Pretty Ballerinas Cherry Patent Rosario

It was a difficult decision to make, but I finally settled on the cherry patent Rosario from Pretty Ballerinas. The colour is so pretty and will be perfect for Summer. I ordered these at the weekend, so I'm dying for the pretty pink shoebox to be delivered!

Pretty Ballerinas can be ordered online and are also available from Arnotts and Seagreen in Ireland.

Camper Spring-Summer 08

I wandered into Camper yesterday and fell in love with half of their Spring Summer collection on the spot. But these shiny red ballet flats have stuck in my mind and I suspect I'll be going back to try them on soon. Pretty and practical shoes are my downfall, and with their glossy finish, rounded toe and practical rubber sole, these hit the mark on all counts.

Check out the Camper website to see more of their fun Spring-Summer collection.

Chanel ... or Pilgrim?

These Chanel Camellia rings surely tick all the boxes for inclusion in Pretty Shiny Sparkly - the glossy finish (complete with famous interlocking 'C's) on the Chanel signature Camellia flower certainly grabbed my attention when I saw them in Harper's Bazaar today.

However, if (like me) a Chanel purchase is not something you'd make on the spur of the moment, how about these Pilgrim rings instead? Almost as pretty and a fraction of the price, Pilgrim jewellery is available in Ireland from their shop in the Dundrum Town Centre in Dublin and from branches of Avoca and Kilkenny.

Pretty Ballerinas Summer 2008

It may still look like winter outside, but March is only around the corner and thoughts of new Spring/Summer fashion are on my mind. Perfect timing, then, for the launch of the Pretty Ballerinas Summer 2008 collection! The collection includes a rainbow of bright, summery colours and various finishes, from shiny patent to edgy snake-print, with prices ranging from 99 Euros for this stripy fabric finish pair to 169 Euros for this white patent pair with silver buckle.

I have my eye on the super-summery yellow patent pair above, but am hard-pressed to choose between those and the turquoise and green colours in the same style. Maybe I'll just order all three and take advantage of the refunded postage costs for customers who order three pairs or more before the end of the month...

Pretty Ballerinas shoes can be ordered through their website and are also available from Arnotts in Dublin.

More pretty sights from Powerscourt

While I wait for inspiration to strike on what to write about next, I thought I'd go back to my Powerscourt photos. These pretty gates lead into the walled gardens, which date back to the 1700s:



I love the elaborate vine detail and gold-painted leaves:



The garden wasn't in full bloom when I visited, so I am looking forward to returning to see the roses later in the year.

Lust, Caution - a visual feast

I saw Ang Lee's latest film, "Lust, Caution", recently. Despite the lacklustre reviews I've read, I very much enjoyed the film. But rather than reviewing the film here, I want to talk about the visual feast of fashion and beauty it provides. Set in Hong Kong and Shanghai in the 1940s, the women of the film wear a wonderful mix of traditional Chinese (gorgeous cheongsams in numerous different fabrics):





... and Western styles (classic trenches, chic hats and very covetable oversized clutches):







I wasn't able to locate more detailed pictures of the makeup, but during scenes where the women play gossipy games of mahjong, I was admiring their glossy, berry-tinted lips and perfectly lacquered nails in juicy shades of watermelon and blackberry, while pondering the best type of brush to achieve that subtly-lined eye with the tiny perfect flick.



How advantageous, then, that the languorous pace of the film allowed me to focus on the visual aspects of the film without missing what was going on in the plot!


Images courtesy of Yahoo! Movies

Japanese Garden at Powerscourt

While visiting Powerscourt House & Gardens a few weeks ago, I was very taken with the Japanese Garden there. Here are some of the pictures I took of my favourite features.

The view from above of the garden with its pagoda:



Small streams winding and falling around the different levels:



Little wooden bridges crossing the streams:



Stone arches leading into secluded mossy alcoves: