The Women's Room | Daily Life and Style Inspiration

Things We LoveDecember 14, 2011

Labour And Wait’s Christmas red parcel string

By Amanda

Sometimes a pile of beautifully wrapped presents is as good as it gets on Christmas morning….I’ve had more than one instance of wishing I’d never actually opened the parcel up (last year’s foot massage/warmer springs to mind). There’s something so… Read More

Art, Culture & Craft, We Are ReadingDecember 14, 2011

Handcrafted Modern: At Home With Mid-Century Designers by Leslie Williamson

By Jane

This book is a must have for lovers of mid century interiors. This collection of newly commissioned photographs are studies of domestic modernism at it’s most creative. The iconic images of the homes of influential mid-century designers, such as Russel… Read More

Home & GardenDecember 14, 2011

Dressing your door – Christmas wreath photo round up

By Amanda

The Christmas wreath on the door is the domestic equivalent of the holiday shop window so this week I swapped my usual retail observations for front doors. There are some lovely ones around, from the huge and beautiful (Knightsbridge -things… Read More

Health & HappinessDecember 13, 2011

Are women are born to be bitchy?

By Jane

A recent academic study has found that women can feel threatened by an attractive peer and as a result their reaction towards a woman they consider a threat, can range from a simple sneer and eyebrow raise, to horrible comments. … Read More

Home & GardenDecember 12, 2011

Martha Moments: wrapped amaryllis bulbs for Christmas

By Amanda

I was in Amsterdam last week for a flying visit and spotted these lovely Christmas-wrapped amaryllis bulbs. Now, the Dutch know a thing or two about bulbs, as we all know, but I think this is the first time I’ve… Read More

Fashion & Beauty, Out & AboutDecember 11, 2011

The grown up guide to Dalston

By Jane

E8 isn’t a London postcode usually associated with exciting retail, but ever since the Guardian declared Dalston to be the coolest place in Britain, there has been a growing number of uber fashionable shops and venues popping up. You have… Read More

Home & GardenDecember 10, 2011

Scented Narcissi for Christmas from the Isles of Scilly

By Amanda

We are indebted to TWR reader Cilla for tipping us off about the Scented Narcissi company from The Scilly Isles, which is one of her favourite places on Earth. When our family went (on her recommendation) we felt like we’d… Read More

Out & AboutDecember 10, 2011

Singing and Shopping (traffic free!) in Oxford Street

By Amanda

This weekend, Oxford Street, the Bond Streets (Old and New) and Regent Street are traffic free…something you might appreciate if you are a London shopper or a visitor for the day. As part of our sponsored post from Monday, when… Read More

Middle Aged MumDecember 9, 2011

Middleagedmum.com: early riser

By Jane

It’s ironic that as parents we spend a great deal of our children’s early lives wishing they would either go to sleep or stay asleep and spend their teenage years wishing they would wake up! I have to admit I… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 8, 2011

Designer Red Cross for Christmas bargains

By Amanda

We got such a nice response off you all for the post we did on the Red Cross Vintage store that we thought we’d mention the charity also runs an equally impressive designer shop just off London’s King’s Road. We… Read More

Things We LoveDecember 7, 2011

Christmas candles

By Jane

There really is nothing nicer at this time of year, than making a real fire, switching on the Christmas tree lights and lighting a scented candle. Within minutes the house is filled with festive scent and Christmas cheer. It’s worth… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 7, 2011

Kate Bush: 50 Words for Snow

By Jane

Kate Bush wrote The Kick Inside when she was just 19 years old and I was 17. I thought she had written it just for me and listened to it pretty much every day throughout my late teens. Along with… Read More

Out & AboutDecember 6, 2011

Christmas at Tobias And The Angel

By Amanda

In our series of Shops We’s Like To Move Into, Tobias And The Angel must come close to the top of the list, it’s even got a bed and a kitchen. Angel Hughes rules the space like a craftwork queen… Read More

Out & AboutDecember 5, 2011

The characters of Columbia Road

By Jane

Columbia Road is one of my favourite places to go on a Sunday morning and at this time of year it is really special. Not only is it the best place to buy every kind of flora and fauna you… Read More

Health & HappinessDecember 4, 2011

Camila Batmanghelidjh from Kids Company talks to The Women’s Room

By Amanda

Remember when we wrote about Camila Batmanghelidjh after the riots? Well the nice people at American Express and the New West End Company asked if we’d like to meet her this week, mostly so we could ‘big up’ the American… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 3, 2011

Marni and H & M

By Jane

We are beside oursleves with excitement as H&M have announced that Marni will be their next designer collaboration. We love the look of the styling and I have to have that spotty pencil skirt in my life. Is it too… Read More

Fashion, We Are ReadingDecember 2, 2011

Vintage Style by Sarah Kennedy

By Jane

I may be a little biased when it comes to this book, as the author Sarah Kennedy and I have been friends since we were 15 and dressed like Olivia Newton John in Grease! We have been through every hideous… Read More

Home & GardenDecember 2, 2011

Martha Moments: make your own Christmas decorations

By Amanda

We come across some very clever people when we do shop visits, and this week was no exception. Over at Nom de Plume, co owner Pippa was busy putting up her home made Christmas star balls as window dressing. “They… Read More

Things We LoveDecember 1, 2011

Frog rings by Appartement à Louer Paris

By Amanda

When we went to the Precious Christmas pop up this week, we were given one of these fantastic frog rings by Kate as an early Christmas present. They are going to be our Christmas party rings. Very well priced at… Read More

Fashion & BeautyDecember 1, 2011

Bloggy Twitter: Ab Fab is back!

By Jane

This looks like it may be a little to close to the truth for comfort, but we are excited about it anyway! All of the original cast of Ab Fab will appear in three special episodes written by Jennifer Saunders,… Read More

Things We LoveDecember 1, 2011

Camisole top and great trousers by Lucza

By Amanda

We really like the Lucza range of easy-to-wear pieces, which we saw up-close at the Precious Christmas pop up this week. The silk used in the camisoles is stretchy and SO comfortable (above), we also loved the Audrey and Katherine… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 30, 2011

Precious and Lucza pop up in Spitalfields

By Amanda

As I write this, Radio 4’s You and Yours is saying that smaller shops and independents retail figures improved slightly compared to larger stores this last quarter, it appears we are definitely buying locally from stores that really appreciate our… Read More

Things We LoveNovember 29, 2011

Fraser and Parsley: bespoke gift tags

By Jane

If we are not careful this blog is in danger of becoming a stationary site! Just in case you haven’t quite had enough paper porn recently, here is another of our favourite stationary services. Fraser and Parsley pride themselves in… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 29, 2011

Fashimals

By Jane

Todays post is a quiz, see if you can guess who these fashion peeps/animals are? Scroll to the bottom for the answer and check out this hilarious Tumblr, Fashimals. The answers are of course : Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Valentino,… Read More

Things We LoveNovember 28, 2011

Natural History: bird notebooks

By Amanda

These are lovely hummingbird notebooks (£30) with stylish covers that might appeal to other stationery lovers like us. For bird appreciators you can pick from a variety of birds or bugs, if entomology is more your thing. They are from… Read More

Art, Culture & Craft, We Are ReadingNovember 28, 2011

Stitch! by Cath Kidston

By Amanda

A good one for budding cross stitch enthusiasts, Cath Kidston’s Stitch! is a colourful, jolly introduction to cross stitch tapestry. Just flicking through it makes me want to start embroidering and if you think it’s a bit girly, take a… Read More

Out & AboutNovember 28, 2011

Tokyo’s best vintage kimono store

By Amanda

One of the best places I visited when I was in Tokyo recently was Gallery Kawano, a vintage kimono shop, tucked away in Omotosando. For anyone who might be visiting at some point, I suggest you bookmark this post, because… Read More

Out & AboutNovember 27, 2011

Are Tea Rooms the new Community Centre?

By Jane

Tea Rooms have been popular in the uk for hundreds of years, with Thomas Twinning opening the first one on the Strand, in 1706. In the 18th century they provided a meeting place for well to do ladies (and men)… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 26, 2011

TWR inspiration shots: Hammersmith Vintage Fair

By Amanda

Hammersmith Vintage Fair, which happens approximately once a month, is not just great for vintage clothes, it’s also a place to watch women dress creatively in both vintage and contemporary dress. If you get there early, as I normally do,… Read More

Health & HappinessNovember 25, 2011

Scratch and Sniff: Adventures in Olfaction

By Jane

I recently met Odette Toilette, the perfume expert behind the Scratch and Sniff’ salons. She describes them as ‘a blend of literary soirée meets perfume sampling meets social club, and a way to raise our enjoyment of the very underappreciated… Read More