My Little Scarf Blog

Before I Go......A Few of My Favourite Things.

2012-02-11T18:23:00.012Z

I am about to depart on my annual trip to Venice for Carnival, so before I go I just thought I would post my latest acquisitions from the MaiTai Collection with which I am sure many of you are familiar! When I get back from my trip I hope to be able to have a play with these lovely goodies and post some pictures. I have another parcel in the post and I had hoped it would arrive in time for this blog-post, but it has not so that will be for next time;-)

What delights are beneath this lovely wrapping?

Lovely pink ribboned boxes!

My new trio of rings.

I really like the contrast of this sunshine honey shawl ring.

On certain Fridays there is a "farmers market" at the garden centre near my office. So I went along yesterday to see what was for sale. Anyway there is this lovely cake maker that is there and they make these adorable MINI cupcakes (or petit fours if we're being posh!) they are literally not much bigger than the size of a 10p/€2/$quarter coin and I can tell you that they taste delicious! My sister loves butterflies so I was quite taken with these little butterfly cakes with edible glitter!

This is the first box I bought a few weeks ago.

The box I bought yesterday.

The cakes are made by Tinakiiana and you can see more of their delights on their website.

A Wander Off The Beaten Track - London

2012-02-04T18:35:00.012Z

When I was in London the other week I went to my favourite restaurant Marcus Wareing at The Berkley (www.marcuswareing.com) for lunch:-

Canapes - Lobster and Lime

Fish and Chip Soup - DELISH!

Papardele Pasta, Beurre Blance and Truffle.

Pork Belly with Pork Scratchings, Turnip, Peas Pudding yum!

Pre-dessert White Chocolate & Cherry Mousse

topped with Redcurrant

Dessert - Flapjack with Yoghurt Cream and Salted Walnuts

Meringue and Redcurrant Jelly

To Finish a 70% Chocolate Ganache

and Gold Leaf

I forgot to take a photo of my starter which was Lobster with a ravioli and a lobster bisque - it was beautiful to look at and eat!

After we left the hotel we then went for a walk to find the Christian Louboutin Boutique but we passed by some nice sights:-

A magnificent stag sculpture in a front garden!

A beautiful terraced street

An adorable sculpture in another front garden!

And from behind.

A manicured piece of topiary?

A groovy "mirror" look paint job on the Mini!

Cork Louboutin Platforms - wonder if they float?

The CL Boutique

We were pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the SAs in the Louboutin boutique not that we bought anything - for me the shoes are too narrow, so I "only" have 2 pairs of the ankles boots but if I am honest they are not really comfy shoes so they get looked at rather than worn LOL!
After CL we went to Sloane Square checked out Liz Earle's skincare shop (lizearle.com) and then jewellers Kiki McDonough (www.kiki.co.uk) of interest because Kate, Duchess of Cambridge got her Christmas present earrings from Kiki. Then to round off the trip we went to Harrods where I got my lovely new Tresors Retrouves.

Tresors Retrouves.

New Knotting Ideas from Hermes

2012-01-29T12:28:00.001Z

When I bought my new Tresors Retrouves scarf in Harrods last week the SA kindly gave me a set of the new knotting cards - set No4. I have only taken pics of the picture sides and they are not the best photos (apologies) - I think most of the designs are very "Paris Mon Ami" and in many cases use multiple scarves to create the looks. Somehow I can't see me wearing many of them:-( See for yourself.

Ahhh London!

2012-01-21T19:38:00.004Z

Ever felt you needed to go to a city as you have been away too long? That was me! I haven't been to London since before Christmas so a trip was long overdue especially as the new season scarves are starting to come into Hermes boutiques....well Harrods as they are my Hermes boutique of preference. So many TPFers have been showing off their new season finds as well and that lead me to Harrods in search of just one special scarf:-

Lots of orange and new set
No4 of Knotting Cards!

Tresors Retrouves - based on Afghan treasures.

Another fabulous design by Annie Faivre.

Annie Faivre's trademark monkey.

Horse and Fish details.

Cowboy tied with scarf ring.

Equestrian style with scarf ring.

Bow made using scarf ring.

Close up of the bow using scarf ring.

Single bow loop crossover using scarf ring

Friendship Knot

Equestrian style with Half Ascot Knot

Double Twist knot.

Weave knot

Pleats with a scarf ring - easier than using a knot!

Please see the links on the right hand side for instructions on how to do the Half Ascot Knot and The Friendship Knot.

I had a lot of computer hangs tonight and it has taken forever to type this blog up and the pictures have taken on a life of their own moving around - I don't think I'll ever fathom it! Anyway please forgive anything that is not in line as it should be! I will post more about the sights in London and the new knotting cards next time.

23/1/2012 - I have been trying to reply to all your lovely comments but blogger will not let me! I don't know what the problem is except it's gremlins! So thank you everyone who has posted it is much appreciated!

24/1/2012 - update I discovered that Blogger does not support Internet Explorer which is why I think I had problems I have now downloaded Google Chrome browser and everything is back to normal!

2012

2012-01-02T18:24:00.001Z

So another year has flown by and here we are in 2012 ALREADY!!!!

I spent some time in the garden yesterday planting one of my Christmas presents before it gets too cold, as the UK winter has been extremely mild so far. I thought this was a nice little job to do on New Year's day too. Anyway my sister bought me a David Austin rose called "William and Catherine" - you know how I love the royals so this was a perfect addition for the garden and I am looking forward to seeing the plant settle in and start to grow. If I am lucky it might flower for me this year too!

Photo: David Austin Roses Ltd.

Of course the planting did not go without some hilarity - as I poured some water on the plant, the handle of the bucket detached itself so the (full) bucket of water fell out of my hands and the poor rose and my feet got well and truly flooded with water LoL!!

I have a few more things to look foward to in 2012 and I hope you will be here to read all about them in due course!

Best wishes for a great 2012 everyone!

Aquarium - Grand Fonds

2011-12-27T10:24:00.001Z

While I was in Monte Carlo I took the opportunity after seeing Princess Charlene's lovely wedding dress to visit the aquarium in the same museum - I find watching fish very relaxing and soothing so here are some calming photos - I hope? It was difficult to capture the fish as they dart around so quickly and hide in the plants! There were a couple of interesting items for sale in the museum shop and I am sure any Hermes scarf fan will be interested - see the bottom of the post;-)

The Museum shop has 2 special edition Hermes scarves - Grand Fonds by Annie Faivre.

The price is good too €265 as against €292 for any other 90cm in a H boutique!

New Addition

2011-12-20T19:23:00.002Z

When I met up with my TPF friends a few weeks ago I left Harrods with the navy ExLibris en Kimono but my heart was still hankering after a lovely pink scarf - I had to give in and as Harrods reckoned they would not be getting any more in stock I ordered this off H.com:-

Another Pegase box but NO

bolduc ribbon of ANY kind!

Ripped tissue paper as well - what's

going on at Hermes? I'm not impressed!

A first peek - think you know?

You guessed - Dame de Coeur

Being from H.com/France there was no bar code tag thing attached to the label as they always remove them so I have no idea of the colourway names - if anyone knows please leave a comment!

Equestrian with Half Ascot

Cowboy/Cossack blue corner

Cowby/Cossack brown corner

Criss Cross Bow

I think this is a Waterfall?

Cowboy with scarf ring

Criss Cross with scarf ring

A bow made with scarf ring

A Half Ascot Knot

Simple Equestrian

Elizabeth Taylor Auction - Part 2 of 2

2011-12-17T20:40:00.002Z

Following on from the last blog here are some of the fashions and art work on display:-

Andy Warhol

Camille Pissaro

Van Gogh

A signature red Valentino dress - I like!

Matching embellished bag.

A fabulous Kimono

Christian Dior

Beautiful raffia embroidery - Dior

Valentino

Christian Dior

Intricate embroidery - Dior

Some of the fabulously embellished Versace jackets.

Tiziani from the film Boom! 1968

Gianfranco Ferre

Christian Dior

The Tiziani Scorpion Cloak worn in Monaco

Hope you enjoyed looking at these pics!

Elizabeth Taylor Auction - Part 1 of 2

2011-12-16T09:42:00.002Z

A couple of months ago I went to Christies in London to view some of the items which have been auctioned this week in New York. There were so many things in the auction only a small selection was on show but, unlike when I viewed Princess Diana's Dresses auction, photographs were allowed!! So here are some photos of the magnificent jewels on display. I will post the fashions and artworks separately as it may otherwise be a VERY long blog!!

The window display at Christies.

The beautifully decorated entrance

to Christies - inside there were lots

of bowls of white roses as well.

Inside we were given our tickets and a guide to the items on display and then we went through to the rooms containing the jewels, clothes and art works. The walls of the showrooms had huge photos of Elizabeth on them with various quotations. It was a beautifully staged exhibit.

Kunzite & Amethyst by Van Cleef & Arpels

The legendary La Peregrina Pearl.

The Krupp/Taylor-Burton diamond.

The Duchess of Windsor's Prince of Wales Feathers brooch.

The Mike Todd antique diamond tiara

The Mike Todd ruby necklace by Cartier

Superb emeralds by Bulgari

The emerald pendant is detachable and
can be worn alone as a brooch.

A beautiful natural yellow diamond.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend!

The sapphire & diamond flower

brooch(right) is by Tiffany

Diamond brooch

The Bulgari sapphire & diamond
Sautoir

Diamond & sapphire sautoir along with

earrings and rings by Bulgari.

The Daisy necklace and a Boucheron brooch

A fabulous Bulgari brooch - one of their

famous "en tremblant" settings

I love seeing magnificent jewels such as these in real life as it is not every day one gets the chance. I hope you enjoyed the blog too!

Trip to Birmingham

2011-12-11T18:35:00.004Z

Yesterday I paid a visit to the city of Birmingham primarily to see one of my favourite ballet companies, Birmingham Royal Ballet, perform The Nutcracker - it was a lovely performance with stunning costumes. Anyway the Frankfurt Christmas Market was on in Birmingham (saving me a costly trip to Germany!) so here are a few pics of the lovely market stalls:-

An overview of some of the market stalls.

The Town Hall

Some wonderful Nutcrackers!

Beautiful wooden decorations

More nick nacks.

Some of the decorated baubles you can buy.

Some hand decorated candles.

Some of the Weinachtspyramiden decorations.

And then there are the foodie stalls - believe me the smells were yummy!!

Gingerbreads and candied roasted nuts -
I love the almonds!

Christmas chocolates!

Bags and bags of sweets!

Fabulous gourmet salamis mmmm!!!

More gingerbreads in all shapes!

One of the HUGE swinging bratwurst/frankfurter
grills - the smells were delicious

An even bigger one??!!!

Hams roasting - the smell was DIVINE!

This cute garlic shaped hut was selling
garlic bread with different toppings which
all looked really yummy

The stalls themselves were beautifully decorated/set up, here are some of the lovely gable displays:-

One of the knitwear stalls - a cute sleigh display.

This was a singing moose!
It was hilarious listening to him.

A lovely traditional Father Christmas and
Reindeer scene.

The final thing I saw was the Coca Cola truck - they were giving away free mini cans and had a choir singing Christmas carols - it was a massive shiny red truck whihc must be quite something to drive LOL!

Hope you enjoyed my little trip around Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market.

Harrods Hermes Pop Up Shop

2011-12-06T08:00:00.017Z

What a crazy time I have had up and down the country to London! The Pop Up should have opened on 1 December but did not due to engineering problems, so whilst I was in London on 1st, the shop was not open :-( Anyway one of my TPF friends went on 2nd December and the shop was finally open - if it was a birth I think it would be a breach LOL! I was so desperate to satisfy my curiosity I went to London again on 3rd! I took some photos - they are not the best quality as I did not use the flash as Harrods are a bit funny about photos and I did not want to draw attention to myself. I decided to publish all but the very worst picture because I know people like to see these things as not everyone can get to London, so I reckoned you would like to see everything rather than a perfect few? So with the help of Photoshop as well, I think you can get the idea.

You can see one cw of the special
Hermes pour Harrods H en Voyage
scarf - on the left in the turquoise cw.

Some 70cms

Gavroches and Twillys

Some more 90cms

Sequences 70cm

Some of the boxy seats and trying on area

Some more seats/displays and a counter
in the background

More colourful seats

A try on area - sorry for the fuzzy photo!

Some of the enamels on display

The bespoke carpet?!

Some 90cms - bottom left corner is
Hermes pour Harrods H en Voyage

The shop was a lot smaller than I expected, and in comparison to the one at Liberty a couple of years ago, but none the less it was very nice. I believe on opening day there were stylists and a photographer to tie scarves on you and take your photo - they will be popping into the shop at different times according to the SA. The SA did say the pop up is to try and get younger people into scarves - hmm but I don't recall having that kind of money at age 18/21 Hermes!

ExLibris en Kimonos

2011-12-04T16:07:00.003Z

I know some of you are desperate to see some modelling shots of the Kimonos scarf (meant to be for Christmas!) Whilst doing the photos it really did highlight just what a versatile design this scarf is - there are SO many different looks to the scarf. Anyway here you go hope you like:-

Cowboy/Cossack

Tied using MT moyenne scarf ring

Just wrapped/draped around the neck

Tied at the back to draped long
to the front

Same again different angle

Cross over knot with MT Moyenne
scarf ring

Bow made with MT moyenne
scarf ring

Bow made with Bolduc scarf ring

Close up of the bow and Bolduc ring

Friendship Knot

As a top with cardigan over -
a la Harrods display model!
I got the SA to show me how.

Same again

Folded on the square and single knot

Hope you found a look you like! Pop Up Shop pics to follow on next blog post.

Christmas is Coming/Harrods Pop Up Shop

2011-11-27T10:29:00.003Z

Yesterday I met up with some lovely TPF ladies in London and we had a lovely "H" time! Anyway I did not come home empty handed - and I appreciated all the opinions in deciding on what to bring home, although a return trip will be required at some point I am sure LOL! The pics tell the story:-

The gorgeous Christmas Box Sleeve!!!

and the back of the sleeve

Beautiful silver Christmas Ribbon!

The Caleche replaced by a Sleigh - delightful!

The 2 together.

Now let's reveal the contents!

The box and Paris Mon Ami ad for the

Harrods Pop Up Shop opening 1 December.

Ex Libris En Kimonos (with flash).

ExLibris en Kimonos (without flash).

And some close up details shots.

Beautiful patterns cover this scarf all over.

I like to think of this as a Bird of Paradise

- no idea if it is!

The designer.

I first saw this scarf at Nice airport 2 weeks ago and the SA let me try a few on and this was the one she thought suited me best - my TPF friends agreed as well! I think this will serve me well and I can see it looking great with a white shirt, for example - it looks very fresh and crisp in this cw. I have not had time to have a play but I will do at some point, but I thought I would get some pics up sooner rather than later! Hope you enjoyed.

P.S. Harrods Pop Up Shop opens 1December and runs until 2 January 2012 in Luxury Room II. There is a special issue scarf - but not to my liking :-( it has "Hermes pour Harrods" written on the suitcase clasp on a 90cm of "H En Voyage" - a reissue of the 70cm design from a few years back the are are 2 cws, one bright red and green and the other blues and purples, reds, greens. Harrods had good stock - I think due to having the pop up shop opening soon and I've seen a couple of likes!

Wish List

2011-11-15T10:09:00.006Z

A couple of scarves have caught my eye recently.
This glorious pink Magic Kelly:-

Picture: Hermes.com

And after our recent gavroche week on TPF I have really enjoyed wearing my gavroches, as you know I have a full size Dame de Coeur but Hermes have also issued it in petit format and this cw took my fancy in Selfridges last week - I was attracted by the purple border but also the fact that the body of the scarf is pale and you can see the design clearly:-

Picture: Hermes.com

I am really looking forward to the gavroche version of L'Arbre de Vie due out for SS12 as well as the 90cm version of Cheval Sur Mon Carre.

I just wonder what price increase H will put on the scarves in the new year?!

Trains, Thunderbirds and PINK????

2011-11-11T21:34:00.001Z

Humour me....at the train station in London on Wednesday there was a train engine...OK so what? Yeh but Virgin Trains name all their engine units after Thunderbirds....and?...well this was what I saw:-

The engine unit......

...and the name....Lady Penelope in PINK...on a train LOL!

I think reader Penelope Pitstop might like this one too!! Thank you for indulging my pink passion.

Have a great weekend everyone. SAx

Miscellany

2011-11-05T09:02:00.003Z

While in Berlin I found this really cute pumpkin pot with plant - goodness only knows how I got it home in one piece but I managed! It was so unusual I had to have it and can you believe it only cost €2.50 in a florists??!!!

The Galleries Lafayette Berlin have a good food department and they had a lovely basket of squashes - they looked lovely and colourful:-

I never knew potato soup and sausage could be really nice but I was proved wrong when we stopped off for a quick lunch in one of the shopping malls off Friedrichstrasse this one was delicious and garnished with spring onions and bacon - just right for a chilly day!

I find Sundays difficult in Berlin (and Paris) if you don't want to sight see or do a museum, as most places are shut unlike here in the UK where we have more of a 7 day week culture - so what on earth to do on a Sunday morning before your flight home? Luckily the receptionist at our hotel recommended us to go to the Ritter Sport chocolate shop off Friedrichstrasse - there you can go around their museum of chocolate which traces the "life" of chocolate from the plant to the finished product. Downstairs you can buy the Ritter Sport chocolate bars at very good prices - a huge 2kg goodie bag was offered for a fabulous price (I can't remember what now but it was good!) and you can have your own chocolate bar made -you pick milk or dark chocolate then choose your fillings - you have to wait 30 minutes for it to set but then you can collect your personal bar of chocolate - it cost about €3 I think.

Of course no trip to Germany is complete without a trip to a coffee and cake house so we went to our favourite in Berlin - the Opern Palais on the Unter den Linden - the pics speak for themsleves!

Champagne Torte

Yoghurtsahne Torte

Lemon Meringue

Some of the Opern Palais cakes to choose from!

The food halls at KaDeWe also have a pretty impressive selection of sweet treats ranging from the traditional German cakes to Parisien and Viennese offerings. Their bakery is also rather fabulous too!

Lovely breads and rolls.

Berlin Bootie!

2011-10-30T11:46:00.004Z

OK I said I brought home an orange bag ...so let's see what was inside.....

Inside the bag were:- the box, a Carre Histoires booklet, some knotting cards, the latest Paris Mon Ami magazine and a complimentary purse spray of my favourite H perfume Pampelmousse Rose.

So let's open the box.....

Introducing my Au Fil du Carre by Annie Faivre.

A few modelling shots....

Cowboy

Half Ascot Knot

Friendship Knot

Double Twist Knot

The scarf is very detailed, as you can see, and is made up of 18 of Annie Faivre's previous designs such as Cheval Mawari, Jardins d'Hiver, Domes Celesetes. Of course there are lots of Annie Faivre's signature monkeys all over the scarf - the trick is spotting them LOL!

Berlin Festival of Lights & Some Shop Windows

2011-10-25T19:56:00.000+01:00

So the trip to Berlin was lovely as the weather was cool but sunny and blue sky perfect for lots of walking! Apart from shopping - and yes there was an orange bag in amongst the shopping - there was plenty to see and eat! First off my trip coincided with The Festival of Lights where some of the big buildings were specially lit at night - it made a really pretty sight:-

The music hall(?) at Gendarmenmarkt.

The Brandenburg Tor

This building had the French flag projected
on it with a ballerina doing Swan Lake
across it - you can just make it out.

The windows at the Berlin branch of Galleries Lafayette had some interesting displays:-
Here some rather unusual glass stilettos - a collaboration between the Champagne House of Piper Heidsieck and French shoe designer Christian Louboutin. Whatever next?!

The fish net clad champagne
bottle - ohh la la!

The advert.

Then something more tame from French shoe makers Repetto - I liked this lovely ballet inspired window!

During the day there were lots of things to see as well such as Checkpoint Charlie-

And something you do not always see on the street!

And the Grosse Stern newly restored - it looked stunning in the bright sunlight!

And the Berlin skyline (part of it) seen from KaDeWe.

Monaco - A Royal Wedding Story

2011-10-22T16:44:00.001+01:00

I went to Nice and Monaco at the end of August - the main aim to see HSH Princess Charlene's wedding dress and the exhibition of Royal Courts at the Grimaldi Forum. The weather was glorious - a nice change from the cool wet UK "summer"!
First I went to see the Royal Palace which was lovely inside - small compared to most of the other palaces I have seen in Europe and Russia. After that visit I went down to the Oceanographic Museum to see the Royal Wedding Exhibition. I was amazed to find one could take photos of the items on display (unlike at Buckingham Palace). So here are some pics of the exhibition which is on show until 22 November 2011.

The Wedding Car by Lexus - it is a hybrid eco-friendly car.

The foyer and staircase of the museum is lined
with photographs from the royal wedding.

The Civil Ceremony

The Religious ceremony.

A first view of the dress and uniform.

Here you see some of the beautiful embroidery and beading on the dress and the orders worn by the Prince.

Some more detail of the dress made by Giorgio Armani.

A side view.

Note the covered buttons at the back and the second (detachable) train which was
attached to the back "collar" of the dress.

Back view - the carpet was especially made for the
wedding with wool from New Zealand.

One of the lovely portraits of Princess Charlene.

In a glass cabinet outside the room with the dress and uniform was the beautiful Ocean Tiara given to Princess Charlene as a wedding gift by Prince Albert - it was made by Van Cleef and Arpels with sapphires and diamonds in a swirling wave pattern and can be collapsed to wear as a necklace - indeed the first time Princess Charlene wore it, it was as a necklace - given that she is/was a swimmer it is appropriate that the tiara be called the Ocean Tiara.

So if you happen to be in Monaco before 22 November maybe you would like to visit the museum. After seeing the royal wedding exhibit I went downstairs to see the fabulous aquariums and all the amazing fish and sea creatures!

Berlin Specials

2011-10-20T19:11:00.003+01:00

Well Berlin had some special scarves in store when I went last week. The Kurfurstendam store has been refitted and the Friedrichstrasse store has closed and a concession has opened within the famous KaDeWe store. I got to Friedrichstrasse to find Hermes replaced by Nespresso! It was by pure chance that I found Hermes in KaDeWe. Anyway to cut a long story short to celebrate the revamped store and the new concession in KaDeWe Hermes issued a special edition of Brandebourgs in 3 colourways - 2 are 90cms and 1 is a 70cm so feast your eyes:-

90cm black Brandebourgs

The Berlin detail on the bottom right corner.

The second 90cm in very bright colours!

The 70cm in a deep grey/green, pink and apple green.

Was I tempted? Of course. But then common sense prevailed - I already have Brandebourgs in the 70cm that was issued in 2008(?) in 2 cws including black and blue so no point having another one really. If I had got one I think I would have bought the black 90cm. I loved the pink 70cm but the green of the borders is just not to my taste at all - it is a really dull looking green and this is what would be on show most of all with this scarf, so it was "no".... for now.

While I was in both Berlin stores I was talking to the SAs about stock levels and they all said they only have a reasonably good stock because they are "new" stores so hermes gave them more but they still said that they felt it was very low. For example just 2 weeks ago, the SA in Harrods told me she has 6 drawers EMPTY - unheard of! So no idea where all the scarves have gone - it is almost as if Hermes have forgotten the European stores - no one has stock not even FSH in Paris. If anyone knows please let us know!!

I will try to blog some more about Berlin in due course but I thought you would like to see the 3 special scarves on offer, should you visit Berlin.

Berlin Knot - How To

2011-10-04T19:03:00.003+01:00

Reader Pamela requested a "How To" recently for the Berlin Knot so here you go Pamela!

The Berlin Knot with my Tours des Cles 70cm.

Start with a Basic Fold.

Tie a single knot close to the centre of your scarf.

Pull it tighter.

Repeat - tie a second knot.

Pull the knot tighter and as close to the

first as you can.

Pull the knot tighter so it forms a sort of

brotchen/bread roll shape! You can tease the

folds into shape.

Now choose which side you like best -

this one with a more knotted look?

Or the flip side with a "smoother" look?

When you have chosen your preferred

side tie the scarf at the back of your neck

with a small knot or a petite MT scarf ring.

A bigger look with a 90cm scarf.

Scarf: Brides de Rebelles.

New Scarf

2011-10-01T10:34:00.001+01:00

I was very lucky on Ebay this week I won a brand new scarf which I have been looking to get for a long long time....

Maybe you have guessed?

Ledoux's beautiful La Promenade de Longchamps in my favourite colour pink.

Cowboy knot.

Equestrian with my Fer a Cheval scarf ring used to tie the ends.

Equestrian look with ends tucked in.

MatTai's Criss Cross bow knot with moyenne scarf ring - for details of both see here.

Friendship knot - instructions here.

Hope you like!

Little orange box of a different kind!

2011-09-18T09:44:00.001+01:00

I recently took delivery of a lovely parcel.

As well as scarves I love jewellery and am always on the look out for something different.

As you may know the earrings worn by the Duchess of Cambridge at her wedding were especially made for her by London firm Robinson Pelham from whom this parcel came.

I thought the packaging was just lovely not only an orange box but PINK ribbon and tissue - wheeee!

What could be in the box?

TaDa! Robinson Pelham's special Tree of Life pendant made to raise money for the Haven Trust ( a breast cancer charity web here) - as I have 2 L'Arbre de Vie scarves I thought it appropriate to buy the pendant as well.

I hope you like it - you can see more of Robinson Pelham's creations here.

Update

2011-09-04T19:57:00.001+01:00

Just to let you know I have been away a lot recently with more to come in the next few weeks so my spare time is pretty much taken up hence my blog silence - when I get a bit more time I will be back in the land of blog of course! I can't quite believe it is SEPTEMBER already!!!
In the meantime here are some pics from the recent Multiples Week on TPF:-
First up Printemps Ete 69 Automne Hiver 70 in red and black

Then Kelly en Caleche in black/white/red

In pink and prune? Not sure of the actual H names.

And a KenC Cotton Charms.

My Jeu d'Omnibus Dames Blanches - reds and pinks

and black/white/red.

And the last box....for now!

2011-08-22T19:39:00.003+01:00

On my last trip to London I got the cw I was waiting for - I gave up on Harrods and when I saw Selfridges had the cw I wanted I got it while I saw it as I think this is going to be a popular scarf this Autumn. Talking of Autumn has any else noticed how the trees are already turning to red and gold? This is very early!
Anyway back to the scarf:-

My second cw of L'Arbre de Vie cw 11.

Here is the detail a bit closer up. I love the lilac branches in this one.

The references again and another contrast hem in grey.

Worn Cowboy Style, with flash...

without flash - quite a difference!

The Friendship Knot (instructions here)

Here worn with a scarf ring with one end passed through the loop.

Half Ascot Knot (instructions here)

"Cheats Tie" with Charms Fer a Cheval scarf ring.

Just do a single knot taking care to "place" the top tail end "flat" over the knot then slip your scarf ring up the 2 ends to hold it in place to look like a tie - simple!

And lastly worn with black to show this scarf's versatility.
I think the black brings out the "vert" grey-greens.

Now I think my wallet and I both need a break from buying scarves!

The Next Box....

2011-08-19T20:10:00.005+01:00

On my first trip to London for the ballet, I got a scarf I have been wanting since I saw it on TPF. There were a lot of cws to choose from but I eventually whittled it down to 2.

Any guesses what it is?

Here it is in full, L'Arbre de Vie - Tree of Life by Christine Henry.

The details in this scarf are wonderful - each leaf has a different design and then there are lots of little creatures all over the tree, but depending on the cw you can see them or not - I tried to choose cws where you can see the creatures as well as the lovely leaves. It is a beautiful design IMHO!

The name, reference and artist's signature. Note the contrast hem as well!

This scarf is another chameleon it seems to match my pink sweater far better than I could ever have imagined!

A Friendship Knot (instructions here)

An Equestrian/Half Ascot Knot (instructions here)

A wrap aorund using a scarf ring.

The same wrap around but using my (new to me) Hermes scarf ring.

I got this beauty off Ebay it was quite a bargain!

And finally the Cossack.

I hope you like!

The Small Box First....

2011-08-16T19:09:00.001+01:00

OK I have taken some pics so here we go with a little reveal!! I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

An orange box...

Off with the ribbon and lid!

A little more colour to see...what can it be?

What is it there?...ooh it's a square!

Ta-da!!

I love how the dragon has a smile on his face! I was born in The Year of the Dragon in Chinese folklore, so getting one of these was a no brainer. I would have liked a red dragon but the reddest one I could find was more orange IRL so I went for the blue dragon instead plus it has pink in it!! I wonder if I should give him a name - any ideas readers?

As the label says here is my new L'Annee Du Dragon Gavroche!

A cowboy look.

Tied simply around the neck.

And a mini Half Ascot Knot to the front...

...and to the side

Hope you like!

A Busy Time!

2011-08-14T13:26:00.000+01:00

I have been quiet in blogger land recently because it has been the Mariinsky Ballet season. This has meant my spare time has been spent going (what seems) like up and down the country to London and back to catch the different performances. I am just on the train home now, the season having finished last night - I am tired out now! I have not even been able to blog about my return visit to Highgrove! Anyway I managed to see Don Quixote, Swan Lake and 2 La Bayaderes plus a performance of the amazing Chinese Acrobatic Swan Lake - Swan Lake as you have never quite seen it before - catch it if you can! On my trips I have managed to visit Buckingham Palace and there I was able to see the Queen's wonderful Faberge and the Duchess of Cambridge's magnificent wedding dress and cake! I am going back soon to see it again. Of course no trip(s) to London are complete without a visit to Hermes at Harrods or Selfridges - watch this space my scarfie friends.....

Trophees de Venise II

2011-07-28T19:20:00.004+01:00

A reader has asked me about a scarf called Trophees de Venise II. It was certainly issued in Spring Summer 2002/03 as it features in the scarf booklet for that season, but I do not know if this was an original issue or a re-issue. Maybe any reader who does know will chime in on the comments?
Here is a photo of the design.
Photo: LuxuryScarves.com

This design is by Julia Abadie and is a detail or exerpt of the full design called Trophees de Venise - you may recall I obtained that scarf in Venice this year, albeit a special edition just for the Venice branch of Hermes.

You can see by looking at these photos of my scarf how a corner has been used to make the Trophees de Venise II version.

Hope that helps you dear reader!!

Paris Montmartre, Rue des Martyrs & more cakes!

2011-07-24T18:26:00.000+01:00

No trip of mine to Paris is ever complete until I have been up to Montmartre and the Place du Tertre - I love the astmosphere up there.

My favourite restaurant for onion soup does not open for lunch so I had to make do with another - it was good but not AS good as my regular haunt!

The main was OK but the dessert of nougat ice cream and raspberry coulis was rather nice!

After lunch in the Place du Tertre I wandered back down to town via Rue des Martyrs which is full of little shops - especially grocers and pastisseries:-

The offerings from Del Montel...oooh la la!

And one of Del Montel's competitors down the street!

I like how all the fruits and vegetables are all beautifully displayed - it must take ages to set up!

And one I got one cake from the shop opposite my hotel - delish!

A Wander Around Paris St Germain

2011-07-20T19:55:00.000+01:00

On my trip to Paris I went to St Germain to find a shirt I was looking for - I succeeded luckily! Anyway there were some nice shops there and in particular the foodie places were a little more resaonable than the rest of Paris - mainly I was on Rue Motte Piquette and Rue Cler(seen below).

A turtle/tortoise shaped loaf of bread - how cute!

One of the many lovely flower shops in Paris - such a pretty display.

And a close up of some of the gorgeous roses - I only wished I could have brought some home!

Another lovely florist display.

The yummy cakes at the patisserie ooh la la!

.....I think we need some more pics - at least they are calorie free LOL!

Such works of art!

And the view from the bus back to Madeleine of the Pont Alexandre III - the windows were tinted hence the greeny/blue look!

It is lovely on the Left Bank as I have been finding in my more recent trips.

Hermes FSH & CDG T2E's windows.

2011-07-16T08:00:00.005+01:00

Firstly here are a few photos of the new window display at Hermes FSH - the focus seems to be on things for the home.
Here are some porcelain palm trees!

A few fishy features, but they could almost be owls as well LOL!

One of the side windows.

The Horseman was flying some yellow Domes Celestes scarves.

A nice Kelly.

And a lovely lacey Kelly and briefcase, with one of the re-issues of the Epices scarf to the right.

Meanwhile over at Terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle Airport they had the same/similar displays as at George V - they have cleverly used cotton reels to make Hermes goodies - here a lovely bangle in my favourite colour PINK!

And here is a lovely colourway of the L'Arbre de Vie scarf - one of the new AW11 reissues - I love this colourway so I'll need to try it on some time LOL! (The left side is slightly obliterated by a pillar).

New H part 3 (of 3)

2011-07-15T10:10:00.001+01:00

The final scarf I bought on my trip was found at the airport. I had asked for it in the boutiques after seeing how fabulous the scarf looks worn - all credit to MaiTai! - but it was sold out in the Paris boutiques. So here is Coupons Indiens - it was hard to choose between this colourway and another one in lovely rich golds and reds but the SA and I decided on this one because it suited my pale skin better plus it has PINK in it and you know what a sucker I am for PINK!! The design is by Aline Honore (she of La Femme aux Semmelles de Vent and Fleurs Indiennes fame).

The whole design.

Worn in a single knot with the scarf folded on the diagonal.

Worn the same way but on the opposite diagonal - a 2 for 1 scarf!

A Half Ascot Knot - instructions here.

Worn semi Cowboy style here with the knot over the top/visible.

And here Cowboy style with the knot covered over and using a different corner of the scarf - this scarf has so many different looks thanks to its clever design.

A friendship Knot works well with the design - instructions here (the video is at the bottom of the page).

And here folded on the square and just drapped around the neck for yet another look.

A couple of close ups of some of the detail of the design.

Laduree & Monaco's Royal Wedding

2011-07-14T11:49:00.000+01:00

Laduree has opened a new shop in addition to the existing Rue Royale shop/cafe - the new one is right next door and that is where you now go to buy any macaroons or cakes or gifts to take away - the queue inside was HUGE! However, the shop is nice and light and bright unlike the old one next door.

Some of the goodies on offer inside.

I did not find what I was looking for at this shop but I found what I wanted at the Champs Elysees shop - this was the special edition box for the Monaco Royal Wedding. Sadly my favourite flavour macaroon Praline is not available at the moment (it is an autumn/winter offering) so I chose a mixture - but I have eaten them so am unable to show them in the box LOL!

And just whilst on the subject of the Monaco Royal Wedding:- Princess Charlene's Armani wedding dress is now on display along with Prince Albert's uniform and a few other things at the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco until end November 2011. Think I need to go!!

Photo:- Hello Magazine

New H part 2 (of 3)

2011-07-13T16:45:00.002+01:00

Isn't it quiet without TPF?!!! I am really missing it! OK here is the next scarf I found - this was an accidental buy - the SA at Paris George V had this lying on the counter for someone else who was trying loads of scarves out and I liked the colourway, as it is not one I would normally go for. However, Hermes seem to have been using this particular palette quite a bit this new season. There are similar cws in L'Arbre de Vie and The Fauna & Flora of Texas as well. Anyway here is Dame de Coeur (A Vous l'Honneur) Noir/Anthracite/Vert Gris:-

The cards feature different creatures:-

There are a lot of sea creatures "floating" around the scarf background.

Here we can see a crab and some fish!

The Joker complete with mini Ex Libris:-

Here worn in a single knot.

And Cowboy style.

I think this colourway will be similar to the neutral La Femme aux Semmelles de Vent and will pick up on what colour you wear - another chameleon - I am hoping so anyway!

New H part 1 (of 3)

2011-07-12T11:19:00.001+01:00

Well I think my blogs of the last week are going to have to be in reverse order as I know a few readers are wanting to see the new scarves I got LOL!
Here is the first scarf I got in Paris at FSH - L'Ivresse d'Infini by Zoe Pauwels:-

Here is the scarf in full.

Worn Cowboy style - I love this particular corner with all its lovely colours!

Here is a different corner this one is more pink/purple.

With a Half Ascot Knot - instructions here.

Just simply tied equestrian style and the ends tied in a single knot and laid one over the other, which also highlights the contrast hem.

Just folded on the square rather than diagonal and laid around the neck.

Here are some photos of the detail of the scarf - there is a lot going on in this design!

HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco

2011-07-02T19:37:00.003+01:00

So Monaco has its new Princess at last! I managed to watch the whole wedding on a German TV channel. The service itself was a little over long but it was nice. Charlene's Armani dress was stunning - I hope it goes on display somewhere as I like to see anything like that to do with fashion/couture. The embroidery is lovely and apparently weighs quite a bit too with all the beads, crystals and MOP on it and she did seem to have to pull hard at times as she walked along. She had what looked like a diamond tiara at the back of her hair do, so I will be interested to see what that turns out to be.

Photo: Daily Mail

And that is some wedding cake!!
Photo:Paris Match

Happy Birthday Diana Happy Wedding Day Charlene!

2011-07-01T20:02:00.000+01:00

Today would have been Princess Diana's 50th birthday - I bet she would have looked fab-u-lous!

Photo: Mario Testino

Charlene Wittstock took her marriage vows today at her civil wedding ceremony in Monaco looking lovely in Cote D'Azure blue! Can't wait for the religious ceremony tomorrow and to see what her Armani wedding dress will be like!
Photo: Hello Magazine

What's New?

2011-06-25T17:20:00.001+01:00

There has not been a lot to post about lately, but I have a few trips planned in July when I am on holiday so I am looking forward to that.

The new season Hermes scarves are starting to trickle into some boutiques - but not to any near me!! My nearest one advised August or September for the new ones - that is a long wait when you can get some online already as well! So far I am most interested in one called L'Ivresse d'Infini by Zoe Pauwels.

I love this purple colourway with its turquoise hem as it looks like it ties really well!! So, I will be trying to find one when I go to Paris next week as well as trying see what designs are on offer in the 70cm vintage size. Seeing as Hermes have very cheekily increased UK prices I hope that it will now be cheaper to buy in Paris. Isn't one price rise a year enough for Hermes? They do annoy me.

Today I was pleased to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attending an Armed Forces Day event at Windsor where they presented campaign medals to the Irish Guards. The Duchess wore a suitably military outfit (believed to be Burberry) and I thought she looked great!
Photos: Daily Mail

She was slo wearing a new gold bracelet with a gold disc engraved with a crown and her initial, "C".

Princess Diana had something similar as I recall.

The Duke and Duchess will be off on their tour of Canada and the USA shortly so it will be interesting to see how that goes. They have released a lovely new portait to commemorate the trip - it was taken in the grounds of Clarence House on Friday 3 June 2011 and I think it is really nice.
Photo:Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Next weekend on Friday and Saturday we see the royal wedding in Monaco of HSH Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock - she is reported to be wearing an Armani wedding dress and rumour has it that her gift from the Prince will be a new tiara - can't wait to see that!! Luckily we have european satellite TV at home so I should be able to see the wedding on one of the French or German channels as I am sure the UK TV will not show a thing - they never do and we live in Europe! That so annoys me too! I will be buying Paris Match and Point de Vue magazines when I am in Paris as their coverage of such events is always very good - their coverage of the UK royal wedding was great - they always have great photos and I am sure Hello! won't let me down either LOL!
Photo: www.palais.mc

Following the Monagasque royal wedding the Grimaldi Forum's annual summer exhibition is going to be focussed on 20 European Royal Courts - it looks like a must see for me so I will have to get a trip to Nice/Monaco sqeezed in! You can read about the exhibition "Fastes & Grandeur des Cours en Europe" HERE

I will be sure to post after my trips! Hope you are all well and enjoying the summer if you are lucky enough to live somewhere that you get some sun and warmth! It's not too great here at the moment!!

London - Trooping The Colour

2011-06-12T11:58:00.002+01:00

Well I had a little time to spare on my trip to the ballet yesterday and seeing as it was Trooping The Colour day (celebrating the Queen's "official" birthday) I headed to The Mall as it was not far from the theatre. There were lots of people there.
Here is the view from Admiralty Arch.

I only managed to see the back of Kate and Camillas' heads LOL! I could see Kate was wearing white and a black hat, but I was not able to get any photos myself so here is one from the Daily Mail.

I could just make out Prince Harry by his bright blue beret and I could see Princess Eugenie, I completely missed the Queen and the others because of so many people pushing in the crowd. (Photo: Daily Mail)

Here you can see some of the officers riding by in the procession.

Here I managed to get a wobbly photo of the back of royals that rode behind the Queen - I think that the one with the blue sash just beneath the blue flag is Prince Charles and I can just make out Prince William's horse's tail LOL!

Here is slightly better pic of the procession of Life Guards/Household Cavalry.

My photos are not good at all so I apologise for that but I hope those I have posted some from the newspapers show better what I missed! It was still nice to have been there and maybe next year I will go specifically for the event and get there early to secure a better place - like at the front not the back!!

My new Hermès goodies!

2011-05-31T20:00:00.001+01:00

While I was in London I went to Harrods and I found the first scarf on my list:- Fleurs d'Indiennes by Aline Honore in colourway 03 - Violet/Turquoise/Abesinthe.
This scarf has a fabulous green contrast hem and the green just pops against the vivid violet!

It looks very striking worn with strong colours.

When I went to Paris, FSH was very low on stock and had nothing I wanted - the SA said they only had ONE plissé in stock when I asked OMG! Anyway I left FSH empty handed and went to Rue de Sevres.

RdS turned up trumps as it has done for me several times now!! Scarf number 2 on my list of 2 (!) was in stock - Pois de Soie in Rose Pale/Framboise/Rouge. I really like how each little "pois" circle has an exerpt of another scarf in it - the tiny "pois" have Bolduc in them the other bigger "pois" has the other scarves - I have been trying to identify then - Passage a Moscou, Neige D'Antan, Napoleon, Les Clefs, Farandoles are all there! I also like the red contrast hem.

The Rose Pale is such a lovely soft warm pink it is really summery! Here I tied a short Half Ascot Knot after wrapping the scarf around my neck once.

Then a normal Half Ascot Knot.

And the good old cowboy.

As the SA opened the drawer to look for a "fresh" pink Pois de Soie I saw an unfamiliar design and asked to see it - you may recall how RdS had run out of the special edition scarf celebrating the opening of the new boutique in January - well they had more in stock! I was lucky at RdS yet again! There were 2 cws a white one with blues/greens and this one that came home with me in Chocolat/Framboise/Rouge.
The scarf is called Rendez-Vous Rive Gauche.

It depicts typical Parisien scenes with the people wearing/carrying Hermès items - of course!

The designer is Cyrile Diatkine and has a lovely contrast hem. I believe it is a copy of the design on the hoardings that covered the building at Rue de Sevres while it was being renovated for Hermès.

And worn a la cowboy.

I was really pleased with my little haul of scarves and now I am looking forward to seeing what is on offer for AW11!!

Paris continued

2011-05-28T19:31:00.004+01:00

On Sunday morning I finally made it to the Orangerie Museum in the Tuilleries Gardens - I have been wanting to go there for ages to see Monet's Nympheas. I was not disappointed!

The Monets were glorious.

The Nympheas fill 2 whole oval shaped rooms.

In additon to Monet's Nympheas, the small museum houses a permanent collection of impressionist art and had quite a few Renoirs which I have come to really like since I saw some at the Musee d'Orsay last year. I especially liked Renoir's still life paintings of fruit and flowers.
This bouquet of roses was beautiful.

I particularly liked Renoir's peaches.

This museum is great because it is small so your senses are not overloaded and you can digest what you have seen much more easily than when you go to a much bigger museum.

After going to the ballet in the afternoon (to see Flames of Paris - pic on previous post) I went to Montmartre for dinner. No trip to Paris is ever complete until I have been to Montmartre - I love the atmosphere up there.

There was a huge queue for the funicular railway so I decided to walk up the hundreds of steps to get to the Butte de Montmartre! I took it slow and rested after each flight of stairs so I was not too out of breath by the time I reached the top LOL! I visited Place du Tertre, where the artists hang out, and then I shopped a little before going back down to my favourite restaurant for dinner and that quintessential Soup a l'Oignon -and that was just the starter OMG!!

On Monday morning I went shopping and here are some of the delicious looking cakes in the windows of Fauchon.

And a croquembouche and macaron tower in Dalloyau's window!

I passed this beautiful florist shop - I loved how they just had white flowers in the display - it was very stylish indeed.

In the afternoon I went for a drink and a cake in the cafe by my hotel and the place was empty but for the owner and her HUGE grey cat - he just sat in the window soaking up the sun and regarding passerbys who tapped on the window at him with complete and utter contempt LOL! A real cat with attitude.

Of course my trip around the shops netted some nice goodies - some new shoes, some tops and of course some Hermes......to be continued!

Ahhh Paris in the Spring!

2011-05-21T17:15:00.002+01:00

Sorry I have been absent for a while - work has been mad busy and then I took a little break and went to London and on to Paris for the ballet as the Bolshoi were in Paris. Of course London and Paris afforded me the opportunity to visit Hermes at Harrods and in Paris - FSH and Rue de Sevres - more of that in another post!

The weather in Paris which greeted me off my Eurostar train was beautiful and sunny as you can see from this photo of the Hermes Horseman!

Here are some of the lovely flowers in the stalls by the Madeleine.

The Madeleine.

I had to indulge in some Parisien patisserie of course! Angelina's was on my route so I stopped off and walked past the huge queue for the cafe and went straight to the cake counter and selected a green tea and raspberry confection - I ate it when I got it back to my hotel room and it was delicious!

Just near Hermes FSH was a beautifully decorated jewellers window - I thought this was really delightful!

Then there were the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde. The sky was looking dark on Sunday morning but it brightened up.

The Place de la Concorde.

The Bolshoi Ballet was the reason for my trip and I had only been able to get 1 ticket to see Flames of Paris on the Sunday, I had not been able to get one for my favourite ballet Don Quixote but the ballet gods were looking down on me and I did procure one thanks to ebay France, so I was delighted to be able to attend the Saturday evening performance. The performance was wonderful and I was thrilled to meet the dancers at the stage door and get some autographs.

Maria Alexandrova and Alexander Volchkov in Don Quixote.

The Flames of Paris with Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev.

The shop at the Opera Garnier had these beautiful paper lamps for sale - aren't they lovely?

Well that is the first part of my Paris trip...more to follow....aurevoir mes amis!