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BEST DRESSED OF THE WEEK 25 JULY
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The Dressing Room St Albans | Small Business Saturday
Hey hey! Happy Friday!
I’ve always adored the feeling of an independent retailer; boutiques, coffee shops, salons . . . it’s a charming sentiment to think that the business owner has a hand in every element of their enterprise. Both of my parents own small businesses, so I’ve had an inherent respect for business owners from day dot - it’s tough! - but on the flip side, I’ve witnessed how rewarding it can be too.
Given my love of independent stores, I was so excited to be approached to work on Small Business Saturday; an initiative focusing on small retailers, supported by American Express and others.
Mark the date in your diary guys - retailers up and down the country are partaking in Small Business Saturday tomorrow on the 6th of December, this weekend. It is my pleasure to have visited one of the lovely independent stores American Express works with - The Dressing Room in St Albans. I sat down with the boutique’s owner Deryane Tadd, for a chat about her store, and what it means to be an independent retailer.
I may have squeezed in a little shop of my own too . . . !
Read on for an insight in to The Dressing Room's super inspiring business, and a peep at some of my favourite items . . .
Previous to the Small Business Saturday initiative, I’d had The Dressing Room on my radar for a while. The store stocks a number of brands which I love, including Becksondergaard, Twist & Tango and American Vintage. On my visit I learnt that The Dressing Room is in fact the official UK partner of Becksondergaard, and has the largest selection of American Vintage in the UK - they outsell Selfridges on the brand!
About to celebrate it’s 10th year in 2015, and with growth in double figures year on year (almost unheard of!!) it’s clear that The Dressing Room knows its customer inside out, and can facilitate an excellent shopping experience. On sitting down with Deryane, it was clear that her passion for retail, which began with her first shop job at 16 (!), trickles through to every element of her store. Currently The Dressing Room has sixteen employees, the majority of which are full time. This in itself surprised me; when I worked in retail myself, the staff were largely part time. I came to understand that Deryane prioritises nurturing her staff, encouraging them to build their career with The Dressing Room. This clearly pays off, the strong sense of team was palpable from the moment I walked in to the store, and Deryane reiterated how critical it is to her to have impassioned team members - the staff currently with the store are, of her own admission, the strongest she has ever had. When I asked Deryane how independent retailers differ to multi-chain stores, she reiterated the ingrained pride, enthusiasm and customer discernment herself and other small businesses have.
In terms of the stock, The Dressing Room is an emporium of beautiful, easy to wear pieces, with just the right amount of edge. Deryane told me of her different customer tribes, all of whom are interested in purchasing pieces with longevity, but with style kudos too. Some of The Dressing Room’s customers are classically inclined, others love to tap in to current trends, and some are a bit of both! Deryane knows all of them, and the pieces they’ll like. Deryane herself was stylishly turned out when I visited the store, wearing a gorgeous Day Birger et Mikkelsen jumpsuit (which I totally want for myself!), suede ankle boots and an armful of ChloBo bangles.
The Dressing Room's Deryane Tadd
My favourites! The Bobbl Hats
I am no retail expert myself, but I picked up on elements of the store which really made it tick. It’s not overstocked for one - there’s a lovely sense of space. Clothing items are conveniently merchandised so it’s easy to put together outfits. For instance, need a cashmere jumper to go with your Frame skinnies? It’s right there. Oh and ASH slip ons? Again, right there. And a bobble hat for the season? Tick, tick and tick. The bobble hats by Bobbl were one of my favourite items in store. The bobbles are interchangeable so as to allow a switch of colour whenever you should fancy it. I saw one lady come into store wearing a black hat with blue bobble and purchase two further toppers! Clearly once you’re hooked . . .
Obviously I would love for each and every one of you to be able to visit The Dressing Room on Small Business Saturday, and every other day too! But I get it, some of you awesome peeps are over in America! And others just the other end of the country! Well for you, I’ve got good news! The Dressing Room also boasts an excellent online store, which stocks 80% of the products in the retail space. Deryane is as passionate about the online arm of The Dressing Room as she is the store, and the same customer service, ease of shopping and product range is available.
The Dressing Room's Custom-designed Glass Chandelier
Small businesses make up the DNA of towns, no two ways about it. When I think back to places I’ve visited, it’s often a little deli, flower shop or boutique which stands out in my mind as having summed up a location. Even in New York, Oli and I revisited Soho almost daily, as we were so charmed by the small independent stores we were discovering.
I am thrilled that American Express has recognised the special place independent stores have in local communities, and further to this, the wider influence they have. I am even more excited that we can all be a part of celebrating small businesses! Tomorrow, on Saturday December 6th, if you can, take the time to visit an independent store. Let me know how you get on by tagging @MonicaBeatrice in your Instagrams and Twitter, and tag @AmexUK on Twitter #ShopSmall too!
You can read a little more about Small Business Saturday here.
Do you have a favourite independent retailer? I want to hear it! Do you feel passionate about small businesses too?!
Have a great start to your weekends all!
Love,
MB x
Sponsored feature in association with American Express®
Please note, the opinions shared in this post do not necessarily reflect the opinions of American Express.
Christmas Fare | Tredwell's London
Ciao bellissimas! Happy Friday!
I am particularly looking forward to this weekend as this week has totally been one of those. I've really struggled to shake a bout of post-holiday fogginess, and I can't wait to get away this weekend (we're going to the beach!) and regroup.
Despite the foggy brain, this week has been peppered with lovely events. Yesterday my blogging agency WaR Network laid on a feast for our WaR family at Tredwell's restaurant on Upper St Martin's Lane. Given that as bloggers we generally work alone, it was so nice to have a proper Christmas party! We were treated to the most delicious food, and I got to catch up with some of my favourite blogging friends.
Opened earlier this year, Tredwell's is the third London restaurant of Michelin starred chef Marcus Wareing. Marcus so kindly took the time to talk to us all at the lunch yesterday, and him and I got in to conversation about the striking custom made clock the restaurant boasts. Marcus explained that he had wanted to design a wall with knives lodged in and the handles showing, but that for health and safety reasons (naturally) his design team had advised that they create a piece of artwork using knives instead. The result is brilliant - a photo opportunity favourite amongst the lunch's attendees yesterday!
For those of you that love a menu snoop, here's what we ate:
Down the apples & pears (delicious vodka infused cocktails)
Harissa-glazed aubergine, peanuts, coriander, chilli
Chricken liver mousse, bacon jam, toast
Pulled pork belly, ginger & apple slider
Sea bass, carrot, lentils, crispy shallots
Lamb chops, minted bean chutney,
Gnocchi, cauliflower, sprouts, hazelnuts & Berkswell cheese
Sweet potato chips, BBQ mayo
Kale slaw
Salted caramel ice cream
Warm ginger cake, caramel, cream
Such was the lovely leisurely pace of our lunch, I had to dash before dessert to a meeting. Boo! And yes my heart broke to have missed the salted caramel ice cream.
If you too are in an industry where you largely work alone, I highly suggest getting together with people in the same field and instigating a Christmas party! Not only is it lovely to celebrate the season, but it is a great way to network, and get to know new friends.
Tredwell's is definitely being added to my list of preferred central London eateries. The location of Tredwell's is great, food and drinks are yum, and despite yesterday being catered for, I've done the research, and the pricing is good too!
Do you have your Christmas party coming up? Are you looking forward to it?!
Have an awesome weekend guys!
Love,
MB x
P.S. I am in this week's LOOK magazine in a special shoot with New Look! You can pick up a copy until Monday - it's one of my favourite shoots to date!
10 Tips & Tricks For The Perfect DIY Bouquet
There are few things I love more than a home filled with flowers. I religiously buy blooms to stock our apartment every week, and adore both the scent and look of the flower-filled vases. I'll hold my hands up and admit that I am no flower aficionado, and I am always keen to learn more (to our local flower vendors - thank you for your patience!). Understandably then, I was over the moon when Chelsea based florist Amanda Austin, famed for top tier work with embassies, luxury hotels and weddings, invited me for a flower arranging class this weekend.
A small group of us (which FYI was made up of some of my favourite girls) got to grips with making almost perfect DIY bouquets over the course of a couple of hours. And yes, there was tea and cake too. Our minds boggled at the tips and anecdotes Amanda so kindly revelled us in, and we all left with minds suitably blown and our beautiful bouquets, naturally envisaging our new careers as bloggers-turned-florists.
Below are 10 of my favourite tips & tricks for the perfect bouquet, as told to us by the lady herself, Amanda Austin . . .
1 - Proportions generally regarded as the best for a vase arrangement, in height, are either: 2/3 vase to 1/3 flowers or 2/3 flowers to 1/3 vase.
2 - To see where to cut a stem for height, place your vase at the edge of a table and hold your flower against it. You can then move it up and down to judge where to crop.
3 - If you buys flowers in an aqua pack (the water-filled cellophane you sometimes find bouquets resting in) change the water immediately as the aqua pack breeds bacteria. FYI: this is why Amanda Austin makes all bouquets fresh.
4 - Always rotate the vase, not yourself, when arranging flowers.
5 - Waitrose is the best supermarket to buy flowers from. They reputably have the best supplier, buy seasonally and keep their flowers in top condition!
6 - Every flower has a natural 'happy face' this is the side of the flower which has been turned to the Sun and looks slightly upwards. Turn this side of the flower towards you when making an arrangement so you get the best of the flower.
7 - The Dice Method will create a perfect bouquet every time. The Dice Method is such: always arrange flowers five stems at a time. Imagine a dice (shown below) and place a stem in your vase as per the dots on a dice; one in the middle, and one at each corner. Rotate the 'dice' and place a further five stems. Aim to cross all stems over at a central point - Amanda calls it the 'onion ball'. Follow this mathematical formula and you will develop a beautiful, balanced bouquet.
8 - A lot of people remove the outer petal on a Rose - known as the weather petal - as it can look as if it is turning. This is not the case, and is in fact part of the Rose's beauty. It is a personal preference, but there isn't actually a need. (NB: I used to think this!)
9 - Five Lilies, five Roses and five stems of green is the most popular bouquet ordered at Amanda Austin, a classic which works for every home and occasion.
10 - Snip wood-like stems up the middle a little to allow for better water consumption. For Hydrangeas either dunk the head of the flower in water, or spray with a water spray daily as they drink from the head more than the stem.
Amanda Austin's store on Kings Rd
If you are unsure of what type of flower arrangement will suit you and your home, have a think as to the aesthetics and designs - outside of flowers - you enjoy. As a rule of thumb, if you are more 'country' then an arrangement with more greenery will work for you, but if you are more 'city' in your aesthetic choices then less greenery and more flowers will work. Honestly, I think I am a hybrid of the two! I love a lot of the elements of the country, but aesthetically I lean towards a city vibe.
Once Amanda had demonstrated, our class was invited to chose a style of bouquet to try their hand at. I chose to create a dark rose bouquet with wild-looking violet-hued flowers, and deep Wintery tones. We used flower oasis to create our arrangements - not nearly as scary as it looks! Following the Dice Method every one's bouquets quickly came to life, and it was so lovely to see how, although all following the same instructions, we all injected our own personality in to our take-homes.
My Wintery bouquet is now taking pride of place on my coffee table, and I am so excited to keep up with the tips and tricks Amanda taught us for future bouquets!
My finished bouquet!
Now taking pride of place at home!
Amanda rounded up our class with a final note of advice: "there should always be enough space for the butterflies to land". Such a beautiful sentiment, and one which wholly conveys this warm, lovely business and the team behind it.
Are you guys going to try your hand at your own DIY arrangement? If so, do you think you are more Country or City?!
I am still catching up with all of our news, business and pics from New York but now we are over the jet lag hurdle (so hard on the way back?!) I can't wait to write it all up and share with you guys!
Have an awesome day all!
Love,
MB x
5 Apple Recipes To Try This Autumn
Hey lovelies! Over the weekend I partook in one of Oli's annual family traditions - apple tasting at Blackmoor Farm. This was my second time at the event, and we all had a great, gorgeous, seasonal day out! I LOVE fresh produce, and nothing is more rewarding than returning home with a boot full of delicious fruit!
We've bought so many apples, that I am now manically Pinning how to cook these fellas up! Below are 5 apple recipes which have taken my fancy . . .
1: Warm Kale Salad with Caramelized Shallots, Pine Nuts and Apple on A House In The Hills
OH MY do I love a great hearty, SO not boring salad! Kale is a cold-weather staple in my fridge, and I love Sarah's take incorporating apple.
2: Old Fashioned Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes on A Pinch Of Yum
Even the TITLE of this recipe is YUM! I actually made a pancakes n' apple dessert last Friday - remember by starter/dessert pondering? - but I didn't think to put the apples IN the pancakes. This calls for exploration of apple + batter = deliciousness.
3: Radicchio Apple and Pear Salad on Smitten Kitchen
I'm trying to even out the apple recipes here, so they don't just lie on the apple sugary yumminess spectrum. Although apples DO taste gorgeous in desserts. I like them equally in salads, and this radicchio one looks just the ticket for serving on the side of an evening meal.
4: Apple-Butternut Squash Soup on Martha Stewart
I would in no way call myself a soup aficionado, but recently I've been given home made recipes a try. So far I've been sticking to tomato, but I am definitely giving this apple-slanted recipe a whirl. A hearty fresh soup is just the ticket for getting super snug in the colder months.
5: Easy Apple and Apricot Crisps on Bakers Royale
When my sister and I were younger, my Dad used to take us on a London day out a few times a year. We would always stop in for coffee and a pastry first thing at a cafe in Kensington, and I would ALWAYS have an apricot danish which looked similar-ish to this Bakers Royale recipe. I love the idea of adding apple to it! These look so crazy delicious I am saving them for the weekend for fear of eating them every. day. this. week.
I have to say, despite all these gorgeous recipes above - which I WILL try - my other favourite ways of eating our apples are pretty simplistic: Chopped over my cereal for breakfast / cut into slices with peanut butter as an evening snack (you MUST try it!) / straight up at my desk accompanied by a herbal tea. MAN they're good! And sometimes, simple IS best.
Do you guys have any awesome apple recipes to share? Or seasonal feasts you're cooking up? Share one, share all!
Love,
MB x
