Sundae Girl!

Sundae Girl! This week has been slightly hectic. The lovely Hannah Betts, one of my favourite writers and human beings, mentioned 'Unstung Hero' in The Times as a travel essential and the telephone has been wild for days as everyone seems to be travelling or planning their packing. I am also attending the Vogue Beauty Awards at The Corinthia Ballroom as my fragrance 'The Writer' has been nominated for 'Best Niche Fragrance'. I am really looking forward to it as it is not the winning but the taking part and to be one of only a handful of fragrances recognised by this legendary publication is reward enough for me! Handmade Horn Napkin Ring Set of 2 £25 Buy Now At the store I am thrilled to have finally taken delivery of the perfect napkin ring. One would not think that it is hard to find a beautiful napkin ring but it has taken me a year! They are either too small, too chunky, too ugly, too expensive  or, heaven forbid, need polishing before use  - and frankly who has the time? Our napkin rings are handmade from horn which has a marbleised look to it with warm, classic bands of blond, caramel, ochre and black with flecks of white. The design itself has a stabilising  'arm' which gives it a little bit of a flourish and each piece is unique. They also look good on any colour napkin. Job done! Sundae Coupe £5.25 Buy Now Mention the words Ice-Cream in our office and the entire team suddenly get a misty look! They are like rabbits in headlights, totally transfixed by the very thought!  Last week I discovered the perfect coupes for ice cream, sundaes, sorbets or a lovely chocolate mousse. Bowls are OK but they just don't have the glamour of these babies so I have scooped them up(sorry!) and will be using at every dinner party this summer. There is a bit of theatre in them - they are dressy and will make pudding rather special. Ceramic Mug £16 Each Buy Now We also  found a British company making the perfect mug. I am always trying to find a mug that my mother would drink from as she is very old-school when it comes to ceramics and will only ever drink from a bone-china cup. However I think that I have finally cracked it with these beauties as the porcelain is very fine and the proportions are brilliant - the mug is low and very wide so not only will they house a generous cup of morning tea or coffee but they look like a hybrid of a tea cup and a mug. The stripes were the added bonus - lovely colours that give them a French feel I think, slightly nautical with laissez-flair. I have bought the grey and aqua and am very pleased with them as now only need to make one cup of tea in the morning to kick-start my day.

Alvarez Gomez - Agua de Colonia Concentrada £27.95 Buy Now Ulrich Lang - Apsu £89 Buy Now Carthusia - Mediterraneo £80 Buy Now D. S. & Durga - Italian Citrus £139 Buy Now

Summer scents, in particular citrus, have been the order of the day. I think it is the hot, humid weather that has our customers searching for olfactory relief in the form of a perfume that will energise and refresh. I have several favourites that never fail - the fizzy sherbet Spanish lemons of 'Agua de Colonia Concentrada', the sophisticated Sicilian lemons and green tea combination of 'Mediterraneo' from Carthusia, the cool, water-drenched green leaves of Ulrich Lang's 'Apsu' and  D.S. & Durga's 'Italian Citrus' which has the whole cocktail of oranges, lemons, mandarin and the bitter Italian chinotto which make you instantly perky! Rigaud - Tournesol Scented Candle £65 Buy Now Finally I wanted to introduce you to one of my great olfactory joys - the Tournesol Candle from Rigaud, Paris. The lovely Lene would not allowed me to purchase this 'sunflower' candle until the warmer weather arrived however it is finally sitting on the shelf, the embodiment of summer in a glass jar. I cannot quite put into words how this fragrance makes me feel. It is the olfactory equivalent of the old Cadbury's Flake adverts - a summer meadow, dappled sunshine playing across cornflowers and the faint scent of ripening blackcurrants drifting on the breeze. For me it smells of happiness and I am very pleased to have it back in my life! Until next time I send best wishes, Michaelx GIFT WRAP AVAILABLE  For a quicker checkout you can use PayPal!