The Women's Room | Daily Life and Style Inspiration

Things We LoveFebruary 2, 2012

Red Roses Collection at Jo Malone London

By Amanda

Should anyone need any ideas for gifts on Valentine’s Day (or need to drop a few giant hints to partners) look no further than the lovely Red Rose Collection from Jo Malone London. To be honest, I’m happy with anything… Read More

Health & HappinessFebruary 2, 2012

Teenage acne and how to treat it, thanks to For The Young Dude

By Amanda

It’s ALL about beauty products this week on TWR. As we all keenly await Jane’s review on NanoBlur (or Nan Blur as we’ve renamed it) and Dream Nude Airfoam Foundation from Maybelline, I’ve been researching help on teenage acne, as… Read More

Middle Aged MumFebruary 1, 2012

Middleagedmum.com: flawless

By Jane

Over the last couple of years, a number of new words have entered my vocabulary. Descriptions such as flawless complexion, oily T zone, even coverage, luminescence and defined contours, have become part of everyday kitchen table conversation in our house… Read More

Art, Culture & Craft, We Are ReadingJanuary 31, 2012

I Love Stationery by Charlotte Rivers

By Amanda

You know how we feel about stationery. When this little tome arrived last week I downed tools immediately and read it cover to cover. Well, it’s mostly pictures so it was less taxing than it sounds. The NICE thing… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 31, 2012

Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair – keeping warm with style

By Amanda

At Anita’s Vintage Fair in Notting Hill on Sunday, there was a distinctly chilly nip in the air and many of the vintage ladies were sporting layers to keep out the cold. Thick woollies and scarves were on show, with… Read More

Things We LoveJanuary 30, 2012

COS Orange trousers

By Jane

If you haven’t already bought a pair of coloured trousers, then what are you waiting for? Orange is just not going away and these slim fit trousers are a lovely shade of tangerine. They are smart, but have a slight… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 30, 2012

Advanced Style on Bobbies Style Buzz

By Jane

The up and coming documentary featuring the fabulous ladies from the Advanced Style blog, is causing quite a stir in the US, with the Today programme devoting a morning slot to style tips for the over 75’s. The Advanced Style… Read More

Home & GardenJanuary 29, 2012

Railway shelving

By Amanda

I live close to a railway line in London, where about once a week -more in the summer- we get a Pullman coach steam train whistling through, billowing cotton wool clouds of steam and chuffing nostalgically. It’s thrilling to hear… Read More

Health & HappinessJanuary 28, 2012

Style Icon: Beatrice Wood

By Jane

Beatrice Wood moved to California In her early forties, after a succession of failed artistic careers (most notably as an actress) and an annulled marriage. After buying a pair of baroque plates with a luster glaze and trying to unsuccessfully… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 27, 2012

Anthem in Shoreditch: a new store for Middleagedad

By Amanda

Alarmingly, on my last trip to our beloved East London, I realised middleagedad now has a better selection of clothes shops to visit than us girls do. Menswear independents such as Hostem, Present, Albam and Anthem are popping up everywhere… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 26, 2012

It’s all about the geo!

By Jane

While we are no where near ready to start buying our Spring Summer wardrobes yet, we are starting to think about what looks we might be going for. If pastels are not dinging your dong and you are not afraid… Read More

Health & Happiness, We Are ReadingJanuary 25, 2012

Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

By Jane

Call the Midwife is shaping up to be one of those memorable tv programmes that makes you feel good and weep at the same time. A wonderful insight into the lives of women in the East End in the 50’s,… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 25, 2012

Tempting discount offers at Blitz Vintage and something for the weekend

By Amanda

Do you remember we reported on the great new vintage department store Blitz last autumn? Well the store is looking really lovely for spring, with lots of great ideas for working vintage buys into your wardrobe for the new season.… Read More

Fashion, We Are ReadingJanuary 24, 2012

Gay Men Don’t Get Fat by Simon Doonan

By Amanda

More quirky, life affirming ramblings from Mr Doonan, who has a habit of observing the best and worst of human behaviour (mostly happening in the fashion and media world he inhabits) and feeing it back to us in amusingly absurdist… Read More

Middle Aged MumJanuary 24, 2012

Middleagedmum.com: the homework police

By Jane

When my oldest teen started secondary school, I signed up to take part in the online parents forum. It’s supposed to be a space where governors, teachers and parents can discuss educational matters and share information, which on the whole… Read More

Home & GardenJanuary 23, 2012

Starched and Crumpled (via Selvedge)

By Amanda

Still on the subject of vintage fabrics and mending (see previous posts) I found this lovely supplier of antique fabrics, clothing and haberdashery via the January issue of Selvedge magazine. Run by the well travelled Jennifer-Bristow Smith from her refurbished… Read More

Home & GardenJanuary 22, 2012

How to own a dog without the mess: Dog Lamps

By Jane

If you long for a dog but have a partner who hates them, a relative with an allergy, or simply can’t bear the thought of all that fur and mud (and believe me at this time of year it’s muddy… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 21, 2012

Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter at Chelsea Space

By Amanda

Over in the Chelsea College of Art’s Chelse Space for the next five weeks is an exhibition of designs from menswear retail legend Lloyd Johnson, co founder of Johnson’s The Modern Outfitters. It’s hard to pick the most influential bit… Read More

Art & CultureJanuary 20, 2012

Teatime treat: Sh*t Fashion Girls Say

By Jane

If you haven’t seen the Sh*t Girls Say series of videos on YouTube, like, where the Hell have you been? They are totes hilaire and this has to be like, my most amazeballs. I am totally Tweeting this!! Obsessed!… Read More

Art & CultureJanuary 20, 2012

More nice book shelves: Selfridges Library

By Jane

One of my favourite things to do when shopping (I HATE shopping, it feels like work) is to escape from the fashion floor and find the nearest bookshop. On entering, one is overwhelmed by a lovely sense of calm and… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 19, 2012

Chic ladies at Hammersmith Vintage Fair January 2012

By Amanda

At the first Hammersmith Vintage sale for 2012, there was an abundance of ladies looking very chic, despite the cold and we snapped and chatted to a few of them (yes, we’re getting a bit braver with our street style… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 18, 2012

Handwritten by Tanya Sarne

By Amanda

Last week we were very privileged to sit in on the autumn buy for zelfa.net, a new ecommerce site aimed at chic ladies of 35plus (more about this on a later post). We were at Handwritten by Tanya Sarne, which… Read More

Fashion, We Are ReadingJanuary 18, 2012

Culture Chanel directed by Jean-Louis Froment

By Amanda

This one is for readers who are building up their own personal fashion library and Chanel geeks only. The hefty and a tad pricey Culture Chanel, Directed by Jean-Louis Froment, published by Abrams Books at £140, is a visual… Read More

Things We LoveJanuary 17, 2012

Jo Malone Vitamin E moisturising day cream

By Amanda

Jane and I were treated to a pot of this newly launched Jo Malone Vitamin E moisturiser day cream before Christmas to trial. It’s just gorgeous. I have no idea if it’s doing my skin any good (I’ve been using… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 17, 2012

The grown up guide to wearing pastels

By Jane

If you have been shopping over the last couple of weeks you will have noticed that pastels are ‘on trend’ for spring summer 2012 . The fashion dictators/forecasters (oops that might have been me!) have decreed that ice cream shades… Read More

Art & CultureJanuary 16, 2012

Style icon: Yayoi Kusama

By Jane

Yayoi Kusama’s is Japan’s most prominent contemporary artist. Her paintings, sculptures and installations revolve around her obsession with infinity, pattern and repetition and she is well known for her use of polka dots. A true creative, she has struggled with… Read More

Home & GardenJanuary 15, 2012

American Stuffers, Xtreme Taxidermy and pet preservation

By Amanda

I was alerted to the spectacularly entertaining American Stuffers, A Show About Pet Preservation (Animal Planet) by @BelgianWaffling and @Randallwrites, both of whom tweeted about it this week. It’s a show about taxidermy, well to be truthful it’s a show… Read More

Art & CultureJanuary 14, 2012

The Joy of Books

By Jane

While traditionalists lament the demise of the book, creatives are coming up with new ways to display, sell and re-invent them. Bookshelf Porn is a lovely Tumblr site, dedicated to showcasing the best images of bookshelves and is a great… Read More

Health & Happiness, We Are ReadingJanuary 13, 2012

The Glass Half Full; A breast cancer blog revisited by Elizabeth Glasson

By Jane

Written by a ‘local mum’, this is an moving and honest account of what it’s like to have breast cancer. Insightful and often funny and uplifting, this book is a helpful and informative guide for anyone diagnosed with, or helping… Read More

Health & HappinessJanuary 13, 2012

Philips RéAura skin laser: no pain, no gain

By Amanda

I have been using a laser on my skin as part of my beauty routine for the last few months, a proper, Philips super advanced, Fraxel technology laser, the sort you might find in a really serious dermatologists. I know… Read More