OMG! We love these little Mini Melissa/Vivienne Westwood shoes so much, we're launching our mini shoe boutique just so we can bring them to you. They are so comfortable, and practical as well as being super stylie - which in my book makes them perfect for kids!
Sizes UK 4 - UK 9.

Long have I coveted the heart stopping Vivienne Westwood/Melissa adult collaboration - it was love at first sight the first time I saw these Lady Dragons. Melissa is a Brazilian shoe company that has been making the softest pvc shoes for over thirty years, coming onto the UK's radar through their amazing collaborations with the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier and Zaha Hadid as well as the amazing Vivienne Westwood designs that are my personal favourites. They take me to shoe heaven, which is pretty much my favourite place to be.

We looked after one of Robins adorable chihuahuas this weekend. Poppy is half chihuahua half miniature daschund (which translates visually as chunky chihuahua), and is the sweetest dog I've met in a long time. My childhood dog, Mac, has held that title in my heart for the last 25 years.
So little Popster is a total honey, and won the hearts of Connie, Frankie and me in the first heartbeat.
Frankie and Connie have recently started arguing over who owns the rights to the top bunk. Connie had her sights set on it after Frankie decided that things were cooler on the bottom bunk during the hot weather. But when Poppy came to stay the argument was reversed, and all of a sudden, Connie was claiming birthright of the bottom bunk.
So lessons in sharing had to start again in earnest, and they didn't go that well. We split holding the lead on walks 50:50, but Connie had real trouble handing it over. Bless. Sort of.
At the end of the day, that little pup brought a big ray of sunshine to our home. Both Frankie and Connie are in love with her, so we're gonna make it a regular thing.

Just having a look on the V&A's website - a great place to go if you need a beautiful, unique gift, I came across this ring. And I want it.

"Quirky, eclectic and colourful this oval raven ring is inspired by 1940s and 1950s bakelite jewellery. Each piece is handmade, with the images reproduced from the artist's collection of vintage advertising and ephemera."

My birthday's in September... just in case you didn't know.

baby doing the samba in brazil @ Yahoo! Video

It's a bit of a secret that as I have got, ahem, older I have become a little more of an anxious traveller. The tube can freak me out, and I have to be very firm with myself in the air to help myself stay calm.
It's not a biggie, I'm just a lightweight these days.

Anyhow, on my my back from Auckland to Wellington on a 'Pacific Blue' plane (which reminded me of an old bus) I realised I was sitting next to the safety door. Not my favourite place, as my sister's flatmate was tragically sucked out of an Aloha Airlines plane via the safety door back in the 80's, and so I have a little issue with sitting there. But on this airline, we, the people by the doors, were asked by the steward that should there be an accident, would we mind being the ones to open the door and help carry the life rafts. What can you say? No? Move me please? Get me off this goddamn rust bucket? I smiled and said of course, it would be my pleasure and immediately looked at the guy sitting next to me right by the door, checking that he wasn't the sort of guy who might freak out and open the door spontaneously, killing us all.

To my relief he seemed like a nice, normal guy and having noticed my anxiety proceeded to chat with me throughout the journey, very kindly distracting me from any further thoughts of freakiness.

Turns out he's a talented guy, a kiwi artist called Matt Guild from Martinborough. Here's and example of his work, and a bit about him. I want this print for my kitchen wall. This and may others are for sale on his website, and he ships around the world. Every ex-pat household could do with a bit of this. Lovely.



"My paintings are about light, shadows, reflections and about the way things look in their environment. I love capturing the detail, the way a certain object looks in a moment of time. Capturing New Zealand icons and pulling on the heart strings, helping us to remember where we have come from, this the over all passion of my work.

Realism painting for me is about capturing every day bits and pieces, the reality of living."

http://www.redbarnart.co.nz

My Grandmother, Connie, is 96. she has always been the youngest mature lady I've ever known.
Her hair didn't go grey till she was eighty. At which time she gave up smoking as well.
She bought a grey wig when she was in her 60's because she was sicjk of the ladies from the bridge club thinking she dyed her hair. She was a shark on the bridge table, only giving it up late last year.
She got a hole in one at Waikanae golf course in 1973.
She lost her drivers licence a couple of years ago, and man, was she mad about that.
I wouldn't like to be on the wrong side of her, but have always respected her need for total honesty. If she doesn't like what someone cooks she feels it's her duty to tell them it's rubbish - otherwise, how will they know?
We've always been close. I have a touch of the 'Connie' about me, which has got me into lots of trouble with people over the years.
And I love her.

She's always been so strong and I always thought she'd go on forever.
But things are crumbling and my strong, sharp, wicked Grandma is not happy about it, not one bit.

She's in hospital, and wants to see me and Frankie and little Connie (who has a touch of the 'Connie' about her too!).
So yesterday we booked our tickets and are flying to New Zealand on Friday to give her some big love.
Mum says the news we're on the way has given her the shot in the arm she needed. So I refuse to think this is the end.

And sadly Guru died yesterday after a battle with cancer.
Jazzmattaz volume 1 was a soundtrack of my early 20's. It's lovely. This is one of my favourites.
R.I.P.

I have a guilty pleasure. Actually I have many. But the one I'm talking about is clogs. High heeled clogs. I want some.
They feel all 1970's Fleetwood Mac glamour to me, which may be a hazy memory from my childhood, I don't know if Stevie Nicks or Christine McVie ever wore them, but they should have.
So on the left, Alexa Chung in Chanel clogs, on the right good ol' Topshop doing a fantastic pair for the ininitely more swallowable price of £75.
The other option, and it is good, is Swedish Hasbeens. Such a great name, such great cloggs.

I don't know about you, but since I had kids I swear my feet have got bigger. I wonder if putting on a couple of stone during pregnancy had anything to do with it...

Did anyone miss the pictures of Riley the smiling dog in the papers this week? I caught it on page 3 of the Metro I picked up on the tube, and you know what, it made me laugh. I really like the fact that they devoted a half page to the pic - why not make a big deal about something light and heart warming, why not indeed. It made me smile and a lot of others too I'm sure. Obviously no major scandal or tradgedy happened that day, and all I can say is, thank god for that.

I came across this today, it lives on the site of the old Glasgow Maternity Hospital. Cute, huh?
Have always been a lover of super sizing, am going to find pics and share. Here's one of my faves....

Frankie has been planning "the band" for the last 8 months. It finally started this month on the day heralded on our kitchen calendar, and it rocked. Not the least the band tshirts I hand made with applique lightening bolts (pink for girls of course). It was a bit of a freeform jam session, everyone finding their own rythym. And was it loud? Yes. Was it a beautiful thing? Yes indeed.

This 2 minute comedy sketch is chock full of bad baby language - no! cringe! bad!
But Will Ferrell can do no wrong for me at the moment. I just love him... sorry.

I make no apologies, Barbie is loved in our house... terrible role model that she is accused of being, I just love the girl. When I was little, my sisters and I weren't allowed Barbie dolls, we had Daisy, a more girl next door version. Sure she did the job, and I loved her too - but I always wanted the real deal. So when my daughter developed the same desperate need for all things Barbie, what could I do but give in...

Now here's a Barbie for the big girls. Christian Louboutin has designed a series of fantabulous Barbie dolls - not for little girls. No way, no how.

You can get 'em from net-a-porter (of course!) and this is what they have to say:
"The master of fabulous footwear, Christian Louboutin has joined forces with Barbie to create a glamorous line of limited edition dolls. Launching in December 2009 as part of a dedicated Barbie collector's set, Cat-burglar Barbie looks ultra-fashion forward in a sleek hooded black cat-suit and has the choice of four of Louboutin's statement red-soled heels to wear. The first in a series of three, she comes complete with a chic collectable calendar which follows the duo's fashion-filled travels."

Our latest mini model Sophia works the Biker Playsuit the way nature intended.
Go girl.

I knew all the words to Bohemian raphsody as a kid (still do) and love love love it. Is it a guilty pleasure? Hell, there ain't nothing guilty about it. I also love the muppets, always have - except Fozzy Bear, he always got on my nerves. Anyhow it is a joy to behold their version of this epic song.

Yes we can all relax. Finally some lovely science types have had some news published in The Guardian today that a bit of dirt is good for kids. Persil have been telling us that in their marketing campaign for the last few years and today it became news.

I've always followed the relaxed bathtime routine, skip one here, one there, when my kids were babies I thought they were simply to clean to have a bath every day. I mean it's not like they work up a sweat . Not really. Not at all. Natural oils and all that.

And now they're bigger, every night is just not humanly possible. I am not a creature of habit when it comes to cleanliness (blame my mother... I do) and I actually find something vaguely depressing, a feeling of endless drudgery about a never ending routine.
I totally believe kids need routine, and we sure live by that, but skipping a bit of bathtime here and there just feels ok. And as for general grubbiness - am I bovvered? No, not really. And now I've read this article, not at all.

Here's a snippet:
"For parents too stretched to make sure their offspring are perfectly turned out at all times, it may just be the scientific cover they've been waiting for.

They will now be able to answer the disapproving tuts of their more fastidious friends by pointing to research which gives biological backing to the old adage that the more germs a child is exposed to during early childhood, the better their immune system in later life

Researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of California found that being too clean could impair the skin's ability to heal. The San Diego-based team discovered that normal bacteria that live on the skin trigger a pathway that helps prevent inflammation when we get hurt."

Read the whole enchilada at the Guardian Online, by clicking here.

or "Pirate and the Carrot and the Bean" as it is in my house.

Gotta laugh.

For some reason, I always expect the weather to turn to custard when I go on holiday. So it was a joy to go to the beach this half term and catch those two days of late-summer-like weather that felt like a little gift from above. As per usual, I fell in love with this beach, it was shades of the Kiwi beach holidays I had as a kid; undeveloped, ruggedly beautiful and a place where the kids could go all 'Lord of the Flies' without the lure of amusements and icecreams. Altogether now... aaahhhh.

...for moments like these. I was lucky enough to go to the Frieze Party at Sotherby's last night. Here I am with my lovely cousin Marcus after several top ups of champagne as I died and went to heaven at the sight of this Damien Hirst butterfly painting, which, if I had a spare £450,000 going I would buy and love forever and ever amen.
I was accompanied by my friend John and Marcus, my British cousin. So the three of us had the most lovely time, oohing and aahing over the art on show. I was also oohing and aahing over the fabulous shoes Louboutin boots, prada heels, and that Prada gladiator dress that to me looked unwearable in the magazines was totally stunning on one of the unreasonably young/rich/thin girlies there.

And today I have a hangover.

You like Lego?
Then you'll like this baby...

" >

I thought I knew cupcakes, and then I clapped eyes on these babies.

That's Acne, the Swedish clothing label that make jeans cut just for me.
And now I know they have an "Outlet" section on their site, the temptation is gonna kill me.
click here to get some acne for yourself (ha ha).

On the trip back from sunny Yorkshire this weekend I discovered the perfect travel companions. Call me a sucker for advertising, but those 'Rowntrees Randoms' ads got me reaching for a couple of packs at the train station.
Now I am not usually one to buy sweets for the squids before a long train journey. It is just not fair on the passengers, or myself, cause when that sugar kicks in, it all kicks off.
But I bought them, and will buy them again. Every time. Frankie and Connie swapped palm trees for unicorns, and then tried their hardest to resist eating their collections. Must have taken them all of an hour to scoff what would usually take five minutes.

Now thats a lightbulb moustache if I ever seahorse.

We visited the Victorian seaside resort of Bridlington this weekend. Nice place in an English seaside resort way. Being a Kiwi it all seems a bit bizarre to me. However, having been here for 12 years I am warming to the idea of sharing the beach.

Back to back fish and chip shops, amusements, and sweet shops selling every type of rock candy known to man. A full English breakfast made of rock? Er, no thanks.

I'll take a picture, but the lady's not for turning on this one.

in these...


Having been a Wonder Woman worshipper aged 7 (alongside Charlie's Angels and the Bionic Woman), when I saw these trainers on a billboard on Great Eastern Street I pretty much hyper-ventilated.

I need them.

Is there anyone who hasn't seen this reproduction of the original Keep Calm and Carry On poster produced by the Ministry of Information 1939 yet? There are a squillion different ways you can buy it, click here to go to their shop

However, having been given a heads up to a more, er, irreverent and might I say damn smart version I am torn as to which to buy...



Keeping in the spirit, I think I might just buy both.

In our house it's Action Man and Barbie who are racking up kids quicker than a British summer (yeah sorry - but this summer sucks big time.)

Down at Spitalfield's Market last Sunday I saw something new... The Chicken and Egg starter pack from Yellow Belly Deli. Comes complete with hens, henhouse, food and a book on what to do.
What a cool idea. Wish I had a back yard to put 'em in. The kids would l.o.v.e. it!
I checked out their website, no contact details at all, so for now you'll have to find them at Spitalfields.

So, Michael Jackson is dead. But just as Princess Diana's death overshadowed the death of Mother Teresa, lets not forget Farrah Fawcett died just a few hours before him.

When I was a little girl, I worshipped at the church of Charlie's Angel's. I adored Farrah and it was my dream to be her. Not a bad role model really, she was a healthy, kick-ass chick and I could have done a lot worse.

In 1977 I asked my hairdresser to cut my hair like Farrah, but as hairdresser's often do, she decided she knew better and as I was a little brunette, Marie-Osmond's do might be more up my street. Marie-Osmond had a bowl cut at the time, and I sat there frozen in the chair unable to communicate my horror at what was unfolding before me.

This was my Farrah t-shirt, and I wore it to death (pardon the pun). I loved it then like I love it now. Thanks Mum for never throwing out a single item of clothing worn by any of us in our entire lives. Thanks, cause if you had, my Farrah t-shirt could have been just a memory.





We had an old farm in Eketahuna, New Zealand when I was a kid - in the Farrah years - and this pic is taken with my three sisters in the old greenhouse doing a spot of gardening, with my beloved Farrah tshirt close to my heart.

I have long been a fan of Mimi Berry's lovely bags, they are beautifully designed and so well made they can endure my abuse year in year out. I walk past her shop on Cheshire Street every day on my way to Oh Baby London HQ, and gaze longingly in her window.

So it was great to see her featured in Grazia a couple of weeks back with this gorgeous bag. I might have to get one. But pink, red, black or cream? Being a Libran, I will probably never decide. But you go ahead.