Amanda | The Womens Room

Things We LoveJanuary 5, 2015

Eat Your Books

By Amanda

I can’t decide if Eat Your Books is a bonkers or brilliant idea. The online website collates all your own cookery books, blogs and food mags you subscribe to and allows you to search for recipes. So basically, if you… Read More

Things We LoveDecember 21, 2014

Booja-Booja chocolate

By Amanda

This summer in the depths of Pembrokeshire, I discovered how utterly delicious Booja-Booja ice cream was, due to my friend Lindsay having a bit of an addiction to it. I could not believe how tasty and creamy a dairy-free ice… Read More

Health & HappinessDecember 20, 2014

Weekend (Christmas) Woman: Patti sings carols

By Amanda

Yes I know we’ve already had Patti Smith as an inspiring Weekend Woman, but since this is the last WW post before Christmas, we thought we’d put up Patti singing carols. Not only does she sound good, but she’s wearing… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 19, 2014

And the winner is…..

By Amanda

The winner of our Protected Species rain mac comp is Lorraine Tuck, well done Lorraine! The Protected Species team will be in touch shortly. In the end I thought everyone sounded very worthy, so I popped all the names on… Read More

Home & GardenDecember 19, 2014

Last minute Christmas Shopping for the desperate

By Amanda

For those of you who haven’t quite managed to get all your presents bought, wrapped-to-Martha-standards and placed artfully around the bottom of your beautifully decorated tree, we feel your pain. If the thought of heading onto the high street and… Read More

Home & GardenDecember 18, 2014

Alternative Christmas planning: in praise of ‘box set clothing’

By Amanda

Obvs, I’m looking forward to Christmas, of course I am. Nothing pleases me more than having to buy, wrap, hide and then place secretly around the Christmas tree, perfectly pitched presents for my loved ones (yes I still do the… Read More

Things We LoveDecember 18, 2014

Olio Lusso luxury face oil, by Rodin

By Amanda

When I was in New York recently I picked up some of our girl-crush Linda Rodin’s much talked about face oil, as I’d been keen to try it. Beauty industry insiders have been telling me it is excellent at enriching … Read More

Food, We Are ReadingDecember 16, 2014

Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin

By Amanda

I was recently given this wonderful and uplifting American cookery book by my friend Kay Gardiner, one half of the magnificent Mason Dixon Knitting. More cooking memoir than recipe book, it is a gentle, funny, charming and highly readable book… Read More

Health & HappinessDecember 16, 2014

New words for old, as we redefine our decades

By Amanda

Coming back from a week away, I’ve just caught up with my blog reading, including the recent This Is 50 post, where photographer Kristin Perers interviewed the eloquent dance critic Judith Mackrell. As well as looking fit and stylish, Judith… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 12, 2014

Win a beautiful Protected Species rain coat, on us!

By Amanda

You may remember we wrote about the Protected Species rain mac and parka back here. I have hardly taken my parka of since I got mine, it is extremely practical -light weight for carrying, smart, snugly dry during downpours and… Read More

Things We LoveDecember 11, 2014

Faux fur glamour with Helen Moore

By Amanda

If you are struggling to justify spending the money on one of those beautiful faux fur coats from Shrimps (or any of the other nice ones we mentioned here).then can we point you at the gorgeous accessories in fake fur… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 10, 2014

Fragrant bling: perfumed jewellery from By Kilian and Penhaligon’s

By Amanda

I am currently lusting after some jewellery that could be called well, ‘smelly,’ although perhaps ‘fragrantly glamourous bling’ is a more alluring description. Perfumers are keen to get us to wear their fragrances in ever more interesting ways, including through… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingDecember 9, 2014

Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwall

By Amanda

On the back of my Serial addiction, I read my first Patricia Cornwall last week. I know! My first one…what’ve I been doing? This is a Kay Scarpetta story and I enjoyed it. My sister, who is an avid Cornwall… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 8, 2014

Alternative party dressing for those who don’t really do Party-Ready

By Amanda

I know we are all supposed to be excited at the idea of the party season being upon us and you all know I’ll use any excuse to enthusiastically mix a good cocktail, but I absolutely loathe the idea of… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 4, 2014

Gary Graham, New York designer (one for you Kate Bush, if you’re reading)

By Amanda

I’m in New York this week so just a quick post today, showing you inside the fabulous Gary Graham Tribeca store. You’ve got to love a designer that gives you animal headed mannequins set in a festive pine forest. My… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 2, 2014

Grown up dressing from Sunspel

By Amanda

Listen up womenfolk (and menfolk in this instance), we’ve found a great new brand that is worth checking out. Well, when I say ‘new’, Sunspel is actually a grand old lady of 154, the brand launched in 1860, but recently… Read More

Things We LoveNovember 30, 2014

Perfume review: The White Line by Odin

By Amanda

Oh my, the White Line is a lovely new addition to the New York based Odin fragrance collection. Lets talk about the way the perfumes smell first….the White Line is a fresher, more floral and a little more feminine than… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 29, 2014

Weekend Woman: Sylvie Guillem

By Amanda

The extraordinary ballet dancer Sylvie Guillem has announced she is to retire from dance now she has reached 50. Sylvie is breathtaking to watch and she is the only dancer who has ever made me cry at a performance, she… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 28, 2014

Black and White Benetton, vintage 80s sweaters.

By Amanda

Do you remember, back in the day, when Benetton was the coolest knitwear brand on the planet? Readers under 30 may struggle with this thought. All those fabulous colours, that grounded breaking advertising, those brightly hued polo shirts and all… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 26, 2014

Hello, my name is Amanda and I have a sheepskin addiction

By Amanda

Now the weather has turned a bit colder I have something of a problem to confess to, I am a sheepskin addict. Tucked away in my wardrobe is a large collection of sheepskin jackets and coats in many guises. Even… Read More

Out & AboutNovember 24, 2014

Bright Old Things at Selfridges

By Amanda

Hurrah for Selfridges! While other retailers are accused of ignoring the older customer (more here) in January 2015, Selfridges stores will be celebrating Bright Old Things, featuring 14 properly grown up people who have rebooted their careers at a point… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 22, 2014

Weekend Woman: Katherine Hamnett

By Amanda

There’s been much talk recently of T shirts with slogans on. Last week Jane went to a press launch (of this book) and met up with the wonderful Katherine Hamnett, creator of the original slogan T shirt. Coincidently I’d been… Read More

Fashion, We Are ReadingNovember 21, 2014

Coco Chanel: Three Weeks/1962 by Douglas Kirkland

By Amanda

Can we ever get enough of the influential Coco Chanel? I don’t think so and now there’s this wonderful new look at the later part of her life, by photographer Douglas Kirkland, who spent 21 days with her back in… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 20, 2014

Best perfumes for teenage boys, twenty-something sons and middleagedads

By Amanda

The last post I did on ‘best perfumes for teenage boys‘ was one of our most read posts ever, it seems help is definitely needed when it comes to selecting good smells for boys (and men). So with that in… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 18, 2014

John Gustafson at Fenwicks and Liberty’s Bespoke Beauty service

By Amanda

Much like truly great hairdressers, a good beauty advisor can change your life, but the very best ones (those that are not aligned to just one brand) are rarely discussed amongst beauty editors and often you’ve got to be on… Read More

Out & AboutNovember 14, 2014

Mr Finch’s Cinder Embers exhibition, at Anthropologie

By Amanda

Mr Finch is an unusual chap. He started life as a jeweller, then moved into being a textile artist because he wasn’t really enjoying it that much. Hailing from Yorkshire and with a jolly demeanour, he is a dapper dresser… Read More

Home & GardenNovember 12, 2014

Boden and Bloom & Wild

By Amanda

Last week at the Boden Press day, it was all beautiful British blooms as the summer 2015 range is full to bursting with lovely floral prints and cheerful colour. Boden’s press day sets always look lovely, not having a chain… Read More

Things We LoveNovember 12, 2014

A glorious Gudrun (Sjödén) Jumper

By Amanda

The weather here in London has moved from the beautifully warm autumn we have been experiencing to properly chilly. Astonishingly, I only wore warm socks for the first time last week (November!) and I still haven’t worn my winter coat.… Read More

Art, Culture & Craft, We Are ReadingNovember 12, 2014

Knit Your Own Farm, by Sally Muir and Joanna Osbourne

By Amanda

One of our favourite knitting duets, Sally Muir and Joanna Osbourne have produced another of their Best In Show books, this time you can knit your own farm, including the cutest ducklings, piggies, lambs, and cows. Llamas and donkeys make… Read More

Middle Aged MumNovember 10, 2014

Middleagemum.com: Serial

By Amanda

This weekend was the first weekend youngestson came home from University since he started back in September. We’ve all missed him and were really looking forward to his return. He phoned earlier in the week to request a proper Sunday… Read More