Mothers celebratory weekend part 2 - Columbia road flower market and Lily Vanilli

Every year for my birthday since I turned 18, I’ve received flowers from my mother. I decided to reciprocate this traditional gesture of thought and affection by also treating her to some, but as I stood in my local florist pondering over the variety of ice-cream pastel peonies and vividly blinding tulips I thought it would be better to let her pick a blooming bundle herself. And where better than Columbia road flower market.  Every Sunday the east London street - a 12 minute walk from Bethnal Green station - is turned into flower pageantry, with an ocean of colour and waves of all imaginable petal shapes. Gentlemen stroll hand in hand with their beaus looking for that special bouquet to buy, tourists point their cameras at the delicate petals that envelope a rose bud and the traders shout out their 3 for £10 deals in a true cockney accent You can’t help but love the cheeky market traders whose quick thinking banter wouldn’t look out of place in a Carry on film.

In keeping with the on going theme of 'surprises' during the weekend I simply instructed my Mum to put on something comfortable and prepare for a walk. Mummy was entirely clueless and thankfully didn't click on to passers by carrying various bunches of flowers in their arms. As we approached the bustling road I turned to Mum and explained that she could pick some flowers for her birthday. she was delighted with the surprise :)

The flowers may have enjoyed the days weather but for us the rain poured in a typically british manor ushering us to find shelter -  and something edible - in some of the local shops. Luck was on our side however when we quite literally stumbled upon a little cafe called The Lily Vanilli Bakery. We were greeted with a counter full of creative delights. Each delicious treat was paired with petal paper explaining the unconventional but oh so delectable ingredients. We admired the 'sweet potato and parsnip cake' and a baked creation that was made with Guinness. The cafe itself was small, but there was a welcoming atmosphere with groups of people laughing and smiling as they sipped from their cups of coffee. My mother and I chose 'stuff on toast' which is, quite literally, stuff on toast. It was simply heavenly; thick, moist bread topped with bacon, roasted vegetables and cheese, although there was lots of other 'stuff' to choose from.

As I sat debating whether to have another slice I noticed a rather pretty book I had seen only months before and fell in love with. 'Sweet Tooth' is a recipe book that's so colourful it could blend in to the rows of flowers that line the street just round the corner from the bakery. Lily Jones who began with the Lily Vanilli Bakery has gone on to produce this fabulously quirky book of tips and recipes on how to create something truly memorable - and sweet. After this weekend Mummy remembered how much I loved Sweet Tooth and bought it for me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. I can't wait to try out the recipes and I'll be sure to write a post about how I get on! The book also acts as a lovely reminder of a fabulous weekend in London with my Mother. 

If you're ever in East London and looking for a charming cafe this is the place to go. It's definitely a new favourite of mine and I can't wait to take my friends to Lily Vanilli.

As we continued flower shopping I began to notice my Mum ignoring the dainty bouquets of cut flowers and instead she hovered around small potted trees and climbing plants. I still hadn't revealed to her that I had afternoon tea booked, a long tube journey away across London. I could only laugh at the irony when my Mother chose a large pink climbing camellia! She later told me that she chose the camellia over the cut flowers because she wanted something that would last forever - to remind her of the weekend! She's a cute one! 

We made our way across London, miniature garden and all to enjoy the remainder of the surprises ahead! It was rather amusing to look down the underground escalator to see a mass of pink flowers nestled amongst the black suits of commuters! But odd looks from Londoners aside, I think Mummy made a fabulous choice! And look how proud she is! :)

Thanks for reading lovelies! Part three coming soon!

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Mothers celebratory weekend part 1 - The British Museum & dinner at The Yacht London

My mother has always enjoyed having her birthday close to Mothers day. For her it means double breakfast in bed, but for my sister and I it requires lots of planning and creative gift ideas. Since moving to London I have finally (albeit reluctantly) come to terms with the fact that I am now a fully fledged adult, complete with a Tesco club card and a passion for kitchen utensils. With this new found responsibility and my own place in one of the most fabulous cities in the world I felt I should do something a little more special this year. I decided to treat Mummy to a weekend in London, filled with surprises and treats.

Friday we spent the day shopping at Westfield shopping centre in Shepard's Bush. It is one of my favourite haunts being only a few minutes from university and home to a variety of shops, restaurants and a cinema. Stores range from high street brands such as Topshop, Zara and L.K.Bennet to The Village that houses Dior, Red Valentino, Miu Miu, Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton amongst other luxury brands. Once arriving home I treated mother to pizza from my favourite Pizzaria appropriately named 'La Favorita', where shamefully, we tackled a 16" pizza each. It was a wonderful experience being able to show Mummy my favourite places in London, as its a part of my life she doesn't get to see very often.

The following day I took Mummy to The British museum on Great Russell Street. It is a fabulous museum filled with artefacts from around the world. If anyone is planning a trip to London this is definitely a must see, even just to admire the magnificent building itself. Originally built in 1823 architect Sir Robert Smirke took inspiration from classic Greek buildings, replicating this with imposing columns and a beautifully crafted pediment. In the year 2000 the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court was opened to the public. It is a truly awe-inspiring space bringing together classic and modern architecture. 

The British Museum is completely free, apart from some temporary exhibitions so its a great place to go for a cheap day out! Its also absolutely huge, with hundreds of thousands of exhibits so here is my must see list if you're stopping by but haven't got the time to meander through the endless galleries. 

A few unmissable gems at The British Museum 

The Rosetta stone 196bc (4th photo below) is regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 18th/19th contrary. The stone is engraved with hieroglyphs made up of three languages; Old Egyptian, New Egyptian and Greek, the former a forgotten language prior to the stone's discovery. This enabled French scholar Jean-François Champollion to decipher the hieroglyphs unlocking an ancient dialect and revealing 4000 years worth of secrets. 

The Egyptian mummies are almost surreal to see in person. There is a huge variety of coffins and wrapped bodies on display, dating back thousands of years. When you look at the bodies and consider that they weren't all that different from you and I it really is a remarkable experience. 

Whilst the Easter Island statue Hao Hakabanai'a is famously known for its gum gum loving character in The Night At The Museum, its significance and remarkable history deserves a more serious appreciation. It is said that the people of the lost polynesian civilisation were obsessed with creating these statues and so far 887 have been found. However the statues creators were desperate for the resources to make them and this eventually lead to their demise.

The next surprise was something I had been looking forward to for months; dinner on The Yacht London. I ushered my mum on and off trains, down tube tunnels and eventually into the ticket hall of Temple station. As we walked alongside the river thames mummy remained completely unaware to the meal that awaited her, and even as we approached a stunning white yacht it took her a few seconds to catch on. Both wearing heels we had to steady ourselves as we walked across the bridge and onto the yacht. The staff were lovely and took us to our table by the window. The view was just spectacular, with unobstructed views of The London Eye, Big Ben and Londons newest addition, The Shard. Inside the decor was beautifully elegant, chandeliers twinkled in the hallway and louis XV1 chairs with navy upholstery lined white tablecloths.

The back of the menu explained the vessels incredible history (the following information is from the Yacht's website.) She was commissioned in 1927 as a survey and inspection vessel by the Port of London and named 'St Katherine'. When war was declared in 1939 she was fitted with guns and manned by the Royal Navy Reserve Crew as a guardship for the Medway Channel in the Thames Estuary. In November 1939 enemy aircraft attempted to drop parachute mines into the river to sink Allied shipping and were driven off by the St Katharine’s fire, thus giving her the proud mantle of the first vessel to engage the enemy in the Port of London. After the war she was given a luxury refit and returned to service but this time as a cruise ship for visiting Heads of State and other VIP's, including the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Clement Attlee, Lord Fisher (Archbishop of Canterbury), Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Benazir Bhutto and former Soviet Prime Ministers Malenkov and Breznev. Sir Winston Churchill smoked one of his famous cigars over the stern of the Top Deck. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited the Yacht in 1949 and then again 10 years later. In 1971 the Yacht was decommissioned from Royal services and was used as a floating restaurant but unfortunately fell into a state of complete disrepair. In 2008 a group of enthusiasts began a £750,000 restoration in close consultation with archivists to bring the St. Katharine back to her former glory, retaining and restoring many original features of the Art Deco era with a twist of contemporary design.

 

Typical for mother and I, we both ordered exactly the same for all three courses along with a splendid bottle of white wine. For starter we had 'Chili Marinated Chicken , Mushroom  and Chorizo Skewer on Bed of Baby Spinach and Mixed Pepper Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing' which was superb. We were lucky enough to see the iconic landmarks both in daylight and at night from the Yacht and as we waited for each course the sun began to set and lights danced around the buildings and Westminster bridge. 

Our main course was 'Berkshire Pork Fillet Medallions wrapped in Smoked Pancetta, served with Creamed Curley Cabbage, Bramley Apple Croquettes and Madeira Jus'. Since being in London I have dined at a variety of restaurants but this was easily the best main I have ever had, and my mother agreed also. The pork was cooked to perfection and every mouthful was delicious, full of flavour and incredibly satisfying. 

My mother and I spent hours on the Yacht, deep in conversation whilst red double decker buses went past on the the bridge in front of us. By dessert the thames was a river of lights, reflections from the glowing buildings and bustling streets. Central London at night is a truly stunning site and whilst I have seen it a million times I still have to stop and admire it. I was so caught up in the glistening scenery that I almost missed the waitress carrying our desserts over to the table; Homemade Warm Chocolate Brownie with Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream and Rich Chocolate Sauce. As requested mummys chocolate brownie arrived with 'Happy Birthday' written in chocolate and a glowing candle. The waitress was absolutely wonderful about it and mother was delighted!

Dinning on the Thames whilst watching the sun set over Londons most iconic landmarks was a breathtaking experience that we will both never forget. We finished the evening strolling across Embankment before heading back to mine to get a good nights sleep before another day of treats!

Thank you for reading lovelies! Be sure to check back for part 2 of a fabulous weekend!

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My first fashion film for The London college of Fashion: The Wendy House

For term two in the second year of my course at The London College of Fashion I was asked to produce a short fashion film. Like many of my classmates I hadn't explored the realms of film all that much and so as the term approached I grew nervous and hesitant about creating my own film from scratch. Since my class is made up of both talented photographers and stylists, we were encouraged to choose one field or the other. Despite focusing on styling this term I was desperate to learn about film making so I chose to do both the styling and filming as well as the editing in post production. Needless to say the stress of last term was very much self inflicted. 

I came across a great deal of challenges whilst making The Wendy House but I am extremely proud of the way I overcame each and every obstacle. Out of all of my creative projects this has taught me the most and the skills I have developed through hard work, adapting to changes, organisation and technical practice will certainly aid me in the future. 

This project was also the most challenging. Before the start of term I didn't know how to put the camera into movie mode and I'd never even looked at film editing software. Apart from cinematography analysis and the odd storyboard for Media and Film Alevel's, film making was a completely new field for me. I turned to lynda.com for lessons on how to use Premier Pro editing software which was fantastically helpful. The online lesson took over 9 hours but it was worth learning every aspect of the programme. Whilst there is still a lot I need to learn about filming, this project has really got me excited about fashion films and I can’t wait to practice more. 

I sourced most of the props from my local charity shop St. Margaret's Hospice in Somerset. The beautiful vintage jewellery, faux-fur bolero, gloves, gold tea-spoons and vintage atlas all came from the shop so a huge thank you to them for their support. The film was shot over three days at the magnificent Barrington Court. The grand stately home and formal gardens couldn't be more perfect for the film so a big thank you to the team there!

My main inspirations for my film were Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’, Pride and Prejudice, Coco before Chanel and The Duchess. It was important to me that the film was visually beautiful, with each frame being rich in stunning visuals and enchanting details.

I had so much fun working alongside my family (thank you Grandma, Grandad, Mummy and Zoe!) and it was an honour being able to capture the beauty of my home town in Somerset. I also loved being able to express chic elegance through the styling, location and art direction. I can honestly say I have given this project my absolute all and to finish with something I am proud of is a fabulous feeling. I'm so glad I have finally experienced all the wonders of film making and I encourage everyone who has access to a camera to have a go!

I recommend watching this in HD (option is available on the video below) to see it at its best.

The Wendy House from Jenna Roberts on Vimeo.

'Wendy House depicts the mundane life of a trophy wife. She spends her days wandering grand corridors, picking through diamonds and entertaining her decaying mental state. She dresses lavishly with little awareness of value and decorates herself like the doll she is treated. Despite her excessive display of wealth, she is rarely seen with a smile and yearns for a much different life.'

Director, videographer, editor - Jenna Roberts 

Stylist and Makeup - Jenna Roberts 

Cast - Zoe Roberts 

Music - Ben Hayter (benhayter.wordpress.com) 

Special thanks -  

William and Janet Walters

 Claire Roberts 

St Margaret's Hospice charity Shop 

Matthew and the team at Barrington Court

I really hope you all enjoy my film and I hope to be posting more in the future :)

I will be doing a post next week on technical advice and tips that I have learnt making this so please feel free to leave a comment with questions or comments :)

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My Mother.

The lead up to Mothers day is always a merry experience indeed. The potted orchids, glass cake stands and lavender bath sets sit pretty amongst the pastel window displays that line the high street. 

  Young children have spent their afternoons dipping their little hands into paint and splatting it onto cards, teenage boys have raced to the shops to find a last minute box of chocolates and fathers have bought in ingredients ready to make a breakfast fit for a queen, and allow their child to take all the credit. Amongst the errand running, form filling and nap inducing days that many of us live, when Mothers Day approaches we make the time to appreciate our mums - something I think we should do more often. 

I really cant put into words how lucky I am to have my mummy. To me she is not just an amazing mother; she is also an amazing person. I have never met anybody so selfless, loving and caring in my life and the kindness she shows other people is really quite astonishing. She is a beautiful person, with a beautiful heart.

My mother and I have always been remarkably close. She has comforted me during late night talks about lifes woes, listening intently, worrying as a mother does and hugging me the whole time - and those hugs are a cure for anything. She is a wonderful Mother, but also a wonderful best friend and curling up to watch a film, go shopping or cry with laughter over a bottle of wine are all common occurrences in our relationship.

As I look back at my childhood it is clear that my mummy encouraged my sister and I to be creative and passionate. She would spend hours upon hours reading with me and by the time I started school I was top of my class; a valuable head start in education. We had a playroom that was overflowing with crafts we had made over the years. My mother would spend hours with my sister and I creating clay statues, painting glass plates and one creative project that I look back on very fondly, a Papier-mâché princess castle complete with hand painted flowers growing up the towers. My sister and I were never short of books (and someone to read with), paper and pens, toys or dressing up costumes and everyday was playtime. I remember my mum making a 'den' in the living room by draping a blanket over the sofa and attaching it to two chairs by clothing pegs. We would play for hours there. My Mummy would drive my sister and I to our ballet classes, stage coach lessons and often accompanied us on school trips. She always put us first and now I'm older I realise how grateful I am that we spent all that time together, and appreciative because I was a very head strong child! It couldn't have been easy!

As I grew up what I wanted to do changed significantly. I wanted to be an actress, then a lawyer before eventually settling on a career in fashion. I have never once heard the words 'thats not a proper job' or 'you can't do that because...' Instead I have always been told I can do whatever I want to in life and all that matters is that it makes me happy. Even now, as I did my most recent fashion film, she visited old ballrooms in Somerset for me, assisted the filming and styling and supported all of my ideas.

I also owe my personal taste to my mother who has an eye for chic interior and style. I love that we can both walk into a boutique and head straight for the same thing, in fact there have been many occasions where we have bought the same thing, often for each other! My Mummy's creative talents excel expectations and she does everything with the intention to make others happy and leave a treasured memory. My 21st birthday for example was a day filled with pure love and thought. Looking around my bedroom now, I see a little 'good luck' note stuck to my wall that my mum put in my lunch box at school. As I look through my phone it is filled with texts wishing me a lovely day and saying how proud she is. 

When I think of all the things I am thankful for I struggle to put it into words. My mother is my rock, my absolute everything and she has helped me through so many struggles. I honestly wouldn't be here without her. She is the strongest person I know and I am so so proud of her. 

 My mothers love has not only nurtured both me and my sister into determined young women but her endless hugs have helped us in our times of need. She makes me want to be a better person and her encouragement is the reason I am determined to reach my dreams. 

For Mothers Day, and my mothers birthday on the 20th of March I am treating her to a weekend here in London doing the most lovely things (I've even written out an itinerary!) I miss her every single day so this weekend will be truly wonderful :)

So Mummy since you're reading this heres a little thank you from me. 

Thank you for the midnight talks even when you’re tired. For accepting all of my faults and encouraging all my strengths. For your kindness. For telling me I can be whatever I want to be. For wiping the tears off my cheeks. For giving me my confidence. For teaching me to see the funny side of life and laugh at myself. For turning my life around. For the chic style you passed onto me. For all the times you picked me up in the middle of the night. For the cuddles that have always made everything better. For having such a great sense of humour. For picking up the pieces. For your strength. For showing me you're not perfect and that even the best make mistakes. For your compassion. For having class and grace. For teaching me to stand up for what I believe in. For changing your job to be closer to home when I was ill. For never being too busy. For buying me ben and jerrys when I needed it. For all the 'Love you lots'. For the cheese and port evenings. For teaching me to be polite. For staying up all night helping me with my work. For not needing an excuse to buy me treats. For all the costumes you made me. For checking my blog. For encouraging my love for fashion. For being beautiful. 

but most of all, thank you for simply being you.

Thank you so much Mummy 

Lots of love!

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