Pretty Polly Paris Tights

Today my outfit was inspired by my new House of Holland for Pretty Polly Eiffel Tower tights. The latest collection features cute iconic references to some of the world's greatest cities, including New York, LA, London and Paris. I love all things French, and Paris is by far one of my favourite cities in the world, so I was naturally drawn to the Eiffel Tower version.

Notting Hill is so beautiful at the moment, and the leaves are well and truly falling in stunning shades of gold, orange and red. Most boutiques and restaurants are embracing the Halloween spirit, and I've seen some fabulous pumpkin displays today! I'm planning to drop into The Hummingbird Bakery for some of their yummy Halloween themed cupcakes tomorrow.

I'll be sure to post a photo to my twitter @nottinghillg1rl and my Notting Hill Girl facebook page which launched today.

Hope you all have a fabulous Halloween weekend. NHG x

Outfit details:
Wool skater dress, Warehouse, available online here; Hooded black cape, asos.com; Red vintage clutch, ebay; House of Holland for Pretty Polly tights, available at various stores (I bought these from Topshop) available online here; Leopard print ballet flats, custom-made from Shoes of Prey; Rope necklace, H&M; Red beret, Primark.

Mulberry & Missoni

I'm not sure how I haven't featured my Mulberry Bayswater bag in this blog yet but somehow it's not been given a look in! I received this beautiful bag as a gift from Notting Hill Boy for my birthday in September and am absolutely in love with it.

I have to admit I chose it, and it was a close toss up between this oak printed tan or the plain tan from their boutique in Westfield London, which is a stones throw away in Shepherd's Bush. When I got to the boutique they had sold out of the plain tan and this was the last one left in the oak print, so my decision was made for me.

I'm also wearing my new Missoni scarf which I bought from a boutique in Rome, my cream hooded wool coat that I bought from Camden market around 7 years ago, skinny leg jeans from Topshop and my wedge boots from Zara which are also featured here. My nail polish is Paradoxal from Chanel - I love the colour but the quality is not great.

If you follow me on twitter @nottinghillg1rl you'll know that I spent the afternoon in Ikea trying to sort out my piles of books that have been hidden away in boxes since we moved to Notting Hill a few months ago. Definitely not the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it had to be done and I hope to show you the results in a few weeks!

The Notting Hill Shopping Bag

One of my favourite things about living in Notting Hill is Portobello Market. I grew up with a mother who always bought our fruit and vegetables from the market every Friday so for me buying plastic wrapped vegetables from the supermarket has always felt wrong (albeit convenient). Every Saturday I pop along to stock up on in season produce and every week I forget to take a bag...which is where my new Notting Hill Shopping Bag comes into play.

Designed to not only be environmentally friendly, the bag also aims to promote Notting Hill as a shopping destination and donates 10% of profits to local charities. It's so easy to get caught up in the convenience of the big supermarkets and shopping centres, but it feels so good to support your local community. I think there is nothing better than having a nice chat with your local shopkeepers when you're out and about in the neighbourhood.

A new cupcake design went on sale last week by fellow Notting Hill resident (and Hummingbird Bakery cupcake lover) Natalie Imbruglia. I bought two bags from The Travel Bookshop on Blenheim Crescent today and the very friendly girl who served me told me that they have been flying of the shelf since arriving on Friday. They have also had orders from as far as the USA and Sweden on their website!

Get your bag for £4 at a number of Notting Hill retailers including The Travel Bookshop. You can visit The Notting Hill Shopping Bag website here and their blog here 

Today I'm also wearing a Whistles leather jacket, an animal print knit jumper from Reiss, vintage faux fur jacket from Portobello market, harem pants from River Island, hat from H&M and my favourite Mulberry leopard charm necklace.

Celebrating wool week

It's wool week this week so there has never been a better time to say that I am a huge wool fan. I am one of those people who checks the fabric mix on a tag before I buy absolutely anything, and when winter sets in, I'm all about that cosy natural fibre.

I have a few 70 - 100% wool scarves that I absolutely love and live in throughout winter. Scarfs are one thing that I don't really compromise for acrylic and would rather invest more money for something that will keep me warm for years and withstand many winters to come.

I discovered luxury knitwear designer Louise Dungate on etsy recently and have been trying to decide which colour to buy in her 'Godfather' scarf ever since. At £162 it's not cheap, but this scarf is 100% merino wool and handmade in England (a fact that I love). Plus, it is probably the hugest scarf I have every seen and I have visions of wrapping it around myself many times in a tight cocoon!

Do you also support the Campaign for Wool? And which colour do you think I should go for? Let me know if you have seen any of the Selfridges yellow sheep running riot through Oxford Street!

Visit Louise Dungate's etsy shop here and her blog here
To find out more about The Prince of Wales' campaign for wool visit here

 

Scuola del Cuoio leather school

One of the highlights of my trip to Florence was by far the Scuola del Cuoio leather school set within the Monastery of Santa Croce. I spent a good hour watching the students learning the craftsmanship of handbag making through the school's open workshops. It was a big relief after seeing the same generic bags at every market throughout the city...

The school was founded after World War II to give orphans of the war a means to learn a practical trade so they could earn a living, and by the 1950's went on to also offer courses to inmates Florence's Murate prison and in juvenile detention centres.

Today the school offers a whole range of course from half day  workshops where you can create a leather book cover (€87 - €190 depending on group size), to six month courses where you will learn a full host of leather craftsmanship skills along with Italian language and culture.

I couldn't resist buying some of the gorgeous leather bangles available in every colour you could imagine for €8 each. I have tiny wrists and always struggle to buy bangles so I was very pleased that they fit and bought three (see photo below). I also loved some of the bags for sale, especially the big carryall in tan and clutches in unique colours and leathers. If I ever return to Florence I would be sure to enrol in one of their courses!

For full course details visit the Scuola del Cuoio website here

Under the Tuscan sun

I'm now in sunny Florence today, but a few days ago we headed to a winery in Chianti, up a dusty windy road in the middle of nowhere. The sun finally came out and it was worth the wait as I basked in it's warm glow throughout lunch. At this time of year the vineyards are turning shades of gold and red and they are stunning under the low Autumn sun.

I seem to have matched my outfit with the landscape in shades of terracotta and dusty pink. My rust coloured blazer and dusty pink t-shirt are from Topshop and my grey jeans are 1971 by Reiss. My owl necklace is one of my absolute favourite flea market finds from Marche Aux Puces in Paris and I've had it for at least a few years.

I probably shouldn't have worn my new Miu Miu flats considering the dust (see post here) but I couldn't resist wearing them. I love the smell of new shoes and have a bad habit of having to wear them straight away whether the weather is appropriate or not.

Lunch was absolutely amazing and I can say that the food in Tuscany is mind blowing...I particularly like the local combination of percorino cheese and pear, it's amazing how well cheese can be included in combinations that you wouldn't first think. As a little girl I used to love going to work with my grandma at the local deli and sit on a bright orange stool eating combinations such as jam and cheese on biscuits. It's strange how travel can evoke memories of home far, far away for me.

Prada & Miu Miu outlet in Montevarchi, Tuscany

I arrived in Tuscany last night to spend what I hoped would be three relaxing days under the tuscan sun overlooking the vineyards and olive groves in gorgeous Chianti. Alas, the weather had other ideas and it has been rainy and cloudy since we left Rome. Although the countryside is absolutely beautiful come rain or shine, sitting on a deck chair with a book wasn't really going to happen for me today, so the boy started research winery tours in the region.

What I didn't expect him to announce from his 'winery' research was that there was a Prada/Miu Miu outlet just 30mins away in Montevarchi! And more importantly, how did I not know about this?!

After researching driving directions very carefully (forums were full of stories about getting lost and how hard the factory was to find) we set off through the picturesque winding hills until we came to a ordinary looking town with a giant non-descript factory with the words 'Space' on it. Prada doesn't want to be associated with 'discount' so this factory is branded 'Space' from the cafe to the carry bags.

I took photos from the outside but unfortunately don't have my camera usb with me so I've borrowed this photo off flickr to show you just what the outside of the building looks like!

Once inside I made a bee-line for the shoes as I've been coveting a pair of Miu Miu flats all year. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the flats I had been eyeing were actually in stock (thank you shoe god!). I made notes while I was there, and also snuck in some photos on my iPhone as photos are obviously banned (so apologies for the quality). It really was the shoes that made the visit worthwhile, so I didn't take photos of the clothing or handbags.Although there were some nice Miu Miu pea coats if you looked hard...

Below: Miu Miu ballet flats start at €160 for the velvet bow style, €190 for the patent leather flats and €250 for the bejeweled cap toe styles. This equals around 40% off RRP and I purchased the pair on the far right.

Below: Prada flat boots in camel, black patent, grey and plain black were €450

Below: They had lots of Brogues in stock in both patent and normal leather for €230

Below: These Prada camel ankle boots were €350

Below: Miu Miu (Prada also available) patent pointed- toe pumps in an assortment of colours for €250. There were no Miu Miu bags or purses in stock today apart from a few plain totes in well, let's say 'interesting' colours.

After pondering over whether I should buy a classic pair of black or nude patent heels (above), or the nude coloured patent Miu Miu ballet flats (below right), I decided to go for the 'want' pair...a pair that I would never be able to afford at full price and that I've honestly loved since the day I saw them in early 2010 (below left). 

Have you visited any of the designer outlets in Italy? I have read about The Mall just outside of Florence, but think it might be a bit too much temptation for one holiday...

The back streets of Rome

When I think of iconic Italian images, aside from the food and coffee, I think of cute vintage Fiats. I am drawn to their adorable little shape as they squeeze in among hundreds of other cars in the cobble stone streets of Rome. I couldn't resist a good frolic through the back streets this afternoon after I'd finally given up on getting any peace in the main districts of Rome which even in October, are full to the brim with tourists from all over the world (I'm clearly naive, I know!).

Every time I visit a major city in the last year I've felt claustrophobic by the sheer amount of people who gather to take photos of every iconic location they can pack into their city break. It's quite ironic that I live in a key tourist destination in London, but at least I know how to get off the beaten track in Notting Hill for some tranquillity away from the tourists and their flashing cameras...

These days I'm at my most happy when I find the quaint back streets, the local restaurants and shops, and I especially love a good rummage in a flea market where I can watch the locals go about their daily life.

The weather was glorious again and I'm so happy to just throw on a summer dress in the morning - it feels like a guilty pleasure at this time of year.

My pastel pink dress with silver eyelets is from Topshop (it's still available here) as is my pastel floral kimono and leaf ring. My silver ballet flats are from Bloch (available at net-a-porter) and my man-style Guess watch was a gift from their PR at a recent launch.

I'm heading to Chianti in Tuscany tomorrow away from the hustle and bustle. Ciao!

Autumn in Rome

I'm in Italy this week to catch the last of the sun's rays this autumn. Today I arrived in Rome to 25c and sunshine and while I got out my Alice & Olivia summer floral dress, Italian women are already wearing their leather boots and black tights as though they belong in London.

It seems that camel is definitely the colour of the season here, and I've seen some seriously stylish people today.

My dress was purchased at Saks Fifth Ave in NYC last year and is by American designers Alice & Oliva. It features a little shoulder cape that I love and a bright orange belt that pops against the somewhat autumnal floral print. My handbag charm necklace is by Danish jewellery brand Pilgram and was a gift from colleages a couple of years ago.

Later this week I'm heading to Tuscany so I can't wait to visit the amazing markets in Florence. Please let me know if you have any tips, I'd love to hear from you.