Style Update: Seeing Ralph Lauren Red and Polka Dots

I remember a woman once telling me that polka dots are for young girls. She said it so convincingly and from such a place of authority that I dared not argue her point. Instead, I avoided wearing polka dots for a while. We're not talking a long sabbatical from the print style, but there you go. Polka dots and I divorced after I turned 30 and it's been a long road back. But here we are, and today I'm 36 and coming to terms with the fact that no one dictates what I wear but me. There's a lesson there and it goes a little something like this: Screw the naysayers. Wear what makes you happy, what makes you smile and what you think you look hella good in. The rest is irrelevant. You wear your feelings, people, and polka dots make me feel magical. End of fashion life coaching from me here today.

Shop the Look:

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Best buys: 20 statement earrings under $50

I have, as of late, developed a real love affair with earrings. But, we're not just talking about any earrings here. We are discussing the must have statement earrings in your life. In all honesty, I don't think I've felt this passionate about ear adornment since the 80s. No lie. Seems the bigger the earring back then, the better. But, we all know what goes around comes around in fashion and, at present, earrings are having a major moment. Sadly, with every "moment" comes a major price hike. So, I thought I'd give you a look at some statement earrings with affordable price tags. Most of these bad boys come in at under $25, but all under $50. Every single one, however, will take your outfit from ordinary to other-worldly in seconds flat!

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Style Update: THE dress of the season for less

The world has gone crazy for the embroidered peasant dress this season and the prices seem to have most accurately reflected the demand. Designers are charging upwards of £700 for a dress that, let's be honest, you'll probably wear this year and put away in storage for another decade. So, I have a solution.

There are a few reliable high street brands doing this trend very well. My first buy in was via Eloquii and it cost me next to nothing. The dress comes in all sizes - no really, all the way up to a 24 - and it looks like everything you're seeing with three figures on the price tag.

Keep an eye out, as I'm on the hunt and I'll be sharing my finds as the summer rolls on!

Photos by the very talented Terence Webb. 

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The Spirit of Adventure

BARBOUR waxed coat

BARBOUR shirt dress

BARBOUR hat

CHANEL brougues

Something a bit different today, as I am taking you on a little country trip in the spirit of adventure with Barbour. The British heritage brand that I’ve worked with throughout my blog, has launched a collection especially for this season, containing everything that you need to prepare yourself for a festival summer, available at Country Attire. All you UK based readers knows that this does not always mean being able to stroll around in a cropped crocket top, but rather being prepared and kitted out, not letting the typical English weather be an obstacle. 

My festival approach will be relaxed this year, I feel that’s the only sane option, after all, it’s your holiday so act like it. I might not go as far as pulling on the wellies, although there is a pair or two in the collection. Comfortable pieces that you can actually dance in and a little bit of a heel sounds about right. The British take on festivals might not be as flower-heavy and sand-based as the legendary Coachella, so trust me on the fact that a waxed jacket will be your best bet, for now and the summers to come.

In collaboration with Barbour

Photos by Heidi Hagelstam

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Shopping the Net-a-Porter Summer Sale: Cash, Cheque & Credit!

For spring summer, the Net-a-Porter sales are giving us all a chance to grab some incredible fashion bargains, and, well, I thought it might be a good idea to save you all some time and just go ahead and limit that massive offering to a few key pieces that will fit nicely into any wardrobe and will last for more than just one season - a true sales event investment.  So, I've just spent the last three hours scanning through over 187 pages of items on Net-a-Porter to compile this listing. I won't say you should thank me, as I know you'll probably hate me after seeing your American Express bill next month. Enjoy... there's something for everyone, buying on cash, cheque or credit. 

Best under £100

Best under £250

Best under £500

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Best Huevos Rancheros in London

It was nearly a decade ago that I had my first Huevos Rancheros. I was sitting in Los Angeles and my boyfriend, at the time, had ordered Huevos and saw a rather puzzled look come his way when the order was placed. You see, I come from the land of sweet breakfasts. Give me pancakes, french toast or bread with jam any day of the week. Sure, you can pair these things with bacon, sausage or eggs, but the sweet stuff rules the day. The idea of eating something that could be mistaken for lunch or dinner, during appropriate breakfast hours, seems like the most foreign concept to me. And so, Huevos Rancheros seems a most ridiculous option for a breakfast order. And here's where I once again have to admit that I am a complete fool when it comes to first impressions, including first impressions when it comes to food choices. 

When the Huevos Rancheros arrived in front of my boyfriend, on that fateful day in Los Angeles, he insisted I try a bite. So, with minor hesitation, I allowed the man of my dreams, at that moment, to romantically feed me a bit of Huevos Rancheros. He could have been asking me to try steel wool at that point and I would have said yes. Yet, surprisingly, that one single bite of Huevos Rancheros changed the following decade for me. I fell in love, with the food I mean. 

On the off chance you don't know what Huevos Rancheros is, let me give you a brief education. It translates from spanish to literally mean "rancher's eggs," as this was a dish that was traditionally served on farms in Mexican as a mid-morning pick-me-up. Each chef seems to have his own version of the now famous dish, but it is usually made up of a refried beans, mexican style rice, avocados, salsa and eggs, all served on a fried corn tortilla. I've tried the good, the bad and the ugly (but also good), when it comes to this dish. The best I've ever had was in Los Angeles - no surprise. The worst I've ever sampled was in a small diner in Switzerland- should have known.

But, today, I bring a bit of a gift to Londoners. Two weekends ago I went and sat at The Salusbury Food Store in Queen's Park. Mr. FFG used to live around that part of the world and he thought I'd enjoy a brekkie and a walk around the park in the neighborhood. So off we went and down we sat, ready for some light fare before heading off into a sunny setting for the afternoon. The menu came and I laid my eyes on Huevos Rancheros. The Mr. claimed it was wonderful. I remained skeptical, yet placed the order. Ladies and gents, the plate arrived, the first forkful was tried and tested, and I declared in the moment, "this is the best Huevos Rancheros in London." Needless to say, Mr. FFG felt victorious. And I felt quite happy to have found my own slice of LA in London, as weird as that sounds. The Salusbury's Huevos Rancheros are the perfect combination of all ingredients. The tortilla is the perfect crispiness to capture the runny egg, smooth beans and melted cheese. The hotness of the spiced tomatoes mixes splendidly with the smooth and creamy avocado. And the first bite could be a moment for the Guinness Book of World Records. 

If you're feeling homesick for great Huevos, get thee to The Salusbury this weekend for brunch!

The Salusbury Pub & Dining Room
50-52 Salusbury Road
Queen's Park
London 
NW6 6NN

Nearest Tube: Queen's Park

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Style Update: The colourblock bib dress

I never order anything from the USA. I'm starting with that because the dress you are looking at here, the Eloquii short bib dress, was my very first "cave-in" moment. I saw it and I had to have it, and I couldn't chance it selling out before I was home in the States. So, I put in an order, attempting to guess at what size I would be, and it seems the gods of fashion were shining down on it. It turned up a week later and fit like a glove - a glove that just so happened to fit perfectly with my Clare Vivier  &  Other Stories bum bag (fanny pack for my American readers). I do love when things just fall into place, and into my closet. 

Photos by Terence Webb.

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FFG Eats: Pizza Pilgrims in Covent Garden

Here's something you may or may not expect to read from me. My last meal on this earth would look like this - pizza, a burger and a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Not all together in one dish, as that would be disgusting, but rather as appetizer, main course and dessert. Hey, I'm dying at this point, right? So calories really don't count. Ah ha! I mention this so that you will know that when I say I'm a serious pizza lover, you'll understand just how much I mean when I make that statement. I say it with passion, passion for pizza. When I lived in Florence, Italy for a year, I ate a pizza nearly every day, all 365 days. Yeah, it's oh so wrong and mostly to blame for this pesky cellulite that just won't budge, but I wouldn't take any of it back. All these memories of fabulous, authentic, Italian pizza came flooding back to me as I sat down to try Pizza Pilgrims in Covent Garden last week. I was transported and led to have indecent thoughts of making pizza a daily mainstay in my diet. I dreamt of making excuses for having to eat at Pizza Pilgrims, for health reasons. I have an iron deficiency and, well, I need a lot of tomatoes and cheese for a lack of calcium as well. It's the only cure.

Sadly, life doesn't work like that. If you have a vitamin deficiency, no doctor I know of is going to send you to Pizza Pilgrims. But you know what, I'm PhDing it up and saying that Pizza Pilgrims is the cure. It's the cure for the mundane. It's the cure for those who lack motivation while seeking out a decent meal in the, sometimes, rather boring corridor of Covent Garden. Pass by Pret, carry on past Carluccio's and step into a pilgrimage for great pizza. Let Pizza Pilgrims seduce you with their rather simple decor. Laugh as you look at cardboard cut outs of Elvis and James Dean eating pizza pies. Then cry when you take your first bite out of Italy. Yes, eating at Pizza Pilgrims will make you think you are sitting in Napoli, enjoying your first slice of a local margarita. Don't worry, you'll be brought back to London as the car horns outside blow and sirens wail. But, for that brief moment in time, when cheese and tomato melt in your mouth, you'll be taken away from it all. And that, dear reader, makes all the difference in whether or not a restaurant is to be recommended. Yes, Pizza Pilgrims is a place I'd say is worth the trek to get there, as I'm sure most of you don't live in Covent Garden.

Service is made with a smile, pizzas arrive piping hot and ready for consumption and the atmosphere is neither intimidating nor conducive to long hours in situ. This isn't fast food, but it also isn't sophisticated dining. It's come in, enjoy and be on your merry way. Come to think of it, that's the way more restaurants should be.

Pizza Pilgrims... go. That's all. 

Pizza Pilgrims
23 Garrick Street
London WC2E

Closest Tube: Leicester Square

Fashion Foie Gras was a guest of Pizza Pilgrims.

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