Dish Cafe – The ONLY place to go to in Hampton Court for brunch

This post won’t be long because it doesn’t need to be. Dish is my favourite place for chilling out at the weekend and I always take my guests there when they come and visit from abroad. Some of them reading this I am sure will reminisce some great moments and laughs we shared there.

Dish in a nutshell:
– owned by Peter – him and his team are way too friendly with their customers! we like it really… And we keep going back for some more!
– perfect location, close to Hampton Court
– a cute garden at the back and some tables outside at the front from which you can enjoy amazing views of the Palace across the river
– great coffees (which actually taste of coffee), great fresh food using local produces, cooked by Peter and the team – Peter was trained Escoffier style!
– great wines or bubbles if you are lucky or ask very nicely!
– happy times, always and here is the proof!

And here is the link… http://hamptoncourtdish.com

Alternative, modern and colourful jewellery – it is alt&go! Yes, it is French too!

Alt&go is the touch of colour you need to brighten any outfit or put you in a good mood in the morning!

Their pieces are modern, singular and have unique graphic designs. They use various materials including plexiglas, gum and wood. Yes, they are exclusively made in France but you can now order them from overseas!

www.altandgostore.eu/home.htm

The clutch issue – Sparkles all around

Christmas parties have already started, isn’t it sad? I would say not really because it gives us ladies more excuses to dress up and use some of our glittery outfits or accessories that never see daylight from January to November. One of these accessories is our beloved clutch. The “Christmas” clutch style is different from the “wedding” style so they are 2 of a kind. The ones you would use at Christmas are shiny, full of glitter and sparkle. In my recent shoe issue I mentioned some from Ted Baker and Monsoon. Today, I would like to give you a few additional favourites of mine from the high street so accessible to all.

First ones from Oasis:

First very “Chanel” like, so chic and BCBG!

Very glittery:

Now from FCUK – more glitter!!! But also big enough to be practical:

Finally, lacy…. I couldn’t resist myself so I bought the shoes too! Just because they will look so good with a plain little black dress….

Win a luxury holiday in Antigua with City AM

7 nights for two, luxury included at Sandals Grande Antigua resort and spa! Tempting isn’t it? To enter your name in the draw for this competition, it could not be easier, just go to www.cityamsurvey.com.

The prize sounding appealing, I thought I would give it a go, which I rarely do as I never win anything, so waste of my time. This is where it becomes interesting. The survey starts like many others, and the newspaper, reinforced by a note from its editor this morning, claims it will only take you a few minutes to complete. Until then, all very straight forward and no big surprise. So off I go, complete the first page of an 8 pages long survey… After a couple of pages on the usual survey topics about you and your reading habits (after all the survey is to improve the newspaper quality in terms of distribution channels etc) then it gets more personal. At that point I became concerned and uncomfortable about the level of sensitive personal data required. Whilst I appreciate you can twist your answers and not necessarily disclose your exact amount of earnings – no one will ever know if you lied or not – why would you have to answer questions about your last 2 cars, their price and whether they were new or second hand? They do have a motoring section but are the questions truly relevant? Call me a cynic but when they say that this information will be treated confidentially, I have doubts. Just to give an example or two. I receive texts messages every day about PPI claims or personal injury claims, I also receive emails from companies or websites I never accessed before and thus never allowed to send me notifications or newsletters, so how can you really be sure your information will never be shared?

I like the City AM as a summary and light read in the morning but I stopped completing the survey on page 6. This is a pity, if the questions had been less intrusive I would have probably completed it fully. No free holiday in Antigua for me then!

Warm chase beetroot shot, as seen in the Metro – seriously???

Another wet morning in London… So much for the stereotypes about the British weather! Anyhow – we are not going to debate the weather here – for a change, I didn’t feel like reading the City AM so decided to flick through the Metro instead. I can hear your thoughts from here reading this: “the Metro? There is nothing new in there, just old news and gossips”. Whilst I would agree, it does not remove the fact that most people flick through it every morning.

Today, they have a Christmas gift guide special. This guide doesn’t stop at gifts but extends to hand made decorations and even cocktails. This is when I had a shock. Cointreau toddy, surely but warm chase beetroot shots??? The sound of it is far from appealing but I though that instead of being obtuse I would read the ingredients and that maybe I would change my mind. Hum…. Beetroots (and a lot of them) vanilla, olive oil (getting worse), apple juice (bit better), beetroot juice (if you have to), sherry vinegar… That is it, I stopped reading! Not one for me I decided, but maybe for you? You can check it out on www.metro.co.uk

Oh yes, apparently you need to add vodka too! Or is it just an excuse to say that you had one of your five a day?

Always drink in moderation ( especially beetroot chasers!)

The perfect socks for Christmas – Berthe aux grands pieds

Christmas is upon us…. Christmas means parties, turkey, holidays, presents and so much more. However, presents mean not only going shopping but also finding the perfect present or stocking filler which will put a smile on someone’s face.

Over the years, some classics have come back over and over again, and one of these classics are socks. So this Christmas, if you are thinking of buying socks for one of your loved ones, then look no further, Berthe Aux Grands Pieds is your obvious choice, your only choice.

There is much to say about this French favourite especially it’s quirky and unique designs. If you are a skeptic, I think their website will convince you! So I’ll let it do the talking…

http://www.bertheauxgrandspieds.com/

The best expresso martini – it’s party time

On a recent weekend away in Dublin with the girls, I have rediscovered a taste for cocktails. We stayed in a funky hotel, with an even funkier cocktail bar, the Trinity Capital hotel:

http://www.trinitycapitalhotel.com/home.htm

The hotel’s bar offered us an extremely attractive list of cocktails making the choice process really difficult. Being a libra and therefore very indecisive, it was tough deciding which one to have as they were all so appealing. After deliberating for a little while I finally settled on an expression martini, and here is my favourite recipe, for your eyes only!

3 shots of vodka
4 shots of cooled expresso coffee
3 shots of coffee liqueur
Sugar syrup to taste
Ices cubes

Shake all the ingredients, strain into a chilled martini glass, so easy! If you really want to impress, float some whipped cream on top and enjoy!

Drink in moderation…

Trend Alert! Momotaro jeans

There is a new craze, and its called Momotaro jeans. You will tell me jeans are jeans, to what I would respond, we’ll… not quite. Yes, I concede, jeans are denim, practical and last for years. This is the main reason why choosing the perfect fit is so critical. Jeans can be seriously unflattering hence trying various cuts and in several shades is key. Once you have found YOUR perfect fit, stick to it, do not reinvent the wheel.

Whilst I tend to go straight for tried and tested cuts from Gap and Levi’s, I think it is still important to keep our options open. So when I heard about this “newbie” I could not refrain from sharing. My so-called super trendy and in the know friends all seem to be talking about it…. I give you Momotaro jeans, the best of Japanese jeans.

I can see why they appeal, fun cuts, super cool… And then you see the price tag!

Here is the official link: http://www.momotarojeans.com/

One of the few places where you can find these super cool jeans in London is Son Of A Stag.

Wellicious – stylish eco-friendly yoga clothing

Feeling refreshed and invigorated after my yoga session today, I decided that for Christmas I would ask for some new gym gear. I therefore had to do some research as I normally go straight to Sweaty Betty.

Let’s face it, for most of us, gym gear is not really a fashion statement. Although, yoga attracts a different type of gym addict, mostly the ones who do not feel like breaking into a sweat, with the exception of the bikram yoga fans. Whilst browsing, I found a new brand of yoga clothing which I recommend checking out. It’s called Wellicious! Not only I like the name but I also like their range. It is stylish, in gorgeous colours and offers flattering cuts AND is eco-friendly. I especially like their Miami top! Please tell Santa….

They current have a 20% off offer when you create your starter kit.

www.wellicious.com

Dress or trousers?

I am relaxed. It is Wednesday evening, I am comfortably sitting on a train, listening to Emeli Sande (I keep listening to her album “our own version of events” again and again) and reading friends’ blogs. A pretty boring or common train journey some would say and I would agree.

However, I just saw a post from a fellow blogger whose opinion I value. She wrote her 10 commandments on fashion. Whilst I mostly agree with 9 out of 10 of them, I really struggle with the very first one. Her point is, and I agree, trousers are easy, warm -after all it is almost winter- and eliminate the need for hosiery. However, whilst I used to follow this rule relatively religiously, I have completely changed my mind over the last year or so. I now find dresses are the epitome of simplicity. For most women, getting dressed in the morning is part of a well oiled routine, although wearing a dress makes it even easier. Women in the morning are often in a rush either because they are late for work or dropping the kids at school -or both- then the dress option is definitely the obvious choice. A quick demo for the skeptical ones: open the wardrobe, pick the dress, pick a pair of opaque black tights (stockings for our US readers), and put your favourite boots on, done! Well, if you have a few spare minutes you can match a few accessories of course. This also saves you having to pick a top, panic because you have to iron a shirt and therefore saving you valuable time. CQFD….