FROCKS & FORKS

A Weekend In London

February 6, 2015sarahloulake

Last weekend I was 30. It’s ok. I’ve accepted it.

We spent the weekend in London, celebrating “in style”- here’s the London Lowdown from my 30th (note- it’s by no means a definitive “London Lowdown”, merely a summary of how we spent the weekend!)

Where we stayed

Citizen M, Bankside. Loved the style of this place. The Tom Ford book next to the lift, the arty bookshop, the 1 minute self check in and the art is just great. And that’s just the lobby. When you get to the room, the experience continues. Now, some people might think this is a total gimmick, but I loved it: the entire room can be controlled from a Samsung tablet. The TV, the lighting, the blinds- all of it! The lighting can be selected dependent on your mood and the whole bathroom has one lit wall. I am somebody who always loses the remote control in hotel rooms amongst the sheets, so this was also a way to stop me doing that! It’s minimalistic, and fairly small, but it gives you everything you need from a hotel room: great design and functionality at a fairly reasonable rate for London (£149)

What we did

First stop, by the hotel, was the Tate Modern and in particular their excellent Conflict, Time, Photography exhibition- an excellent exhibition of photography from different wars and conflicts at different points: from the moment the bomb was dropped to photographing the landscapes where WWI soldiers were court marshalled 100 years after the start of the Great War. Harrowing, but fascinating.

We then had lunch in the restaurant at the top of the Tate Modern (this can be booked on OpenTable if, like me, you have an aversion to phoning restaurants!) It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it for a fantastic view of St Paul’s Cathedral whilst you eat. I had pork cheek to start followed by classic fish and chips. I also ended dry January with a carafe of wine!

After this, we strolled around London, over the Millennium Bridge, down through the city and over to Covent Garden then on through Leicester Square and up to Oxford Street for a bit of shopping (see the River Island post for some of the purchases!)

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So, on to the Saturday night. We had booked to eat at Gaucho’s on the basis that I love Argentinian steak. The location is great and you go underground for the restaurant. I made an accessory mistake- taking the cow clutch from this post meant that I blended in to the decor. And the waitresses pointed it out. Humph. Overall, the location and decor were great, but the food and atmosphere somewhat “meh”. We ordered two ribeyes, medium rare. One was closer to rare. One closer to medium. I think that being able to cook the steak right has to be a “must have” for a steak restaurant. In addition, one steak had no fat, and one was just fat. Ok- they can’t help them, but still. The service was kind of slow. The waiter never did bring the condiments. There was a mighty crash of plates (and splash of sauce) next to us. All in all, it wasn’t the best restaurant but it wasn’t the worst. Their house wines are delicious, (Argentinian of course) and (as we all know), good wine can go a long way to make all things better.

All was not lost though. On our walk back to “south of the river” we passed “SushiSamba”. This place came recommended: there is a SushiSamba in Chicago, but it doesn’t have what the one in London has- this view:

Absolutely stunning view of the Gherkin. I had a Lychee Cooler- Grey Goose, St. Germain and vanilla sugar shaken with lychee juice and coconut milk. It was a bit like being on holiday- a sophisticated Pina Colada- except it’s a cold, January evening in London. Nonetheless, highly recommended: there is no door fee, the drinks are £13 (hey- it’s London) and the views are amazing. Just watch out for (and excuse this Americanism) the total douche bags you may have to squeeze past at the bar!

So, Sunday. T-Day (Thirty-Day). We blasted away the hangover by crossing the river again and getting wind whipped by a chilly breeze. As with most days for me, nothing can start without a coffee/Starbucks. That’s the first stop.

Coffee done, we head over to Shoreditch and Brick Lane and have breakfast at Fika. I had wanted to go to Cereal Killer, but apparently the hype is still high on that one, with queues out the door. So, Fika it was. Fika is Swedish- my poor translation would be “coffee and cake”. The place is dark and cosy, but it just seems “unfinished”. Service was slow- at the beginning there was one girl looking after everyone. The food was ok, we had pancakes with blueberries and bacon. Not American pancakes, more crepes. They were cold. And took about 25 minutes to come, but they were cheap for London. A lot of consideration has gone into the design work (it’s actually how I heard about the place, via the graphic design and visual identity) but they should probably work on the foundation of being a cafe- service and quality. It was, however, the cutest serving of tea I have ever seen. Beautiful mugs from Designers Anonymous (the agency that did the identity), the little milk bottle and the rustic teapot- so pretty!

After this, we strolled through Shoreditch and stumbled upon this shop “Barber & Parlour“, which is everything I would ever want a store to be: part cinema, part restaurant, part beauty parlour. It sold brands and design that I love and just had a great atmosphere. I guess you would class it as a “concept” in the world of retail (in which I work) but whatever stupid term you want to give it, this is where I would spend Sunday mornings if I lived in London.

After this, we strolled via the Hummingbird Bakery. I have all the books. Their brownie recipe is my benchmark. I finally wanted to taste cake from the real place, not the poor imitation I make myself. Now, I know I am 30, so perhaps my next line is a reflection of the age: £18 for 2 cups of coffee and 2 slices of cake. Deal with it. SO MUCH.

But, it was heart stopping, diabetic coma inducing fabulous. Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Happy Birthday Me. Or, as everyone keeps telling me “you are officially old”.

Falling Back In Love With River Island

February 6, 2015sarahloulake 2 Comments

When I was 12, River Island was one of the shops that took me from the realm of kid’s clothes into teenage clothes. Not teenage clothes in grown up shops (Clockhouse at C&A anyone?) but a shop that was dedicated to youth fashion. I remember getting a pair of white, clunky mules with wooden platforms and sixties style daisy cut outs as one of my first “grown up” purchases- they were a “go to” on non-uniform day in Year 8! Over the years I have dipped in and out of River Island: my matriculation shoes for university, a cream clutch bag for evenings spent in nightclubs, my first “fancy” purse when I entered the world of work. I had, however, started to think that I was “past” River Island. With my 30th birthday looming, and an array of dinners and drinks planned, I went looking for a few new items of clothing. I was surprised to find that River Island, once again, has entered the repertoire.

Here’s some of my latest purchases

Cream Ribbed Side Zip Tunic £38 here

A brave choice for me- some leather look leggings! £18 here

Leggings with Leather Panels and Gold Zips £25 here

Pink Shot Sleeve Side Split Longline T-Shirt for £22 here and I also bought it in the grey colour

Grey Marl Twist Back Top £25 here

All items have been packed and have arrived here with me in Chicago for the next 16 days. I just received an email from River Island with the chance to win £100 if you Tweet or Instagram with #ImwearingRI- so I may be posting some of these items up on Instagram and Twitter in the next couple of weeks!

The Great British Brownie Off Part II

January 25, 2015sarahloulake

In the second instalment of the Great British Brownie Off (see the set up here), I selected the British Brownie recipe from Peyton & Byrne’s book “British Baking” available on Amazon UK for £12.99 here and on Amazon US for $25.84 here)

This recipe has a mixture of sugar: both white caster sugar and golden caster sugar which results in a much fudge-like brownie. It also uses vanilla extract.

After the last attempt at brownie was a bit of a failure, this was a welcome success! It wasn’t thick and dense, but it was chocolatey and actually improved over the 3 days it lasted in our house.

Scores 8/10 on the brownie challenge!

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A slice of the finished brownie

The Apps I Love

January 20, 2015sarahloulake 1 Comment

I have a Samsung Note III and have had it for nearly a year and a half. It still gets a lot of comments about the size. I think that will start to die down, now that the iPhone 6 also has a large format option. For those unfamiliar with the Android system, as I was prior to getting this phone, the system allows you to personalise your hand set a lot more with the use of widgets and homescreens that you can design and move around yourself.

Just as with Apple, you also have an array of apps available to you as well. Below is a summary of my 10 favourite apps- in no particular order.

Nike+ Fuel Band

It took a while for this app to come to Android, but when it did, I was so happy! If you have a Nike+ Fuel Band, this app connects with the band via bluetooth and stores your data. This means that you don’t have to keep plugging the band into the PC and you can get a real time sync on your daily progress. You can set targets, challenges between friends and it gives you little awards, just to make you feel good.

Brit + Co

This app is a great collection of articles on blog posts covering fashion, craft, cookery, home decor, technology and so much more. It is constantly being updated and has a variety of contributors, so you always have new things to read. It’s just like a digital, dynamic magazine, meaning you always have something to read when you’re waiting around, or struggling to sleep.

Starbucks

I have spoken about this app before here– but it’s a favourite because it is technology that makes things easier.

British Airways

I have spoken about this app before here. It’s a favourite: the widget sits on my homepage so I can get excited about the next trip. When there isn’t one planned, it has a very sorry “You have no upcoming flights”, which prompts me to get thinking about the next adventure. You can check in on it, use a digital boarding pass via it and you can keep an eye on your Executive Club progress.

Uber

It’s not new news, but it is great and expanding to more and more cities. It offers convenience (quick to hail a cab- perfect if it is snowing or raining), and choice between cabs, black cars and Uber X. The app emails your receipts to you, which is great for expenses reports, and it shows you the route the cab driver took.

Open Table

The UK Open Table site seems to have had a bit of a revamp recently. You can use Open Table in both the US and the UK. It feels a bit more in its infancy here in the UK, but hopefully more and more restaurants will sign up to it. I really hate using the phone with strangers: I hate calling up for takeaway orders and I hate making restaurant reservations. I also hate going from restaurant to restaurant on a night out without a reservation and being turned away. Open Table allows you to check for available tables in restaurants and make a booking via the app. Each reservation earns you points in the US, which then can be exchanged for an Open Table cheque: cash off your next meal. It’s a great way to check on your favourite restaurants and discover new ones.

Whatsapp

A couple of staples coming up: if you’re Android and your friends are Apple, or if you’re on different operating systems and in different countries, Whatsapp is a great app to stay in touch with people. You can share messages, photos and videos. It just means you can do the equivalent of iMessaging, whatever your choice of phone.

Pinterest

I love to pin before bed, or if I can’t sleep. I love the Pinterest app, as I can keep all the things I like to look at, close on my handset.

Spotify

The functionality to “make available offline” means that you can have a constantly changing selection of music on your handset without ever having to plug your phone into your PC. This is great for flights, for the car (if you have Bluetooth or the cable) and perfect if you have a wireless speaker. I have a Bose Soundlink in my kitchen and my phone becomes almost like the remote control: it means that you have the equivalent of a jukebox in your hand.

RingGo

This one is just super useful if you are parking in the UK: it means you don’t have to worry about carrying cash, you can pay via card on the app. Also, more conveniently, if your dinner or shopping is going for longer than you anticipated, you can increase the number of minutes via the app- no need to sprint back to the car with the risk of getting a ticket! Hurrah!

Sequin Skirt Project

January 18, 2015sarahloulake

Whilst pinning away on Pinterest (one of my favourite things to do before bed!) I spotted a definite trend: I kept pinning sequin skirts paired with knitted jumpers.

I had a quick look on the internet to purchase one, but couldn’t find one! Also, because I am fairly tall, sometimes skirts like this are obscene in their length! It took me a couple of days to realise that I actually had something I could use to recreate this look: a few years ago, at a previous company, we had a sales and marketing conference with a “gold” theme. I had ordered a sequin dress that, upon arrival, was more like a top. It was put in the bottom of the wardrobe, with the tags on, and never worn.

The original short, short dress

The first step was to cut the top from the dress- which made a lot of mess. I then turned the skirt inside out and pinned the lining and sequin fabric together to create a new hem around the top of the skirt. I then ran this through the sewing machine using a zig zag stitch. As the fabric is stretchy, I needed to make sure that the stitching didn’t tear with lack of “flex”.

Cutting the top off the dress

Pinning the lining to create a hem around the top

And here’s the finished look! I am planning to wear it with black tights and loose black jumper from H&M with leather forearms. I paired it with my black Frye Melissa Short boots but may consider some heels with it too!

Not bad for something I fished back out of the charity bag and still had the tags on!

The Greedy Food Tour: 3 Days in San Francisco

January 17, 2015sarahloulake

After less than 12 hours in San Francisco in January (only only viewing the Golden Gate Bridge from the air), I knew that I had to return and find out what this place was all about. So, in May, we boarded a plane and flew back to the West Coast, armed with a list of restaurants to kick off, what became known as “The Greedy Food Tour”.

Firstly- the hotel. We stayed at Stanford Court, booked via Expedia. Easy to remember the location: it’s on Nob Hill. From here, you’re able to walk to pretty much anywhere you want to see. Whilst our trip to the West Coast was very much about food, it was accompanied by walking. In San Francisco, this means a lot of hills. So watch out. I had horrific leg cramps by the end of my visit to this city!

Once again, I came armed with a list of restaurants from the Foodie Friend. Many were fish based- which makes total sense in San Francisco- but as one of us has a fish allergy, they had to be dropped off the list! However, what you do get in San Francisco is some fantastic Asian food, great Mexican food and just a different standard of quality for food. There feels more of a focus on healthy living and food tastes fresher!

Things to see in San Francisco: I am not going to give you any kind of “undercover” guide to the city, because I don’t feel like we did all the “staple” tourist spots. However, there are a few things that you are supposed to see, which you can easily grab from any guidebook. We walked along from the Ferry Terminal, all the way round to Ghirardelli Square, where you can get a great view of the bridge. The walk is flat, which is a welcome relief after all the hills, and there is a spot that sort of juts out into the sea, so you can get a great view. You can also take in the obligatory Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39- along with the sea lions. Then you can walk uphill to see the Mission District. Honestly- and maybe this says more about me- but my memories of our time in San Francisco is more about the food, than the tourist attractions!

Tacolicious

So, our first stop for lunch was Tacolicious. From the hotel, it’s about a mile and you can walk through Chinatown, which is fantastic. We ordered drinks: a Silas (lemon, lime, fizzy water and mint) and a Corona (the woman warned: “This isn’t a standard Corona”-take a look at the size of the bottle!)

Chips and dip came- so fresh, not salty and greasy like chips from a packet are- and we ordered, of course, tacos. I think I had traditional carnitas, guajillo braised beef short rib, baja-style cod and chorizo and potatoes. It was so relaxing: we sat outside, in the sun, eating great Mexican food! The ethos of the food quality was definitely present here, with the menu claiming: “we use hormone free meats that have been humanely raised, sustainable fish, and whenever possible, local vegetables.” The taste echoed their commitment to the quality of their ingredients!

Slanted Door

Before I even get to how good Slanted Door is, I have to mention the place we went to first for a drink, just because I loved the decor, the service and the ambience of the place. Unfortunately, with the fish allergy, we couldn’t eat here (it’s an oyster bar!) It’s the Hog Island Oyster Bar, and it’s just a lovely place to have a pre-dinner glass of Californian wine!

So, Slanted Door. Firstly, if you want to go, make a reservation. You can either do this on their website or via OpenTable. It’s popular, and rightly so! It’s located in the Ferry Terminal and the view is great: you can see the Oakland Oak Bridge and the light show they do each night. The decor is chic, and minimalist and the presentation of the food is stunning. It is expensive, but as an experience to have in San Francisco, it’s up there.

Starters: we had the Slanted Door spring rolls, which have shrimp, pork, mint and peanut sauce. They were beautiful, almost translucent in their appearance. We also had the ribs, which were succulent and simply fell away from the bone. (I think Brits- at least I- view ribs as dry and chewy, like the kind you get from the Chinese takeaway! But ribs can be amazing!)

Mains: we had the organic chicken claypot, with caramel sauce, Thai chilli and fresh ginger and the grass-fed Estancia shaking beef, with watercress, red onion and lime sauce. It was all delicious.

We didn’t have dessert, but watched the table next to us eating candy floss at the table!

Great Views (the food…not so much)

Ok. I know that “The Cheesecake Factory” is not haute cuisine. However, the location of this one is great. It’s the top floor of Macy’s in Union Square. So, yes- we compromised on our food for the view, and the sunshine, of Union Square. I will recommend it, but with the caveat that I am not promising you the best food you have ever eaten. It is simply about the location. Sitting outside gets you the view, but clearly that is popular, so turn up early to get a great seat!

Bi-Rite Creamery

Located in the Mission District, this place serves some good, organic ice cream to help you cool off if you’re walking in the Californian heat! I had the “staff pick”, call the “Trifecta”- salted caramel, brown sugar with ginger caramel swirl, and malted vanilla with peanut brittle and chocolate. Delicious- take a look at their list of flavours on their site.

Oh- and no trip to the West Coast would be complete without a Philz Coffee! We popped in to the one on El Camino Real. Read more about Philz Coffee here.

The Great British Brownie Off

January 14, 2015sarahloulake 1 Comment

My dad always has the same dish when he visits a curry house: a Chicken Tikka Dhansak. It’s a benchmark, for him, on the quality of the restaurant. It’s a good theory: it helps you judge on a set criteria.

I thought about doing a review of my favourite cookery books. There are 46 cookery books in my kitchen. I stared at the two shelves, trying to select which ones to post about when I realised: I don’t have a benchmark! So I’ve decided that my benchmark is going to be based on a brownie recipe.

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This is going to be a bit of series of blog posts. I am going to attempt to work my way through (weekly) the various brownie recipes on this shelf. So much for January and New Year resolutions, eh?! My usual go-to brownie recipe is in the Hummingbird Bakery book (here in the UK for £5 or here in the US for $18.76), so I will be straying from a trusted favourite!

A tray of Hummingbird Cafe brownies- my go-to recipe

I started this week with Nigella’s “How To Be A Domestic Goddess”, a cookbook classic available on Amazon in the UK here for £12.91 and Amazon in the US here for $8.36 (on Marketplace only for some reason).

I’ll be honest: the first venture outside of the norm wasn’t a success. It said to cook for 30 minutes at 180c. After 30 minutes, the buzzer went. I checked on it- it didn’t look cooked. So I put it in for another 10 minutes. Same again. So another 10 minutes. Then I removed it.

Maybe it’s my oven. Maybe it’s the recipe. But these brownies are gooey. And not in a good way. In a RAW way. The ones around the edge are cooked and the verdict is, they have too much air in them. I guess it’s personal preference, but for me, a brownie should be dense- less sponge like, more…slab like.

What I did like about the method is the whisking of the eggs, sugar and vanilla to pour into the butter and chocolate. In the past, I have just cracked the eggs into the chocolate/butter concoction and you end up chasing the slippery yolks around the pan to try and whisk them in! This bit worked much better in Nigella’s recipe.

Like I said- it could be my oven, but this brownie recipe doesn’t beat the benchmark! 5/10 only!

Ode to America

January 12, 2015sarahloulake

I have to admit it: this post isn’t entirely new content. Some people reading this will have either helped create this list, or have read my “Ode to America” before. However, I have expanded upon a few of the items (and removed some of the more obscure ones!), so that you too can also enjoy some of these more mundane reasons to love the United States. Like many reading this, I was raised on a healthy dose of America. I watched Sesame Street at lunchtime, with crisp sandwiches on my lap. I followed Zac and Kelly on Saved By The Bell- including The College Years (and the Las Vegas wedding movie!). I yearned to visit New York whilst riding the rollercoaster of Ross and Rachel’s relationship in Friends and later had my eyes opened by Samantha and screamed at the screen for Carrie (with regards to Big), indulging in the six seasons of Sex And The City. I had (have?) a firm belief that in America, all kids can skip double dutch, they kick fire hydrants on scorching days, cheerleaders rule the school, and you can afford walk up apartments in Greenwich village with your friend (Monica) or on the Upper East Side in a brownstone by writing a weekly column in a mediocre newspaper. I guess the summation of this is, my view of America was (and still is), one where anything is possible: success is celebrated and people have a refreshing honesty. It doesn’t disappoint.

Food

So, it’s true. You don’t really need to cook in America. I think there is a scene in Sex In The City where Carrie uses her oven/stove to store Vogue magazines. I didn’t turn my oven on once. Eating out is cheap. Shopping in the grocery store is comparatively expensive versus the UK. Online delivery is almost non-existent, which means carrying bags of shopping through the city. Whether it’s take out or restaurant eating, it’s better, faster and cheaper Stateside. Some particular highlights that were added to the list during the year I was there are:

Steak

I don’t know if I’ll be able eat steak in the UK again. I suppose I will have to, but I have been spoilt. This sounds dramatic, but I am not the only one saying it. I took any visitors to Wildfire, which is a mid-tier restaurant, and they all recall the steak, and how it was cooked (and the quantity of it!). In addition, just generally, the beef is better in America: it’s not because it’s hormone pumped. Yes, you can get cheap meat, that tastes good because of the hormones, but the high-end meat is phenomenal. I don’t know why or how- it just is!

The most memorable steak I have ever had, was actually at Bavette’s on West Kinzie in Chicago. I have mentioned Bavette’s before on my post about my favourite cocktails here, but this steak is something to behold: in taste, size and price tag. It’s a bone in, dry aged ribeye. It’s 22oz. It’s $60. It’s worth it. Served with Bearnaise save, and we selected garlic mash and broccoli to go with it. I’m ashamed to say, I couldn’t finish it (don’t have a starter…it is not required). However, through a haze Champagne Smash and 2 large glasses of red wine, I can still recall how good this steak was.

Bone In Dry Aged Ribeye (22oz) at Bavette’s

Burgers

As above. They taste so good. Whether it’s nursing a hangover with a $4 burger, or eating a delicious burger at Au Cheval– regarded by many as one of the best burgers you can have in Chicago- America knows how to cook an excellent burger. In addition, Au Cheval plays and outstanding selection of 90s rap on…wait for it…reel-to-reel. Totally worth the trip, and top the burger with the thick cut, peppered bacon. It’s practically a gammon steak, but it’s delicious.

Au Cheval Burger

Brunch

I am huge fan of going out for breakfast and brunch, whether it’s brunch on the weekend, or I quite enjoyed meeting people for breakfast, pre-work in the week. I’m not really sure why Brits haven’t 100% embraced brunch. It feels like it is starting to appear, with restaurants introducing brunch menus, but it’s not the social norm- yet!

A few places to go for brunch are the Chicago chain Yolk (I lived by the Streeterville location and the River North location was on my way to work), The Bongo Room (amazing pancake selection- will always remember my first Bongo Room trip where I had salted pretzel and white chocolate pancakes), The Wildberry Cafe and Little Goat– try the crumpets with chorizo maple syrup here.

Pancakes in the Wildberry Cafe

Feeling Full After Brunch at Yolk

Snow

So, the thing about Chicago is, there is a very distinct Summer and Winter. Autumn and Spring, not so much, but we are talking about variations of -33C to +33C. I arrived in Chicago on the Sunday, and started work on the Monday. On Monday, it snowed. Brits reading this will know the delight we get from snow. I am 30 in a few weeks and I still run to the window at work when it snows: “is it settling?”, “will we get home?” and the big one “will we be working from home tomorrow?!”.

America- well, Chicago- doesn’t get this excited. Snow is a normal occurrence, and these guys know how to deal with it. They plough it, salt it and get on with it. They must laugh hysterically at the Brits and the state of our roads and airports with a sprinkle of snow! The winter of 2013-2014 was known as the Polar Vortex. So the first few times it snowed, I was so excited. However, I discovered something in America. I am not graceful. I am not elegant. I am, in fact, a “faller”. I fell over a lot last year. (Note- wrap dresses and ice, do not mix…I have revealed my underwear to an unsuspecting passer by with a comedic, banana skin style slip). Snow boots are a must. I purchased some Sorel “Joan of Artic” boots. They were required to stay upright and keep my feet warm and dry!

Snowy Roads in Minneapolis

View Of A Frozen Lake Michigan From My Apartment In Chicago

Customer service

Service is amazing in America. Whether it’s in a restaurant (I just feel that these people really earn their tips. Since being back in the UK, I have really resented parting with cash for mediocre service…I always do, of course, but having to ask 3 times for your bill, then finally going up to pay for it because they have left you for 20 minutes…), or in a store, people are more helpful, more knowledgeable and just happier to help.

Success is celebrated and compliments given

It does fit all the social stereotypes, but Americans are better at celebrating success, or- really- just giving compliments. The high-five culture is a real thing. It’s something that Brits find it easy to mock, but if you’re working within it, it really does help. The delivery of compliments is completely different- during my time in the US, I let my bobbed hair cut grow out. When I started to wear it straight and down, Americans would say “Wow- look at your hair! It looks great! I love it!” (yes- ok Brits, you might think this is insincere, but it does make you feel good about yourself). In comparison, upon my return to the UK, Brits will say “Wow. Look at your hair.”. It’s so subtle, but it’s different.

Closets

They’re huge. I love them.

American homes are just fit for purpose: they design cupboards and closets to hide away all your stuff.

My huge closet in Chicago- for a 1 bed apartment!

So, in conclusion…

My childhood, American indoctrination was a good foundation for my time in America! It really is a fantastic place: Brits- we can be snobby, sceptical and judgemental- but living there will change your mind. I know there are plenty of things wrong with America (the homeless problem, the medical care, pension plans etc.) but if you do ever get the chance to visit or live there, I would highly recommend doing it! I would return in a heartbeat!

Showroom For Shoes

January 11, 2015sarahloulake

If your house is anything like mine, the biggest source of mess and clutter comes from coats, shoes and bags. In my house, they sit at the front door, the back door, by the kitchen table, in the bathroom…where they are taken off becomes their home.This problem is further exacerbated if, like me, you have a lot of shoes. In a quest to stop this source of mess, I wanted to build a home for all the footwear that was strewn around.

If you do a bit of research on Pinterest under the term “Show Cubby”- very American- you get some amazing, closet solutions and handcrafted hallway option. I like industrial, mid-century design. I had an idea of what I wanted, and trawled eBay to find it. Luckily, the solution was located just 12 miles from my house. A company called Rust and Rot, in Malmesbury, had a 1950s racking system from an old cobblers store. It suited my industrial, mid-century look and feel, with the added benefit of it being designed for shoes. I had looked at old pigeon holes and shelving solutions, but I couldn’t gauge whether shoes would fit in the gaps!

The issue was, whilst it was industrial, it was a little bit too industrial! It still had the stickers on it from the cobbler’s shop, was painted British Racing Green (with one panel still a scratched, cream colour) and had a coat of rust all over it.

It is metal, and weighs a LOT. So, after a lot of huffing and puffing (not from me!), the unit was in the house. I then went to work on removing all the stickers and wire brushing off all the rust. It made a bit of a mess and I actually found paint from Rustoleum where you can just paint over the rust! The colour range is limited, but I wanted a darkish grey, so selected their Slate Grey and purchased it in Homebase. As a warning- this stuff stinks. So air the room when you use it. Also, I needed two pots, so was a bit annoyed when the second pot was slightly lighter than the first! It was ok though- I just recoated everything you could see from the front.

It does stink. And it is messy (the paint is gloss, so it’s runny and can splatter everywhere!). You have to wait for a couple of days for it to dry otherwise it the shoes can kind of stick to the paint if it’s still a bit “tacky”, but it was a great solution for all the shoes in the house- they finally have a home!

RUST AND ROT Half Painted

The Luggage I Lug

January 7, 2015sarahloulake

I have too many suitcases. Usually because I pack poorly and end up having to buy more suitcases in order to get all my stuff home. In the last 12 months I have flown quite a bit! I learned to improve how I packed and below goes through some of my different combinations!

Domestic or European Travel

For a one or two night stay where you’re travelling and don’t want check luggage, I have found this to be the best combination of luggage. My Longchamp duo!

My standard handbag is usually a navy Le Pliage large shopper, purchased from Selfridges here. It’s not large enough for clothing, but you can carry a laptop, headphones, phone, book- everything you need for a flight. For my luggage however, I used the “Le Pliage Personalised” service from Longchamp. I wanted a large bag (Size 4), but I wanted long handles: this is not a standard option as bag size 4 usually comes with short carry handles. Through this service, you can design your Le Pliage: the colour, the metal work- even any initials and monograms. It takes around 2-3 weeks to arrive, but that makes sense as they are creating your bag, to your design. I selected navy with a navy centre stripe (you can select a contrasting colour) and gold metal work. The combination of the larger bag with the longer handles has been perfect for me! Their “Le Pliage Personalised” service is great, and definitely taps into the “personalisation” trend! It is available in the UK here and in the US here.

Le Pliage Large Shopper

Paired With

Custom Le Pliage Size 4 With Longer Handles

Transatlantic with Hand Luggage

My favourite flight (yes, I know…that’s weird) to take to Chicago is the 12.35pm BA flight: it gets you to Chicago at around 3pm meaning there is enough time to get a cab into the city, get changed and head back out for the evening: the perfect way to stop any jetlag. However, the downside of this flight is that there are a lot of international flights arriving at O’Hare around 3pm, and immigration can take a while. There is a way around it though: the clever people at O’Hare created a kind of “peel off” lane for immigration if you don’t have any checked luggage to pick up. It is fast and convenient and I frequently use it. So, I had to learn how to travel across the Atlantic with just hand luggage.

I have two different luggage combinations I use in this situation. The first is a Cath Kidston cabin bag combined with the personalised Le Pliage as a handbag. This Cath Kidston bag has been through the mill with me! It is designed to be cabin sized approved, and I was given it many years ago when the cabin bag restrictions first changed. (From checking their website, it looks like they no longer make it!) It has a long and a short carry handle, is made of oil cloth, which is very resilient and you can fit a LOT of stuff in it! There are 2 warnings: I did manage to snap the metal buckle on one of the carry straps when in an airport. It’s ok- I visited one of those luggage stores and purchased a padlock to temporarily fix it. Well, I say “temporarily”. I lost the key. So it has remained this way since 2011. It does the job though! The second is that, whilst this bag is cabin size approved, if you over pack it, the sides can bulge. This means that, if you do get somebody who wants you to fit it in the little metal size cage at security, you sometimes have to do some rearranging. This has only happened to me once, during Christmas travel where they have to be all over this stuff. I just moved a couple of things around and it fitted and I was allowed through! Travel bags from Cath Kidston can be found here.

Cath Kidston Cabin Bag

Paired With

Custom Le Pliage Size 4 With Longer Handles

My other combination, if I am feeling especially lazy and want to pull my luggage, rather than carry, is this teeny weeny rolling suitcase (for the bargain price of £14.99! It can be found in the US for $21.99 here) along with the personalised Le Pliage. It isn’t as spacious as the Cath Kidston cabin bag, but I discovered a little trick a few years ago when I had to pack for a quick change over in Vietnam to get to Malaysia: vacuum bags. I know this isn’t new news, but it was to me. These are vacuum bags where you don’t need a vacuum to suck the air out of them: you simply place the clothes in a bag, zip them up until nearly closed and then roll the air out of them. They work well to help you get your luggage closed. Often, when you open them at the other end, the air has escaped, but the objective is to get all the stuff in the bag, and the bag zipped up! They’re available for £4.74 in the UK here or $18.99 in the US here.

Transatlantic with Checked Luggage

If I have to check luggage because I am staying a while, or I am carrying cosmetics that are over the limit, my favourite suitcase that I own is this Z Frame. It is lightweight, spacious, fairly small and it does the thing that I love from good, wheeled cases: it wheels next to you, rather than behind. This saves on that horrible arm pain you get the next day from lugging a heavy bag along travelators. Again, I pair this with the personalised Le Pliage or the standard Le Pliage shopper.

Z Frame Suitcase

Orla Kiely

I love the Target/Orla Kiely tie up. One of the things I really liked was their 3 purse set (which, unfortunately, I cannot find on their website at the moment). They have a small loop on the side, which I tied together, but I use these bags to hold things in my Le Pliage. Otherwise, they all just sink to the bottom: the large one holds USB cables and chargers and plugs, the middle one has my Kindle and phones (I am constantly losing them in the depths of my bag) and the small one my passport and boarding pass. It just saves on that embarrassing bit at the gate when you are turning your life out onto a cold, tiled floor!

Samsonite bag

After making the mistake a few times of having to purchase extra luggage, I discovered these Samsonite Tote-a-Ton bags. They roll up really small, and then expand to huge 33″ duffel bags. For those time when I fly with hand luggage, but may return with more (e.g. Christmas gifts, or when I was moving back the UK bit-by-bit!), these are great. A much recommended purchase. They are available in the US for $24.99 here and £29.99 in the UK here.

J Pillow

I get a lot of stick for my J pillow, and amongst my friends it has a couple of nick names. However, I don’t care! This pillow is great! Winner of British Invention of the Year (as it says on Amazon), the design gives neck and chin support, as well as a pillow for the back and the side of the head. I then simply popper this to the handbag and use it for any overnight, economy flights. Conveniently for me, it comes in navy blue- so it ties in nicely with everything else! It is available in the UK on Amazon here for £14.95 and in the US on Amazon here for $29.95.

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