Hen Night Extraordinaire

The last few months have been a blur of book finishing and hen planning.  They're both now done and I don't really know what to do with myself.  The hen party was for my sister in law Ruth and if I do say so myself - it was brilliant.  There seems to be such pressure for hen parties nowadays. Each one has to be as good as,  if not better than the last.  In my parents day drinks in a swanky pub or a posh dinner was totally enough.  They couldn't get over the hype, cost and effort that goes into them now.   Chaz and I were pretty much the first to get married out of our friends and were thrown the stag and hen do's to end all stags/ hens.  A week in Ibiza for him and a long weekend in the heavenly Trassiera for me.  (NB returning from Ibiza a day  before the big day is not advisable.  Give yourself at least a month to recover.)  So when it was time for my sister in law Ruth's hen this summer, our thinking caps came out in force.

The original plan was to go to Paris.  Trying to budget though we ended up needing about £700/ person for 24 hours. So it was back to square one and London.   The day was jam packed from start to finish; Beginning with lunch time champagne and cheeseburgers at Thomas Cubitt followed by hair and make-up.

Dressed up and ready to go, we headed to Delevingne HQ for a champagne tea party.  Penis piñata and present giving later - all donning Amanda masks- we piled onto a blacked out London Routemaster which had been turned into a party bus -  blacked out windows, mini champagnes and the cheesiest, loudest tunes blaring,  we were whisked off to a private room at Quo Vadis for strippers, Mr and Mrs and a personal video message from the one and only Harry Styles.  The actual real one.

 Vintage tea cups

 Giving the hen book

Penis Piñata with the bride in Sass & Bide

Violet, Vaness, Ruth, India, Connie and Fran

 Party Bus

 Amanda with her personal video message from Mr Styles

Amanda and Clemmie

Me, Emily, Clemmie and the Bride to be

 Watching the striptease...

Dinner Table at Quo Vadis

Harry Styles video message

Poppy and Ruth

Cara Delevingne wearing an Amanda mask

www.roseproductions.co.uk

Chloe Soiree

Hostess Martha Ward wearing Chloe

I went up to London last night for a soiree in my all time favourite shop, Chloe, thrown by the wonderful stylist Martha Ward.  It was pure girly heaven; handbags, Nails Inc manicures, bottles of scent with our names engraved on them and uninterrupted shoe and bag chat.  I've been pretty good at not allowing myself into Chloe-  for at least a year I'd say.  Sleep deprivation makes me do crazy things and I worry I wouldn't be able to control myself when face to face with one of their usual sensations. There was a near slip up when I saw a pale blue, leather Lucy clutch bag winking at me from across the store.  But I did well.  I was very restrained and left her behind.   It hasn't stopped me spending the last 24 hours trying to find one on ebay though.

I can live in hope...

Ruth Crossley and Martha Ward - with the pale blue Lucy...

Finger detail

Samantha Shaw and Leah Speakman

Button detail

Conde Nast Traveller Editor, Melinda Stevens' Chanel sandals

Poppy Delevingne in Sandro

The red Lucy bag

Trouser party

Rails of new season Chloe beauties

www.chloe.com

www.marthaward.com

Venice

I was looking though my photos last night and realised that I'd talked about going to Venice but had never actually posted about the trip itself. 
It was such a whirlwind visit but we managed to pack in so much that I actually felt like I'd been there for days.  We did sightseeing, ice cream eating, whizzing around on Gondolas, dancing around to Bryan Ferry, feasting on more Venetian delicacies than we knew what to do with and all in less than 24 hours...

Taxi anyone?

On our way to the hotel

Everyday Venetian life

India and Poppy

Our Hotel

Detail of Poppy's Manoush dress

En Route to the party, Amanda, Poppy, Me and India.

A very glam Olivia Hunt shimmying to dinner

  Razor clams and scallops 

The empty party church - the most amazing venue of all time

The venetian delicacy puddings

Poppy, Amanda and Amanda Ferry dancing to Bryan Ferry.

Bryan in action.

Venice by night, home time...