What I Wish For You This Christmas

Well how quick has this Christmas come around, or

is it just me? I can't believe it's nearly time for the BIG MAN

to arrive.

So before we all get sucked into food comas and wrapping paper, 

 here's what I wish for you:

*the joy of finally "getting there" and the

realisation that what's not done can stay undone

*the joy of imperfections; perfection is over rated ;-)

*the joy of not missing the last mail collection

* the joy of always having someone to share "something"

with however small that may be.

*the joy of not caring which cutlery you are supposed

to be using and when

*the joy of sometimes being able to afford the thing

you really have longed for, rather than the thing that

will do

*the joy of kicking back and savouring the moments.

*the joy of belly laughs

*the joy of enough good memories to see you through any down moments.

Memories that will be etched in your memory forever (for all

the good reasons of course).

*the joy of having enough

*the joy of  finding the perfect present for someone and

being there when they open it

* the joy of a card from a long-lost friend

*the joy of spontaneous memories that happened

before you could even find a phone to capture the moment.

*the joy of amazement that is always better than you dared expect

*the joy of some quiet time-even just a few minutes

silence will be so refreshing

*the joy of sparkles everywhere

*the joy of  cheesy Christmas films

*the joy of meals thrown together in the

after-math of the big day as you decide to

channel your "inner Nigella".

*the joy of pyjamas becoming daywear (you

just now call it "lounge- wear").

*the joy of anticipation as you start to think about 

 dreams for 2019

*the joy of appreciating where we are and

excitedly anticipating where we would like to be

Finally I would like to thank you for 

the joy you give me as you accompany 

me in this humble space I call 

my blog. I am not a writer and sometimes

find it difficult to come up with anything of value.

In fact most days I can't even think of words to string
a sentence together .

So I appreciate every single one of you who make

time to visit. I know how "time-starved" we all are,

so it means even more to me to think I have people

even reading my ramblings ;-)

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and

nothing but the best for the New Year;
I also hope we will continue as friends in 2019

xxxx

Dress Code: Statement Earrings

Yesterday all the Royals were off to celebrate Prince Charles'

70th birthday and it seems everyone got the same memo-go BIG!!!

Oversized bling was the way to go.

Meghan went for some "borrowed" chandelier diamond drop-earrings

which she also wore recently in Fiji. 
(I'm not sure why I placed Meghan first as I am not a fan at all ;-)

Chandelier earrings laden with colourful crystals seem to be the way

to go this Holiday season a trend started by Dolce and Gabbanna.

Uterque (the older Sister of Spanish brand

Bimba y Lola) are doing some amazing statement earrings

such as these crystal laden chandeliers.

here

here

Kate never gets it wrong for me and she went for a diamond show-stopper which

she previously wore in 2011 and 2017. They are thought to be part of Kate's

own collection rather than being "borrowed" from the Queen.

If your budget won't quite stretch to the thousands (as Kate's probably

cost,) you can still make a statement on a budget.

By Mercedes Salazar here

Mercedes Salzar here

Finally Beatrice (as Eugenie clearly didn't get the memo and didn't seem

to be wearing any earrings ;-) opted for eye-catching spiral design earrings.

Nothing wrong with doing your own thing. You go girl!!!



If you want to keep with something more contemporary

and not too full-on bling-a-ding-ding, then try these beauties.

here

here

here

here

There you have it. Some of my statement picks for this Holiday season.

Are you a statement earring girl?
Are you a Royals fan?
Are you a Meghan fan (as I made my views clearly known ;-)?

Would love your thoughts as always

xx

Why Did Meghan Reach For Onyx?

The world has gone Onyx crazy since Meghan was seen wearing

an Onyx necklace this week whilst on her and Harry's Australian tour.

I've known the powers of Onyx for a long time and it is one of the

reasons I sell Onyx pieces and they are some of my best-selling pieces.

Here's why:

* Onyx is a stone that protects the wearers personal space.

* it's a powerhouse protection stone; a stone of physical and 

mental strength.

here and here

*it's a stone of learning and growing.

* Onyx spring cleans your mind of internal chatter

here and here

* it protects your energy field and helps to calm your fears

leaving you feeling safe

here and here

* Onyx is one of the few stones that never needs re-charging as it

increases the energy of whatever it comes into contact with

here

So there you have it. My reasons I think Meghan reached for Onyx on her first
Royal tour.

I would love to hear your thoughts on whether you believe in the powers of
certain natural stones.
Also are you a Meghan fan?  I am not (gasp!)
But I do love Harry ;-)

As always I love to hear from you.
xxxxxx

The Woman Who Started This Trend

Well I don't know about you, but it seems you can't open a magazine or turn on the TV without seeing ANIMAL PRINT EVERYWHERE!!!!

Did you know this woman started the craze that seems to come back round every year?

Jackie Kennedy wearing an Oleg Cassini leopard print coat and hat in 1962.

And so a trend was born.

Animal print is edgy, defies the seasons and turns any outfit from average to sublime.

I love all the wild-cat prints out there, but not everyone can do a Jackie O and wear a complete outfit in leopard.

But do not fear. I have you covered.

If full-on feline fills you with dread, then keep it simple and classy with one of my little "feline" pieces

here and here

here and here

So if animal is your "thang" and you would like 12% OFF any of the rings shown

here, just click the link below to get your checkout code.

http://bit.ly/Leopard-4U

That's it for now.

I would love to hear if you love this trend or even whether you 

are just plain sick of it.

xxxx

This Autumn I Wish For You.................

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons-something that 

never seemed to exist when I lived in Spain.

So it's something I really appreciate now-even more so

after the heatwaves of  the past 2.5 months

It's a season that always makes me think of new

beginnings (perhaps that goes back to school days);

new books, new friends, new ideas, new objectives,

new courses..............new shoes ;-)

So this Autumn/Fall I wish for you...............

*the joy of new beginnings, whether that be

a new course you are starting, a new career, a new book

or just a new frame of mind.

*the beauty of autumnal colours. Without getting all

woo-woo, just walking in nature always gives me the 

clarity that banging my head on my desk never usually gives me ;-)

Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park

my favourite place to be. It was my "local" park when I was a child and

so many memories were created here.

*maybe your first homemade soup of the season

*books and throws

*the cake that emerges golden and domed and stays

that way

* the first dew on the grass

*cosying up with a good book or your best TV and 

no feelings of guilt

*new TV series

*the need for jackets but not coats

*the smell of Autumn in the air 

*the joy of leaving your summer memories behind and 

the anticipation of new memories for the forthcoming season

*pulling on your favourite cosy socks

* Gorgeous Autumnal colors like this beauty below.

Autumn Earrings here

Here

Autumn acorns here

What are you most looking forward to this new autumnal season?

What is giving you butterflies in your tummy (please don't say 

Christmas. I am so not there yet) ?  LOL

Mama Mia Mania

Hi there lovely lady! It seems like the whole world has gone Mama Mia mad. 

 Have you seen the new film yet? One thing is apparent whilst watching either the new film 

or the first film is how colourful the sets are. But one colour features heavily and that is turquoise; turquoise, crystal Mediterranean seas, the zany colourful outfits and even Meryl Streep's small turquoise studs. 

Turquoise is everywhere. It's also a colour that takes us back to our Summer sojourn (however long ago that might have taken place). 

It is said to be a stone of protection and used to the be talisman of Kings, Shamans and warriors.
I'll take that!!

 Below is a small selection of colourful pieces that definitely have the Mama Mia vibe going on, but with the Riviera-chic of 2018.

here

here (+various colours)

here (+ various colour options)

My turquoise cuff  in Dubai ;-) here 
(and also in black)

here

here

OK, that's it Sweets until next time.

I hope you are managing to stay cool if you are in the midst of a heatwave as we are here in the UK (I think my only 5 brain cells may have finally melted!)

Until next week (if I haven't melted in a pool somewhere or moved to the Arctic!)

My Love List

So it's been a while since I posted a Love List, but this month
so many new things have come onto my radar, a couple of
which are skin care related.
I am always being asked what I use on my skin. I am 50+ I would say 85%
of it is genetic.  However I do love buying skincare and this amazing
brand came into my sights this month.

The brand is called The Ordinary and is a Canadian brand which comes
under the umbrella of The Abnormal Beauty Company. This company brings you
clinical, cutting edge beauty formulations. BUT the reason The Ordinary is
"out of the ordinary" for me is the price. The products are unbelievably good value 
with nothing costing more than £20/$15.
But here's the best bit.  The products are comparable to some of the ranges sold at
Dermatologist and skin clinics and used for specific skin care treatments.
They also have fabulous guides on their website to explain how you
use each product.

I am currently using from their range:
i) Vitamin C cream
ii) Retinol serum
iii) Hyaluronic Acid +B5

Below is a video of Hello Magazine's Beauty Editor
interviewing the founder of this company.

https://youtu.be/gHuQyVeL3QE

Next up is a new app I came across called Happy Not Perfect.
I am a Neuroscience geek and so anything I find related
to Neuroscience I am on. This app was created by Neuroscientists
to give the mind a daily workout and is based on 40 years of research.
You can do the mindfulness routine anywhere; on the way to work, during
the day and in the evenings.
I have just started using the app but am loving it so far. I do try and meditate
but sometimes I just can't switch off the monkey mind. So on those days
this works beautifully for me.
It's worth giving it a go!

OK next up is a fiction book. Now I rarely read fiction as I have so
many biz books and memoirs to read and piling up in my office (so
much so they are an accident waiting to happen). 

However, during the Summer months I allow myself to relax with some 
fiction and I decided to choose a  Jodi Picoult book because 
I know it will leave me still thinking about it long after the last page is finished.
Well this is another page-turner but so, so sad.
It's about prejudice and power; it is about that which
divides and unites us.
It is about opening our eyes or turning the other way.
I think this book will stay in your mind for a very long time.
Read it!!!

Ok back to skincare.
So even though I have dark skin I still use a factor 50+ on my face 
every day, (a habit that started when living in Spain) but especially 
as I now use a Retinol product.

La Roche-Posay is one of my fave brands which I was first introduced to 
when living in Spain. This is a French brand that you can buy in 
any supermarket/chemist when in the Med.
What I love about this particular cream is it is a factor 50+but
SO light; it just sinks straight into the skin so you can put make-up
on over it. I keep mine in the fridge and so it is also lovely and cooling
when you I put it on. Actually I keep most of my skincare products in 
the fridge in the Summer and it just leaves you feeling so refreshed when
the heat is on.

Finally I've been loving my new chunky statement rings.
Whenever I wear them I get stopped by shop assistants and 
strangers asking me about these. Why I think they stand out is because
the stone sits horizontally across the finger.
Go here to see more images of the ring on.

I am offering free shipping to my blog readers on these beauties.
So if you would like the checkout code just
click the link below:
http://bit.ly/FS-4U

That's it Lovelies. 
I am going to cool off now as the heatwave continues here in the UK.
Not really enjoying it so planning my escape.
Wishing you a continued lovely Summer.

xxx