The Perfect Gift to a Blogger Soon-to-Be Columnist

A few of my friends have been giving me the same present over the last year or so, thinking that this was indeed, the best idea for someone like me - a blogger. The pride in their eyes gleamed when they handed it over to me, the little Smythson diary.

"You'll be a columnist one day and I will continue to gift you with this present until you become one. I am SUCH a supportive friend." Indeed, such supportive friends I have. "Thanks" I would say, loving and embracing their support, yet wondering where it suddenly comes from. I NEVER said I wanted to be a columnist! Why the sudden urge to turn me into Carrie Bradshaw! Anyhow, I have been enjoying these little gifts. Not because I am deeply hoping that these aspirations of my friends will come true but because they feel quite nice in your hand, they are quite handy, and they fit right into your blogger purse. Whip it out when you've got a genius idea for your blog. It looks so professional, so Sherlock Holmes. It's a great gift, for non-columnists and non-bloggers alike. And it's a daily reminder that we still enjoy our little paper-made items to write random notes and draw funny pictures in. We are not obsessed with technology, and can live without it. In fact, sometimes, a little Smythson notepad can fulfill the note-taking desire much better than your Blackberry or iPhone. 

Smythson can be found all over London, from your favourite department store, Sloane Street and New Bond Street, to the adorable Westbourne Grove. It's no secret gem, but it's quite a fantastic place if you're on the hunt for the perfect last-minute gift.

Hitting the Bars after Work

There seems to be quite a fascination with turning everything into bars here lately: you've got wax bars, nail bars, now you've even got brow bars. Yeah, brow bars. Kind of like personal grooming is now to be associated with something fun, like hitting the bar with your mates after work. If you ask me, grooming is not always fun. Waxing hurts the living hell out of me, and still does every time I get it done professionally. Getting my eyebrows done is a chore and I tend to do my nails at home mostly because mani pedis in London make me broke. I am starting to think this bar business is just a scheme created by grooming professionals to trick customers into thinking there is alcohol served at the end of the treatment just to relieve them of the pain.

Blink Brow Bar is yet another bar to be found at Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, though don't be fooled. It's for eyebrow grooming only. Don't go there with the hopes of getting tipsy cuz it's just not that kind of a place. For £17, you can walk in and get your eyebrows done right then and there and be out in a flash. 

The masterful Indian threading techniques (strings tangled up together to naturally pull each hair out of their follicles) are excercized to their full potential over at Blink, and they'll leave you feeling and looking clean and spectacular. You'll find yourself surrounded by girliness in a mini salon full of buzz but no fuss. It's quick and dirty and surprisingly good value for money. With such a meticulous technique as threading and results like these you'll find yourself quickly addicted. And for good reason. Good eyebrows are under-rated. But if you fancy a "facelift" and a natural "injection" of Botox, getting your eyebrows shaped at Blink gets the job done and will leave you looking something similar to this: (misleading marketing, moi?)

Fashionable Foods

If you have ever found yourself at Harrods, Selfridges, Dover Street, Liberty's and Harvey Nichols, then you will have had to pit stop at their respective food markets, cafes and restaurants. I am here to talk to you about one in particular, where aesthetics and fashion play a particular role. Visually, it's got the most elegant and luxurious aisles, food packaging bedecked in grey, golden and silver images, and displays you'll want to replicate in your own kitchen. Quality is a must where London's poshest and most extravagant shoppers are involved. 

So yes, the Foodmarket at Harvey Nichs on the 5th floor of the Knightsbridge store, is worth the detour. Especially if you're galavanting down the aisles of Tom Ford and Stella McCartney on floors 3 and 4, the Foodmarket is worth the detour. There is nothing discrete about the fifth floor food joint. Their claim to fame is that "it's the most fashionable food destination for die hard foodies and fashionistas alike." I say that's a pretty big statement, but hey, I think they measure up to it. So stop by for a quick coffee and pie or linger on for hours in their posh restaurant. It's a catwalk in its own right.

 

Give the Podium to Antipodium

Forget about diamonds. Dresses are a girl's best friend. 

Remember when we all started to rebel against macho fashion by swapping the long flowy dresses for the masculine and straight-cut trousers? (and by we, I mean the women of the 40's!). Remember when we all cut our hair boy-short and started flaunting our ankles left and right in an effort to emancipate ourselves from men? What were we thinking??? I say, we go back to our roots, forget about those prejudices and bring back the woman in us we forgot we were!  It's time to say FU to those feminists who think dresses are denigrating and make us inferior to men. It's time to bring back the dress! I have to admit that I, myself, am one of those girls who believes that wearing trousers, if worn right, can be extremely sexy and sometimes even more feminine and flattering than a skirt or a dress, especially if worn right. But there's nothing more attractive than a woman who is proud of her feminine side and flaunts it with pride by slipping into the stereotypical female dress attire. The dress. Ah, the dress. I love it. I have it in all sorts of colors shapes and sizes. I crave it, even! Especially when it comes in an ultra comfy material, like the incredibly soft cotton jersey material. The pajama material, as I would call it.  Yeah, so? It's not like I'm wearing a track suit with the word "Juicy" plastered on the ass! The truth is, the fantastic thing about today's dresses is that, if made properly with women's comfort in mind, they can be made to be quite cozy. That is, to fit and be adjustable to the daily activities of women.

I have discovered that there is one brand and one brand only that has figured it all out. Antipodium creates the most comfortable and sexy dresses you could possibly imagine. Interestingly enough, Down Under expat designers Geoffrey J. Finch and Ashe Peacock, who have made a name for themselves in the Shoreditch neighborhood of London, have successfully created a brand that is at once synonymous with the cool and simple OZ lifestyle, and off-beat and edgy London attitude. The vast collection of Antipodium dresses I have acquired myself is proof enough that this is the good stuff. I don't shop an outrageous amount, but when I do, I invest well and carefully. Here are a couple examples of my brilliant Antipodium purchases.

Grey Jersey Metallic Antipodium Dress, S/S 2007

Black Jersey Shoulder Antipodium Dress, A/W 2009

Antipodium designs can be found in their flagship Shoreditch store on Charlotte Road , but can also be found on Carlisle Street in Soho, Liberty's and Harvey Nichs. If I was up to me, I would stick to the Shoreditch Charlotte Road boutique, which is located right between Old Street and Great Eastern Street, and guarantees an enjoyable shopping experience. But, hey, all places are fantastic. This is London. Try them all!