A Spanish Valentines

I thought I would bring you some Spanish gems for Valentines

Gold and diamond pendant in a

polyglot heart - Tous

Gorgeous Gold heart earrings- Aristocrazy

Miniyo Wedges- Coolway

Stunning satin shoes-Pura Lopéz

Rosario tulle flowers at your feet -Pretty Ballerinas

I really love this multicolor satchel-Agatha Ruiz de la Prada

Floral clutch -Desigual

Red enamel hearts with Swarovski crystals-Viceroy

For all my lovely friends shivering in a very cold

Europe (including me in Spain!),

stay warm Angels!!!

What are your plans for Valentines, do you not celebrate?

Is Valentines just another commercial marketing day?

Here in Spain it is still not that popular,

altho it is growing in popularity each year.

Couldn't resist this!

Boys will be boys ;-)

Would love to hear what you" really" think ;-)

Love is..........

* letting you take the first sip of his cappuccino

*a soft, unexpected touch

*what causes you to lose concentration

*looking forward most to aprés-ski ;-)

* knowing what each other are thinking without saying a word

*not asking how much your new shoes and dress cost ;-)

*letting her take over the bathroom

*not complaining even though he only has 1/5th of

the wardrobe space

* not saying anything when he turns over in bed and takes all the

covers with him

*finding strength in each other when disaster strikes

* a necessity not a luxury

*not letting time run out

* him buying you your favorite magazine without you even asking

*letting him drive with the car roof down even though you

know you will arrive at your destination looking like a troll

*the reason we are here

*living spontaneously, not according to a life plan

*the fairytale you want it to be

* holding onto every precious moment

*when your future is as crystal clear as it can be

*always bringing out the best in each other

* not speaking for hours, but knowing the other is a touch away

*wanting the same things in life

*not caring about compromise; it's a given

Please share what love is for you..........................

Madrid Fashion Week 2012

Well as this week was Madrid Fashion week, I thought I would bring you some Spanish designers who are perhaps as not as well known outside Spain, but who I think create gorgeous "wearable" designs (Ok, not to be worn to the supermarket, but I think you get my drift ;-)

So here goes:

Jesus del Pozo

Not sure if poodle comes with dress ;-)

I can see Kate Middleton wearing something

like this. What do you think?

I love these, but don't like the footwear

they've put with it :-(

Juanjo Oliva

I love ALL his designs. I can't choose a fav.

Adolfo Dominguez

I love all the gorgeous pastel shades, and really

LOVE their sandals!

Amaya Arzuaga (a fav of Penelope Cruz)

I love the first dress.

What do you think? Do you like any of them?

What's your fav?

I'll bring you some more later this week ;-)

Bubbles and Clusters

So pleased to introduce a new collection to our boutique by Dutch designer Coretta Van Wyk

Her Bubbles and Cluster pieces are so fun and sassy.

Bubbles Bracelet: http://bit.ly/wCue2d

Multi-Bubble Ring: http://bit.ly/xeDxVv

(Different variations of the Bubble ring are shown in our boutique)

2 Ball Bubble Ring http://bit.ly/wNGstj

My Fav http://bit.ly/wPkQHl

Stunning Cluster ring (comes in different variations; all

very organically created) http://bit.ly/yVKNTF

We are offering 15% discount and FREE shipping

on all our Bubbles/ Cluster pieces.

Offer ends Valentines day!

Let me know what you think, and which are your favorites (more

styles are shown on our site.This is just a small selection)

Have a wonderfully glamorous week my Lovelies xx

Getting to Know You

As we have some new friends who recently joined our blog, or popped over for a chat, I thought it would be nice to share some facts about each other (a fun meme).

Here goes:

i) What's your quickest legal route to joy?

Eating Ben & Jerry's, watching a good film and snuggled in a cashmere throw

ii) What do you ask yourself most often?

"Does my bum look big in this?" (well what do you expect after question 1 ;-)

iii) What was left on your To Do list last week?

Nothing-I micro-manage with military precision (sad really!)

iv) What's your biggest pet-peeve?

Arrogance

v) What is the last book you read?

I've just finished 're-reading 'Embracing Uncertainty' by Susan Jeffers and 'Water' by Dr Batmanghelidj (one of the best books I've ever read. Should be compulsory reading)

vi) Favorite iPad app?

Epicurian, and any apps related to recipes and cooking

vii) What words do you try to live by?

"If you have the choice of being right or kind......always choose kind" and,

"If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all".

viii) What's the most daring thing you've ever done?

Living in Hong-Kong, then moved to the island Mallorca and then to the Spanish mainland.

ix) Favorite Indulgence?

Luxury travel and best ingredients I can buy when on a "cooking mission".

My fav earrings at the moment http://bit.ly/zaYku5

x)What is the most interesting thing in your handbag right now?

A ring-sizer (someone always wants to know their ring size!)

Please join in the fun (you don't have to answer all the questions if you don't want too). I would LOVE to get to know you each a bit better xx

We're Not Friends Anymore.

Last week I was "chatting" to one of my lovely blogging friends Leigh, and we were talking about how different our wardrobes are now, to when we were both in the corporate world.

After our conversation, I started thinking about the obscene amounts of money I used to spend on my wardrobe and bags. Just thinking about it was making my toes curl. Let me explain my frivolity :

*it was the late 80's early 90's and I had just started working

*I was young, free and single

* my love-affair (encouraged by my late mum) started with the gorgeous Louis Vuitton boutique in London (so much so that the then shop manager is still a good friend of mine!)

*my Mum used to encourage me by saying my purchases were "investments", so it was OK ;-)

*I had a boyfriend (now my husband) who indulged my passion.

*It was the decade when everyone had "cash to flash!"

my very first bag; my favorite style which is now 20+

years old

I bought 2 pieces a year! Looking back, it was obscene. I spent enough to pay off the debt of a small African state (and I'm not proud of that) :-(

my last purchase about 6+ years ago

Every time I had extra money, it wasn't put aside for a rainy day, for my first property or for my next holiday. No, it went on my next baby-a LV piece. Each new piece became my next BFF:-)

I bought big and small items; from wheelie luggage to the smallest change purse.

My wallet, Filofax and pouch (which clips into the bag above).

However, over the last 6+ years, I've fallen out with my BFF's. Apart from my smaller items I never use these bags anymore. Why?

* maybe I've become more socially conscious as I've got older, but I feel very conspicuous wearing heavily monogrammed pieces; it just feels very vulgar and ostentatious for me now

* I currently live in a country where there are 4 million unemployed; it feels really distasteful to be flaunting such frivolous items in this current climate

*One medium-size bag costs more than the average monthly salary in Spain.

*My daily wardrobe has changed since living in the "wilderness". I can be found in smart casual rather than Armani suits. Add a heavily monogrammed LV bag, and I end up looking like a gangsters moll

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE designer bags and still ask Hubs to buy me one for a special occasion. But I prefer the more discreet designs; Loewe, Mulberry, Carolina Herrera etc. Maybe I will feel differently and use them again when I move back to London. Or maybe these will just contribute to my future pension fund. However, at the moment I have fallen out of love with monogrammed bags.

What do you think? Do you love wearing monogrammed designs in particular?

Are these types of purchases really superficial?

Is it just a way of flaunting to the world that you have "cash to flash"?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

What!!! Another Pair of Shoes?

Today as I was passing Tous boutique here in Spain, I saw the most beautiful shoes.

You see these are shoes with a difference. They are gorgeous charms designed by the legendary Manolo Blahnik.

The charms are based on his 1994 Campari Mary Jane design . This shoe became something of an iconic shoe after it was featured in numerous films and TV shows (lets not even mention Carrie Bradshaw ;-).
Manolo Blahnik said about his collaboration with Tous,

"I really like Touse because I believe that we have many things in common. We are two family run businesses, we have Spanish roots and both like to surprise and innovate".

What do you think?

Do you like charm jewelry?

Do you like, or own a pair of Manolo's?

Would love to hear what you think.