Amanda | The Womens Room

Home & GardenMay 2, 2013

Susannah Hunter’s Chelsea Flower Show garden, with weather-proof leather flowers

By Amanda

Chelsea Flower Show Gardeners are normally in a bit of a spin around now, complaining that temperatures are either too hot/cold/wet/dry to ensure the perfect show garden. Handbag designer Susannah Hunter’s garden will bloom beautifully whatever the weather, because most… Read More

Art & CultureApril 30, 2013

Go See This: Claire Aho at the Photographers’ Gallery

By Amanda

It’s becoming quite clear Jane and I are going to have to become Scandinavian, we fall in love with almost everything the area throws at us (recent love = wellies). I have a new Skandi-girl-crush on photographer Claire Aho, whose… Read More

Things We LoveApril 29, 2013

Peter and Paul cake stand from Ginger & Mora

By Amanda

We love this cake stand from new lifestyle website Ginger & Mora. Glass cake stands are everywhere now, so ever keen to stay ahead of the trend we’re looking for something a bit different and this one, called the Peter… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingApril 29, 2013

Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by Jill Mansell

By Amanda

The recent post on pencil cases attracted the attention of TWR readers and super-successful writer Jill Mansell, who explained writers often are obsessed with stationery too…she is, so we couldn’t resist asking her to tell us more…. So Jill, what’s… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingApril 26, 2013

Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, by David Sedaris

By Amanda

Anyone who adores Davis Sedaris as much as me will only need to know that there is a new book out. You can buy it here. I am reading it and it is as hilarious as usual.… Read More

Home & GardenApril 26, 2013

National Stationery Week: what’s in your pencil case?

By Amanda

You know how we (Ok, I) am about stationery and all things related, we couldn’t let National Stationery Week go by without celebrating. So we’re taking the opportunity to look into the pencil cases of some of our favourite stationery… Read More

Home & Garden, We Are ReadingApril 24, 2013

The Set Table by Hannah Shuckburgh

By Amanda

If you are free on Thursday 25th April and you love a beautifully set table, can we suggest you nip along to Anthropologie in The King’s Road Chelsea, where Hannah Shuckburgh is celebrating the launch of her pretty new book … Read More

Out & AboutApril 24, 2013

Back to the 70s with Kaffe Fassett

By Amanda

There’s something fabulously old-school hippy about the textile artist Kaffe Fassett and his quilting,needlepoint and knitting style. Maybe it’s his upbringing on the Californian Big Sur coastline where his parents ran a restaurant popular with artists, or his move to… Read More

Fashion & BeautyApril 22, 2013

The best perfumes for teenage boys

By Amanda

Last of the perfume blogs for a bit, I promise, but I was asked by a couple of readers about first fragrances for teenage boys, so I rounded up some opinions from both experts (my perfume friend Andrew Tucker) and… Read More

Things We LoveApril 19, 2013

The Foodie Bugle magazine

By Amanda

Is it us or are beautifully presented niche magazines having a bit of a moment? Print is definitely in decline apparently, yet there are some lovely new magazines around, including this charming tome The Foodie Bugle, the first printed version… Read More

Home & GardenApril 19, 2013

Fragranced clothes: perfume is finding new places to go…

By Amanda

Fragrance houses are starting to make eyes at your clothes…you thought they were perfectly OK with regular washing and a dash of Comfort in the rinse to make ’em smell a bit less ‘laundry’, but they have other ideas. Home… Read More

Health & Happiness, We Are ReadingApril 19, 2013

Lost Lanes by Jack Thurston

By Amanda

This a glorious book, a total treat for anyone who cycles or who dreams of packing up a picnic lunch and heading out into the countryside for an adventure. It details 36 bike rides around Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, the… Read More

Art & CultureApril 17, 2013

Face to face with David Bowie at the V&A

By Amanda

The Bowie exhibition at the V&A is terrific and you must see it if like us, you grew up playing his albums over and over while enduring your parents confused musings on wether he was a boy or a girl… Read More

Food, We Are ReadingApril 15, 2013

Nutmeg & Custard by Marcus Wareing

By Amanda

Like the look of this book by Marcus Wareing, which his lovely PR lady Natasha, who we met last week, says is full of great recipes you can really do at home. Also, we love the title, Nutmeg and… Read More

Out & AboutApril 15, 2013

We loved: So Dior at Harrods

By Amanda

I’m afraid to say we dropped the ball on this wonderful exhibition So Dior, of Dior clothes, perfume and accessories at Harrods, which finished yesterday, by not mentioning it when it first opened. If I hadn’t read Disneyrollergirl’s fabulous post… Read More

Things We LoveApril 11, 2013

Perfume review: Muguet by Guerlain

By Amanda

Lily of the Valley is mighty tricky to turn into perfume nowadays, because the European Union, bless its cotton socks, is busy banning all the ingredients that make it smell good. I love the flower because as well as its… Read More

Fashion & BeautyApril 11, 2013

John Rocha’s glasses collection for Specsavers

By Amanda

Specsavers has teamed up with John Rocha to produce a range of 13 glass styles that launch this week on line and in Specsaver stores. I love John Rocha and his recent AW13 show made me – a die-hard neutrals… Read More

Things We LoveApril 9, 2013

Citrus stem spray by Quirky

By Amanda

This is genius and I’ve been meaning to write about it for weeks. You stick the spray stem bit into a fresh lemon or orange and you have a perfect spray of citrus, it works brilliantly for spraying avocados to… Read More

Home & GardenApril 9, 2013

Angela Flanders Moth Herbs Workshop…hope for woolly sweaters everywhere

By Amanda

The weather may be warming slightly and there might be a spring in your step as the sun peeks out to cheer us all up, but be on your guard people, BE ON YOUR GUARD…Warm weather means only one thing… Read More

Art & CultureApril 7, 2013

We love: singer songwriter Rachel Ries

By Amanda

For the next month we have my friend the American songwriter Rachel Ries staying with us, on and off, as she tours the UK with her Spring in the Isles tour. I absolutely love her gentle, thoughtful songs and I’m… Read More

Things We LoveApril 5, 2013

Perfume review: Caligna from L’Artisan Parfumeur

By Amanda

I’ve been wearing this newly launched summery fragrance from L’Artisan Parfumeur all through the appalling weather we’ve been having recently, in an attempt to lift my spirits and pretend I’m in a warm bubble of summer (or spring, at least).… Read More

Middle Aged MumApril 5, 2013

Middleagemum.com: Land Rovers are the new middleagedad’s middleagecrisis car

By Amanda

It used to be a Porsche, didn’t it? the car that all men were supposed to buy or lust after when they reached middleage and realised life was slipping by and still no sign of the career as a Rock… Read More

Fashion & BeautyApril 3, 2013

More wish list shopping: Everlane

By Amanda

I’m fascinated by the sudden (mini) surge in brand-launches that look like they are aimed at the quality-appreciating, well styled, grown-up-dressing female. I’m currently hankering after something from American brand Everlane, having been tipped off about it by New York… Read More

Things We LoveApril 2, 2013

Racinne skincare from Korea

By Amanda

The Koreans are good at skincare, not least because their government is busy investing in supporting the country’s skin scientists so they become world leaders -particularly in plant stem cell technology. Can you imagine suggesting that to our current government?… Read More

Out & AboutApril 1, 2013

Regent Street, what’s not to love?

By Amanda

One of the slightly more acceptable things about the economic downturn and the rise of internet shopping is the fact that we are going off big box, indoor shopping centres. It might be something to do with Mary Portas… Read More

Things We LoveMarch 31, 2013

Jo Malone: Charlotte Stockdale’s Red Roses

By Amanda

Perfume house Jo Malone has taken on super-stylist Charlotte Stockdale to add a bit of youthful, edgy sparkle to the brand. Charlotte’s first collection, which will be available exclusively in Selfridges from 1st April, features this neon-dipped limited-and-numbered edition bottle… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 30, 2013

We love: Sali Hughes’s new beauty website

By Amanda

Oh joy! this is how we like our beauty advice- intelligent, real and stonkingly funny, at least as far as the Caitlin Moran interview, conducted while sat on the loo in her bathroom, is concerned (love her tights drying on… Read More

Things We LoveMarch 28, 2013

MoroccanOil

By Amanda

MoroccanOil gave us some samples to trial recently, the first thing I noticed was the smart packaging, I love the medicine-bottle-brown of the treatment oils and the colour coded shampoo and conditioner so you don’t get them muddled in the… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 28, 2013

Wish List shopping: Pièce d’Anarchive

By Amanda

While we are talking about fabulous fabrics, as we were last week, I must mention my addiction to broderie anglais and guipure lace. Both turn up at vintage fairs regularly; broderie anglais in sweet blouses with leg-of-mutton sleeves or as… Read More

Home & GardenMarch 26, 2013

Try this at home: lavender infused gin

By Amanda

I’ve gone right off wine, something to do with the menopause, but the good news is I’ve discovered gin, which coincides with something of a revival in artisan gin appreciation. We wrote about the delightful Sipsmith London Gin distillery here… Read More