Liverpool's Winter Wonderland

Christmas shopping is a nightmare, Christmas shopping with kids is enough to send me into a psychotic state.  And, as every right thinking parent knows, the best way to get the little blighters to stop moaning/kicking off is to dangle a treat over their heads in exchange for a bit of peace.  Liverpool One has thought of this.  Oh yes, only this level of genius can come from my home city.

Up on Chavasse Park, they have built a little winter wonderland to not only pacify the sproglets, but there is also something for us harassed parents to enjoy.  Yes there is a Santa's Grotto, but at Liverpool One there is also a Santa's Workshop which has loads of crafty activities, a very nice touch.  The kids can make their own Christmas stocking courtesy of the Button Boutique or decorate a cupcake, most of which will thankfully be eaten before they thrust their crumbling efforts into your hand to hold.

Now onto the ice rinks.  There is a smaller one for the smaller people and the adult one.  I have to own up, I didn't have a go.  Owning a centre of gravity that sits somewhere on my forehead, this was always going to be a non starter.  However, Liverpool One, if you are listening, if there was a little penguin I could have clung onto  like you provide for the kids, then I might have have chanced it.

What's in this for the adults? I hear you asking.  Well you could pretend you are in Scandinavia and pop along to the Ice Bar for a cocktail.  Made entirely out of ice, you can sup whilst wearing the thoughtfully provided thermal cape.  Wear it, it is freezing, it is an ice bar remember, this is no time for worrying about showing your frock off.  You do have to book to go so I would suggest you pop up and do this before you do your shopping.

As well as the above delights, there is an Apres Bar for drinks and snacks and loads of other activities.  The only problem you are going to have is persuading the kids (or your mate) to go home.

I haven't mentioned Liverpool One very much on this blog, not sure why, because it has in a very short time become an intrinsic part of Liverpool life.  Choc a block with the usual high street names, it also has to coin that old cliche, something for everyone.  For me I can swoon away in Whistles and The Kooples and my beloved John Lewis, whilst others prefer Pretty Green and the Doc Martin shop.  Oh and don't forget, Harvey Nicks have done another pop up shop for food, you can all buy my presents from there.  It is a bit of a fashion mecca, which covers all tastes and prices points, as well as hosting some niche and local brands such as Utility.

It's not just shopping at Liverpool One.  It has quite a few nice restaurants and bars.  you could do like I did and pop along to Jamies Italian for some porchetta, or La Lunya for tapas.  Basically whatever you fancy, you can get it here from posh burgers to sushi.

And finally, one thing you probably don't know about Liverpool One.  The Liverpool One Foundation, which provides support for good causes in and around our fair city, for the following three themes:  The prevention and relief of poverty, education and skills and social and community advancement.  They can provide funding with grants ranging from £500 to over £5000.  I like a bit of feelgood.

Pamper

 

 

I've never been on a pamper day, so when ExperienceDays.co.uk emailed me and asked me to review their pamper day for two at a Marriott Hotel of my choice, my thoughts were, why the hell not.  At this time of year we could all do with a bit of sprucing up.

 

 

So yesterday, my friend and I went over to the Marriott Worsley Park in Manchester for a day of luxury and spoiling.  It's a lovely country club style of hotel, set near a golf course and easy to get to on the motorway.  After booking in at the spa, I had a mini manicure, which quite disappointingly was only a file and polish.  However! as the photos below will attest, I routinely ignore my hands, and the beautician (is that what we call them) did a sterling job.  I'm still admiring them today.

 

 



Next up was my pal for a mini facial.  While she was gone I settled myself down in the comfy leather chaise and flicked through the latest glossies.  When she finally came out of the treatment room you could tell she had been well looked after.  She was gobsmacked (this doesn't happen often), a fantastic facial was the opinion.

 

 

We also had use of the hotel's pool (large, sunlit, very nice), gym facilities (extensive) and sauna (didn't try).  My reservations about the day are small and concern value for money.  two mini treatments between the two of us does not equate to a £75 in my book.  Also another small thing would be to offer people refreshments when they arrive, we were offered water and nothing else.  A cheap and easy way to add to the experience guys.  Those reservations notwithstanding, it was a really nice experience and if you have the spare cash, go for it.



Disgusted

After buying Vogue and the other glossies religiously since the mid eighties I've now totally given up on them.  Why?  Well because I am getting rather fed up of spending money for the sole purpose of being flogged a load of overpriced goods which I don't want.  Page after page of glossy ads for the big fashion houses, minimal interesting and innovative articles (if any) and more selling in the editorials, well at least they are pretty.

There have been countless articles about the decline of the printed word, books (sad), newspapers (a bit sad) and magazines (haha).  Blogs and the internet are getting blamed for this decline.  Well in the case of magazines, they are dinosaurs and internet is their extinction event.

Yesterday I bought two magazines, one Oh Comely which I will come to in a bit and  AnOther which is edited by Jefferson Hack.  For the grand price of £6.95 I had to flick through 57 pages of adverts before I got to the first article.  OK I thought, they've got them all out of the way to make way for lots of great articles.  Nope, every other page is yet another ad.  In balance it does contain some beautiful pictures in the fashion editorials, of which there is a lot.  Then I looked closer, each outfit was for a designer, not a styling mishmash using these amazing clothes to show the unique creative vision of the stylist.  More selling.  There is a bit of text accompanying each fashion story, which was such pretentious twaddle I had to laugh out loud.  Once again, for balance, there was one great piece on Edward James who was a fascinating character and an OK interview with Ai Weiwei.  This was however, not worth £6.95 and it left me feeling empty and just a little bit depressed.

Back to the aforementioned Oh Comely, this magazine is a total delight.  With minimum adverts it gets stuck right in.  Interesting articles and examples of new writing as well as some fresh fashion, it is exactly what I want to spend my money on.  Priced at £4 it is published every two months.  This magazine is a real item of beauty, fabulous photography, great paper and even an item on how to make cheese, something I never thought I'd want to read about, let alone enjoy.  I finished reading this magazine and felt uplifted and looking forward to the next issue in two long months time.

I think I'll email Jefferson Hack and suggest he changes the name of his publication to Disgusted.

Winter Arts Market

If further proof was ever needed that Liverpool contains some of the most creative people the Arts Market this weekend at St Georges Hall was it.  Stall after stall of loveliness crammed the beautiful hall, each one selling unique and interesting bits and bobs that you would never get in Liverpool One

For the most beautiful hats and headpieces there is Margos Millinery Store, which knocks spots of those dreadful fussy fascinators the High Street sell.   I am in serious love with the pink felt cloche with a feather.  The website is not up yet but for more information contact Shannon on 07966 614179.

One of my biggest weaknesses is for ceramics and it is highly likely that my next collecting spree will be Mellor Ware.  Beautiful white china with slightly and subversive animal and insect imagery, it is absolutely stunning.  If my word is not enough then Mellor Ware is also stocked in Libertys.  Check out the website www.MellorWare.co.uk, and if anyone wants to buy me some for Christmas, please, feel free.

I'm a bit biased here as Tracey from Indigostitch is a Twitter pal (and how fabulous does she look on a wintry Sunday morning).  I came across her when I bought one of her gorgeous cards from the Bluecoat.  Cards, however are only the tip of the iceberg, she designs and makes a whole host of home accessories, each cuter than the next.  Every year we buy just one new Christmas tree ornament, and this year is is a fabric matroyshka doll courtesy of Indigostitch.  For more information and a bit of ooh aah that's lovely time, the website is www.indigostitch.co.uk.

I've told you all about Wowls before here.  The cutest little creatures which have a Facebook page containing a map of where they all live.  Wowls are are to my mind the best thing ever, we all need Wowls in our life, Wowls can bring about world peace, a Wowl should be Prime Minister.  If you would like a Wowl, they are on sale on Folksy folksy.com/shops/clairechrysrall.

November

No sun, no moon
No morn, no noon
No dawn, no dusk, no proper time of day
No sky, no earthly view
No distance looking blue

No road, no street
No t'other side the way
No end to any row
No indication where the Crescents go

No top to any steeple
No recognitions of familiar people
No courtesies for showing 'em
No knowing 'em

No mail no post
No news from any foreign coast
No park, no ring, no afternoon gentility
No company, no nobility

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease
No comfortable feel in any member
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds
November!

Poem by Thomas Hood
Photographs from top 
Grijs
Toast
Plumo
Neest

A Blog of Utter Beauty

Well if the wind and rain lashing at the window and the increasing leaf crunch underfoot is anything to go by, Autumn is well and truly here.  As much as I love the romance of this season I am sad to see the end of summer.  Hello Neest is a blog which perfectly encapsculates every season.  Photographs of such beauty and longing I never know whether to feel elated or melancholy.  They also sell some well chosen homewares which you will never find in the shops here.  Get the kettle on and have a peruse, you will thank yourself for it.

Photograph is from Hello Neest.

Landbaby at the Bluecoat

Have you ever walked into a shop and felt instantly enchanted?  Your eyes widen and you literally become like a child in a sweet shop, you want everything.  Landbaby at the Bluecoat is one of these shops.  I have followed Landbaby for a while on Facebook and kept promising myself I would attend one of their workshops, so today I needed to buy a couple of birthday presents and I thought I would treat myself and pop in.  You are greeted by Claire who started up Landbaby in 2006, sitting quietly stitching her wares in the corner.  Get talking to her, she has some lovely stories and makes you feel welcome without being overpowering, something a lot of bigger stores could learn from.

Where ever you cast your eyes you see a charming tableau of handcrafted goodies, this is what Cath Kidston can only aspire to being.  Bags, brooches, dolls and jewellery to name just some of the things they stock, and everything in the shop is hand made by either Claire who runs the shop or other local artists and crafts people.

There were two things which especially caught my eye and have been added to my list of things I will buy as soon as possible.  The first are these cushions by Naughty Kitty showing extremely subversive  and witty prints of Royals.

The second of my favourites are these Wowls, which are made by Claire Chrystall an illustrator based in the Bluecoat.  She asks that you register where her Wowls end up living so she can log their location on a map on Facebook (check out the page Wowls), a fun idea which kids and adults alike would love.

For further information on Landbaby, and I can heartily recommend that you visit this unique cornucopia of loveliness, check out on

http://landbaby.blogspot.com/

http://www.folksy.com/shops/landbaby

Or visit at the Bluecoat Centre, School Lane, Liverpool