International Men’s Health Month and of-course Fathers Day are around the corner and both are there to focus our appreciation on the men in our lives.  Father’s, brothers, husbands, sons; they all have challenging roles to play in a society where the new gender rules are blurred.

Who can help but fall for The Rug Company’s fabulous creations; well it seems Sam Cam are as crazy for them as the rest of us.  So much so that they recently commissioned The Rug Company to create their official gift to President and Mrs Obama, in celebration of their state visit to the UK.  Designed by The Rug Company with much input from Samantha herself, this wall-hanging will soon grace The White House.

Oh, taking of Sam Cam, being that I volunteer at The Special Yoga Centre, I was there to help out at their Annual Art Fund Raiser last week and being a Patron, Samantha Cameron was guest of honor.  I have never seen her in person before and I have to say, she is rather striking, just like this wall-hanging.

I am in awe of women like Oprah, who was in the news today for having taped her final show after 25 years on air.  Oprah functions with absolute, unwavering commitment and inspires others to do the same.  Whilst we can’t all be Oprah’s, we can strive to simply be good and focus on the little things which lead to ultimate greatness. In the words of my hero, Helen Keller, what I mean to say is:

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble”

It’s been an eventful month hence the huge delay in blogging.  I could share so much but will give you the highlight and that was being invited to Antigua by very generous friends.  The memory of soothing, warm sea and sand beneath my feet still sustains me as I sit here with a blanket around my shoulders fighting off a horrid fever.  Anyway, since I can’t do too much today, I logged onto one of my favorite sites thecoolhunter and it was here that I found these fab pictures of hotel La Banane in St Barts and whilst it looks cica 1950′s, it is very much now.  It reminds me of the friend that invited us to Antigua; stylish, sophisticated and so very welcoming.

Whilst photo-shoots sound like fun, the truth is they eat into precious work time, which when you have children is super-short as it is, but there are exceptions.  When Alex and Alexa invited me to be interviewed for their fab site, I was delighted; I got to spend time with my children and the lovely crew (thanks Cat) and even better it all took place at home.  Not only was the afternoon relaxed and enjoyable, in choosing clothes for my children through the site I discovered a smarter way to shop.  Who has the stamina, time or desire to take children shopping when you can browse this superb collection together from the comfort of your sofa.  The children were so attached to the outfits chosen for the shoot, they had to keep them and that’s fine with me since Stella McCartney kids is age appropriate with an edge. For more gorgeous little outfits visit www.alexandalexa.com and if you are unsure of how to put a look together, there is even a section that guides you through with ease.

Anyone looking for fifties furniture should visit my local on the Chamberlyne Road – Niche Antiques (nicheantiques.co.uk).  The look is ever-so elegant and ideal for as occasional seating. For everyday lounging I would opt for something super-comfy and for that it’s worth a visit to Sofa.com,(who also sell beds as shown) which is where I recently purchased a sofa, leaving me confident enough to kit out a whole house simply by shopping on-line.

fifties chairs from Niche Antiques.

bed from Sofa.com

I don’t have an official blog-roll on my site as I find it hard enough getting around to these random thoughts, let alone keeping up with what’s worth sharing.  Instead, I just mention blogs as I come across any that I think you will appreciate. Whilst many bloggers feature interiors and images to inspire, very few take the time and trouble to group them as beautifully and thoughtfully as thepapermulberryblogspot.com.  For anyone who enjoys rich, romantic, feminine interiors you will absolutely love this blog . x

I wanted to post this the moment I received the release last week, but simply did not have a moment, so here it is.   Anthropologie are to open a concept store on London’s King’s Road.  As well as curtains, furniture, lighting, rugs, wallpapers, design books and magazines, the store will host regular classes with experts with the aim of inspiring designers and individuals alike.   Now there’s another reason to head down to the Kings Road and if you can make it the first masterclass is to be held on Sunday March 27th. x

Today I want to introduce you to Holly Becker of Decor8.  Holly has been blogging daily for years and that level of commitment can only come from a place of passion.  Opportunities then flow and it’s a good thing for all of us because out of her passion has come this beautiful book – Decorate.  The book is full of Holly’s favorite homes/styles and I know these will resonate with you.  Even my home is in there and I look forward to sharing these and other images with you once the book is out on 24th March, but for now pre-order and log onto Decor8.

As some of you know, I have presented on House Gift but for those who have asked how they view it outside the UK; I don’t know, but here is a taster my fab agent has put together. By the way, the birdcage decorations in today’s show were from Wesley Barrell in St Albans and yes LLB is a pro and a pleasure to work with.  Lots of fun and some great shopping along the way.  Talking of shops, I will be at the Ideal Home Show on Friday representing Geberit, so do come down and say hello.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7_2WjPI1kg