I’ve been making bath salts recently — thanks to my friend Rhoda who introduced me to this wonderful concoction. But before I’m quite there let me just say that I’ve been using Epsom Salts, or Magnesium Sulphate, for warm baths, foot soak, shower scrub, facial wash, etc., for many years now (and I’ve also been taking this) but the idea of making bath salts never even occurred to me until I saw Rhoda’s Instagram post.
Taking Magnesium has a whole host of benefits. It not only boosts magnesium levels in the body but it also alleviates muscular aches and pains, helps relieve stress, and other therapeutic effects.
This is what I’ve been using for many years now; I only order from this company and 10 kg would last me about 6 months (Disclaimer: I did not get paid to promote this product)
As soon as I saw Rhoda’s post, I immediately dried some flowers (I happened to have a bouquet of roses) on the microwave and made some bath salts. I followed Rhoda’s instructions and experimented with different essential oils — orange, lavender, etc.
The dried flowers smell so good that I decided to put some on a small ceramic dish on top of my desk and every time Jared comes in he’d tell me how he likes the smell — and he’s not even into flowers, fragrance and all of that girly thing. So for the last three weeks I have this big jar of dried roses sitting in my desk and it will probably stay there forever! (Photos above and below are before and after drying the flowers respectively.)
The bath salts are great DIY gift ideas to give to family and friends at any occasion. I have recently given away a few jars as birthday gifts to friends. I’ve simply put the bath salts in a jar, decorated them with dried autumn leaves and card tags — and voilà, special gifts to friends! ( I love my Everyday Label Punch and enjoy making my own card tags.)
If you consider adding a cup or two of this concoction to your bath then you can also have a luxurious bath experience in your own home. And you might end up doing it regularly. The dried flowers and the essential oils will make your bathroom, and yourself, smell absolutely divine.
After my morning run (I run 5 miles, at Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, 3x a week), I usually soak my feet in warm water with epsom salts and a few drop of essential oils for 10 minutes. Now that I got the bath salts it’s even more convenient and pleasurable to do foot soak. I use them not just for foot scrub & exfoliating foot treatment but also for shower scrub and facial wash (I just add a tiny amount to my facial cleanser). All of us deserve a little pampering sometimes and this is one of those things I do to indulge myself in a little bit of luxury — at a minimal cost!
Note:
If you’d like to make your own Bath Salts, please follow this link.
London is brimming with old historic shops and is home to some of the world-famous department stores such as Selfridges, Harrods, etc. Liberty of London is one of them and it is my all-time favourite shop in the city. It may not be as massive as Selfridges or Harrods but the imposing Tudor style structure is very unique; of all the buildings in Regent Street it truly stands out and is quite attractive.
The shop opened in 1875 by its original owner, Arthur Lasenby Liberty, with only £2,000 (the equivalent of about £200,000 in today’s money) capital borrowed from his future father-in-law. The store was a huge success that within a year and a half he paid off his loan (much to the delight of his fiancée and future father-in law) and he decided to buy the neighbouring properties to expand the shop floor.
Image: Liberty of London
Arthur Liberty was knighted in 1913, and by the time of his death in 1917 he had already amassed a great fortune and owned several properties including a manor house and an estate in Buckinghamshire.
The magnificent mock-Tudor building that houses the store today was built in 1924. It was designed by Edwin T. Hall and his son Edwin S. Hall using solid oak and teak timbers from HMS Hindustan and HMS Impregnable — two old British warships from the Royal Navy. The building rises to the same height and length as HMS Impregnable. They used authentic and original Tudor techniques to make the structure look like a real Tudor-era building. Above the main entrance of the department store is the weathervane of the Mayflower. It is the exact replica of the historic ship Mayflower, which took 102 English pilgrims to New England, in 1620. From the ground floor, as visitors enter the main atrium, they would easily notice the four floors supported by wooden beams towering above their heads.
I took this photo looking down from the fourth floor balustrade into the central atrium, and below photo looking up to the ceiling — this will give you an idea of the lovely architecture.
So it’s not just the exterior that is ornate but the interior as well. Unlike Harrods and Selfridges where every corner, every tiny space is practically occupied by different companies, mostly on concession, Liberty does not operate that way. It is a spacious shop and has a homely atmosphere; not bursting with astonishing range of merchandise.
The interior design is simple yet elegant; each floor is immaculately organised into a beautiful space that makes shopping (or in my case, window shopping) more pleasurable. Having an experience with the fashion industry (mainly with distribution, price control and merchandising), I couldn’t help but think every time I am at Liberty that there are a lot of empty space that could be used to promote more products. But I always remind myself that it’s not like Harrods. Liberty always try to maintain a homely, more like a family run-business unlike other department stores in the city. And in my humble opinion, this is what makes Liberty stand out. I took innumerable visiting Japanese friends (many of them are ‘licensees’ or those who have license to manufacture European goods in Japan) here to show them how they should try to imitate Liberty; that the feeling they get being there should be the type of experience they should give to their customers when they visit their shops back in Japan.
I could probably sit here for hours on end reading a book or staring at the home furnishing fabrics as well as the cathedral-like wooden beams!
The fabrics and haberdashery section occupies almost a third of the entire second floor and it is my number one favourite corner in the whole building. I only come here when I am taking visiting family and friends but now that I have started sewing my own clothes, I will be coming to check out their new fabrics collection every season. During their summer sale a couple of months ago, I was able to buy some really cheap remnant fabrics — 3 metres of Tana Cotton Lawn fabrics for only £20, regular price is £22.50 (US$30) per metre.I love Liberty fabrics especially Tana Cotton Lawn which has a silky texture and really the finest cotton fabric available in the market. (Btw, I only buy Liberty fabrics when they’re on offer, at least 50% or more discount. If I have deep pockets I would not even consider buying a cotton fabric for a full price. I’d always wait for the end of season sale. Their silk fabrics are a dream — costs US$70 a metre!)
Liberty prides itself in being the home of small floral prints fabrics — the epitome of Englishness.
Aside from the fabrics, my other favourite part of the store is the Interiors Emporium. I particularly like the Oriental objet d’art and the exotic indoor plants.
I also like the designer vintage section. There are loads of Chanel, Valentino, Hermes and other top designers’ vintage outfits and accessories.
I also love visiting the stationery section.
And of course, there’s Café Liberty — a great place to go for afternoon tea!
Over a month ago, Adiben and I went to the café after a couple of hours of window shopping; didn’t have the full afternoon tea but just a cup of herbal tea and a few sweets.
The flower shop is also a little corner I like to visit when I come here. I usually stop for a minute just to admire the gorgeous flowers.
Sometimes the florists are around making some of the most beautiful floral arrangements anyone can see.
Almost every corner of the shop is dotted with all types of historic figures reminiscent of the Tudor era like the shields of Shakespeare, Henry VIII’s six wives and many others. And of course, the famous clock’s inscription is a great reminder to us all — a wise word indeed — “No minute gone comes ever back again, take heed and see ye nothing do in vain.”
When my friend Emma came to visit a couple of years ago, I took her to Liberty and we couldn’t resist having a selfie…reminiscent of our time together as roommates many moons ago. Back then we talked about travel, fashion, and everything else under the sun but never crossed our minds that we’d be at this place one day.
Liberty has some of the most classy garments, jewellery, textiles, home furnishings and other objects — all very luxurious merchandise, and it is indeed a fashion cognoscenti’s haven. I always tell my visiting family and friends that Liberty of London is an absolute must-visit while they’re in town.
Summer is my favourite season. I love wearing cotton and linen dresses as well as ballerina shoes and flip-flops. I am a tropical girl indeed! My body has already acclimatised to the cold weather, that is, after living here for almost 18 years, but I still give Jared the customary whimper at the onset of winter months.
It’s mid-October and my autumn/winter clothes are still in the loft! Next week I plan on taking them out; to quit trying to wear summer clothes in the middle of autumn and to finally sort out the wardrobe. The thought of returning to winter months fill me with dread. But the Lord reminded me this week that He made a perfect plan when He gave us time and seasons. He declared in His Word that the time and seasons will stay so long as the earth remained (Genesis 8:22). And His timing is perfect. Time and seasons come and go as the Lord planned it from the foundations of the world. That everything happens according to His plan. They are in God’s hands, we just need to trust Him. One of the scripture verses I’ve been meditating on this week is Ephesians 5:16-17. It says that we need to redeem the time because the days are evil. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
Despite the little whimper I usually give Jared about the onset of winter season, I also relish the joys of autumn especially the changing foliage and the mild temperatures. It’s hard to resist the warm colours and I simply can’t ignore the red and gold while out taking a walk in the park.
Here are some photographs I took at Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park during my afternoon stroll this week.
Enjoy your weekend!
This week I saw for the very first time this rather odd but beautiful flower at Kensington Gardens, just behind the Albert Memorial. If anyone knows what they’re called please drop me a line. Thank you!
We really don’t go to restaurants very much, contrary to what my family and friends back in the Philippines seem to think. I’m not an avid foodie but I’m constantly being asked for restaurant recommendations by people who actually eat out much more frequently than I do. In saying that however, I’m not bad at finding places that are a good value. I try to keep up with the current events not just on politics but also on arts and culture — of course, including the theatre and foodie scene in London. More often than not, I find interesting ethnic places with good fresh food, swank restaurants, neighbourhood joints that have great lunch deals or new places that we want to try. Jared and I actually prefer to stay in, cook our own food, and would only eat out on special occasion. On weekends, I always cook something special…maybe a Japanese, or Thai, or other exotic dish. Apart from the take-away meals, mostly Japanese or Italian, from Eat Tokyo, or Metro Pizza, or other neighbourhood restaurants, we do eat reasonable, home-cooked food.
Every now and then, however, perhaps 6x times a year — birthday, anniversary or some type of a milestone, Jared and I go out for a really wonderful meal. Usually around this time Jared would take me to a fancy restaurant for a meal as a special treat for my dad and mom’s death anniversary (1st and 15thof November). But because we have been so busy and caught up with everything that’s going on, we haven’t been able to do it this month.
Photo courtesy of Mavy
On Saturday though, we had a splendid meal by the River Thames. But first, please allow me the leeway of a moment to dwell upon the occasion. At least I hope you will. About five weeks ago, Mavy sent Jared and me an invite to a special meal. She’s the daughter of Ate Mercy, one of the longest standing members of our church. She and her husband, Kuya Romy, are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary, and Mavy (she’s the ‘real foodie’), found a pretty cool place to celebrate the occasion. It is a rather eccentric yet unique venue — massive ‘see-through’ igloos by the Thames River in London’s Southbank.
It was a delight for Jared and me to dine with the Andres family in this space. The riverside snow globes eatery is one of Jimmy Garcia’s — dubbed as the ’Pop-up prince’ — quirky places to eat at London’s Southbank Centre this winter. It is Jimmy’s homage to Courchevel (French Alps ski resort) where he and his friends often visit at the end of a long season of working as chefs and chalet host — at least, that was the premise of this extraordinary dining experience, according to this. From the lush photorealistic igloo to the swan-stamped glasses and cutleries — it’s all quite lovely. Difficult, even, not to exclaim over the ‘disco-dancing light’ in the middle of the dome, or the beautiful striated metal ‘tiny swan’ on a tea/coffee stirrer, or the artful composition of the warm mulled wine — btw, it was the best mulled wine I had in London.
Lest you assume this sort of environment to be cold or forbidding, let me reassure you that it’s not. It was warm and comfortable. The chairs are cushy, and tables are generous — comfort reigns supreme. They even provided a blanket for each guests but none of us even used them.
Another extremely likeable feature of this eatery is that it’s not defined by any particular group of people — other than those who can at least occasionally afford an expensive meal by London standards. It opened the day prior, and I noticed that it certainly draws a hipster crowd, but there were plenty of elderly patrons, and families with young children especially at The Lodge (the 2-storey structure right next to the snow globes).
But the food, yes, the food! The starter alone will fill anyone up to the brim — a lot of different selection of small plates to share — Mulled Wine cured Gravlax Salmon, Poached Baby Pear, Rapeseed Oil Croute, Lemon Creme Fraiche Game Terrine, Bacon Crumb, Plum Jam, Brioche Toast, Smoked Goat Curd, Roasted Pumpkin, Pickled Beetroot with toasted hazelnuts, etc. Everything is superb, consisting of fresh ingredients and ideas which are not too complicated.
The menu also boasts other favourites such as Aberdeen Angus Beef Steak, buttered baby potatoes, fresh salad, etc. To wash our meals down, a couple of chilled bottle of red and white wine were picked by Michiel and Mavy, both are wine connoisseur. I tried the red wine and it was very good.
Photo courtesy of Renz
I actually love eating this way, since I’m something of a grazer by nature and prefer to have many smaller plates, small tastes — Japón style dining. Six small plates came first, and after a nicely spaced interval, another set of starter arrived — all delicious.
Then the main course was served — Aberdeen Angus Beef Steak, Traditional Alpine Fondue, a Selection of Artisan Charcuterie, New Potatoes, Bread and Side Salad. In all honesty, the steak was a stand-out. It was impeccably cooked — medium rare, tender and highly flavourful.
The Fondue was also very good — the subtle creaminess of different types of cheese playing gently to the piece of bread dipped in — it was perfect.
Then, of course, the dessert was served last. At this point, I was already feeling a little full but of course, I can’t skip dessert. I love sweets, and in my opinion, a meal without a dessert is rather incomplete. As it was a set menu, we all had Winter Spiced Crème Brûlée served with shortbread and coffee (others had tea with it), and in my greed I really wanted to try both Crème Brûlée and Shortbread. So I tried to happily slurped it all but was too full and could only eat half of it. The classic crème brûlée spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg is an exemplary dessert — not too sweet with a crisp caramel shell on top — it couldn’t be bad, and was in fact divine, managing to be both rich and light. And the Shortbread biscuit was oh-so-buttery-rich and crumbly.
It’s worth mentioning that I had standing gag of a hair-raising double-take when I looked at the check. It wasn’t handed to me which is a good thing.When the waiter put the bill in front of Michiel I saw that the meal costs a trip to the Philippines — mind you, a flight to Manila and a connecting flight to an island resort and back to London! As expensive as it was, it’s actually quite reasonable for all that we’d had — 8 people and two tiny tots. Maxime and Indigo did eat bits and pieces — and of course, they entertained us.
I saw Maxime walking towards Indigo (this is right behind me) and quickly grabbed her brioche; then she gave her the meatball she had on her hand and Indi shoved it in her mouth right away. She probably thought that her cousin might change her mind and take it back from her.
Another plus to my way of thinking is that while you may eat rich dishes like this, you’re more unlikely to overeat or become overly full unless you’d purposely do it (like I did ). The portions are more than enough for all of us (in fact, we had leftovers), which is why the prices are also moderate for this highly satisfying cuisine. If you’re hosting family or friends to whom the mark of a good restaurant is how full their doggie-bag is likely to be, don’t take them to this place, you’re better off taking them elsewhere. But do go with a group if you wanna try the Snow Globe dining. Oh and by the way, I did not regret stuffing myself silly. That was my only meal on Saturday.
Our view from the igloo. There’s fireworks, too! It’s a perfect end to a wonderful evening.
It was one of the most memorable and enjoyable meals we had. Not to mention the longest — from the time the first course was served till the dessert was brought in, it took at least 4.5 hours. I mean, the whole shebang took at least 5 hours — and it didn’t even seem like it was that long. We slowly but surely had eaten the food, played with Maxime and Indigo, shared some stories, watched the fireworks and daylight disappear, etc. We particularly had a good laugh listening to Ate Mercy and Kuya Romy’slove story, once again — a love story worth penning for posterity. (Mavy should write both her mom and dad’s version — funnily enough, there’s ‘her’ and ‘his’ version of the story! )
With thanks as well as big hugs and kisses, we took ourselves off home, where Jared and I had embarked on making preparations for the next day, the Lord’s Day. We took our head out of the lofty culinary clouds where it had been, and evinced some interest on the work at hand. Jared offered me tea as he stretched out next to me on the couch, and I declined to have anything, not even a cup of green tea (I always drink green tea after dinner but not that night). Indeed I stuffed myself silly that I didn’t even wanna think of green tea, until I woke up the next day.
Cutie pies! Thanks Mavs for allowing me to post some of your pics.
It was indeed a glorious meal; a joyful celebration and one that will stay with Jared and me for the rest of our days. Thank you so much Ate Mercy, Kuya Romy, Michiel and Mavy, Renz and Hannah for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful occasion, a milestone in your family.
Happy 35th anniversary Ate Merz & Kuya Romy!
We are on TimeOut London — 16-24 of the 42 seconds video.
Note: Any of my Christian friends reading this (I mean, thelegalists), please don’t be offended and/or disappointed that I had a little sip of mulled and red wine. FYI, while Jared doesn’t drink, he hates the taste and smell of alcohol, I do like red wine but I only drink socially, only on special occasion. And no, I never got drunk in my 40+ years of existence. And Jared wouldn’t mind telling anyone that in our family, that is, my side of the family back in the Philippines, wine is always served at every meal, except of course, at breakfast. But no one in my family is alcoholic, well, except for one — a maternal uncle who’s been drinking alcohol since he was 18, but by God’s grace, still quite strong and lead a very active life at 80. Oh, and I must mention, although Jared and I do not serve alcohol when we host lunches/dinners; in this country, it is actually customary even for preachers to serve alcoholic drinks when they have guests at their home, or to order alcohol while dining out with friends. So there, my American and Filipino legalist friends!
Today I want to be a discerning learner. I wonder what does it mean to be a learner who is made in the image of God? The world is full of learning opportunities for ourselves and others. And with the technology available to us today, almost all of the educational materials we need is at our fingertips. As Christians, how do we determine what is worth the cost, both in time and money, to invest in for education? Does it really matter if educational materials include the Christian worldview as long as biblical studies receive sideline attention?
When I was a baby Christian, I had to navigate those murky waters. I started out with The Navigators (an international, interdenominational Christian ministry established in 1933) discipleship program which had been used by the Navigators missionaries during my time at the University of the Philippines. All the reading materials available — pamphlets, books, etc., for me to read and learn from, came delivered into my dormitory. Despite the variety of Christian materials, the box did not include any bible. Back then I’ve only used the modern translation of the bible and didn’t own a copy of the AV or Authorised Version until I went to graduate school.
As time passed, I grew in my knowledge of the Word, and learned more about living as a Christian. I then realised the importance of having the Christian worldview included in the daily study of subjects. I began to understand that if Christianity becomes considered a Sunday morning or afternoon activity with a ten minute daily Bible study time, that faith can begin to wither as the brain compartmentalises who or Who has authority over the subject matter and hours of study time.
Now I choose to invest in educational materials for myself which integrate the true authority of God. When God is left out, subjects seem dry and without life. Materials lacking a mention of God’s place can be used discerningly with a sprinkling of salt to make them palatable. Mature Christians have a shaker full, but new Christians may not possess enough discernment to enhance dead subject matter.
These initial thoughts speak on what learning in the image of God means to me.
This week I’ve read a book that could very well be the sentimental story of a romantic Victorian bestselling novel, but the story isn’t fiction. It did happen in real life. And it’s not an overstatement to say that the story of Mary Jones changed the history of the world. Her amazing journey, though it happened 217 years ago, remains a tale well worth telling.
Jared got me this book a few months back along with a few other books that are sitting in my desk.
Mary Jones (1784-1864) was born into a very poor but devout Christian farming family in a tiny village called Llanfihangel-y-Pennant located at the foot of Cader Idris mountains in north Wales. Around the time of her birth, there was a revival going on in Wales and a Calvinistic Methodist preacher named Thomas Charles who was ministering in a chapel in a market town called Bala, made sure that Sunday Schools were taught at churches in the nearby villages. Mary had to walk three miles each way to attend a school started by local Methodists in another village, Abergynolwyn.She learned to read and desperately wanted to have her own copy of the Bible but her mother, who became a widow when her husband died before Mary turned 5, was too poor to buy one for the family. The nearest Bible to her house was in a farm about two miles away which is a long hike for a little girl to do everyday but Mary would often go to read God’s Word whenever she could. At the tender age of 9 she decided to save up her money and for 6 long years she had amassed a total of 17 shillings just enough to buy herself a copy of the Bible. Seventeen shillings is 85 pence in decimal coinage, but back in 1800 it was worth about £40 — a huge sum of money at a time when that amount was a labourer’s one year and a half wage.
So in the summer of 1800, with a bag filled with bread and cheese, the money to purchase the Bible, and a clog (which was too expensive to be worn for the long hike but she would have worn before she knocked on the door of the preacher’s home), Mary walked 25 miles from her home across the treacherous Welsh mountains to Rev. Thomas Charles house in Bala. The rough track over the mountains would have been very rough and lonely to traverse but Mary walked on her own very determined to buy a copy of the Bible she so desperately wanted.
However, when she arrived at Rev. Charles home, she received a disappointing news that the delivery of the Bibles from the printers in London had been delayed. But Mary was graciously offered to stay in the house of the minister’s maid, where she stayed for three days until the Bibles were delivered from London. She would no doubt have welcomed the opportunity to recover from the exhaustion of the long walk before her return journey. Once the Bibles arrived, the preacher gave Mary not just one, but three Bibles for the price of one. Mary then retraced her steps back home to her village, carrying her clogs and the three Bibles, which would have made quite a heavy load for a 15 year old girl to carry since Bibles back then were huge and bulky.
Rev. Thomas Charles was so moved by Mary’s story and was inspired to help establish the British and Foreign Bible Society. Since that day in 1800, over 217 years ago, the British and Foreign Bible Society has become Bible Society — a charity committed to faithfully living out their mission that the Bible should be made available for every man, woman and child in the world.
The story of Mary Jones can best be told in her own words. Here’s what she said during an interview a few months before her death in 1864:
“One stormy Monday morning I was walking to a farmhouse about two miles from my home, a gentleman riding on a white horse and wearing a cloth cape came to meet me and asked me where I was going through such wind and rain. I said I was going to a farmhouse where there was a Bible, that there wasn’t one nearer my home, and that the mistress of the farm said that I could see the Bible, which she kept on a table in the parlour so long as I took my clogs off. I told him that I was saving up every halfpenny this long time to get a Bible but that I did not know where to get one. The gentleman was ‘Charles of Bala’, he told me to come to Bala at a certain time, that he was expecting some from London and that I should have one from him.When the time came my mother put the money and a little bread and cheese in one end of the ‘wallet’ and my clogs in the other, and I set off for Bala on a fine morning, resting where there was a stream of clear water, to eat the bread and cheese. I came to Bala trembling and knocked at the door of Mr Charles’ house. I asked for Mr Charles and was told that he was in his study at the back of the house. I was allowed to go to him and he told me that the Bibles had not arrived. I started to cry because I did not know where to stay. He sent me to stay with an old servant of his who had a house at the bottom of his garden, until the Bibles came. When they came Mr Charles gave me three for the price of one. I set off home with my precious burden, I ran a great part of the way, I was so glad of my Bible”.
Mary died in 1864 at age 80 and was buried at the churchyard in Llanycil (above photos), not too far from where she was born. She came to be known not only for her faithfulness to the Lord and to the church where she was a member of, but also for her generosity and her love of the Word of God. She reads her Bible right through from cover to cover four times in a year. She also memorised a large portions of the Bible that even in old age she could very well recite the Scripture to herself after she had become blind and could no longer read it to herself. Of the three Bibles which Mary received, only two survive. One of them is now owned by the Bible Society and on display in their archive at the University of Cambridge. The other copy is in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. The third was given to Mary’s son John who emigrated to America in 1890 where it may have disappeared. (Images show two of Mary’s Bibles that survived and are now housed at the National Museum of Wales and University of Cambridge. Images: Bible Society)
While reading this book, I was reminded once again that so many Christians have sacrificed, some gave their lives — were burned at the stake — just so we could have an English translation of the Bible. Today we simply take for granted having the Word of God at our fingertips. The story of Mary Jones is very moving and highly inspirational; it certainly is one book I’d highly recommend to Christian parents to read to their children from a very young age.
Note: Featured image and the two photos of Cader Idris mountains are from Wales Tourism. Mary Jones would have traversed that landscape from her home to Tala.
Now that I got some basic sewing techniques under my belt (that is, after I made a shift dress, skirt and top), I decided that it was time to get into a more challenging project. I have some Liberty of London fabrics from the summer sale that I had originally planned to make into vintage style dresses.
I love shirt dresses; got six of them and Adiben recently gifted me with a new one from her recent trip to the Philippines. If I had to choose a favourite era, it would be the 50s and the 60s. I love the long and slender shapes, the tiny waist and full skirts, the hats and gloves, etc. — more conservative and certainly more classic in style and design. But I must say that the bright colours, the ‘Mary Quant London look’ of the 60s isn’t my favourite.
When I visited the V&A Museum ‘History of Fashion Gallery’ on my first trip to London, I learned that London, not Paris, became the center of the fashion world for the first time in the early 19th Century, and that the influence of the British in worldwide fashion didn’t begin nor did it stop with The Beatles. Apparently, with the worldwide fame of The Beatles, British influence swept into all parts of life, especially clothing and music.
Now, on to the sewing project!
I made a pattern on my own for the first time — a shirt dress that I’d like but I wasn’t too sure if I did it right. So I went to my mentor once again, and because Tita Mely already taught me how to use a pattern as a guide to cut the fabrics, this time, she showed me how to do it straight into the fabrics using only the body measurement.
She’s been sewing for over 30 years and it was amazing to watch her do all of that. Two meters is enough for the 3/4 sleeves shirt dress.
After a couple of hours tutorial, I came home with a fabric that’s been cut according to my specifications and complete with the interfacing, markings, etc.
And because I forgot to tell Tita Mely that I wanted two secret pocket on my dress, I had to do it on my own. I just measured the palm of my hands and added 2-3 inches allowance then attached it to the fabric.
Connecting the arm hole and sleeves together was the most challenging task I have so far encountered in sewing. I had to redo it 3x! As you can see in the photo above, it’s not a pretty sight with needle marks on the delicate fabric. Liberty of London Tana Cotton Lawn fabric is the finest cotton available in the market with a silk like texture so, it’s fragile and requires careful sewing. Thankfully, I didn’t damage the fabric and was able to perfectly attach the sleeves after the third attempt.
Tita Mely had given me some instructions on how to do the shirring of the skirt and how to attach it to the top, which I gleefully did without a hitch. For the sleeves, I forgot to ask her about the ruffles I wanted to add and decided to do it on my own without her advice. Because there wasn’t enough fabric to double it up, I wasn’t very happy about it.
The last work was sewing the buttons and button holes. Since I never made a button hole in my life I had to refer to the Sewing Machine Manual on how to do it. It’s straight forward but takes time to master. I practiced it 3x on a piece of cloth before I finally did it on the dress. I found some buttons at a Haberdashery in Notting Hill that perfectly matched with the fabric albeit rather costly.
It took me two hours for five days to finish sewing the dress. And it turned out beautiful, if I may say so myself. This is exactly why I sew — start with a fabric that I love, and I enjoy the creative process of making the pattern, picturing what I want to make, sewing it, and then turn it into reality.
It is a summer dress; it’s already autumn here but I decided to wear it to church for the first time last week. Jared took some photos of myself — not very good but these are the only photos I got with the new dress on. By the way, I had a petticoat worn over a slip (plus a black and white photo) to complete the 50s look. Although I love dresses and skirts, and only wear jeans/trousers in the autumn and winter months, trousers are definitely on my ‘project list’ over the next few months.
One day last summer I woke up to a wonderful surprise — one for the books indeed! You see, I love the West End musical shows and Shakespeare’s stage plays but whenever I bring up the subject of wanting to watch a new show, Jared would always say, “Sorry my dear, it’s just not my cup of tea. Why don’t you invite one of your girl friends to watch it with you?”
But once in a blue moon, even if it’s not his cup of tea, sometimes Jared will drink it for me. He had, in the past, accompanied me to watch a couple of West End musicals (Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables) but I was the one who made all the arrangements, all he had to do was to simply dress up and go with me. Last month however, he was the one who decided to buy the tickets, had chosen Much Ado About Nothing albeit rather secretly. He’s well aware that a summer season performance at the Globe Theatre was on my ‘must do’ list for the summer. And yes, he happily went to watch a Shakespeare play with me — a second time for us both at The Globe Theatre.
Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare’s most emotionally challenging stage play to watch in my own humble opinion. (I’d put Romeo and Juliet only second to Much Ado).Matthew Dunster’s adaptation of this classic tale is pretty much in line with the prevailing political thought, or rather ‘culture’ of the day. First, there’s a gender swap, Don John, Don Pedro’s irascible bastard brother, became Doña Juana (played by Jo Dockery), a nod to the voguish gender-swap and feminist movement agenda. Second, the police-chief Dogberry (played by Ewan Wardrop) became an American moviemaker. As soon as he appears on stage he puts on an American accent and offensive remarks about the US of A are thrown in for good measure with the audience roaring with laughter (except probably for Jared and me) — again, this is in keeping with the current political atmosphere with the British media making fun of President Trump and America. Third, the action was transposed from Messina in the 16th century to Monterey in the early-20th-century, particularly during the 1914 Mexican Revolution — again, the whole play satirises the trend toward political correctness and all of that wishy-washy liberalism. Those are three quibbles I have, but as far as the production goes, it’s a decent enough show.
As it’s set during the Mexican Revolution, it features sombrero-sporting men carrying guns, ladies in colourful dresses with guns hanging around their waist, and of course, there’s gunfire at different moments throughout the performance.
The story of two pairs of lovers — Hero and Claudio, Benedick and Beatrice with the intriguing conspiracy of Don Juan (or rather Doña Juana), make for a very interesting plot. But as various acts unravel, it was Benedick (Matthew Needham) and Beatrice (Beatriz Romilly)who are involved in a real drama for most of the play, criticising each other from a distance rather than declare their love for each other.
The play has all the exuberance of a Mexican fiesta — the mariachi band playing Latin music, the colourful outfits and the foot-thumping Latin American dance moves. Watching the play not only made me wanna dance salsa and tango, but it also made me crave for tacos and burritos.
It’s very entertaining; the most lively and colourful Shakespeare production I have seen. The theatre was packed with loads of people even on their feet for three hours — those who preferred to stay on the Yard, the open space right in front of the stage, only paid £5). Apparently, Much Ado is so popular that even the matinee shows are packed all the time. Sitting for almost three hours in a hardwood bench can give you a bit of a pain in the bottom and may be back ache. We hired cushions but they didn’t help so make sure to get up and stretch during the 15 minute interval. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who love the theatre, I’d recommend watching Much Ado. For those who haven’t been inside The Globe Theatre, take the opportunity to watch any of the summer season performances before they closed their doors for the winter months.
Note: All images are from The Globe website. Photography is strictly prohibited during the performance.
Osborne House, the royal seaside palace on the Isle of Wight, is the main reason why I wanted to visit this island. I came across some details about this place many years ago while reading the book Queen Victoria: A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert.
This island is easy to get to from London, less than 2 hours by car, bus or train and then via ferry from Southampton docks. The diamond-shaped island is situated just off England’s south coast and is referred to as the Diamond of the South. It has been one of Europe’s most fashionable holiday destination since the 18th Century when it became a favourite weekend retreat for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
My friend Kristine and I got to visit the island about a month ago. We were hoping to explore Osborne House but sadly, we didn’t get to do it.
Upon arrival, our first destination was the western tip of the island called The Needles. The place is pretty much like a leisure park but the highlight was the chairlift (ski lift) to the beach to see Alum Bay’s brightly coloured sands. We got a quick glimpse of the stunning scenery especially on our way up but because I am acrophobic (that is, fear of heights), the very high & steep ride down was quite frightening for me. I had to tightly close my eyes and hold on to the bar for dear life as I felt the significant huge drop to the ground haha!
The colour is due to the mineral content of the sand
We had lunch at one of the restaurants here then we drove around Tennyson Down through the villages of Freshwater and Freshwater Bay.
The quintessential English thatched roof cottages can be seen all over the island.
There were also some very modern ‘East Hampton style’ cottages.
I asked our tour guide what’s the population of the island and her only response was, “Nobody really knows the exact population because a lot of homeowners are only here for the summer or the weekend.” Then we drove along the military road towards the southern tip of the island. The stunning scenery made the half an hour drive a little bit more enjoyable.
There were hikers, cyclists and campers all over the island.
Camp sites abound with loads of caravans and tents.
We stopped to enjoy the views at St. Catherine’s Point, the island’s southernmost tip.
It was a gorgeous day but quite windy.
FYI, Kristine and I didn’t talk about twinning, we just happened to wear the same Breton stripe T-shirts. St. Catherine’s Point was our last stop instead of Osborne House. We were 5 minutes away from Queen Victoria’s seaside palace when the tour guide asked the driver to turn around because of the little traffic on the way there. Only to be told, as soon as we got to East Cowes docks, that the ferry was delayed for half an hour. For some reason, the 30-min delay turned out to be a long two hour wait. It was too late to turn around as loads of vehicles were already on a queue behind us.
The tour guide should have made a phone call before she made the decision to cancel the Osborne House tour but she didn’t. So for two hours we sat on the bus, got up to stretch, walked a bit, had snacks, and sat down again bored out of our wits haha!
Nevertheless, we had a great time. The island has its own unique charm and is worth visiting. It would be nice to visit again in the spring/summer of next year and stay for a night or two. Joining a tour group wasn’t too bad. It was a tour company recommended by a Japanese friend of mine and her experience was significantly different from ours. Her group was able to visit Osborne House and an old village in East Cowes — both places were in our itinerary but they changed it at the last minute. There were only a dozen of us in the group excluding the tour guide and the driver. For anyone interested to visit the island, I’d suggest you either drive, take the train or bus (don’t join a day-tour) and stay on the island for a night or two. (I gotta drag Jared to do this with me next summer. )
(Image: letstravelservices)
I look forward to visiting Isle of Wight again. Hopefully, to do some camping and hiking. And of course, to explore Osborne House so I can finally tick it off of my bucket list.
The 31st of August was just a normal day for us in London, rather unusually bright and sunny, not grey and wet like the day before so we went to Kensington Gardens for a picnic at around 1PM to enjoy the warm sunshine. We were in our usual spot, behind The Orangery, and just as we were about to eat our ‘Chinese take-away’ (we don’t always eat sandwiches and crisps every time we go out for a picnic, you know!? ), we spotted and heard a helicopter hovering above us. We were then reminded that it was Princess Diana’s 20th death anniversary. After eating I grabbed a book from my handbag and started reading it but the sound of the helicopter bothered me so much that I decided to put it away and told Jared I was going to walk around the park towards the front gates of Kensington Palace.
I wasn’t expecting to see a huge crowd but there were at least 200 or more people standing around the gates plus a hundred more sitting on the grass in front of the palace. As I was starting to read a few letter tributes I spotted a familiar face — Andrew Morton — the official biographer of the late Princess of Wales. He wrote the explosive book that shook the British monarchy to its very core — Diana, Her True Story. I’ve read some other books he wrote over the years and I’ve seen him on tv being interviewed about his books numerous times hence, he looks familiar. I was too shy to approach him but thought there might not be any other opportunity like this. So, I mustered enough courage and walked towards him. Rather bashful I said, “Hi. You’re Andrew Morton, right?” He gave me a warm smile big and a reply, “Yes. I am.” With a silly grin, probably even blushing a little, I said, “My name is Elna Smith. I’ve read some of the books you wrote and my favourite so far is ‘Diana Her True Story’ which I’ve read in 1993.” “Have you, really? He replied, “You must be very young then. Are you just visiting London?” he asked. “Oh, no.” I interrupted, “I am originally from the Philippines but I’ve lived here in this neighbourhood for over 17 years. You mind if I ask you some questions about Princess Diana?” He gave me another big smile and said, “Sure. Go ahead.” And I sure did take the opportunity to ask him some questions about the late princess, and he candidly answered them all. It was a really nice chat I had with him. He was incredibly gracious and kind. A real gentleman indeed.
I thanked him and asked if I could have a photo with him; he was happy to do it and even asked a lady standing nearby to do it for us. Interestingly enough, no one else other than myself recognised him. But a lady who took our photo, she was standing right next to us, overheard our conversation and she introduced herself as a German tv/radio host, and asked Andrew a couple of questions about Princess Diana. He then asked where the nearest loo is and I told him, The Orangery or Royal Garden Hotel. He smiled, said thank you and walked away. Afterwards, I ran back towards The Orangery thrilled to tell Jared about my rare encounter with the famous royal biographer.
At around 6PM Jared and Trystan were already tired playing football while I was about to finish reading my book when we decided to pack up and go home. But I told Jared, ‘I’ll walk towards the front gates and have another look at the crowd. I might spot another famous personality, may be someone very close to Princess Diana. I’ll see you in half an hour!’ And off I went back to the palace gates . . .
Bareface and massive sunnies! Had I known I’d be doing selfie/photos with some famous book authors that day, I’d have put on a bit of make up haha!
Wouldn’t you know it? As soon as I got there, I saw Ken Wharfe, Royal Protection Officer of the late princess — just saw him being interviewed on ITV a couple of days prior. He wrote two books ‘Diana Closely Guarded Secret’ and ‘Guarding Diana Protecting The Princess Around the World’ — I’ve read the first one but not the newly published 2nd book.
I tried to do what I did to Andrew Morton — introduced myself, asked some questions, and asked for a photo with him. Unlike Andrew Morton, Ken Wharfe was very serious but kind enough to stop and have a little chat. But he was with someone, a younger man, probably his assistant or bodyguard (who knows? ), who told him they have to go. They seemed to be in a rush that I only managed to ask him one question: ”What was Princess Diana like behind the camera?” His answer was, “Complicated but witty.”
I then walked over towards the front gates to check some of the tributes and take some photos. And as I was heading home, I spotted another familiar face! This time, it was Arthur Edwards — a journalist/royal photographer who became Princess Diana’s trusted friend. He wrote a memoir, ‘Diana: The People’s Princes – A Personal Tribute in Words and Pictures’ — another great book I’ve read about the late princess.
Mr Edwards was having a serious conversation with someone, probably another photographer, when I spotted him. I lingered for about 10-15 minutes and waited until he walked away; then I ambushed him. No, I didn’t. He’s an elderly man — probably in his late 70s; as he walked away I simply followed him and started talking to him.
I had a brief but nice chat with him. He’s such a charming old man — gentle, sweet and kind — what I envision a grandfather should be. I truly respect and admire him. Mr Edwards didn’t make any money from his book — proceeds go to Princess Diana Memorial Fund. Apparently, he is in good terms with the royal family and especially with Diana’s two boys who sometimes invite him to special occasions. It was really heartwarming to hear a few stories about Princess Diana from a man who captured not only the joys but also the heartaches of the late princess.
The next morning, 1st of September, I did my morning run at the park and saw more people leaving flowers in front of the palace gates. While running, I got a phone call from Tina; she wanted to see me at Kensington Gardens where she was heading with Lucia. We then met up and sat in one of the benches in front of the palace. Tina’s grieving over the recent death of her sister-in law and niece and was greatly distressed so I listened to her talk about it and just tried to encourage her.
In the evening just before the park closed down, Jared and I walked over to Kensington Palace once again to have one last look at the tributes before they are finally removed.
There were more flowers, handwritten notes, photographs, candles and other tributes on display. So much more than what I saw earlier in the day.
I was telling Jared on our way to the park that during Princess Diana’s funeral twenty years ago I skipped work and was glued on tv for almost a day; and when I spotted the funeral cortège moving solemnly down the streets of London I cried the first time I saw William and Harry walking behind their mother’s casket. It reminded me of losing my own father at a young age and I tried to imagine myself in their shoes — what it would be like for the young princes to have lost their mother. I said to Jared, ‘I have meet you a few months after she died, and who would have thought back then that three years after Princess Diana’s death I’d be living in London, in the same neighbourhood where she lived for many years.’
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I would end up marrying a foreigner, much less a British-American. You see, I didn’t dream about living abroad or marrying a white man. My goal was simple — to marry a Filipino, someone who could support a big family so I wouldn’t have to work, I wanted to be a housewife and raise three beautiful and smart kids. But life happens not according to our plan but God’s.And yes, His plan is always the best. I promise, I’m not gonna bore you with my love story though I must say that it’s a rather amusing story full of drama and comedy including death threats, church division, etc.
Sorry I digress. Back to KP, it was starting to get dark and there were only a handful of people hanging around. Jared insisted on taking some photos of myself; I was barefaced and refused but relented after he told me this might be the last time the whole nation will celebrate Princess Diana’s death anniversary. Jared showed me the photos he took of and said, ‘You have to blog about this occasion, about meeting those book authors yesterday, and include this beautiful picture of yourself.’ I had a big laugh and said, ‘Sige na nga!’ (Okey then).
Note: Although royal sighting has been the norm around here, and I’ve seen some of the most senior royals (blogged about it last year —here’s the link), I have yet to see Prince Harry in person.
