Red Shoes

I am currently watching Hans Christian Andersen's The Red Shoes on my commute into work (on the trusty iphone) and it has given me a real craving for a pair all of my own. Here are my pick of the bunch on the high street at the moment….

(Images, clockwise from top left: bow heels by Kurt Geiger £150, Patent clogs by Topshop £40, Cut out detail peeptoes by Next £30, Suede Courts £30 by Next, Anchor espadrille by office £15, Bunny print platforms by Kurt Geiger £130, Brogues by Pied a Terre £125)

But the pair that I have really been lusting after since the SS10 shows last October, are the Chanel red clogs... now only available on ebay for crazy money, but still a feature on my wall of want!

Hampton Court Beer and Jazz festival

If you are a beer and jazz lover or even just one of the above, then this is the perfect day out for you (27th - 30th August - bank holiday weekend baby yeah!). The man and me went to this last year and had a great time, so we decided to try out the same festival in Greenwich during May of this year. The line up was great, the beer was great, but the weather was awful! It rained incessantly and was far too cold to drink beer comfortably (but we managed!). I fashioned makeshift socks out of arm warmers and the man made us a civilised seating area out of beer crates in one of the marquees! Think we will stick to the Hampton Court August slot next year… a much safer bet. Check out the line up and the selection of 80+ beers here.

Can you see Canary Wharf in the background? Oh i love Canary Wharf!

Fashion by flowers... Dior Couture AW10

Talking of taking inspiration from flowers… have you seen the Dior Couture show images yet? Galliano, as usual, produced a spectacular show with a mouth-watering colour palette of tropical brights offset by inky contrasts. Texture was key with multi-layered chiffon, bursts of tulle and delicate ruffle detailing evoking beautiful blooms, whilst petal shaped silhouettes added movement and life to this organic, extremely covetable collection. Check out Style.com for the full collection and all the couture shows of last week.

Fashion images by Monica Feudi from Style.com

Hampton Court Flower show

I am a big flower lover! I like to draw them, design prints around them, photograph them or just generally receive them as presents! So this show is a firm favourite in my annual calendar, as it’s an opportunity to take loads of cool shots and gather inspiration. Even though I didn’t think the show was quite as good as last year (the installations and flower marquee looked a little recession hit), it was still a great day out. There was a good ‘Best of British’ vibe… I just wish they had run with it a little more. Thinking of trying out Chelsea Flower show next year… Here are a few of my favourite pics from the day.

The South Bank Show…pt 1

The South Bank is quite possibly my favourite area of London and one of my regular haunts, so this will probably be my first post of many on the area. There is always so much to see/do and is a great place for people watching (one of my favourite pass times). I am loving the faux grass living room outside the National Theatre at the moment – the perfect place to soak up the sunshine. It is great to see such an eclectic mix of people – couples in love, friends chilling out with a beer, kids playing… this is London at its best.

Lunch in Soho

I decided to forgo my measly cucumber sandwich today and wander into Soho to find something more exciting to eat for lunch. Now this can be a little intimidating as there are so many gorgeous places, but I settled on Food Secret on Broadwick Street as I have walked past a million times and never been in. 
Well I wasn't disappointed! The concept is ‘’tailor made, fresh food’’ which is healthy, nutritious and I have to say very reasonably priced. There is a grab and go area for those on the run, however I decided to take the weight off and eat in, with a trip to the 'make your own' counter. The selection is fantastic and you can tailor make your soup, salad or sandwich down to the smallest detail. You also get an itemised receipt giving you a breakdown of ingredients and the nutritional value! Very cool! Will definitely be going back again soon.

I love Canary Wharf

Since my Uni days (when I would wistfully stare out of the library window at its awe inspiring view), Canary Wharf has always held a special place in my heart. There’s a real buzz there during the week and it’s a great place for dinner and drinks on a Friday night, when all the suits come out to play! Even though I have a slight fear of tall buildings (they make me want to fall over when I look up), I can’t help but be amazed at the impressive architecture every time I go there. It’s all so shiny and new!

Plus, I love the magnetic strip outside Waitrose in Canada Place, which stops trolleys from leaving the area… so classy and cool. It makes me feel like I am passing through some kind of force field – silly, I know, but that’s me!

Vamos!

What a weekend of sport! Wimbledon final today, so excited. I am still mourning Roger’s exit in the quarters, but like the football, I'm looking forward to watching this final without the nerves. The man and me are hosting a Wimbledon party with all the trimmings… crust-less sarnies, strawberries and cream, ‘power’ pimm’s (the man boosts the usual recipe with prosecco) and a mandatory Borg headband for all!

We will be cheering on Rafa Nadal, one of the nicest men in sport, loved by all. We were lucky enough to see him in the flesh at Wimbledon two weeks ago. Believe me, it was battle to sift through the crowd to catch a glimpse of those famous biceps and the infamous 'butt munch' move…and it wasn’t just the women with their elbows out!

The beautiful game...

Since my team were knocked out of the World Cup (Italy…group stages…enough said), I have been able to enjoy the tournament a lot more, as a neutral with no expectations. So this weekend has been fantastic, with all the skill, drama and goals every sports fan wants to see. The man is rooting for Germany (due to his heritage) so we decided to theme the day… Argentinean steak and my dad’s chimichurri recipe vs. kartoffelsalat (German potato salad) and a stein of their finest beer.

Well, the German’s thrashed Argentina, in their own ruthless way (how cute were Angela Merkel’s restrained goal celebrations?), so in celebration we dug out the German liquor we had in the back of the cupboard, from a trip to Bavaria 4 years ago. The bottle is just gorgeous, as were the contents! Pear drop flavour…yum!