November 6, 2014

Cover Story x

The beauty that is Steamcream seems to gobble up every modern influence going…

– It’s an eco-friendly cutting edge moisturiser, hand made in the UK and Japan with natural ingredients, in eye candy packaging (think vintage French cosmetics and old-style biscuit boxes given a modern day nudge) that ~~can~~ will be kept and re-used once the cream has gone. At £12.95 it’s easy on the purse and cleverly..it’s designed for both men and women…

You can literally hear the success grow – definitely one for the festive present cupboard..

Laters, Kate x

November 5, 2014

7 Random Facts..

1. My husband thinks I’m a witch. I don’t know…but I knew he was going to be a special person before I met him..I heard his name and there was this frisson in the air..

2. The first time I did meet him he did a stork impression.

3. The second time I met him he did a stork impression and I knew I’d marry him..but he didn’t ask me out.

4. The third time…I had a black eye and 4 stitches in my eyebrow from roller blading into a park bench. He still didn’t ask me out. I thought I was going to have to go on bended knee to my friend who knew him and ask for his number..he called the next day.

5. Without a doubt, he is the nicest person I have ever met..and he’ll hate me for using that word. But it’s true.

6. On meeting him for the first time, my mother announced: ‘If you ever hurt that man I will cut you up into small pieces and fry you in hot oil’. I think he got the royal seal of approval.

7. Sometimes he reads this Blog. So does my mother.

Laters, Kate x

November 4, 2014

Delicious.. x

(Scot Mills on Strictly on Sat)

Who would’ve thought that a TV take on Fester could produce such fertile fashion soil? But then this is Strictly..and I am a fan..

That scarf and the way it’s pinned? it highlights an unexpected similarity to 1920s opera coats, reverencing past angles and structure. I so want to find a faux fur scarf now and add it to my winter coat…and how refreshing to see the perfect vehicle for decadent, vintage broaches…my jewellery box is smiling just at the thought..

The perfect example of the way something unexpected influences the way you process things and sparks the imagination: Looking, liking….lusting. Now the hunt starts…

Laters, Kate x

November 3, 2014

Progression..

From this..

To this..I finally finished it last night. I wanted the colours to be stronger, the contrasts greater, more representative of Sam alive than as a memory – I felt I was being a bit careful, almost precious before. Little things have been added – there’s roses in her hairband, and the red of her lips was from a picture of Kate Moss in a red see-through dress, her nose smoothed out. But it’s all a balance – I’m now looking at her eyebrows thinking there’s a big contrast between the black of the first picture and this one. But that could be the different light and the camera as I haven’t changed them, possibly the photo sucking in the matt density of the paint rather than the charcoal – her face also looks whiter, except it isn’t..however I can’t control the urge to go and check all these points out…sometimes the hardest thing is knowing when to stop..

Laters, Kate x

P.S. More information about the history of this picture here.

November 2, 2014

Life through a Lens..

I don’t normally post on a Sunday..but unless these go out now, I fear they ever will…Pictures from our half-term week away to the Kent coast including Camber Sands, Deal and Kingsdown…

Laters, Kate x

November 1, 2014

Mwha-ha-halloween!

If you ask my kids what celebration most floats their boats they won’t say birthdays or Christmas..It’s Halloween every time…and I’m not sure it’s just about the unlimited supply of sugar. For them it’s the drama of being out in the dark with their friends, dressed as something totally alien, doing something that would be utterly forbidden in normal life. This year Bella went as a wolf..who might have a few cat tendencies..we got a bit confused..

Charlie was Batman!

This year we went to a friends for a party..first time I haven’t decorated our house in years..

Ready for the off, treacle treating bags at the ready..

It’s not America..but people and their houses do embrace Halloween in SW London..there were some impressive sights..

We all thought this was a statue standing next to Robin Williams grave….until he went Boo!

Loved these pumpkins with their noses!

Returning home..a scariest costume of all..a vision of the teenager-to-be…

Mwha-ha-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Laters, kate x

October 31, 2014

Free Wheeling..

Oh the yin and yang of life..Did you know Kate Spade’s done a collaboration with Gap?

Children’s gap..

But is a bag size aware??

What size is XXL?

And how much can gloves stretch?

There’s always the fast approaching present list to think of..(or not)

And she’s not forgotten the boys – all of which Charlie and Bella would happily wear..

…But not till I’ve tried them on first…

Laters, Kate x

October 30, 2014

An Event x

December 26 2014 marks the ten year anniversary since the horror of the Boxing Day tsunami in which my cousin Sam Archer-Fayet and her baby daughter Ruby Rose tragically lost their lives.

As a way of marking this anniversary and celebrating Sam’s life, her sister Nathalie is holding a very special exhibition in their memory: She’s conjured up a whole cornucopia of artist’s and musicians to produce work to capture and treasure Sam’s spirit: On the night and just for one night, they’ll be an intimate short film shown, shot by Sam herself in the late nineties when she was working in the thick of the fashion world, showing a glimpse of life behind the scenes at some of the most glamorous catwalk shows including her friends and icons such as Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Esther de Jong, Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer and John Galliano. Freeze-frame images will also be exhibited as part of the on-going exhibition. My youngest sister, Harriet will be performing with her group Kosmos, as well as performances by Lisa Billson and Nina Walsh, Somethin’ else and Martin Beck. And if that wasn’t enough, they’ll be an auction including a signed print from Charming Baker, dinner for 4 donated by Anthony Usher at the renowed Clutch restaurant, a signed photo by famous photographer Richard Young and a lot more besides…all proceeds from the exhibition will go to raise funds for the SMart Network giving them much needed funds to support homeless and socially excluded people through creative arts.

So if you’re in London or can get to London on Wednesday 12 November the event is being held at the Seven Dials Club in Covent Garden at 42 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LA – just email your name to info@samsaysenjoylife.com to confirm your attendance…

Nathalie also asked if I would paint a picture of Sam for the exhibition…mainly because of the kids, it’s been a long time since I’ve painted anything and I will confess, it has been one of the hardest paintings I’ve ever done, not only because it’s Sam, but I wanted it to truly represent her as well.

The background to the picture is a collage made up of both photos of Sam and quotes or words that I felt resonated her vibrant character. The idea was that from a distance it’s Sam..up close it’s what made her who she was..and each time you look, you should see something different.

I’m at the stage where it’s almost finished..but I can’t stop tinkering..it’s even changed from this photo..but time is starting to run out…

Laters, Kate x

October 29, 2014

Our Day x

We wore the leather off our soles and the skin off our feet with our trip yesterday..I thought it was such a cunning and devious plan to link the Mexican shop and the Tower of London together – they’re both on the same side of the river after all – but sadly there’s no transport link between them..we ended up pounding the streets of London. Although, having said that – it’s a good place to pound. First stop was Milagros in Columbia Road – at the weekend this is a bustling, heaving flower market with much more besides (well worth a visit – there’s a Spanish restaurant at one end that does the best breakfast ever..) but during the week all the old shop fronts literally close their shutters – we were very lucky our destination was one of the few that was open..

We indulged..Frida Kahlo is my favourite..

It’s a fascinating area bridging hip Shoreditch and lively Brick Lane.

The kids took pictures of each other..

With varying degrees of success…

The Tower was magnificent. It’s such an iconic part of London with it’s foreboding stance against the march of time, combine that with the pure brilliance of this installation ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ to commemorate the allied fallen in the First World War and it’s a combination made in heaven. Tom Piper is the designer, Paul Cummins the ceramicist, both have captured something utterly unique: Is it Art..or is it theatre?

Each handmade ceramic flower represents a fallen soldier.

It’s as if the very stones of the Tower are bleeding.

It was a brilliant decision to allow the planting to happen gradually in waves. It started in August and by the 11 November, Remembrance Day, 888,246 poppies will proudly stand, filling the moat – it has made this edifice to death into a living, breathing structure both celebrating and mourning loss.

At 4.55 every day – dusk – a solitary trumpet plays the Last Post and a roll call of 180 of the dead are read out.

I so wanted to hear the trumpet …but there’s always a limit with children and mine – after a long day and with 25 minutes to wait – had reached theirs..

We headed home..

But if you think my two are always angels..

Think again…

Laters, Kate x

October 28, 2014

Book of Life..

We’ve just been to see the ‘Book of Life’ at the cinema..perfect for the run up to Halloween – a family friendly fiesta of Mexican culture bursting with vibrant colours and life where you can literally touch the heat of the Mexican sun..you don’t need to be a kid to enjoy this one – I absolutely loved it! If I could jump on a plane now and head to Mexico to see the Day of the Dead celebrations for myself, I would.. I’ve been utterly seduced by the folk art and magical artistry…

It’s inspired me to look at Mexican decorations for Christmas: We buy one special decoration for the tree each year – last year it was this one, but this year I think I’m rather spoilt for choice. Just one??!

So today we’re heading to Columbia Road (has a wonderful flower market at the weekend) to check out this Mexican shop..then we’re heading home via the poppies at the Tower of London..what’s more the sun is shining and the sky is blue my chilaquiles!