Hairspiration: How To Tie A Turban

Image: Myself at the English countryside, December 2011.

Some of you have requested a turban tutorial video. I thought I'd include one in this post, which was made and put together by my favourite hair inspiration blog friend, Natural Belle. You are all warmly invited to visit her delightful blog HERE for her turban tutorial click HERE

Fashion, Art and Other Fancies

Images: myself en route to art exhibition with friends in Germany, artwork by Paul Aïzpiri from said exhibit, afterwards we were invited back to my girlfriend's house for a scrumptious meal, merry laughter and French wine. The weather was still fine after lunch so we decided to go out for a nice stroll. Along the way we called at my girlfriend's local cathedral for winter hymns and tea.

I finally managed to catch the late flight back to Paris after all the wonderful impressions of the day. During the flight I was thinking about this quote by Plato.
"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.”

Don't you just adore the painting above by Paul Aïzpiri? I'm actually quite in love with the painterly brush strokes, the playful, pipe smokers on the blue vase, and the way the colours melt together into an impressionistic blur.

Snowfall in G Minor

Snowflakes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take
Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.













Images: morning coffee along with current reading matter and makeup fancies, painting: Winter by Alexandre Zakhrov, my beloved piano forte, pumpkin, sweet potatoe and carrot soup from today's luncheon, snowfall in G minor from the woods this afternoon;-)

I adore the poem above by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It captures the mystical and elusive mood of snow-covered fields so beautifully. Trust you are all enjoying the festive season with friends and family. xx

At The French Countryside

It's so painterly at the French countryside this time of year. This is where I go to cultivate silence and patience. Have you noticed how silent it is at the countryside? As an island girl I adore being seaside but sometimes the waves can be interrupting like voices.

The photographs below were taken at our country estate. We are sharing time with family and close friends. How wonderful it is to be amongst silent mountains in exquisite company. This year has been an emotional merry-go-round. Let's hope 2012 brings many positive impressions. Love to you all. xxxx









Images taken at the French countryside this weekend. Have a nice weekend and happy holidays - this is my last post for 2011. Be positive, be passionate, be festive!

Un Hiver Chatoyant

Images: I'm wearing vintage Dior coat. Necklace by De Beers, footwear by Mui Mui, cashmere jumper by Eric Bompard along with my painterly silk skirt from the West Indies.

My sister and I met up this morning for some winter pampering. We went to the hairdresser - had our hair done, went onto lunch, then to one of my chums who is a great pianist for Chopin and tea.

The sun came out briefly to flirt with us en route to lunch, but now the sun is firmly asleep behind a misty sky, and sister and I are busy in the kitchen cooking:

Chicken and sweet pepper stew, oven roasted lamb with honey, winter vegetables with jerk sauce, tagine of pumpkin with figs, almonds, shallots and garlic. We are having guests round this evening for a winter feast;-)

The Cruelty of Winter

Winter, brittle and cold, bare limbs wake, under a blanket of snow. I am a child of summer - bones and emotions suffer in winter like leafless fingers. There are times when I feel as if the snow is blowing the ripe summer memories from my soul. Winter is so faultlessly cruel; it bites, it shocks; look what it does to the trees.


Images taken last weekend.
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Paris: Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Images: Winter rain is romantic, soulful and melancholic like persian poetry.
I love meeting up with friends and lovers for a little light music, coffee, conversation and merry laughter. Is there a better way to honour rainy days?

Music is the highest form of art - I'm listening to Julia Fischer on the violin, Bach Chaconne whilst dreaming of crushed sardines, roasted garlic, rosemary married with thyme, home-made tomatoe sauce upon freshly made pasta. What are you listening to this winter? xx

Chanel And Champagne In The Swiss Alps

Images: Off to the Swiss Alps my lovelies. Can't wait to inhale the fresh, clean, mountain air in the mornings, paint the wintry landscape on canvas, read in the afternoons, go out for long walks in my winter boots, indulge in early evening naps, sip tea from my happy teapot with charming friends, and dance in my high heels till dawn at full moon parties. Ah, for the love of winter twilight and liguid moon! xx

Images: I walked for a German designer at fashion week. These are some of the pictures from the day. xx

Paris: Street Style

Images: First and second image via Le Look,third image by the lovely Dvora of Fashionistable. I adore the necklace in the second image. It has such a vibrant fruity element. Reminds one of bananas swinging from a tree in Trinidad. The blouse I'm wearing was made especially for me by one of the world's leading fashion designers. Don't you just adore the cheerful, tropical colours of the blouse? I feel extra sensuous when I wear this piece;-)

Paris: Friends In Fashion

For men and women are not only themselves; they are also the region in which they are born, the city apartment or farm in which they learnt to walk, the games they played as children, the old wives tales they overheard, the food they ate, the schools they attended, the sports they followed, the poets they read, and the God they believed in. It is all these things that have made them what they are, and these are the things that you can't come to know by hearsay...
W. Somerset Maugham

My girlfriend and I met up last weekend after years of not seeing one another.
We played together as children, attended the same schools, shared a flat in Vienna, Switzerland and Oxford. It was so good to see her after all this time.















Images: Met up with girlfriend, enjoyed a late breakfast together, went on to whisky, wine and cheese tasting then art exhibition, afterwards we strolled along the quaint streets of paris en route to fashion show, took pictures of autumn leaves blowing in the sweeping wind, arrived at fashion show venue wearing my studded booties, a picture of my girlfriend's studded ballerinas. Happy weekend!xx

Paris, Just before dinner

Image: I'm just about to swan out to dinner, but I thought I'd pop in and wish you all a happy Friday. These prada heels are so lovely. Am wearing them with my burgundy cashmere/silk wrap dress, antique silver clutch and long vintage diamond earrings. xx

Accessorising Fashion

Images: Bespoke hat, second image was taken between fashion shows, antique bracelet from my mama's jewellery box, bag by Rene Storck, the German fashion designer.