Lulu Guinness – Burlington Arcade store & AW12

I had an appointment with Tiffany, the Burlington Arcade store manager, last Wednesday and she showed me around the shop, showed me the beautiful bags from the current collection and gave me a look book of the Cruise 2011 collection and the SS12 collection. The store has 4 floors, all of them full of amazing bags, collectables, purses and sunglasses. There also is a kind of meeting area on the upper floor where I could spot some ‘new in’ pink cases from Lulu’s luggage collection. As you may have noticed by now (chrm, chrm), I’m a big Lulu fan, so every time I enter one of her shops, my heart is melting and I can feel my purse begin to shake inside my bag. This time I was especially excited, because I was going to buy a lips clutch. It’s Lulu’s signature bag and if you love her bags and designs as much as I do, you simply have to get one!

The Burlington Arcade Store

 I also spotted this which is so cute! Have tea with style.

SS12 collection

AW12 collection

Lulu’s AW12 collections is named ‘Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover’ and was inspired by Audrey Hepburn as well as the many vintage book shops on Charing Cross Road. The collection is very book and library themed, which I love! I love books and libraries and love to escape into a different world by reading. The collection seems perfect to me! The AW12 collectable is the stack of books with Lulu’s favourite sayings and quotes. She also created the book bags in various colours like shocking pink with titles like ‘Dare To Be Different’ (my favourite!) and the Librarian Doll Face. Haircalf, snakeskin, leather and butter soft Italian nappa are the collections key fabrics and black, red and pink (my 3 favourite colours!) are the colours which appear most often in the collection. The collection is unique, luxurious and simply perfect!

Book Review – I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favourite authors. I started reading the Shopaholic series about 2 years ago and immediately fell in love with the wittiness and humour of the books and the hilariously financially unorganised Becky. She’s such a heart-warming and real character, I really could identify and feel with her, especially since I seem to have a little shopping problem myself (psssh!). Sophie Kinsella’s writing style is easy to read and understand without affecting the story in a bad way (what I mean is, it’s easy, but not too easy to read..if you get my drift). Of course it’s chick lit through and through, you should realise this by looking at the book cover or reading the summary. After I was through with the Shopaholic series, I went on to read her other books ‘Twenties Girl’, ‘Can you keep a secret?’ and ‘The Undomestic Goddess’ too. I think I haven’t been so captivated by an author or story since reading ‘Harry Potter’. In February, Sophie Kinsella’s latest book, ‘I’ve Got Your Number’ was published – a book I’ve been looking forward to read.

Summary: ‘I’ve lost it. The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now, the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day. Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive!!

A couple of glasses of bubbly with the girls at a charity do and Poppy’s life has gone into meltdown. Not only has she lost her engagement ring, but in the panic that followed, she’s lost her phone too. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number with the hotel staff. It was meant to be! Except the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back, and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, phone messages and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents, can things get any more tangled?’

I think the summary tells us a lot about the book, although there are some things which are confusing if you’ve read the summary before the book (which, I guess, everyone does..). For example, it isn’t actually Sam’s phone that Poppy Wyatt finds, but his PA’s phone who dumped her job. Anyway, I don’t want to give away too much. All I can say is: READ THIS BOOK!!! It’s really worth it.

Vintagey moments…

…on a cold winter day.

What books do you like to read on a cold winter day, when you’re in your cuddly and cosy and warm bed? As a child I liked to escape into the world of Harry Potter, St Clare’s and Ink Heart, which helped me understand the importance of the word and books and send me to a world I’d be a part of for hours. Now that I’m older and more mature (at least that’s what I like to believe), I love reading Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk, and am writing my first book. The books I’m interested in may have changed, but I still need to escape into a different world from time to time by reading.

A large cup of tea may also help to keep you warm. A proper cup of tea always helps.

 ”Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.”  ~Catherine Douzel

“Tea is a cup of life.”

 Or just enjoy the beauty of photography on blogs like The Wild Fleur (the most beautiful blog I’ve ever seen), Not Just Another Milla  (a great blog if you love Paris and afternoon tea), Tea Time in Wonderland (a really cute French London and afternoon tea blog) or visit my tumblr at Secret Dreamworld of a PA.