sneak preview

I don't do this nearly enough: toot my own horn.

Or, link when I'm in the press, or top tens. It's part modesty, part laziness. (I feel women in general often don't toot their own horn enough - apart from the other kind of woman, who toots hers so loudly we can't even hear our own toots.)

But for Wikio.. since they asked so nicely.. why not: I've made the top ten UK (& Ireland) fashion blogs. I've been in top tens before - I just keep forgetting to tell people. There must be a psychological word for this disorder. I'm cringing even as I type this!

1	Red Carpet Fashion Awards
2	Catwalk Queen
3	The Business of Fashion
4	Style Bubble
5	Park & Cube
6	Libertylondongirl
7	HiFashion
8	Pretty Much Penniless
9	Polka Dot
10	dreaming spires and old car tyres
11	A Little Bird Told Me...
12	PinkBow
13	Vanessa Jackman
14	PSYNOPSIS
15	My Fashion Life
16	A Daisy Chain Dream
17	Gem Fatale's Style Blog
18	We Shop Therefore We Are
19	disneyrollergirl
20	Style Clone

Ranking made by Wikio

(p.s. another toot: just discovered this one)

get aboard the vagabond van, apollonia!

Once upon a time, many years ago - many, many years ago - I had this white dress.. I'm a bit obsessed with the dress, actually, as I know I'd never willingly part with it, and I'm so afraid it's in the storage unit somewhere North of England (they moved our unit & we didn't find out til years later), being eaten by moths.. and I've been on a kind of Sartorial Quest ever since. I tried last spring, with a Topshop version that was wrong, wrong, wrong (I'm still thinking of doing a give-away on it: someone else could really do wonders with it).



So when Lucie, from Vagabond Van, ('the unique boutique on wheels') got in touch in exactly the right way - respecting my time, with good manners and good humour - I took a look at the site and the blog, The Vagabond Adventures and thought, wow, I love this idea! (They travel round Africa, sourcing beautiful frocks and things, then travel back round the UK, selling them at festivals - and online). So I asked if she wanted to send me a dress and I'd do a post on it. To my surprise - this NEVER happens (usually the PR people say oh we have our own photographs, blah blah blah) she asked which one I'd like.



I chose APOLLONIA, a white dress that feels like mine, reincarnated. Two days later, it was here. And I LOVE it. 100% cotton.. I could happily wear this forever.





And in all this time, I've been trying to get my husband, Mr. Dot, to shoot me in it. Our photo shoots have disintegrated over the past two years that I've done this blog, into a fight fest ending in tears (mine). And this was no different. I can never seem to get him to get me head to toe in a shot (like this one, from Green Park, during the Royal Wedding after-party walkabout), and I don't feel these shots do the brand justice, but CHECK THEM OUT. I bet if you asked them nicely to do a post of your own, they'd say yes. They are so delightful: a really cool, attractive couple and a really charismatic dog, Bow Wow.

I am SO on board the Vagabond Van.

Last Bank Holiday Monday - we're off on another adventure - I could really get used to this. All shots either of me, by me, or both, spanning decades ago, thru yesterday.

those delightful delevignes

Like my mom, I've been fascinated with the family history of Kate - sorry, CATHERINE's - family. But not just that: her dad, mum, sister Pippa, her brother - his composure in speaking at the wedding - there is just something so delightful, to me, about seeing siblings such genuinely good friends. A lot has been made about what an asset, and a star in her own right, Pippa is. Not remotely trying to upstage her sister: there just doesn't seem to be a whiff of rivalry between those two (and wouldn't you just love to see her marry Harry!?)

Another delightful family, who I stumbled upon by accident while going thru my Sept 2010 fashion week folders for a post that I'm now postponing, is a chance shoot - an accidental shoot - that happened while I was shooting MY friend right next to those delicious, delightful Delevigne sisters, Cara, in black, and Poppy, in peach. I assumed the third blonde was a friend until I realised that's their MUM: Pandora! Who is the head personal shopper for Selfridges. And her dad is Sir Jocelyn Stevens, who among other illustrious things was the financier for the first 'pirate radio' (am I the only one who LOVED that film?), and former publisher of Queen Magazine, which brings us full circle. And it's a lovely day and we're about to venture forth into the sunshine, so I shall bid you all a good day!