.99 | Forever 21 Faux Marble Collar Necklace: £10.65 | Monki Rope Knot Necklace: 12€ (approx. £10)

I think this detailed collar necklace from Accessorize is lovely, and its pastel mint green shade means that it is bang on trend to boot! I also think this rope necklace from Monki is lovely, because it is just simply really unusual.

In other news, do you remember that brilliant River Island campaign video shot in Los Angeles I posted at the end of my Spring Essentials: Purple Pastel Skinny Jeans post? The people at River Island have just posted a sequel video of the models messing around, I don't know about you, but I find it absolutely hysterical!

What is your favourite statement necklace you've seen so far this season? Are there any total bargains like the yellow neon Forever 21 number I need to know about?!

Celebrating Tiffany & Co.'s 175th Anniversary

Last night to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of Tiffany & Co. I attended a lovely champagne soiree in their Bond Street London flagship store to check out their new collection. Imagine being able to wander around the store and be able to try on absolutely anything you wanted - that was my Monday night!

To celebrate Tiffany & Co.'s 175th Anniversary they have unveiled Rubedo, a beautiful new metal which is beautiful, warm and rich just like rose gold. Many of their classic designs have been wrought in this metal, and it looks amazing on any skin tone. I loved how it looked against my really pale skin! (The watch is my own, from Citizen).

My favourite piece in the entire store was this beautiful starfish pendant from the Elsa Peretti collection. I love how much shorter the chain is to any other necklace I own, and how quirky yet delicate the little starfish is - I think I need it in my life!

The canopies were absolutely delicious, my favourites have to be these adorable mini beef burgers and the little squares of red berry jelly topped fois gras. 

In store for the evening they had a digital graffiti wall for us to all play around on, it was brilliant fun (even if it was actually harder to work than an actual graffiti paint can!). I decided to recreate my Tiffany key pendant I was wearing, an 18th birthday present from my parents. 

Almost every day I wear my plain silver Tiffany key pendant, so just before I left the party I could not resist the opportunity to try one one of the super sparkly versions! This is the beautiful, delicate key Blair Waldorf is famous for wearing in Gossip Girl (the episode where Serena runs off on a polo pony, Blair pairs it with a mint green summer dress and a pink hat>) 

Do you own any Tiffany jewellery? If so, what (and what do you use your little blue box for, I store all my other jewellery in mine!), and if not if you could choose one piece from the Tiffany collection, what would it be?