Gucci Gala

Last week the fashion world got together to celebrate the opening of 'The Museo Gucci' the Gucci Museum in Florence,Italy. The museum didn't open to the public until last wednesday (the 28th) but some of the very lucky people including the goddess of fashion Anna Wintour had a sneek preview.

The museum was opened to celebrate Gucci's 90th Anniversary. Are you sitting comfortable? Then I will begin. Once upon a time a man from Florence called Guccio Gucci went to London. He worked as a porter in The Savoy hotel in London. While he was there spending his days transporting people's luggage,he saw the potential for luggage to be a must have for all the high and mighty guests. Guccio returned to Florence and began his own shop in 1920 that sold good quality leather goods with lots of classic styling under his surname 'Gucci'. Or as my Dad says 'Guk-ee'. Guccio employed workers that were meticulous and that maintained a traditional look to the products. When the business got bigger,sewing machines were introduced. I bet the workers were pleased,all that hand sewing does nothing for your hands.

Guccio had three sons,all with names that I had to double check three times that I had spelt right. What is it with these Italians and complicated names? So,Aldo,Vasco and Rodolfo helped their dear old dad to expand the business and opened up stores in Milan and Rome, as well as other shops in Florence. Gucci stores were popular because they supplied beautifully crafted leather items,such as handbags,shoes and his iconic ornamented loafer. They also supplied lovely silks and some knitwear in a signature pattern.

During World War II the company had to stop making leather handbags because of the shortage of leather. So instead they made handbags out of cotton canvas, which was given a signature look with a double G symbol and red and green bands. After the war a Gucci crest was designed,which included a shield and a knight in armour,surrounded by a ribbon inscribed with the family name. No sign of shoes or handbags there then. This became a symbol for Florence. By 1953 Guccio's two sons Aldo and Rodolfo expanded the business with offices in New York. The brand was so popular by this time that film stars and globetrotters were seen with Gucci bags,giving the brand a universal audience. You missed out there Phileas Fogg,you could have had some lovely luggage for your trip. Gucci expanded their brand to clothing, footwear and other accessories that celebrities were seen constantly strutting about in.

Gucci used a lot of controversial fabrics including pigskin,calf and exotic animal skins. Bamboo was first used to make handles in 1947, while waterproof canvas and satin were used for evening bags. In 1960 Gucci introduced purses made with a shoulder strap, with a snaffle-bit decoration. In 1964 they introduced luxurious patterns starting with a butterfly pattern that was put on silks, followed by lovely bright floral patterns. In 1966 they updated their iconic loafer with a snaffle-bit decoration.In 1970 the legendary and extremely popular Gucci Rolls-Royce set was introduced. Anyone who was anyone was seen with a gucci luggage set. Over the years Gucci expanded into watches,jewellery,ties,glasses and belts with the double G logos. In 1990 they hired Tom Ford to make a ready to wear line and since then Gucci has been a staple for any wardrobe. By 2009 there were two hundred and seventy eight stores around the world and Gucci is the most popular brand that is copied by the Del Boys of the world. The plastic label whores of the world revel in the fakes and love to pretend they have real designer. I'm sure you have met someone like this,everyone has. They do my head in.

Gucci has become 'The House of Gucci' and is one of the most lusted over labels. To be honest, I'd rather have a pair of Christian Louboutin heels then some luggage or a handbag that will have bitchy girls and queens around the world debating whether it is fake or not. But each to their own. So that is the Gucci story in a nutshell. Well a pretty big nutshell really.

The museum walls and ceillings are covered in 15th century Vasari murals telling the history of Florence. The museum contains some iconic pieces including a Gucci upholstered-car from the 1970s,early edition symbolic luggage and some monogramed scuba diving slippers. A wide range of things are on display including pigskin luggage ,bamboo handbags,sports equipment, trademark accessories and some beautiful clothes.Celebrities have donated some pieces, such as Naomi Watt's evening gown,Sophia Loren's handbag and Hilary Swank's Oscar gown. There are some beautiful black and white photographs lining the staircases,one of Sophia Loren in a crowd outside a Gucci store and another one of Liz Taylor in a white fur. The museum has had some mixed reviews, with people saying there was not enough information on the family,the history of the brand and information about the pieces.That's what Wikipedia is for.
The museum was opened with a black carpet with ivory candles,leading to the Palazzo della Mercanzia-some great words for Scrabble there. Celebrities were treated to cocktails,dinner and Blondie taking to the stage. Like all museums there is a shop.But this isnt the normal museum shop with bookmarks and badges. It contains a huge mix of designer handbags,accessories, Iphone and Ipad cases and 95euro t-shirts.

So if you need an excuse to go to Italy and gorge on pizza and pasta,this is a good reason to go and go crazy over all the beautiful items. Guccio Gucci was one clever man. I'm sure he never ran out of suitcases to take on holiday with him.

Second Hand Rose
XxxX

Let's Fall in Love

Yesterday evening I sat down with my lovely mum and a snoring cat trying to push me off the sofa, to watch a drama looking into the life of the amazing with a capital A,Dame Shirley Bassey. The documentary was called you guessed it,'Shirley' and was a revealing drama into her life. I love drama's like this. It's like an acceptable way to poke into a famous person's life,without getting dirty looks from old ladies, when you are reading a trashy magazine with 'celebs worst bunions' on the front cover.

It started showing Shirley as a child and growing up in a poor household with six other children. Her father was arrested when she was at a young age, so her mother bought her and her mixed race brothers and sisters up single handledly. Shirley left school at fourteen and worked as a pub singer in her hometown Tiger Bay. We see Shirley as a very naive seventeen year old spending her earnings on chips while giving the rest to her mother,desperately wanting to be a singer. Her mother tells her to follow her dreams, so she goes to an audition after only doing a few shows and meets her soon to be manager,Mike Sullivan.The actress that played her Ruth Negga,was absolutely spellbinding.  As soon as he hears her voice,he is bowled over,like I was. Even my cat looked up.Although,my mum was quick to add 'she's not singing that' to the mix. Yes,thank you mother.

Ruth Negga as Dame Shirley

Mike says he will take a chance and take her on,but Shirley has a secret. I didn't know this about her but she had a child,Sharon at the age of sixteen. Shirley had to go through the heartache of deciding whether to follow her dreams of becoming a singer and having her sister Iris,adopt her daughter  or staying in Tiger Bay. Shirley decided to go with Mike and soon she became a star touring around Australia and eating caviar for breakfast and wearing mink coats.That's what her dream was when she was sitting on the stairs in Tiger Bay talking to her mum,to be eating caviar for breakfast.

The film follows the press finding out the truth about Sharon, her marriage and heartache with Kenneth Hume,the birth of her second child and her desperate attempt to play happy families. Shirley was turned down for a role in Oliver! due to being mixed race,despite her amazing success. The film started and ended with her talking to her mum in her dressing room, talking about how she doesn't recognise herself anymore. Over the years you see Shirley go from a naive girl to an extremely beautiful strong,independent women burning her candle at both ends (sorry but I had to include a pun somewhere)-although there are glimpses of the naive Shirley that creep in a lot. I adored the clothes that Shirley was always wearing,with tight fitting dresses that would make even the thinnest person think twice about having another biscuit. I still ended up having a few shortbread though. Ruth Negga did an amazing impersonation of Shirley with her peculiar posturing, that would have chiropractors beating down her door and she did an great job showing that Shirley's amazing array of control and happiness, was sometimes a performance covering lots of pain and vulnerability. The front that Shirley put on all the time had me screaming at the tv, saying just be yourself you silly woman! My cat wasn't too pleased,I woke him up a few times.

I was captivated by the Shirley film and it was a shame it was only seventy minutes long and only showed a glimpse of the amazing women's life. I would recommend any Shirley Bassey fans or anyone really to watch it. In fact I would actually find out where you live,come around your house and force you to put on BBC Iplayer it is that good. For us insomniacs at midnight the BBC put 'Shirley Bassey BBC at the Electric Proms' on and then 'Imagine:Shirley Bassey' an insight into her life and the making of her latest album. I do feel slightly sorry for my family though who have had to endure her songs being on repeat all day and me scarily singing 'Big Spender' at the top of my voice whilst in the bath. Sorry to you as well Shirley, I have probably ruined that song for life now.

Shirley now lives in Monte Carlo and is incredibly private. She has been through inconceivable heartache,with her young daughter Samantha dying at just twenty one and the breakdown of two marriage's. But the lady and she is a lady, has dealt with it all with incredible poise and fenece. Before watching this film I loved her songs, but I didn't know much about Shirley Bassey. Apart from that she was behind one of the biggest hints to men ever known, 'Diamonds Are Forever' with the lyrics 'They are all I need to please me.' If that isn't a big enough hint,then I don't know what is.

If you want to watch 'Shirley' you can find it here:Shirley
You can find Shirley Bassey at the Electric Proms here:Shirley Bassey Electric Proms 2009
You can find the Imagine documentary here:Imagine:Dame Shirley Bassey:The Girl from Tiger Bay

I urge all of you to watch these films or at least listen to Dame Shirley on Youtube and I'm sure like me you will spend the rest of your days in awe of the woman. Obviously no one on this earth can sing the songs as well as Dame Shirley,but here Nan from Catherine Tate singing 'I am What I am' makes a tremendous effort at it. Well, its a lot better then I could do.

Second Hand Rose
XxxX

Father Christmas if you're listening

I have officially been a bad blogger. Or is that bloggerer? But I do have a reason for leaving you all and doing just two measly posts lasts week. Not doing anything about London Fashion Week or doing a round up of New York or doing anything about the start of Milan!! If I worked for Vogue, I'd definitely have a big red cross against my name. I've had horrible and very mean case of tonsillitis for two weeks! It started with a bad throat and then turned into full blown tonsillitis with me sounding like a very croaky Marge Simpson and going through possibly gallons of ice cream. Any excuse! But after pestering my GP for some antibiotics, I am now on the road to recovery,but sadly I can't get away with just eating ice cream anymore, so it does have its downsides. I know a bad throat and looking like a hamster does not affect my ability to type,but the only thing I felt like doing was lying in bed watching old movies and reruns of Sex and the City all day long. Anyway, due to the fact I have like a million things that I want to blog about,I suggest you all check out these fabulous websites to find out about the Fashion Weeks,because by the time I've finished telling all you lovelies about them,the clothes will be in the sale and Primark would have made several knock-offs.

For New York Fashion Week check out: Vogue,Mercedes-Benz, Youtube NY Fashion Week Videos

London Fashion Week: Vogue, London Fashion Week Official Site, The LOOK Show

Milan Fashion Week:Vogue, Fashionising

Something that I thought that I mush share with you all is the Elizabeth Taylor Collection unveiled at Christies. It is phenonemal and I'm sure would make the most unmaterialistic person go a bit green. The collection is being shown all over the world including in Dubai,Paris and London with a portion of the admission price going to the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation that was founded in 1991.It is being shown in eight places before it starts to be sold in Christie's,New York in December. Perfect timing for Christmas I think *hint hint* You better be listening Mr.Boyfriend. The collection is worth a staggering and slightly scary £20 million pounds. That's two thousand Jimmy Choo bags!! A lot of the pieces were designed by the lovely lady herself in partnership with the prestigious jewellers,Cartier and many given to her by her husbands. I can see why she had so many husbands now, I mean wouldn't you if you got a piece of amazing jewellery out of each one!?!?

After the beauty passed away in March this year,the entire collection of 300 pieces is going on sale. The chairman of Christie's America said the sale promised to 'captivate the auction world.' This is without a doubt the greatest private collection of jewellery assembled in one place.' It certainly is. You can why they didn't put it all on eBay. The Auction Fees would cost a bomb! The collection is full of Emerald's,Ruby's,Sapphire's and a hell of a lot of diamonds. It's a magpie's idea of heaven. The collection include's necklaces,earrings,rings,bracelets and some gorgeous brooches, which she also wore in her hair. Good recycling there Liz. 

The iconic and legendary Bulgari emerald suite which was bought by Elizabeth and Richard Burton while filming Cleopatra in Italy,(seen in picture) is being sold and just the necklace alone is set to fetch around £1million($1.5m). 

Many of the gems have a lot of history behind them as well as the six figure price tag. One of them,the La Pérégrina pearl is widely considered to be one of the most important pearls in the world. The piece dates back to the 16th century and once belonged to King Phillip II of Spain and his daughters,Elizabeth and Margaret. Elizabeth's husband Richard Burton,won it in an auction and worked with Cartier to have it included in a diamond and ruby necklace as a gift for her. That takes gifts from your man to a whole new level,most of us just get some garage flowers and an on sale box of chocolates,if that. 

Elizabeth has a gorgeous ruby suite as well, which was given to her by her third husband,Mike Todd. Mike also gave her a unique antique diamond tiara expected to fetch £60,000. There is a gorgeous angular long sapphire and diamond necklace by Bulgari, estimated to go for £450,000 to £600,000($600,000 to $800,000). There is also a gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring also by Bulgari set to fetch £100,000 to £150,000($150,000-$200,000.) And I thought the £10 rings in Dorothy Perkins were expensive.

The collection doesn't just contain her jewellery though. Yes it gets better people! Along with a total of 269 jewellery pieces being auctioned,there are rare works of art and over 400 fashion items that have been collected over the last 50 years,including dresses from Versace,Chanel and one of THE coolest dresses I think I have ever seen. But I will save the best till last.

Elizabeth had a pretty cool art collection to go along with her jewellery too, with an 1889 Vincent Van Gogh painting which is expected to reach seven million,yes million pounds. Along with a rare self portrait by Edgar Degas with an estimate of £450,000. Is it just me or does it look a bit like Michael Jackson!?!?

What I would do to have an unlimited amount of money right now. Fashion collectors and Elizabeth's fan's have the chance to buy a part of her magnificent wardrobe. For example, a beaded Versace evening jacket with portraits of her in many of her roles, is expected to fetch up to £13,000 and her wedding dress created by Irene Sharaff that she wore to her wedding to Richard Burton has an estimate of £26,000 to £39,000. Elizabeth seems to have been a fan of arty beaded jackets.She also had a Versace rhinestone and beadwork Bolero with portraits of Elizabeth I on, which is expected to reach $15,000 to $20,000.

One of the most amazing and elaborate pieces of the collection is a headpiece that she wore along with a gorgeous kimono,in the 1968 film Boom with Richard Burton and Noel Coward.
Around sixty eight of her most memorable looks that she had worn to galas,award ceremonies, AIDS benefits and two of her wedding dresses from her weddings to Richard Burton, are on show including capes,handbags,hats and shoes. They will all be auctioned at a gala evening,which will then be followed by a three day series of sales featuring hundreds more fashion accessories and items.It would be a total injustice not to show you some of the beautiful gowns from the collection, so here is a little sneak peek into the wardrobe of one of the most glamourous women to ever grace our screen. You won't find any Primark here. It is best to check these out at Auction Photos because you can see the dresses on a bigger scale,along with more of the jewellery collection, instead of me trying to squish them all into one blog post.

In my opinion the most amazing item of the collection is a simply breathtaking structured metallic dress with leaf detailing, that Elizabeth wore in 1992. I think this dress is completely and utterly stunning but I wouldn't advise wearing it through airport security. The metal detectors would have a field day.
So we all have till December to lust over her jewellery and clothes and till February to admire her art. An early estimate values the whole collect at around £94 million, but it is thought the final total will be much higher then that.The lower priced items will be part of an online auction featuring 'moderately valued' pieces that you have to register for to bid and starts on December the 3rd. I'm sure there will be some very lucky girls all over the world who will be getting something even if it's tiny, as part of their Christmas present. Men if you are reading,that would seriously put you in your girlfriends/wives good books for another year. So unless I win the euromillions,become a gold digger and marry a rich 80 year old man who conveniently has a heart attack or become a WAG pretty quickly, the only way I can enjoy these pieces like most of you, is to spend even more time ogling over them, like I have been doing for the past week.But we can all dream. I think some serious sweet talking in a letter to Father Christmas has to be done this year.

Second Hand Rose
XxxX

A nosey into the life of the Second Hand Rose

On wednesday I learnt that I was given an award for my blog!! The 'Your Blog is Great! Tell Me About Yourself Award' by the lovely Kathy over at Geek marries Chic!! Thank you so much sweetheart! As soon as I found out I squealed with delight well attempted too but due to the fact that I now have tonsillitis it was more of croak. I know its not an Oscar, although my mum was acting like it was and poked and prodded my dad to tell him,even though it was ten thirty at night. Sorry Dad. So the rules are:

Thank and link back to the person who awarded you.

Write 7 random things about yourself

Spread the love to 15 other bloggers (or to as many as you want/read)

So here are my seven random things,(I just hope I don't lose any followers after this!):

1. I have a birthmark on the bottom of my back on the left hand side. But it's not just any old birth mark,it is exactly and I mean exactly just like the map of Cyprus. This also turns out to be one of my favourite places and my birth mark has been part of the decision making on whether to go again, plus the hotel we go to has the most amazing cake EVER.I'm starting to think the my birthmark is a bit of a clair voyant and I'm waiting for it to turn into the map of another country. Hopefully somewhere nice and hot.

2. I am extremely flexible. I don't just mean I can touch the floor with my hands,no I can do the splits,put my legs over the top of my head and I have never lost a game of twister. People have tried to beat me but I am unbeatable. I have been given many nicknames over the years, Twizzle the 1957-1959 cartoon and Mrs Incredible from The Incredibles by many of the children that I babysit.I am thinking of entering the Twister Olympics if they ever decide to have one. Maybe I should contact Boris Johnson and see if he will kindly include it in the Olympics for me next year. Well at least I know that if writing doesn't work out for me I can always run away with the circus and become a contortionist. I quite
                                                                                         like those spangly outfits.

3. Along with my flexibility I have another special talent. I am able to burp on cue. My forté is burping the alphabet. I have spent many hours burping the A-Z along with other words and annoying my mum at dinner time when she asks us to have some decorum. For some reason she doesn't find me doing a huge burp that funny,everyone else does though.

4. I have a serious obsession with shoes. That is actually an understatement and I'm sure if I looked into my family history, I will find out that I am related to Imelda Marcos. I have shoes everywhere around my room,on the windowsill,squeezing out of my wardrobe,two draws full and all over the floor. The draw under my bed that I tell everyone is full of old school books is in fact full of shoes. Mr. Boyfriend has told me that I have far too many shoes, but he is yet to have met the ones in my wardrobe and under my bed. I think I am going to have to introduce him slowly to them, so he doesn't ring up the Priory or find me a Shoeaholics Anonymous meeting to go to. I have so many shoes that I didn't realise my Dad had put some of them up in my Grandma's loft for three months. My poor babies. They are not all heels but the majority of them are.I think I have been wearing them since I was in the womb and when I came out I'm sure I had some gorgeous pink peep toes on. I will officially be the old woman who lived in her shoes.

5. I adore old comedies and grew up watching in particular Dad's Army, Only Fools and Horses. Most girls first crush are some movie hunk with big pecks and rock hard abs,mine was Walker from Dad's Army.At the age of six I was taken in by his cockney charm and the sight of his gorgeous spats.I was sure that one day I would marry him. My Dad didn't have the heart to tell me that the actor who plays him, James Beck died in 1973. It was a dark day for me when I found out. I nearly turned into Miss Havisham from Great Expectations. Even now I still go weak at the knees at the sight of him. My favourite all time comedy though is Only Fools and Horses. I have watched every single episode at least twenty times and I can recite a whole episode,and tell you what episode and what series and what year Del Boy said to Boycie 'I didn't know you were at good at Maths either Boycie.' (It was A Losing Streak,Episode 3,Series 2 in 1982 incase anyone is interested.) I can tell you what episode a specific song was from and if I see it on TV I can tell you what episode it is straight away and what the next line is. I have actually thought about doing a degree in it, I'm sure I can find one somewhere. There is not a day that goes by when Only Fools and Horses is not quoted in my house. At a young age I also fell for Del Boy's charm,his awful French sayings may have not worked on the birds,but they did work on a seven year old me. My family make fun of me saying that I love spivs due to the fact that Walker and Del Boy are the biggest con artists out. I also love Porridge, Open All Hours,Steptoe and Son and a lot more. There is nothing I like better then cuddling up under the duvet with a hot chocolate,watching some old comedy. As Del Boy says, its Lovely Jubbly.

6. I am convinced to this day that my Dad wanted another son. At the age of four I was a wicket keeper and a goalie for my brother and my dad. I even had my own Chelsea kit complete with socks,hair scrunchies and a pair of black look alike football boots. My Dad taught me how to change a tyre also when I was four and all the the things that I needed to know about a car. He taught me how to do tiling and how to saw wood when I was six and I was and still am always his assistant when something goes wrong with the plumbing etc or when something has to be put together. The final thing that convinces me is that when I was five, I used to get up every morning at six o'clock and shave with my dad. He gave me my own razor to use and showed me how to apply shaving foam on your face and shave it. Not that I had a beard at five. I have many happy memories of spending time with my dad doing things and being taught 'manly' things and yes I do still know how to change a tyre and how to do tiling. I just hope I don't break a nail.

Me playing Crazy Golf at age 6

7. I have a passion for Crazy Golf. It is A-mazing! I have been playing it from a really young age,when we used to go on holiday to Cornwall,the golf club was taller then me. I am determined to go around the country (hopefully in an old vintage beetle car with a nice man that shares my passion) and play on every crazy golf course. That's my retirement sorted then.Sadly my parent's aren't keen on having a crazy golf course in the garden,my mum thinks it will clash with the hydrangeas. So as soon as I have my own house, I will have my very own crazy golf course,complete with a pink furry golf club. Every time I see a crazy golf course, I squeal with excitement and drag anyone who I'm with to come with me and play.There is in fact a Crazy Golf Championship for the other crazy golf lovers like me, which I could easily see myself wanting to do. That calls for a new outfit,but I'm not really that keen on the diamond jumpers and stripey trousers. Fitted dresses and 4inch heels all the way.

So there we are, seven random slightly odd things about me which confirms I am a bit of a geek. But a fashionable geek. Here are my 15 bloggers that I have passed the award on to. You may have received the award before but I wanted this to reflect the blogs that I myself am hooked to and I think should get some recognition.

-I am sending this award back to the lovely Kathy over at Geek marries Chic. Her blog is fabulous and I'm addicted. She is a great writer and covers a huge range of topics and her beautiful writing encouraged me to start writing again and begin this blog, so the award with a big thank you hug goes back to her.

-Beauty Bow-A lovely blog by the beautiful Bella featuring hair tutorials,her looks,makeup tips and reviews,how to do photo editing and much more.

-Dolly Daydream- The gorgeous Dolly over at Dolly Daydream with great makeup reviews,gorgeous photography and a peek into her fabulous wardrobe with lots of other lovely topics.

-Det Beauty- A new blog by the gorgeous Daniella with great product reviews and her fabulous take on the latest nail trends.

- Fashion tea at 5- A great blog by the lovely Mary, an Italian living in Tuscany. With some great posts about high fashion and a sneak peak into Italian fashion.

-Hat Box Beauty- A great new blog full of enviable wish lists,great makeup reviews and fab outfit updates.

-Hayley P Makeup blog- A fab makeup blog by the blonde bombshell Hayley,featuring the best products of the week,reviews, great tutorials and much much more.

-Laura's Road To Recovery- A very touching and beautifully written blog about fifteen year old Laura's journey through beating Cancer-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

-Lucy Locket In Your Pocket- The lovely Lucy's blog featuring Style Guides,Wednesday Wants,Book reviews, Celeb wardrobes and a sneak peek into her life.

-Lucyy Writes- A fairly new but extremely popular blog written by the very sweet Lucy who is a great writer. Her blog features some really lovely clothes that she has bought for the week, great reviews and monthly fashion favourites.

-My Woes And Wardrobe- A very new blog but really well written by the lovely Annie,who like me would like nothing better then to be just like Carrie Bradshaw.

-Sophie Feels Better- An amazing blog written by Sophie Beresiner who is a Beauty Editor at Look magazine, about her recovery and journey through being diagnosed with Breast Cancer. A very touching and moving blog that is magnificently written with lots of humour and bits of fashion and makeup creeping in.

-What Mimi Writes- A great blog written by Mimi featuring great products,her fab opinion on celeb fashion, travel destinations,wish lists,food network fridays,wedding wednesdays and much much more.

So congratulations girlies and I look forward to reading your 7 Random Things about you. Thank you for reading mine and if anyone needs any tiling done,you know who to call ;-)

Second Hand Rose
XxxX

Strepsils are the new Black

Sorry for the lack of posting the last few days. I have had an awful sore throat since last week and now it has really shown its presence, giving me the fashionable hamster look and a voice like Marge Simpson's. Very attractive. So I have spent my days lying in bed watching rubbishy TV and my favourite Murder She Wrote with my cat, trying to guess who the murderer is. My diet has consisted of porridge and ice cream with a few chewable things here and there and I have now got shares in Strepsils, Lemon squash and Honey. Mr.Boyfriend came over to keep me company, he was suffering from a sore throat too,which obviously is turning into man flu. We spent the time moaning about how awful we feel,comparing each others glands( I won by the way, mine were bigger) and watching the Rocky films. So basically the Second Hand Rose is a bit droopy at the moment and is in much need of some rejuvenation. Hmm, I think Asos is calling.

Anyway, so I thought I would show you the cake that I made for my fabulous Mum and Dad's 31st Wedding Anniversary. I know this hasn't got anything to do with fashion or anything vintage,but the colours are well co-ordinated and pastels are in this season, so I thought it qualified to have its 15 minutes of fame.Drum roll please.....

My lovely Mum and Dad

There are two heart cakes, one Coffee and Walnut and the other one a Victoria Sponge. The cakes are my parents favourites joined together, like their hearts joined together. Cute I know. I covered the cakes with fondant and then piped little beads with stiff icing around the colours. I added a pearl dust to them to make them shiny. I created flowers,hearts,stars and butterflies with white fondant icing and then brushed them with pearl dust so they were all glittery and shiny. I'm a bit like a magpie I know.
I will post more about the end of New York Fashion Week,London Fashion Week and another zillion things that I want to blog about, when I feel a little less bleugh. Right,I'm off to get a strepsil.....

P.S. Just so everyone knows my Dad is NOT a mafia boss,even though he does look like one with those glasses on and I'm sure some Hollywood producer will ask him to be in a Godfather Part 4 film any day now.

Second Hand Rose
XxxX