• home and interiors

    An Old World Feel in Your Living Space

    Do you watch shows like “Downton Abbey” or travel to Europe and yearn for that Old World feel in your living space? When most people think of the Old World, they hark back to the 17th to 19th Centuries, when parlours and great rooms were quite different from the living rooms of today. Here are six tips for creating an Old World atmosphere in your home by using carefully selected antique furniture that you can find quite easily at antiques fairs and other establishments, along with a few key facts about days past. Look at getting a wooden floor If you are opting for an olde world style, that carpet just…

  • christmas,  fashion,  High street,  shopping,  style

    The final Downton Fashion feast

    The curtain finally falls on Downton Abbey on Christmas Day, with millions of fans already mourning its departure. Many will miss Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, and the inimitable Maggie Smith and her acerbic one liners. But if I am brutally honest, what I will miss most is the frocks and fashion. Downton started just before World War One, but the most recent series have been set in the roaring twenties, when hemlines were raised, waists were dropped along with not so few inhibitions. The 1920s is a fashion era that was truly revolutionary, especially for women, and it remains both fascinating and iconic for…

  • celebrities,  christmas,  fashion,  High street,  shopping,  style

    Downton and Strictly herald the return of the fringe

    It’s that time of year again. The night’s may be drawing in and the days getting shorter and darker, but they are also filled with sparkle, shimmer and…fringes. Autumn sees the return of two of the most glamorous programmes on television, Downton Abbey and Strictly Come Dancing, and with the return of these programmes we also see the welcome re-emergence of the flapper dress, and those fabulous fringes. Flapper dresses, the standout piece of 1920s style, is a perennial party favourite, with those long fringes perfect for those who love to standout on the dance floor. This is highlighted no better than on Strictly Come Dancing, where Alison Hammond, Caroline…

  • Autumn 2014 fashion,  celebrities,  fashion,  High street,  shopping,  style

    Anna Chancellor shines in the New M&S campaign

    The latest, star studded campaign for M&S has arrived in typically classy style. Following hot on the heels of the Summer campaign which featured the likes of Annie Lennox, Doreen Lawrence and Rita Ora, the Autumn/Winter campaign continues to feature women who are admired as much for their talent and personality as they are for their fashion sense. The first star to be unveiled is the brilliant actress Anna Chancellor.   Anna is probably best known as Duckface from Four Weddings and a Funeral, or for her turn as Caroline Bingley in Pride and Prejudice. This Autumn, she is also joining the cast of the nation’s favourite costume drama, Downton…

  • Capsule Wardrobe,  celebrities,  fashion,  Grace Kelly,  shopping,  style

    Introducing my eBay Collections

    I have been using eBay as a source of great shopping bargains for more than ten years now. I have found some amazing items over the years, from designer goods to toys for Joe. The eBay site is a veritable treasure trove where you can literally type in any item and find what you are looking for, or you can just browse and bag yourself something you never actually knew you wanted! It is an addictive form of shopping and all from the comfort of your living room. The eBay website has seen lots of developments in recent years, from eBay shops to the High Street style fashion outlet, which…