Notes #3

As I type I'm washing, ironing and packing to vamoosh to France. Yet my holiday packing is disappointing me, as the magazines and daily catalogue drops are fixing my mind firmly on my favourite season Autumn/Winter. It doesn't help that packing for Brittany is more like packing for Cornwall or West Wales, both beautiful and favourite locations but both prey to the vagaries of coastal weather changes.

Still a French excursion doe mean one thing, a ruddy big stock up at the pharmacy.  Whilst I can purchase my favourite moisturiser from Net-A-Porter, a) it is cheaper in France, b) I'm in France and c) there are a whole heap of goodies to snag in addition.

My travel bag is an eclectic mix of things of which I've halved and will probably still not wear half of. Which is the trouble with summer clothes, you stockpile more than necessary. all those missed match bikinis, t-shirts, kaftan style tops and shorts, not to mention maxi dresses. Still I won't care what I'm wearing sat on the decking of an eve sipping French wine from the supermarché.

Essential things for being organised for French holidays & everything else, Knock Knock items from John Lewis from £2.95

Conversations #1

It isn't often I get the chance to blog these days. My life is a heady mix of projects, all of which I could drop in a heap and collapse with them! Yet these projects, my infernal dabbling in an attempt to apply order to my life is, as they say, are coming good. More on this later.

To be fair, most of my notable conversations are with myself, 'tis the nature of being freelance, but once in a while I have a conversation with another human being that is very satisfactory. Last week it was like buses, 3, yes 3 came along at once.

The joy of it all was it was with proper grown up people, the delightful New York jewellery designer Wendy Brandes, her husband (her real one not her nearly one Paul McCartney) and Liz Eggleston aka Miss Peelpants, a true purveyor of secondhand clothing to die for.  Without boring you all too much and wittering on for eons, we mainly chatted world, fashion, bad ass people and events. We laughed about lots of things we consider pretentious and drank Pimms. However we are so grown up these days instead of a pitcher of Pimms it was one glass before we gallantly moved on to the champers.

The best bit, apart from the rollar coaster of all catch ups, was not my purchase of her diffusion jewellery line WendyB heart earrings, although a good buy, but actually getting my hands on her utterly show stopping to die for rings. Wendy has a line of rings under the auspice title of 'Maneater'. This series of rings are beyond imagination.

Maneater, Bull & Bullfighter as modelled by moi. With 429 diamonds, mainly black, some white set in 18 carat gold on my finger I could have cheerfully sat there naked such was the beauty and craftsmanship. If that wasn't enough (and believe me it was) then something 'to die for' was revealed.

The New York city taxi ring!! I couldn't eat after holding it. Look at the top photo, a cityskape on the ring! I'm gonna drive you mad with the !!!!! but there are no words.

Both rings are price on application and when I used to have to confirm the 'price on application' detail to the subs checking on the facts, you could feel their eyes roll, but people don't roll your eyes start saving!

Wendy's talent is a talent under sung in a sea of obvious. All I can say is Jennifer Aniston's PA you need to get Jen a maneater ring to send a message to the world!