Black is Back! Did it Ever go Away?

OK, it seems that all I've been seeing with regards fashion is that "black is back". Well anyone that knows me knows it never left (Hubs says there is more colour in a nuns wardrobe than in mine! Not sure which nuns he's been staking out?)

I'm really not good at doing colour (altho' a little more adventurous in the summer), and can't wait for winter to appear so that I can start wearing black again.

It's a colour I feel safe in. I know it suits me. It always looks classy (well nearly always) and most importantly, I "appear" taller and thinner (everything helps when you get to a certain age) :-)

I hate shopping, so I tend to add items onto a list that I would like each season, and try and stick to it.

Here's my winter "wish list":

I LOVE this leather jacket by Amanda Wakeley

I spend a lot of time on the back of Hubs Vespa, hanging on for dear lifeas we zoom around the
streets of Seville .If you've seen the film Night & Day with Tom Cruise, it was filmed here, and I'm
sure Hubs is channeling his Tom Cruise albeit on his Vespa!
So I think these gorgeous biker boots by Jimmy Choo will more than compensate.
Must have a word with Hubs!

I still have not ventured into skinny jeans yet; just haven't mustered
up the confidence. But I love these straight leg jeans by Australian brand
Neuw (model above is Francoise Straight)

As I spend so much time in black, I "try" to add some colour with my accessories. It's not always successful, but these are on my wish-list.

OMG! I so want this Hobo bag by Ralph Lauren. It's called the
Harbridge Hobo. I love all the elegant, equestrian-inspired accents
(altho' have never been on a horse in my life!)
I think this might have to go on my list for Santa, but I know Santa is
going to make me choose between the bag and the boots.
Which would you choose?

I love this cashmere blend leopard print scarf by Alexander McQueen
This would be perfect to break up all my black. I know Hubs will say
"Does it have to be Alexander McQueen?" And my reply will be..........?

With this kind of casual attire, I keep my jewellery to a minimum.
Here's my "go to" day pieces.

LUXURIA JEWELLERY BOUTIQUE

LUXURIA JEWELLERY BOUTIQUE

So what do you think?
What's on your winter "wish-list"?
Are you a lover of all thinks black? Or is black boring, safe and unimaginative?
C'mon all you fashionistas, would love to hear your views.

The Versatile Blogger Award

Well dear friends, first a HUGE thank you for all the comments made on my previous post. My Business Coach has literally been salivating reading them, with that "told-you-so" glint in her eyes.

The majority of comments did say they would like to see occassional jewellery posts, so that's what I am going to put my mind too ;-)

Thank you all though for the honesty with which you all answered, and for caring enough to help and give me your views.

OK, now also this week I was awarded my first award. Yaaaaay! Never had a blog award before, so this was my own little Emmys party (sans dress!).



I was awarded this by the lovely Ivana over at Style in the City

I haven't known Ivana very long, but we have become good buddies; she has helped me with my technical queries about blogger, we tweet each other, and more than anything she has such a lovely sweet nature.

So I have to tell you 7 things about myself, and then nominate some bloggers to pass this lovely award onto.

So here are my 7 things you may, or may not know about me:

* I am a germ-a-phobe. No really, it's true. I won't even touch the handle of a public building without a Medi-wipe in my hand. And if you want to watch me go into dramatic convulsions, just stick me on the London Underground during rush-hour in Winter when everyone is coughing and spluttering;my absolute worst nightmare

* I have a mind like an annonyingly absorbant sponge, that retains the most useless trivia you can imagine, only to be regurgitated at the most in-opportune, and often hilarious times.(Sometimes I wonder if I have a form of Aspergers!) The thing is I can never remember when or where I read these useless bits of information; it just appears. However everyone wants me on their team when playing Trivia Pursuit though!

*many of my friends (not close friends) in the UK had no idea I was a Criminal Psychologist. My job title could be a real conversation killer especially at social functions. Suddenly no one wants to speak with you for fear you are analysing them or, you have sussed the little fibs they are spouting out! A few of my high-flyer friends would introduce me as "just a secretary". It was great seeing those same faces when I told them the truth upon leaving the industry ;-) Needless to say they weren't close friends ;-)

* I hate "wet" food; I mean food with lots of gravy, liquid etc such as stews, casseroles etc. I just can't eat them. I don't know whether I had a bad childhood experience with gravy when younger ;-) Or maybe it was the revolting school dinners I was forced to endure;I don't know. But if you want to see me leave your dinner party swiftly, just serve me something like Beef Stroganoff or some kind of Goulash.

*I got married on the wonderful island of Maui, and dream of one day owning a little "beach shack" (I'm not greedy!) there.

*I am a trained Cordon Bleu "chef" ("chef" sounds really prententious, but I can't think of another word to use. "Cook" sounds like the word used to describe people who cook in schools or prisons!) One of my favorite holidays was a 2 week cooking course in Tuscany, Italy

* I hate shopping and practically by everything I possibly can on-line. I can now buy fresh produce from my local farm on-line too. So I am really happy now.

I´ve been asked to give this award to up to 15 bloggers I love and I´ve chosen the following 7 fabulous ladies I read. I've tried to choose some "old friends" and some newer followers as a way of them introducing themselves to us, and as a way of supporting some new bloggers (well new for me, perhaps they have been blogging for years ;-)

i) Tabitha @Bourbon and Pearls
ii) Lillian @Lillian Harlow
iii) Amateurian @Amateurian
iv)Simone @Ironing Basket
v)Barbara @Hampton Hostess
vi) Looking Fab in your Forties
vii) A Brit Greek @mybigfatgreekmove.blogspot.com

Just in case, these are the official rules:

-Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
-Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.
-Give this award to up to 15 recently discovered bloggers.
-Contact those bloggers and tell them the exciting news!

Can't wait to read all your responses!

You've Lost Your Way!

This is what my Business Coach said to me this week, as she sighed whilst looking at my blog. You see my blog was supposed to be an extension of my business, with posts all about jewellery, my pieces etc. It was supposed to be a marketing vehicle.

Instead my blog has become a portal for my spontaneous ramblings; it's become a "love fest" towards all the wonderful friends I've made (which has proved far more valuable to me). Let me tell you, Coach was not impressed.

"It has no direction", she sighed as we had this conversation this week.
"But this is who I AM" I tried to explain to her.
"Even your pictures are sometimes so random", she said clearly exasperated.

Autumn"randomness" from Pinterest (Barbara Lowe)

I want my blog to be an extension of me, my thoughts, my opinions, my mad ramblings etc. I don't want to use my blog as sales pitch. I hate having products rammed down my throat, so I won't do it to my loyal followers either. Apart from my Giveaways or when a new designer comes on board, I don't blog about my business; it's how I like it.I prefer my followers get a feel for who I am; what I sell is secondary.Also my blog is an escape from my business (altho' I didn't say this to Coach ;-)

Coach was not impressed. In fact she was positively peeved.

More Autumn "randomness"-Pinterest (PaulaHamilton)

So I decided to meet her half way and ask my lovely readers what you think.

* Should I do more posts related to jewellery (I'm really not sure I would have enough to say to do a post at least once a week!)

* Do you find my blog a complete mish-mash with no direction?

* What would you like to see more or less of?

* What posts don't you like?

I guess I should have put this in a survey, but I'm hoping you will feel free to be as brutal as you wish (honestly, all comments good or bad are welcome). Anonymous comments are also welcome ;-)

Thank you so much lovelies xx

Where Were You?

Today as I watched the 9-11 Memorial on CNN, it still felt so raw. It felt like it was yesterday as I could remember exactly what I was doing. I can't believe 10 years have passed already.

It will be another one of those days that will be etched on our memories for ever, for different reasons of course; like the death of Elvis (yes I am old enough to remember!) or the death of Princess Diana (I lived spitting distance from Kensington Palace and I will never forget the haunting silence around the palace on that Sunday morning when the news came through that she had died).

As I watched the 9-11 Memorial, it reminded me of one of my favorite songs/videos, that make me cry every time I listen to it.




Please take a moment to watch it (there are no images of 9-11), and ask yourself, have we made progress? Have things changed?

What were you doing on that fateful day?

I had just moved to Spain, was unpacking some boxes and decided to put on the TV.It was about 2.30pm. Hubs walked past as I put on the TV just as the unspeakable was happening, and said "Oh an action film. Do you mind if I watch it?" Eight hours later we were still watching.

What about you? Please share if it's not too painful.

I Think I'm Sure!

OK, anyone reading my previous post knows I made some life-changing decisions this summer, which I promised to share with you in my first post for September.

What is it I hear you asking?

Well Hubs and I have decided to leave the country that has been our adopted home for the last 10 years! Bearing in mind we had only come for 1 year in the first instance, I think we can rest assure that no-one can accuse us of not having "staying power".



So why are we leaving?
There are a multitude of reasons, but principally we both have lone, elderley parents. When we left, we never envisaged still being in Spain when old-age struck both our parents. Hubs is an only child, and altho' I have a sister who lives 10 minutes away from my Dad, I might as well be an only child.

This summer saw lots of unexpected ailments, emergency calls for the ambulance and hospital stays, that made us realise it was more stressful being in Spain and directing everything from here, than being in the UK.Altho' Spain is only about 3 hours from the UK, it is still difficult to fly out every time they have a problem.



Altho' we won't actully be making moves until Spring (due to work commitments we would like to honour) I made a list of all the silly things I miss about the UK (leaving aside the obvious of family and friends).Here are some of them.

I miss:

* having some of the best hairdressers in the world at my fingertips,and knowing the explanation of what I desire won't get "lost in translation".

*I miss being able to go to the best concerts and theatre productions at a moments notice. I haven't been to a pop concert in the 10 years I've lived here, as Spain is not usually on the concert route for many of the big stars.

*I miss the seasons. Yes waking up to blue skies is wonderful, but too much of a good thing...........



* I miss cosy nights in. It's impossible to do "cosy" in 40ºC heat and the air-conditioning blasting

* I miss being able to spend a Saturday afternoon wandering around some of my fav bookshops in London.The Spanish are not big readers. When I first arrived in Seville in 2001, there was only 1 bookshop in the whole of the city, and that was religious bookshop frequented principally by nuns and friars-really, I'm not joking! During this time Amazon became my best friend.

* I miss living in a city that doesn't judge you by the clothes you wear,the car you drive or the religion you practise. Seville/Spain is an extremely close-minded, classist and traditional country/city.Sometimes the "village mentality" can take it's toll

*I miss the build up to Christmas. There is nothing really like it in Spain, as Easter is the bigger celebration of the two.

* I miss having a pile of Sunday papers to read at my leisure over hot croissants. All my newspaper reading has been done on-line since moving here, as by the time international press reaches my city, it's already out of date. I really do miss holding, rustling, folding, highlighting and tearing bits out of my weekend papers.

*I miss not always being the "foreigner".

So these are just some of the points I put on my list and refer to every time I get a wobbly moment. I am sure I will change my mind a thousand times before the time arrives. But sharing my decision with my blogger friends (only) means I now feel committed to seeing this new chapter of our lives through.And I'm sure I will be blogging about many more wobbly moments, and asking all my wonderful friends for some advice.



So dear friends, what would you miss most about your city/country if you emigrated?
Would love to hear your thoughts as always.