Royal Ascot Style Guide 2015

Fast horses and fancy hats, it’s that time of year again for guests to wear their best glamorous and elegant outfits to the most stylish sporting event - Royal Ascot!

What to expect from this year's Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot has become as famous for its dress code and ladies day as the racing itself! Known for it’s strict dress code, this year, Royal Ascot organisers have released a new style guide for 2015.

As always, both guests have a strict style guide to follow for Ascot

First things first – understand that there are several different areas at the event, so the rules differ according to the type of ticket you buy. So if you’ve purchased a Grandstand Enclosure or Silver Ring ticket, fascinators are allowed. Bought a ticket to the Royal Enclosure? Then you’ll be required to wear a headpiece with a base of 10cm (4 inches) or more.

Grandstand Admission Dress Code:

Dresses and skirts should be of modest length
If there is one golden rule you must follow then it’s the length of your dress or skirt. Keep it just above the knee or a bit longer to save yourself embarrassment and avoid a fashion faux pas.

A hat, headpiece or fascinator should be worn at all times in the Grandstand
That’s right, all times, so make sure you choose you one find comfortable because it needs to stay on!

Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck and spaghetti straps are not permitted
Any top or dress you wear must have straps and it needs to be more than an inch thick. Got a strapless dress you’re desperate to wear? Then keep your jacket throughout the day so that your shoulders are not on show.

Trouser suits are welcome. They should be of full length and of matching material and colour
Royal Ascot is the perfect occasion to wear a dress, but if trousers are more your thing then go a matching colour set - try LK Bennett or John Lewis they have a selection of good ones.

Midriffs must be covered
Does this really need further explanation?!
 

Shorts are not permitted

Anyone who thinks shorts are acceptable would be better placed heading to a festival instead.

The dress code for the Silver Ring ticket holders are less restricted but there are still rules to follow:

Silver ring ticket holders are encouraged to wear smart clothes, “No formal dress code applies in the Silver Ring except that replica sports shirts are not permitted...fancy dress, novelty and branded promotional clothing are not allowed on site.”

So follow these simple rules to avoid a fashion faux pas and you’ll be well on your way to being the best dressed person at Royal Ascot this year. Want more dress code tips? Then watch this:
 

This year's Royal Ascot will be held from the 16th - 20th June 2015 and tickets start from £19 - £78. Fine Dining starts from £250 per person + VAT.

For more information and to book tickets visit the Royal Ascot website here or call 0844 346 3000.

Clevedon Hall Wedding Venue

 Clevedon Hall

This weekend I was invited to visit Clevedon Hall wedding venue, a stunning countryside mansion in Bristol, Somerset.

The 150-year-old Victorian mansion has recently undergone a huge refurbishment project, restoring the building to its former glory to become one of the UK's top luxury hospitality venues. 

The grade II listed mansion is located just seconds away from the beautiful coastline but it's the picturesque grounds, pretty statue and scenic lake that will no doubt impress both you and your wedding guests. 

 

Fountain with a statue of Hebe, Greek cup-bearer to the gods

Curved shape lake on the grounds

Clevedon Hall has worked closely with Jane Clayton interior design team to bring back the style, glamour and grandeur Victorian mansion houses are known for.

 The owners were keen to keep the charm of the building in place including decorating the mansion in an old English countryside feel

Inside, you can find several beautifully decorated grand reception rooms: couples can tie the knot in the magnificent Great Hall - a huge dramatic space, host a champagne reception in the stunning glassed Orangery, then move on through to the atmosphere-rich Grand Library for a formal wedding breakfast.

 Birds eye view of the Grand Hall

The 25 bedrooms and suites are located on the first and second floors of the mansion and are all individually decorated. Our suite, Eagle Owl, was luxuriously styled to compliment the mansion house: the interiors were beautifully decorated with an English country house feel, plush furniture  and beddings, freestanding copper bath and stunning views over the grounds and lake. 

 Our beautiful bedroom suite, Eagle Owl

It's always lovely to see a building restored to it's original features and the owners at Clevedon Hall were set on this, restoring many of the original features including the windows, wood and Victorian fireplaces. I loved how the newly renovated bedrooms and suites were in keeping with the traditional values of the property, decorated with antique pieces and high quality reproductions.

 

All the luxurious furnishings both externally and internally are the perfect complement to such an important occasion and are great for photographs too!

After having a tour of the beautiful mansion, we dined in the Dame Rosa Burden room, that can be used as a ceremony room too.  The evening's culinary delights were created by the awarding winning head chef, Alan Jones.

Cornish crab, avocado tian, slow roast tomatoes, caviar dressing and vanilla oil

 Lobster Bisque with cognac and tarragon

Duo of somerset spring lamb, fricasssee of spring vegetables, wild garlic, jersey royals and madeira jus

 Chocolate and cherry cake, honeycomb ice cream and salted caramel

The food was delicious, I particularly loved the cornish crab and lobster bisque. After our dinner, I had the opportunity to speak to the chef, Alan Jones, who talked about his passion for cooking and love of cooking fish dishes. It definitely showed as both the fish dishes were my favourite. 

Food is incredibly important at weddings and having a Michelin-starred culinarian as a Head Chef for your wedding is sure to go down as a hit with your guests!  Interestingly, there are no set menus are Clevedon Hall, every wedding is planned individually, so the chef will design the menus around the guests’ requirements.  This is a just one of many examples how the team at Clevedon Hall are keen to provide a bespoke service to suit your individual needs.

Exterior shot of Clevedon Hall

So does Clevedon Hall have the potential to become one of the best venues in the South of England? Absolutely. Clevedon Hall has been named as "one of the most gorgeous wedding venues in Somerset" by You and Your Wedding magazine and you can see why. Clevedon Hall's stunning mansion and beautifully landscaped grounds makes it the ideal venue to hold a wedding.   

Every couple want to be reassured that their wedding will be in safe hands and Clevedon Hall have a team of experienced wedding planners to help couples build a bespoke wedding package that will tailor your needs.  Whether couples dream of an intimate or large wedding, Clevedon Hall have a variety of different rooms and spaces to make each wedding day unique.

For more information visit Clevedon Hall, email or contact their events team on 01275 772427. 

*Disclaimer: My stay at Clevedon Hall was complimentary but all words and opinions are my own*

50 Shades of Spring

Beautiful Provencal Wire Fronted Demi Armoire from The French Bedroom Company

Spring has just arrived so what better way to get rid of dark winter decor and brighten up your home with cheery pastel hues!

Pastel colours work well in any room of your home and my favourite looks are those that incorporate the candy coloured tones: blush pink, sky blue, mint and pale yellow.  These colours are calm and soothing and the pale, cool shades soften the look of a room, blending well together, so there's no danger of colour clashing!  

But if you're worried about incorporating too much colour to your home and looking for tips here’s my guide to getting the right mix of spring pastels taking inspiration from the French Bedroom Company new Spring collection.

Think Pink 

Bring a feminine feel to your home adding pastel pink shades. Use this colour to create a vintage look, choosing white as a base, these soft pale hues automatically brighten up your home, like this herringbone cream and pink heather throw. It's a simple way to add a touch of cosy French chic to your bedroom, ideal as a bed throw or over a bedroom chair.

Herringbone Pink and Cream Heather Throw from The French Bedroom Company

Cool Blue 

If pastel pinks are too feminine then opt for cooler blues instead. Pastels don’t have to be sweet and charming, try decorating with blue and grey shades instead if you're going for a more elegant look like this soft aqua velvet cushion. It would look great scattered amongst other cushions.

This velvet cushion handmade in India, from 100% cotton, is sky blue on one side and pale grey on the reserve side

For a classic vintage look, sky blue works well as it encapsulates the old English countryside style perfectly. Another timeless look is natural wood furniture painted with blue tones. This soft colour on wood furniture looks both bold and beautiful like this duck egg blue sugar shelves.  

 

 Light blue furniture like these blue shelves from the French Bedroom Company work well to create a cottage style look

Metallic Tips 

Pastels work well with bolder colours too.  Even the most subdued of shades can look dramatic when combined with bold colours like greys and metallic. Metallic is another big trend for Spring, so why not be brave and pair pink with metallic for an opulent look? The reflective surfaces bounce around the warm tones creating a cosy but elegant environment like the pale pink velvet cushion (below).  Scatter amongst other cushions and layer with muted tones and varying texture.  Try mixing other pastel colours and metallics like mint and gold both colours work well together too.

I've given my metallic cushions an update and added the velvet pink cushion for a new Spring look

For more home decor and bedroom styling ideas using classic French furniture visit The French Bedroom Company website and my Pinterest board here.

 

*Disclaimer: The product featured were gifted to me for review however all words and opinions are my own*

Beautiful Window Boxes to Brighten Up Your Home

Preparing window boxes for the front garden

Today felt like early Spring in London - it was so sunny and bright this weekend it got me thinking now is the time to start getting the garden ready for more warm weather.

If you're looking for ways to make the front of your home more appealing, then add charm to your front garden with window boxes. 

These flower arrangements are a simple way to brighten up the front of your home and if you have a small garden like I do, the window boxes are ideal and make great compact miniature gardens.

So here are my top tips on how to create the perfect window boxes in three easy steps:

 Select your flowers!

Step 1 - Select your flowers: There are lots of beautiful plants perfect for window boxes but remember it's not just about what they look like but whether they are suitable for your balcony. Some plants prefer the sun and others prefer partial shade. Is your house south facing? Then choose plants which like constant sunshine like petunias or geraniums.  Plants which prefer partial shade are better suited to balconies which face east or west. Fuchsias, ferns or ivy best suit balconies with partial shade. If you're not sure on the right sunlight for the plant check the labels so you know the right plants for your window box. 

Prepare the soil ready for your plants

Step 2 - Prepare the soil: Once you've selected your flowers, mix with soil from the flowers and add to your window box, adding soil from your garden too. Pour  water in the soil until if feels like a damp sponge ready to add your plants. 

 Plant the box but don't forget to dampen the soil of the plant too

Step 3 - Plant the box: Next, start to arrange your plants on top of the soil to approximate their position and gently tip them out of their containers. Start planting in the centre of the box and work toward the sides, adding more soil around the roots as you plant the flowers.

Plant no more than three plants leaving enough space between them

Moisten the base of the plants to settle them into the soil again adding more soil as needed. Place the box beneath the window and water thoroughly until the drainage holes start to drip.  Then you're window boxes are ready for display!

How the finished window boxes look displayed on my window ledges 

If you don’t have a garden and a balcony or window ledge is all you have to work with then I would highly recommend adding some pretty window boxes to brighten up the front of your property.

I'm so pleased with my window boxes, it's a simple way to  change the appearance of your home and doesn't take much effort to maintain the plants either. Just don't forget to water your window boxes every day in the Summer, so that the soil is kept moist and your plants stay blooming gorgeous!

Cosmopolitan's 50 Shade's of Lingerie Event

 At the 50 Shades of Lingerie Event
Dress - Topshop
Necklace - Dorothy Perkins
Boots - New Look

It's the book that's got everyone talking and if you haven't read it, it's likely you would have seen the posters on the tubes and buses for 50 Shades of Grey film. 

50 Shades of Grey Book is everywhere!

In time to celebrate the film release, Cosmo magazine teamed up with Surf for "50 Shades of Lingerie", a catwalk show showcasing stylish lingerie trends of the season.

Held at the Bloomsbury ballroom, retailers were on hand to provide expert advice on how to select the best fitting bra. Plus pampering sessions including hair and beauty treatments, a nail bar and cocktails and canapes throughout the evening.

 Lots of stunning lingerie on show

As well as the pampering sessions, the event also had a stall from CoppaFeel, a breast cancer charity that uses fun methods and techniques to encourage women and young girls to check their breasts for signs of cancer.

 CoppaFeel at the event

That evening, they were encouraging guests to write a message to remind themselves to check their breasts and hang it on the washing line, like you would do to hang your washing on a clothing line. I thought it was was such a good idea of course I had to add my message too!

 What do you think of my message that I added to the CoppaFeel clothing line?!

Guests seated for the start of the catwalk show

After checking out all the stalls and lingerie on display, we ushered into the ballroom to be seated for the start of the lingerie show, which started off with a performance by the very talented, former X-Factor contestant, Rebecca Ferguson.

Rebecca Ferguson opens the event

 Time for the lingerie catwalk show!

The end to a fantastic show!

Overall it was a great event, the pampering sessions were lots of fun and catwalk show was fantastic. We got to see lots of lovely lingerie and took away inspiration from all the stylish underwear showcased.  Now all that's left to do is book my ticket to finally see 50 Shades of Grey and see what all the fuss is about! :-)