Fireworks.

Last night I braved a very cold, autumn evening and headed down to the beach to watch some fireworks.

People ooo'd and ahh'd and played with sparklers, while the air was filled with that comforting bonfire smell (mixed of course with fried onions from the burger van)!

My hands were removed from their mittens for ten minutes to take some photos...











Did you have a good Guy Fawkes?

The Forgotten Coat

Autumn/Winter is by far my favourite time of year and I love nothing more than splashing out on a new coat to see me through the long, cold months.

To prepare myself for pay day, I stocked up on the glossies and trawled the internet for inspiration. However, I found it hard to see past the endless articles and mood boards of shearling leathers and capes (in camel, of course!) Both perfectly nice styles, don't get me wrong - but not the most practical of coats for our notoriously harsh weather.

Which brings me to the star of this post, the duffle! Timeless, stylish and as cosy as can be. To me, the duffle coat sums up British winters. Wrapped up warm, trudging though rain, sleet and snow, the duffle will see you through the darkest of days.

It has a quintessential English charm, thanks on the most part to it's most famous fan, Paddington Bear.




Effortlessly chic, no?

Get the look at Urban Outfitters...

£ 249

For non-Paddington fans, the best of the rest.


Bargain!
Matalan - £ 40



Blow It!Matches - £ 348

So, it'll come as no surprise to find I'll be opting for a duffle this year, what kind of coat do you have your eye on?

Snap Happy

It's back to reality for me this week after a trip to my parents house in the very beautiful Lake District, my favourite part of the world.











Plenty of fresh air, pub lunches, long walks, cosy nights, charity shopping and sight seeing - my perfect holiday!

Get Your Deac-on!

This week I have mostly been lusting over the new range of jewellery from fashion favourite, Giles Deacon.

A far cry from his range currently available at H.Samuel (what were you thinking Giles?) the collection demonstrates perfectly the well-known playful nature of Deacons' work.

Soft, fantasy filled pieces like the dinosaur and gremlin pendants mix incredibly well with tougher, more robust designs like the 'man-trap' bangle and wing nut stud earrings. All in beautiful finishes of gold and silver.

However, top of my wish list is the paperclip necklace, who knew stationery could look so stylish?

wing nut earrings - £ 95


Dino Necklace - £ 150

Man Trap Bangle - £ 400

Paperclip Necklace - £ 880

All available at Selfridges and Dover Street Market.

(images from vogue.com)

Window Shopping

Walking the city streets, it's safe to say I'm usually tripping up curbs because I'm nosing at someones necklace (really, I'm not looking at your chest) or fixated on a fab pair of heels - but recently, when wandering past Harvey Nics, I was instantly struck by their amazing window displays. Having a background in retail, I'm a huge fan of good visual merchandising, but this takes things to a whole new level.

Each window is filled with a floor to ceiling sculpture, made entirely from one object. The materials used range from pencils to pegs, and are not only eye-catching and incrediby well done, they're a nod to this seasons 'understated classic' trend. Described by the stores head of Visual Display as, "the current trend 'classics' turned on it's head to transform mundane objects into works of art."

First up, a dress made from pegs - perfect for pinching in that waist. (sorry!)



Secondly, this handsome chap made from books:



The photo doesn't do justice to the intricate detail on his face and hands.
He is also sitting on a lovely, notepad(ed) sofa - nice touch!


Finally, my favourite...



I love the warm, cosy feel the orange pencils give to this window, it makes me want to wrap up and run through the woods kicking crisp Autumn leaves.
The beautiful chunky-knit scarf helps too - even during forest frolics, a girls gotta look good!

You can see these, and the rest of the amazing displays at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, but be quick - my guess is that the Christmas windows will be going in soon!