Annie Haak: Pancakes and Sparkles (and win gorgeous stacking bracelets, worth £165!)

"Would you like waffles or pancakes, Poppy?" These are the hard-hitting journalisty (I know it's not a word) questions that I find really push the boundaries. THIS is why I love blogging.

"PANCAKES (obviously) PLEASE." 

I had been invited to a breakfast with the gorgeous Annie Haak. And I know she's gorgeous, because I met her.

British designer Annie Haak set up her label in 2009 and the brand has been sparkling from strength to strength ever since. Her Indonesian-inspired designs are understated, beautiful, feminine and timeless… 

Each of Annie's creations are designed with meaningful symbols behind them.. the hearts on her logo represent her three kiddiwinks. (Who are all grown up now but still, once a kiddiwink, always a kiddiwink.)

Bali has been a huge inspiration for Annie and her intention is for some of the charm and character of this beautiful island to shine through and reflect in her designs. Many of her pieces carry a special meaning by way of mantras or symbols that represent love, luck, protection, strength and well-being - she believes that all her jewellery should carry a message of either love or support... 

Annie works closely with the manufacturers in Bali and has done so for many years. She has nurtured a special relationship and connection with Bali and its people.. and strives to continue to do so. And I'm sure she will. Annie spoke with such passion and awe about her experiences there… I was so transfixed I kept forgetting to eat my pancakes. (And you should know by now that this is a highly unusual situation.)

Annie Haak

It was such a lovely occasion and a real treat to meet the lady (and she really is a lady) behind the brand. Her team were all delightful as well, and of course I just loved gazing at, and wearing some of her gorgeous pieces of jewellery.

Lucky little me.

www.anniehaakdesigns.co.uk

Annie Haak has given me a stunning rose gold stacking bracelet set to giveaway, worth £165!

Win these stunning Santeenie Stack Rose Gold Stacking Bracelets - £165

Annie’s favourite and fabulous “Stunning Santeenies Stack” shown above, comprises of five beautiful bracelets:

• Rose Gold Santeenie with a rose gold ‘My Guardian Angel’ Charm
• Rose Gold Santeenie with a rose gold Open Heart Charm
• Rose Gold Santeenie with a rose gold Solid HeartCharm
• Rose Gold Santeenie with a rose gold Open Star Charm
• Rose Gold Santeenie with a rose gold Dainty Butterfly Charm.

If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning these beautiful bracelets (just in time for Christmas!) just enter my competition below. If you can't see the 'Rafflecopter' form just click here. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Covent Garden Dental Spa: Open wide. And relax.

"Would you like cherry, cassis, tropical or mint?" No. I was not in a swanky cocktail bar.. I was at the dentist. The DENTIST.

I had popped into the Covent Garden Dental Spa for their special treatment - 'Bright White Christmas Smile.' This was not your normal 'teeth whitening' experience, but more of a super sonic clean. The cleans to end all other cleans. The clean that makes you actually do that thing with your tongue over your teeth, that they do in the adverts. That.

When it comes to going to the dentist, I'm used to sterile environments, out-of-date magazines, people looking stressed and the faint sound of a painful sounding drill zzzzz-ing through the wall… but no. Apparently Poppy was not in Kansas anymore.

As soon as I arrived I knew something was different. Is that classical music playing? Is that a coffee machine? Is that today's Sunday Times? Comfy chairs, fresh flowers, soft lighting, a friendly receptionist who took my coat.. and yes, I would like a peppermint tea and a twenty minute massage on your ridiculously amazing massage chair to relax me. Thank you. (The spa was recently shortlisted for the 'best care for nervous patients.' It's no wonder.)

The AMAZING massage chair - you can book it for a 20 minute session before any appointment

As I listened to softly playing jazz while I had my massage, sipped my peppermint tea and allowed the gentle scents of the aromatherapy oils to whisk me off into a dreamy land... I decided that there was no going back. This is how dentistry should be.

"Which paper would like, Poppy?" Brilliant.

Yes. It's a coffee machine.

And then it was into the hygienist, feeling slightly spacey, very calm and so relaxed that even if she'd come at me with ten whizzing drills and a carving knife I doubt I'd have flinched.

I settled back on the very comfortable chair (if my dentist chair was a knackered old fiat, this dentist chair was an Aston Martin) and let the clever hygienist do her thing.

She removed all the stains on my teeth, and then polished them within an inch of their lives, using a fine air-polishing powder, to remove any other heavy stains. The flavours she offered me above, were for the air-flow machine - I could choose whichever flavour I wanted. Genius. Although I was tempted by tropical, I opted for mint…

The treatment lasted around 20 minutes and my teeth looked brighter and felt amazing afterwards. It is such a good alternative to teeth whitening, especially if you want to avoid using the peroxide based materials so often used for whitening procedures.

The really good news is that the treatment is currently half price at £67.50 (usually £135) and £2.50 of every Christmas Smile treatment they provide will be donated to Smile 4 Africa. They'll also send you home with a complimentary Christmas Dental Survival Kit...

So, if you want to dazzle Santa this Chrimbo, get yourself down to Covent Garden and indulge in a bit of pampering. 

I mean, the dentist.

Covent Garden Dental Spa
68a Neal Street
Covent Garden
London, WC2H 9PA

www.coventgardendentalspa.co.uk

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Poppy Loves is a lifestyle blog, celebrating all things food, fashion, life and London. Please do get in touch if you'd like to be featured.

Poppy was a guest at The Covent Garden Dental Spa

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Bagsy you're it: Alicia Satchel by Nica

I'm worse than Goldilocks when it comes to handbags. It can't be too small, it can't be too big… it has to be just right. And then there are different bags for different occasions.. posh bags for posh nights, massive bags for market mooching.. but finding a good, all-rounder bag can be tricky. 

The Alicia Satchel made an appearance on Joss Stone's music video..

Tricky no more, you'll be pleased to hear, for I have discovered Nica. Ta da.

Nica Kim was busy studying away at the London College of Fashion, when she won a competition to spend a week with the design team at handbag specialists Creative Ltd. Clever sausage. The team at Creative were so super impressed with her design skills and creativity that the template was set for the brand that was to become Nica.

It all began in 2005 and since then, the brand has gone from strength to strength, with folk like you and me being ever so pleased to find such beautifully made, pretty bags with plenty of room for all our (very organised) gubbins. (Is 'gubbins' a word? Spell-check doesn't like it one little bit. I'm sticking with it. Conviction.) 

Really - the Alicia Satchel has so many pockets, zipped sections and compartments that I struggled to find enough bits and bobs to fill it.. 

Nica's signature is her print work. All her bags are lined with a pretty leaf design and the summer bags are decorated with gorgeous floral patterns and landscape creations. I should also mention that the Alicia Satchel is not leather.. but it had me fooled at 'hello.' It's soft, squidgesome and looks more like leather that some actual leather bags. Which is weird.

All you need in life is an Alicia Satchel and a trumpet

Each of Nica’s designs combine original, quirky and functional elements with an emphasis on casual styling, beautiful prints and bold colours finished with her signature charms and embroidery. The Alicia Satchel, has pretty flower cut-outs and lovely antique brass hardware which add to its gorgeous vintage look…

So there you have it - you can view the entire Nica range on their website and drool over all the pretty colours, prints and patterns… or you can go and see them in the flesh at Topshop, John Lewis and House of Fraser.. I may well see you there.

Alicia Satchel - £49

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Poppy Loves is a lifestyle blog, celebrating all things food, fashion, life and London. Please do get in touch if you'd like to be featured.

Poppy was sent an Alicia Satchel to review.

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Made in Britain: Alice Peto

Penguins, Parakeets, Flamingos and Guinea Fowls.. no, you are not at Bird World. You are witnessing the gorgeous new collection from the very clever Alice Peto, whom you may already know as a super duper talented artist and illustrator.

Well, Alice decided she wanted to be even more multi-stringed (strung?) and so has turned her hand to china.. 

She trained in Florence (I LOVE FLORENCE) and clearly didn't eat as much gelato as I did when I was there, as she appears to have had plenty of time to hone her creative skills (I really did eat an enormous amount of Gelato) and develop her already obvious artistic flair and style. (I could write a Gelato guide book.) (Actually that's not true as I really only went to one place and stayed there most of the time. Hi Luigi, if you're reading.)

Alice Peto - Flamingo

Her collection currently consists of four designs; Flamingo, Guinea Fowl, Parakeet and Penguin. The animals are portrayed in silhouettes, with hand painted detail and each design as their own distinctive character. 

There are plates, pasta bowls, mugs, oven dishes and casserole dishes.. and they are made to last! This china is not to be gazed at through a glass cabinet - it has been designed to be used everyday. 

Alice Peto - Penguin

Clever Alice is based around the corner from me in Notting Hill, but her china is made, where so much gorgeous British porcelain is made, in Stoke-on-Trent - home to Wedgwood, Emma Bridgewater and Royal Doulton, amongst many others. 

Alice Peto is sitting alongside some of the greats. And deservedly so. I can't think of a nice Chrimbo present, myself. 

So go on…

Pick up a Penguin.

www.alicepeto.com

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Poppy Loves is a lifestyle blog, celebrating all things food, fashion, life and London. Please do get in touch if you'd like to be featured.

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Tea for two at The Landmark

We all know that I like a good afternoon tea. But this afternoon tea was truly one of the best afternoon teas I have ever had. I was in afternoon tea wonderfulness. Floating on an afternoon tea cloud… all the way to afternoon tea heaven.

I could end the review there. 

But I shan't. 

The stunning Winter Garden at The Landmark

The Landmark was originally built in the 19th century, to celebrate the golden age of steam (I had no idea either.) It used to be called The Great Central Hotel and was designed to accommodate all the new worldly travellers that would now be pouring into London from the also newly built Marylebone station..

I have been wearing my brown hat rather a lot recently.. thank you MBosh

There is stacks of amazing history behind this hotel, but one of my favourite titbits is the fact that in 1908, The Landmark hosted a 'Welcome Back From Prison' breakfast, for Mrs Pankhurst and the other Suffragettes. 

Organic egg mayonnaise and mustard cress * Free range corn fed chicken with tarragon crème fraîche * Lapsang Souchong smoked salmon * Classic cucumber

But back to the tea.. we (I went with Dust. He shall be known as D. Because I say so) sat in the gorgeous Winter Garden and were brought menus, pink champagne (Drappier Rosé) and a gorgeous and quintessentially English selection of sandwiches "we will continue to re-fill your plate…" I heard.. and our eyes glazed over. 

I had managed to find the only 'all-you-can-eat-luxury-afternoon-tea' in London. 

Pink champagne = giggly (yet still very well behaved) Poppy

We selected our tea from the menu and opted for The Landmark Blend - 'an exclusive blend of the finest Assam and Ceylon teas with a subtle hint of real Bourbon Vanilla'

D had some more sandwiches.

So did I.

The Landmark Blend - the amazing roof of the Winter Garden is in the reflection..

The tea was delicious. The vanilla was very subtle but was beautifully fragrant.. and it really did complement everything else were eating.

D had more sandwiches. 

I didn't. (He really is a very impressive sandwich eater.)

We were then brought a stunning selection of pastries, cakes and scones.. and I think I may have squealed (very quietly, coz I was at THE LANDMARK) with excitement…

Coco mango: coconut macaroon with mango bavarois, Lime Cheesecake with vodka cranberry truffle, Flourless Pistachio Sponge, fig jam and pistachio mascarpone.. and Classic fruit cake with rum and Caraibe chocolate glaze. 

You'll be pleased to know I ate every single one.

Warm freshly baked raisin and apple scones with Cornish clotted cream, homemade strawberry preserve and lemon curd

Yes. I ate the scones too.

The afternoon tea experience at The Landmark really is incredibly special. The Winter Garden explodes with palm tress, golden furniture and light.. The Royal Doulton china, spotless and starched white tablecloths, impeccably turned out staff and the soft tinkling of ivories in the background add to the ambience, charm and colonial feel… and of course the tea itself is absolutely exquisite.  

Also, due to the constant re-filling of delicious tea and sandwiches, I wasn't the slightest bit hungry for the rest of the day.

What a treat.

Afternoon tea is served

Monday – Friday: 3.00pm – 5.30pm

Saturday – Sunday: 1.30pm – 6.00pm

Traditional Afternoon Tea is £40 per person, Chocolate Afternoon Tea is £42 per person and Champagne Afternoon Tea is £45 per person.

The Landmark 

222 Marylebone Road

London, NW1 6JQ

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Poppy Loves is a lifestyle blog, celebrating all things food, fashion, life and London. Please do get in touch if you'd like to be featured.

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SS14 previews: Warehouse

'I must be in the wrong place..' thought I, as I stumbled through the doors of a very cool lofty space. This can't be right. "I am here for Warehouse?" I said in a confused manner to someone very cool with very cool hair, very cool tights and very cool shoes. 

I'm NOT here for this amazing looking collection, that's stacked with colour, stunning bold prints and patterns, nifty tailoring, is dripping in detail and has a gorgeously vintage-luxe feel to boot... WHERE'S WAREHOUSE?

It appears I was in the right place after all... so I had a glass of something very lovely, rearranged my brain and wandered around the un-Warehouse collections that were actually Warehouse, so really, they were very Warehouse indeed. The collections were, in fact, the most Warehousey that they could possibly be. Are you still with me?

Colours and prints ranged from photographic acid colours and fluro brights to soft baby blues, pastels and whites..

The 'Bamako' collection was stacked with oodles of retro 50's glamour and geo-print dresses and co ordinated sets, while 'Poetic Garden' pieces were in soft, saturated pastels on chiffons, laces and sheer organza...

I saw neoprene (love neoprene - it looks tailored and structured and needs NO IRONING) mesh, organza and crepe (not the pancakes) in the 'Precision' collection, which is very sharp and angular... and plenty of chambray, ditsy prints, embroidery and white cotton in the New-Yorky-chic-young-gal-about-town collection.

The accessories were a bit marvellous too...

Bell skirts, metallic laces, polka dots, cutwork, denims, supersize pockets, playsuits, huge pleat shorts and jump suits... they appear to have it all...

Warehouse, you have knocked my socks off.

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Poppy Loves is a lifestyle blog, celebrating all things food, fashion, life and London. Please do get in touch if you'd like to be featured.

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