All I want for Christmas...

Chaz has been asking where this year's Christmas present guide is for days.  Not for himself of course but for all those husbands out there - in Shanghai apparently - who are relying on me to help them shop for their wives.    So here it is;  rather later than planned I'm sorry.  I seem to have gone for (mega) quality over quantity - not many stocking fillers here. I'll do a 'part two' filled with smaller, more purse friendly ideas later this week.

Top top top of my list - and I imagine every other girl in the world - are these Chloe, navy, suede Susannah boots.  These will keep you in the good books for years to come. Maybe even centuries. 

Zimmerman celestial swimsuit.  Perfect for a bit of New Year tanning.  If this is a bit loud/too covered up, try one of Lisa Marie Fernadez's towelling creations.

A Tibi red faille skirt.  A red, silk, pouffy sensation.  Girls dream about skirts like this.

Sibella Court's newest book Gypsy

A Hugo Guinness print or painting

This 'Giraffes' painting by Roger Hilton

A plane ticket somewhere hot, sunny and beach trimmed.  

I'd like one to Singapore to see my tiny new Godson.  

A flower arranging course at The Little Flower school in Brooklyn.  Or if you're UK based, maybe one slighter nearer home like Judith Blacklock's.

J Crew embellished sweatshirt. 

This one's quite a fancy one but the new J Crew shop is so full of sensational sparkly numbers you can't really go wrong.  I'm not sure if J Crew has reached Shanghai yet...  

J Crew navy cashmere tunic

Boys, this may look like a boring old blue jumper but don't be fooled.   It's jumper perfection.  And if she/you are bored by the blue, they offer them in a whole colour wheel of colours.  

Emma Bridgewater splatters.  

This pattern was originally made as a one off for Liberty.  Thank God they have come to their senses and are now selling a few special bits online.

Sophie Hulme ponyskin tote

The whole collection is a sensation and you can't really go wrong.  The cross body bags are especially wondrous.

I am permanently wanting a new look at home and would love nothing more than a huge box of Designer's Guild Amrapali peony wallpaper to redecorate our bedroom in.  For something a little less bold have a look at the equally beautiful Barneby Gates papers.

Some people I know wouldn't be thrilled to find an old carpet under the tree.  I for one though would be over joyed.  In fact I would love any of Penny Morrison's heavenly rugs.  Or lampshades or cushions for that matter.  For a cushion lover, Rifat Ozbek and Erdal Karaman's Yastik collection can't be beaten.

Chaz absolutely does not get my obsession with old china.  I think it could be a girl thing.  The line between good and bad china is a fine one and one that unless you're 100% sure of what you're buying, should maybe be left alone.  Did I mention the Chloe boots?

However, if you do find your self surrounded by good antique spoils look out for pink lustre or speckled blue spongewear.  I always find jugs and loving cups go down very well.

Happy Christmas!

x

Wallpapering. Again.

My best and typically not sure where it's from.

We've only got a couple more rooms in the house to do up now.  I kind of wish there were more;  that I'd been patient and hadn't done everything so quickly, all in one go.  Chaz is pretty good at trusting me to make decorating decisions.  Even after turning upstairs into a jungle and painting our bedroom a seriously dark blue.  Next on the doing up list is the downstairs loo.  If there's ever a room for a crazy wallpaper, this is surely it.  The problem is, is that the walls are already covered in a perfectly nice beetles from Farrow and Ball.  I'm trying to compile a collection of ones that are too wonderful for him to resist.

Osboure and Little Penguin covers

Barneby Gates Stars and Fresco Birds

Mr Perswall Library.  Colourful Knowledge.

Brooklyn Tin Tiles

Farm House Inspiration

I cannot wait for tomorrow. I'm getting on the train and going up to see our new house for my second only ever visit. When we first went I took 300 photos and Chaz and I have looked at them every single night since. No Joke. I'm quite looking forward to taking some new ones. So I'm going to have a proper look at everything. I need to work out what we want to do paint wise, do we need to get the carpet men in, take curtain measurements etc. All the usual bits you do before a big house move.

I adore this Martha's Vinyard farm house below. It belongs to New York restauranteur Keith McNally, his wife and their five children. There's something very 'back to nature about it'. All the exposed wood and natural linen fabrics everywhere. It's slightly too rustic for our new house but I would love to recreate some parts of it. I think i'll start with making the Cub a bed like the bottom photo. He'll think he's climbing into a boat every night.

I love the mish mash of this room and how amazingly light it is from the huge windows

Definitely up for a few chicks

Love the slatted wooden walls

Bed idea for the Cub

photos courtesy of elle deco.com

Escape to the Country

I haven't quite got my head around it yet and it feels quite odd seeing it actually written down.

We are moving to the country.

Leaving London and moving to the country. We've even exchanged on our new house. It's really happening. I truly do believe in fate and think that this move is all down to it. Some people would think we are barking mad. It was the first and only house that we have looked at. But we knew from the second we saw a photo of it that it was meant to be. It turns out the owners are old family friends. We used to hang out on the beach in Wales with them when we were tiny. One of their daughters is our next door neighbour in London. I could go on.

The move is both scary and exciting at the same time. Once again we are upping sticks. Leaving all our friends and family and moving somewhere that we don't really know anything about. Apart from this time we wont have to grapple with the joys of Ryanair every time we want to come back. The language wont be changing. And we will still be able to get sliced white bread and English sausages. We are only moving one-hour-and-four minutes away, (by train) to Oxfordshire. You're probably wondering what all the fuss is about.

When we were trying to make our decision I think we probably made about seven hundred lists. The pros and cons of moving.

They went like this;

Cons

Leaving our friends and family

Not being able to walk to the shops

Having to sell our gorgeous home

No Starbucks on the doorstep

Not being able to go out for dinner on the spur of the moment

No more 'Naked Nosh' (best take out in the World)

No people dropping in for cosy time

Having to plan everything

Pros

s p a c e

Just thinking about it makes me feel I can breathe more easily

A walled garden. We can just open the doors and the Cub will be free

Doing up a new house. Think of the wallpaper potential

I would have my own office

Not having to have our daily walk in a cemetery

Planting our own kitchen garden

Oxford on our doorstep

Weekend house parties

Making new friends

Bicester Village is 20 minutes away

The village school for the Cub is a two minute walk

Cosy time in the garden

Long summer lunches in the garden

Kitchen garden

Oxford

Space for the Cub

Growing our own asperges

Starry walls by Barneby Gates

The pros well out weighed the cons in the end. But we tried to be sensible and rationalise that as it was the first house we saw, there would of course be many more out there with our names on. Maybe even better ones. And that we should stay put.

We both woke up the next morning heartbroken. It was all we needed to realise that leaving was the right decision.

And now, this time in two and a half months, we will be well on our way to escaping to the country. I literally cannot wait.