Competition Time at LUXURIA!!!

OK, here's our first competition for 2011.

The prize is this beautiful ring in rhodium or pink gold plated (pink-gold plated as shown), in Amethyst, in the size of your choice (depending on size availability).
Isn't it gorgeous?



All you have to do is become a follower of ours on Twitter. We need to reach 800(hoping this is not too ambitious!) followers by 16 Feb 2011 for the draw to take place. You can follow us @VanLuxuria or click on our icon to the right.



If you are already a follower, you will be automatically entered; I would also like to say a sincere thank you for following us.
Is your job done? Not quite. We need you to tweet about the competition so that we reach our number! (I know you thought you got off easily)




GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

Who Said Anything About Being Perfect?

It's time to leave Perfection town




Dear God

“Help me not to be a perfectionist (did I spell that correctly?)”
“Help me to relax about insignificant details, beginning tomorrow at 7:41:23 am”
“Help me to not try to run everything….but, if you need some help, please feel free to ask me…..”

Mmmm, sound like someone?

Where exactly have we got the message that we need to be perfect? Where was that written down, because I can’t for the life of me seem to remember ever seeing it anywhere. And yet, we all try to be perfect.

Well I don’t know about you, but I’ve decided to give up striving for perfection and have decided that EXCELLENCE is a better objective.



When we aim for perfection in everything, I think, we are unconsciously setting ourselves up for certain failure. After all there’s only ONE way to be perfect in any particular endeavour and SO many ways (an infinite number of ways) to be less than perfect. For example:

*What does it take to ruin a perfect day? Just one little 15-seconds of unpleasantness

*What does it take to ruin the perfect “significant other?” Just one little annoying habit



But excellence takes into acount our “imperfections”.

Subsequently, it also becomes extremely liberating to stop demanding that everyone else be perfect too (and believe me THEY also feel liberated!)

I discovered that my own urge to be perfect was a need to CONTROL everything and everyone. But we don’t have to control the creative process. In fact, we can’t!!! We just have to get what we really do want clear in our minds and proceed from there, through the rest of the process. Now instead of thinking about being “better than” or “the best at…”, I just aim at being really good at what I am doing. It now feels right, and it gives me a LOT to reach for, because there’s definitely a “gap” there to relax into. But now, this objective doesn’t beat me over the head every time I make a little mistake….and it keeps me from beating other people over the head when they make mistakes too!




Hmmm, maybe you would like to resign your position from the Perfection Police.
I mean think about. People who call themselves perfectionists are really IMperfectionists. They are always looking for what’s wrong, not what’s right.


So my prescription: Expect excellence from yourself in a way that motivates and inspires you, but don’t set yourself up to fail at being perfect every minute.

The 3 Reasons People Come into Our Lives

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.


Image via stylesncream.blogspot.com


When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then without any wrong-doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring this relationship to an end. Sometimes the ending is created by death. Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.This is usually really hard for me-letting go. But as I have grown older I have come to realize (through trial and error) that trying to force these friendships to continue is usually detrimental, and can lead to a once beautiful friendship becoming quite toxic.


Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelieveable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.


LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
My best friend Pri and I have been friends for 20+ years. We now only see each other once a year (when I travel back to the UK), but when we do it is like NO time has passed. We simply pick up where we left off. Of course we communicate year-long by phone or e.mail. When either of us needs a listening ear we always know the other will be there. On the other hand, when either of us have good news, we are the first to call each other. When she recently graduated from University as a mature student I am sure she could have heard me cheering from Spain! Also when I started my boutique, she was the first person I told, and she was my first customer. She is definitely a "lifetime" friend and I couldn't imagine my life without her being in it (without us living in each others pockets). In fact I love her more than I do my own sister (but that's a whole other post!)


Any thoughts?
Do you have a "Pri" in your life?

Love her or hate her!

Well this month Victoria Beckham is gracing the cover of yet another Vogue (UK) for the sixth time on her own! Pretty impressive I think.

Now she has had her critics for as far back as I can remember but I have always loved her. Why?

It doesn’t seem to matter who knows her, they all seem to say the same thing; she is the funniest and most down-to-earth person they know. That surely doesn’t come easy when you have the world at your feet, are married to one of the most gorgeous men on the planet (well I think so!), and seem to have clothes and shoes that the rest of us can only dream of.

I remember when she appeared in Ugly Betty, the cast and crew were so surprised that she arrived at the studio only with her husband and her children; not a PA in sight!

Simon Cowell (who certainly doesn’t suffer fools gladly) said that she was the most down-to-earth celebrity he knew. That really is a compliment.


What I like about her is that all the time the British and Spanish press tore her to shreds, she just kept her head down. She didn’t retaliate; she just kept working hard at everything she did.

All my Spanish friends hate here and I think that is purely down to the press she received when David Beckham was playing in Spain for Real Madrid. She resisted living in Spain for many years, spoke of her dislike of garlic, and the Spanish have never forgiven her for that (if it's true).

Thankfully the US press (who love a “trier”) embraced her, and consequently she has come into her own and blossomed. I for one am really pleased for her. The British (especially the British press) seem to love building people up only to then get great pleasure from tearing them down. This has thankfully not happened since she moved to the US where the whole family have been embraced. So why are we Brits so surprised she wants to stay in the US?

She is definitely like Marmite; you either love her or hate. I definitely love her. Beneath the glossy mane, false eylashes and Berkin bags is a fighter with a steely ring of determination that never falters ; I love that!

What’s your view?
See more of the interview at www.vogue.co.uk

Our Divas Don't Sleep!

OK, so here we are just finishing the first week in January, and when most people are shopped out and recovering from the holiday season, the Divas that buy from our boutique are still shopping (I am not complaining, just very, very grateful!)
Here's the items that were most popular as we kicked off 2011.


OK this was actually bought at the end of December by my wonderful blog friend Adrienne over at The Rich Life on a Budget
In fact she bought the new color called Fume (which is so new I don't have a photo from the designer yet).Basically it's a gorgeous smoky, brown, tobacco color. Adrienne bought it as a reward for her new exercise regime (pop over to her blog and read all about her efforts; it's truly inspirational if you are in a "fitness funk" after the holiday indulgences). I'm hoping once her ring arrives she will post a photo so you can all the see the new color.




A few people purchased this ring this week.As you can see from the second photo, it opens up like a locket and is deep/big enough to put a sentimental momento inside. One customer wanted to put a lock of her sisters hair after her sister died from cancer at the end of last year. How heartbreaking!




If you are all "glitzed out" after the party season, these earrings seem to be quite popular; I think it's because after all the glitz and glamor, these are still classy enough to wear during the day without looking like a Christmas tree.I know mine have been on my ears quite a bit this week.



Finally the earrings that made it onto the ears of an MTV Diva, sold quite a few at the end of last year and this week. Who is the Diva? Don't be naughty, you know I can't tell. OK, you naughty bunnies, here are some clues: She is a singer-song- writer, she plays the piano, she had a hit last year singing about a very special city in America, and she has just had a baby boy!

OK, so there you have it, a quick update of what our loyal Divas bought this week.







All items available from LUXURIA

Happy New Year from Luxuria!

Well a belated Happy New Year to all my wonderful blogger friends. As some of you will already know from my tweets I went back to a snowy UK for Christmas. After having my flight canceled for 4 days running and feeling like I would never get there, we finally arrived on the 23 Dec.It was certainly worth all the countless wasted hours sitting in Seville airport.



A gloomy day outside Kensington Palace. I always feel really sad when I pass the late Princess Diana's home


I never expected to find them cooking a paella outside an old English pub. Very strange!


Shopping in Fortnum & Masons (London) on Christmas Eve



Knightsbridge Arcade in "Ye Olde England" style; really classy shops



Who said you can't eat cupcakes for breakfast! (Harrods Food Hall, London)



Having only arrived back 2 days ago I am still catching up on all the wonderful blogs I missed, and thought I would just touch base with you all in case some of you thought I had dropped off the edge of the earth!

Firstly I want to start this year by saying a HUGE thank you to all the wonderful friends/followers I have obtained since I started blogging a few months ago (yes, I really am a "blog virgin!") You have all made me feel so welcome on the blogsphere, as well as teaching me so much about how it is all done. I have suffered from serious "blog envy" with practically every blog I follow, and usually have to go and lie down after reading some of your fab blogs in the hope that lying horizontally may help my creative juices (so far it hasn't worked!) Therefore, I hope I can continue to learn from all of you very talented bloggers. It's been an absolute pleasure getting to know you all and I hope our friendships continue throughout this year.

With regards our boutique, I am looking forward to lots of exciting things here at Luxuria HQ. Our first in-house design (designed by moi!) has now been made, and I am just waiting for the samples to arrive. I hope I will be able to show it to you in my next blog post. Here's some hints to wet your appetite; it has been designed specifically for the "pinky" finger and includes black onyx in the design. I can only describe it as decadent, classy and indulgent! Keep your eyes peeled. We may run a competition with this new design as the prize. Have I teased you enough?

Also we are in discussions with more fab designers who want to showcase their wares in our boutique, so as they start coming on board I will let you all know.

So I will end this short post by just wishing you all health, happiness, and of course lots of "bling" for 2011.