Leigh Snead's Open Salon Blog

Home Alone

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:02:10 -0500

Well, not totally alone, but without any other grown-ups or awake people around. Hubby is out. A well-deserved outing for drinks with a friend, in between my nights on the town. I've been leaving my boys to fend for themselves so often the last week or two, but this is the final push. As of March 1, Mommy is home to stay.

Last night I went to check out the fashion week events at the Topshop Flagship store in Oxford Circus (http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaticPageDisplay?catalogId=19551&storeId=12556&brdcrmb_trail=ts1%20lfw%20home&identifier=ts1%20lfw%20instore%20events). There was an interesting blogging workshop with very friendly and helpful advice on offer. On the way home, I swung by another party at Warehouse. This one was to preview their Utility collection, new for Spring (http://www.warehouse.co.uk/fcp/content/feature_03/content). It seems like the military trend is everywhere right now, especially in jacket form. Warehouse's take on this trend was sort of MASH by way of Michael Jackson. Sort of like what you would expect Beyonce to be wearing if you were an extra in her music video and she was coming around the corner to kick your ass. Cargo pants, yes, but with a skinny leg. Lots of khaki, gold chains, distressed biz. A DJ, free bubbly (and Vitamin Water!), a goody bag, and the promise of some celebs kept me there, oh, about half an hour. When I overheard one photog listing about six celebs that had yet to arrive and I didn't recognize any of their names (nor did I know that any famous names had arrived already), I knew it was time to go home, eat toast, and go to bed.

Resting up for a marathon weekend. Thursday night will see me at London Fashion Weekend (http://www.londonfashionweekend.co.uk/). This is a shopping weekend, ticketed and open to the public, held after fashion week offering incredible discounts on coveted designer clothes and accessories. There is also a catwalk show and (of course) champagne and goody bags. This is the chance for normal folk like me to pay to pretend we're on the inside, to experience some of the excitement and glamour of London Fashion Week. It's held in the same venue.

I bought tickets to the event before I knew that I would have the opportunity to peak inside London Fashion Week courtesy of Deborah Fleming of Pistol Panties (more on my LFW experience to come). And, Friday-Sunday, I return to London Fashion Weekend to work for the same lovely lady (http://www.pistolpanties.com/). Excited to experience both sides of the event, and am so glad I get my mommy's-night-out shopping/viewing/champagning night on the opening night of the event, because people, these women work. They work hard. They told me compared to the Weekend, the Exhibition was slow--and I was exhausted and yawning at 8:30pm that night and had to skip the after-party!

So, sleep, vitamins, yoga and away I go to another adventure! xoxo

Picture This

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:02:00 -0500

Here I am with the fash pack...

With Philip Treacy at Harrods...

With Lulu Guiness at her pop-up store...

and, um, me and Bob Geldof after the show.

And here are a couple other snaps from the big night. Sadly, I am not in them:

yes, awesome. Geri Halliwell.

I know, right?

xoxo

KateWatch--I Know What Mossy is Doing

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:02:33 -0500

At least I did last night around 8pm because I saw her! She walked the catwalk, something she rarely, if ever, does anymore, at Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief (http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/news_details.aspx?ID=173) fashion show and auction benefitting the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. It was amazing! Last I heard, Mossy had skipped New York Fashion Week and was in France skiing with Jamie. I hardly expected to see her at all, let alone on the catwalk. I thought she'd be too cool for school, and in a sense she was, because she left early. Though, her early departure could be attributed to her emotional state. She was reportedly in tears when the dress she wore in the show was auctioned off for 100,000 BP. It was a dressed designed for her by the late Alexander McQueen, as part of his last collection. She, Naomi, and Annabelle Neilson kicked off the show with a tribute to the late designer, each wearing one of his dresses. Seeing so many famous faces (and bodies, wow) was amazing!

The night started off well, too, with a solo trip to a shopping party at Warehouse (http://www.warehouse.co.uk), sponsored by Elle Magazine (http://www.elleuk.com). I picked up a few really cute things at a special 25% off discount, a goody bag, and the requisite fashion party accessory: a mini bottle of bubbly with a straw for sipping while shopping. With new togs and freebies in hand, I made the mad dash through the rain back to the flat for a quick assessment and touching up of make-up and hair. We welcomed the sitter, kissed the baby (I know, he's 5! But he's my baby) goodbye, and my handsome hubby and I were on our way to the show at Somerset House.

We were greeted by a lot of security and a fantastic buzz around the LFW tents. Once inside it was a real feast for the eyes, checking out everyone's look, and trying to spot celebs. An army of waiters were there with these futuristic lucite rack-like trays offering water, orange juice, and champagne--I bet you know which we chose. There were some nibbles like breadsticks and nuts and tables selling Vivian Westwood designed charity t-shirts. I wanted to like them, but I didn't, so I left without one. Soon, we were herded into the catwalk area and took our seats.

After the show Hubby and I stopped off at the Knight's Bar at Simpson's-in-the-Strand for a drink, a quick look at our amazing pics, and a recap of the night. I'll post all the fashion-y pics from the last couple weeks soon!

Today we're at it again. This afternoon I will head to the Strand Palace Hotel for an exhibition put on by Fashion Mavericks (http://www.fashionmavericks.com). Then I'll walk to meet Hubby at the Charing Cross hotel for the A la Mode fashion show (http://www.lagenevenorthevents.co.uk/articles.html). I am really excited to see what all these independent, off-the-radar designers are up to this season.

I'll be back for more tomorrow!

Long time, no blog.

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:02:37 -0500

I have been so busy having a nice time that I haven't had a second to document any of it! Sunday lunch with some lovely new friends, a girls night out, a solo spa night at The Sanctuary for some much needed pampering (http://www.thesanctuary.co.uk), date night at The River Cafe (http://www.rivercafe.co.uk), and more! And at The River Cafe we met fashion designer Paul Smith (http://www.paulsmith.co.uk) at the bar and he was lovely. In the following days I also met milliner Philip Treacy (http://www.philiptreacy.co.uk), and designer Lulu Guiness (http://kissedbyluluguinness.blogspot.com) at her special Pop Up Shop, Kissed by Lulu Guinness. Check out all the pics on her blog and you may see a familiar face or two! And, as the result of the web intro by another friend from a lifetime ago (check her out here at her amazing fashion site http://www.runwaypassport.com), I will be living out my wildest fashion dreams in the following weeks thanks to Pistol Panties (much more to come on this, though check out the brand on the web at http://www.pistolpanties.com-- fabulous swimwear!) and the lovely Deborah Fleming.

We're feeling at home in our little local church, even though I think ours might be the only child at the 10:30 am mass. We also really loved attending the evening mass at Brompton Oratory, and will have the chance to attend again this weekend with our first batch of visitors from the US. There are also two family masses Sunday mornings, both with a children's liturgy, and we've heard the 11am is the most beautiful in London.

Coming up, there's champagne nail bars, theatre, The Ivy, fashion shows and shopping. There's still laundry and homeschooling (an hour of Italian today, amazing!), budgeting and dishes (waiting for me), missing the dog and seeing so very much of each other in our tiny flat. We love it here, all of it, and I hope, I mean I know,we will go home happy and exhausted.

Gastroturismo (Happy Birthday!)

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:01:25 -0500

Last night we broke the seal on celeb-chef restaurants: Gordon Ramsay's gastropub The Warrington. It wasn't exactly what I expected in terms of atmosphere since the gastro and the pub were on different floors and had totally different decor. Entering through the front doors you see a cozy, comfy pub with leather sofas and plenty of room to relax. Upstairs you find an elegant dining room, white tablecloths, lovely armless leather dining chairs and comfy banquettes with lots of pillows.

The family was well turned-out. I think it's called casual-smart over here: hubby in Levi's, french-cuffed shirt, Burberry cufflinks, and an olive corduroy blazer; me in a black tunic with gold sequin detail, dark black skinnies tucked into boots, Missoni scarf, and a Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth and James snake bangle bracelet which is totally awesome; kid in a Hamley's pirate costume, sans hat and eye patch, but with his face painted like Spider Man. Yes. You've read that correctly. We went directly from a Peter Pan fancy dress birthday party in St John's Wood (where I did not meet/see/or hear about Kate Moss, but where I was happy to see the happy marriage of small children dancing to Abba with an adult-sized Tinkerbell and my own seemingly bottomless glass of Brut Rose) to our dinner reservation. We were the first ones to arrive at The Warrington restaurant and the staff didn't bat an eye at our spider-faced cherub.

On the contrary, there was an amazing kids' menu and coloring sheets and crayons. Orlando had a perfectly cooked medium rare butter roasted rump steak served with best chips I've sampled in London so far, and for dessert, a sticky toffee pudding that made me rethink my whole "restaurant desserts are not worth saving room for" mantra. On top of it all, he was given a private tour of the kitchen by our lovely hostess Laura, and our Parisian waiter indulged my boy by speaking with him in baby French.

On the grown-ups' menu were a chicken liver madeira parfait (not what I expected of "parfait" at all, more like a slice of terrine) with yummy chutney and toasted brioche, venison carpaccio, and pan fried sea bream with braised leeks and fennel. We washed it all down with a Chassagne Montrachet (Bernard Moreau et fils), and topped it off with Calvados and Port. It was the best food I've eaten in London so far, and one of my top 20 meals, ever. One would hard pressed to beat the value of the prix-fixe Winter menu at The Warrington.

I would, and will, return again and again, but for this week we are repenting for our monetary and calorific excesses (mostly due to the hooch) with homemade lentil soup. And even once payday rolls around again, there are only 4 more months and about 4 million more restaurants to experience. AND, I haven't even begun to SHOP. With London Fashion Week (and London Fashion Weekend, to which I actually have tickets) around the corner, I think restaurant hopping is going to have some serious competition in the allocation of funds debate. Oh! Speaking of shopping, here's a wardrobe/packing update: have actually worn every sailor-stripey item, some more than once; have worn many of the tagged items and (maybe lentil soup related?) they fit!; have worn the heck out of the two pairs of suitcase space hogging boots.

Three weeks in. So far, sooooooooo good.