Kingdom Of Style

lucky white heather?

Lucky white heather my arse.

This has been a grim grim week at the end of a pretty grim year so I am very much looking to a fresh start in 2007.

After the cold from hell over Christmas, I went to the doctors yesterday for my flu jab ( oh the snottery irony!), and was told I now have larangytis.  All I have for a voice is a barely audible squeek.  Got home and had adverse reaction to jab, my arm is still all swollen.

I tell you this dear chums because Queen Michelle is still in her northern lands and if anything else goes wrong  with me, I could be lying  there, unheard behind the door for days.
The weather forecast tonight is for 90mph winds and structural damage, so if there is no word from me tommorow, raise the alarm , I could be under a wheelie bin choking on a selection box...

Lucky white heather, get your lucky white heather here, Lucky white heather, get your lucky heather...

confession is good for the soul...

As the old year draws to close and a new one is getting ready to take centre stage, I think it is a good time to share a shameful secret...

I have a carrier bag problem.  A BIG problem.  Basically I seem unable to throw them away.
This problem may be genetic, my mother suffers as did my grandmother.  Whole cuboards filled with the damm things, carrier bags filled with... more carrier bags.  It pains me to say that when I moved from my last palace I threw out bin bags filled with carrier bags. 

I know this is deeply wrong in a phychological and environmental level and yet...

However there is light at the end of the tunnel or more specifically here

Appealing handmade shopping bags that you take to the shops with you, dispensing with the need for carrier bags.  A good old school solution to a perenial problem.

My two favourites are below and athough hard to believe, I think I marginally prefer the plain one.

Thank you for allowing me to share and hopefully I shall be able to turn a corner and leave this grubby matter behind me.

A determined Queen Marie

Bags or Shoes or Both?

My obsessions tend to flux with the seasons and right now I am in the steely grip of new shoe madness.
However my financial position means I must resist.  This of course means that the minxy shopping fairy brings a new pair to my attention every 5 minutes or so.

Strangely I find that looking at random shoes, helps to quieten the voice in my head that is urging me into town with my bankcard burning a hole in my hand.

Random in that, these ebay stores always have a selection of the good, the bad and the ugly for sale and quite often you will come across a litle treasure like these miu miu flower wedges...

I'm sorry my link thing isn't working but if you just go to ebay and type in the name of the stores you should be fine.

Queen Marie x

1.three-different
2.H & H of Columbus,LLC
3.Italy Fashion Outlet

I can't knit and I can't sew...

but by golly I love it when other people can.

Crafted things, made with love and by hand posses a charm that no machine made thing ever can.

The most delightful site the black rabbit has the sweetest things.  I want them all.

My favourites are the blackbird lariat and the big knitted flower brooches.

If I'm lucky maybe the blackbird will fly over to the palace soon.

manoush.com

Sweet clothes, sweet styling, sweet site.

Maybe just a bit too sweet, or as my gran would have said " too sweet to be wholesome"

I fear the 'aahh' factor would wear off quite quickly and on repeat viewing there is something rather arch about it all that has started to irritate me.

However I love this coat   ( Lady Ambika is to blame for making me remember how much I love these inuit coats and embroidery)

I wonder if you get a free Bambi with every purchase.

*wistful sigh*

Queen Marie

I think the little deer looks bemused because he is trying to figure out why the girl is wearing pole dancer shoes with such a pretty coat!

Even sick, you can shop the sales...

thanks to the blessed wonder of the interweb.

Over the last couple of years, more and more of my browsing and purchasing is done online.

Not only can you see all the colours and all the styles, you have no snotty sales assistant breathing all over you and when the online stores are as current and cutting edge as Browns Focus, Net-a-porter and now Brittque.com you would need to question your own rationale for doing things the hard way ie actually hightailing it to the high street.

Now sales are strange things.  Some people live for them while other (including Queen Michelle) hate them with a passion.  According to her, the shops are filled with junk and you can't get near anything because of the hordes of halfwits trying to score a bargain.
As usual I occupy the third camp!  Sales are fun if you have identified clearly what you want before the sale starts and when it does you are ready to play the game  of nerves and timing, striking when you think the price has bottomed out and before they all go.

As I have doubtless mentioned before, you will be inudated at this time of year of what classic items to buy in the sale - SOD THAT, i say.

Sales are most fun when you can suddenly afford something wonderful that would otherwise have been out of your reach.  I am a big believer in following your intuition when it kicks in.  Although impulse buys can be riddled with difficulties if you stick to jewelery, belts, bags, sunglasses, scarves etc and steer clear of clothing you should be just fine, in fact you will be wonderful!

My most favourite place on the web, where I have spent countless hours  pottering about, oohing and aaahing and purchasing some of my most treasured trinkets is efashionhouse.com .

I have shopping there for years.  It is huge, filled with things from the ridiculous to the sublime.  Tat and Treasure exist side by side.  It would give Queen Michelle a turn because to get the best out of this site, you have to be prepared to rummage.

I do and look at the treasures I have uncovered this time.

This glorious chanel silver flower bracelet which retails at over $900 can be yours for only about £150.
Yum Yum Yum, you would have this forever.  Oh get behind me Satan...

Even more affordable and even more appealing in an esoteric leftfield way are these wonderful wonderful clothes pins by one of my favourites, Martin Margiela.
He makes things that you didn't even know you wanted until you see them, a rare gift indeed.

I have looked at these on and off for over a year and to be quite honest they are now so cheap I have no excuse not to buy them.
In fact I shall buy them this very day.
The perfect situation - I get something lovely and it doesn't cost too much lolly.

Oh I am such a thrifty Queen...
Queen Marie x

The Adidas Archduke and the Aquasqutum...

The most stylish man in all of the Kingdom is without doubt The Adidas Archduke.

This is a man whose wardrobe is one of urban legend.  The first time I saw it, I stood with my mouth wide open,  at a loss for words.  I had never actually seen boxes with polaroids stuck on the front to show you what was inside.  This boys storage system cost more than some elements of my entire wardrobe.

Photographs of him as a young boy with his beloved mother and his still dapper father, show a boy dressed in camel coats, striped blazers, boaters and bow ties.  This is a boy who grew to manhood wearing only the best and exactly what he wanted.

I know of no one else whose wardrobe  is as well preserved or documented or receives as many visits on a daily basis.

However my post today is about his other love, aquasqutum.

He has three overcoats that were worn to his day job in the city, whose total value would have bought you a small car.

And of course as he goes about his business, he will need a variety of bags, large and small...

Part of his recent business was the decision to have a bespoke leather jacket made.

I popped over to vist Lady Lisa and him a few weeks ago to take tea and to see the new jacket.

As you can imagine it was divine, fitted him, in only the way a bespoke garment can, but of course the finishing touch was the lining...  in what else but his beloved aquasqutum!

What a boy!!!

Queen Marie x

Dear Santa, there seems to have been a mix up!

Dear Mr Claus,

It was lovely to see you and your lovely reindeer the other evening.  However I think we maybe served you one eggnog too many, which may have resulted in you leaving the wrong presents under the tree.

I specifically asked for these boots from Furla .

You can imagine my royal surprise when opening my presents, I was confronted not with cowprint joy but the following items...

A Carpet Sweeper, Flannel Pajamas and a box of fudge*

This has most obviously been a mix up.  I shall distribute these gifts to the old peoples home at the end of the road in your name and shall await the delivery of my boots by return.

I look forward to seeing you again next year and please pass on my best wishes to your lovely wife.

Regards

Queen Marie.

* These my dear friends were really my presents, I am consumed by grief...

It's Christmas Day...

Merry Christmas to you and God Bless us, every one.

Queen Marie x

The Royal Wave Goodbye

Well dear subjects I am making the royal journey south to chilly climes on a festive visitation but I leave the posting duties to your other lovely monarch, Queen Marie who has assured me she has lots of fabulous fashion snippets to keep you going through the holidays.

Please also check out our fabulous christmas giveaway (you can see it in the category section). So get entering and you could win yourselves a bag of royal goodies!

Happy Christmas everyone!

Queen Michelle