This is Heinz tomato soup weather.  The sort of weather when you look for the comfort in everything and forget fashion in favour of feeling warm and shunning chilblains.  I’ve put the bikini diet (though I hasten to add its been many, many years since I owned or even dared to own a bikini) on hold until the thermometer thaws out and last year’s sandals are still gathering dust in the back of the cupboard.  I’m still in mid March wardrobe  – boots (yes, always boots), as many pairs of socks as I can find and cashmere.  Well, it should be cashmere but the moths got there first, so today it’s something with a hint of cashmere and a rather higher percentage of something else.

Is it the fashion industry that tells us it’s going to be a BBQ summer to encourage us into gorgeous filmy fabrics and sparkly sandals?  Probably the same PR department who tell us we’re in for a very cold winter when it’s the season to buy a winter coat.  In this country one has no choice other than to throw seasons and forecasts to the wind (er, excuse the pun) dress in several layers and take a big enough bag to include clothes for every climate from Alaska to the Amazon.  And that’s just for 24 hours.

marigold x

OK, we get the message.  We need rain but this is ridiculous.

What’s a girl to wear?  I’ve been dying to slip my toes into some bejewelled flats but can’t bear to shed several pairs of socks and thick soled boots – can’t wait to feel the breeze in cool white linen but am still swathed in every sweater I own,  and am loathed to give up my default winter black whilst the grey skies are a permanent feature.  Each day my wardrobe tempts with glimpses of coral, pink and pistachio, but I’d be in danger of looking like the solitary deck chair on the beach – desperate and out of place.  A couple of months ago I bought some fab indigo jeans (loving all the coloured denim about), but they are still on the shelf complete with tags for fear of frightening the wildlife, and I could no more don a pair of loose linen trousers than turn down the central heating or drag the rusty BBQ out from the back of the garage.

I was heartened to read Lisa Armstrong this week extolling the virtues of white denim.  I’ve always been a fan and after a few mistakes learnt that the secret to wearing white is to buy a size larger and avoid the trying too hard look.  Apparently now designers are bringing out styles of white denim deliberately cut loose -  and in a more creamy colour than too stark a tone – perfect for this time of year with camel, chocolate and navy.  Bring ‘em on.

In the meantime you can’t beat wellies on the outside and a good book within.  And tonight is the last episode of this series of Homeland – let’s hope summer has arrived before the next!

marigold x

There can be something really dangerous about texting, messageing, emailing, tweeting … it is the BIG problem of NOT being understood!

You can’t get over irony, sarcasm or humour… in a text or email, what sounds amazingly witty inside your head can read like sheer drivel or simple rudeness, ….the keyboard is not always your friend..

I recently ‘nearly’ upset a very good friend via email…. what I thought was harmless and witty banter for her was weird and bit to brutal.. later found out she was having a very bad time with her other half and wanted love, affection and massive amounts of sympathy, any other time she would have replied bigger, better and some! My jokey frame of mind was only in MY head, she had a whole lot of other stuff in hers and it was all lost in translation as they say!…A catalogue of little misunderstandings, she needed hot chocolate not hot gossip…

By the same token you can’t always get over how cross you are feeling, let down, put out, well and truly peed off.. when you read one of your heartfelt strongly worded missives back you feel like a whinny jerk who came across as not only throwing toys out of the pram but letting the brakes off and running the pram down the hill into the nearest river.

Classic email from boss, she/he is asking for something totally impossible to be done before you ‘clock off’ it is approx 3 mins before home time, what feels like a totally reasonable reply of ” I am so sorry but I have to leave on time today because…mothers birthday, grandma funeral, dentist for wisdom teeth removal, gyny appointment, giving birth” all urgent and valid reasons for why you can’t oblige but it reads like a 6 year old trying to get out of gym class.

As for twitter, think of the times you hit the send button before spell-check or re-reading something that seemed hilarious two seconds ago and when you  see it there in all it’s insane glory…time to hang head in shame! Your idea may have been to impress a very funny follower only to come over as  stalker ‘try hard’ or simply spouting moronic garbage.

It is very hard to cultivate or to try to keep a relationship going by way of chatter on tweeter, there are the goddesses of the tweet… Grace Dent, Caitlin Moran, EmmaK67 (Kennedy) some the ‘ funny ladies’ I follow and I once had a reply from @SarahMillican, my how my tweeting heart soared… there are  authors, actors, comedians, beauty and fashion journo’s and bloggers we keep a keen eye on, vintage web sites, cake makers, jewellery makers and many, many other amazing folk who tweet just because they can. I have made some wonderful virtual friends on twitter, you read the highs and lows, the interesting lives folk have…. and you keep fingers firmly crossed you don’t upset anyone with your possible ‘off’ evening of unwitty wit!

Then there is the question of follower numbers..trying to get the figures high, getting to a 1000 is no mean feat, then you lose 5, 6 or 7 on a ‘follow friday’  you you feel the hurt and take it personally, that leads to even more try hard banter..and you lose more! PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON  @cupcakefancy  the follow prostitution starts again.

All in all then the phone or better still is a night out, face to face, is still the best way to keep up with your nearest and dearest…to practise being the clown, the belle of the ball, the unpaid comedian with razor sharp words or is it? at least on an email or text…or even twitter they can’t see your red blushing face!

A Perfect Husband

Several men are in the locker room of a squash club.

A cell phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands-free
speaker function and begins to
talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.

He turns and asks, “Anyone know whose phone this is?”

TENDER LOVING CARE FOR YOUR LIPS.

About this time of year the permanent  presents of a full lip salve in the pocket of every winter coat …every handbag and your glove compartment of the car is beginning to run out after excessive use through to cold and bitter winter… something that gives us the care against chapped lips so our lippes will look good, last longer and we are kissable all year round can take a bit of work and we need to pamper the lips as much as any other party of the bod!

Well we have been on the hunt for some great products to keep lips in tip top condition..

I have been testing out a LANOLIPS Lanolips™ LEMONAID LIP AID

and I love it, it is good enough to eat, the citric acid in the organic lemon oil acts as a natural exfoliator on dry dead skin; when you apply there may be a slight tingling on the lips as it works…. the texture is clean…no sticky slick back your hair can get caught in, the smell is divine, so fresh plus you get a natural high gloss, this hydrating lip ointment is one for the handbag with it’s hint of shimmer for a healthy sheen….  I am wearing now….mwah.

Lanolips™ Lemonaid Lip Aid (12.5g, from £9.18) is available at Victoriahealth.com and Boots stores nationwide.

They also have a colour range…. names all sounding very country garden and totally delicious.

I then went onto another favorite location when looking for great products www.skinshop.co.uk found two little beauties, the first is Liquorice Balm.

This looks and smells like an old fashioned sweetie shop, I have a par-chant for Liquorice so I can’t tell you how happy I am right now, the fact that it keeps lips soft and helps reduce the frequency and intensity of (herpes simplex) cold sores is a wonderful bonus….here is the science bit…

Liquorice lip balm was found to be effective in a recent double-blind trial, carried out by the Herpes Viruses Association on forty people. It reduced the severity and duration of outbreaks for over 73% of subjects tested and, furthermore, 83% of subjects using the liquorice balm reported experiencing less severe outbreaks than when using their conventional treatments. While using the liquorice lip balm, testers reported that on average their outbreaks were only half their normal length.

In addition recent research published in the US Journal of Clinical Investigation in March this year has shown that liquorice actually has the ability, in some cases, to eradicate the cold sore virus which lies dormant in between outbreaks.

Liquorice Balm can be rubbed into lips as often as necessary and not only does it help reduce cold sore outbreaks and their intensity, it is also a nourishing balm that helps keep lips well-conditioned.

Liquorice Balm costs £7.95 it has a great feel to it, not too greasy and sticky…

The other savour for the lips, this is being talked about as another must have for any one who suffers with cold sores… again it is liquorice but with added melissa oil…the aroma is mainly liquorice but not overwhelming….and the gel like feel is cool and lightweight, again no greasy aftermath, more science bits.

Liquorice & Melissa rescue lip gel helps reduce the intensity of outbreaks due to its strong anti-viral action. Sufferers should apply the lip gel at the first tingling from an impending cold sore. In addition, unlike conventional treatments, the rescue lip gel can be applied before symptoms arise in situations that increase the risk of getting a cold sore.

The two key cold sore fighting ingredients in the rescue lip gel are glycyrrhizic acid (GA) from liquorice and melissa oil. GA specifically targets the genes that are required to maintain the virus in its latent state by interfering with the production of special proteins that feed the infected cells.

A lip treatment containing GA was found to be effective in a double-blind trial carried out by the Herpes Viruses Association. The liquorice lip balm reduced the severity and duration of outbreaks for over 73% of subjects tested and, furthermore, 83% of subjects using the liquorice balm reported experiencing less severe outbreaks than when using their conventional treatments. While using the liquorice balm, testers reported that on average their outbreaks were only half their normal length.*

In addition recent research published in the US Journal of Clinical Investigation has shown that liquorice actually has the ability, in some cases, to eradicate the cold sore virus which lies dormant in between outbreaks.

Melissa oil is renowned for its strong anti-viral action. In recent scientists at the University of Maryland found that applying lemon balm (officially called Melissa Oil) cream to cold sores led to a significant improvement in redness and swelling after only two days, compared with those given a placebo. In another trial, volunteers who used lemon balm in a cream four times daily for five days, saw their cold sores heal quicker.

Liquorice & Melissa Gel can be rubbed into lips at the first sign of a cold sore and used as often as necessary until symptoms abate.

Liquorice & Melissa Rescue Gel costs £7.95 for 15ml call: 0844 7009975 or visit www.skinshop.co.uk

We both found the info (science bits) very interesting and informative but even without all that knowledge they are all great products in their own way  .

To throw one more into the mix we love B-ORGANIC, they have a gorgeous products, Organic lip balms made with certified organic ingredients without nasty chemicals. Try Organic Very Berry Lip Balm.

www.b-organic.co.uk/lip-balms/

this is LIP  T.L.C at it’s best…

RUNNING IN THE MARATHON THIS YEAR… OR SIMPLY RUNNING TO KEEP FIT, WELL HELP IS AT HAND

Aromatherapy Associates has just the thing or should I say ‘things’ to help you on your way to success. as you may know Marigold and I are big fans of anything to do with aromatherapy, I use the oils at home all the time, AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES do all the hard work for you, working out blends of oils that work so well together, so whether you need a room fragrance or a stunning skin moisturiser AA have it all sussed.

I am not a runner, never have been…never will be (so shoot me!) but I love the clever blends that AA have used in these DE-STRESS products…. the gel is perfect for aching back (or my toots having been squeezed into killer heels)

De-Stress Muscle Gel (150ml, £20) combines Rosemary, Ginger, Black Pepper & Lavender to deliver an immediate localised soothing and warming effect, helping release tension in aching muscles and joints. The gel can be used pre or post training on localised areas to help soothe and ease tired limbs.

We also love AA bath and shower oil….

De-Stress Muscle Bath & Shower Oil (55ml, £37) is a welcome relief for tired, heavy limbs after marathon training. The powerful blend of pure essential oils help optimise circulation and release stiffness. While Herbaceous Lavender, a known analgesic, helps support tender muscles, whilst the ginger and black pepper warm and help boost circulation. Pour a capful into the bath and enjoy a long soak, it feels as though the aches melt away into the water.

http://www.aromatherapyassociates.com

Big fans of  JĀSÖN® products include actresses Reese Witherspoon and Bryce Dallas Howard in addition to fashion designer, Stella McCartney…. add Marigold and I to the list, to be precise we like the Tea Time anti-ageing cream….

The creamy texture is totally gorgeous, absorbs well and is full of natural ingredients… it’s early days but I will let you know how I get on by the end of the pot…good price for a large size pot too.

“For a finishing and youthful touch, apply JĀSÖN®’s ANTI-AGEING TEA TIME CREAM for a subtle and healthy glow. Containing the key active ingredients of anti-oxidant rich green tea, free radicals are fought against, whilst pro-vitamins A, C and E, promote accelerated skin renewal to defend against premature ageing. 120g RRP £11.49 “

JĀSÖN® natural products are available nationwide from health food shops and Harrods Pharmacy, Selfridges Pharmacy, select Lloyds pharmacies, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, John Bell & Croyden, Nutricentre and online at www.jasonnaturalcare.co.uk

Is anyone else as obsessed as me with Homeland?  Sunday nights have changed gear from a gentle TV drama in third gear to full throttle spy/sex/whodunnit/thriller series with absolutely no chance of leaving you with a warm Sunday feeling, but thrusting you head first into the fast lane of Monday morning.   Homeland is fast and furious, racy and raunchy yet  with surprisingly gentle and tender moments which only serve to enhance the seriousness and frightening probability of the plot.

Confused?  Ok, we’re talking Washington DC, and an American hostage returned to his native shores after 8 years captivity.  Is he ‘turned’, ie now a terrorist?  Or is he just a mixed up man returning to his wife who for years thought him dead?  Damian Lewis is the closed and composed marine giving nothing away, and Clare Danes (remember Romeo and Juliet with Leo Cappucino?) the blonde and very game American agent who suspects his duplicity.  Naturally they have a relationship,  naturally it all gets very messy and naturally there are twists and turns.   Strong and convincing acting all round, from the family who thought their Dad was dead,  to Clare Dane’s fellow agents, this is definitely one to watch.   There are 5 more episodes to go and if you’ve missed them so far, try to catch up if you can.  If not, I have no hesitation in recommending the boxed set (bound to be released) be top of your Christmas list.

Don’t forget – Sunday, Channel 4 at 9.00pm.  It will definitely take your mind of that Easter egg beckoning to you from the kitchen

marigold x

I have a friend, in fact one of my very best friends, she always looks beautiful and impeccably dressed, the main differences between us is I am a domestic slut she on the other hand is a goddess. I do the cleaning in my PJ’s or crappy old tee and sweats…(that really should be in the bin by now) and she looks amazing in old jeans and a tee….

She works to a budget so I can’t moan on about money… she does have the knack of putting things together beautifully, make-up, skin care, clothes and interiors. When I went to visit a few weeks ago she had given the house, no the word home should be used here, a makeover, she had painted a couple of bits of old furniture and moved them to different rooms and it looked amazing, bought two lamp shades in a sale and revamped the bases and again bingo they look very chic in a new position, she did paint the walls of a couple of rooms but for me the sheer genius was the moving around of the things she already had.

A new throw here and a recovered cushion there, we are not talking a 60 min makeover here it did take weeks of love, sweat and hard work, but the results are fantastic and all done on a tiny budget.

So Miss Jealous here, yes I don’t mind admitting that I am, with all love, a tiny bit jealous but in the nicest possible way, has been inspired to look around this tired place… you know what it’s like you buy a mirror say and it goes on the wall and stays there till the day you move house!

I have started looking at each room and to be  honest it is very, VERY  tired, we have been here for about 11 – 12 years, we have painted rooms a few times and added bits and pieces as and when things get too old or break, but even so a fresh eye is giving me awake up call, I tried looking as if I were an estate agent!

It is amazing how much junk we collect so that was the first job…charity shops here I come, second I have now purchased several pots of paint, a sander (OH thinks this make over is going to cost a fortune!) wood-worm ‘stuff’ and presto  a very useful but rather dull pine shelf unit (5ft long and 4 ft high ) is getting a lick of paint, moved to the study/office, a old pine box ready for re-vamp, new handle and paint will help and then moved, it will become attractive storage for a bedroom… fresh new towels in a different colour in the bathroom gives it a sparkle.

Looking on ebay for mirrors, car boots for bits to do up, sales for cushions, lamps and throws…. new handles for a wardrobe, chest of draws or cupboards…. the list is endless, and I am surprised at how much fun it is.

OOOO.. hark at me …I’ve come over all Martha Stewart

THE LAST SUMMER,  a cracking read…. and we bring it to you before the launch in April 2012.

Author JUDITH KINGHORN has skillfully written a beautiful love story that instantly draws the reader in.

The first thing that strikes you in the vivid descriptions, you are taken to another place and time, Deyning and the family and friends that live and play there come alive and you feel the grass beneath your feet in the summer of 1914. Deyning Park is in its heyday, the large country house filled with the laughter and excitement of privileged youth preparing for a weekend party.

Hard back book on Amazon

The story started in The Last Summer before World War 1 when Clarissa was not quite seventeen and continued for sixteen years. It tells of how the war changes life dramatically for individuals and society at that time, both upstairs and down.

The story is full of emotion. At the start there is hope, then disappointment, courage, sadness, fear, excitement, despair, bravery, anger, loneliness, happiness and throughout the entire novel runs a story of true enduring love…. girl meets boy, girl lost boy, girl marries wrong boy… does girl find right boy?

I loved that there is another secret love affair hinted at with each chapter beginning with an unsigned love letter, the reader can try to work out who the author is until the very last page, a splendid little touch that keeps reeling you in.

I was totally in love with Tom the strong silent hero of the story, Judith has built up his profile so well.. When Clarissa meets Tom Cuthbert, he is home from university and staying with his mum, the housekeeper, she is dazzled. Tom  is also an outsider, and out of  Clarrisa class! But he is ambitious, clever, an acute observer, and a man who knows what he wants.

Look out for the paper back launched in April.  We would like to see this as a great drama series or movie.

FREE FLIGHTS … NO CATCH ! from www.prendsletemps.co.uk

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR THE APRIL PAMPER…JUST QUOTE ‘CUPCAKE’ WHEN YOU BOOK

To celebrate the launch of our NEW Pamper and Vitality All-Inclusive Breaks we are offering
Free Ryanair Return Flights from London exclusively to our HANGUPSANDHANDBAGS.COM READERS

There’s no catch. Flights are currently £68 for our April Pamper and £83 for our October Vitality Break (including taxes etc!).
Simply book by paying the £250 deposit by 5th April 2012 (you can also book your flights at the same time) and we will deduct these flight prices from your final balance invoice (which is due 6 weeks before your holiday).

NOW BOOKING… 4 Day Vitality Break Oct 11th – 14th from £785 – only 10 places available

SHAVATA SINGH and FASHION TARGETS BREAST CANCER join forces…and look at what they have come up with… we love them.

Brow Guru Shavata Singh has teamed up with Fashion Targets Breast Cancer to create a range of exclusive tweezers and matching compact set to raise money to help fight breast cancer. Each product carries a 30% donation to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.  Offering delivery for online purchase at www.shavata.co.uk from Monday 23^rd April – a week before anywhere else.

You only have to look at this stunning picture of Shavata to see she is the eyebrow queen.

The range includes a pair of Shavata’s FTBC slanted tweezers in stylish black or white (£9.95), as well as a stainless steel mirrored compact (£12.95), all of which include the iconic Fashion Targets Breast Cancer logo.

Breast cancer is something that touches us all in some way, mum, aunt, sister or best friend, it is great when someone comes up with an idea or product that can help with awareness and fundraising, hat’s off to you Shavata and thank you.

The limited edition products launch at all Shavata Brow Studios from 1st May, but are available to pre-order online www.shavata.co.uk for one month only…Offering delivery for online purchase at www.shavata.co.uk from Monday 23^rd April – a week before anywhere else. please help raise money and what better way than making the best of your eyes.

You may remember we featured Shavata’s tweezers before the cutie ‘heart shape’

www.shavata.co.uk

All About FOXED GREY

The Curious and subtly descriptive named ‘Foxed Grey’ was set up by Steve and Fiona Lewin initially as an online business. I found the web site so inspiring and as we try to always bring you the best… I had a chat with Fiona about FOXED GREY.

Having started their passion looking for unique, vintage, and industrial find in and around the San Francisco Bay Area in California for many years found themselves returning to England.

Once there they set up an Antiques Showroom in Chiswick, West London, and continued the tradition and became decidedly specialised in finding French distressed furniture from the 18th-19th-C. periods including other wonderful treasures. Just look at the detail on the frame of this gorgeous mirror.

I love this, it would be a happy addition to my home.. and this one (below)

This year, having returned again to England having lived in France for years, the romance continue – Now fully connected, they are finding the unique, the unusual, and the beautiful, across Europe and throughout other exotic parts of the world!

This is amazing, chic and classy….

Fiona also told me about the other side of the business ,  their lending service available to stylists, film and television.

A few of FOXED GREY Clients

“Our business extends to private clients including worldwide commercial clients”.:

MBDS – London

Caprice Holdings

Sanderson

Colefax & Fowler

Jamie Oliver

The Soho House Group