Farewell To Dear Deer, It's A Wrap - A Hymn To All Things Cosy & The Sherpa Of Scent Shares Sizzlers !

 

Farewell To Dear Deer, It's A Wrap - A Hymn To All Things Cosy & The Sherpa Of Scent Shares Sizzlers !

Good Morning Everyone, Have we all had a glorious week? Last Saturday was amazing - 23 degrees at RW, which has to be a record for October- I was positively steaming! Had such a nice time with customers - everyone is so organised this year and have started Christmas shopping already! It is impressive and I am trying to follow their example, although I still have to find my mother's 80th birthday gift, so first things first!  On Sunday we visited Knole Park for our constitutional - it is the rutting season and the stags were bellowing very loudly and the younger ones practising by head-butting fallen branches! We rounded a corner and there was this handsome beast with a lovely white face above his Fallow spots - I liked him best as he didn't seem interested in fighting, just posing!   I shall miss the park so much when we leave Sevenoaks - it is very well-managed and there is beauty everywhere - take this ancient oak for example, it is hollow and split almost in two, yet appears to be flourishing - it looks sculptural and magnificent, a survivor ! Isn't nature wonderful! In HUGE news, it looks like we shall relocate to Amberley, West Sussex on Nov 15th... finally! This is incredibly exciting, although the Good Doctor must vacate the apartment by the end of October so we are in full dervish mode! So much to do and so very little time, however we shall make it work! Likewise, at the store, our new season's stock has been arriving on a daily basis which is hard work but so much fun! I have not even had time to re-arrange all the shelves (so the Lovely Lene will be relieved when she returns to work on Monday!).

Shop Now - Women's Cashmere Socks - £30.00

Shop Now - Men's Cashmere Socks - £45.00

I thought that, as temperatures are dropping and the central heating has switched itself back on, I would dedicate this week's missive to all things cosy!  When I was younger, I loathed the seasons, wishing it were summer every day! However, I have learned to appreciate them and the positives that they bring. There is nothing like snuggling under a mohair blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and cashmere socks, listening to the rain beat on the roof, or choosing a merino-wool scarf to keep one toasty all day. All so soothing, and one also feels blessed to be nestled in comfort, with warm toes, when others are not so fortunate. Warm toes were achieved this week with the arrival of our cashmere socks! For women I have chosen light grey and lavender, and for gentlemen we have charcoal, port and a wonderful petrol blue. I sent my father-in-law a pair for his Birthday last Saturday as I think that cashmere is such a luxurious treat for the feet. I enclosed a bottle of 'Mrs White's Woolly Answer' to stress the point that cashmere responds best to tenderness! I have tried every washing machine cycle (from cold to delicate) on cashmere and the truth is that nothing beats a gentle hand wash. Cashmere is tummy wool and a very delicate fibre - treat it well and it will last for years, but the rigours of the washing machine seem to mash the fibres together and they are never quite the same. No,  a 2-minutes gentle dunking and then a rinse and they remain as soft as kittens! I often wear a pair of cotton socks beneath and that way they can be worn several times before they need to be laundered!

Shop Now - Throw - Mohair & Wool - Multi Check - £125.00

We purchase most of our wools from Ireland. The quality is always excellent and the prices extremely good. This season we have returned to a magnificent Mill on the river Moy in County Mayo. The company was founded by a Nun over 100 years ago when she joined forces with a Protestant Mill Owner to build a business that would save local people from poverty. A Catholic Nun and a Protestant Freemason working together in 19th century Ireland must have been a very rare thing indeed!  Firstly, we have three stunning mohair blankets/throws. I have mine perched on the arm of the sofa ready to tuck myself up and watch a good movie with one of the GD's cheese scones (pictured and a religious experience!), but they also look lovely thrown across the end of the bed or draped across the back of a sofa to add a little colour and texture.

Shop Now - Throw - Mohair & Wool - Blush Pink - £110.00

The blush pink is sooooooo pretty. It is a very soft colour (lighter than candyfloss) and works particularly well with greys and blues as well as reds. The fringing is pale cream, which adds freshness and contrast to the design. Then we have the most sophisticated check of butterscotch, heather and grass green - I adore this, and am hoping that it will fit into our scheme somewhere at Amberley cottage! Finally, we have a colour block design that is vibrant and bright, with reds and oranges, yellow and sky blue - sort of Mondrian-Light! This is a joyous piece and brings some summer sunshine to the proceedings! These pieces contribute to one's life, both practically and aesthetically, and that is all that one can ask.

Shop Now - Lambswool & Cashmere - Scarf - Herringbone - £39.00

When it came to scarves, I was confused. The Mill had a collection of lambswool /cashmere scarves with a subtle herringbone finish in sophisticated hues of pale blue, pink, sage, navy and charcoal that are so soft that I simply had to have them! But, then there was an extra-fine merino wool in glorious hues of orange, olive, lavender and rose. Of course, I bought both, as one can never have too many scarves - I have just counted my collection and it stands at 68! I shall be purchasing the merino in orange and olive just to round it up - there are worse addictions!

Shop Now - Extra Fine Merino - Scarf - Herringbone - £32.00

Seriously, I find that a scarf keeps me warm all day at the office, even though I sit next the door and Lady Ange is forever blasting me with icy air as she to's and fro's from the packing grotto in the garden!

Shop Now - Organic Cotton Beanie - Reversible - £25.00

Shop Now - Can-to-Pan - Recycled Non Stick Frying Pan - 2 Sizes Available - From £29.00

This season I have sourced some organic cotton beanies. The reasoning is, I am embarrassed to say, a little selfish as I find that wool next to my forehead dries my skin rather badly and thought it likely that other's might experience the same thing? Thus, we have a fine-knit, reversible hat (so soft, and two hats for the price of one!) in caramel/fawn  emerald/denim blue or black/denim blue, with the contrasting trim. Also, a chunky-knit of cotton/cashmere in black, fire and sand. They are very warm and a must if you have sensitive skin - for those with a more robust complexion we do have some pure wool alternatives! So there you have it; toasty toes, a warm neck and a blanket for one's knees.... now what's missing? Ahhhhhhh.....gloves!

Shop Now - Women's Gloves - From £29.00

I cannot tell you how long I have waited to unveil these babies. I found a collection from Japan last summer and had to pay to have them made for me over six months ago but they were well worth the wait! I have never seen anything quite like them - it's as if they have been made by elves! The difference between this collection and the average glove (besides the fact they are fashioned by fairy-folk obviously) is that, while the body is one tone, there are coloured insets between each finger! This is sooooooo chic! You do not get the impact until the hand moves - they look like they are all one shade until you reach out and the fingers part to revel these exquisite flashes of colour. They look like something from the Dior catwalk of the 1950's (designed by YSL) - or maybe Balenciaga . Incredibly glamorous - think Dovima (elephants optional)! There are three option - 100% Cashmere, Cashmere & Wool and finally Vegan Suede. They have a lot of stretch in them so hug the hand - Dusty says that they make your hands look tiny and are like "Spanx for hands" which made me chuckle! There boys and girls, that should keep the autumn chills at bay AND raise the style-bar a couple of notches!

And now, the Sherpa Of Scent on sizzling scents! It was tricky to decide if I should concentrate on 'comforting' or 'smoky' scents this week but have decided on the latter - I shall save 'comforting' for another time! Firstly, I must hold my hand up and confess that I love almost any fragrance with smoky notes, from those that simply smoulder to a full-on inferno! The key ingredient of almost all smoky scents is birch tar, distilled for the bark of the birch tree (fyi still the most common tree in Scotland!). It can mimic leather, burning woods or simply smoke and adds a delicious darkness to perfume. Smokey scents possess a seductive allure, as well as a cosy, comforting facets reminiscent of log fires, hence their inclusion this week.

Shop Now - Linari - Fuoco Infernale (EdP) 100ml- £145.00

'Fuoco Infernale' from Linari translates as 'Hellfire', which is perhaps a little misleading. The enticing blend of carnation and labdanum with warm cinnamon, herbal marjoram, and tar-like birch confounds expectations with a simple heart of bittersweet tonka bean and olibanum. At the base, spicy gurjan balsam is backed by clean, white musk and premium Atlas cedar, before meeting opulent ambergris for a luxurious and sophisticated finish. I find nothing 'hellish' here, but rather a soft, crackling purr!

Shop Now - Bruno Fazzolari - Feu Secret (EdP) 30ml - £113.00

Bruno Fazzolari's 'Feu Secret' is spellbinding. It opens with iris and a splash of green hemlock spruce. The smokey birch note is at the base, teamed with Himalayan cedar and is more smouldering ember than flame but none the poorer for it. Eminently wearable, it is gorgeous sprayed on a scarf!

Shop Now - Kerosene - Broken Theories (EdP) 100ml - £165.00

'Broken Theories' from Kerosene makes my toes curl! It is absolutely perfect for Autumn/Winter and a really clever trick of the nose as this scent does not contain birch tar but uses, tobacco, incense and oud to conjure imaginary embers. There's a glow of blood orange at the top and a cheeky smattering of spices to dance across the scent. In its ouevre, unbeatable!

Shop Now - Timothy Han - The Decay of an Angel (EdP) 60ml - £160.00

I always feel a touch of sadness when speaking of 'The Decay Of The Angel' by Timothy Han as it conjures a fall from grace. However, the fragrance is anything but, instead propelling the wearer to dizzying heights of ecstasy! Again, there is no birch here, the warmest of hearts imagined by a combination of oud, labdanum, frankincense, patchouli and cade (this is juniper tar oil). There is a faintly cognac smell too that I find very seductive indeed!

Shop Now - Perris Monte Carlo - Patchouli Nosy Be (EdP) 50ml - £85.00

Perris Monte Carlo's 'Patchouli Nosey Be' is a patchouli sandwich with the earthy loveliness of the lead note at both top and base. Between, sit labdanum, cedar and sandalwood which smell like the glow of a campfire and the rich oils emanating from the branches. Again, lovely to spray on coats and scarves to wrap us up in fiery fragrance!

Shop Now - Jorum Studio - Medullary-Ray (EdP) 30ml - £84.00

For those who really wish to walk on the wild side, then 'Medullary Ray' from Jorum Studio is just the ticket. This a growling, smoky animalic, with castoreum (beaver bottom) and birch taking centre stage. Guaic and hay, frankincense and myrrh are omnipresent in the dry down and it deserves skin to truly shine!   Today I trim the hedges in the front garden (for the last time this year - yay!), then work at the store and finally travel to Eastbourne to celebrate the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of my beloved in-laws. Sixty years of happy marriage is quite a cause for celebration - but what does one give as a gift? Tricky! In the morning, I return to the GD in Sevenoaks to commence packing - I have been allocated the transportation of 'the good stuff' and so the lamps, crystal and marble pieces are coming home with me to await their final journey and subsequent positioning in the cottage - it is testament to my nature that I already know exactly where each will be placed! The weather starts to get colder( albeit briefly) and wetter next week so please makes sure that umbrella's, cocoa and cashmere are all to hand!  I wish you all a snug w/e !  Michael x