Well, if ever there was a woman I hoped to be when I grow up, it’s got to be a lady like this….
Archive for May, 2013
Conviction of Blair
Friday, May 31st, 2013
Pavilion scented candle…….. coming soon.
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Capturing those heady notes of Orange Blossom on a warm spring afternoon.
Oh! Roses and Lilies are fair to see; But the wild Bluebell is the flower for me.
Monday, May 20th, 2013
After a pretty cold but fun day watching the second day of the test match between New Zealand and England at Lords on Friday, I was happy to catch the train to Dorset to meet Ben in time for lunch on Saturday and spend the rest of the sunny afternoon melting into the lawn. It was unexpected sunshine, I was happy that we had little to do other than enjoy it. I’m always spoilt when I go to visit Dorset, when Ben asked me if I’d like to do anything, I said that I really wanted to see a Bluebell Wood.
A friend was recently telling me about the one he walks through of a weekend and I realised we’ve been having this conversation at the same time every year for about the last six years and every year I think it sounds amazing and every year I fail to do anything about it. I’ve had an awareness of Bluebell Woods since I first arrived in the U.K. 12 years ago. I had landed my first job at the perfumers, Penhaligons. They have a Bluebell perfume and every time someone would try it they would close their eyes and say ‘Oh, isn’t just like being in the middle of a Bluebell Wood? It’s extraordinary’. ‘Yes, isn’t it?’ I would blankly reply, ‘available in 50ml & 250ml, soaps, talc, bath oil….’ I had NO IDEA what a Bluebell Wood was, I’d not seen one Bluebell in New Zealand let alone a woodland of them, I don’t even think we have woodland in New Zealand I think its bush. I have a couple that pop up in my garden every year and every year I pull them out, I find them ugly on their own and not really at home in my London garden.
I really liked the smell of the perfume (the Queen’s personal fave BTW) when I worked at Penhaligons and couldn’t grapple with the notion that nature could replicate it for real (I mean viceversa). It was the weekend I was in the countryside, it was THE weekend of the Bluebell I did not want to miss out. Miss out I did not. Ben had been told about an RSPB reserve at Garston, it was five star rated (I love it) and it was breath taking.
The first part we walked through had a lot of flowering wild garlic mixed through the Bluebells, the further we went into the reserve the denser the Bluebells became.
Sunshine of late afternoon, on the glass tray…
Thursday, May 16th, 2013
And it is glass trays that I bring you. I have had a mild obsession looking for the perfect tray for ages, something useful but also decorative. It should be at home on the ottoman holding a votive candle, coasters, maybe a small vase of flowers and also look good loaded up with canapes or being put to use as a mini bar on a side table. I looked and looked until the little lightbulb went off above my head, the moment I realised I could make the tray if my dreams.
I don’t think there is ‘a’ tray I think there are many and I have only just begun…
Just getting a few things ready and feeling a little nervous
Friday, May 3rd, 2013
Recently I’ve been doing a lot of things, I’ve been spending a lot of time on a lot of things, I’ve been calculating a lot of things, I’ve been experimenting on a lot of things and I’ve been spending a lot of money on a lot of things. The things are things I completely believe in. I do feel like I’m in nomads land at the moment where it’s just work work work work and then take a look around and I’m just alone except for a small kitten sitting on top of a model house licking itself.
Looking for a little online distraction, I found it here on Black*Eiffel. A great pep talk to make you smile and send you back to the work of basically being awesome.
Anyway, we’re nearly there with some improvements to the website and a lot of new designs, I can’t wait to share them with everyone.