Afternoon Tea Review - Laduree

Hello lovely people,

It's been quite a while since I've posted (how dare I!) and i've missed using the keyboard for fun and not just for inputting details into a spreadsheet like a robot!

Yay for odd socks!!

Spinning like a microwave plate

Ahem, moving on...

So last month my sister and I treated ourselves to an afternoon in Laduree in Covent Garden . I'm sure many of you have heard of Ladurée but for those who haven't let me give you a run through: it's French, they're famous for their delicious Macarons and their tea room is so beautiful it makes me want to cry.

The decor is in the style of 17th Century Paris, think Marie Antoinette. 

We went in the early evening and Covent Garden in the Summer heat was buzzing with people and crowds being amused by street performers. You can choose to sit on the balcony and spectate all this or sit inside with the french doors open and catch a giggle or two from the courtyard. 

So I had an orange tea and a strawberry tart. Those of you who have read my last  post know about my love of strawberries tarts. Malheuresment (unfortunately in French haha) this one wasn't the best but i did happen to um borrow a mouthful of my sister's which was raspberry something or other (pardon my disgusting ability to remember) which was lovely. The perfect blend of cream and patisserie and fruit, pure nom! 

On leaving we also bought a dozen macarons of which my favourite was the Salted Caramel macaron. Good lord it tastes beautific! I may or may not of eaten half of these all by myself...

The restaurant has such a beautiful look and the staff are very friendly. We felt cared for without being pestered and they really did take a personal interest in us. I even got to use my French (ah oui oui, le baguette). 

Here are my ratings of the whole thing out of 10:

Atmosphere: 10/10 - my idea of a PERFECT team room. 

Drinks: 8/10 my tea was delicious and not like any other herbal tea I've had before. 

Food: 8/10 the ACTUAL loveliness of the macarons!! The patisserie's lovely and nommy too!

Price(£££ = v. expensive): £££ it's not disgustingly pricey but definitely a treat for every now and then!!

Overall Review: a must-go. Even if you just buy some macarons to go you must experience this lovely tea room and restaurant. I can't wait to go again and try the savouries this time!!

Until next time...

The VG

xXx

Summer in London - Baking Day

Hello lovely people!! 

We all know that summer in London has been a bit touch and go. But I am strong believer in making the best of the situation so on Saturday after spending the morning out I decided to come in bake. 

So of course as a lover of all things vintage I decided to bake in my 1950s vintage yellow dress with my pinny while listening to a CD of music I have spanning from 1940 to 1950. I know it's not vinyl but we have to make do in this day and age (get it? Make do and Mend! - classic me). 

My dress is from a vintage market that I went to while on holiday in Kent and is one of three dresses that I bought at that time one of which you have seen on here (The green one two to posts ago). 

My apron was a gift from my sister but you can find one very similar from Cath Kidston which I believe has some of the nicest aprons around! 

Until next time...

The VG

xXx

Please excuse the iphotography quality in the last few photos!!

Afternoon Tea Review - Number Twelve, Ambassadors Bloomsbury

Hello lovely people,

The weather's been a bit on and off here in London but the little bits of Sun make it worth it! How has it been where you are?

My friend and I decided that we would spend one afternoon a month enjoying the very ladylike pass time of afternoon tea! 

So I thought I would share my review of the last place we went to. 

Last month we went to Number Twelve - a restaurant which is part of the Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel. 

We had the Champagne Afternoon Tea which included a glass of champagne and a pot of tea each, a plate of strawberries, a selection of finger sandwiches, 4 scones complete with clotted cream and a selection of jams and fresh fruit tartlets. 

Now, before I say what I have to say about the above tart let me tell you this: I have eaten A LOT of cakes... and tarts... and cupcakes... and generally a lot of nice things, but heir strawberry tart is THE best strawberry tart I have ever tasted (better even then the one I've eaten at Laduree- to be covered in my next post).

I cannot stand when a tart is tarte (haha classic me) when I'm eating I don't want my face to be drawn in to the reigion of my nose; I like pleasant creamy tastes, which is what this tart knew about me (yes I am personifying the tart because I feel it deserves that honour). 

We're going back there in a few months time and believe me I will be asking for their strawberry tart again.

Here are some photos of the  champagne we had.

I dropped some strawberries in because they taste lovely with alcohol in don't you know?!

My lovely herbal tea

I had a herbal tea which for the life of me I cannot remember the name of, but it was a really good, apple-y flavour. Somehow even though the teapots were glass, they stayed hot!

The atmosphere was really chilled and we had a seat under a glass ceiling so with the sun coming in it felt like we were on holiday!

Here are my ratings of the whole thing out of 10:

Atmosphere: 6/10 - not exactly a tea room but it had a really relaxed atmosphere and the staff were lovely

Drinks: 6/10 - tea was lovely but the champagne we had wasn't exactly my favourite although my friend like it.

Food: 8/10 - sandwiches, scones and tartes were lovely, however the other cakes were a bit boring compared to other afternoon teas I've had.

Price(£££ = v. expensive): ££ - we went with a voucher but the real price is in the middle range.

And here's me standing on the table...

Until next time...

The VG

xXx

Old Pennies and a New Frock

Hallo lovely people,

It's been a very sunny day in London today and it seems everyone has decided to host a BBQ or at least that's what it smells like!

Here's me with the sun in my face yet skilfully not squinting. 

This weekend has been rather lovely if I may say so! Yesterday I went round to my Honorary nana's house and she showed me these old coins a 1/2 penny,shilling  and old 10 pence (which was really heavy). 

My hand with coins in it teehee. 

I also found out that she's was an evacuee in her youth!! She was sent to live with her aunt in Cheshire but was terribly homesick. Hopefully in the next few weeks or so i'll have some photos and more stories to tell of her life in wartime Britain. 

And her are some selfies of me in one of my new frocks soaking up the Sun before a roast dinner!! 

Dress: Stop Staring! Thrifted from a market in Kent!

Cardi: New Look

Beret: Vintage

Until next time...

The VG

xXx

Hair Tutorial: The Marilyn Set

Hello peoples,

I thought I would show you a mini hair tutorial. I styled my friend's hair for a photo day she had at her two week training school and here's how it looked. 

I cannot praise enough the amazingness of Umberto Giannini's Vintage Style Setting Lotion for Big Hair (bit of a mouthful i know!!). The night before the event I generously applied the setting lotion on to her wet hair (not soaking wet people) then rolled her hair in foam rollers in the usual setting pattern - i call it the Monroe. 

Hijacking my friend's phone flash for lighting. 

Basically the front is deep parted above the brow arch and then rolled downwards (towards the ear) until the crown. From the crown, the hair is rolled downwards (towards the nape of the neck).  

My scrawly arrows are phenomenal. 

It was then wrapped up for bedtime and in the morning after a soft brush out with a paddle brush it looked like this. 

Her hair is just below her chin in length when straight.

Here it is at the end of the day. 

Hope this is handy to you lot out there and to be honest, it is the easiest vintage style hairdo to do and you can complete it with a hat, a flower, or pretty barrettes. 

Until next time!!

VG

xXx

Please note: any products used in this have been tried and tested by me on myself and my clients. The opinion whether positive or negative is mine and not sponsored. 

Welcome

Hello Strangers! 

Welcome to my blog, this is the third of my approximately once a year attempts to start up and keep up a a blog. 

Let's learn a bit about me: I live in the glorious city of London *pause for rapturous 'oohs' and 'aahs' and i've had a love of the 1940s era for coming up to five years. I do delve on either side of the decade when the mood takes me but generally, i'm more of a Land Girl than a Rockabilly or Flapper Girl. 

You can expect a number of things from my blog including What I Wore Today's, What I ate Today and What it Looked Like's and, of course, little bits and bobs of interesting things i would like to share with you lovely people... yes, even you!

I'm going to keep this to a weekly post as i'm a busy lady you see *swishes hair* but look out for the lovely chance of a two post week, yes you should gasp, it is exciting indeed. 

VG 

xXx