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.

What I DON'T Wish For You

This 2012, I DON'T wish for you...........................

....the cake or soufflé that emerges golden and domed, and deflates as you watch

.....the long awaited phone call that turns out to be the wrong number


.....the face that lights up at the sight of you, but passes by to someone just behind ;-)

......the perfect sale shoes half a size too small

.....the TV show you sit up until midnight to watch only to find you've seen it before

......(for all expats) the TV show you sit up until midnight to watch only to find they are not showing the original version, but dubbed in foreign tongues

.....the mutual love that turns out not to be

.....the wrongly delivered parcel

......the daffodils that never open but rot in the bud

Here's a few of mine:

I do NOT wish :

*more fat cells to move onto my hips and thighs and continue living rent-free. You will be evicted this year you little buggers.

* more toxic friends; friends that only contact you when they need something;

that leave me gasping for air and emotionally drained when I've been with them.

* to hear any more about the Kardashian sisters/family. Talentless fame just irritates me.

* to become obsessed about what I eat ; protein vs carbs, trans fats, E numbers........the list gets longer every year. I just want to make small, healthy changes every day.

* that fear stops me from moving forward

* that Mother Nature doesn't bestow us with more natural disasters as in 2011. I think last year she was laughing at us, saying "I told you so. Abuse the earth and this is what happens". OK, we get the message. Enough Mother Nature!!! ;-)

Apart from the obvious such as bad health, divorce etc. What do you not wish for yourselves in 2012?

My Wishes For You In 2012

This New Year I wish you all the joy of...........

* always having someone to share things with

*that sometimes, just sometimes, you can afford the thing you long for, rather than the thing that will do

*enough good memories to see you through the hard times

* seeing your luggage arriving first on the baggage carousel

* receiving a letter from a friend whose address you've lost

* eating Ben & Jerry's in your pj's

* opening a well-remembered book....the soothing first page...the first familiar words

* being the first to leave footprints in freshly fallen snow

* seeing someone's face light up at the sight of you

* sun-dried laundry

*letters that begin with the words "We are pleased to tell you that....."

* small sticky kisses

*a smile from a stranger

But most of all I wish that in 2012 there will always be something you want to learn, something you want to do, somewhere you want to go, someone you want to meet, and that whatever happens this year you continue to grow and find your bliss.

What's your one wish for yourself this year?

Guest Post-New Years Eve in Austria

Our second New Years Eve post is from the lovely Ivana who writes the blog Macarons & Pearls
She is originally from Slovakia, has lived in Paris and has recently just moved to Austria.

What would be your ideal New Years Eve?

I´m definitely not a party girl and I don´t like crowded nightclubs, so my ideal New Years Eve would look as follows: a dinner party at our place, with a few of our best friends, loads of delicious food, cupcakes, macarons, great music, loads of laughter and bubbles of champagne!

This year's New Years Eve outfit will be.......
Sequins, sequins, sequins! I love myself some sparkle, so I´ll go for a sequin minidress, sky-high heels and a cocktail ring or two. And a smoky eye, of course :)

What traditions do you have in Slovakia?
Definitely the fireworks. Everyone stocks up on the boxes of fireworks, and at midnight all the hell breaks loose :) You can watch it from your balcony, and it´s really beautiful. Unfortunately, we don´t do this anymore at my parents´ place, because we almost set the house on fire a few years ago... We also love to go downtown to watch the city fireworks, meet some more friends and wish everyone a Happy New Year

This year it´s the first time ever that I won´t be celebrating the NY Eve in Slovakia. I´ll be in Graz with my fiancé and a bunch of friends, and I´m really excited to discover the way the Austrian people celebrate and all their special habits!

What beauty product can you not survive without during the festive season?

A great moisturizer! The weather is so cold in Austria, and my skin suffers a lot, so I try to take special care of it. I´m more than addicted to Dior´s Hydra Life Skin Perfect and Clarins´ HydraQuench Mask. And since my lashes are virtually non existent, I couldn´t survive without a great mascara, no matter the time of the year :)

Best Stress Reliever?

When I feel stressed out ot unhappy, I just need to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and a great book (I´m pretty much obsessed with Hunger Games series right now, and these books make me forget all the stress and problems!)

What your hopes and dreams for 2012?
Wow, this is a tough one. I gave up on New Year resolutions a long time ago: if I want to change something about my life, I try to do it immediately, I don´t see the point in waiting until the new year. But each December I love to put together a list of things that I´m sure will make me happier. I want to spend as much time as possible working on my blog and my new career, because it brings me so much joy and fulfilment! I hope I´ll soon be able to have a proper conversation in German, and I want to discover all the wonderful things and opportunities my new country and city have to offer. I want to read tons of amazing books, watch all the new movies, get inspired by everything around me, design my own clothes, bake the best macarons in the world (watch out, Ladurée :), learn one new thing everyday, become a better person and leave a little trail of beauty behind me... Plus, I´m really looking forward to planning my wedding and I hope everything goes well :)
And I really, really hope to spend as much time as possible with the people I love the most: my fiancé, my parents and my best friends. Here´s to an amazing new year 2012!

Wow! great resolutions Ivana, and thank you SO much for guest posting for me. It just remains for me to say I wish you all the best for 2012, and thank you for all your wonderful support on my blog (and off the blog) this year. It's been wonderful getting to know you :-)

And to all my wonderful followers and friends, I want to wish you ALL a fabulous 2012. Thank you all so much for your blog support, and also for the wonderful "friendships without borders" I have made. Here's to another year of sisterhood support xx

Guest post-New Years Eve with Liliian Harlow

This New Years Eve guest post is from the lovely Lily of Lillian Harlow from Australia, who wants to share with us NYE in Oz.

What is your ideal way to spend New Years Eve?

My ideal way to spend NYE is with a cocktail party at our house. We live in the middle of Melbourne, one block from the Yarra River and from our balcony we have a glorious view of the fireworks that line the river. We are also a short walk to the centre of the "action", so often we'll gather our guests and go for a walk to stand under the fireworks for midnight... then wander home to finish off the night in comfort! It's a glorious way to spend the evening, and even though I often wonder what I've gotten myself in for the day prior (when I'm cooking all day in the sweltering Australian heat in the kitchen), it's always worth it! Our apartment is not really suited to a sit down dinner for more than 6, so when we have a lot of guests, a cocktail function is ideal. The upside is that I have become the queen of finger food ;)

What will be your New Years Eve outfit this year?

Most years, NYE in Melbourne is VERY hot! The hottest I have experienced was 42 degrees celcius (approx 108f). Our home is not airconditioned and a breeze will only do much. So most years I dress to be cool and comfortable. This year I think a light maxi dress will be in order, something simple so that I can go all out with my accessories. There's nothing like bold and bright jewellery to say "Happy New Year".

Do you have any unusual traditions that take place in Australia? Here in Spain we must eat 12 grapes with the strike of each bell at midnight. Anything similar?
I'm not aware of any traditions that take place at midnight in Australia other than kisses and champagne... but really, how could anything else compare to kisses and champagne anyway? ;)

Your drink of choice?

My drink of choice for NYE is often a long cool glass of fresh punch, which is both refreshing and dangerously drinkable. We are also very big fans of cocktails, and my Beloved makes a mean muddled strawberry mojito which is delicious on a hot night.

If you could be somewhere other than Australia, where would you like to ring in the New Year?

If I were overseas for NYE, I would have to say that I'd love ring in the new year in NYC! It has always been a dream of mine to enjoy a white Christmas and NYE there.

What beauty product can't you survive without during the party season?
The most important product for me in the festive season (and just about any other season) is my SFP 30+. I am incredibly pale and for us Christmas and NYE usually means a lot of time spent at the beach, or enjoying outdoor picnics and the like. Without my SPF I would be ringing in the new year looking redder than Rudolph's nose.




What is your best stress reliever?

My best stress reliever is my fiance. It is a cliche, but if things do become too manic, a quiet cuddle is just the trick to melt it all away and get me back on track. That or a sneaky afternoon G & T ;)

What are your hopes and dreams for 2012?

We are getting married in 2012, so that definitely factors into my hopes and dreams for the year:

- I hope that my parent's health improves and that their quality of life can be increased somewhat
- I hope that our wedding planning goes smoothly and that we both enjoy our day, surrounded by our family and friends
- I hope that the last 5 years of stress within our business finally pay off and we can have some peace of mind and financial security
- I hope that 2012 will bring health and happiness to those near and dear to me
- I hope that this time next year when we reflect on the year that was, that there will be many fond memories to revisit



A BIG thank you to the lovely Lily for sharing her NYE with us. It is just left for me to wish her a wonderful 2012, and hope that all her dreams and wishes come to fruition.

A Peep Through my Christmas Window.

OK friends, to end my Christmas series, I will give you a peep into my Christmas window this Christmas ;-)

How important is Christmas for me or can I take it or leave it?

I don't have children so I am sure I miss out on many things that parents experience at this time. Nonetheless, I love Christmas and all the preparations leading up to it. When I lived in the UK, my husband and I would volunteer for Shelter (an organization for the homeless) every Christmas Day (much to the annoyance and disdain of our families). It was an extremely emotional time for both of us, but made a lasting impact. I still think back to some of the people we met and wonder how they are all doing.

Nat King Cole, Michael Bublé, Handel's Messiah or Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite?

All of the above including, Harry Connick Jr.

Turkey or not?

When in the UK it's a goose. But this is our first Christmas in Spain despite living here 11 years. Consequently the main course will be "cochinillo"-suckling pig! I'm not sure how I am going to get through cooking this little cherub (it really looks so sweet), but promised Hubs I would try ;-)

Switzerland

If I could spend Christmas in any other place other than the UK or Spain where would I choose?

My first choice would be Switzerland where I have family, and where all Christmases were spent when I was a child. My second choice would Aspen, Colorado. As you can tell Christmas is not really Christmas for me without snow ;-)

What books am I hoping to receive this Christmas?

My Amazon wish list is about to combust. But if I can give just two choices (both non-fiction/autobiographical) it would be:

i)Life Without Limits-Nick Vujicic

ii) An Invisible Thread - Laura Schroff

What beauty product is my Christmas fail-safe?

It would have to be Clarins Beauty Flash Balm ( during the day) and Decleor Neroli oil (at night).

What do I buy the girlfriend that has everything?

It would have to be a Jo Malone Pine & Eucalyptus scented candle or Acqua di Parma Red Berries candle.

Anything else I would like to share?

* Christmas is not about perfection; so don't get so wrapped up in making everything perfect that you forget to stop and smell the roses

* savor every minute

*spend a few minutes just being grateful for all that we are fortunate to have

* forget calorie control for a few days. Life's too short :-)

*remember those less fortunate; there is always someone close by

*embrace the power of giving; it truly is the best feeling

Finally I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all the bloggers that did guest posts. We will have a few more between Christmas and New Year with the emphasis being on New Years celebrations instead, so keep your eyes peeled.

I would also like to thank all my wonderful followers and friends who have made my "baby steps" into blogging such a wonderful and joyous experience (despite not being a very keen writer).

Thank you ALL so much and I wish you all a wonderful holiday. Here's hoping Santa is kind to each and every one of you.

p.s Do stay tuned as we have two New Years Eve guest posts from very different parts of the world ;-)

Guest post: Christmas with Looking Fab In Your 40's

OK, our fourth guest post is from the lovely Sharron who writes the sassy blog Looking Fab in your 40's

Admittedly, Sharron and I haven't been following each other as long as some of my other "guests", but I just love her sassy blog; written for 40-somethings who don't want to start dressing like their spinister aunt of 70!

Also, she hails from my part of the world, and often her posts remind me just why I want to return ;-)

Here's a peep through Sharron's window on Christmas Day in the UK.

What does Christmas mean to you, or can you take it or leave it?
Christmas is very important but if I didn't have four children it might not be!


What are you hoping to find under the tree this Christmas?
I have asked for lots of new make-up, so I am really hoping to get that and try out some new products


Flats or heels on Christmas Day?
Flats, I can't cook in heels!

What will be your Christmas outfit be this year?
A jersey or knitted dress, something nice and comfortable



Do you serve anything unusual for Christmas Day lunch other than the traditional turkey and Christmas pud?
Just the traditional Christmas lunch , nothing unusual


Nat King Cole, Michael Bublé, Handel's Messiah or Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite?
Michael Bublé

What one book do you hope to receive this year?
There are no books on my Christmas list this year



The beauty product you can't live without over the festive season?
I can't live without a decent hand cream

What do you buy the girlfriend who has everything?
A Diptique scented candle



If you could spend Christmas somewhere else other than the UK, where would you choose?
New York; it's a no-brainer!

How are you hoping that this Christmas will be different from previous ones?
I'm not hoping it will be different from previous years. All I ever want is for my kids to be healthy and happy. I have enjoyed every Christmas the same since first becoming a parent 22.5 years ago!

Thank you SO much Sharron for giving us this peep into your Christmas Day. I wish you a wonderfully "chic" festive period, and hope that 2012 brings you everything that you wish for (and if that includes another pair of Jimmy Choos or a Chanel bag, so be it!).