Sunday Mercury - Diva Diaries

Diva no more...

2012-12-20T11:38:35Z

Today is a sad day... unfortunately ladies and gentlemen I have to inform you that I have been forced into retirement as the Sunday Mercury's resident diva, and will no longer be posting from this site.

Not to worry though! I have a new guise as The Style Floozie, and a completely new self-owned website and blog, which means that I am free to post to my heart's content about whatever takes my fancy. Hurrah!

Head over to http://thestylefloozie.moonfruit.com/ from this moment on and I will be populating it very soon with everything style, fashion and lifestyle related in Birmingham and further afield. There are also details on where to email me if you have something you want to say!

See you later lovelies, and have a very Merry Christmas!

Sarah xx

Denim fit for posers

2012-09-24T20:28:02Z

If anyone had been wandering around Selfridges, Birmingham at any point over the last month, you might have noticed a 'little' in-store promotion called 'Destination Denim'.

Photo: Jas Sansi

Now, a far cry from its original purpose as durable clothing for workmen, denim is available in all sorts of guises - from dresses, to skirts, jackets, shirts, shorts, bags, and of course jeans, as originally intended. It has also seen a rather generous injection of stretchy fibres into its make-up in some cases - which thankfully means that in order to get that skinny leg one doesn't have to sit in a cold bath in them in the hope that they'll shrink to fit (apparently this used to happen? Ouch!).

Well, it seems that one brand in particular - Lee Jeans - decided to make a feature out of this, by making jeans so stretchy (but also strong enough to ping back into shape) you could even perform yoga in them. Yes, that particular form of exercise that generally conjures up images of body contortionists, or near enough. And yours truly was invited to come along and find out for myself.

Well, thinking I'd only have to try on a pair for size and then watch a few models demonstrating Lee's premium denim collection performing yoga, imagine my surprise when it turned out that actually I'd got the wrong end of the stick and that we (fellow reporters/bloggers) were also going to be performing yoga in the jeans ourselves. Add to that the fact that due to me being awkward and not getting the right size first time around, I then had to go and park myself next to the lovely, but substantially thinner model... well, you can imagine my 'delight'.

Now the yoga I wasn't worried about - I'm a little stiffer than I used to be, but I did used to do yoga fairly regularly so I knew the moves pretty well anyway. But the prospect of practising the downward facing dog pose - which leaves you on all fours with your bottom in the air - with my photographer friend behind us taking photographs clearly showing the difference in size between my sizeable derriere and the models teeny pert bottom next to me... well, that was due to bring me out in a sweat. Amusing as it was. Apparently it was the best move we could all do to show off the stretchiness of the denim, according to Lucy Kite who, as well as being a well known weather presenter is also a fully qualified yoga instructor.

Photo: Jas Sansi

Well, I guess the purpose was to show off the stretchiness and quality of Lee's premium jeans, and I can happily confirm it certainly did that. Next time I do yoga however, I think I'll be parking myself much further away from a pert model bum until my own has shrunk to that size!

Plump up the volume

2012-09-02T14:43:13Z

A couple of months ago I was sent a bottle of 'Intense Plumping Therapy' to review. Now, I'm heading for the big 30 in November so I figure anything that promises to help stop things shrivelling up or going South is probably worth investing in sooner or later.

The product is part of a new range brought to us by mother and reflexologist Matilda Archer, after being developed by a leading cosmetic surgeon in the USA. The range is 98% natural and paraben free and is described as being an alternative to plastic surgery. Well, I'm sold on that idea - it's certainly a darn sight cheaper too!

So what does this Intensive Plumping Treatment promise to do?

Well, it has been designed to naturally stimulate cell volume and enhance the bust, buttocks and hands within 56 days. It can also be used on the face to plump out fine lines. Brilliant! Although as my derriere is rather too substantial for my liking anyway, I wasn't even going to risk using it there - I can already give J-Lo a very good run for her money in that department.

As for my bust, well, due to unwanted weight gain over the past couple of years I don't appear to be doing too badly in that department either, for the first time in my life (why do bodies change when you get older? Really? Not that I'm complaining - I used to be flat chested). Not that I really want to talk openly to you all about my lady lumps, but, well, anything that reckons it can give a bit of thrust to your bust is a winner in my eyes, so obviously I tried it a couple of times.

(By the way, ladies, Boux Avenue do a rather gorgeous leopard print bra that "adds" two cup sizes to your bust - trust me - I nearly had my own eyes out when I tried that one!)

The places I really thought it might work well would be my face and hands. Now, having naturally quite dry skin, those are two places where I definitely need a bit of a boost, and whilst I don't have a huge number of fine lines on my face, there's always room for improvement, and my hands have always been the wrinkly bane of my life... after my bulbous butt and recently appeared jelly-belly. Seriously, this getting older malarkey is cruel; that, and wine.

So fast forward a couple of months after using it - it promises that with consistent use the 'Intense Plumping Therapy' can increase bust volume within 56 days - and have I seen any results?

Well, my bust certainly hasn't shrunk, that's for sure (hurray!). My skin on my face feels lovely and smooth and my forehead in photos looks incredibly wrinkle free (although I do like to use a good camera angle and photo app Instagram), plus my hands have not felt starved of moisture for a long time. So I'd say it's definitely worth a good go!

There is a host of other products in the range including 'No Needle Wrinkle Relaxer' which I'm definitely adding to my list, and 'Cucumber & Peptide Eye Therapy' which sounds like an ideal solution for my tired eyes after a late night and a few too many wines!

The range can be found online at www.matildaarcher.co.uk , with prices starting at a much more bank friendly price than actual surgery - from £7.50/€9.00.

Festival 'cheek'

2012-08-17T11:56:11Z

It's summer (yes, really), I'm sat in Starbucks in a freezing draft coming from the door (yes, it's still summer), and the V festival is about to start. Well, in my old age of 29 years - ahem - I have to say after the last couple of days' heavy downpours I'm quite happy that I'm not going to be attempting to pitch a tent on a mudslide that I would be calling 'home' for the next few days. Even if that does mean I'm missing out on seeing a host of great bands and artists playing to fields full of drunkards - And yes, this does appeal to me. It's also about the only time you'll see me in a heel lower than 4 inches, unless you happen to spot me at the gym, walking my dad's dogs (or rather, the dogs walking me) or on a run.

I did happen to pop along to a festival a couple of weeks ago, just as the Olympics were starting however (anyone else feel lost now it's not on TV? I've absolutely loved every second of it!): Global Gathering. Luckily it was nice and hot this day and as I was off to Brighton for a 30th birthday the following day, I was good and stuck to the pepsi so I could drive home. So no tents were involved here either.

Now, Global Gathering isn't my usual festival of choice - I like a good guitar band or ten, with a bit of hip hop, pop, and dance thrown in - it is pretty much all electronic, or dance in one form or another. But the acts are still pretty great and recognisable to the dance virgins amongst you - Chase & Status, Friendly Fires, Skrillex, and the main act I wanted to see, Tinie Tempah. So along popped me and my friend, complete with arm in sling (she slipped on an orange the week before - great story but I think she'd kill me if I told you too much or revealed her identity) with lots of time to suss out the various 'venues' before the main act himself, who was I must admit, absolutely fantastic. Even if we weren't allowed into the photographers' pit to get a decent enough shot to post on here (just saying Mr Tempah, you'd have had a great picture on here if I had).

Now, as this blog is officially meant to be about style and fashion I guess I should make a few comments on the sights I saw. Well. Put it this way, it appears that the term 'festival chic' should be renamed 'festival cheek'. Why? Well, because I've never seen so many butt-cheeks on show - that aren't by a pool, or a beach - in my life. I know hot pants, and the trend for tiny cut-off denims is hot right now, but seriously girls, why? WHY do you want the world to be able to see the plump bit of your behind that if you bend over to far parts way to almost reveal your nether regions? We all know men like bottoms (or most anyway), but aside from making me blush (and I'm not a prude by any means), please, have some pride in yourselves. Cover yourselves up. I suppose if a random guy - let's say he's rather unattractive - spots this and decides to give you a little pat, or maybe even a good grope of your bare cheeks, you'll turn around and shout hands off? Well, try covering it up so he can't get near it, maybe? Not that I'm excusing that sort of behaviour in any way, shape or form because quite frankly if someone did that to me I'd turn around and utter insults my mother would consider disowning me for, or alternatively, belt them one.

That said, I don't think any ladies quite went as far as one certain 'cheeky' chappy did - in revealing his entire bottom:

Cheeky indeed!

Nobody puts Diva in a corner

2012-07-30T12:43:09Z

... but they did let me carry a watermelon!

Girls, you'll probably have an idea as to what I'm referring to here. Boys... probably not so much, but if you do, I commend you!

Of course my blog title pays homage - sort of - to Dirty Dancing. And Dirty Dancing, for those who are familiar and those who aren't, is one of the sexiest, danciest (that's a new word from the Diva Dictionary for those spelling militants out there) most brilliant films ever made... in my opinion.

Many good dance or music-heavy films get adapted for stage productions, or vice-versa - think Chicago, Fame, The Sound of Music - and Dirty Dancing is no different.

Unfortunately Patrick Swayze - who played the ravishing and raunchy dancer and lead character, Johnny, in the film - is no longer with us, so that's one little disappointment I'm sure we'll all feel. However, he would be rather too old to play the part and have the same effect as he does in the film now (several decades on) anyway. But no matter how many times I watch the film, I, like many of you out there, never fail to swoon. So considering this, whoever plays the part of Johnny in the stage production has some very big shoes to fill!

So, the show:

Well, first of all, if nothing else, the dancing is amazing. It's the kind of dancing I always thought I would grow up to do as a young, eight year old dancer (although some of the moves I probably wouldn't comprehend until I was a little older, if you catch my drift).

I can safely say that the musical stage production of Dirty Dancing is certainly a must-see. The story is good - not too far from the film - the dancing is fantastic, the characters are portrayed well... if you like a musical spectacular I dare say you'll enjoy this. And if you're a fan of Dirty Dancing then I've no doubt that during at least one part of the performance you'll have an urge to jump off your seat and applaud in fantastic style.

Being such a huge fan of the film (the gyrating Johnny /Swayze in particular) I did find it difficult to watch objectively as I couldn't help but see the corresponding film moment in my head throughout. So with this in mind I'm not sure whether it would be as easy to follow had you never seen the film, but reviews overheard from other fellow theatre-goers would suggest that it is enjoyable either way.

One little thing I did notice, that I simply must share with you, was the striking resemblance between the actor playing Johnny and the current Doctor Who actor, Matt Smith... not a bad thing by any means, but let's face it, he ain't no Patrick Swayze back in the day now, is he? (there I go, comparing it to the film again). His moves were fantastic, but somehow those hips just don't get the mind running overdrive the way the Swayze's did.... but then, who could match up to that? I'd maybe place a bet on 'Magic Mike' actor, dancer and all time hottie (yep, I just said hottie) Channing Tatum... I went to see this last night by the way. Ladies, brace yourselves... and then grab your girlfriends for a good male flesh fest! (Perv? Moi? Not one bit... and you boys do it all the time anyway.)

Anyway, I digress. Basically, what I'm saying is you need to go and watch Dirty Dancing if you in any way whatsoever like a good, dirty, all-dancing musical spectacular. It's on at the Hippodrome until August 25th so you've plenty of time. Find out more here.

I'm off to daydream about dancing men...

Tea with an earl

2012-06-17T13:31:08Z

Every fashionista, lady about town and die hard shopper - even the most hardcore - needs somewhere to retreat either after or during a good spot of retail therapy. So, in case anyone was wondering where they could go to escape the crowds for an hour or so, and relax in classy, yet laid back surroundings without having to venture outside of the city, I thought I'd do a bit of research for you.

Just over a week ago I popped along to Birmingham's latest plush city centre hotel and dining complex, Hotel La Tour. They recently launched their 'High Tea', and on noticing the Earl Grey Bellini and mini desert selection included, I was immediately sold. Easily in fact; cocktails and cake - what more could a girl want?

It was the Friday afternoon just before the Jubilee Bank Holiday, which was I thought a great way to begin my long weekend. It was also rather appropriate for the occasion as it turned out; the platter brought out to us would have been quite fitting for Her Majesty the Queen herself with even one of the sandwich selection including some sort of cucumber 'roll'. Even the card to advertise the high tea incorporated the union flag - tastefully I might add. There was none of this Geri/Ginger Spice union flag dress style tackiness for her royal highness... who in this case was of course me. Talking of me in terms of 'royal highness', did I mention I've recently found myself quite taken with Prince Harry? I find him rather dashing, but cheeky. I'm sure you'll all agree... My mother asked if he was a little young for me (I'm 29, he's about a year or so younger). I reminded her she's married to a man 11 years her junior, so no, quite frankly he is perfectly within my age range. Anyway, I digress.

So, on arrival my friend and I were greeted rather warmly and taken to our table in the bar. There we were presented with our menu and asked which drink we would prefer; Veuve Clicquot or an Earl Grey Bellini. Now, I'm very partial to a glass (or two) of the great Veuve, however, being High Tea I thought the Earl Grey option would be more fitting. Great choice; the cocktail was nothing short of divine.

Next out, came the selection of sandwiches, scones and desserts, with our choice of tea. Think smoked salmon and coronation chicken sandwiches (sans crusts to my delight), cucumber rolls and rarebit... followed by fruit and plain scones with jam and clotted cream (a personal favourite)... followed by mini desserts: Eton mess, treacle tart, jaffa pudding and walnut whip - not the shop bought version. Truly scrumptious.

I recommend also trying the 1889 cocktail (small concoction - pictured at the top - of Bombay Sapphire, elderflower, apple, egg white and grated ginger): oddly delicious in taste and apparently a great palate cleanser between the scones and desserts... and who am I to argue.

The service is welcoming and attentive, without being too attentive (if you know what I mean), the background music is as it should be - in the background, just music, quite classical and very relaxing - apart from being able to see busy parts of the city if you peer outside the window, you could almost forget about the hustle and bustle on the other side of the walls.
I shall certainly be returning, and I suggest you all do too. It is best to book if you wish to take High Tea, however I would personally be happy to return simply to relax with a glass of champers or a cocktail or two.

Cheers.

Boux to cold days, here comes summer

2012-05-21T15:23:49Z

I should have written this post a long time ago, but I fell out with my laptop and now it doesnt like to work for me. Honest...

I did find a good time to write this a few weeks ago, but then the weather turned cold and wet and the sky spat out pea sized hail stones at us all. I figured then that blogging about sumer fashions and lacy lingerie wasn't really timely.

So now, whilst it's sunny, and I have not one, but two strange men playing around with my plumbing, pardon the pun (to those of you with minds that verge on the slightly naughty side, I can assure you it's nothing fun - sorting out a leaky shower and two forever flushing toilets that kept me awake for the best part of the night) I've decided the time is perfect. Unless the outfits I picture are now out of stock, in which case, err, oops.

Anyway, I'll stop mumbling.

A little while ago, I was invited to preview Harvey Nichols' Spring/Summer 2012 fashions. Well, I must say it was a little bit of a drool fest - and that was just at the shoes! (See below)

For the ladies there was a wide selection of trends on display, from a collection of whites, brights, patterns, a hint of grunge, the sport luxe look, and of course, being Harvey Nic's, a fabulous shot of glamour mixed in.

For the boys, my eye was caught by a great set of slogan and character T-shirts, the odd white trouser (only for the brave, boys, only for the brave) and the whole set had an air of smart casual, with T-shirts being worn to add a more casual, younger look to some quirky tailoring. If you can't look like a footballer on the pitch, you can certainly look like one off the pitch by shopping some of these styles.

Moving on, I was then invited to the launch of Boux Avenue - Theo Paphitis' (of Dragons Den fame) new lingerie venture. Theo previously owned lingerie brand La Senza, and since letting it go has apparently missed it. Cue Boux Avenue: a boutique style store which in Birmingham is located across the 'landing' to La Senza on the middle mall in the Bullring.

From your smooth and seam-free basic underwear, to the fast becoming popular again corset, a full bridal range, luxury ranges and nightware, the store has it all.

And for those of us who want the boob job without the surgery, they even have a range of superboosting bras that promise to make you appear two cup sizes bigger. And believe me, they aren't lying. I couldn't bring myself to buy one for fear of poking someone's eyes out they're that good! No, the Jordan look isn't really for me I'm afraid. I opted for their bright peach/orange lace balconette and French knickers.

The lingerie isn't the only thing woth visiting the store for - for the relatively high number of women still walking around in the wrong size bra, their complimentary fitting service is fantastic (I was told I'd gone up a cup size - brilliant! My two stone weight gain that even several sweaty hours in the gym every week isn't managing to bring back down feels slightly better for this). Add to this their fitting rooms - black and white art deco style, fully carpetted, with three light settings to check how you'd appear at any time of day, and a button to call your 'concierge' for service. Fabulous.

What makes this even better, is the prices are very reasonable too, so you can feel like a million dollars without breaking the bank.

Boys with botox

2012-03-19T18:08:05Z

Here's a question for you guys and girls:

Botox on men: yay? Or nay?

Like myself, I'm sure many of you watch 'Take Me Out', right? Well, even if you don't, do read on:

I was watching Saturday's episode, when a single, sexy, Irishman came out to pick a lady.

"Well!", I thought to myself, "isn't he a charming young Irishman?"

He had terrible jeans on, and even worse shoes (white cowboy boots) to be honest, but, as I then went onto 'tweet' (I'm on Twitter by the way: @_sarahmorris_ for anyone who wants to heckle me from time to time):

"Well, hello sexy single Irishman on #takemeout. Terrible jeans, but we can get rid of those ;) "

- naughty, I know, but at that point I was quite taken by this one. Dress sense is always something that can be improved on, after all.

We then found out his job was basically selling hair transplants to men. Not really my thing, but hey, it was good enough for Rooney and he's truly blossoming in the hairy head department now.

Then however, we heard from his best friend: "he likes botox".

WOAH there! BOTOX? On a MAN? Let me know if any of you disagree, but what man needs to have botox? Especially one in their twenties? The guy was younger than me as it was!

Now, I'm sorry, but I've seen that pearly 'sheen' that comes with a heavily botoxed, frozen face, on a woman before, and let me tell you, it looked bizarre. Particularly when you had to look closely to be able to decipher whether she was trying to smile, grimace, frown, or attempt any other facial expression for that matter. I certainly don't want to see botox on my man.

Unless you have incredibly deep crumples, a la Gordon Ramsay (who I actually still find strangely attractive both with and without said 'crumples'), then I'm afraid it's a big "no likey" from me.

BMW launches Birmingham fashion event

2012-02-28T10:44:48Z

Ladies, you know those friends, acquaintances and other lucky ladies who have wardrobes busting at the seams with gorgeous designer clobber that leaves you drooling at the thought of owning just one or two little items inside it?

Think that ever having a wardrobe like that yourself could just be a pipe dream, unless you manage to snag a rich man who wants to pay for it all for you, or alternatively land yourself that new job that you love AND pays you a small fortune for doing? (This rarely happens in media, so I think I'll be going down the rich man route). Well, your luck might be in.

Some of you might have heard of something called BuyMyWardrobe, (oh, you thought BMW meant the car? Sorry about that) but for those of you who haven't, let me explain:

Originating in London, BuyMyWardrobe is, in a nutshell, an event where said lucky ladies with wardrobes busting at the seams with designer clobber throw open the doors to those wardrobes to sell some of those enviable designer items to the rest of you drooling, I mean admiring, public.

The event is now making its way up to Birmingham - hurrah! And will launch officially at Nuvo, Brindleyplace, on Saturday April 14th.

On hand to offer styling advice* to those of you who are serious about giving your own wardrobe a style ovwerhaul, will be top city stylist Beth Goodrham - recently shortlisted for the Marie Claire style blogger of the year. And to make sure all that shopping and excitement doesn't get the better of you, Nuvo will also be serving a sophisticated afternoon tea for just £12 a head, comprising of speciality teas and coffees, freshly-made free-range sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a selection of mini pastries and tartlets.

Sounds like a fun girly afternoon? Of course it does! I will be there (maybe not with bells on), and tickets are on sale now - just visit www.BuyMyWardrobe.com/events .

* Beth will be on hand to offer 30-minute shopping sessions and styling advice to ladies for just £20 a session.

Ticket info:
VIP ENTRY 12-1pm £20 includes early entry, goody bag and Champagne
STANDARD ENTRY 1pm-4pm £5 in advance £7 on the door
Afternoon tea can be booked directly through Nuvo at £12 per person by emailing nickie@nuvobar.co.uk
Style sessions with Beth can be arranged for £20 by appointment directly at style@bethgoodrham.com
(Please note tickets will only be available to purchase on the door from 2pm)

LaLa Rocks it up in Harvey Nichols

2012-02-21T18:12:38Z

I love a good fashion news story, especially one that originates in Birmingham. And guess what? I have one right here!

Following on from my news of the gorgeous new Birmingham born jewellery brand, LaLa Rocks, in December, I can now announce that it is now available to buy in the city's Harvey Nichols store, located in the Mailbox.

For such a young brand this is a massive coup; not only does this mean the products are now backed by a well known brand, Harvey Nichols is known for it's high end, high quality fashion, being a favourite of the rich and famous, as well as the general consumer alike. And as if LaLa Rocks needed it, its bracelets are already fast becoming a fashionista's favourite. Of course, I already have one, along with plans to add more to my wrist,

Owner and creator of the brand, Carla Hancox, is understandable elated with this deal, commenting: "I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the success LaLa Rocks has enjoyed since it was launched - it has been a non-stop whirl of orders and meetings. The invitation to meet with Harvey Nichols' buyers was the icing on the cake.

"Harvey Nichols represents exclusive, chic, luxurious products, and that's exactly what I wanted LaLa Rocks to be when I set the brand up last year. I can't wait to see the reaction of Harvey Nichols customers to the brand once they're in situ. To me, being stocked by the UK's premium retailer is a sign that it was all worth it - LaLa has landed!"

LaLa has landed indeed.

If you missed my original post on LaLa Rocks, you can read it here.
If you want to see what all the fuss is about you can visit the website here, or naturally pop down to Harvey Nichols to see them in their full glory.

How's your earring?

2012-02-03T17:26:38Z

To my dearest pierced lady and male friends, I have some great news to share with you. Revolutionary, almost. Well, maybe...

Do you ever find yourself unable to wear your favourite pair of sparkly, dangly, heavy stud earrings because the back simply falls off and leaves you running the risk of losing them?

Now, I am speaking from experience here, as I have a gorgeous pair of earrings that regularly ended up on the pavement due to useless backs, and as my favourite pair, let me tell you, this is rather frustrating.

Well, this could be a thing of the past. And it's all thanks, yet again, to a Birmingham resident. Naturally.

Let me introduce you to ALOXIA.

Aloxia is a groundbreaking earring back that is completely secure and will stop stud earrings falling out and becoming lost.

The patent pending product uses a simple 'slide on, squeeze to release' grip mechanism that has been proven to secure the earring far more effectively than traditional backs.

Genius huh? In theory - I will of course be testing this out as soon as I get my hands on them.

The company will be launching officially this Sunday at the prestigious Spring Fair (Stand 20 PO1) at the NEC, and has already attracted interest from several high street retailers plus a possible deal with a major television shopping channel. So it must be pretty good, right?

The products are currently available on their website: www.aloxia.com and come in packs of two pairs in both a gold and silver finish.

It looks like my spangly sparkly diamante earrings will regain their life once more. I'm off to order some...

Look perfect in less than an hour!

2012-01-12T17:26:26Z

Throw out the scales, quit the gym, grab yourself that bar of chocolate and brace yourself for what I am about to tell you:

YOU can look perfect in under an hour!

Yes really! Gain that perfect hourglass figure, erase those wrinkles, plump up your lips.... you can do it all in less than one hour and all from the comfort of your own home! How? Well, watch this:

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Hey, I only said "look" perfect. I never said actually become perfect, did I?

S/S 2012: channelling Joey Essex and the Femme Fatale!

2012-01-12T01:00:52Z

So... a belated Happy New year and I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas!
I know I know, I've neglected you a little of late. What can I say? A diva has to party! And then she has to catch up on her sleep. And THEN, on realisation that over the past two and a half years she's lost that perfect little toned, tight figure she worked so darn hard to get, and put on two and a half stone, she has to get back into that gym and run, jump, pump, lift, pull, stretch and crunch herself until she nearly collapses in an attempt to kick start her way to getting it back. Four days in and I'm in so much butt pain I'm walking like the tin man and bending like a 90 year old. Oh well.

So, excuses aside, and also to take my mind off the physical aches I'm currently sat on, I think it's time I shared my fabulous Selfridges experience with you just before Christmas.

I received an invite asking me along to a bloggers evening at Selfridges - believe it or not there are actually other rather stylish bloggers in Birmingham, apart from myself, who really know their stuff. Amazing, I know! Ahem.
Selfridges, and the lovely Bullring team, wanted to brief us on the spring/summer 2012 trends they have and will be stocking for all you lovely people to snap up. So, first of all, for a round up:

Ladies, you will be channelling:
'Underwater Love' - shades of blue, pastel colours and seascape prints
'Film Blanche' - lots of white, fifties inspired shapes and prom skirts - as has proved popular over the past few spring seasons.
'Femme Fatale' - the look I think I will be channelling (naturally. Well, I am a diva.) - black, sleek silhouettes and of course, sunglasses (incognito darlings).
The ever important accessories will be clutch bags, mini-bags (there are some very cute ones from the likes of Gucci, Prada and Mulberry) and, bizarrely, rucksacks - we're talking small, designer style here though, not oversize sporty ones. We don't want to be looking like we're either going to the gym or are about to attempt to shoplift an entire rack, now, do we.
Colours you need here are pastels, candy hues and neons.

Now for the boys.You my lovelies will be channelling:
Olympic style - rather fitting for when we welcome the 2012 olympic games, really!
Globetrotter - think Miami and Birds of Paradise, as opposed to socks and sandals though will you please.
Rockabilly
Class clown - some of you won't have a problem here then hey!

Your trousers must be (they must!) cigarette pants, printed or, for the braver ones amongst you, short shorts - a la Joey Essex from The Only Way Is Essex, perhaps? A good bet for snapping up your shorts and short suits, would be Pringle, if there are any takers out there.
Coats for this season, on the other hand, are a little less daring; bomber jackets, anoraks and parkas.
Now, having had a look around the men's department, I'd like to declare that I will marry any man who can dress like this, look good, and maintain every inch of their masculinity. You have been challenged. If you look like David Gandy that would be even better.

Aside from briefing us on the trends, making us drool over the bags and making me, personally, have kittens (being so excited) at the sight of the Sex and the City limited edition Jimmy Choos (See below. If anyone has a couple of thousand pounds lying around... just saying), another point of our evening was to discover the full Selfridges 'experience'.

So, having been welcomed with a glass of fizz and been walked around the shop floor, we were then treated to some gorgeous Italian food from the latest addition to the food hall, Rossopomodoro, with a further glass of fizz.The perfect refuelling, before being whisked up to the beauty hall for a beauty consultation or makeover.

I had the delight of being made up with a purple smokey eye from Estee Lauder, and I must say, being a cynic when it comes to others trying to do my make-up, (having practised daily on myself since the age of 10, I'm rather stuck in my ways) I was very impressed. After this, we all popped back up to the Moet Bar to collect our goody bags filled with products to try - including my new staple facial scrub; Clinique's '7 day scrub cream' (seriously - if you like your facial scrubs, try this. It leaves your face incredibly smooth) a lovely Aqua di Parma perfume which my mother then recieved in her stocking (who are you calling a cheapskate?) and thanks to the Bullring for their £10 gift card. I shall be treating mhyself very soon with that to chase away those pesky January blues!

So. Thank you Selfridges, thank you Bullring, and ladies and gentlemen, if you find yourself with a few spare pennies, a free afternoon and a big night to look forward to, head to Selfridges, let them feed you, pamper you and help you find that perfect little evening outfit.

For now, I'm off to dream of how I'll look when this gym torture pays off, when David Gandy turns up at my door with the pictured Sex and the City Zebra Print Jimmy Choos, falls madly in love with me, and we live happily ever after... what's that? He's currently dating the blonde one from The Saturdays? Oh...

A new rock star is born

2011-12-20T14:26:44Z

There's a new rock star in town, but it's one with a difference. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to LaLa Rocks.

OK, so LaLa Rocks is not an actual rockstar (great name if it was though, don't you think?). LaLa Rocks is a brand new jewellery line created by Birmingham's very own business-woman Carla Hancox. Carla, like I'm sure many of you out there, began making a few bracelets for herself. Friends soon began asking carla to make them some, and from there, the demand for her bracelets became so much she decided to turn it into a business. Fabulous!

So, what is so special about LaLa Rocks bracelets? Well, first of all take a look here:

Amzonite bracelet

Cornelian bracelet

LaLa Rocks bracelets are in some ways similar to brands such as Pandora and Thomas Sabo, in their statement style and unisex appeal, BUT! They are Brummie born and bred, and made from semi precious stones and precious metals sourced from the Jewellery Quarter. Stones include carnelian, onyx, rose quartz, amethyst and freshwater pearls and combined with silver or gold, start at £49.
For the true fashionistas amongst you (or those that like the current and popular use of skulls within fashion), there is a gorgeous bracelet made of black skull beads, or, if you prefer just a hint of the trend, rather than the gold or silver bead amongst the stones, you can have one black skull in its place - just like my favourite crystal and malacite (skull) below:

Now, mark my words, these bracelets are going to be one of the must-have bracelets for 2012. If you need more convincing, they're already a hit amongst the WAGs and their footballing counterparts; they debuted at a premiership party, Gareth Barry's wife Louise recently wore a range of the bracelets to Wayne Rooney's birthday party, AND, due to their unisex appeal, England goalkeeper Joe Hart also snapped up a bracelet.

So. Currently available online, you can browse and purchase LaLa Rocks bracelets from the website: www.lalarocks.co.uk. In the meantime, I'm going to start drawing up my wishlist... well, I can't tell you all to go and buy them if I haven't got any myself, now, can I?

The craving that helps you LOSE pounds

2011-12-02T12:28:52Z

We all have our cravings and vices. In solid form mine is chocolate and in liquid form it is wine - only last night, having found my fridge bare after a 6 1/2 mile run, I was hit with a sugar rush and headed straight to the Pick 'n' Mix in Tesco (healthy dinner, right?) before heading out for a few glasses of wine with my girls. Sadly, both of these can fall into the category; a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. However, there is a new way of craving that promises to help you actually LOSE pounds! I kid you not! Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to...[drum-roll]

FASHINY

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "but that looks like a website with clothes and accessories on it", and you would be correct. Fashiny is a brand new website that serves your other vices and cravings; FASHION.

So, how does it work?

Once you sign up, you add a 'crave' button to your toolbar. Then, when you visit a site and you see something you want, rather than having to bookmark it/note it down/email yourself a link to it in the hope that you can remember where it was when you decide you want to buy it later on (which, let's be honest, is a right pain in the neck), you simply click onto the product, then click on your 'crave' button, which instantly opens up a window allowing you to add it to your collection! You can separate your cravings into different collections or categories for ease of use too - for example you could have an eveningwear collection, a workwear collection, a capsule collection, an accessories collection, and so on. Easy! And then each time you go back to your collection on Fashiny.com, you simply click on your item and it sends you straight back to the page where you can buy it.

The idea is very much like a virtual shopping centre. Think of those times you trawl through different shops trying to create the perfect outfit, going backwards and forwards trying to figure out which combination works best. Well, think how easy it would be if you could put all of those options into one place and then choose from there. This is where Fashiny really works. Another benefit of Fashiny is that it uses computer-y geeky intelligence to monitor your habits and style, just as a shop assistant should do (although we all know many don't). This means the more you use your Fashiny 'crave' button and add to your collection, the more the site will be able to identify your style, and will start to make recommendations to you - making your shopping experience even easier!

The downfall to this is - going back to my introduction - it could cause you to lose some serious pounds. Of course I mean pounds sterling. Sorry to anyone who thought I was talking about losing weight, but it IS nearing Christmas - people put ON weight at this time of year - at least this will help you find clothes to fit your expanding waistlines (wink wink).

Sadly, for those of you who only use Google Chrome or Internet Explorer, it is not quite developed to work properly for you... yet. For anyone else, then knock yourself out! If your PC or laptop is competent, unlike mine (Santa, please bring me a new one) then I would advise you to download a new browser like Firefox to try this site out. I would note that this site has only just launched so there is plenty of scope for developing it further, but if you ask me, anyone who likes online shopping should get themselves using this.

To try it out for yourself, head to Fashiny.com