A Blast from the Past

I was just leaving the house the other day and I walked past some beautiful tea roses, the breeze must have been in the right direction because I was suddenly transported back to the 70s when I wore Tea Rose perfume by The Perfumers Workshop! It was the exact same fragrance, I buried my nose in the roses, and all sorts of memories came flooding back. I was in a bar in London and a chap next to me said...'What is that perfume you are wearing? It's like breathing Oxygen' hehe! And you know it is sort of. So, I thought I would treat myself to a bottle, unbelievably inexpensive a huge 125ml  bottle arrived a few days later. Why did I ever stop using this one trick pony? As to me it only has one note.....pure Tea Rose, gorgeous, lush, soft and creamy, I could smell it all day, I sprayed some on my bed linen and could smell it all night......

Pin It

Glamour Puss in Pearls

Pearl collar $15

For those of you who love your kitties how about a very glam pearl collar! I made our Siamese kitten Biba a collar of faux pearls and rhinestone beads, it fastens with a very strong rhinestone magnetic clasp so that if his/her adventures include getting caught up in undergrowth or trees it will easily and safely come off! They can be made in any colour and size, I can even make them out of real pearls for that extra special pampered Puss.....Biba has one for best!!!! You can purchase them in my boutique, just press the button on the top right hand side of my blog and it will take you directly to my shop. Please email me for any special order you may have. Thanks everyone....have a wonderful Sunday xxxxx

Vintage Weekend at The Wells

The Pantilles in the 18th Century

The Pantilles today

Sophie and her new hair colour that I did for her last night!

Vintage Fashion show

Vintage Stalls

Taking the Waters!

Old stomping ground of the Dandy Beau Nash

The Spring

The Dandy Beau Nash

Tunbridge Wells in Kent is a Royal Spa Town where royalty and the upper classes would visit to 'take the waters' in the 17th Century. It's full to the brim with stunning Georgian architecture and you can just imagine the 'toffs' taking their morning constitutional  among the colonnades which line the Pantilles. The lower part of the walk was for the 'hoi palloi' and the raised part for the 'toffs', you can see the 'upper classes' walking along the colonnade in first picture! I don't think I would have adhered to that rule haha! This was the gorgeous setting for the vintage weekend that Sophie and I visited today. We both have a penchant for anything vintage so this was just up our street or colonnade! There was fabulous music, fashion shows, vintage stalls and a really great atmosphere. We stopped for something to eat and to just soak in the atmosphere. But........we have both decided to be more discerning regarding our vintage purchases........in other words we are fast running out of space to store them! And, wonder of wonders we came away empty handed, probably a first!! LOL! But we did come away with some great photos which I hope you will enjoy.

On our way to the vintage fair we just had to pop in and see Jessica Lilly the new and much loved and cuddled member of our family. She changes every time we see her so many photos are taken on every occasion.  I took these this morning when she had just woken up but she still had smiles and goo goo talk for us!!  Can you guess I am a proud Glammie! A happy weekend to you all xxx

The Secret Confessions of an Addict!

Yes, I admit it I am an addict! Not drugs or alcohol but............ PERFUME!! Right from when I was a little girl it was  an obsession of mine. Evening in Paris in the sweet dark blue bottle was the first perfume I was aware of and those warm, fragrant cuddles from my late Mum will stay with me forever. I think that is why I adore perfume, it is so evocative and instantly brings back wonderful memories of times gone by. Vintage perfume makes up a lot of my collection and I am not a lover of perfumes that you can find on every high street. My signature fragrance is FRACAS by Robert Piguet first introduced in 1948.  Instantly recognisable to those in the know, it was discontinued for years and every country I visited I would search this perfume out sometimes uncovering a dusty bottle in a backstreet pharmacy. To my delight it was brought back in the 90s. I first smelt Fracas when I went to work for the genius designer Ossie Clark in the 60s. It was his favourite perfume and wore it all the time, so it has very special memories for me, a unique time in my life, living in the King's Road and meeting so many iconic people of that time, the 60s really were all that they have been cracked up to be and more!! 

Another one of my favourites is Ombre Rose by  Jean Charles Brosseau , a beautiful soft, powdery feminine scent that always gets compliments when I wear it. Nude by Bill Blass is another fav. I literally have hundreds of bottles of perfume, well some people collect antiques I collect perfume!  If you want to try a perfume and I have it you are very welcome to a sample, just email me! Have a wonderful fragrant weekend! Take care xx   Here us a really fabulous site where you can find out what fragrances the 'stars' wear! http://perfumeshrine.fortunecity.com/celebritylist.html

Couture Collars at DangerousLiaison!

The Sarah Siddons collar is made of beautiful heavy lace studded with rhinestones, the centerpiece is a rare vintage portrait of the actress Sarah Siddons, finished with silk ribbon ties.
The Sarah Siddons is $60 You can purchase this lovely item at my new shoppe here : Dangerous Liaison Boutique

The Venise ~ Hand dyed pastel lace, vintage Czech rhinestone pendants adorn this lovely collar, a removable pale pink silk flower can be worn to the side, finished with silk ribbon ties, a really feminine adorable collar.
The Venise is $60.  You can purchase this item at my new shop here:  Dangerous Liaison Boutique

The Hortense Collar is a lovely feminine collar of white lace on blue, a huge sparkling rhinestone centerpiece is surrounded by pearls. A pearl and crystal drop finishes this stunning collar, finished with silk tie ribbons.
The Hortense is $60   You can purchase this item at my new shoppe here: Dangerous Liaison Boutique

Portrait of a Lady Collar is a vision of creamy beige and white silk rosettes made by me to which I have added a rare vintage portrait surrounded by pearls, very stunning and ladylike! Finished with silk ribbon Ties. 
Portrait of a Lady is $60  You can purchase this lovely collar at my new shoppe here:  Dangerous Liaison Boutique

The Marie Antoinette collar is the largest and most regal of all my collars. A beautiful portrait of the Queen herself is surrounded by the most wonderful sparkling vintage rhinestones. White on Black lace finished with silk ribbon ties, this is not for the faint hearted but that bravest of Queens!!
The Marie Antoinette is $60  You can purchase this lovely Marie Antoinette lace collar at my new shoppe here:
Dangerous Liaison Boutique

Darkly romantic and striking is The Sophia Collar, jet black lace teamed with black silk ribbon and purple rhinestones, a gorgeous unusual collar, finished with silk ribbon ties.  
The Sophia is $60  You can purchase the lovely Sophia Collar at my new shoppe here:  Dangerous Liaison Boutique

After starting this blog to showcase my jewellery designs I have up to now only posted happy happenings in my life, there have been a few of late! So, here are a few of my Couture Baroque collars, these collars are such statement pieces, made with lace, vintage Czech crystal, rare vintage portraits, silk flowers and a variety of other unique lovelies. Each is a one off and most are finished with satin ties so that they fit all size of necks, they can be worn romantically high on the neck, or lower if desired. I can of course make a custom design for you to match a special outfit or wedding dress. One of my most favorite stones to work with in my more casual jewellery is pearls, a gift from the sea, such stunning works of nature, not only are they timeless and classy but can be used in so many different ways. I will be posting more photos of my pearl line of jewellery soon. Please feel free to contact me here if you have any questions, thank you all, take care xxx

Two Cancerians!

We celebrated another birthday, these Cancerians get everywhere! My daughter Sophie was 22 last week, no fancy parties for her, all she wanted to do was have a picnic on the beach with her family. Well the weather forecast didn't look promising, cloudy and rain, not that I mind as I am not a lover of really hot weather but it helps when you are going for a picnic on the beach! Undaunted we set of to a little beach at Folkestone harbour about 30 minutes from us. As we drove down the motorway the clearer it became, when we arrived at the harbour it was clear blue skies, a gorgeous breeze and just the right temperature! We found ourselves a lovely spot with shade if we wanted it. Just to be near the sea lifts my spirits and feeds the soul, being a couple of crabs we are right at home! The picnic was delicious even with the crunchy grains of sand hehe, a bottle of champagne still cold and good company, what could be better?

We played beach tennis, fed the seagulls, paddled in the sea, ate crab and prawns and just relaxed, it was wonderful. We arrived home about 6pm, where a large chocolate birthday cake and a lovely cup of tea awaited . Sometimes the simple things in life are the best! Here are a few photos, the birthday girl in pensive mode, Folkestone Harbour and the lovely new cooling fountains built by Roger De Haan who has pumped millions of pounds to regenerate this ailing seaside town.  Thank you Roger! xxx

One of my favourie pastimes!

One of my favourite things to do is eat and over the past couple of weeks my birthday celebrations have included a visit to one of the most fantastic restaurants in Kent, the 1 star Michelin Apicius in Cranbrook, Kent. Tim and Faith are the owners of this wonderful restaurant, both having worked for the Getty family, Tim as a personal chef and Faith a personal assistant. The food, the warm welcome and immaculate service really make Apicius a very special place to visit. Cranbrook is a gorgeous little town full of timbered buildings some dating back from the 11th century, cobbled streets and lovely boutique shops. Nearby are the wonderful historic Leeds Castle and Sissinghurst the home of author Vita Sackville West I thoroughly recommend this fantastic gastro experience but book well in advance as rave reviews in the press have made Apicius deservedly popular. Here are a few photos of Leeds and Sissinghurst Castles both are stunning, I adore the White Garden at Sissinghurst designed by Vita! We have spent many a lovely Summer's evening at Leeds Castle listening to wonderful opera, magical!

Last Sunday my darling daughter took me for a girly lunch at my favourite London hotel, The Goring in Belgravia. It is owned by the Goring family who live in Kent. This is the hotel where Kate Middleton stayed the day before her marriage to Prince William, although I found it first hehe! The lunch was one of my birthday gifts from Sophie, if she hadn't bought me enough already!! The lunch was delicious as always, lobster omelet to start,, roast beef from the trolley and lavender creme brulee, yum! We took our coffee in the lounge and who was sitting next to us? Heidi from The Sugar Babes with her fiance Dave Berry, always fun to celeb watch!! They disappeared into the garden with a bottle of bubbly! I particularly love this hotel as it one of very few  hotels in London to be run by the same family for over a hundred years! The decor is English Country House and has the largest private garden apart from Buckingham Palace in London. If you are ever in London do stop by for a very special experience. .

Gushlow and Cole

Here are just a couple of items from the extensive Gushlow and Cole range, real luxury!!