Something for the Weekend...

The Secret Garden has always been magical in my eyes and even now at the age of 26 I wouldn't mind stumbling across a mysterious landscape, with overgrown bluebells and an old fashioned swing.  There is a walled vineyard behind my house which, upon first glance, does emulate the film's version but I've never been in and I doubt it houses the fantasy I've envisioned.  Maybe the fascination with this cosy movie has nothing to do with a pretty garden, maybe it's actually a nod to todays obsession with voyeurism.  Reality tv shows are rife and we can all admit that at one time or another we've nosily looked around a house for sale, not because we plan on buying but purely because we're curious.  The Secret Garden is also very British in my eyes, it reflects a very elegant era that for some reason I always associate with proper afternoon tea. 

Today I'm heading out to Regents Park to play croquet.  This makes me sound like I am entering a professional croquet tournament.  I'm not.  I'm just planning on playing it whilst I'm there.  This also makes me sound incredibly sophisticated "Oh yes darling, well no darling I can't meet today darling, I'm playing croquet on the lawn darling".  See, elegantly British.  This long drawn out introduction has a point, I promise.

Therefore I bring you my British/Secret Garden themed Something for the Weekend...

Unfortunately the weather's not looking too perky this weekend, unfortunate for some of the offerings I'll be mentioning below (and my croquet session) but quite apt for Britain.  Can you believe it I've even managed to supply truly British rainy weather for this blog post.  Woop!

So, if you fancy yourself as a bit of a Mary Lennox then you want to head to London this weekend for your very own Secret Garden adventure.  Gardens all over the city, that are usually closed to the publics prying eyes, will be opening up their gates.  You'll get to wander around some beautifully tended oasis' of the floral variety, with some even providing entertainment.  There's even the possibility of visiting prison gardens....hmm...not sure of the allure of this one, they may not want to headline with this.  Check out this site to grab all the information.  They have a wonderful little key beside each garden that highlights if you can picnic there, whether there are any activities and for what age group, if dogs are allowed, if you  have to purchase tickets for entry and of course a Secret Garden-esque key to emphasise whether the location is usually closed to the public.

My pick would be, The Goring Hotel, which of course will most likely be the most populated, due to it being the recent witness of the Duchess of Cambridge blossoming, from Kate Middleton, into her now rather grand title.  There's also a couple of gardens featuring singers from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art which I think you should check out purely because I teach LAMDA Acting at the weekend, so I can guarantee the performances will be great *wink wink*.

If you're too far away or simply aren't fancying the trip back into the big smoke, why not create your own Secret Garden festivities with a gathering of your nearest and dearest to sip tea and scoff scones.  My mum and I threw a garden party last year for my Godfather, for some fun ideas why not check out the "how to" here.

Or if all else fails and the weather is horrifically grotty then why not cosy up at home with your tea and cake, The Secret Garden in the DVD player, with this adorable tea cup candle from Mor burning in the background, available in House of Fraser for £50.50...

 

*Images taken from http://www.imdb.com/ and http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/

Something for the Weekend...

I'm back!  For those that follow me on twitter you'll know that actually I was back on Tuesday *Louisa shifts eyes sheepishly and makes an apologetic face*.  I had so many plans pre-Marbella for scheduled blog posts for whilst I was away and then for my return but being the last minute merch I am, neither of these things have happened and we are now sitting here on this glorious Friday 3rd June a whole four days post Marbella.  Woops!

Firstly please note that the weather has been pretty sweet in the UK since my return, which means religious statues need to be made in my honour as this can only mean that I brought the Spanish temperatures home with me.  This also means that this weekend we are all going to be manically sunbathing and wacking out those barbecues for fear that this is the only sun we will ever see in England until next year (quite feasible).

In honour of this nice weather I thought I'd do a bit of a Marbella inspired Something for the Weekend post.  So prepare for take off to our pseudo Puerto Banus...

Make sure you've packed sunscreen...

I sported this little treat available at Style Passport.  Not overly keen on the scent but it made my skin feel silky smooth and produced for the Australian sun means it's not only long lasting but also super effective for our half hearted weather. 

Invisible Zinc Face and Body Sunscreen £26

I also used this inexpensive beauty...not entirely sure that we can really call this a sunscreen but I love Palmer's Cocoa Butter and feel it's a body must have, especially for the summer months and this one does contain spf 15 so technically you are protected right???

Available at Boots for £5.10

Drag out your sunnies from the deep depths of your handbag...

I wore these Elton-esque glasses from Urban Outfitters. 

£16

They've got some seriously cool shades currently, other's I'm loving are...

£16

and these Olsen-twin-esque ones especially.



£16



When sunbathing it's basically a requirement that you read a good book, my recommendation, The Beach House by Jane Green.  I actually read this in the South of France last year so not quite a reflection of my Marbs trip but lets not split hairs.

From £6.89 at Amazon (please note from my image you cannot click to look inside-soz)

The description taken from Amazon...

"Nan, a widow whose family has flown the nest, is an independent, free-spirited woman who couldn't care less what people think about her living alone in her beloved beach house. But when she discovers that money is running out and she might lose her home, she knows it's time for a drastic change. Nan decides to rent out rooms for the summer and people start moving into the house, filling it with noise, laughter and tears. Among them is Daniel, a recently divorced father, who's struggling to find out who he really is, and Daff, the single mother of a truculent teenager who blames her mother unreservedly for her parents' divorce. As the house comes to life again, Nan finds her family growing. Her son comes home for the summer and an unexpected visitor turns up, turning all their lives upside down; Compelling, absorbing and poignant, The Beach House is a story of friendship, love and those moments that can change your life."

For some refreshing sophistication you should most definitely be sipping a Watermelon Martini as per this one I devoured at Nikki Beach on Monday.

Recipe taken from MartiniRecipe.net

60ml (or approx 2 oz) Vodka

You will need:

7.5ml sugar syrup

1 slice watermelon

Ice

How to:

Chop the flesh of the water melon.

Pour the Vodka and the sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker.

Add watermelon flesh.

Add ice.

Shake vigorously for a minute or two.

Pour and strain into a frosted martini glass.

Finish by garnishing the rim of the martini glass with a thin slice of watermelon.

And finally, if you're heading out for an ever cool night on the town then why not hit up one of the Sintillate parties in London, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Nottingham or Leeds.  Their parties were epic last weekend in Marbs, especially the Champagne Spray on Sunday but more to come on this in a later post.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

*Images taken from http://www.style-passport.com/, http://www.boots.com/, http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/, http://www.amazon.co.uk/, 

Something for the Weekend...

With the holiday looming the Bank of Louisa is looking a little sad.  I've had to book champagne parties, airport hotels, purchase bikini's and travel essentials, amongst other extravagances.  With pay day so rudely positioned at the end of my holiday I really have to make sure that my fun in the sun won't be compromised with any pre-vacation activity.  Therefore this weekend the Bank of Louisa is closed.

This is me looking pissed off

I can think of plenty of things I can occupy myself with over the coming few days...mainly involving organising and packing (my mother is reading this right now and shaking her head in sheer disbelief before she utters the words "Louisa you won't though, you'll leave it to the last minute...").  I can also think of plenty of things I could be doing in order to procrastinate from doing said organising and packing.  This scenario is far more likely.  So with no further ado I hereby re-instate Something for the Weekend...the credit busting version...

Rumour has it there's a heat wave heading to England, supposedly arriving around abouts.....now.  So ultimately I'm aiming to boost my potential tannage, especially with my colleague Molly due back in the office next week, post Thailand.  As petty and immature as this may sound, as well as kind of a health risk (don't try this at home kids) I will only be in Marbella for 5 days and I do plan on beating Molly for most enviable tan when I get back, so some "tanning revision" is required.  My first recommendation therefore is to enjoy our beautiful weather, for free!  But remember, as Baz Luhrman says..."Wear Sunscreen".

If for whatever reason the British weather has lied to us, very plausible, then here's some freebies I'm vibing this weekend...

Sky Movies is showing some of my faves...

The Sound of Music.  A feel good classic.  If you haven't seen it, you must and if you have you'll want to again.  I still desperately wish I was Julie Andrews, I still fancy Christopher Plummer in this, even though he's meant to be a meany in real life, I sill think Gretel is the most adorable child and always want to squeeze her cheeks and I STILL know all the words to all the songs.  I have such an obsession with this motion picture that I am forcing the kids I teach singing to on Saturday mornings to perform So Long Farewell for their summer show.

Housesitter.  This is laugh out loud funny.  Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin have a one night stand only for her to seek out the house he built for his ex-girlfriend.  After breaking and entering, broke Hawn, decides she needs some essentials.  One thing leads to another and before you know it Hawn's passing herself off as Martin's wife, even to his parents.  The white lie spirals out of control and suddenly they're a con double act, duping friends and family!  Although nothing like The Sound of Music or Julie Andrews, I kind of want to be Goldie Hawn too.  I'm starting to sense a theme.  Basically I'm recommending films of which I wish I was the leading lady.  Her outfits in this are cute too and who doesn't love a little fashion throw back.
 

Love Story.  Personally I'm a bit of a seasonal movie watcher, aka if the films a wintry film, viewing is limited to the winter.  Technically this deals with all seasons but it's melancholy nature and it's high volume of snow covered scenes means I can't quite imagine watching it this time of year.  That said, this film is a beautiful story about Love (no kidding Louisa) with some of the most wonderful music, I even have the theme on my ipod, talk about depressing.  I think I'll probably do a Movie Monday with this later in the year but if for nothing else, watch it for Ali McGraw's adorable tartan skirts and matching scarfs, a good cry and that famous line "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

I found a trailer with French subtitles to add a little culture to the blog...or because I couldn't find one without them.  I'll let you decide.

Alternatively you can still catch The Romantics, full trailer (without French subtitles) and review on Movie Monday here!

Instead of credit busting you could do a little credit boosting.  For £10 a class or £100 for twelve, Staples are holding business start-up classes on Saturday mornings, beginning this weekend.  I'm working on a project currently and I have many more extreme plans that potentially could benefit from having a little know how before I jump into the entrepeneurial pool. These are really reasonably priced and only last an hour each week.  That way if you decide it's not for you then you've barely made a commitment time or money wise.  Or this could be the first step to making your millions!  For more information check out http://www.startupsaturday.co.uk/

Finally, neither credit busting nor credit boosting I have a little social recommendation.  This is very location based, as in if you don't live near Rochester in Kent then this is going to be utterly useless information.  If you plan to visit some day then keep reading.  One of my favourite haunts the Rochester Coffee Company are embarking on a new venture in the form of a wine and cocktail bar, Oliver's.  This is very me.  Unfortunately my household location makes me rather provincial and us provincials get rather excited when something a little bit cosmopolitan, read London, comes our way.  The members only bar has just launched but this Saturday are opening their doors to whomever, as long as you're 21 to sample the members only life.  If it's anything like their sister company then this should be a hit.  I'll report back on the findings but you can get more information over at their facebook page here.

To cheer us credit busting types up here's a picture of one of my best friends with a toy monkey round her neck, just because.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

*Image taken from Oliver's Facebook Page

Something For The Weekend...

This year I have treated myself to two spa breaks.  Next year I plan to do the same.  I am a true believer in regular facials, however, until I've made my millions, I shall simply only stretch for a professional facial when attending Champneys.

If you follow me on twitter you will be very familiar with my "DIY facial" tweets.  If you do not follow me on twitter, then why the hell not, get yourself on over to here and make it happen!

I have an incredibly hectic schedule at the moment, so as soon as I wrapped teaching yesterday, I decided to just completely chill out.  So, for all those of you planning to do the same, here's my Something for the Weekend post featuring the DIY facial.

You Will Need:

Cleanser

Facial Scrub

Face Mask

Rosemary

Cotton Pads

Flannel

My personal choice of products are Neals Yard's Orange Flower Water as my cleanser (not quite a cleanser I realise but I swear by it), Dark Angels facial scrub from Lush and Catastrophe Cosmetic face mask, also from Lush.

Firstly I place the cleanser into my fridge to cool.  The face mask, if using one from Lush, should always be kept in the fridge to keep the ingredients fresh, in order for them to perform their best. 

1.  Once the cleanser has cooled, using cotton pads, remove all makeup and any residue from the day.

2.  When confident that the face is completely clean, take a coin size of the Dark Angel scrub and mix with water to form a paste.  Now use the scrub across all of your face, concentrating on your t-zone.  I like to rub vigorously but you will know what is best for your own skin.

3.  Run the flannel under warm tap water to saturate and then squeeze to keep it damp.  Be careful to make sure you remove all the scrub. (Dark Angel contains rhassoul mud and charcoal, is completely black and can get very messy but is well worth it!)

4.  Because this is so messy, I like to cleanse my face again, to make sure every last part of the scrub is removed.

5.  Boil a kettle.  Once this is done take it to your bathroom sink, along with your rosemary.  Fill the sink with the boiled water and empty a large amount of the rosemary into it.  Using a towel, place over your head and sink to steam your face.  Do so for 5-10 minutes. (Also great to ward off any colds now we've reached this icy weather)

6.  Pat dry your face with a clean towel and apply your face mask.  This should have a cooling effect after the harshness of the scrub and the heat.  Leave your face mask on, as long as prescribed.

7.  With the opposite side of the flannel remove the face mask.  Then apply your moisturiser as normal. (This is very important as a facial, although leaves your skin feeling smooth, can actually dry it out also.)

This whole process is so beneficial to me, as after several weeks, my forehead begins to become bumpy from, I assume, a mixture of pollution, oily t-zone and moisturiser.  After my DIY facial, my skin always feels healthier, smoother and generally blemish free, as if by magic!

I plan to do my facial today, whilst partaking in my new obsession, watching Kelly Cutrone's reality show Kell on Earth (she's my hero), on the website Bunny With Fangs.  It's addictive, check it out.

Have a fabulous rest of the weekend guys!

Something for the Weekend

For those of you lucky enough to be in New York right now I have a couple of things I am dying for you to do this weekend, even if it's just for my sake.  Please go, take pictures and tell me how FABULOUS Fashion Week is.  For the rest of us mere mortals that are doing things like teaching drama classes to 7 yr olds this weekend, I have also included a few delightful treats you can enjoy in  the comfort of your own abode.

New Yorker Weekend

I have never once heard anybody say they do not like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, they are style guru's, especially MK and if there's any way I can emulate their courageous looks, I will.  My wish list still includes owning a piece from The Row but short of shoplifting from Harvey Nicks that wish won't be coming true any time soon.  Enter Elizabeth and James, their sister line named after....their sister and brother.  The pieces are still classic and understated with a luxe twist and yet the price tag is semi affordable in comparison to their original label.  I don't think of these as your normal celeb lines, where you're buying into the stars name rather than the actual pieces.  These are carefully thought out fashion labels from two famous actresses that happen to have a designer eye.  In fact I don't even really think of them as actresses any more.  If someone were to ask me their profession, the first word that would appear in my mind would be "designers".

So this is the first mission I am entrusting you with.  Elizabeth and James, in honour of New York Fashion Week have opened a pop up store in the West Village (address below) and they have some outrageous events being held within store that I dare you to not be tempted by.

The events are running right up until Wednesday night and you can find all details on their facebook page.

In Elizabeth and James' own words here's a brief insight into the events over this coming weekend, including your chance to have your purchases rung up at the tills by none other than MK and Ashley Olsen!

September 10th – Fashion’s Night Out

Store hours: 12pm-11pm

Event hours: 6pm-11pm

Elizabeth and James hosts a carnival with henna tattoos, tarot card readings and music by DJ Cassie Coane. Refuel by munching on a bag of popcorn as you wait to be rung up by Elizabeth and James creators Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen.

September 11th – BYOB

Store hours: 11am-8pm

Event hours: ALL DAY

Wrangle Boyfriends, Brothers & BFFs. It’s “Bring Your Own Boy” all day event at Elizabeth and James Pop Up. Bring a boy and shop TEXTILE Elizabeth and James Men’s to receive an exclusive gift with purchase.

September 12th - FabSugar Day

Store hours: 12pm-7pm

Event hours: 2pm-4pm

Fabsugar and Elizabeth and James team up for a day of Super Sweet Fun. Fab’s editors are hosting a “Fab” Soiree from 2-4pm jam packed with makeovers provided by Bobbi Brown cosmetics, fall fashion and beauty tips, cotton candy, a live DJ, a “Fabsugar” inspired candy bar, Essie nail polish, giveaways and a little bubbly. Visit http://www.fabsugar.com/ for complete details.

Elizabeth and James Pop-Up Store

632 Hudson St. between Horatio and Jane

I am most excited about the concept of meeting these icons as well as there being forune tellers, what fun!

Then totally Fashion Week unrelated I wold love it if you would visit my favourite restaurant Serendipity 3 and indulge in a Frozen Hot Chocolate on my behalf.....or even better a Frozen Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate....mmmm!

Me and the Best Bitch with our Frozen Hot Chocolates in August 2008

I fell in love with this place back when it was featured in Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney flick One Fine Day followed by John Cusack's and Kate Beckinsale's namesake movie Serendipity.  I've visited it on numerous trips to the Big Apple and the queue never deters me from entering this precious wonderland and sampling their heavenly delights!

The Non-New Yorker Weekend

For the rest of you that don't live in or can't feasibly get to NYC this weekend ie ME, here's a few treats I think you'll enjoy that mean you don't even have to leave your house!

I sampled the most extraordinary pizza back in June whilst staying in the South of France, goats cheese and honey.  I adore the mix of sweet and savoury, so this was right up my street.  Just recently I tried cooking this myself and although it didn't turn out perfect (I needed way more honey than I ended up putting on) it was still scrumptious and a recipe I wanted to share with you all including my little twist!

I took the base recipe from Gino D'Acampo's cookbook The Italian Diet but added some rosemary to the mixture to give it that extra wow factor.

The recipe feeds two so perfect for you and that special someone.  Or if you are as romantically challenged as me, then a friend.

Goat Cheese and Honey Pizza

pinch of salt
1 teaspoon dried yeast
140ml warm water
180g strong plain white flour (plus extra for dusting)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
jar of Passata
goats cheese
honey
two teaspoons of rosemary

1.  Mix the salt and yeast into the warm water and add the rosemary.  Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.  Pour the yeast water into the centre and mix with a spoon to create a wet dough.

2.  Put the dough on a surface well dusted with flour and work it with your hands for about 5 minutes.  Then place in a well greased bowl with a tea towel covering the dough and leave for an hour for it to double in size.

3.  Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface again and divide into two.  Spread the dough out from the centre with your hands.  Place the bases on well oiled baking trays.

4.  Spread the passata on top until well covered.  In five places across the pizzas place a large spoonful of honey.  Slice the goat cheese and place five pieces on top of each spoonful of honey.

5.  Place in the oven at 220 C

Teamed with some Champagne...

...and Julie and Julia on DVD, it's pure bliss.  I saw this movie last weekend and although not groundbreaking it did have a certain comfort to it and what better DVD to relax in front of after you yourself have just been a domestic goddess in the kitchen.

Happy Friday Everyone!  Have a FABULOUS weekend!

*Pictures from dailystab.com or property of myself