I Wish For You…………..

Dec 21, 2015


This Christmas I wish for you……………….

*the joy of finding beauty in all it's many guises.

Valentino

* the joy of just being and not worrying about
the next thing on your list.


*the joy of creating and accumulating memories
rather than things

*belly laughs

*your favourite Christmas films

*cocktails you would never dream of drinking
any other time of the year

*quiet moments to reflect on how blessed you really
are



*the joy of time


More than anything I wish you a wonderful
Christmas in whatever form that means for you .
If it means solitude with family, wild and crazy
or all of the above, I hope you are able to become
that little girl again that saw the magic and  wonder
in everything. 


As always I thank you for always being at my side;
my rants, my tears (this year has seen a lot of tears)
 and my happy times.

Hope you will continue during
2016.

Love you all and keep sparkling
xxxxxx

 

Same Old Same Old?

Dec 12, 2015

Ok Lovelies, it's usually about this time of year we start
thinking about how the next year is going to be different.

Oh God! I am the biggest culprit; new journals
to write in, new lists of resolutions, new mantra's
to chant, a promise to blog more often, a promise to 
eliminate wheat, carbs, sugar, resolutions next year
..........you know how it goes.

But stay with me on this. 2015 was completely different.
One man completely changed my thought processes, my 
business and every aspect of my life.

It was the beginning of 2015. 
Ten days into the New YearI lost my beloved Dad.
The grief and anguish that consumed me
was more than I could have ever anticipated.
I was already ready to give up on 2015 and retreat under 
my duvet for the rest of the year, I didn't want to go on.

As for my business? Sparkles was the last thing on my
mind. I could barely drag myself through the day.


Enter Todd Herman.


You most probably have never heard of him.
He coaches Olympic athletes, billionaires, the
Spanish Royal Family..........the list goes on.

Here's what happened.
Whilst in my grief-ridden  "stupor" I saw a video of
Todd's for his 90 day year programme (call
it serendipity).

It was quite a lengthy video, but having a Psychology
background there was something about what he was saying
that really resonated. So I signed up for the 
4 free launch videos.  I was mesmerised 
by what I was hearing. I would get up to
re-watch the videos when I couldn't sleep and just 
make copious notes on what this man was saying; 
how did this man know the exact mistakes
I was making in my business-I had never
met him?  How did he know about
the same things I kept meaning to change, 
but didn't?

This is when I started to get really intrigued.

Then the doors opened for the 90 day course. 
My Husband was watching the videos with me. So
when the doors opened for this programme I said to
my Husband I couldn't possibly do the programme 
I was too steeped in my grief to care about 
my business right now. My Husband then said 
"have you thought that this could be the 
perfect thing to start moving you out of the emotional quicksand?"

What did he know? He still had both his parents. He couldn't possibly
know what I was going through; how much I
hated the world and my business. What was the point anyway?

But he was right in some respects when
he said "you don't know what you don't know".

So after much pondering and backwards and forwards, I
signed up (let me just tell you it was very reluctantly).

 MAAAAANNNNN! this programme
turned my life and my business upside down.
It was the most incredible programme 
I have ever participated
in (and I don't say this lightly).

My Husband was right, you don't know
what you don't know.

Let me tell you, if you have a blog that you monetize,
are a female entrepreneur, or thinking about making
big changes in your life, then I PROMISE you with 
all my heart, you need to consider this programme.

It's a programme you can keep doing every 90 days
as you watch REAL changes taking place in your life.
It really is a rinse and repeat strategy.
But what was worth it's weight in gold was the 
networking you get to do in the private Facebook group;
other entrepreneurs, millionaires and even billionaires, and
the group coaching calls with Todd. 
What I learnt from my peers in the programme was
more than I can put into words.



As an aside, 2015 saw me lose my Dad,
sort out all of his estate, deal with probate,
deal with a greedy sibling, sell 2 properties,
buy 2 properties, liaise with 3 different
lawyers at any one time, move to the other side 
of the country AND my business revenue
DOUBLED in 90 days which also
included a feature in ELLE magazine!!!!!


Do yourself a favour and just watch Todd's first video,
then if your interest is piqued sign up to watch the other three 
(they are all FREE) and see if you can see why I am 
raving about this man and his programme.
Even if you decide this is not the right time for you,
there is still SO much content in his videos that you 
can take away with you.


As I said before I have NEVER endorsed any programme 
before, but I don't want you to keep making the same mistakes
I was making year in and year out.

Make 2016 REALLY different and don't just give
the New Year lip service.

Here's the link:

Don't delay as the doors close on 17 December.
So if you do nothing else this weekend, just watch
the launch videos and decide for yourself if you are 
prepared to let yet another year pass by achieving only
a fraction of what you had planned too.

My Dad's sudden death made me realise we don't
really have as much time as we think.
So make 2016 count.
Don't invest in empty promises and
resolutions.


If you want to have a more detailed chat about
the programme, feel free to email, tweet me.........
whatever you wish. But don't let 2016 pass you by like
so many other years have.

If you only buy yourself one thing in 2016, let it be this.


Here's the link again:



xxxxx




Dreamy Cream

Nov 24, 2015

I am a firm believer in keeping
things beautifully simple.

Sometimes luxe textures are all you need :-)

Monique L'Hullier















Ralph Lauren (I so need this jacket in my life!)


How gorgeous will these beauties look;
adding a little colour to your cream?

black jade gemstone statement/cocktail rings

A dome of luxuriant quartz gemstone sitting proudly
aloft the sensuous hues of black jade.




black jade gemstone drop earrings

Black jade drop earrings that ooze chicness, sexiness
and a mysterious allure for the woman wearing them.






Do you go for simplicity or are you
more a fashion renegade-mixing colours
and textures to suit your style?

Do you ever wear cream and would you
be brave enough to buy a  milky, creamy coat?

As always I love hearing your thoughts
xxxx

Where Are You?

Nov 16, 2015






I actually saw this quote many moons ago (long before Steve Jobs died)
and it seemed to sear a place into my brain that never left.
It haunted me for many years when my pay cheque was much
larger than my desire to keep doing what I was doing.

It's the one quote/perspective that made me make big
career changes when everyone else was telling me I was nuts
(and to be honest I also felt like I had lost the plot).


It's now a question I can answer a resounding YES to every day
(even the days when I am pulling my hair out and over dosing 
on chocolate cake to numb the stress!!!)

Where are you?
Have you just started your journey to YES?
Are you already there?
Do you believe there is no such place?

Would love to hear you views as always
Happy week Lovelies

xxxxxx

That Old Black Magic

Oct 29, 2015

Those of you who have been following
my blog for some time know I love nothing
more than black (ok perhaps chocolate cake
is up there also ;-)

black, Halloween

So here is a round up of darkly beautiful things that 
will always put a smile on my face

black, Halloween, Valentino
Valentino
black, Halloween
Embossed Python Clutch from one of my favourite shops in NYC-Gigi New York

black, Halloween, black jewellery
   
     1. BELINA
2. EVA 
  3.ERIKA
     4.NURIA
5.GIGI

black, Halloween


Stunning John Rocha Waterford Crystal black flute

black, Halloween, black macaroons


black, Halloween


black, Halloween
Wouldn't just love to have a spin in this?
black, Halloween, black jewellery, black rings

4.BELINA (Silver)
5. LILOU 




My favourite description of what black means to me ;-)

Happy Halloween my little pumpkins
xxx

6 Books I Recommend Every Fashion Blogger Or Fashion Business Owner Should Read

Oct 15, 2015

OK, for those that have been following my
blog for some time, you know I devour books
(ok, slightly less than I devour chocolate cake).

Here are 6 books I  recommend any
female entrepreneur/fashion blogger should read 
if you want to be inspired but don't want to
read some really "dry" business book which
will just make you feel like gauging your
eyeballs out before you've even finished
(OK, maybe that is excessive ;-)

However, before someone calls
the "Book List Police" on me, these are just 
my humble recommendations,
but I am sure at least 2-3 you would never have heard of or
thought of reading ;-)


i) OK first up is The Glitter Plan:

This is a fab book about how best friends developed
their biz idea after the impossibility of not finding the perfect
t'shirt.........and so Juicy Couture was born.

Even if you are not a fan of having 'Juicy Couture' plastered
all over your booty (as in their velour tracksuits), their story is
so inspiring. They give you their back story and not
just the gloss and achievements, and I think every business
owner likes to know about other people's back story.

Each chapter ends with a summary of the main
lessons learned which in itself is worth it's weight 
in gold




ii) Next up is the biography of Madame Chanel!
This book was SO gripping especially when the opening chapters
begin with the author walking around Chanel's apartment in
Paris.

The author celebrates the woman who created the way
we look now, but she doesn't gloss over the accretions
of romance and lies that Chanel crafted (this for me was a
real insight into the woman and part of the story I found so
fascinating).
While Chanel was a supreme innovator of all things
luxurious and elegant, what lies beneath her own
glossy myth is far darker (and of course being a former
Criminal Psychologist, this is the part that fascinated
me the most).

But this is a fascinating book into the world of artistic
genius and creativity.




iii) This is the book that should become your new best
friend if you do writing of any kind. It's about language 
and how to use it in your writing.
Why did I pick this? I have come across some fab blogs in
my time, but when I see glaringly obvious grammatical errors
(I'm not talking typos here) time and time again, 
I end up never going back :-(
Our blogs are not supposed to be literary works of art
(well at least mine isn't), but sometimes we do need to 
remember our first grade grammar ;-)

This book is proof that sometimes old-school can be best.





iv) This next book was recommended to me by
my mentor Todd Herman. I would never have known about
this book had he not recommended it, as I have never 
seen it on any recommended biz reading lists (or maybe
I am just reading the wrong lists ;-)

This book was first published in 1916 and quickly
became recognised as a great business book. It's
a really short, compact read but with some real 
golden nuggets on how to keep things simple, and
how to know if your business idea will fly or not.

I think this is a real timeless treasure.




v) OK, next up is my favourite blonde. If you think DP is just
a ditsy blonde with a straining at the seams, doubly reinforced bra, 
then she had you fooled also. She is one, savvy business woman.

This book is based on the hugely popular graduation speech she
gave at the University of Tennessee. It will really inspire you to go 
for your dreams if you are still pondering them at the moment.
And if you are already working on your dream, she will
inspire you to work harder!!!!!




vi) Finally is the autobiography of DVF
After watching the series House of DVF, I 
became mildly obsessed with this woman, and
this book quenched my curiosity.

It's a book of focus and passion.
The first part of the book is her life story (which in
itself is hugely inspiring).  The
second part of her book is dedicated to the 'Business
of Fashion' which encompasses all that is the American
Dream, The Comeback Kid and Stickability.
A really inspiring book



So there you have my recommendations if you
don't want to read some dry business book, but
still need some inspiration.

Would love to know your thoughts;  if you've
read any of these, or if you would add any to this list.



xxxxx

Off To The Opera!

Oct 11, 2015


It seems that lady-like, over the elbow gloves are the way
to go this season; whether you wear them for a Holiday ball
or to jazz up a daytime outfit

opera gloves

opera gloves, leather gloves
Marc Jacobs



Vivienne Westwood going all out with the details


Even Disney princesses are getting in on the act



opera gloves, leather gloves, Vera Wang
Leather opera gloves are what were seen on the catwalk
as with this Vera Wang ensemble




opera gloves, leather gloves, Lanvin

Leather by Lanvin


Pinstripes and opera gloves. Who would have combined those
two together?  But I think it looks super chic.



Of course if you want to do retro than no-one
rocks it  better than La Von Teese.




Dsquared added a sorbet coloured glove to their tweed, country
jacket for a really jazzed up "country-pile" finish



So are you going to don  opera gloves this season.
What about for jazzing up your daywear?
Would you?

As always I love to hear your thoughts.

Tally ho Lovelies!!!!



Fashion Renegades or Eccentrics?

Oct 2, 2015

Sometimes it's so easy when we see someone
"pushing the envelope" in terms of fashion boundaries, to
label them eccentric (I know I have been guilty
of this myself :-(

So were these wonderful women below just
eccentrics or were they really fashion renegades?


You cannot start a discussion about fashion eccentrics
or renegades without talking about the lovely 
Iris Apfel; the US icon renowned for her over-sized
spectacles and maximalist dressing.

If you want to stand out from the crowd for your
original and idiosyncratic style, then look
no further for inspiration.

Iris Apfel, fashion renegades, fashion eccentrics, fashion icons
Iris Apfel



Jacqueline Ribes

 The French aristocrat Countess de Ribes was a muse
to YSL and one of the elite socialites known as the Swans.
She went onto launch her own label and customise her
couture outfits for fancy dress parties.
A new exhibition in her honour opens at the New York
Met this November.



diana vreeland, vogue, fashion icons, fashion renegades
Diana Vreeland


Diana Vreeland the legendary editor of American Vogue.
She later became the muse for Marc Jacobs' decadent
a/w 2015 collection. He created a show set that mimicked
her apartment.
Her points of view heralded some of the most adventurous
editorials of the time

So eccentrics or renegades?


Do you agree with the lovely Ms Apfel?