Decades of Elegance-interview in the Simple Things Magazine

“(Decades of Elegance) the modern-day equivalent of that childhood dressing-up box experience, made even richer by the captivating images and fascinating stories behind certain pieces.” – The Simple Things Magazine

A sneak peek into the  interview in The Simple Things Magazine, Photography: James Oaten 

We are so excited to let you know that the Decades of Elegance-interview in The Simple Things Magazine is now out!  Issue #21 is featuring our lovely collection and the magazine can be found at WH Smith stores for another few weeks.  You can also order it online:  The Simple Things Magazine Order Online.

I thought that today’s post would be the perfect time to take a sneak peek behind the scenes of the magazine photo shoot, where we made the acquaintance of photographer James Oaten.  We have visited his website in a previous blog post, but just in case you missed it you can find it here: James Oaten.

I can’t wait to have a walk-in-closet, obviously with a section dedicated fully to jewellery!  Photography: Iida Heikkinen

On the day of the photo shoot the whole Decades of Elegance-collection came out, and my place suddenly looked like the dressing room of any old Hollywood movie!  Pearls and sparkle were sprung across mirrors, drawers and tables, and I suspect that even Elizabeth Taylor would have been happy with the pieces that were on display:

A vintage mother-of-pearl necklace, just waiting to be worn to an elegant party…   Photography: Iida Heikkinen

Vintage snake necklace and pearls in the Iittala Mariskooli – we Londoners can buy these bowls at the fabulous Skandium. Photography: Iida Heikkinen

Being interviewed by Melissa Blease was such a lovely way of reminding myself why I started the blog in the first place: my wish to bring all these beautiful pieces to you and tell the fascinating stories of gemstones, eras and styles.  There are so many amazing people out there working for such important causes and so I wanted to create a space where you can step away from the rest of the world and indulge in old school beauty and glamour.

My co-photographer here at Decades of Elegance helped me take some more photos after the Simple Things-photo shoot, for example this vintage Mother of Pearl bracelet…  Photography: Decades of Elegance

And since the photo shoot brought out all the Decades of Elegance pieces I took the opportunity to photograph a few for the sales page that is coming soon – you might recognise a few of these sweeties.

Sarah Coventry vintage bracelet…   Photography: Decades of Elegance

I hope you enjoyed the post today dear, and I would love to hear your thoughts on the blog as it stands.  Is there anything that you would like to read more about?  Hairstyle ideas / Outfit inspiration / visits to markets or fairs?  Or if you just have some general thoughts that you would like to share I would love to hear those too!

The Simple Things, Blackbird Tea Rooms and Decades of Elegance

So I was beyond excited when this lovely magazine called The Simple Things got in touch with me and requested my photos from the Blackbird Tea Rooms-blog post – that you might remember from last summer.

The magazine came out just a few days ago so yesterday I popped by WH Smith in Selfridges to pick up a copy:

Oh how lovely it is to browse the beautiful Selfridges on any day of the week…

Selfridges London Oxford Street

I hadn’t realised what a huge selection of magazines they actually have in here!

And there it was: The Simple Things magazine on the shelf, just waiting to go home with me!

Decades of Elegance photography in The Simple Things – ‘Tea For Two’

The article that the photos are featured in is called ‘Tea For Two’ and tells us everything we need to know about Afternoon Tea and High Tea.  It also lists 10 Tea Rooms in the UK that they like a lot, and our favourite Blackbird Tea Rooms are of course listed first (no surprise there – an amazing afternoon tea experience awaits you in Brighton dear!).  The article is a staggering five pages long with our photos on every page, which is just wonderful!  This is what their lovely website looks like:

The Simple Things featuring the Blackbird Tea Rooms

When you enter The Simple Things website it is like stepping into a warm embrace of home.  They feature everything we love; from interiors and gardening to cookery and lifestyle,  and the articles remind us to take the time to enjoy all these simple pleasures in life.  I love this quote on the website, which I think encompasses their motto perfectly:

“It is about knowing that there’s no satisfaction like that at the end of a long muddy walk, no pink so pretty as freshly-cut rhubarb, no perfume to compare with your own home-grown flowers. It’s keeping your dad’s old typewriter just because it’s beautiful. It’s an empty beach on a Sunday morning. It’s backpedaling. It’s the Simple Things.” – The Simple Things 

How can we not fall in love with this!?  My favourite colour combination of pink and greys… 

And I am also oh so excited to let you know that the magazine is writing an article about Decades of Elegance, and I will let you know as soon as it is out!