Charmed by Ortak

A few weeks ago I was invited along to view the new 'Charming range' from Ortak but unfortunately due to a busy work schedule I had to miss out. Instead I was left to indulge myself on the Ortak website. 

By definition, Ortak's Charming:- A varied selection of dainty wristlets and necklets crafted in sterling silver, with a choice of delicate symbols.

For those of you who obsessed over the sideways cross bracelet or the dainty bow necklets or even the 'love' rings, then this range will be right up your street.  You can view the full range here.

I very kindly received my favourite of the range as a Christmas gift, the LOVE charm necklet.  It's based on the LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana which I just ... LOVE! ;)  It sits perfectly around my neck, not too long and not too short and has received many compliments so far.  

Each piece is priced at £35 but you save £10 when buying 2 pieces together and another £20 when you purchase 3 pieces from the range. 

I am now hoping to add to my own collection of charms with the Unity necklet and the Hope anchor bracelet which is a nod to the industry I work in.  They are just too pretty! 

Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker

Having not been brought up with a very 'festive' upbringing, Christmas-sy things are still a bit new to me including Scottish Ballet's winter season offering of The Nutcracker.

Of course I knew The Nutcracker's wonderful score was by Tchaikovsky and that the story entailed a toy soldier, the famous sugar plum fairy, scary mice and a magical dolls house but for me the Christmas connection and the actual storyline didn't mean very much to me... until now.

What better way to get to know this enchanted tale (and get in the Christmas spirit) through the beauty of music and dance?!

'An enchanted dolls' house, an evil governess, and a nutcracker who may just be a handsome prince in disguise ... '

Scottish Ballet has certainly helped me enter a magical new world with their production of The Nutcracker, based on ETA Hoffmann's original story 'Nutcracker and the King of Mice'.

As always, Scottish Ballet presented a vivid retelling of the Christmas story with colourful and stunning sets and costumes that even included a representation of Tchaikovsky himself on stage.  It was a truly magical performance from start to finish and I can't believe I have missed out on this fantastical tale for such a long time.

Since discovering the beauty and joy of the art through Scottish Ballet's influence, I have actually become acquainted with many new interests and The Nutcracker is just one of them.  It is such a wonderful (and slightly mad) story that I will be making sure that elements of it is factored into my annual celebrations.  In fact, I had to make sure I had candy canes for my tree after it and a rather beautiful emerald Nutcracker prince was purchased!

Christmas might be over but there is still time to catch a performance near you and reignite the magic of Christmas:

Glasgow 
Theatre Royal 8-29 December 2012

Edinburgh
Festival Theatre 8-12 January 2013

Aberdeen
His Majesty's Theatre 16-19 January 2013

Inverness
Eden Court Theatre 23-26 January 2013

Belfast

Grand Opera House 30 January-2 February 2013

Newcastle

Theatre Royal 6-9 February 2013

I'd love to hear if you have been to see it or if you are planning on going! 

Fab(ulous)

I am still constantly scouring online for the perfect pieces for my home.  I have truly swapped fashion for furniture as I strive to finish off my home, creating a palace fit for me and Mr Read.

One online shop, however, was way off my radar - Fab.com.   It was only brought to my attention this week but so far I am finding a whole host of treats, not only interiors inspired but also gadgets, clothes, jewellery and some fantastic gift ideas!

Fab say they are on a mission to help people better their lives with design by providing great products at reasonable prices and introducing exciting designers to it's clientele.  Products are only available for a limited time so new stock is refreshed regularly which makes this an exciting site to keep coming back to again and again. 

As you can imagine, I already have a lust list the length of my arm and have definitely spotted a few gifts that I won't be sharing on here to save any spoiled surprises!

Fab is one of the very few shopping sites I have signed up to as I know updates will be a treat of potential purchases.  You can sign up to the website here or follow Fab on facebook for updates on what new designers are on offer.

In the meantime, here is the start of my very long list of wants! 

Jambox Hex Speaker £148.  This is a brilliant little gadget, I know this as I already own one but I really love the black and gold colourway.  This speaker hooks up to your iPhone via bluetooth so you can use it to listen to iTunes, digital radio or even use as a loudspeaker when taking calls.  The sound quality is amazing for the size of the speaker, I can vouch for that!  

'Dear' Antlers by Heartelier £60.  I love taxidermy, I love neon, do I need to say anymore?

Devine Cutlery Bronze by Pandora Design £32.  I have a thing for interesting cutlery despite my own cutlery drawer remaining very plain and boring.  These are on my hit list. 

Pearl Bangle by Tiklari £35.  This is so pretty and delicate.

Thomas Cufflinks by Alice Made This £160.  Perhaps a gift for the Mister in your life?  I love the simplistic but stunning design paired with gorgeous 24 carat gold. 

SoHo Living

I'm still obsessing over amazing interiors and recently came across my ultimate Manhattan apartment.

Renting for a cool $20,000 a night and up to $100,000 a month, this palatial building was once a 19th Century power station.

Styled to urban perfection by it's film maker owner, it boasts a 39 ft long swimming pool and as much exposed brick as you could wish for.  I love exposed brickwork!

I adore the purple velvet couches in the sitting area and the book case is to die for.  Can you imagine the fantastic parties you could have here?

Beyonce's Halo was filmed in the pool and I most recently seen this apartment on an episode of White Collar.  I just think it's a mind blowing space ... if i win the lottery any time soon, you know where to find me! ;)

Wild About Debenham's Beauty Club

A few weeks ago I attended the Debenhams Autumn/Winter press show where I was first introduced to Louise Redknapp's new make up line Wild About Beauty.

Debenhams recently asked me to come back and visit their Glasgow beauty hall so they could tell me about their current Beauty Club promotion and to try out the Wild About Beauty products and indulge in a little makeover.

Wild About Beauty has been created by Louise Redknapp and international make up artist Kim Jacob.  The brand offers products that are packed with nourishing ingredients such as organic rose water and chamomile, focusing on caring for your skin as well as enhancing your natural beauty.

My stand out product so far is the Golden Skin Glow which I went on to purchase along with the Line & Define Liner Pen.  So far the liner pen is an absolute winner with it not budging at all on my first day of wear.  That was a 7am application yesterday right until the wee small hours of this morning. Phenomenal.

Wild About Beauty prices are pretty reasonable.  In fact the most expensive item they had was a £35 gorgeous make up bag that came with 3 full size brushes!  Just now when you spend £35 at Wild About Beauty, you receive a free nail polish which come in lovely autumnal colours.

Back to Debenhams Beauty Club.  When you spend over £50 in their beauty hall you gain an extra 1000 points (£10 worth of points) on your beauty club card.  I ended up buying a few extra bits and pieces to make sure I gained my points.

I think I might take another trip to purchase some more Wild About Beauty products, I have my eye on that make up bag and their creme blushes!

The offer ends tomorrow so get spending so you can clock up some points for a rainy day!

Hey Boy, Hey Girl, DJ MASH.... HERE WE GO!

Martyn Henderson, otherwise known as MASH not only has an impressive history as a DJ, producer, broadcaster and music journalist but he is also a pal of mine.

MASH is a well known name in Glasgow and for over a decade has held residencies at The Sub Club as well as playing festivals such as RockNess, Homelands, T and Lovebox.  He has been broadcasting for over 15 years on radio, featuring some of dance music's biggest stars such as Underworld, Moby, Depeche Mode, Andrew Weatherall, Groove Armada, Beardy Man, Josh Wink and Tiga.

To add to his already successful portfolio, MASH has written for magazines such as Clash, Tilllate, The List and is now House Editor of Mixmag.

All that talent and he is still one of the nicest, most down to earth, awesome guys I know.  I can't think of anyone who deserves recognition for his musical talents more than him.  I always know I am in for a good night when MASH is on the decks!

Tomorrow night (Friday), Mash takes to the 6 Mix decks for BBC 6 Music from 10pm until midnight.  You will be entertained with a selection of electronic gems from past present and future, including tunes from Hot Chip, Silicon Soul and Disclosure.

I can't wait for everyone to get the chance to listen to some MASH magic.  Whether you are having a night in with your mates or getting ready for a big night out, let MASH set the tone for your evening, so make sure you tune in at 10pm!

Anyone who loves their house music, tune in, you will not regret it!

TUNE IN! 

Lusting: Persian Cowhide

I raved about Ryan Korban yesterday and his love of taxidermy, furs and skins.  I share this love and funnily enough, I am now lusting after a skin I stumbled upon online.

Cowhides and zebra skins are no strangers in my home and to be honest, I don't really need to add to the collection so I had moved on and was searching for a new style of rug to furnish my floors.

Recently, I have been on the hunt for a beautiful persian rug big enough to fill my living room floor.  I have to say it's hard to find the perfect persian rug and the most stunning ones always come with a hefty price tag.

I was buying some bits and bobs from Rockett St George  a few nights ago and came across the ultimate in rug fantasy.  My two favourite styles of rug merged together.  I actually gasped ...

I understand this almost verges on the ugly but I just love it.  I think it would go perfectly in my livingroom but it is a little bit pricey.  Rocket St George are full of good ideas and quirky objects for the home, including artificial stuffed birds à la Korban but this is my favourite on their site so far.

I just need to convince Mr Read it's 'the one' in terms of rugs now.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Interiors Inspiration: Ryan Korban

It quite literally could be love.

There is not one image of Ryan Korban's stunning interiors that I do not love.  I've had my eye on his work for a while, inspiring my own home makeover and being my prime enabler for swapping fashion for furniture.

Known for his love of decadent textures, brass, furs, skins and taxidermy, Ryan's work has all the components of my idea of interior heaven.  Yes, even the creepy stuffed birds.  Despite an old world aesthetic, Korban's designs are definitely not traditional, instead erring on the urban.

Good friends with Alexander Wang, Ryan not only designed his NYC showroom but also his loft apartment.  Mixing fashion, friends and furniture, this guy has true style.

Korban once described his style as a mix of sex, romance and fantasy. "I love that Italian look from the 1970s, when tacky looked expensive."  As vulgar as it may sound to some, I think Ryan and I share a similar taste for design.  While he can execute it to perfection, I simply hope to add a few touches of the  Ryan Korban magic to my own home.

Ryan not only designs a wonderful space but his styling efforts are phenomenal.  Who else do you know who can place a stuffed zebra in a room and have it appear completely normal, just like part of the furniture?!

These spaces are a mixture of the wonderful that I can only dream of but whether it be a zebra print rug, a fur throw or pretty brass candlesticks, I will be sure to take a tip or two from Ryan Korban.

Scottish Ballet Autumn 2012

Scottish Ballet have 3 wonderful performances to wow you this autumn and there is still time to go see it.



An extraordinary triple bill tracing a line through dance from the highly physical to the seductively graceful, featuring Martin Lawrance's Run For It, William Forsythe's Workwithinwork and Hans van Manen's 5 Tangos (my favourite!).

For booking information, visit the Scottish Ballet website.

Next up from Scottish Ballet this year is The Nutcracker.



I can't wait!

When in Rome ...

I should probably have a tumblr ...!

Roman Holiday ... what's in my suitcase?

At last I am on holiday ...!

After the busiest few weeks ever in work, it's now time to unwind.  Of course, my holidays had to start with me getting a stinking cold, oh joy!  However, I still have time to try and recover in time for my trip to Rome tomorrow.

The only downside to this Roman holiday is that we point blank refused to pay the budget airline any extra for checking in luggage.  I mean, come on ... £50 to check in 15kg? You are having a laugh.

My scrooge-like wisdom has left me with the problem of squeezing in all I need for 4 days and nights into a neat and compact 10kg bag.

Rome at this time of year is still fairly warm with the nights a little cooler.  The plan was to pack a few pairs of shorts and tops for daytime but again, me and my silly ideas .... after a ruthless wardrobe detox, I have managed to throw out all my 'city appropriate' shorts! TUT!  Aah I could kick myself.  That's what happens when summer decides to not show up in Scotland!

I have tried to create a capsule wardrobe, sticking with a colour scheme of mainly blue and black that can be mixed and matched as I see fit.  Some grainy pics below will give you an idea of what I am going for ...

L-R: Blue H&M blouse; H&M vest; cream Primark blouse; Black Zara shoulder pad top

L-R: Warehouse floral trousers; H&M graphic trousers; Warehouse Maxi skirt; Reiss pleated dress

L-R: Marc by Marc Jacobs flip flops; Reiss wedge boots;Topshop wedge sneakers

Accessories:  Raybans, pashmina, sunhat, mango clutch, necklace, cuffs, glasses

L-R: Mango blazer; Esprit leather jacket

All this and I am still under 10kg ... JUST.  It is do-able after all!  Even my make up bag is severely pared down with some foundation samples, eyeliner, bronzer, blush and red lippie. 

All that is left now is to do a little reading on what is sure to be a wonderful city and make sure to pack my camera.  

Next time you hear from me, I will have eaten my weight in pizza and will be cultured out of my nut with any luck ;)