A Date with my Daughter

Lil L had to amuse herself during the half term break which she has it down to a fine art being an only child while mommy has to work. She has many friends who live within a mere 5-10 minute walk from our place so the moms took turns to organize playdates so each of us could have a couple hours respite to get a few things done without any distractions.

I promised Lil L a trip to London for a mommy and daughter date on Saturday. We got up early, changed into our slightly more dressy "London attire" and (as usual) managed to hop on the train just in time before it left the platform. Lil L and I plastered our faces to the windows to see the rolling hills, autumn leaves, villages and livestock as the train sped past. I often wonder why my English friends would speak about the scenery in New Zealand with such reverence when the countryside in their own backyard looks just as beautiful. Perhaps it's the case of the grass being greener on the other side. Pun intended.

After a quick spot of shopping for Lil L's tights and winter coat, we headed straight for Aubaine, my favorite cafe at Chelsea. While we munched on our lunch, Lil L and I chatted and people watched. I've seen my fair share of stunning bags with their equally gorgeous owners at the cafe. Once I was so awestruck at the sight of a crocodile Kelly, I nearly walked into their glass display.

Delicious freshly baked bread with French butter.

Pumpkin soup with truffle oil and parmesan cheese

Eggs Florentine. The poached eggs, delicate hollandaise sauce and blanched spinach were delicious but the thick bread slice was a little out of the ordinary. In fact, I thought it was a little stale which was surprisingly considering I've had this dish many times.

We took a short stroll to the Natural History Museum. On the way, we saw the famous Hummingbird bakery has a long queue but I'm all cupcaked out. The thick and saccharine frosting has put me off cupcakes for a while now.

Imposing Georgian terraced houses, a few belonged to the French Embassy



The Natural History Museum is housed in Waterhouse building designed in German Romanesque style by a young architect called Alfred Waterhouse. There are elaborate sculptures of animals both on the interior and exterior of the building, purportedly to represent the biological diversity. I could only gasp in wonder at the intricate design of the building. What's incredible is that the museum houses more than 1 million exhibits from fossils to dinosaurs to almost every animal that has ever lived on this planet.

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year with the changing colors of the leaves.

Wolves and lions perched on the rooftop.

The striking entrance was an inspiration Alfred Waterhouse drew from the basalt columns at Fingal's cave in western Scotland.


Seeing that there are too many photos to count, I decided to split it into two posts instead. Next up, what's inside the Natural History Museum and Chinatown tomorrow.

Shopping with Kids

Don't be fooled by these angelic faces. We were going to put them up for adoption, preferably at the London zoo after today's experience. Why the zoo, you ask? Because that's where wild animals are locked up. The 3 monkeys, I mean kids serenaded us with their tuneless songs at the top of their lungs while my darling goddaughter Baby P howled all the way down the motorway nearly causing my friend and I to lose our hearing. We went to Bicester, a high end outlet mall which boasts stores such as Prada, Gucci, Tods etc with 3 young kids. An hour into our "shopping" (I use the term lightly), N turned to me and said, "we must've been insane to think this was going to be an enjoyable experience". Four hours, 2 cafes, several toilet stops and copious amount of coffee later, the two weary moms staggered back to the carpark promising ourselves never to embark on another torturous expedition again. What did I get from Bicester? A spatula and teapot from Le Creuset which I could have easily purchased online.

How to streamline your closet

A reader asked if I could give a few tips on how to streamline her wardrobe. I don't claim to be an expert but these are some suggestions that have worked for me. I often find that the more clothes I have, the more I think I have nothing to wear. I'm not the best person to ask about organizing a wardrobe but after years of making enough expensive mistakes, I've learned to cull it down and work with a small closet. It's a sense of relief that I can actually find my things and not to haul clothes into storage whenever there's a change in the season. The less clutter I have around me, the more organized my life is and the quicker I get dressed each morning.

1. One in One out rule

I've talked about this rule at length here so I'll keep it brief. I decided to purchase a small cupboard so that I'd force myself to keep my clothes to a more manageable size. I'm pretty brutal with myself. If I purchase something, another item from my closet will have to go. This made me think more carefully about each purchase that I make which brings us to the next tip.


2. Be ruthless

If you haven't worn a top or look at it for more than a year, chances are you will never wear it. There's no point keeping a pair of jeans two sizes too small hoping your weight would miraculously plummet. I had to be honest with myself. My hips appeared to have sashayed upwards after giving birth. My pre-baby low rise jeans look more like crotch-rise when I tried to put them on. It really wasn't a good look. I think I may have shocked a few friends into speechlessness when I wore them out once.


3. Understand your lifestyle

Ever since I left the corporate world, I rarely wear suits but I still adore jackets. I tend to pair them with jeans. My lifestyle is rather casual these days so I eschew tailored shirts which require ironing. I prefer clothes that are comfortable and easy to maintain without compromising my style. I'm constantly around children which means I can't wear anything that's too delicate or expensive.


4. Find out what flatters your skin tone and figure

I will never ever look like Elle MacPherson. Not even remotely. I have a jelly belly which wobbles whenever I break into a run. Any thought of squeezing myself into a Herve Leger bandage dress is laughable. So I tend to wear loose fitting tops. Unfortunately, I also have a tendency to expand like the shape of an apple so I look for dresses which give me an illusion of a waist. Orange, mustardy, gold or similar tones make me look ill. I had a color analysis done on me more than a decade ago and it was one of the best thing I've ever spent my money on. Once I understood which colors suit my skin tone, shopping became a breeze.


5. Only buy what you need during the sales

Well, who am I to preach. Oooooh.... 80% off. Never mind that it was a size too big. It's 80% off! I came to the realization that I've frittered away my hard earned money on things that I'd never ever wear just because they were on sale. These days, I'm armed with a list which I'd carefully thought about. If it ain't on my list, I won't buy it no matter how tempting the price may be.


6. Purchase pieces that will work with the rest of your wardrobe

I like the fact that I can get multiple ensembles from a single jacket by pairing it with various clothes from my existing wardrobe. There's no point in buying a top that looks good on you but you'll have to buy another skirt or shoes because it just doesn't go with the rest of your wardrobe. You'll just end up with lots of clothes and nothing to wear.



If you have any tips about editing your wardrobe, please share as I'd love to hear about it.

Old Alresford, Hampshire

I just want to give a shout out to my favorite cousin, Ping who's like the older sister that I never have. I used to trail behind her like a shadow, generally being the pesky little cousin but she never minded. We used to sneak into her room and chat all day. She would come up with crazy ideas and got us into trouble with her mom. She was obsessed with hairstyles and unfortunately, I was the only available "model" to experiment on. Thirty years on, I found out that she has now taken to plaiting her students' hair if they'd done particularly well during their piano lessons! I guess some things will never change. When I was 12,  my aunt decided I was to be a flower girl at her wedding. Ping appointed herself to be my personal make up artist. All I remembered was the cute hairstyle and plenty of white shimmer powder on my nose to highlight my already rather pointed nose. She is wise, has a heart of gold and is one of the most generous person I've ever had the privilege to know. I love her to bits. Happy belated birthday, Ping!

It's every mother's nightmare  - the half term break. Or any holidays for that matter. I've promised Lil L that I'd take her to Old Alresford, a quaint and picturesque Georgian village in Hampshire. It is also the home of the Watercress Railway line which runs Thomas trains twice a year. In fact Alresford is also UK's capital of Watercress farming. The town centre has many upmarket and unique shops. There's the millennium trail that takes you down a country trail along the Itchen and into the reservoir. The colorful Georgian terraced houses were built after the great fires in the 17th century. You've got the Pink House, Donkey House, Old Post Office House etc etc. Old Alresford is not to be confused with New Alresford despite its proximity. The latter is a rather dull place with residential estates and nothing else of interest.

Houses were built to accommodate horse carriages with stables built behind the entrance.

They have a town butcher that supplies the usual as well as game meat such as mallard duck, venison, pheasant and rabbit.

These days cafes are all the rage but no English town is complete without its very own pub.

Broomsticks. In preparation for Halloween.

I've been to Caracoli cafe previously. It's a cafe cum deli. It's also a great place to rest your weary legs and have a cup of coffee to go with a slice of cake. 

For those of you who aren't familiar with the effects of sugar on children. Let me show you a few photos to prove it. This is what happens when you give a precocious little girl a massive cup of hot chocolate with gazillions of marshmallows along with a piece gingerbread pumpkin. 

By the time Lil L had finished all the marshmallows as well as half her cookie, she started displaying rather strange behavior - Miming.

Deranged  (think Jack Nicholson's Joker)

crestfallen

ecstatic otherwise disguised as a Colgate commercial



A failed attempt to look mournful






Since having Lil L, I have developed skin thicker than the buffalo hide. One has to. Let's just say we got plenty of odd stares thanks to Lil L who'd insisted that she needed to protect her hair from a slight drizzle.




And this one's for the grandparents.

Winter staple: 4 Ways to wear a Sweater Dress

Sweater dresses are a staple in my winter wardrobe. You can dress them up or down. They're easy to put on, require very little maintenance, comfortable and keep you warm in the colder months. I've got about 8 in my closet which I'd acquired during the sales though Uniqlo makes fabulous ones in merino wool for less than £20. Mine are rather inexpensive from Uniqlo, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Zadig et Voltaire and Ekyog, all purchased for less than £60. Personally, I tend to go for natural fibers such as merino wool or cotton because they last longer and cost just as much as acrylic. With the ongoing recession, it makes sense to buy versatile pieces that work with the rest of the wardrobe to create multiple looks.

Here's my trusted old and well used sweater dress from Comptoir des Cotonniers that I picked up from their sale for a son.g You'll notice that 1) it's dark. I'm accident prone so any light colored clothes just scream to be stained in a nanosecond.  2) it nips in slightly at the waist which helps as I have a tendency towards an apple figure particularly when I'm in a good mood. When I'm happy, I EAT. So I guess that the only way for me to stay slim is to be constantly stressed and unhappy.  3) it's not too short. I don't mind showing my legs as they're the one place that does not become *ahem* well padded when I'm in a happy mood BUT I'd rather not flash my knickers to the world when I bend down to pick something.   4) fitted but not tight. Empire line dresses make me look like I'm pregnant. Bleh. I can't pull off super tight dresses (if you've got the body for it, I say flaunt it!) unless I wear spanx underneath. However, it has a tendency to cut off any circulation to my upper body. That can be a problem because I *gasp* talk *gasp* like *gasp *this*.

You'll notice my ever present Wolford tights. I figure it'll work out far cheaper in the long run if I buy a few good pairs of woolen tights. The ones by Tabio, Wolford and Falke seem to last forever unlike the cheaper ones that fall apart after a few wears or are so uncomfortable that I felt like I've got a few cactus plants stuck on my legs.

Comptoir des Cotonniers sweater dress

Casual

Outfit: Comptoir des Cotonniers sweater dress, Zara Kids faux fur gilet, Hermes belt, Stuart Weitzman boots,   Wolford tights and Hermes Feu Kelly Dog bracelet (for sale, available here)

Smart Casual 

Outfit: Comptoir des Cotonniers sweater dress, Hermes cashmere Kelly en Caleche shawl, Ted Baker leather jacket, Wolford tights, Stuart Weitzman boots, Hermes Mini Constance 18cm (for sale, available here)

Work

Outfit: Comptoir des Cotonniers sweater dress, Isabel Marant Fred Jacket, Wolford tights and Salvatore Ferragamo pumps.

Evening

Outfit: Comptoir des Cotonniers sweater dress, Hermes belt, Wolford tights and Salvatore Ferragamo pumps.

Take a walk with me

Perhaps I'm still in a honeymoon phase as a friend's husband called it but you'll have to forgive this emigrant from a "new" country for gawking at the amazing buildings, some of which had been there before the birth of Jesus. A huge thank you to a client who pointed it out to me, I had no idea that there's the remains of an old palace an easy 5 minute stroll from my place. It was built by no less than Sir Christopher Wren for King Charles II who was also the architect behind St Paul's Cathedral and Hamptons Court. It has been completely renovated in the late 1980s and converted into military museums and stately townhouses. All that's left of the original feature is the structure and imposing pillars. Apparently, it was modeled after Versailles Palace but they ran out of money and the project was abandoned soon after.






While waiting for a friend, I looked up and saw workmen climbing up the spire of a medieval church. One was hauling another ladder up which I thought was incredibly brave of him. I don't know about you but I felt dizzy and sick to the stomach just looking at them.




I was thrilled to catch up with a good friend of mine who has decided to abandon the warm and sunny beaches of California to live in the UK. What better way to assimilate into the English culture than to eat at a pub. I've never stepped foot in one until very recently. Pubs are practically an English institution particularly on Friday nights when many would stumble out of their respective workplaces and gather for a drink, standing outside amidst cigarette smoke and freezing cold weather. Now, this little pub is different. First of all, the interior is so eclectic and eye catching. It's more of a cafe with old cinema chairs and vintage collectibles placed strategically but the total effect is warm and cosy. The food is outstanding. I can't fault my medium rare steak sandwiched between ciabatta slices with caramelized onions, dijon mustard and delicious salad.