Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011.

Can you believe that it is the 31st of December?! I just can not believe that we got to the end of the year already.

For Miss Magpie, 2010 has been a very special year. No prizes for guessing why:

Something to do with this perhaps?!

2011 is set to be a great year too. I don't what I have done to deserve this but I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet right about now.

But, enough of all that mush...

To all my lovely readers, have a fantastic New Year and I hope your 2011 is filled with happiness and joy (and buckets and buckets of style!).

KEEP READING!

Love Miss Magpie xxx

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

Firstly, apologies for disappearing on you. A quick trip to Marrakech followed by Xmas preparations have had me busy, busy, busy!

But here I am, just in time to show you what Santa (a.k.a. my beau) treated me to this Xmas:

YES!! I am such a lucky girl - I got the Anya Hindmarch clutch I've been dreaming of for so long!

And it didn't take me long to put it to good use:

I teamed it with my gorge Lanvin for H&M dress. It was the perfect Xmas outfit - with all that silk on me, I wasn't allowed in the kitchen at all!!

Speaking of Xmas outfits, here's what I wore for our Christmas Eve shindig:

Sequins, sequins, sequins...that's what Xmas is all about!

Well, actually, Christmas is all about giving and today, rather than shower each other with expensive gifts (Anya clutch not included of course), we decided to play Secret Santa where we make each other special presents.

That's my darling grandfather, with a knitted lavender cushion I made for him - he's not been too well of late and I thought it would help him sleep and get some much needed rest. It was made with bucket loads of love and care!

And now I must got to sleep - there's more Boxing day and Bank Holiday fun to come, so I'll be back soon!

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Miss Magpie
xxx

P.S. I promised you last time that I'd share the present I found my beau...

A modern laser cut cuckoo clock with an actual mechanical cuckoo to keep us on time (though may live to regret this!). My beau saw this clock in a bar on a trip to Edinburgh, I hunted it down and now it is his. Phew!

My Christmas Wish List

What do you get the man who has everything? Well, this is the very quandary I found myself in last week whilst trying to find a Christmas present for my darling beau.

I did eventually find something and I'm really quite excited about his reaction when he opens it. Just in case he ever decides to read Style State, I'd better keep it a secret until after he's opened it. I promise to share asap after that though.

Anyway, all this got me thinking about the struggle he must be having to find a present for me! So I thought I'd be ever so helpful and draw up a little list of goodies I'd like (and anyone who feels like it is welcome to pop something under my Xmas tree!):

1. The OMG clutch

Anya Hindmarch, £250.

Well I just don't know when I wouldn't use this! It's totally up my street and I can imagine it going with absolutely everything.

2. The oh-so comfy cashmere

Figleaves Cashmere night set, £115, and wrap cardigan, £100.

Yes, I'm all about the comfort and what's more comfortable than cashmere?!

3. The good luck charm

Annina Vogel 9-karat gold agate horseshoe necklace, £550.

Everyone needs a little helping hand on the luck front and if it means I get to wear this totally cute horseshoe necklace, even better!

4. The diet aid

Magimix ice-cream maker, £219.95

I know what you are thinking - how can an ice-cream maker be a diet aid? Well, my beau's very clever sister has been making me frozen yoghurt with hers. Take any fat free yoghurt, put in here for 1/2 hour and voila, frozen yoghurt, Not only delicious, but there's no guilt involved at all. A must have.

5. The bridezilla comforter

Lanvin Suitcase Honeymoon set, £415.

Well, what an ideal present for a bride-to-be...though perhaps a bit premature. Maybe I should be urging my beau to actually think about the honeymoon destination first. In any case, I'm sure I'll be needing this set...so why wait?!

6. The 1950's housewife kitchen

Oliver Bonas Pip Studio set of 4 plates, £30, and Pip Studio small plate, £7.50

I am totally in love with these kitsch plates. I've been honing my domestic skills for a while now and I think it is about time that I was rewarded with some absolutely fab crockery. I'll definitely be a better Mrs with these!


7. The environmental treat

Brooks Devon rear panniers, £460.

What's the point of riding around London on my Pashley with Waitrose bags hanging off the handlebars? Not chic at all. When I go shopping, I'd like to be able to still look good (Pashley's are poser bikes remember!), so these rear wheel bags will do just the trick. Though perhaps at that price I could just head to Mulberry...

8. The moves

Wedding dance classes, approx. £250 for 5 hours.

This is perhaps one I should be buying for my beau, but let's face it, we both need to brush up our dance techniques for the big day. Though I've had many years of dance training (of all different types) I have never learnt the traditional numbers. My beau is erm, well in need of some loosening up! Not only will this be fun, we can wow our wedding guests next July.

9. The bedtime treat

A VERY big bed, £££££.

My secret is out: I'm a starfish sleeper. Much to my beau's dismay, he has chosen to marry someone who can not keep to her side of the bed. The solution? A very big bed! I would love a hotel sized bed, with Tempur mattress and sumptuous topper. I'm getting sleepy just at the thought of it. Zzzzzzzz...

10. The charitable choice

Christmas is for many of us, a time of gluttony and greed, but for lots of others it is lonely and miserable. I think it is important that we all do something for those less fortunate than ourselves - after all, Christmas is a time of giving.

I like to donate to Crisis at Christmas and this year I am donating money to help provide the UK's homeless with a Christmas meal. You can do the same, right here.

And...

...with that, I bid you all some very joyful Christmas shopping!

Bargain central!

Ooh, I love a bargain I do...and the past few weeks have been full of them!

Let me share with you my fabulously frugal finds:

This Manoush cardi is 100% merino wool, so incredibly snuggly and makes such a statement (I could have tried to get a better picture, but that's snow on the floor of my balcony there and I was freezing my ass off!).

Originally £570, I bagged it at the bargain price of £70. Thank you TK Maxx, Kensington High Street. FYI it is officially the best TK Maxx I've ever been to - it has a whole designer section which is always bursting at the seams with amazing finds. Don't say I never give you anything!

When I saw this little piece of summer hanging on the rails at the Jaeger sample sale, I knew it had to be mine. As you can see, it'll serve me well all year round. I particularly love the frilly tie-up neck.

I love even more what I paid for it. £20. Yes, you did read that right. £20 for a 100% silk blouse. Bargaintastic I'd say!

Another TK Maxx find, this Dents clutch was just irresistible. It'll go with my saris as well as my party dresses and is perfect for the festive season. At £12 it wasn't even worth debating!

This is the most exciting bargain of the lot. I could not believe my luck when, at the Aquascutum sample sale, I found this iconic trench coat sitting all on its lonesome. Once I had it in my hand, I could not let go if it; I was surrounded by Aquascutum-trench-coat-hungry vultures.

Not to rub salt in to their wounds or anything, but I purchased this piece of fashion past, present and future, at the purse-friendly price of £75. Price per wear comes in at about about 20p, for we all know that a classic trench like this lasts a lifetime. Read it and weep, dear readers. Boy did I have a spring in my step that day!

And here's the one that got away:

TK Maxx Edinburgh. How mental is this bag! I adore it. Can't remember the designer now (something Italian and unknown) but at £179.99, I decided to give it a miss. Practicality took hold - imagine lugging that around on the tube.

Today I say practicality, schmacticality!

Oh well, never mind. You win some, you lose some.

So what do you think? Has Miss Magpie done well?

Lanvin for H&M - My verdict

Ok, so I've avoided it for long enough, but now I must break my silence on the latest designer/high street collaboration.

I've never been a fan of said unions as I feel it cheapens the designer brand and contradicts the very essence of what designer clothing is all about - aspirational, exclusive and not meant for the masses (controversial?).

Last week, the genius that is Alber Elbaz launched a Lanvin collection in conjunction with H&M There was so much hype between this partnership that I was sure it wouldn't live up to expectations. I was certainly not going to queue for hours to get a piece of it.

Alber Albaz - the unlikely creator behind the world's prettiest and most feminine brand

Well, last Tuesday I popped up to North London for a day of errands - oh, the glamour! Brent Cross Shopping Centre was my first port of call  - the Apple Geeks...err, I mean Genii, were battling with my slightly sick laptop. 

Across the centre I could see the bright lights of H&M shining seductively and I couldn't resist a little peek. 

And boy am I glad I did!

I'd have been happy with just the hanging bag!

 The carrier bag is a far cry from H&M's usual plastic.

The Lanvin for H&M collection is unlike any collaboration I have seen before. The attention to detail is quite outstanding. Each dress was presented in its very own hanging bag, so beautiful they might have considered selling them separately. I'd like all my dresses to be hanging in something as elegant as this.

Even though there was not much left in store by the time I got there (midday), I managed to bag myself a gorgeous dress:

When I saw this beaut, I knew it had to be mine! It is so very Lanvin - flirty, feminine and oh-so pretty. At £99.99 it wasn't exactly a bargain by H&M standards (remember my REAL Lanvin dress that I bagged for £50!) but I love the dress regardless of what it is, so I handed over my credit card without hesitation.

Look at how beautifully made this dress is. I can imagine that Alber Elbaz would only compromise marginally on the quality of this collection - after all, Lanvin is all about quality. This has set the standard that all future collaborations will have to meet (or beat).

I also treated myself to this fun little brooch - perfect for Christmas Id say.

So, though I tried to resist, I fell head over heels with Lanvin for H&M. I don't know why I ever doubted Alber! I'm sorry.

Eurostar adventures!

Mon dieu, what a few days! Let me start at the beginning...

It all started on Thursday with a wee trip to Paris, courtesy of La Redoute. At some ungodly hour of the morning I was collected from my flat and whisked off to St Pancras to catch the Eurostar to the chicest city in the world. I wasn't feeling quite so chic, I can tell you!

La Redoute were showing a few of us around their new collaboration with Cathy Pill (I was drawing blanks too, but remember she dressed Beth Ditto once upon a time?!), modelled by Lou Doillon...

Looking ever-so-cool in a tight tee, stone-washed jeans and scraggly hair, Lou looked like the rock-chick I'd always imagined. She just oozed cool!

Let's play a game. Can you guess who this is?

No?

I'll give you a clue...

THE Jane Birkin herself (as in the name behind the bag). I know - unbelievable. I was so, so, so, so, so disappointed. I guess that's what a rock 'n' roll lifestyle does to you in the end but I'll never be able to look at a Birkin in quite the same light again.

Moving on from that as quick as possible - I had to do something to quell my dismay - we hit the Champs Elysee.

Now here's the Parisian chic I was hoping to see - John Galliano for Laduree. How utterly chic and fabulous!

And there's little old me doing my best to fit in. I was channeling my favourite look - slut chic.

A hop, skip and a few bottles of champagne later on the Eurostar, I was nicely sozzled and back on English soil.

Then came Friday.

Back on the Eurostar (sozzled once again) and this time it was heading to Antwerp to see Faithless live in concert.

It was just fantastic - the band were awesome and the light show was totally up Miss Magpie's street. Sister's Bliss' shimmering metallic dress was also a hit. (Soz, couldn't get a pic of it).

After the show I headed back stage for the after-party (I have friends in high places didn't you know!) and came across this piece magic: a portable wardrobe. While everyone was 'hanging' with the band, I was drooling over the sparkling contents hanging in this trunk-cum-suitcase-cum-closet.

And just on a side note, I can honestly say that the Faithless band members are some of the loveliest people I have ever met. What a night!

Next day, we were just pottering around the historic streets of Antwerp (my beau didn't let me go near the diamond shops - of which there are thousands - because apparently I have enough already. Enough diamonds? Pah!)...when I saw this pawfect sight...

This little pooch looked so adorable in her pink camouflage raincoat, which her owner told me was all the way from Harrods - she's a posh pooch too.

And then, too soon, our fun was over and we got back on the Eurostar (my fourth journey in 3 days  it does nothing for your hair, complexion or outfit let me tell you) and headed home.

Til next time...

xxx

P.S I've been meaning to tell you about this party I went to in Farringdon... The party took place on a roof terrace from where I had a full uninterrupted view of the Alexander McQueen studios. How amazing is that!!!

Now, I could see swatches of fabrics, mannequins and even accessories, but with huge respect to the McQueen team, I shall not be divulging any of the good stuff. You'll just have to wait and see for yourself next season!

What a tease I am!

On the prowl... This week's Daily Mail shoot

Hello all,

I'm hoping that you've already seen my Daily Mail shoot...if not, it's too late to buy it - naughty you! But you can still get an idea here.

I adore leopard print, so had bag loads of fun on this shoot! Here are some other shots from the shoot - can you guess Miss Magpie's favourite??

This one, of course!!

And here are the ones that didn't make the cut...

I love the leopard trousers - those I NEED!!

And in the spirit of all things leopard print, this is my latest obsession:

Courtesy of Chica Boutique in Spitalfields, I have recently added this fab leopard print dress to my repertoire (at least my holiday wardrobe repertoire). Here I am (above) in Marrakech pondering something or the other....

Everyone needs some leopard print in their life. Trust me, it's your instant ticket to style success. Go forth and shop!!

Coming soon... A day in Paris, a weekend in Antwerp, and the rooftop soiree that gave me an insight in to the world of McQueen. Stay tuned to find out more!