Sharing the Handbag Goodness

Don't worry. I'm still going to give you the final chapter on the fascinator, but wanted to share a great sale on handbags. Alicia (from work) tipped me off on this one. I immediately found 5 different bags/purses etc that caught my fancy and my credit card. Since then there has been even bigger reductions. Go wild!


PS Happy Birthdays to Julie, Chelsea, Maggie (my nieces), Finn (my nephew), Eliska & Bertik (my Czech niece/nephew), Jason (my cousin), my Nana and finally Anne (my Mum-in-Law).... July is a busy month. I guess I could get a set of Greeting Cards from a certain on-line stationer.

Sinking Feeling? No Longer.

Amazing Shoes and Heel Stopper
Originally uploaded by praguelondon

At Gina and Kenvor's wedding I was introduced to an amazing fashion accessory. This one ensures the fashionista in all of us can keep up our look regardless of the terrain. Introducing the Clean Heel. It is a brilliant little invention that is placed on the heel of the stilleto to keep the wearer from sinking in to the lawn.

Why didn't we (E and I of course) think of it???? We could be relaxing in our French villa right now or at least enjoying a new pair of shoes with the earnings. I'm keen to think of other must haves for fashionistas who want it all to look effortless.

In the photo, you can see the Clean Heel in action. There are other models that combine functionality while further accessorizing your shoes. Check out the Clean Heels that come with rhinestones, pearls and other bling.

Clever idea!


PS I know you are dying to hear the conclusion of the Fascinator saga. I will definitely divulge the crazy story later this week.

I'm Almost Fascinating

Princess Beatrice ROCKS her butterfly hat!
Originally uploaded by catrocks2007

I've been waiting for this day for years. I'm finally going to a wedding where women wear hats (and fascinators). In Canada, we're just not a hat-wearing culture - well except for tuques. That's what it is like in Canada, you don't wear hats for fashion -- sadly. Truth be told this is the real reason I moved here.

Last summer, when my friend, Gina, announced she was getting married, I was of course thrilled for her. But when she told me I would be invited, I was dancing around the cubicles at the chance of wearing a hat. Hey, I had seen the ladies at Ascot! Imagine how cool I could be and I had a full year to get it right.


Fast forward a year minus 3 days. How are my hat plans you might ask? How well do you know me and you might be able to imagine my current situation. I'll fill in the details for those of you just getting acquainted.

It really is a long story involving the original idea of taking a milinary course and visions of creating something spectacular. Sadly, I tried to enroll in the course 4 times over 5 months and each time something came up. Now it's ...

Wedding Day minus 4 weeks:
About a month ago I was out for lunch in Primrose Hill, I went in to one of my favourite vintage stores and saw it. It was what I dreamed about for the past year. It was a perfect combination of colour and coolness factor. The clincher was that it had a little gray bird perched a top of a big pink flower. How quirky! I loved the idea. Sadly, I don't have a photo to share. I guess you have surmised that i didn't buy that PERFECT fascinator. Why? Does £150 for a flower and bird sound outrageous to you? Do you think you can be a hat-maker? Do you have visions of making it yourself? I did.

Wedding Day minus 3 weeks:
My amazing Aunt Barb hears of the quest for the perfect hat. It's important to know that Aunt Barb is one of the most talented seamstresses you'll meet - she did make her own wedding dress. In any case, she dug in her sewing chest of goodies and about a week later I received a collection of feathers and slightly squished flowers in the mail - directly from Canada. Sadly, these ingredients (while promising) were the wrong colour to match my dress. Perhaps I can use these goodies will my next wedding. (again the difference is my Aunt=amazing seamstress; me - not even close)

Wedding Day minus 2 weeks:
I started to get rather nervous. So, I decide eBay is the answer. I quickly find myself overwhelmed with the choice of both fascinators and notions with which to make these little babies. So, the bidding starts and as always on eBay I get carried away. By the next day, I think I have everything solved. I have bought a fascinator and if it isn't quite right I have bought 3 batches of feathers with which I can make my own (visions of being a hat-maker still dance in my head) creation.

Wedding Day minus 10 days
My eBay purchases arrive. Not good. The fascinator looks good from a distance. However, up close anyone will see that it is lined with beads/sparkles/trimmings (whatever they are called) In real life they just add cheese factor ... so while on a white manniquin head, the fascinator looks classy in reality it looks sadly cheap. I didn't move across the ocean to the land of garden parties and the queen to look cheap. Time to move on.Plan B - The DIY Fascinator. I ordered a number of feathers in case the fascinator came up short - it did. So, I have in my possession 3 sets of feathers in search of a headpiece. Here they are .... (the costs start adding up)



It started to get very complicated. The colours are good but how do I make a fascinator that doesn't look like well as my best friend said a bunch of pipe cleaners stuck together with Elmer's Glue. Oh no. I should have listened.

Wedding Day minus 7 days
I'm out on Saturday with my cousin (she's visiting). We're in Camden market. Tons of vintage stores around. I find a very cool hat that we both think looks great on me. Grab it, buy it. No fooling around.

I modelled for J (after buying) and he made a good observation - his words: "looks cool, but it kind of feels like you should wear it to a funeral". Then the comments of my British friends start dancing in my head "don't buy the hat without the dress". It was becoming quite apparent that was good advice. These ladies have experience. What does some crazy Canuck know?



The day wears on. We end up in Marlyebone and happen on Cabbages and Frocks Outdoor Market. What luck! There is a woman selling fascinators. They have that little bit of flare that I'm looking for. I think I've found the right one. I look closer at the price tag. Oh no. If I buy this one too, I've now spent significantly more than I intended and I will have a house full of fluffy stuff for my head. Hmmm should I buy it?

Guess what? I do buy it and guess what? I still don't think I've managed to get it right. It's got some weird brown going on and the burgundy is too dark - I need light pink. Oh no.

Last stop of the day (but I'm throught buying), we wonder on to John Lewis. T wanted to buy one too. So what does she do. She buys a simple little feather number for £5. It looks fantastic in her blond upsweep. She's thrilled and I'm feeling duped.

What's the situation today?
It's Wedding Day minus 4. I have 2 fascinators - 1 superiourly cheesy, 1 with colours that are wrong, 1 hat (with a funeral veil) and about 30 pink and gray feathers. I'm considering getting out the glue gun (well actually buying 1 first is necessary) and attaching some of the gray feathers to the most recent purchase. Or maybe I should just go without ...

Perhaps this hat thing should be left to the English.

Now It's Easy to be a Handbag Addict

I am a relatively new addict of handbags. I guess the reason I've been rather slow in the past is due to the fact that changing handbags takes time and effort. And, my readers (my best friend, BMad and my Mum) know that I'm always running late and often I don't have time to switch to my new co-ordinated handbag.

So, yesterday when I was told out about these little numbers that are designed to be easily transferred from one handbag to another --- i thought oh no my addiction my just get worse. Oh well - there's always rent-a-bag.

Thanks to Malinki for the tip. I'm off to buy one. Now I just need to keep these inserts organized.

Update: Looks like Lola's Sister has some great advice.