This London Lady Loves . . . adopting giant birds

My fiances' niece recently turned 8 and stuck for a birthday present we plumped for the alternative idea of penguin adoption from London Zoo.

I have lived in London for 4 years now, my fiance all of his life and the zoo is somewhere neither of us have ever visited yet always wanted to.

Today we finally went, with the little lady in tow, and it was so much fun!

The weather was brill and perfect for enjoying the great outdoors.

We began our tour at penguin Beach where Aimee was quick to spot her adoptive monochrome chum - 'Ricky'- who is a Rockhopper penguin and the only one of his kind residing there.

He has a crazy flat top kind of hair do going on with bright yellow feathers!

We went on to see beautiful butterflies, creepy crawlies, pretty pink flamingos, giant pelicans, mischevious little monkeys, lions, tigers, gorillas, lamas, bearded pigs!, camels, donkeys, meerkats, sleepy otters and an aquarium full of fish- before returning to Penguin Beach for feeding time just before we left.

I now consider myself somewhat of a penguin pro and know my macaronis from my humboldts to my rockhoppers and back again!

As well as animal adoptions (which include 1 ticket to visit for the recipient, an adoption certificate and regular updates on your animal) the zoo offers a whole range of experiences such as trying your hand at being keeper for the day, bedbugs sleepovers, and overnight camping.

We all had such a lovely day, I would highly recommend this type of experience as a gift, it can be enjoyed by all ages and creates gorgeous memories to cherish forever. 

The Wonderful world of Anthropologie

A hair stylist by trade, specialising in colour, creativity and the desire to make things look good is in my blood.

Not so surprising then that another big interest of mine is interiors and how a room or space can be transformed with interesting props and imaginative styling.

I thought I would share with you some images of my most favourite concept so far since joining the Anthropologie family 6 months ago.

As some of you will already know, I work one day per week here around my hairdressing and never fail to be constantly inspired by the beauty and creativity that goes into the merchandising and design of the store lay out.

'Dome Home' particularly appeals to me because I luuurve the neutral tones and raw, natural textures used in this concept ! !

It is an absolute pleasure to work in such beautiful surroundings!

'Dome Home'

The personality of the Anthropologie stores are in part owed to the amazing one of a kind finds and antique furniture which you will see dotted about, often used as props or for show casing products and at first not obviously for sale, if you look a little closer, in mot cases you will discover that these items are not just part of the fixtures and fittings but have been specially sourced for the discerning Anthropolgie cutomer by a man named Keith Johnson.

Keith has the dream job of travelling the world sourcing decorative antiques and unusual objects to sell in store and act as inspiration for the in house design team and artisans.

click here to see more

You can watch videos from the series which The Sundance Channel ran about Keith and his buying travels here

Little Miss Magpie

This morning my mum and I got up bright and early to head to Kempton Racecourse for the bi monthly extravaganza Sunbury Antiques Market.

This place is amazing! Over 700 stalls selling all kinds of weird and wonderful things- furniture, kitchenalia, jewellery, vintage furs and handbags, the list is endless.

Opening at 6.30 am, its worth the wake up call to be one of the first to view the treasures awaiting, the good stuff gets snapped up fast!

 The market attracts not only those from the antiques trade but interior designers and prop buyers too.

My finds for today included a French painted stool, a rusty old bottle crate which will make a dandy wine stand and a cute little wardrobe key.

Its a good job we have a small flat and not a house or I could have easily spent a whole lot more!!

Vogue Fashion's Night Out 2011

Tomorrow evening from 6pm is Vogue's annual shopping extravaganza- Fashion's Night Out.

Across the globe celebrities and designers will mingle with shoppers in an evening of fashion packed fun ranging from champagne receptions, discounts and give aways!

With over 372 participating stores across the capital it is the ideal opportunity to invest in some key pieces for your Autumn/Winter wardrobe 

The lovelies at Anthropologie invite you to enjoy a glass of bubbly and a 20% discount on all full-priced Anthropologie fashion and accessories throughout the evening.

 They will also be joined by Peekaboo Vintage who will have a special pop-up shop in the store - 6pm until 9pm.

Find out more and plan your night here

TANGLE TEEZER

DO YOU ALREADY OWN A TANGLE TEEZER?

If not, by the time you have finished reading this piece, you will most likely be interested in trying one out for yourself!

And if you have children, especially girls, and you suffer from tears and tantrums  at hair wash time then this could be a god send to you!

One of my biggest pet hates is seeing someone vigorously brush their hair when it is wet, from the roots down, using a hairbrush, it makes me feel physically sick to think of the cuticles been roughed up the wrong way and the damage caused by dragging tangles through out the lengths of your hair.

People seem willing to spend a lot of money on cuts, colours and products but in fact the simplest changes to the way you care for your hair, that cost nothing more than a few minutes of your time, can drastically contribute to the overall condition of your locks.

doing everything in your power to keep the cuticles lying smooth and flat will result in sleeker, shinier, healthier hair.

This includes tips such as having your final rinse post conditioner in cool water, patting your hair dry with a towel rather than rubbing it dry and using a wide toothed comb instead of a hair brush to gently comb hair through, always starting at the ends and working your way up to the roots, not the other way around!

Tangle Teezer was developed as an even more effective tool to effortlessly glide through wet hair than a standard comb.

Invented by South London hair stylist Shaun Pulfrey, he first unsuccesfully pitched his product to the judges on tv programme Dragons Den before going it alone to find worldwide success with Tangle Teezer.

The teeth of the Tangle Teezer are made of plastic, providing just the right amount of flex to detangle whilst keeping the cuticle smooth which in turn protects the inner cortex from damage.

Minimising cuticle damage will effectively help to reduce the risk of colour fading as well as allowing the hair shaft to be better prepared for the onslaught of damaging heat from styling tools.

Unlike a standard comb, Tangle Teezer can be used from the roots because it wont drag the tangles through the rest of the hair, this means it is great for hair extension wearers too because it will glide over the attaching bonds.

Available in a variety of colours, 2 sizes - original and compact, and a cutesy flower pot design for kids.

You can purchase Tangle Teezer from retailers including Amazon, Boots and Sallys to name but a few.

GIVE AWAY. . .

The winner of this months client appreciation draw will win a Tangle Teezer!

Just a book an appointment with me during the month of September to be automatically entered into the draw!

you have to smile at this

Lanvin's new Fall ad campaign featuring dancing models Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmerman.

sooo cute!