Christmas things of beauty...

Hello! Soon to be Christmas Eve; I must admit I am not quite ready! Despite weeks of time to prepare, the big event starts tomorrow with a final shop for food and then a walk on the beach to clear out the cobwebs. The house smells of pine and lavender as I had a last-minute domestic goddess moment and made home made laundry powder (after being inspired by this). Anything that creates a production line of homeliness is good with me.

There is one crucial element missing and that is my husband who has been away since Monday. I think he's had about the toughest week so far in his career so I am looking forward to welcoming him home for Christmas. Without him, it all doesn't quite start...

So now the fire is lit, we are watching 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' after seeing the stage show yesterday. It's dark, wet and windy outside so time to hunker down! Enjoy...

...I am loving this red dress...

via one of my all time favourites, starring the world's most loved canine: backwards in high heels

Danish house at Christmas, complete with a tree in the centre of the room via from the right bank

via keep me happy

via are so happy

Oh Olivia P...

...hard to resist, brown paper...

...wool and lace...anthropologie december catalogue 2011

via country living

...gentlemen, if in doubt, go tiffanys...

via simple thoughts

...excitement growing...

...my home made laundry creations!!

via keep me happy

Have a restful and joyful Christmas...

Things of beauty...

What a week...moments of greatness and moments of mundane all rolled into one. My youngest has been ill so we have spent a fair few days holed up at home, passing the time with DVDs and baking. Tough for my eldest who has had to sit it out with him some of the time, but entertained herself with puppy obstacle courses; that puppy can really learn! So cute to see them out in the garden together - she and the dog. I get these moments when, despite the additional work of having a puppy and the walks that are required each day, I see her and remember this is why we did it. He has rocked her world.

Can I just say...the dress...was after all not fate! There was one left and it was damaged so I received a very apologetic email (even more apologetic when I directed the lovely people at Purple Haze Couture to my blog post!). They are trying to source another but so far, no news. Ah well, maybe it wasn't meant to be!

I have thought about your comments on natural beauty and taken stock; we have to make role models if they don't readily present themselves. I think this is just the adjustment for me from raising a young girl to raising a young woman; it's a shift of thinking but I love that there are a host of friends out there who have advice for me. Thank you.

This weekend we are seeing friends and laying low; embracing the autumnal season, carving pumpkins and eating (more) apple crumble...the detox starts next week :-)

photograph by stephanie rausser

photograph by jamie beck

Ralph Lauren show...photograph by jamie beck

...beauty...

via young blood

Oh Olivia P...

painted by Jessica Cooper

Diane Kruger

impossibly lovely chocolate bisque via canelle et vanille

...vintage Molly Ringwald...oh the 80s, I heart you.

...ever gorgeous Giovanna Battaglia, editor of Italian Vogue

...I like the utility and the antique together...

...couldn't resist...aren't greyhounds just so...calming?

Things of beauty...

Thankfully it's Friday! This week has seen a flurry of appointments for me; taking me from one thing to the next, the week has flown by. It seems the more time I have, the more I fill it. It was my husband's birthday mid-week and poor thing had to leave the house at 5.30am to go to London, so no traditional family birthday-present-unwrapping for him. The children missed him completely and he's been away since. Looking forward to his homecoming later and a night out with friends. I am much in need of some friend time; I feel I am literally submerged in domestics at the moment. Yet again I realise afresh how much work full time motherhood is. Maybe a relaxed latte with work colleagues seems rather enticing afterall ;-)

The poignancy of blogging struck me this week when I saw that one of my first ever followers, Vibeke has very sadly passed away. Even in the short time I have written my blog, I have made genuine friends and as the months passed I noticed Vibeke was commenting less, posting rarely. It's always such a shock to read bad news on a blog; it's with such sadness as I absorb the passing of blogging friends. It feels like we've lost one of our own. I know there are many that remember Lisa in the same way.

And so to things of beauty...an autumnal feel as the season finally turns for good. I had the Rayburn fire lit this week so the kitchen is now toasty for the puppy. He seems quite pleased. Have a lovely weekend...

...an arch-browed Kate Moss, photograph by Mario Testino for UK Vogue

I'm really feeling this at the moment - I have some old friends who I feel I have not seen lately...we have scheduled a date in November!

chairs that I love....via molin y molinette

photograph by aaron delesie

photograph by trevor hoehne

LOVE the boats....photograph by Simon Brown

'...wrapped up with string, these are a few of my favourite things!' Boo has been singing this for her play audition...

via inspired joyful chaos

...ohh Olivia P...would you mind being me for a day, so I could be you?

order makes me happy...jars via 79 ideas

I get my longed-for nights out this weekend...

two of them! 

On with the heels and dress!

Frippery and perfection hunting...

And now to fashion and frippery...one of the writers I read every week is AA Gill, who is the restaurant critic for The Sunday Times. He recently described a concept of 'Daylesford Casual' when referring to women who cultivate a certain style.

via brown dress with white dots

'Daylesford casual, studied layers of thrown-together ethnicity and minimalism over skinny leggings with ballet shoes and pony club hair.'

I somewhat self-consciously realised that what he describes is in fact my own dressing edict..the concept of 'studied layers'. I love this...he is the most scathing writer, achingly unforgiving. I understand also that Gill suffers from severe dyslexia and, consequently, all of his works are written by dictation. I find this awe-inspiring, when you consider the triumph of the English language, that it can be woven in such a way just through the power of thought; no pen and paper needed.


Anyway, back to frippery...the Daylesford reference is genius; and so to explain to non-natives of the UK, Daylesford Organic is a small but very elegant organic shop that started in the country and has now expanded to select parts of London. It symbolises the luxe, stylish side of organic food. Not the dirt and sawdust of farmer's markets but the clean, beautiful, groomed world of our consumer fascination with health and well being all wrapped up in parchment paper and gingham ribbon. 

Daylesford Chic...

via daylesford organic

It's just all so perfect isn't it?! And when I think about 'pony club hair', who springs to mind but Olivia and Catherine?

Ohh she has great hair...via middletonlove

Ohhh she has great clothes...olivia palermo via here

But deep down...the point is, whether it's clothes or hair or food, isn't this is all just indicative of this longing we all have for perfection? Luckily perfection comes in many forms and represents different things to different people, but for me this definition of a look, a lifestyle, an ethos, a style is ultimately all the same thing. I study it because I want it! I am fairly sure that doesn't make me a bad person, but it raises an interesting point. What does perfection bring? And when you get it, does the striving stop? Hmmm, answers on a postcard...