Santa, baby ...

With the countdown to Christmas about to begin, I will be posting a wish-list item or two each day of the advent calendar. 

From stocking-fillers to overdraft-inducers, watch this space ...

Violet's growing in E8

Violet specialise in American style cupcakes and sell in Borough Market. They have extended their bake-place in Wilton Way to offer tea and cakes throughout the day. Small and cosy, you can watch the Violet ladies in the open kitchen and get inspired - or end up buying the lot!

This expansion makes sense - seeing as the girls are working here all day, why not invite people into the kitchen too. And what a fabulous kitchen it is. Light and bright in contrast to today's Arctic atmosphere, brrr, vintage baking trays decorate the pale walls and fresh flowers sit beside a selection of pastel coloured cakes on a glass dresser. It's shabby chic at it's best.

It's a bit off the beaten track but near enough to the steamy lido on London Fields that you can reward yourself for braving the cold air with a slice of the Lilac iced Birthday cake and a cup of Earl Grey.

http://www.violetcakes.com/

Reiss' Pieces

Apparently 'Reiss' is one of my favourite words at the moment so it's got to be a good place to start. It seems to be one of the few shops that hasn't been knocked off it's stilettos by the recession, in fact quite the opposite.

There are very few high street shops that I think appeal to those girls in their early twenties, just starting their careers in an office where the dress code is the ever bewildering 'smart-casual'. Not only do we want to achieve the 'professional yet approachable' aura that this entails, we do not, under any circumstances, want to go for after work drinks in a polyester grey pant suit, or any sort of sugar-toned shirt that requires cufflinks. We are not City Girls for a reason, and that reason is not numeric dyslexia. 

It's like Barbie in the 60s, Sienna Miller on the red carpet and I don't think Coco would have sniffed at the sophisticated palette of black, cream, beige and navy (with just a dash of pink that can be avoided).

With the successful addition of the 1971 weekend wear range, you can Reiss it up on your days off too. And don't get me started on the dresses and accessories, I'll be here all night. All I'm saying is that white dress looks perfect for making snow-angels on NYE.

I just love how the collection looks just that, a collection. Even if you entered the shop blindfolded and drunk, the dog's dinner look would be very difficult to achieve.

Forget stilettos, Reiss knocks the socks of the rest.