mother’s day take two

Posted on May 12, 2013 by andrea

i know mother’s day is celebrated in march in the uk, but in australia (and america too, for that matter) we pay special attention to our mamas in may.

mum with her granddaughter (my niece) miss k

i always feel a little confused about when exactly i should honour the date, given that i live in london and everyone around me is showering their mums with love and gifts in march. but as my sister lives in australia, i tend to stick to the may date so we’re in sync. (but just to be on the safe side, i sent mum a mother’s day card in march too, the lucky devil).

my family are resigned, for now, to not being in the same country to celebrate birthdays and holidays, and usually have to make do with posted cards, phone calls and in my dad’s case, animated e-greetings (he thinks they are the funniest thing ever to be invented).

even though she’s thousands of miles away, i just wanted to wish mama magrath a happy mother’s day. you’re awesome mum. i love you.

mum and me on her last visit to london

with her two girls on my sister’s wedding day

this picture sits in my living room… wasn’t she a minx?

jo malone sugar and spice limited edition collection

Posted on March 7, 2013 by sarahpeanutbuttered

you know we love our desserts here at pb, and the aroma of andrea’s decadent treats can at times be just as amazing as the mind-blowing taste.

yesterday we had afternoon tea in the gorgeous surrounds of aubain within selfridges where, true to form, the smell of this plate of puddings left us salivating.

we were there to learn about the new collection from jo malone, whose clever team have been inspired by classic british sweets like lemon tart and ginger biscuit to create a deliciously tempting set of new fragrances called sugar & spice. the five new perfumes, which also include redcurrant and cream, bitter orange and chocolate and elderflower and gooseberry, will literally leave you drooling. so. good.

had you told me that redcurrant cologne could capture the essence of the fruit without being sickly sweet and overpowering, i would have nodded politely and thought you were telling porkies, but the collection is extremely wearable – the scents are gorgeous. the new limited edition range contains statement perfumes guaranteed to get you noticed, for all the right reasons.

perhaps the most controversial of the quintet line-up, bitter orange and chocolate, proved to be my stand out favourite, it teased my senses and tickled my taste buds – i could sniff that smell all day long.

the lighter fragrances, the lemon tart and particularly the elderflower and gooseberry are extremely sophisticated scents, andrea and i both agreed the perfumes would be perfect for our mums. if you are stuck for something to purchase for mother’s day – these beauties could be just the ticket.

not only do they smell amazing but they are pretty darn, well, pretty actually, with pastel labels and lids that will look ever so lovely on your dressing table. the dainty 30ml bottles are perfect handbag size.

a quick spritz lasts for ages and hours after sampling the scents i found myself enjoying delightful whiffs of lemon, chocolate and ginger (yes, i did spray them all pretty on the same spot on my arm) it was heavenly and i smelt good enough to eat.

sugar and spice and all things nice? we certainly think so.

an afternoon at ralph and russo hq

Posted on February 25, 2013 by sarahpeanutbuttered

with the hollywood a-list showed off their best red carpet looks at the oscars last night, i was lucky enough to enjoy a princess moment of my own last week. i was tasked with writing a fashion feature on london-based couture house ralph & russo (i know, tough gig right?) and with the promise of squeezing into some of the glittering gowns, i was excited to say the least. in need of a camerawoman for the day, andrea happened to be on hand to help and agreed to come, making it pb day out.

i was off to learn more about the ‘client experience’ but didn’t realise i would actually get to sample it too. hello rolls royce ghost. i nearly died as i arrived and andrea was being snapped sat in the back seat by the driver. we didn’t play it cool at all.

we were whisked away to meet tamara ralph and michael russo at the atelier and were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour. couturiers were busy working on the gowns ready to be whisked off to america ahead of the oscars and trust me the dresses were incredible. one gown was covered in swarovski gems that made it so heavy i almost dropped it when michael passed it to me.

tamara showed us her sketches, which were beyond beautiful and explained how each piece is made from a mere idea right through to the finished article. you can read my full feature here, otherwise scroll through the snaps from our day.