September

It is time to look forward. September always feels much more a time for renewal than January. I do not think it is about school timetables still marking my life as much as moving into a different season. Summer is expansion, open and light. Autumn, which is just licking the leaves and manifesting in the weather, is internal, warmth, containment, preservation and commitment.

As ever, it is my preferred time for my wardrobe. I love all the layers, the stories that come into my mind when I think about "who am I today?" as I open my wardrobe and consider the look for the next two seasons.

I have been working on this collection for several months now, sourcing the fabrics, refining the lines and making sure it all works together.

If you look at the website I have changed how the clothes are laid out to simplify the way the shapes are viewed. It is defined by the style of the item rather than all jumbled together in one long stream. So now you can look at all the A Line cut dresses in one go, or all the options for the Caro dress etc.

Since moving the shop to my house in Camberwell the one-to-one shopping experience has expanded hugely. I make a lot more clothes to order in fabrics either chosen by the customer from my colour charts or the client purchases the fabric themselves and I charge a making fee.

As much as possible I have tried to be clear, and I know there will be gaps in this, as to whether an item is a special order or always available. If I make an item to order in a specified colour or fabric the item in non-returnable.

I have made a section on the website of the Winter Preview that shows what is here for the next season but I cannot take the photographs until the last few pieces are finished. All that is shown here is available to purchase or to order and it will all be added into the main collection in Mid September once properly photographed. So please excuse the high speed nature of these images but I feel so excited by it all that I could not wait to show you.

The classic cuts are re-defined in heavy cord, silks, gorgeous linens and the Comfort Collection is utterly Divine. A new shape to curl up in for Winter. Hooded heavy cashmere and wool, velvet or fleece. Shapes that flatter all figures and make you feel comfortable, elegant and original.

The Flared shirt in cord works over leggings with boots, as a belted dress or looks really good over straight trousers or jeans.

The Caro dress comes as a serious Winter piece in Moss Green corduroy or on the lighter weight jumbo wale cord. These look fantastic with boots and a good shawl muffled around the neck. Also the Brigitte Singh waistcoats look really stylish on top.

The Victorian Dress is a great piece. I have been wearing it out and am always stopped and asked where I bought it! It works on a curvy figure and loves corsetry, but it is a statement dress. It needs good jewellery, eccentric or high boots and a love of drama to wear it.

The classic Victorian shirt now comes in a fine cotton check with an Eton Collar and looks so good with the Devotion Tee Shirt underneath over trousers.

And the A Line Kaftan is hard to live without. I have worn it endlessly….. a great foil for good jewellery, shawls and sexy boots.

There is a good collection of trousers available, too. The Gaucho trousers come in delicious silk and also in heavy wale cord as do the Straight trousers. There is also an elasticated-waist pair of culottes that work well over boots but these are yet to be photographed.

 

Oh, my mind

Positive Affirmations

I have to confess that I am slightly alarmed by the power of positive affirmations!

What a wild thing to say, I know, but I confess that I am lazy, like all of us, when it comes to absolutely owning that I create the illusion of my reality. I find it as easy as the next to find a rut and furnish it.

I have needed to do some fairly major adjustments to my Illusion of my reality this year and have taken up Positive Affirmations in a huge way. I do them to distract myself as I charge up Camberwell Grove at 5.30am on my morning run and they work. They really work. Not only do I get to the top of the hill in one go but I return to my life changing in front of me.

So here is how.

I have a list that I run through. Originally I used to do it on the bus but that was reliant on me needing to take a bus so now I have a pretty clear idea of where the glitches are and I know exactly what I want to adjust, change, enhance etc, so I mentally run through my list in a very focused and committed way for ten minutes. (It is a long list, but I repeat, too), and I am staggered by the changes that have come about since taking up this practice.

The trick is that all changes desired, needed and wanted have to be stated in the present. Therefore it is of no value to say "I want to…" It must be "I am …." This works for prosperity, abundance, work etc, but the key, the really important key is to be clear of the desire and to always add that "I have abundant time and space". Always add this or you will be overwhelmed with the desired result and no time for all the other things in life like fun.

Make yourself a list, all stated in the present moment, and take it up as a practice for 40 days. Please let me know how you do as I am utterly convinced that it works and would like to hear how you find it.

 

 

Up and coming

I will be at the Mind Body Soul Exhibition in Cambridge this weekend. I have two workshops and several stage appearances. It is a lovely show, very calm and peaceful, in a beautiful setting.

My class at Alchemy runs every Wednesday afternoon from 2.30pm-4pm. It is an exploration of the Kundalini Energy and great for beginners.

I will be at the Mind Body Soul London Exhibition on the 2nd & 3rd of October.

The Yoga Show is on the 29th, 30th and 31st of October. As usual, it will be fabulous. I have lots of free classes available and a paid workshop that can be booked here. There are also 10 free tickets available for those of hitting this button and sending me your name and address. 10 tickets only!

Iceland beckons again. I love the dark rich nights and short days. The place is fabulous and I have a 2.5 day workshop there in November from the 12th to the 14th on Liberation & Leadership for women. To get more details and to book a place contact Audur for more information.

We are running a Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training with The Mothers Journey in Israel in November and January. For more details email Elena and visit The Mothers Journey website.

And then the Mind Body Spirit Manchester Show happens on the 20th & 21st of November. A great show in a fabulous city. Do come and see Philip and I there. Lastly, I would like to host a couple of Devotion Emporiums before Christmas. All suggestions as to locations absolutely welcomed..... Dulwich is on my list...

 

Autumn in the garden

It is the season for great vegetables. I am in Sussex as I write this and have just been up to the vegetable garden where the red cabbage is ready. Such a beautiful thing, a fresh red cabbage, with it's gloriously deep, slightly dusty outer covering of leaves. Slice one in half and the design and colour matrix within is just awesome. I could sit for hours in open mouthed admiration at it's beauty. There are blackberries everywhere and delicious endives, beetroots, parsnips, corn on the cob, pumpkins, tomatoes….. the list is so long. Herbs dotted about waiting to enhance the flavours, and 70lbs of honey have been taken from one hive.

Lunch today is a beetroot salad with Fataya. I was in Kuwait about 6 weeks ago and discovered this style of pizza. A classic dish there which takes no time to make and tastes utterly wonderful.

For the salad for 4
I find this is best prepared several hours in advance so it can marinate in the sauce.
1 Red Cabbage
A piece of fresh Ginger 2cm approx very finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
Dessert spoon of sesame seeds, the same of pumpkin & sunflower seeds
An apple cored & finely chopped
2 tbs olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Take a medium size red cabbage. Cut it in half and take a moment to admire it's internal glory. Then slice out the hard heart. Shred the cabbage finely and put into a bowl.

The Fataya for 4
Basically I used a pizza dough recipe and added a little more olive oil.
If you do not have a recipe to hand this is from the very curvy Nigella Lawson and works every time.
500grms sifted white bread flour
1 pack dried yeast
300ml warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tbs olive oil- her recipe would be two, but you need a softer, oilier dough.

Mix all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the bowl, oil it all over and cover. Set aside for the next hour or so. Once you are ready to cook, put the oven on it's highest heat and let it heat up. Split up the soft, warm dough into the desired size. This amount with make two normal sized pizzas or three slightly smaller ones.

Choose your topping from the selection below and do be generous! Sprinkle a little more olive oil over the top af the cheese, spinach or Za'aatter (if you can get this herb mixture then brush the pizza base with a little more oil and then cover with the mixture) before cooking and place in a hot oven for ten minutes. For the last few minutes of cooking slide the pizza directly onto the metal rack so you get a crispy base. Transfer to a large board and serve with the red cabbage salad.

All absolutely delicious.

There are several variations for the Fataya topping:
Grated mature cheddar cheese
Cooked spinach with garlic
Za'aatter which is finely ground middle eastern thyme with sesame seeds. This can be bought in any middle eastern shop and tastes utterly wonderful on the pizza dough and also makes a boring salad a great salad. Greek yoghurt and sesame seeds. This would be thickly layered on one half of your dough and then it would be folded, brushed with egg yolk and sprinkled with sesame seeds before placing in a hot oven. It is then sliced to serve.

There are more delicious recipes on the Sacred Chef DVDs.

 

 

 

Looking sideways

I have gone back to taking an organic delivery from Abel & Cole and I have to say it is life-changing... not only does it stop me randomly shopping but the food they source is excellent and the apples that came in this week's delivery were the best I have ever eaten! I am not sure if they deliver outside of London but the service is smart and snappy and the website excellent.

If you have attended any of the Devotion Emporium events over the past year you may have met Pia Randall-Goddard. She makes very wonderful birds and jewellery insects from recycled fabric, old cutlery and buttons. All her pieces are whimsical and eccentric in a very original way. Great gifts, every one, for those who need something original. She has a website with her husband, David, singing over it, and she will be featured in the Daily Mail soon so I would get there first!

A rather mad piece in the Guardian the other day with birdsong examples. Very lovely.

The V&A has a new swathe of exhibitions for the new season including one on the The Ballet Russes. I saw a performance earlier this year and it was stunning. A visual feast of exquisite ballet. There are the last few days of the Grace Kelly display too.

There is a host of good workshops listed on the Alchemy site, but if you like mantra then I can say the Mirabai Ceiba is wonderful. Calm, rhythmic and evocative. It will be a well attended event so do book early if it appeals.

I love ballet, dance, theatre and performance. My favourite venue tends to be Saddlers Wells and they have a piece coming up at the Peacock Theatre in October. I saw Seven Fingers in the Spring this year and just was astounded. I have never seen physical theatre like it. There is a good preview film here and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

A good friend who had to have a mastectomy at very short notice a few weeks ago has started to chronicle her journey in a well written weblog: Keepingabreastwithsima.

I like this weblog and it's history. Endless delicious Indian recipes. Easy to prepare, delicious to eat.