Be Inspired...

Despite the stress of having the little flat redecorated, the excitement of choosing new furniture has taken over!

Not being able to face spending hours of precious weekend time trawling furniture shops with the masses, Pashminas and Pearls decided to spend a mere fraction of that time looking at furniture websites from the comfort of my sofa.

I say furniture websites plural but being a huge fan of Oka online I headed straight there – and there I looked no further. ‘Green Fingers’ (significant other) has just splashed out on some Oka furniture for his pad – sofa, coffee table, lights to name but a few(!) so I’d seen some of their newer products in the flesh.

Oka’s website is fabulous – with products ranging from sofas and beds to accessories and fabrics - the quality of the photography gives you a clear and enticing idea of how stylish your own home can look.

I could have furnished a whole house, let alone my two bedroom flat! And for those lacking in imagination, there’s a section on the site called Be Inspired that shows great examples of their pieces working together – fab for some helpful hints.


I must admit I did get a little carried away – despite the best intentions of only getting a couple of new bedside tables (pictured) and a chest of drawers , my final check out also included two gorgeous lattice lamps and a veda rug that will match my curtains perfectly!
Money well spent I say!

Searching for Sun...

Fed up with the lack of summer so far, Green Fingers and I decided to go looking for the sun instead. Despite a week in Jersey ‘en famille’, the diary is looking almost as bleak as the Fulham sky.

Deciding enough was enough, after Pashminas and Pearls experienced another bad hair day in the torrential rain, I resorted to trawling through the websites, searching for some winter sun possibilities. It’s also going to be Green Fingers any my first holiday together so even more pressure to get it just right. Being seen in the wrong sort of hotel or resort would have done nothing for our reputation!!

After my initial suggestions of the Banyan Tree, Sandy Lane and any one of the One and Onlys being shot down with exclamations of ‘I wouldn’t pay that for a week let alone night!’, we decided on Egypt. Far enough for winter sun, but wouldn’t blow the annual electricity budget! I admit Pashminas and Pearls can be a little picky and fussy sometimes, but there really is no point in slumming it don’t you agree?

It was at this point frustration kicked in and the emails went flying to the luxury travel agents – the package holidays wasn’t quite what Pashminas and Pearls had in mind…Why this didn’t come to me sooner I don’t know. Within a day we had the perfect holiday all booked through Exsus Travel without the ‘stress and strain’ of having to do it ourselves. Take a peek at what we booked...The Oberoi.

Some may say Pashminas and Pearls is a touch on the spoilt side – I say it’s more a case of searching for perfection…that’s my excuse anyway!!

Party Preparations...

Boys definitely have it easy when it comes to going to black ties parties and weddings by simply putting on the dinner jacket or morning suit and then making the ‘tough’ decision of which shirt and tie to wear.

If only it was that easy for us girls!!

Not only do we have to find the perfect dress, shoes and bag to match, we’ve then got the pre-party preparations to deal with.

I had a lengthy and time consuming to do list to get through before a wedding I went to last week. Having found the outfit (see blog Dilemma), it was then down to the prep.

Being more of an ‘English Rose’ than a ‘California Tan’, it was straight to the beauty salon for a head to toe self tan. Having had previous disasters with spray tans (drips down legs…) and trying to apply them myself at home (I had to borrow tights from the host at a 21st once) it was straight to Gina Conway on the Fulham Road.

I opted for the all over sun kissed look. With the choice of either St Tropez or Aveda (a more natural tan – apparently) I went for the latter – the I’ve been tangoed look is smacks of Footballer’s Wives and isnt a look that Pashminas and Pearls goes for!

The added bonus of Aveda is that it’s clear, so popping down to Amuse Bouch for a couple of glasses of bubbles afterwards wasn’t a problem!

Next came the nails – I popped in to my favourite nail spot The Nail Gallery on the Fulham Road for a quick mani, and then just the day before, came the eyebrows.

With the day of the wedding on us, all that was left to do was the wash, blow dry and straightening of the hair. With my hair having a natural wave to it, hair straighteners are an essential in every weekend bag!

The final touches were then made – a pashmina and a set of pearls…what else?!