Butter London's "No More Waity, Katie"

It's all happening. Driving home from the school run this morning 

they declared on the radio that there are 91 days until the Royal Wedding.  

I came across this Limited Edition nail polish from Butter London 

if you are keen to get in on the show. I actually like the colour...if only I had the nails. 

Vanity Fair is keeping tabs on what is going on with Royal Watcher. 

If you want to follow the latest, have a look here:

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/01/royal-wedding-watch-the-palace-may-fax-your-save-the-date.html

Keep your fax machine turned on...the royal family

is sending 'save-the-date notices to guests'!

via Beauty Mark

If you are in for a bit of nail varnish shopping, 

here a few more colours for you.

Aston    

Bumster

Primrose Hill Picnic

The Old Bill

Pearly Queen

 

Old Blighty

All from Butter London.

Visit website for a store near you :).

Loving Pingush

Pingush

I could do some serious damage in this store, full stop.

I came upon it at a local Christmas Bazaar in December 

and found it hard to tear myself away from it.

I like to try things on in the comfort and privacy 

of a shop and vowed to visit the store.

The clothes have a wonderful feel and are made from 100% Peruvian Baby Alpaca.

The colours are gorgeous and best of all everything looks so comfortable.

Perfect for these chilly English winter days....

Pingush

T9 Tideway Yard

125 Mortlake High Street

Barnes, London

SW14 8SN

United Kingdom

Phone: 0208 878 1244

Email: mail@pingush.com

images via Pingush

Adele: 21~ coming of age

I have my 20 year old daughter Christine to thank for putting me on to Adele. Christine left recently after a two month visit with us to start her second year of University in New Zealand. Before she left she updated my ipod with her favourite music. We listened to the British artist, Adele nearly everyday. I am so glad she left me with Adele, she has a wonderful soulful voice which is a joy to listen too. Much like Christine's voice if she ever dared to take the next step ;)

This is a great song for the car....makes you feel like anything is possible :)

More on Adele here.

image and video via Adele

A Black and White Day in Trafalgar Square

A quiet morning in Trafalgar Square.

I never tire of this space.

Whether in black and white or in colour,

there is always a surprise or two waiting.

Did you know?

Trafalgar Square was officially named in 1830 to commemorate 

Admiral Lord Nelson's victory of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. 

It was intended to be a cultural space for the public to enjoy. 

The square was laid between 1829-1841.

The National Gallery was completed in 1838 followed by the 

erection of Nelsons Column in 1843.  

The Column stands 185 feet high, the statue of Nelson is 17 feet high. 

In 1845, the fountains were built followed by the bronze lions in 1867. 

In 1876, the Imperial Measures- detailing inches, feet, yards, links, chains, 

perches and poles were set into the north terrace wall. 

The square has been seen as the centre of national democracy 

and protest for 200 years.

Rallies and demonstrations are frequently held at weekends on a range 

of political, religious and general issues. 

I was lucky enough to enjoy it on a quiet weekday morning :)

images~me

Upstairs Downstairs

I finally got around to seeing the recent revival of the 1970's BBC series,  Upstairs Downstairs. 

I have to admit I have never seen the original. I wince when I say that as I know 

 British readers will think that incredulous! I now can't see it fast enough. 

This three part series left me wanting more of both the original and the new series. 

It has everything a good drama should have. Perfect casting, superb set design, 

a great storyline which is all wrapped up to leave you wanting more. 

I am keeping my fingers crossed that BBC will do just that. I may be slow 

on the uptake but there seems to be a lot of these three part series which end

with no indication of what will happen next. The new Sherlock with 

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman was another one.

Loved it...but what comes next?

Back to Upstairs Downstairs....

What I loved most was seeing Dame Eileen Atkins.

I loved her in Cranford and even more here. She plays Maud Holland,

an eccentric upper class Englishwoman who after spending years

with the British Raj in India, comes home to roost and that she does.

Her presence is felt everywhere she goes and her opinions

made me giggle thru every episode. She's got moxie and she is brilliant!

See here:

I am slowly getting the hang of these British dramas. 

They have me hook, line and sinker. 

I managed to watch quite a few over the holidays. 

I guess that was the upswing of being unwell over that time. 

Here are a few that have moved to the top of my favourites list.

 BBC Cranford

BBC North and South

BBC Forsyte Saga

BBC Lark Rise to Candleford

ITV Bramwell

 ITV Downton Abbey

I am looking for more suggestions. 

Do you have any favourites?

My Indigenous World and George Smith

I live in an indigenous world....thanks to Mr. H.

 Give the man a six foot hand carved totem, a few spots of leopard 

or an original ceremonial mask and he is one happy man. 

It makes for interesting living to say the very least.

I have decided to try and use this to my advantage. 

I spied with my little eye...a SALE at George Smith 

and casually mentioned that this kilim chair would be 

the perfect compliment to his menagerie.

Hallelujah, I got a curious glance !

SO...I am off to check it out.

via Home Portfolio

This room makes me weak at the knees 

but I have to be careful

as I know Mr. H would see that zebra skin rug 

and be hot to trot for it.

via Cote de Texas

This would do for him...

via Forbes and My Deco

and these would do for me :)

via Press Loft

ah... I just love these tufted beauties.

 I see them and think 'shaken, not stirred' :)

via George Smith

George Smith will be holding their 

Winter Sale from 15 January- 5 February 2011. 

They are offering 50% on stock pieces as well as 

20% off new orders and 25% off their fabrics.

You can view stock on their website www.georgesmith.co.uk

George Smith Furniture and Fabrics

587-589 Kings Road SW6

Phone: 020 7384 1004

From Britain With Love

I love new discoveries

and I particularly love this website.

From Britain with Love

"The gorgeous guide to buying British"

In it you will find 

fabulous products...

homewares

garden

gifts

baby & child

fashion & beauty

food & drink

arts & crafts

travel & leisure

creative courses

and more.

From Britain with Love

While you are on the computer, 

here are a few of my favourite Sales 

going on at the moment...

All About You Shop~ A bit of this and that

Anthropologie ~ For the adventuresome spirit

Aspinal of London ~ Luxury items

Boden ~ Fashion

Brora ~ Fine Scottish cashmere

The Travelwrap Company ~ Luxury travelwear

The White Company ~ For the home

Toast ~ Fashion and home

images

The Green Gal

Brora

Third Culture Kids

Doing a bit of soul searching at the moment with Third Culture Kids.

Expatriates, missionaries, military personnel, corporate families, 

international adoptees and more fall into this world. 

A TCK, third culture kid, is a person who has spent a significant part

 of his or her developmental years outside their parent's culture. 

The TCK builds relationships to all cultures, while not having full ownership in any. 

They create their own, "unique" third culture.

If this is all sounding familiar and you would like to read more...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/expateducation/6545869/Third-culture-kids.html

I am still reading and am in the midst of trying to decide which phase 

of the moving process we are in at the moment.

Involvement- when you are comfortable with where you are living.

Leaving--when you start to let go and loosen emotional ties.

Transitions- when chaos, loss and stress reign supreme.

Entering- when you start to settle and nest in your new location.

Re-involvement- when you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The book makes for very interesting reading 

and is worthwhile for both parents and older children.

image via Third Culture Kids

My Father's Daughter in Dublin

I went to Dublin and found Boston.

I know it sounds strange and it was the oddest thing.

Every street corner, every sign post had a familiar ring.

It could also have been the echoes of American accents 

everywhere we went. Were we really in Dublin?

Having grown up Irish Catholic outside of Boston plays a part in this. 

Add to that my college years spent in Boston and a father who loved 

his Irish heritage and it all began to feel very familiar....30 years later.

I finally had a chance to say it my way.

 One 'L', not two, if you please. 

Although I do admit to wondering as I stood

amidst all these O'Neill's why it was that our ancestors 

arrived in the USA with one 'L' instead of two.

It was a short trip, three days in January 

and the weather was cloudy, yet mystifying.

Nightfall was a beautiful sight with

a shimmer of a shamrock by the evening light.

and those colours, 

even in winter they had a way of surprising you.

as for the Guinness....well how could I not?

I am my father's daughter after all. :)

and a good Irish stew has always been a favourite.

We walked and walked and ticked off the list.

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral,

Trinity College Dublin and more.

We ended with the resting place of Jonathan Swift of

Gulliver's Travels fame. He was Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral

and is buried there. Ah, the Irish...bless them, 

my Dad was right :)

I managed a memento or two, as you do.

If you follow me at Collage of Life you will know

that I arrived in a flu like fog and fell in love with Irish Tweed.

You can find out more about that here...

images ~me