The Women's Room | Daily Life and Style Inspiration

Art & CultureJanuary 12, 2012

We Can Be Heroes

By Jane

Anyone who went clubbing in the 80’s will love the crowd funded book, We can Be Heroes. A collaboration between writer (and former clothes designer and singer from Blue Rondo a la Turk) Chris Sullivan and photographer Graham Smith, the… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 11, 2012

Bright and cheerful sale buys to work into your spring wardrobe

By Amanda

Didn’t you just love the beautiful prints and cheerful colours on Jane’s Mary Katrantzou post? I have vowed to wear more beautiful colours this year, certainly during the dull months of Jan and Feb, so scanning the sale from the… Read More

Home & Garden, Out & AboutJanuary 10, 2012

The London Fields Brewery

By Jane

Just when most people are trying to detox, or at least stick to the reccommended two alcohol free days a week, we are banging on about artisan distilleries and micro breweries. Instead of doing the ‘no drinking in January’ thing,… Read More

Home & Garden, Out & AboutJanuary 9, 2012

Sipsmith gin in Hammersmith

By Amanda

Gin is having something of a moment in the spotlight, with lots of small artisan distilleries popping up all over the place creating hand crafted gins lovingly distilled in copper stills. There was an excellent Radio 4 programme on the… Read More

Home & GardenJanuary 8, 2012

Frugal flower ideas for January

By Jane

If you are experiencing the January blues and missing the added sparkle that Christmas fairy lights brought to your house, pop out now to your latest petrol station and buy some flowers, because believe it or not, garage forecourt flowers… Read More

Home & GardenJanuary 7, 2012

New word for ‘waste not want not’: mottainai

By Amanda

I’m still in ‘Japanese make do and mend’ mode (after Monday’s post on Kintsugi) and have another recycle-y word for you, Mottainai, which is Japanese for ‘waste not, want not’ or the beauty of respectful reuse of fabrics until… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 6, 2012

Something lovely for a winters day: Mary Katrantzou Spring Summer collection

By Jane

Summer seems like such a long way away and the thought of wearing summer clothes a distant dream. Mary Katrantzou is a young designer who has taken the fashion world by storm over the last couple of seasons. Her stunning… Read More

Fashion, We Are ReadingJanuary 6, 2012

Stylists, New Fashion Visionaries by Katie Baron

By Amanda

Heads up on this lovely looking book, it’s not out until early Feb 2012, but it is going to be a fabulous one to have on your coffee table. We have to fess-up here and say we know young Katie,… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingJanuary 5, 2012

London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins

By Amanda

I heard this being reviewed on the Radio 4 book club programme recently, when all the reviewers loved it. I am only half way through it but love it enough to happily recommend you read it too. Fabulous characters, brilliant… Read More

Home & GardenJanuary 5, 2012

New word for ‘make do and mend’: Kintsugi

By Amanda

New Kintsugi, gold repair from Humade on Vimeo. This could be the year we all look a bit more seriously at fixing stuff rather than throwing things away and buying new. Typically for such an artistic people, the Japanese have… Read More

Health & HappinessJanuary 4, 2012

A feminist future?

By Jane

Yesterday over breakfast, while reading the paper, I said to teen daughter ‘you should be glad you’re not a 15 year old girl in Afganistan’, ‘why’ she replied, and I told her the hideous story of the young girl, tortured… Read More

Out & AboutJanuary 3, 2012

More dancing in 2012! at Drink Shop Dance

By Amanda

Should we make New Year’s resolutions (best not to, I find, you only end up being disappointed) then we would definitely want to dance more in 2012. Dancing is joyous, fun and even counts as exercise so we should do… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingJanuary 2, 2012

As Always, Julia edited by Joan Reardon

By Amanda

You may have enough cookery books, but do you have enough cookery biographies? They are often JUST as exciting I think, and this compilation of letters between Julia Child (US cooking guru) and Avis Devoto, her literary mentor, during the… Read More

Things We LoveJanuary 2, 2012

They’re Real by Benefit

By Jane

Having lush eyelashes becomes a thing of the past as one gets older and mascara becomes more a necessity than ever. I find it increasingly difficult to find one that doesn’t make me look like a wannabe glamour model/Kardashian and… Read More

Art & CultureJanuary 2, 2012

Books for the new year: Spitalfields Life and Advanced Style

By Jane

One of my New Years resolutions is not to buy new books until I have finished reading the ones I have mounting up on the book pile of shame! Internet shopping has made buying books impossibly easy and the Amazon… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJanuary 1, 2012

Carry-overs and dogs: my favourite pieces of clothing from 2011

By Amanda

Happy New Year to you all! We had a lovely break, hope you did too. When I worked as a merchandiser I would spend the week between Christmas and New Year studying the story behind the ‘dogs’ (bad sellers) and… Read More

Home & GardenDecember 26, 2011

We’re on our holidays…..back January 1st

By Amanda

We are on our Christmas holiday break, we will be back on January 1st with more fun and nonsense. J&A… Read More

Middle Aged MumDecember 25, 2011

A Christmas birthday!

By Jane

As far as I am aware, there are absolutely no advantages to being born on the same day as the most famous baby in history. Everyone might remember Jesus’s birthday, but if you are unfortunate enough to have a birthday… Read More

Out & AboutDecember 24, 2011

A bit of culture for the holiday break.

By Amanda

Don’t you love your relatives? You look forward for ages to them coming to stay and then as soon as they arrive you can’t wait for them to go. If you are enduring enjoying a family Christmas this year you… Read More

Middle Aged MumDecember 23, 2011

The perfect Christmas present for Middleagedmum

By Jane

If you are struggling for a last minute present for any of your female relatives, can I suggest this little gem. It may be small, but it has maximum impact and I can guarantee it will become a vital accessory… Read More

Home & GardenDecember 22, 2011

Your Christmas Cocktail

By Amanda

It has been the Year of the Cocktail for me this year, it must be an age thing. Half way through the year I gave up wine completely because it was making me feel awful and I swapped to (mostly)… Read More

Things We LoveDecember 21, 2011

Dr Oetker’s gold balls

By Amanda

Just in case you are running short on ideas for decorating puddings at Christmas, I can recommend Dr Oetker’s soft gold pearly balls. They are perfect for throwing over trifles, cupcakes or Pavlova, see above and looking suitably festive. They… Read More

Art, Culture & Craft, We Are ReadingDecember 21, 2011

Clarence House: The Art of the Textile by Kazumi Yoshida and Sabine Rothman

By Jane

This gorgeous coffee table book takes a look at the work of the renowned interior textile designers, Clarence House. Founded by Robin Roberts in 1961, they have been creating inspiring, luxurious textiles for interiors for the last fifty years. Kazumi… Read More

Home & GardenDecember 21, 2011

Try this: lavender hot chocolate

By Jane

The Christmas holidays are all about lighting fires, watching films, curling up on the sofa and eating comfort food. And what could be more comforting than a steaming mug of hot chocolate? I’m not a fan of instant or shop… Read More

Out & AboutDecember 20, 2011

Hailo Black Cab app: digital hailing for the party season

By Amanda

Here’s another useful app for anyone who struggles to hail a black cab during busy periods (ie when it rains) or argues with their other half as to the BEST place in the road to stand to hail one. Hailo,… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 19, 2011

Iris Apfel for MAC

By Jane

You are never to old to wear red lipstick and our favourite 90 year old style icon, Iris Apfel, proves just, that with her latest collaboration with beauty brand MAC. She has created a 20 piece collection, which perfectly sums… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 18, 2011

The Scent Selector: a new perfume app from Roja Dove

By Amanda

Attention perfume nerds, this one is for you. The perfume guru Roja Dove has come out with a clever app to help you when you get to the Duty Free beauty hall, get overwhelmed and everything you’ve ever read about… Read More

Health & HappinessDecember 17, 2011

And another thing Santa!

By Jane

Dear Santa, While you are sorting out Amanda’s new gay son and private jet, I’d like you to consider consider a few fantasy gifts I have on my list? Mrs Doubtfire Not only would she cook and clean and nag… Read More

Health & HappinessDecember 16, 2011

Dear Santa, my fantasy Christmas wish list

By Amanda

Dear Santa, this year I’ve got everything I need thanks, but in case you are considering making my dreams really come true, here are a few fantasy ideas: Another son, but this one must be gay As you know Santa,… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 15, 2011

Christmas sweaters: it’s a trend!

By Jane

A couple of weeks ago I noticed not one, but two rails of rather worrying tops in my local Beyond Retro. The tasteless bright red and green jumpers and sweats were decorated with tacky festive graphics, Christmas themed applique and… Read More