FashionMom: Easter- Time for Travels

FashionMom: Easter- Time for Travels: The Fashionmom team will be taking some downtime to spend Easter with family and friends. I will be heading back to Guyana, South Amer...

Easter- Time for Travels

The Fashionmom team will be taking some downtime to spend Easter with family and friends. I will be heading back to Guyana, South America with my family and we are looking forward to having a  great time with our families.

I would like to wish all of you a wonderful holiday and I hope that you are going somewhere which will rejuvenate and inspire you to reach greater heights.

Gracias, Thank you, Merci ! 

FashionMom: HRH Queen Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubilee Celebrati...

FashionMom: HRH Queen Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubilee Celebrati...: London is scheduled to be a hive of activity this summer of 2012, what with the usual social calendar of Wimbledon, Ascot (okay so...

HRH Queen Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

Trafalgar Square, London

London is scheduled to be a hive of activity this summer of 2012, what with the usual social calendar of Wimbledon, Ascot (okay so Ascot is not technically in London but surely I can be given some license here?), various outdoor concerts and the like, it is hosting the Olympics and the Paralympics from July to August. However, before getting carried away about these great games it would be dreadful to overlook or not give a big hello to our Queen as she celebrates her Diamond Jubilee. Afterall, has anywhere else celebrated such an auspicious occasion? So we are justly proud to be able to say that we are all looking forward to the Diamond Jubilee celebrations which are officially scheduled for the first weekend in June. Hip, hip for a four day Bank Holiday weekend. Naturally this is not just a London celebration, it is a national celebration and our Queen (with Prince Philip) has already begun to travel through the isles and will be visiting England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Selfishly we will take a look at the events planned for London and the surrounding areas.

A few events of note for your calendar are:

· The Diamond Jubilee Pageant – Scheduled for Saturday 19^th May. This historic event will see nearly 2,500 troops of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force parade through Windsor Castle and the town before Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

· The big weekend of 2^nd to 5^th June – the Bank Holiday weekend

o Saturday 2^nd June will see Her Majesty attend the Epsom Derby. Tickets will no doubt be like diamond dust to obtain now that this has been announced. Yes, indeed a trip to the shops will be called for if you are fortunate enough to be going. Do I hear Harvey Nicks and Coast calling?

o Sunday 3^rd June sees not one, but two events. The Big Jubilee Lunch (where anyone can hold a Big Jubilee Lunch) which is essentially a street party. Don’t forget to check with your local council for details and to ensure that you’re protected if engaging in said street party. The second and much looked forward event is the Thames River Pageant. Up to one thousand boats are expected to muster on the River Thames and Her Majesty is expected to lead the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. Will it be necessary to avoid the Big Jubilee lunch and have a sandwich in order to get a good vantage point to see the flotilla? Methinks this may be necessary.

o Monday 4^th June – just as took place for the Golden Jubilee in 2002, there will once again be an outdoor concert at Buckingham Palace. The national ballot is now closed, so nix to getting any tickets if you missed the ballot. If applied for tickets check the post this week.

o Tuesday 5^th June – the final day of the ‘official’ celebrations will find the Queen and members of the Royal Family attending a national Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral. There will also be a carriage procession along the Mall to Buckingham Palace in which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also be participating. Yes, so all those who love William and Catherine are in for a treat!

High Tea


If necessary lobby whomever you need to lobby to ensure that these events are televised if you’re unable to be in London in person. It’s also good to know that this incredible occasion will be celebrated throughout the world as many countries will be lighting beacons to commemorate the occasion.

Lest we forget, quite a few galleries and museums will be and are currently hosting special exhibitions and that from the Victoria and Albert Museum will be going on tour as it is portraits of The Queen by Cecil Beaton. So there are plenty of opportunities for getting involved or experiencing the celebrations, not just the Bank Holiday weekend.

It would be remiss of me not to mention that Fortnum and Mason, that most excellent of establishments, purveyor of fine foods and The Queen’s grocers has created specialty treats to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and it has already specially decorated the store both internally and externally. If you’ve heard about the great Easter Egg Hunt then it would not surprise you to know that they have created one of the Easter Eggs in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee and it can be found in one of their windows. 1^st March saw The Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge visit the store. Check out the Fortnum and Mason website if you’re interested in seeing what they wore.

Lest we forget that great British tradition, Afternoon Tea, it must be mentioned that The Ritz has changed its Afternoon Tea menu, for the first time ever in light of the Diamond Jubilee to include pretty much only British fare with all ingredients sourced in the UK and wonderful British cakes such as lemon drizzle cake. Just be aware that the assortment of Afternoon Tea Pastries and Cakes will not be the same everyday. It seems like the perfect time to visit The Ritz again just to sample and ensure the new offerings come up to scratch. Taxi!

Yes, we will create a picture gallery of photos over the next few weeks leading up to and including the Bank Holiday Weekend. We can’t promise that we will be able to get pics of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, but we will try our best to at least see if we can convey the excitement and atmosphere.

how many bags do i really need?

the more you have the more you want.......no need. i have new gadgets and i think i need a new bag to take them in, sounds familiar? 

while travelling for work this week i decided that i needed a new bag, a bag which will accomodate my tablet (with cover),  a small laptop just in case,my phone, my wallet and some make-up and a pen. do you think i need a bag or a cross body ? i have been doing some research and i could not seem to find the right size bag. It needs to be flat, unobtrusiv, lightweight and stylish. a few months ago I wrote about my search for a cover for my tablet, i got a red cover from targus wgich seems to work well. but during my travels for work i found a new so called wrinkle in my quest for comfort. Marc Jacobs  and kate spade has embraced the new tablet and laptop culture.

It's Friday! Spring Cocktails!

I know, some parts of the country are still knee deep in 2 feet of snow, but I could not resist this post. This week in Atlanta the high temps will hit highs of 90 degrees, though a tad cloudy that is positively balmy. While walking through retail stores like Macy's or Pottery Barn - Galvanized Tray, love it!, the decanters and serving tray displays for  spring and summer are front and forward for everyone to see.  It is hard not to feel motivated, it is time for me to start the Spring cocktails season. If you are still dealing with zero degree temps, these cocktails will add a touch of spring to an otherwise dreary weekend!

Enjoy!!

Bing Cherry Mojito

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lime juice (about 9 limes)
3 pounds Bing cherries
18 ounces best-quality black cherry or plain vodka
1 bottle sparkling water (750 mL)

1.Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
2.Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve and pit cherries; add to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
3.Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl. Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass. Top off with sparkling water. Serve immediately.

 
Cherry Julep
 
3 maraschino cherries, preferably French cherries in Kirsch brandy

1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice, preferably from French cherries in Kirsch brandy
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 ounce sloe gin, preferably Plymouth
1 ounce cherry brandy, preferably cherry Heering
Ice cubes
Cracked ice
Seltzer
1/2 lemon slice, for garnish


1.In a mixing glass, muddle together cherries, cherry juice, sugar, and lemon juice. Add gin, sloe gin, and cherry brandy. Add ice cubes and stir, at least 30 seconds, to combine. Fill a rocks glass with cracked ice; strain cocktail over cracked ice. Top with seltzer and garnish with lemon slice. Serve immediately.

Lemon Verbena Lemonade


1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup lemon verbena leaves
5 cups fresh lemon juice, strained (from about 24 lemons)
Lemon Verbena Ice Cubes, for garnish (optional)


1.Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, and add lemon verbena. Cover, and steep for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, and let cool completely.
2.Combine lemon juice and lemon verbena syrup in a pitcher. Fill glasses with lemon verbena ice, and divide lemonade among glasses.

Play around with different herbs, substituting whatever is available for the lemon verbena leaves. Basil, tarragon, and bay make for inspired sips.

Peach and Blackberry Muddle


4 thin slices peach

6 blackberries
2 large sprigs mint
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 ounces bourbon
Ice
Seltzer


1.In a double old-fashioned glass, combine 2 peach slices, 3 blackberries, mint, honey, and lemon juice. Mash gently with the back of a spoon until fruit releases juices. Add bourbon, remaining peach slices, and remaining blackberries. Fill glass with ice and top with seltzer.

Cherry Beer

2 bottles pale ale


1 1/2 cups sour cherry nectar, such as Tamek
1.Fill a large pitcher with ice cubes. Stir in pale ale and sour cherry nectar. Garnish with lemon wedges.


Yummy!

Honeydew Granita Spritzer

6 cups cubed honeydew melon (about half of a medium melon)

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 cups seltzer
Lime peels, for garnishing


1.Working in batches, puree 6 cups cubed honeydew melon in a blender. Pour puree through a fine sieve into an 8-inch square nonreactive dish.
2.Put 1/2 cup water and sugar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stir into puree. Add fresh lime juice; stir to combine. Freeze, covered, at least 6 hours (up to 3 days).
3.Scrape granita with a fork; spoon about 1 cup granita into each of 6 glasses. Pour 1/2 cup seltzer into each glass; garnish with lime peels.


Pimm's Cup with Ginger Ale


Ice cubes

2 cups lemonade
1 cup ginger ale
1/2 cup Pimm's No. 1
1/2 cup gin
Lemon slices, for garnish


1.Fill a large pitcher with ice cubes. Stir in lemonade, ginger ale, Pimm's No. 1, and gin. Garnish with lemon slices.








Sorell, Hibiscus

Hibiscus Honey Iced  Tea

An option for tea bags, you may also you can also use Sorrel or Karkadae Punch ( traditional Nubian recipe), Roselle Leaves ( Red Sorrel)  or Flowers of Jamaica ( all are available frpm  Middle Eastern or Caribbean markets) .  


Caribbean Sorel Drink Recipe

6 hibiscus tea bags

1/2 cup honey
1 cup fresh lime juice (from 8 to 10 limes)
1 cup light rum (optional)

1.In a large heatproof pitcher, combine tea bags, honey, and 5 cups boiling water; let steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add lime juice, rum (if using), and 3 cups cold water. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour (and up to 1 week). Serve over ice.

 
Have a wonderful weekend!!