Wedding Belles!

I am truly blessed to announce that I am about to become Mrs Robert Boon!

Well, actually, I already am....its a long story...lets start at the beginning

After buying a flat together in August 2013  - and let me, tell you, the London market is totally INSANE the finding & bidding process moves at a ridiculous pace, then the solicitors move like snails on Valium. Then all the paperwork attached to your purchase was seemingly written in the 1800's and makes no sense whatsoever. And this is dealing with the most amount of money you'll probably spend in your life
We had one fall through due to solicitors, but as they say- it all happens for a reason and we finally completed on a lovely period flat with original features, high ceilings and garden, then set about the task of cramming all our possessions into it - for me that's books, and yes- clothes shoes and handbags!
4 bin bags I got rid of...still have way too many of the above, but thats another subject....

So, come March 2014, he whisks me away to Morocco.
Our first holiday together was in Essaouira and it was total bliss. We stayed in an Architect friend of mines riad Dar Emma (having spent time in his other riad Dar Beida with group of girlfriends back in 2005/2006 I'd fallen in love with the fresh fish and sea air there) These first holidays are always a bit of a test aren't they? to see if you can stand each other for a full week!

http://www.castlesinthesand.com

I'd always wanted to see Marrakech so he booked a lovely riad (and took pleasure in winding me up that our surprise accommodation was essentially sleeping in a cave with a goat on the flight over)

On our first day out (to see the Majorelle Gardens) He didn't comment on my outfit- multi stripe Maxi dress (vintage Betty Barclay) and Missoni towel as a turban, which was a bit odd, I did expect the 'its not a catwalk, you don't have to dress like a diva to go to the YSL gardens'  but no....

We ended up with an 'attachment' as we tried to find our way back to our riad- a local boy, determined to be our 'tour guide' and to be paid for it....he seriously stressed me out, but Rob stood his ground, refused to pay him, and made sure we didn't go to our door with him anywhere near us. (its the worst thing about that city- being harassed to buy things constantly.)

He'd booked me a spa day the next day (and later I found out spent the time I was in there running around trying to find stand in ring for the stunt ring that hadn't turned up yet!)
So when my spa visit was due I said to him 'you will walk with me won't you? I can't face it out there without you. Kind of like a metaphor for life'
That evening he instructs me to go an get ready- he'd arranged for a traditional meal to be delivered to us (by our AirB&B contact/ riad manager)
He's got Otis Reading on, is pouring me champagne- I should have known when he was refilling my not-empty yet glass he was up to something....

The Proposal- well, I didn't even realise he was trying to propose, so I kept interrupting his 'speech' in the end he had to do the 'getting down on one knee' bit just to shut me up
I don't think I actually said yes, I was too busy crying! (there a handy hint boys, the minute you're on one knee you could say anything. it will not be remembered!)
Of course the next question was...'can I tell my mum?' 'she already knows' he'd called and asked my fathers permission it turns out (bless him, that made them cry too, apparently)
'Can I tell James?' my darling brother...also already knew! in fact he was the first...he suggested it was 'much more modern' to select the actual ring together (hence the 'stunt ring')
- We have still not got the real engagement ring as I write this....
'Can I tell the girls?' 'Yes, you can tell the girls...'

someone about to propose!

We decided to get married overseas, as the cost for UK venue hire is quite a lot and considering how quickly we hear weddings are over, we wanted to make it more of a mini break.

During all this time, my last remaining beloved Grandmothers Alzheimer's is getting worse, she is thinner every time I see her, and has had to go into a care home after a bad fall at home (a decision my mother didn't take lightly) we knew she liked her independence, but as her condition got worse, her behaviour got more dangerous to herself and being alone was getting to be a very serious accident waiting to happen

Then my great uncle got diagnosed with a brain tumour. 3 months to live. Totally out of the blue, inoperable. He and my Great Aunt (my mothers younger sister) never had children, so we spent a lot of time with them growing up.

Given all this- and the knowledge that we may need to have a legal ceremony in the UK (depending where we did get married) we decided to get married in Sheffield Town Hall in the November

We made this event family only- not even a bridesmaid or best man. this way our ailing relatives could all be there, and share our day, and we could make the overseas event more about friends

We managed to plan this whirlwind wedding in only 3 months- we took a day to visit various venues in Sheffield (my hometown) and settled on Whitley Hall, a 16th Century mansion hotel that Byron used to stay in, that has peacocks roaming the grounds

I found my dress pretty easily too, initially I thought I wanted a big Vera Wang creation, the full skirted- really BRIDE number, but in the end I found a beautiful Edwardian lace one in Jane Bourvis on Goldbourne Road. And she was able to get in finished in a matter of weeks!
That was only my second dress appointment- the other was at Mirror Mirror in Islington, where I did try a big dress on...just for Mum...

Classic Bride

This was my favourite..before I found the Jane Bourvis...its by Yolan Cris a Spanish company

BUT you will have to wait to see the dress, as I'm keeping that under wraps until the next event!

Sadly, my grandmother passed away on the morning of our wedding. We saw her the night before,  she was not in a good way- had a chest infection, and with her being so thin, she nothing to help fight it, she wasn't taking her medication for it (despite the attempts of the nurses) they were trying to calm her and administer it, so we had to leave them to it
At around 10pm we got a call- she had taken a turn for the worst. We got there and spent some time with her, but the doctor confirmed she wouldn't last beyond 24 hours...they could take her to hospital, but the drive alone could kill her and we didn't want to cause her anymore distress
We were told the hearing is the last thing to go, so we stayed with her and talked to her- I was ordered home at 1am, my Mother & James stayed until 8am, my Father & I were up for 9am, after some last minute errands we were back for 10am....and by then they had the call, she had passed away.

She was a fun loving character, she used to laugh after everything she said, she was 'the original wild child' sneaking out to parties, driving my great grandparents crazy (I'm basically a chip off the old block)
when my husband met her he said 'you make sense now' as my mum is sensible and normal, he figures the crazy skipped a generation
I miss her terribly, and have cried many times over her. She wouldn't have wanted us to cancel so we went ahead, and the funny thing is, since this happened I read in Hindu culture they believe you have to be joyful to help the spirit ascend to heaven

On her Wedding day, she hated flowers 'they follow a funeral' told you she was unique!

One of my favourite looks of Nan's, I'm the flower girl down the front (Mum made my dress)

The other weird thing is - I call my girlfriends 'ladybird' and during the pre dinner drinks a ladybird walked across the bar. In November. In Sheffield. I'm convinced it was Nan, paying a last visit to the party - she didn't want to be there in that body- she wanted to be there in her spirit

As awful as it was for her to die on the day of my wedding, I can also be philosophical - what if she had died during? or had been alive but too ill to attend? or attended and had a 'bad day' (as anyone living with a relative with this awful disease will tell you, sometimes they misbehave terribly and cause a scene or say things they shouldn't....)
All in all what happened, may have been the best of a bad situation. Of course I'd rather she has been there- but she knew it was happening (and even knew about the vintage car my parents had booked as a surprise) so although the best thing would have been for her to be there, what happened wasn't the worst., as at least we got to say goodbye (my brother lives in New York and wouldn't have been there otherwise)

I'll remember her every time I laugh and I'm grateful to have had her in my life.

So onto wedding 2

Sunday 12th July we will 'marry' again with 44 of our close friends & family in a beautiful chateau in rural France

more on that next time!!

Whore Culture

 

Really am despairing at the state of the world right now – lets begin with this whore culture that seems to be more and more prevalent and the long term damage its causing

We begin with Miley Cyrus and her current obsession with being as naked and provocative as she possibly can – we get it, you are trying to ‘kill’ off your child star persona, an after much backlash are now trying to justify it as some sort of intellectual game playing with the media- its non of those things, what's next, your gynaecological examination?

Then we have Rihanna and her Pour It Up Video- now, I love Rihanna, really like her music, I even like that track, she has great style and good on her for being so successful but again, its holding up strippers as an aspiration (to young impressionable minds)

We as adults can take it with the proverbial pinch of salt- but a 9 year old cannot, we see the little girls dressed like this and twerking on programmes such as Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and its so distasteful- all I can think of is the paedophiles getting off (and probably justifying themselves) with this imagery

Now Britney’s in on the act….

The bottom line in all this is its not a healthy message for young girls- or boys. In fact boys especially. They have such easy access to really horrible and degrading porn right now, seeing this kind of thing in the mainstream media just enforces the idea that its ok- women are sex objects, mute and happy to offer themselves up

When you consider that the majority of women who work in the sex industry have been abused as children, its not a pretty picture

The porn thing bothers be even more as the brilliant Caitlin Moran said in her book ‘How To Be A Woman (which I incidentally think should be on the national curriculum) ‘I have no problem with porn, as long as everyone’s getting off’ you would be very hard pushed to find porn like this these days – its much more extreme now, and none of it feels like a two way street

Couple this with things like snap chat and the minefield young girls are facing right now is really frightening- imagine: you send a naughty pic to your boyfriend, that gets circulate round school- reputation trashed, and we all know how hard school is anyway, without all this added sexual pressure

Now people can argue- well Rihanna comes from a culture where that kind of imagery is commonplace, she also comes from a place where homophobia is rife, so can we expect gay bashing in Chanel tracksuits for the next video?

These young female stars are fine cosseted in their mansions, the effects of making this imagery mainstream and prevalent do not touch them, but they should think about the people it does affect- from the university student who thinks its fine to fund her degree by stripping (and gaining a great impression of men at their very worst at the same time no doubt) to the 8 year old cutting her clothes into bits and either unwittingly getting a peado off or engaging in sexual behaviour at an age where she is too young to cope emotionally- because studies show its getting more common place, boys are getting unhealthy messages and competing and children are abusing each other which all makes for angry confused and damaged adults

Porn sites need much greater control for a start - and the government can do this, why they choose not to is beyond me, and we need to stop with the stripper style – I guess it started with the succubus that is Katie Price, and unfortunately as the lowest common denominator is easy (intentional pun there) it shows no sign of stopping.

We need to empower young women to aim higher, and value themselves much more

http://www.how-tobeawoman.com/  every woman should read this book, buy it everyone you know for Christmas!! truely empowering in many ways 

Basso & Brooke / The Magnificent Carmen

I'm probably quite rubbish at being a blogger...I just don't post often enough, well what can I say its called having a very busy job that takes up about 60 hours per week, then having an actual life that I already find it hard to squeeze into the remaining waking hours! Too busy living to write about it half the time, but I do try, when I can to update....it doesn't help I am yet another Iphone down- this one lasted all of a week.....it really is getting beyond a joke now, they simply must fit a worldwide bar on them, as its stands they unblock as soon as they leave the UK, which is absurd....
Anyhoo
Onto other things
Firstly, I would like to share the very exciting news that Basso & Brooke have taken their first steps into the menswear market, with this fantastic range of sweatshirts, just in time for Christmas!
http://www.bassoandbrooke.com/bb-edition/sweatshirt-collection/

get your orders in now, they are selling out fast....which one to choose will be the hardest part I think!

I'm really lusting after a yellow bathrobe at the moment....don't ask me why....its seems I'm not alone either, did a quick google and look what turned up

Love a bit of Freddy, so I was very pleased to discover that picture, the last pic is great too...loving that piping

Last but certainly not least, the magnificent Carmen Dell'Orefice is currently the subject of an exhibition at the LCF, go and see it if you can, what I loved most about the images on display was that she, for me, didn't really come into her own until she hit 40, which really, in terms of wisdom is about right, but in our current society and its youth obsession, she would be deemed well past her sell-by date.
I urge all women to go and take in her images, the original supermodel, photographed by Horst, Beaton, Muse to Dali, still a working model at the age of 80, she is ever graceful, and for me that silver hair really made her- she was stunning in her youth- but is truly magnificent in her maturity

                       Class Is Forever....well done Rolex, couldn't have said it better myself

Festival Madness/The Partys Over

Must apologise for my lack of posts- its been a very busy summer so far...

Very annoyingly I had my Iphone stolen AGAIN at the end of May, so all this has been done without - most annoying....

Glastonbury was the usual fun & debauchery with the NYC Downlow crew.
I arrived on the Friday, just as it had started to rain and bumped into Leo Belicha (who's boots had just fallen to bits) embarked on the long hard slog all the way up to Shangri-La (where I was camping in crew with the Swaparama gang)
Have to say Beyonce's performance was a bit boring in person- and whoever advised her to do Single Ladies as an opener was misguided- far too many covers and 'songs off my new album' (really? nothing we can sing along to then?) people were leaving in droves, as we did after 'Who Run The World.
The Block 9 area has a great crew bar, so the majority of my time was spend there hanging out with our gang, met some lovely new people including the fantastically talented Karis (genius hula hooper)

watching Beyonce

Sink The Pink

James Hillard

The Downlow dressing room

Miss Danni Daniels

Squeaky

Karis

The wonderful Alex Shaw

Crew bar- open all hours

Then Lovebox (managed to get there nice & early this year) super fun as usual, our Mr Baillie did us all very proud again with a fantastic line up and the park was wonderfully decked out, with giant eyeballs in the trees and suchlike
The ever lovely Basso & Brooke made me a dress for the occasion (how lucky am I?!)
But as we didn't meet up beforehand, I ended up wearing it just for the after-afterparty (and since in Milan and for Amber's Boob-A-Thon- more of which in a moment) 

Ilona International & I

My Very Own Couture :) thanks boys xxx

Jonny Woo & Danni Daniels

Lucio, me & Chris Brooke- rocking the headwear @ DSS afterparty

Leo & Bruno

Alex Noble & I, backstage @ NYC Downlow

My gorgeous man Boon, Nadia & me in the VIP..

Chrissy Darling, Jonny Woo, Beth Ditto- Beth came to DSS after, she is tiny! like 5 feet tall

I love Glastonbury & Lovebox, both were not dampened by the minimal rain fall, they are hands down the number 1 big/city festivals in my opinion

Last week saw a very special party indeed- a fund raiser for Miss Amber Swallows, to help buy some boobs (I think seeing Danni Daniels this summer must have spurred things on- for those of you not familiar, this is Peaches backing dancer who has a full set above and below)

Jeanette walks.....

John Sizzle flies......

Tranny centipede - Gaffy, Sizzle & Max

The lady of the hour, Amber Swallows (center)

Julia & Lyall

Miss Kimberly- I'm in the background, you can just see the dress...also Glynn, Jonny (L) and fab Jeweller Jacey Withers (R)

                                                       http://www.jaceywithers.com/

Ninebob

Ariel view

Colin & Jonny

My very own tribute- Lucio does 'Keeley' as a look :) with Phil Calverley

It was a really fun event that went on all day, in Dalson Boys Club, a fantastic elegantly decaying music hall, so much love & support was shown (and £4000 raised) it was all filmed for the upcoming film Hot Mess which is documenting the East London Alt-drag scene...can't wait for this one to come out. John Sizzle did an amazing crowd surf, have a gander here:

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150280752437962

Oh and we did a party too, Doggetts, we do it every year, this year we had a space age theme... fun and games

group shot

I did a half pink, half orange lip. with Glyn Fussell

This is me DJing- My Selecta style

The Woo performs

Colin & his Tardis...it didn't last the night

Richard Howells Princess Leah- genius!

But enough about fun and games, and onto the very sad subject of Miss Amy Winehouse's untimely and tragic end. Not exactly a shock, but very saddening all the same that we lost such an amazing, uniquely talented young lady.

We don't know the exact cause of death yet, but her slow suicide has been quite painful to watch- the frustration at seeing each shambolic performance must have been unbearable for her family, and such a shame that she was seemingly ready to come out of it - perhaps had she not had an eating disorder this would have been possible (there are many rock stars around today who have pushed themselves to the brink with drink & drugs and lived to tell the tale) but with nothing to fuel her tiny body and too much of a fondness for the worst of all poisons - alcohol - she didn't stand a chance
I had to laugh at the early police speculation that it was a 'dodgy E' of course they wouldn't want to admit that a legal substance would have anything to do with it

Behind every fallen women, there is usually a man with his foot on her back and Blake Fielder - Civil is most certainly culpable
Why anyone would introduce someone they are supposed to love to heroin is beyond me - its never going to lead to anything good (and surely by this stage of their relationship he must have been aware of her eating disorder)
We used to see Blake in The Griffin a lot back in 2005- he practically lived there, being persona non grata in Camden after he stole a ring from some ahem, 'Character' he took up residence in Shoreditch and spent most of his days drinking in there and getting to know the locals (one of which was Mick, the man he went onto attack James King, the landlord of The Macbeth with - an attack so brutal he now has metal plates & bolts in his face, and then attempting to bribe him into throwing the trial - using Amy's money, of course)
The attack was over something very trivial- Micks annoyance at James' friendship with Keeley- Micks ex who worked at the Macbeth as a barmaid at the time
We were all using Myspace at that time and he was very publicly going out with some blonde girl (Sid & Nancy, Bonnie & Clyde references all over their respective walls) she was wealthy and so able to fund Blakes dole-junkie lifestyle
Then Amy suddenly burst into the public eye, with her overhauled image (the tattoos were lifted from Blakes look) and not long after, there he was in the papers alongside her- dropping blondie & their circle of friends for a fatter cash cow it seems....
My opinion of Blake was that he was a middle class twit who desperately wanted to be a bad boy - and with Mick and the other shady characters he encountered in The Griffin, he soon was - probably much more so than he intended to be
Weather Amy would have got involved in taking cocaine even if she had never met Blake is uncertain- I think probably she would, as the music industry is awash with it, but heroin & crack are a different matter altogether
Not as prevalent or acceptable, I actually doubt she would have done so and this is the crux of the matter - as soon as he gave her that first hit of heroin he has blood on his hands, because from then on they were forever bound by it. When someone you love and are in a relationship with is involved with any form of substance abuse, its almost certain you will be too - otherwise you are on different wavelengths, and are divided. I have no doubt he got her involved so she could fund his habit.

So we have lost one of the greatest talents of our generation- a unique, independent and by all accounts witty and engaging young woman with the world at her feet because some calculating user saw his chance to piggy back his way into a celebrity lifestyle - so he let her in on the dirty secret that is heroin abuse and sealed her fate. He ironically now has a child and a new life, but I hope every day he feels guilt and shame until it eats his soul away.

Loved this look

What lessons can we learn from this? Firstly- please eat your dinner girls. You are beautiful whatever shape or size you are, learn to love your curves or skinny frame.
(I think this usually happens in your 30's when you let go of a lot of anxiety about what other people think and become much more secure in your own skin)
Just develop your own style that works for you- forget fashion and trends, channel old movie stars or Stevie Nicks, or anyone else you fancy - I often work a Keith Richards look
If you're really hopeless at shopping ask a stylish friend to help - they will most likely be flattered.
There are so many style blogs out there inspiration should not be a problem
Of course If its a reaction to some damaging event, then go get help for it, there is nothing wrong with receiving therapy.

 

Secondly- choose your company wisely. We have all made mistakes in our youth, hanging with unsavory types, this is usually o.k when you are young - you can bounce back, and hopefully not make the same mistakes again (although in Amy's case, this was not to be) there is a saying 'if you lie down with dogs, you will get fleas' and this is very true, your friends are a reflection of you- you will take on elements of them, as they will you and your behaviors- healthy or unhealthy- will be validated by their company, so make sure you take a good look at someone before you fall in with them, and ask yourself if they are the type of person you would like to be, because ultimately you will.