Dark + Delicious Ghoulish Finds

In celebration of Halloween, here are some unusual

"dark and ghoulish" finds.

Lydia Courteille "Pumpkin Ring" with orange

sapphires, green garnets, diamonds + blackened gold

Devil Pendant by Theo Fennel made with

white gold, rubies and diamonds.

This is my fav!

LOVE these!
Bat Earrings (Lydia Courteille) with black diamonds
drouzy agate, rubies and blackened gold

Spider Ring by Lydia Courteille; with orange sapphires,green garnets,

diamonds and blackened gold

Skeleton earrings (Lydia Courteille)

Lydia Courteille Bat pendant

Theo Fennel Skull ring with white gold, black, 

grey and white diamonds

Less ghoulish, but equally as dark and delicious

Our Chantilly lace pendant (made by the same lace house in Northern France
that made the lace for Kate Middleton's wedding dress). Read the
story here:  http://bit.ly/ONJe3t

Our dark + delicious stacking ring; not just for
Halloween. Elegant enough all year round http://bit.ly/Rn7Ej4

Another Chantilly lace piece

http://bit.ly/MijC9b

Gorgeous multi-strand cuffs, The black would be perfect

for Halloween. Other variations on our site.

http://bit.ly/fDhGml

So which are your fav ghoulish finds?

Perhaps they are too over the top for you?

Would love to hear your views +
also what you are planning this Halloween, if anything
x xx

p.s don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter (top right of this page) and be entered into a monthly draw (first draw takes place at the end of this month!) for one of our 
pieces.

Are You Like Oprah?

"Some women have a weakness for shoes...............

I can go barefoot if necessary. I have a weakness for books" Oprah

I really LOVE this quote. If you ask my friends and family 

they are likely to say this quote best sums me up .

Altho' best don't ask my husband about the weakness for bags 

which he might add is also a medical condition. 

Needless to say I will do anything to get hold of a book 

I want to read.... and I mean anything!

How's this for a cosy nook to read in?

This would be my fav reading nook

...or perhaps this one 

And yes, I ALWAYS do the above.

I currently have 6 new books on my

bedside table all with the first chapter

read only!

Are books your weakness?

Where's your fav place to read?

What's the last book you bought?

What's the best read so far this year?

Are you a one book at a time girl?

Would love to hear your "bookish" recommendations

p.s don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter (top right of this page) and be entered into a monthly draw (first draw takes place at the end of this month!) for one of our 
pieces.

All images courtesy of Pinterest

Note to Self

Sometimes it might not look like it.........

it might not feel like it.......you may feel like giving up.

But that  thing you are working on, that you

have put your heart and soul into for so long....

it really is happening

It may be going slower than you want.

It may not be taking shaping according to YOUR

timetable.

But stop constantly taking score

It IS unfolding.

Enjoy this part of the journey.

When you get to your destination will

you look back and wish you savored every step

because now you realise that every difficult step was

wrapped in fabulousness?

You really can't feel the good stuff unless you

know what the bad stuff feels like.

Keep going.

Don't you DARE give up.

You really are closer than you realize.

Just look around and appreciate how far you have come.

Happy journey lovelies.

Don't you dare give up.....

I'm watching you ;-)

How's your "journey" going gorgeous girl?

p.s don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter (top right of this page) and become party to special flash sales (for subscribers only) new designs (with special prices) before they are sold in our boutique and  be entered into a monthly draw for one of our pieces.

All images courtesy of Pinterest

Dare You Let Go?

One thing that the season of Autumn always forces me

to do is purge i.e let go.

It's a season when I look at letting go of perhaps

unwanted pounds that have crept on (those fat cells

are STILL living rent-free on my hips; time to evict)

letting go of  old habits that no longer serve me

such as worry (even when there's nothing to worry about),

such as always nurturing others before myself

such as checking e.mails first thing in the morning

(I read that people who delay checking e.mails

until the afternoon, are more productive)

It could even be letting go of friendships I know are toxic

(this is a really hard one for me, and one I am not good at)

Maybe it's letting go of  perfectionism

or

being the best multi-tasker you know

(is that really how you want to be

remembered?)

Maybe it's just letting go 

of a heavy blogging timetable

Or spending less time on social media

Usually our heart and soul knows exactly what it's time

to let go of.

Maybe it's letting go of the excuses for really not

pursing your dreams.

But it's sometimes our brains that give us reasons to 

not follow our hearts and clamp

our sweaty little fingers even tighter around the thing we 

should be letting go of.

However, sometimes when the seasons change, it's a good 

time to let go and make way for the new.

If we just get quiet, get brave and listen very carefully

our heart will tell us what we need to let go of

What do you really want to let go ? It doesn't have to be something

very deep or profound.

It would be just lovely to hear what new spaces you are making 

in your life this season

xx

p.s don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter (top right of this page) and become party to special flash sales (for subscribers only) new designs (with special prices) before they are sold in our boutique and  be entered into a monthly draw for one of our pieces.

Who Is Your 3am Friend?

Since being back in London I am trying desperately to catch-up

with both old and new friends.

Last week I spoke with one of my best friends; we've been

friends for more than 25 years.

After  happy tears and lots of girlie screams

she said to me "Van, you are definitely my 3am friend".

So this got us both debating what gives

someone the "honor" of being your 3am friend?

Who would you call first if you found out you were pregnant,

got the job you desperately wanted, if you won an award?

(after your respective partners and family of course.......

or maybe not ;-)

Who could write your obituary and clean

your computer if your died ;-)

(if like me you are a fan of Greys Anatomy, you will

"get" the above and how important a

3am friend is)

Who would you call first if your had front row

seats for the hottest tickets in town?

Who would drive there and back for you?

Who's seen you do the Ugly Cry?

Who could order for you at a restaurant?

Do you have  a 3am friend or do you think with family

they are not necessary?

One thing I discovered living in Spain was that

because families all live very close to each other,

people never nurtured friendships; they didn't "need"

friends, so they never invested time in friends.

I actually found that very sad. I think we all need

a 3am friend irrespective of how fantastic our 

family/husbands/partners are.

Maybe I'm wrong. 

I would love to hear your thoughts and

about your 3am friend if you have one.

p.s don't forget to see our previous post with details of our Flash sale which ends Tuesday 2 October.

Celebrating Autumn

Having lived in Spain for 12 years,

 I SO missed Autumn. You see there were only ever

two seasons in Spain; Summer and Winter.

Autumn has always been one of my favorite seasons

(along with Spring), so now I am back in the UK

I am really indulging :-)

In celebration of Autumn, take a look at these gorgeous

autumnal pieces

This gorgeous pendant in Silver has been cast

 from real branches taken from the ancient forests 

of the Sussex South Downs (UK). 

I am so excited about :-

*cosy walks all wrapped up

*wearing boots and scarves in September 

(and not flip-flops and shorts)

*comfort food

*gorgeous colors that just stop you in your tracks.

*snuggling up in front of the fire with a good

book or English drama 

(just getting into Downton Abbey;

I know I am one year late to the party ;-)

A stunning ring in Sterling Silver and 18ct gold which 

really encapsulates the form of twigs and berries that are inter-twined 

to form a gorgeous Winter garland. Imagine wearing this 

gorgeous ring this season ;-)

These gorgeous hoops in Sterling silver are cast from real branches 

taken from the ancient forests of the Sussex South Downs (UK). 

They are so original and gorgeous, and will easily take you from day to night.

( Gold version also available).

These stunning earrings in Gold or Silver again have been cast 

from real branches taken from the ancient forests 

of the Sussex South Downs (UK). 

They are simple but stunning glistening drops of buds 

on hand-forged hooks. Length 5.5cm

This is a gorgeous ring (Chocolate Freedom)
for Fall/Autumn with smokey quartz 

that depicts some of the colors of this season; 

it's a clean, ergonomic shape with stunning chocolate 
color stones on one side.  

It is made in Silver and rhodium plating.

I live right on the edge of Epping Forest, 

and I never appreciated just how beautiful 

the scenery could be (or

maybe appreciation of nature is something

that just comes with age!)

This set comprises of 2x 24k gold-plated Silver jewelled hand-hammered 

stackable rings and 1x 24k gold-plated plain stacking ring. 

The colors of these stones remind me of Autuumn/Fall. I think

they would jazz up any outfit.

What do you love most about Autumn/Fall?
Are you mourning the end of Summer
or throwing yourself into the 
new season?

In celebration of my love of Autumn/Fall

I am offering 20% discount off any

of the above items + FREE shipping.

This flash sale is for  1 week only 
(ends TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER)
Just drop me an e.mail and 
I will arrange your discount.

If you want to use a discount on
an item not showcased here, just
drop me an e.mail or a tweet ;-)

Finally. subscribe to our newsletter (box on the top right)

as we will now be doing a MONTHLY draw; one 

subscriber will win a piece from our boutique

EVERY month.

All Autumn images via Pinterest.

All jewellery images via www.luxuria-jewellery.com

Overwhelmed

As most of you know, I left Spain to move back to the UK

this summer.

I principally came back to look after my sick and elderly Dad

who was more sick than I could have ever imagined.

I am not an only child, I have a sister who lives 10 minutes 

away from my Dad. But that's a story for another day.

I'm loving being back in London.

But something else is overwhelming me. 

I've realised my life has been "hijacked".

I can't make plans as there is always

an urgent medical appointment that needs to

be squeezed in.

My life no longer has a timetable. Those of

you who know me, know how my life is scheduled

with military precision.

Suddenly the only timetables are

those surrounding my Dad.

It's dawning on me what a huge undertaking 

I am now part of.

Please don't get me wrong, I am so

pleased I came back when I did.

But being surrounded by someone old and very sick

has started to fill me with dread and fear about my own

old-age.

I've lost my mojo, my creativity, my optimism

for life.

I've lost my freedom, my passion ,

my vision for my business, 

my spontaneity, my sparkle

Nobody told me it would be like this.

Everybody just told me I was doing the right thing.

I'm trying to focus everyday on all that I DO have

........ the most wonderful husband,

friends and faith that are all keeping me on the

right side of the Vodka bottle ;-)

Please don't think I have been ignoring you all

(this is the longest I've been AWOL from

blogland).

I just need more time than I thought to

adapt to my new responsibilities.

OK........now where's that Vodka bottle?

Guest interview 3: Inspirational Women

As a continuation in this series,

I would like to introduce you to

the lovely Sharon 

We have only known each other

a few months, but again it's one of 

those connections that just felt natural.

(Wait til you read about an act of kindness

Sharon performed; it will blow you away).

Tell us a little about how you got into event design consulting?

When my kids were little I needed a  creative outlet 

so I started volunteering for their school events and fundraisers. 

I built up a reputation over the years of being a 

super creative hard worker

You also do fashion consulting. Which of the two do you prefer?

`           

            I enjoy both but I still mostly do event design just because 

there’s more of a need for that here in my community. I just love helping people come 

 up with creative ideas and helping them feel really good about their decisions.

Sharon, earlier this year you showed the ultimate 

act of kindness to a stranger 

that really shook me to my core. 

Can you tell us a little about this; 

how it came about and what moved you to do this? 

I was added to a friend’s group, someone who had kidney disease 

and was using Facebook as forum for awareness and talking 

about what she was going through.  When she wrote a comment saying

 ‘if more people would understand how horrible life on dialysis is,

 more people would be willing to donate their kidney.” 

Something just clicked in me and I decided to look into doing it. 

Seven months later I was a kidney donor. Once my mind went there 

everything just kind of fell into place. Read more about this journey to kidney donation

HERE

As a “yummy-mummy” of FIVE, and such an active consultancy business, 

what is your strategy for not neglecting yourself? Tell  us one of your beauty secrets ;-)

Well, I’ll tell you a secret. I don’t really officially work that much. 

I focus first and foremost on my family, then my blog and then if I have time I’ll do some jobs.

 Prioritising and knowing what’s important without feeling guilty and is key to finding balance. 

I’ve learned to say no and give up on things if they will interfere with 

my family or stress me out too much. 

Here’s a weird beauty secret that I do:

 Every morning after coffee, I make myself a cup of green tea. 

Once the tea bag is steeped I squeeze it out and rub it all over my face before I put my makeup on. 

Then I drink the tea. This way I get all those anti oxidants inside and out!

if you've seen Sharon's picture on her blog,

you know this tip works!

If you get to play “hookie” for the day, 

what is always on your fun-list to do?

I’d love to go sailing or just hang out on the beach with a group of close friends. 

I love the water and the sun and making wonderful connections with people!

Which celebrity would you just LOVE to style, and why?

Jennifer Lopez because she is so hot and I can relate to her body type. 

She is a super star, she is gorgeous and she is 

smoking hot without being a stick. I love that!

What’s one common style mistake women over 40 always make?

I’m going to say the opposite of what so many others say. 

Don’t start dressing matronly just because of the number of your age. 

Dress the way you feel and wear what makes you happy. 

It’s the inner beauty that shines through anyway. 

Just because a magazine editor officially says something is silly on a 

40 something doesn’t mean it doesn’t suit you and your personality. 

I am young at heart and will wear my hair long as long as I 

like the way it looks and it makes me feel great. If you have great legs, 

go ahead and where your skirts to your knee. 

If you like color, go ahead and where it in a fun yet sophisticated way.

 It’s all about balance at this age.

Which celeb do you think has the best style/look at the moment?

 Olivia Palermo and Blake Lively always look super stylish. 

Kate Middleton is the best for classy and ladylike.

How would you describe your style? 

I like sophisticated style with a bit of an edge. 

I also like rocker chic but I would tone it down and make it a bit more classy. 

I’m currently having a love affair with vibrant color blocking!

The  place currently in first place on your travel “wish-list” ?

I was recently in Italy which was my dream, 

but I didn’t get to see enough! 

I would love to travel along the Mediterranean 

and visit the Southern coasts of France, Italy and Greece!

Book or Kindle? 

Book!

What are you reading at the moment? 

Umm I don’t have much time to read...but I should definitely try to read more! 

I started Fifty Shades of Grey a while back but decided 

I really disliked the book a lot. I found the book to be a completely 

unrealistic female fantasy and the female character was just very unappealing to me. 

I like a strong woman who needs a lot more in her life than 

just exciting sex and the need to convert a man!

Who do you consider to be one of the most inspirational women and why? 

Diane Von Furstenberg hands down. 

I’m a young at heart woman in her 40’s and I find her to be an amazing role model. 

She has aged so gracefully, is still so full of life and remains 

relevant and successful with the younger generation in her fashion business.

What a fabulously inspiring woman.

Here's my thoughts on Sharon's interview ;-)

What did you think?

Could you give your kidney to a stranger?

Share your thoughts about this lovely woman.