The Swelle Life

Summer's Coming; Lighten up!

2012-05-24T14:49:33+01:00

For some reason, I would often see women in the office following men in wearing plain boring suits with dark black, grey and blue colours matched with a white shirt or blouse and some dull brown shoes. Why?! We don’t need to follow the guys in their office fashion; I believe we should start putting a little bit more colour and style in our choice of wardrobe. There are so many different women’s work outfits available out there and there just as many styles to suit all industries.

You can accessorise, glamorise, and also bring a chic look to the office. We know that hemlines are on the rise this season, and having something cut just above the knee, though as much as it is daring, it is still absolutely appropriate if you wear tights underneath. There's no need to stay in the dark ages and it's about time we take our work fashion more seriously.

As we are approaching summer, it's time to think about lightening our wardrobe and taking in some of the fantastic colours available to us this year. It is important to get some light and airy summer dresses as you do not want to be feeling hot and sweaty at work (unpleasant for you as well as your coworkers!). Reports are claiming that it is going to be an absolute scorcher this year (please, please let this be true), so the invitations to barbeques will flood in and there will often be the temptation to go out straight after work. So make sure that your wardrobe is adjustable to both in-work style and off-work style.

Also ‘romance’ is back in fashion this year, so celebrate by treating yourself to one of the many flowing maxi dresses on offer. These full-length designs can make you look effortlessly elegant. Dresses made of light materials and touched with colourful patterns are perfect for the summer.

And if you don’t have time to hit the shops because of a busy work schedule, then have a browse online. There are some fantastic bargains to be had. There is one good thing about a global recession, friends: cheaper clothes!

Choosing the perfect swimsuit

2012-05-22T11:53:59+01:00

Spring time is here – the trees are starting to get greener, the sun is attempting to come out, and the bikini body crash-diets are consuming every woman’s mind across the country. However, with Vogue stating to the world that “healthy is beautiful”, we think this is a sign to sod the diet and embrace what we were given.

We weren’t all blessed with (or have time to perfect) string-bikini bodies, so instead of torturing yourself with yet another fruit-juice detox, shop to suit your body shape – just like you would with all clothing. Come on, dare to bare all, and release your inner beach Goddess!

If you won’t feel confident parading around with your tummy out, opt for an asymmetrical one-piece. The detail around the middle will distract the eye and will give the illusion of a slimmer waistline. However, if you’re proud of your curves and want to show them off to the world in a two-piece, remember to stay away from bikini shorts and high-cut bottoms – they’ll do nothing but weigh you down and make you look out of proportion.

For women with boyish figures, cut-out one pieces were made with you in mind. The curved shapes of the swimsuit will automatically turn your straight up-down figure into the hourglass you can only achieve with accessories. Teeny bikinis will also look great on you girls – look out for the ones with feminine touches.

Those of us who were not blessed with big babalons should keep eyes peeled for padded tops and underwired bra-styles when browsing the swimsuit section of stores. Bright colours and extra fabric will also suit your body shape, as these will emphasise this area of your body. Stay away from pale colours as they have the potential to completely wash you out.

However, the ladies out there who are well developed up top, grab yourself a bikini top in specific sizes to keep you supported (and as insurance you won’t fall out!) Creating definition between your chest and torso will make you look leaner and more defined, so stick to the traditional sweetheart line if you opt for a onesie.

Thighs are every girl’s worst enemy, and for any budding beach-babe out there with a problem with the wobbly bit on the inside of theirs, pick out a tankini in a bright, bold colour to draw attention away from the part of your body you hate the most. Stay away from skirted suits and boy shorts as they’ll only make that part of your body look wider than it is.

Now, you lucky ones who are slim and in proportion – the world of swimwear is your oyster. You can get away with string bikinis, little triangle shapes – you could even get away with a thong bikini if you really wanted to. So go on girls – don’t be shy, remember that confidence is the key to looking good!

Photos: Style.com

Cupcake Monday! The Magnificent Artistry of Cake Opera Co.

2012-05-21T17:54:01+01:00

Cute cakes have their place - it's nice to eat something pretty without feeling as if you're destroying it. But there is another level altogether in the world of cakes, an artistry where the ingredients are regarded as media, the edible kind, and cakes are masterfully transformed into objects of exquisite beauty.

Alexandria Pelligrino is one of these extraordinary talents. As a fine artist she travelled to Florence to continue her art studies, then took up residence in Bologna, the gastronomical centre of Italy, where she became enchanted by food. This led her back to Toronto where she enrolled in the Patisserie program at Le Cordon Bleu. It was here that she met her future partner and pastry chef, Jessica Smith (more on her later!). Alexandria went on to found Cake Opera Co. in 2007 and has since achieved international recognition as one of the industry's leading cake designers. One glance at her stunning cakes - and her! (below) - and you wouldn't question why.

There are dozens of incredible creations on the Cake Opera Co.'s website, so I'm going to focus on my favourite of the cakes for this post. In the header image we see the Masquerade Ball-inspired Morretto Mask, one of the first of her signature 18th Century French figurine cakes. The "doctor death" mask, worn by bourgeoisie to conceal their illicit rendezvous, juxtaposes the fawn in her arms, a symbol of birth and innocence. How often do we get symbolism in our cake?!

This is Cake Opera Co.'s Milk Glass cake which I think is my favourite for its simple yet luxuriously textured detailing, created to resemble 1920s milk glass. The original was created as the piece du résistance for their table display at the 2010 Wedding Co. Show. A milk glass collector herself, Alexandria studied and combined many of her own cherished pieces into the final design. The desired result was to be a sleek yet vintage looking cake, evoking interest with its dynamic architectural form and contrasting this silhouette against more simple, pressed glass-like motifs. It is finished with a spray of confectionary glaze to resemble lustrous glass.

The Château de Versailles' Galerie des Glaces inspired this magnificent Hall of Mirrors cake. Created completely of cast sugar tiles and 24Kt gold molded details, it was constructed as an ode to Louis XIV, Dauphine of France, lover of luxury and excess. I think it's almost as ambitious an undertaking as the Hall of Mirrors itself!

'Pomegranate' is the four-tiered beauty that was borne of a request from event stylist Cynthia Martin to collaborate on a project at The Fermenting Cellar. The Style Me Pretty wedding blog had chosen Cynthia to take a Bohemian Romance-themed inspiration board and turn it into reality.

The cake is adorned with luxurious hand-sewn ribbon medallions and brooch detail, as well as an evocative hand sculpted pomegranate crowning the piece which denotes mystery and opulence. I love it when the cake designer uses textiles as decoration, it's such a lush effect.

The Most Beautiful Garden Bench (and some other nice ones)

2012-05-19T18:07:27+01:00

When I saw the Luzio azure blue bench above on Dalani.co.uk - an interiors site that has become my latest obsession for its tightly curated flash shop - all discounted! - and daydreamy magazine of gorgeous ideas and inspirations, my brain quickly scanned itself for legal ways I could immediately come up with the nearly £900 it cost, on sale. Believe it or not, I came up short. The sale ended, and now I only have this photo to remind me of just how beautiful a garden bench can be. It makes me want to become a carpenter like my grandfather, although I would be hindered by my sensitivity to wood dust. And physical labour.

I do have a bench of my own on its way, a traditional, all wood style thanks to Groupon who gave me some vouchers to spend on items to review. I've ordered some pastel stains from our local hardware store and I'm planning to paint my bench and transform it, maybe with alternating planks in coastal and beaumont blues to create a striped look. I'll share the process and results in a few weeks.

The Luzio is a tough act to follow, but here are a few more that caught my eye for being colourful and pretty:

Ingrid Jansen of Wood & Wool Stool is a fan of Fermob and had one of their peony benches displayed in her house for a few days before moving it outside - I think it looks right at home inside!

I'm not a fan of iron in silver or black, though it can be the right look depending on the garden, and the person. It's just not really me. But with a can of spray paint it can be easily transformed into something light and playful.

PATierney put the question out on her Flickr for colour ideas for this garden bench:

In the end, she went for turquoise and lime - what a transformation! It's been given a completely new look, it's so fresh. This is making me reconsider my decision to go with the all-wood option for my bench, I think I could have done something really cool with the other style which was a back in iron and wood, with ornate iron sides. Oh well, I will just have to make mine so good-looking it won't matter!

I don't feel right calling this vividly painted piece a bench, so let's call it a small, iron loveseat. It's quite exotic with its classical Greek detailing, and although the cushion surely makes it nicer to sit on, it would look much better bare:

A garden dining bench with what looks like a marble-top table set in pinks, to match the flowers - too bad the (I'm assuming) gorgeous umbrella on the left got cut out of the shot!:

From House to Home

The ever-popular distressed/vintage look which has likely been hand-finished in the photo above, and I think is the real deal below judging by the style of the iron work: (I've lost my links and am still trying to credit these photos!)

Gorgeously ornate in ivory, this painted cast iron and wood bench is also the real deal (and sold unfortunately!), from Antiquated.co.uk

Cupcake Monday! The Tynemouth Food Festival

2012-05-14T13:42:12+01:00

Hot Chilli & Fennel popcorrn from Corn Again, and a Lemon Blueberry cupcake from Pet Lamb Patisserie

This past weekend, my favourite coastal village celebrated the first Tynemouth Food Festival, and it was a smashing, drool-worthy, success. The event included cooking demonstrations from some of the region's best chefs, and samplings at local restaurants and shops - I tried and subsequently bought some Black Bomber Cheddar (the best cheddar I've ever had) and the most gorgeous Stilton, plus a bottle of red wine from The Deli Around the Corner, a friendly, fine foods shop we're so lucky to have on our doorstep.

Queen Victoria Park was transformed into a fabulous food market with north east food companies selling everything from Australian 'Safari' takeaway (I ate a springbok burger which was delicious and am feeling a bit guilty now) to savoury pies - my favourites were the Steak and Cheese from the New Zealand Gourmet Pie Company, to posh condiments, chocolate and cakes of all kinds. The queue for Sachins' wildly popular Punjabi dishes was long and well worth the wait for their freshly made naan. The crowds were so ravenous, many stalls sold out hours before the day finished at 4pm! (So pleased for Katie of Pet Lamb Patisserie whose yummy cupcakes were so popular they virtually blew out of there with the wind!)

I'd like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who worked tireless hours, including my friend Katherine, to bring this incredible food, and some education as well, to us gluttonous insatiables.

Speaking of ravenous, I'm now addicted to Corn Again's Hot Chilli & Fennel and Garlic & Herb popcorn who also sell online (I'm in such trouble.) Presented in another new love, my crumpled ceramic Revol espresso cup.

Photos © The Swelle Life

LUXURY PHOTO: LEICA AND HERMÈS

2012-05-11T14:31:21+01:00

Update: Sorry, Leica Camera has disabled the embedding for their videos since I posted this, so you'll have to watch it directly from Vimeo.

I'm not one who typically jumps for collaborations; many times the result can be a muddied mish-mash of two great creative entities that leaves you yearning for the pure, singular vision. But Leica teaming up with Hermès - for what I believe is the second time in the M series - to create a camera that brings photography equipment into the aesthetic, and more significantly, the luxury realm, has me sold. Not sold on a purchase because only in a Robin Leach parallel universe could I afford it, but on the concept. It's gorgeous, but the clincher is their promotional film which shows up-close - with no soundtrack to distract from - the mastery involved in hand crafting each detail of the camera, its accessories and even the box it comes in, a process that may not be fully appreciated otherwise. And all done with manicured hands! Substance over hype is a nice change from the usual.

I used to think that the people at Hermès and the people who bought their £10, 000 and upward bags were off their macaron until I read Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, an impressively researched book tracing the decline of luxury, and in the process, exposing the ugly secrets of the (supposedly) premium fashion and accessories industry as it is today. The Paris-based author, American journalist Dana Thomas, found a rare diamond in the shiny crap pile when she visited the Hermès atelier in Paris and saw first-hand the difference between manufacturing/industry and finely crafted goods. True luxury as opposed to mass-production at luxury prices. Whether one thinks it's wise to spend that kind of money on a bag regardless of its heritage and quality is another matter. But if you are going to spend stupid money on a bag, buy Hermès and you'll actually get what you pay for.

Back to the camera. Leica created this limited edition to celebrate the friendship and collaboration between Jean-Louis Dumas, the former president of Hermès, who died in May 2010, and Leica Camera AG. Wrapped in ocre Veau Swift calfskin leather, two versions are available, M9-P 'Edition Hermès' and the M9-P “Edition Hermès – Série Limitée Jean-Louis Dumas”. The first is a limited edition of 300 that comes with a beautiful silver-anodized Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens. The second, just a run of 100, comes with three lenses, a Hermès camerabag and a portfolio of 200 black-and-white images captured by Jean-Louis Dumas with his Leica M camera.

And below you can see it all being 'unboxed'. I never thought I'd be so engaged in the opening of a box, but hey!

There's no mention of it on the Leica website though. Is that weird?

Cupcake Monday! English Tea Rooms Wish List

2012-05-07T13:55:28+01:00

A stunning country view accompanies your tea at Barnsley House, Cotswolds

**Should I change the name of Cupcake Monday? It's not just cupakes, it's any pretty food, and places to eat pretty food. Anything related to all of that, really. And tea. Is it confusing? If you came here to look at cupcakes and found a pie, would you wave your fist at the screen? Please feel free to weigh in with suggestions in the comments!

Dalani magazine has compiled a short quide of some must-see tea rooms, shops and events in the south of England and I'm sad to say I haven't been to one of them. So I've added the most intriguing of the lot to the growing list of London tea rooms and patisseries I am determined to visit. I'm planning a tour of the loveliest and grandest ones - it's about the experience as much as it is about the tea and cakes, and it all lies in the details of the room, the cafe, the shop. This isn't something I can do all in one weekend (and surely my stomach would be screaming at me if I didn't pace myself) so it will be spread out over the year, and it would really help if train prices were just a bit less cruel!

As part of their Jubilee celebrations, Selfridges rooftop will be opened from May 31st to play host to the “highest” tea room on Oxford St and a spot of golf like it was in the ’30s.

The rooftop was re-opened in July 2011 for the first time since 1940 when it was destroyed by bombing in WWII. It included a boating lake the colour of radioactivity, thousands of plants, and a cocktail bar. In the 1920s and 1930s, the roof was often used for fashion shows. I think it's been used for fashion events more recently, if I recall correctly.

The V&A Cafe at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is set in the 160-year-old refreshment rooms designed by William Morris. Afternoon tea is accompanied by a pianist on Mondays or harpist on Wednesdays. Gloriously grand and traditional.

A Girl and a Dog Named Sonny

2012-05-04T00:31:38+01:00

Just a little series of a girl and her dog (which doesn't actually belong to her but it sounds nicer). His name is Sonny and he's a five month-old beagle who enjoys sniffing things and looking inquisitively at humans. Naturally suspicious, he'd make a great interrogation dog.

Cupcake Monday! Celebrating 150 Years of Ladurée

2012-04-30T18:02:52+01:00

It's been 150 years since Louis Ernest Ladurée, a miller from the southwest of France, opened a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris. Baguettes, pain, brioche. No macarons, no Religieuses just yet. The patisserie was built after a fire destroyed the boulangerie during the Paris Commune uprising of 1871 (I guess it gave them a chance to rethink their potential alongside their luxurious neighbours?) and Jules Chéret was commissioned to create the interior decor. The cherubs dressed as pastry chefs that he painted on the ceiling, and the gorgeous celadon green he used for the exterior and interior (one of the most beautiful pastel colours in existence), were used to create the Ladurée emblem and are a strong element of their branding today.

Ladurée began celebrating the anniversary in January and have been introducing a special edition box of macarons and a pastry each month.

This gorgeous box by Tsumori Chisato (I included a look from her SS12 collection that seemed reminiscent of the box design) contains special anniversary Cherry Blossom macarons created by Ladurée chef Vincent Lemains, who, for the first time in their history, changed the filling to a guimauve, or marshmallow. There's a scented candle as well if you want the full cherry blossom olfactory experience. You'll have to find your own matching coral-pink hanky to wipe up the drool.

I will be checking out the anniversary collection for myself, preferably on the other side of the Channel. (And in all likelihood I will not feel like sugar that day - that happened last time I visited the Champs Elysees location in Paris last spring, I was in the mood for savoury! Good thing they do gorgeous food, but come on eh?)

Cupcake Monday! I Finally Made My Own

2012-04-23T18:00:13+01:00

I've found on a few occasions that people assumed I was great at making cakes because of Cupcake Monday, and rightly so! You would think if someone was so into something that is so simple in its most basic incarnation, that she would be doing it herself. Well, I tried. Sort of. I bought fondant icing on two occasions and both went rock hard after being abandoned in the cupboard. I've seen people do incredible things with it like this and this, so that block of turquoise gum paste represented seemingly impossible challenges. What about buttercream, then? I tried using a piping bag once and nearly beat it to death. And our oven sucks. Baking is less forgiving than regular cooking so I was put off knowing that whatever came out would not be as good as it could be. It was put in new by the previous owners and is unbranded - no manufacturer wants their name on it, it's that good! I like the gas hob, but the electric oven cooks very unevenly so you have to rotate the dish or pan halfway through, so you can't cook anything that could fall. No souffles for us! Finally, I put my name down not once, but three times, for classes at a local cake decorating shop. They never called. I wondered if I was destined to be a spectator and never a participant.

Then a few months ago a shop called Ladybird Cakes moved to a location that I walk by often and of course I went in. And they don't just collect lists of names, they actually do the classes! And this is where I spent six hours yesterday learning that it's very easy to make pretty decorations if someone knowledgable just shows you how. (Not counting sculpting a cute rubber ducky-type duck which looked great when Laura, the owner, did it, and just sad when I had a go. It wasn't good to begin with, then the heat in the room made it sink into itself and in the end I just rolled it up into a ball to put it out of its misery, and to keep other people from seeing my shame.)

We did three other things - rolled out fondant and pressed out decorations using flower-shaped cutters, or pressed in using moulds to make all kinds of buttons, vintage patterned buttons, and veined flowers such as hydrangeas. We embossed swirly designs and button patterns (see the bottom left cupcake above for embossing and decoration with fondant buttons) ; and finally we used the piping bag to decorate with buttercream and add fine detail - no violence even! I have a lot of practising ahead of me to get it perfect, but I was chuffed when I got by without having to scrape off any mistakes - some were meant to be one thing but wound up something else, yet still worked. I think the hard part is actually making huge batches of frosting and sticking it in the bag, and then having to deal with cleaning it after - all of which was done for us. That was worth half the fee!

My decorations made and laid out. I chose the best ones to use and was proud that I made the biggest mess.

It was a great day and I came away being able to do something I couldn't before. And I found that if you make large decorations, you can cover up a whole bunch of icing sins with no one the wiser (see the cupcake with the big daisy in the header photo). And I learned that although fondant/royal icing/gum paste (they're all the same thing) decorations look fantastic, you really don't want to eat them, even if you made them. Hands have been all over those things.