did you know...?

As some of you may know, in my other part time job I teach English. I came late to teaching and found it to be surprisingly really rather satisfying and not the nerve-wracking experience I always imagined it would be. My first ever lesson was of course Hell but now, 3 and a half years later, I'm more confident than the most confident person in Confidencetown (to use my iconic sister-in-law's expression), when it comes to explaining the ins and outs of irregular verbs and pronunciation. I've developed such a passion for grammar and especially pronunciation that I even bore myself with it sometimes, not to mention my sons and husband.  So today I bring you a tale only marginally related to teaching (you'll be pleased to know) and mainly about Christmas and Italian men. Phwoar, you'll say. Well yes, I guess.

I have a wonderful little group of learners, I affectionately refer to them as "my pathology lot", whom I teach English once a week. They're all Italian doctors and work in the local pathology department. Really fascinating stuff and a charming bunch of people. No, really.

During today's lesson, and as it's our last before the festive season gets well and truly under way, we had a lively discussion about Christmas and what the UK traditions might be as opposed to the Italian ones. As I may as well be British, I of course feel that there's no better Christmas than an English one but I was very keen to learn how the Italians went about it.  From their explanation it seems that it's maybe a little bit more low-key than ours, not so much singing and drinking and not a lot of emphasis on obscene amounts of presents as in other parts of the world. As part of our discussion I asked them if they could give me 3 words that for them, define Christmas. All were unanimous in their nominations apart from the words "Christmas tree" (for the females) and "Nativity" (for the males). There was this very odd but very clear divide. The gals loved a tree, and the blokes were all for a Nativity scene. One of the male doctors patiently  proceeded to explain that in Italy, "men do the Nativity" and "women do the tree". He then very seriously continued and told me that baby Jesus is only placed in the crib on the 24th and that the 3 wise men don't appear till the 6th day of January (they are in fact gradually moved along - by the man - as the days go by, I kid you not).  I cannot imagine that every Italian male carries out this particular ritual with the same passion or dedication as my pupils tried to make me believe, but I was assured that generally the scenes are meticulously planned out, constructed, installed and lit and watered ("there are real fountains with real water and moss is gathered, and stars illuminate the sky and..." I listened enraptured...) not by the women but by the men. Back home I researched pictures of Nativity scenes from the UK and compared them to their Italian counterparts and must say that when it comes to creating a religious scene, the Italians obviously have an elevated ambition and passion in this department. Not for them the minimal, wooden purist set.
Having always placed Italian men in either an Al Pacino type category or a Giorgio Armani-ish one, I was a bit puzzled with this new aspect of the Italo male. What now? It's endearing for sure, but is it sexy? I've concluded that it is, because somewhere inside my head I really can picture Al on his knees, carefully arranging the hay in the second stable ready for the ox and donkey. Ok, that's where I'm gonna leave it for today.

good morning

Happy Friday everyone! Not much time to sit and blog at the moment but wanted to post this picture for the longest time as it's just so beautiful and simple. Nothing like the colours of a succulent plant. Right! Off out now. I finally got that hair appointment. *smiles in blissfull anticipation*

try this

Jeannette Lunde, a Norwegian graphic designer is creator of the Fryd + Design blog as well as Fryd + Shop. How can you not fall madly in love with her colours, creations and photographs? All beautifully presented with such exquisite sense of detail and style.

The above picture is taken from one of her older posts and I do hope she doesn't mind me using it to give you a taste of her lovely work.

this one's for me

I promise I'm not intentionally plugging you-know-what or anything but this little bit (excuse the pun!) is really too distracting for me. Not really much of a jewellery girl, apart from my extra large rings and pearl-string-thingy, I'm loving the look of this bracelet. Mind you I'd probably only wear it the once but it's still too gorgeous and it makes me dream, and that's why I put it here. Where it belongs.

happy thanksgiving

A very warm wish to all my wonderful US readers for Thanksgiving Day! There's quite a few of you over in the States and I always look forward to your visits on The Style Inside. Thank you for you support, it means the world to me.

A special mention and huge Thanksgiving hug goes out to 3 very faithful readers: one in Old Lyme, Connecticut, the other in Evanston, Illinois and then of course you over there in sunny Santa Cruz, California.

I would love to hear from all of you!

falling in love again

Whether it's a classic car or a classic bag, both make me go weak at the knees. And while my classic car collection leaves something to be desired, I'm well on my way with the bags. My Gucci Jackie O Logo Bit bag (unofficial name made up by me on the spot right here right now) is my absolute armcandy du jour. It's been tucked away in my wardrobe for at least a year without so much of a glance, albeit luxuriously wrapped in its brown silk dustbag, and has only resurfaced this week after my brain was kicked into "Gucci-mode" following some mention of the brand on Twitter. Wonder whether anyone quite appreciates this particular intrinsic value of social networking sites, bet Gucci doesn't.

The beauty of a true classic is that it's not a trend and you can therefore rest assured in the knowledge of a safe investment which is just going to keep giving and giving and giving in terms of satisfaction. Stylewise a classic will also usually keep up with the rest of them (let's face it, that's what we pay good money for), not 100% of the time but most of the time and when used cleverly, a classic item is never boring. I love it when I can use my Gucci unconventionally, with something unexpectedly un-classic. Juxtaposition of styles is a passion of mine and works best for me when a classic's involved. I could never wear head-to-toe classics though, I'd pass out from sheer boredom.

I also like to think of these special pieces as insurance cover when I need it most - like now. My absolute favourite jeans are fraying and ripping but I can't bring myself to "put them away". My hair is in dire need of highlighting and cutting yet my hairdresser won't confirm an appointment that's soon enough for me. So what do I do? I slip on my GJOLB-bag and it's a look!

Has anyone else tried it? Do let me know.

business & pleasure

I was reminded what it's like to be a career girl this week when I had to travel to Lucerne on a 2 day work trip. Not bad for a change, good to get out and play at the business game. Whilst business was good and very interesting indeed, I think the best bit for me was the impromptu off duty evening I was able to spend with my husband who also just happened to be in the area. He knows I'm a bit high maintenance when it comes to hotels - I can't be bothered with average, it really has to be something thrilling. So while my client had booked me into a very grand but bland hotel, I was whisked off by my husband to an altogether different setting. Walking into the Astoria in Lucerne I felt all excited and tingly, THIS was more like it!  A cool, smooth affair, whiter than white with a divine reception desk all covered in minute, sparkly mosaic tiles  begging to be touched and behind it a suave but friendly male receptionist eager to please. Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron (Tate Modern London, Allianz Arena Munich, Birds Nest Stadium Peking and Prada Tokyo to name but a few) extended this hotel in 2005 and created something very special indeed. If ever you have the opportunity to stop over in Lucerne, try this, I reckon you might be impressed.  You don't even have to walk anywhere at all to get to the coolest bars, lounges and restaurants, as they're all in the hotel itself. Incredibly convenient. We tried the Penthouse bar for aperitivi and then headed for the excellent Asian bistro Mekong located on the ground floor. Unfortunately I cannot report on the rooms - from the website though it would appear that Superior and Deluxe are the way to go. Steer clear of Standard - that's the rule.

oh melissa!

A shoe is never just a shoe. Don't let anyone ever tell you any different. Proof in the pudding came just now via Twitter where my fabulously stylish friend D's been celebrating the arrival of her incredibly special order. This is not JUST a shoe. It's a shoe that deserves so rightly to be celebrated and written about, actually it deserves poetry and tears. Yet another "Volltreffer" for my stylish friend who can never put a foot wrong!
For those of you also afflicted by shoelove check this out....

skaterboys

                                         

My boys are not only having a major MJ moment, they're also discovering skateboarding and the whole skater-look bigtime! In fact while the eldest seems to be more concerned with getting "the look" just right, the little guy is actually more passionate about his board and how high he can jump with it. They've been playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater playstation game for years but now is obviously the time to get their little bottoms in gear and get out on the street to put all that theory into practice. A face injury does not seem to have put them off, in fact scars are obviously all part of the look. Today I found out that skater God Tony Hawk's got a gig (if that's what you can call it) in Paris - looks fantastic and I wish we could've taken both boys along to watch some serious grinds, kickflips, ollies and a few aerials. If you're interested and more local to Paris than us, here's the link for the show.

One of my favourite quotes and one that keeps me going, keeps me running, keeps me doing what I love doing and generally drives me to the next block. Thought I'd share it with you.

make it simple

I've started thinking about it (how can you NOT, with shops strutting their Christmas decs since early October) and realised just now that the only thing I really want this Christmas is simplicity. No fuss, no stress, no shopping madness, no garish decorations, not even a tree and as for presents, well let's just say that 'bare' and 'minimum' sums it up quite nicely. My children won't be impressed I'm sure but they'll be so distracted by the fact that we are spending it in England, that they'll hardly notice any lack of tinsel. Could I finally have come out of my childhood at the tender age of almost-42 and had the epiphany that it's really not about buying, eating, giving/receiving and generally over-indulging? I do hope so. Probably it's more to do with being fulfilled and happy and not really, at the end of the day, wanting for material things. Oh don't get me wrong, I'm the girl running hysterically 'round London's newly opened Anthropologie but given half a chance I'd do that at any time of year and preferably NOT during the Christmas period (however if you are browsing 'round this store, and if Christmas decorations are your thing, then look out for the charming fish pictured above).

Quite consciously and blatantly slipping into granny-mode, my view this year is that Christmas is about being together; about family and remembering what we have and appreciating how lucky we are. Just the thought of spending the holidays with our family makes me fell warm and fuzzy - give me an armchair or preferably a sofa, some knitting or a book and I'll gladly just sit there watching the kids as well as the adults merrily chatting. My only regret is that we can't all be together. We'd need a house the size of Pemberley (oops, I mean Chatsworth) to all fit in comfortably. Maybe next year.

new denim

Ok, time for a new pair. You all know how I feel about denim. I've worn the boyfriend all summer and rediscovered my beloved floppy French Connection carpenter jeans. But now I need my new fix. It's autumn and after having sifted through all my old styles and edited out what had no business inside my wardrobe, I am at a serious loss for words and alternatives. I need new denim and here, in Locarno, there is none! How am I meant to operate under these conditions? "You exaggerate!" I hear you exclaim. I don't think so. I'm not asking for Anthropologie, I'm not asking for Topshop and I'm not even asking for The Gap, for goodness sake. All I want is a pair of cool jeans. Globus have dissappointed me profoundly (I won't even give you their link as they're just not worth it) - they're usually my only hope around here but alas, the buyer seems to have had a temporary bout of incompetence and ordered only weird Italian styles boasting about 17 details too many. My search continues. I shall let you know what happens, I know you're all dying to know.
The picture above is courtesy of the current J Brand advertising campaign. J Brand is my denim nirvana.

apron-time

                                  

As the nights draw in and the going back (or is it forward? I'll never get the hang of it I swear, it's just useless, why don't we abolish this custom, who's idea was it anyway? Answers please!) of the clocks looms, we're not out and about so much. Instead we're at home more and generally busying ourselves with indoor activities. Or at least that's what I've been doing. The heating's on and of an evening we're already very well established in our light-the-woodburner-routine. It's kind of nice and you don't feel so guilty for resembling a sloth, as the weather really doesn't entice us to any sort of outdoorsey activity. Heavily engrossed in all these homely thoughts and non-activities, while proudly wearing one of my many aprons (you don't want to know how many cakes I've baked in the last week!), I got to thinking about my kids and how much time, effort and most of all parental love goes into ensuring that theirs are perfect lives. While we are all "of course" individuals, making our mark and making a difference where possible, we all tend to flock together when it's about what we want for our children. We all want the same for them, don't we? Coming from divorced parents I tend to overcompensate for a lot when it comes to my children's wellbeing and happiness but I'm pretty sure that the majority of us parents just want our kids to be as unburdened as possible ie. carefree, happy, stable and most of all safe (incidentally I am pretty sure that both my own parents, divorced or not, still want exactly that for me too). So, with our two sons slowly growing into young men, I'm savouring baking them cakes, cooking them lunches and generally sitting with them during homework-time or telly-time and even just perching on their beds while they sleep (I am hopefully not the only mum that STILL does this). I am of course hoping that all this will stay with them forever and that when they look back at their childhood, they will have warm and happy memories flooding through their heads. At one stage during this thought process I actually asked myself how I would know that they are living a happy childhood now...? "Hi darling, so c'mon, out of 10, how d'you rate your family life?" A blank stare would have been all I deserved for such an irresponsible question, yet I was tempted, if only to give myself a laugh and a pat on the back for having a wicked sense of humour.

Well it won't last forever this childhood thing, and let's face it, after my recent revelation that Patsy Stone's my evil inner twin, the homemaker personality won't last that much longer either as she'll soon be hit over the head with a Marc Jacobs 'Stam' or a bottle of gin. But realistically now, it will have to come to an end eventually as I'm sure the girlfriend or wife won't appreciate waking up to mother-in-law, sat on the end of the bed with a tender look in her eyes...

Maybe it'll be me who needs to let go of the apron.

I have a thing about aprons (vintage aprons, please) and while scouring for a suitable image for this post I came across the one above from a lovely blog dealing in exactly that, vintage aprons! Delightful.

a prime specimen

The blue is "the original Mercedes colour spec" - this being a 1966 SE250 Automatic Coupe. One that has been lovingly restored (as so often is the case) and which regularly sweeps majestically up and down the mountains, engine purring softly. The owner, a neighbour and another one of Signor Belotti's esteemed customers, talks with much enthusiasm and animation about the origin of his car and the painstaking effort and investment it has taken to get it to look this good. After listening appreciatively to our friendly neighbour, there is nothing left to do but collectively sigh and stand back in silence and admiration. Sunday mornings were made for this.

                                        

                                       

                                       

                                       

                                       

pats

One does like to be naughty every now and then, and for me there's nothing naughtier than indulging in my very own particular hero-worship of the ultra-fabulous Patsy Stone. You may scorn and splutter but I think of her as my evil inner twin. Always have done, ever since AbFab appeared on our British screens in 1992. In an age, ie. at my age which is 41 almost 42 actually, when one is fully immersed and floating on that wonderful, soft (or wire wool, depending on what time of the month it is) cloud of motherhood, I do enjoy going right off on a tangent pretending for one long moment that yes, deep deep deep down, I am (still) that glamorous rough tart of a fashion babe JUST back from the shows ("...backstage parties, landmined with bitch fashion editors and Donatella-bloody-Versace...!") smoking at least 40 (but more like 60) a day while guzzling my 5th bottle of Bolly and it's not even 6pm. I love Patsy (almost as much as I love Joanna Lumley) 'cos she reminds me that it's totally ok to be glamorous all the time - and I for one SO need the occasional (it won't kill you, I promise!) glamour injection here, in this quiet backwater. So of late I'm making an extra effort - I am rediscovering the pleasure of wearing heels and doing a lot of wafting around feeling really rather fabulous. I'll probably go back to the old denims and my All-Stars come Friday but for now, this feels pretty damn good, darling!

Do you remember the utter magic of AbFab? Do you? Do you? Well, you may say you do, but click here and here for a refresher course nonetheless. Now might also be a good time to give those pelvic floor exercises another go, ladies.

Cheers yeah thanks.

TheStyleInside aka "Executive Creative Director Chief Buyer and Lifestyle Coordinator"

I cannot believe it's that time again already. Just kissed summer goodbye and our attention drifts swiftly to plans for Christmas. As in many other parts of Continental Europe, we too have a very strong tradition of Christmas markets here. And you will have gathered by now that I do love a good market (be it the Auer Dult in Munich, a good old English carboot sale, my friend's wonderful yardsale or the forthcoming Christmas markets). Here, in our little corner of southern Switzerland, at the foot of the Centovalli, our neighbouring village Tegna organises its own very special, very delightful annual market. A tireless Dutch girl is the organiser and it's because of her that every year people from all over Switzerland return to sell their wares. Last year's event was a great success with over 40 stalls and I was particularly pleased, as I was able to convince my two ceramicist friends to also exhibit their beautiful pieces. Not only did they sell the whole lot, they also took further orders from keen customers. Oh, it was very satisfying.

Now for this year, I have immersed myself even further into the role of  PR and Agent (I'm sure you'll agree that all these wonderfully talented and creative people must be celebrated) and after having words with the said organiser lady (Dutchwomanabroad) to ensure that we are allocated optimal positions, I am ridiculously excited to announce that there will be a really rather delightful corner featuring some of the most exquisite creations you will come across this side of Christmas (amongst the myriad of other exhibitors, of course). So do pop over to Tegna on 6th December to indulge in a good dose of Christmas shopping and admire the simple, beautiful creations of Cri & Domi , Dani & Giovanna and of course Karin.

Whilst Dani is the very creative talent behind Salcottroad, Karin's website is Semplice-k, and both have been featured on The Style Inside, as has the wonderful work of ceramicists Cri & Domi. The work of Giovanna Weber (find it on Salcottroad) also deserves a special mention and I just know that you will delight in her exquisitely delicate creations.

Well, I've put Tegna on the map so if you're local, there's no excuse. Come and get your cup of mulled wine and mooch through the village and the stalls. Can't wait to see you!

keely & louis

He's larger than life, and she just steals the show (click here to see what I mean). They're funny, talented, romantic, sexy and yes, it's all just a bit old-fashioned darling, isnt' it?  But who can do modern/contemporary all the time? Not me. This warms my heart and makes me feel more alive than Justin and Madonna. From the incomparable That Old Black Magic to my own favourite, All Night Long. How can you not love Louis Prima and his gorgeous then-wife Keely Smith?

Goodnight and sweet dreams.
Oh God! I almost forgot THIS one!!!!

charleston

Before moving to Switzerland, we spent many happy years living in Sussex and one of our very favourite spots was Charleston House. This was the home and country meeting place for the writers, painters and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group. The interior was painted by the artists Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, and together with their collection forms a unique and wonderful example of their decorative style. The house is open to visitors and if you are ever in the beautiful Sussex countryside, you should pop in. It's absolutely delightful and the minute you set foot inside, you are transported back in time, very atmospheric.
Get a taste for this special place by visiting the website.

dani's bristol

It doesn't take much to get us car people excited round these parts but Mr Belotti sure sets our hearts all aflutter when his clients drop off their darlings for an inspection... If cars are your drug, then he's your dealer. He is The Man for your oldtimer - drivers descend upon him from all over Europe and once they've finished their tour up and over the Simplon, speeding down the narrow serpentines of the Centovalli in a final roar of glory, they make Verscio their pitstop and let Mr Belotti Jr carefully tend to their beauties. Which is great news for my dear friend and anyone else living locally with a weakness for the classic car. So here is today's little trophy - a Bristol, but with a BMW chassis. Whilst he is clearly not a fan, Mr Belotti kindly conceded to inform me, with more than a hint of pride, that this particular specimen (the one stood in front of the workshop as shown in my very mediocre photo above) was made to order by Swiss company Beutler (1945-1987), for the 1951 Geneva Motor show. To find out this and more, simply visit this supercar website.

I was also given permission to take a peek at his handsome black 1956 Mercedes 300 C which is kept very well hidden away in the labyrinth of his workshop. It is in absolute pristine condition and is for sale he tells me...

the london greats

A post on The Women's Room today inspired me and reminded me of some great British institutions. Whilst now, in the harsh glare of 2009 these may seem totally outdated and uncool (some for good reason, while others remain untouchable), I would like to transport you back to a time when they were really rather special and made you feel very, very good indeed. We used to call one of them our 'corner shop', and it was absolutely true, it really was literally round the corner but it didn't occupy a corner in so much as a whole block, as indeed it still does today. I'm talking of course about dear, darling Harrods. Due to its proximity to where we lived, it really became a trusted, huge, red brick friend who was always there, waiting for us with open doors. As a young girl in the seventies I have the most vivid and intense memories of spending endless afternoons with my mother mooching round the Food Halls, the toy department, the pet department, the super groovy Fifth Floor and of course the endless womenswear rooms where I would get lost in a sea of coats, eveningwear and shoes! What I remember most of all about those visits to Harrods are the smells and the sounds. Not sure if it still exists today, but after a particularly taxing shopping spree, my mum would take me to the Juice Bar in the Food Halls, where you could take a seat on a bar stool and choose from a vast selection of fresh fruit to have your very own fresh fruit smoothie created while you watched. It was all the rage and the waiting times were understandably long. Mine was usually some multi-berry concoction, deep, dark pink and a bit tart. So divine. I can still taste and smell the amazing flavours wafting round that corner of the shop. On Saturday mornings I used to wander down, hand in hand with my father and together we would march again and again through our beloved Food Halls and buy wonderful breads and cold meats for lunch. All you could hear in these halls were deafening echoes of people talking - actually no, shouting their orders loudly in those plummy tones - it was all a buzz, full of posh old dears and dashing gentlemen squires buying foie gras for supper. What's not to love about that? Then upstairs it was all hush hush, the sales staff were just as elegently dressed as the shoppers and I was, as in most of my childhood fantasies, swiftly transported into an Alice in Wonderland world as I ran silently on the soft grey carpet between the garment carousels pretending to catch my rabbit.

Walk into Harrods today, and little or none of that old British glamour has survived. It certainly looks the same from the outside, but nothing in its interior atmosphere (nevermind actual interiors) could be further removed from its original splendour and British class. Of course Harrods was always meant to be somewhat otherworldly and exotic, but in a very British way which it just doesn't manage to pull off today - I mean, who needs or wants an Egyptian blimmin' escalator? However I do remain faithful and hopeful that one day some fabulous English eccentric will reclaim it and relaunch it as the glorious, modern and exciting British shopping experience it so clearly deserves to be. I think it's about time, don't you?

Unlike Fortnum's which remains to this day in a class of its own, spinning in the same British fairytale era, never dissappointing, whether you're a Londoner, an out-of-towner or a tourist. I do SO LOVE their gentle dress code reminder which you can find on The Fountain Restaurant page of their website: "We kindly request that both sexes lean more towards elegance"... How utterly charming is that and how wonderful if in general people of both sexes would lean more towards elegance? Then there is of course Liberty where they have cleverly managed to maintain the department store's old and unique charm whilst also keeping up with the times and becoming a very special avantgarde London store. And last but by no means least, Selfridges. Which is so important in terms of London retail that it deserves its own special post.

So you see dear, darling Harrods, it is possible to be cool, cutting edge and totally British...

Click here for a spooky but interesting birdseye view and tour of Harrods...
Image courtesy of Shorty_nz_2000.