New video of my summer music

New version of my summer song

Check out the newest video of one of my summer songs "Call me maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen. She is obviously a hit for a lot of  different advertising, i.e. brands who uses young hot guys travelling all over the world wearing only jeans.

I'm not sure, if I'm a fan of this type of video, but I like the song, so it's not too bad to have a few guys sing along I guess...This video has only been posted for a few days on you tube and it has been seen by 6 million people, where about 42.000 people likes the video and about 2000 people actually dislike it. This proofs the power of social networking! But does it work?

This is for the ladies, is this type of advertising good or too much?

Enjoy,

Pernille

Have a Friday laugh

Start your weekend with a good laugh...

It's Friday and some of you might feel happy that it's the weekend, others might be stressed, that the week is gone and more work is still sitting on their desk! Well take a moment and feel better...

Often when I'm stressed or feeling the blues, I try and watch some comedy. My husband and I love comedy, and our first date in NYC was in a comedy club over 10 years ago!

Living in London is great for comedy, even though we don't go out as much as we want, we relax at home and watch the comedy tv channel called Comedy Central UK or US, and this has introduced us to many new Irish and British comedians. I'm a big fan of Lee Evans, his stories and body language gives you stomach cramps, especially the stories about footballers and the airport going on holiday with his wife!

My favourite at the moment is Jason Byrne, I watched him again this morning, and I decided I had to post it. It's a story from his Irish childhood about himself and his unfortunate "special eye". If you are too busy to watch it in your lunch break, then watch it on your way home on the bus or train with headphones. I can't advise anyone to watch this with a full bladder or in a "quiet zone" area...

Good luck and would love to hear your comments...

Enjoy,

Pernille

Organic farm produce in Kent

I love organic food..

We recently discovered that the Kent area around Tunbridge Wells is full of excellent organic farm shops! It's all home grown produce, so guaranteed organic and top quality.

As we were coming down the motorway, we saw sale signs for fresh cherries! They are now ready to eat, dark read, juicy and delicious and how fun to pull the car over for freshly picked Cherries! Warning...don't eat too many in a short time...!

We chose to stop at the Cherry farm organic farm shop close to Tunbridge Wells. The farm shop was small but loaded with organic food! We got lots of good stuff to bring back and some is still in the freezer!

Kent is called the Garden of England because it's very green and the nature there is stunning. Lots of people chose to live there and take the long  expensive train ride into central London every day for work. I can see why though, you have very green nature and fantastic organic food produce down the road. These are farms that supply Whole Foods in London!

One thing the Cherry Farm food shop did not offer was cherries!  I got a bit confused about the name knowing the area is full of cherries! It was worth the visit for sure...

We also had lunch in Tunbridge Wells village which is charming and full of creative people! Everyone seams to be involved with the shops, fairs and crafts, it's fun to visit. Here are a few pictures:

Local Book store

The Pantiles area with lots of history

Home made Candy!

Local restaurant and food shop

Pantiles square and shops

Fashion show poster, how fun!

Go get some delicious Cherries in Kent over the weekend!

Enjoy,

Pernille

Outfits from the summer sale

The summer sale is here...

Another good shopping place in London is the department store called Selfridges and co.

The store front from Oxford Street with the UK flag, getting ready for the Olympics!

Store sign, very solid!...

The Denim department is a bit special in Selfridges because the are one of the few worldwide, that offers their customers a full body scan to match the perfect pair of jeans!

 I got my favourite jeans from Current/Elliot on final sale from £215 for £30!!! The style is called the Stiletto and this is their story: They are a true eighties skinny fit that hugs every curve. Cropped at the ankle to show off your favourite shoes! This is what the label actually says inside the jeans! It's fun and different to do this...

This is the inside label above with the Stiletto story, very cute...

My Jeans are Pink Rose colour way, very girly and cool. I instantly got home and found some of my recently bought tops and shoes to wear with them. Paris here we come, getting ready for my July family trip!

Suggestions for my jeans:

Day time out fits

1. White V-neck T shirt from Noir
2. White Organic basic Tank from Flying A if the weather is very hot
3. White Gap V-neck long sleeve T shirt, if the weather is cold from the summer sale £ 6.99
4. Jewellery would be my Gold "Love" necklace from Rabens Atelier, wedding rings from Michael Stroem and Jane Konig,  and Gold loop earings from Arena
5. Day shoes from Gap are flat sandals from the summer sale £ 19.99

Evening out fit

1. Ivory Silk shirt from Zara
2. Evening shoes are small heel sandals from Mulberry
3. Jewellery would be my Gold "Love" necklace from Rabens Atelier, wedding rings from Michael Stroem and Jane Konig, and my earings would be my small white diamonds from New York

I highly recommend the magazine department in Selfridges, it has a big selection of foreign magazines even Danish ones like Stella and Swedish Acne!

Their food hall is also excellent offering different food such as Daylesford organic Food, which is a great business success and worth a visit in their shops or their farm in Gloucestershire!

Don't forget the sale is still on! Happy shopping

Enjoy,

Pernille

Summer music favourites

Get ready for the beach with music...

I always have a few favourite songs, that I choose for each summer, this way the songs will always remind me of a specific time in my life.

This summer I have chosen a few songs, and I think you would love them too. Of course some of them have a Danish connection:

1. Anine Bing, she has got it all! I started reading her blog even though it's in Swedish, (she was born in Denmark but moved to Sweden with her parents), and I then found out about her music! Check out her blog and fashion brand! This song "Everybody Else", just fits a relaxing hot summer day on the beach! I downloaded the album from Itunes. Her band is called Kill Your Darlings, check them out. I do hope they release something new soon...

2. Carly Rae Jepsen, Canadian singer and song writer with Danish last name! She is Canadian though, but I heard her on the radio in Denmark in May, so had to down load the song. Her song "Call me maybe" has a great beat and will get you in a good mood any time of the day! A real summer hit and funny video...You can also check out the special performance she did with Jimmy Fallon and the Roots.

3. David Guatta, French music producer/DJ and Ibiza club owner. My husband and I saw him live, when we were in the audience filming a Graham Norton show in April 2012. Not only is his music cool, he also has a fantastic light show, that takes the music to another level, the man has skills... We are in the audience in the video below in the 2nd row in the middle, (sorry it's hard to spot us), but it was so much fun being there!

Music connects people!

Enjoy,

Pernille

More people behind the brands

Danish store manager, Mette...

I had the pleasure of meeting up with my Danish friend Mette Uldall. She has a similar story to me, lived outside of Denmark for more than a decade! Mette gets her Danish fix by managing one of the most prestiges Scandinavian furniture stores in London, Republic of Fritz Hansen, which is a venture between the Danish Fritz Hansen and Skandium, a Scandinavian interior design shop also located in London.

Mette owns her flat in Clapham and obviously has a talent for decorating, she has a strong Scandinavian style with a bit of London pieces. Her place is very cool and cosy to visit, and I always enjoy her great chilli...when I'm invited!

Store Manager Mette Uldall

I interviewed Mette at the beautiful London store, here is what she said:


1. Where do you work?
- Republic of Fritz Hansen

2. What do you do?
- Store manager

3. What do you love to wear?
- Cos dresses, my favourite White converse trainers, diamond necklace from my mum and watch that I got for my 40th from Ole Mathiesen

4. What is your favourite shop?
- Cos, ottolenghi food and Stella McCartney 

5. What is your best travel memory?
- Free camping in Greece two years ago

6. What is you favourite colour?
- Navy Blue and Bright Orange

7. What would you like to be remembered for?
- My pretty bright smile and sense of humour

8. What is your favourite drink and food?
- Martini and healthy exciting food from all over the world

9. Where is your next travel destination?
- Wedding in Denmark end of June

10. Will you always work with furniture design?
- Yes 

11. What is your favourite style?
- Classic simple clean lines (no fuzz!), in short Poul Kjærholm and my brothers design, www.helgo.dk

Mette and I often meet in the weekends in Clapham. Clapham, Northcote Road, has a real village feel similar to Oesterbro in Copenhagen, full of small local shops (some carries Danish brands!) and cafe's.

Check out the brands in the window, Rutzou and Day!

Clapham is a nice and cosy area, it is worth a visit plus you might bump into Mette or me!

Enjoy,

Pernille

Weekend lunch, plants and good food

Petersham Nurseries visit and walk in Richmond Park

When it comes to the weekend, most of us just wants to relax as much as possible. Enjoy the good weather! (ha this is wishful thinking at the moment!) , read the paper, exercise and meeting up with friends and family, anything really to avoid cleaning and doing the laundry!

Having an active dog we are always out and about on the weekends and Niko, our dog loves trips. Some of our favourite places are green areas that allows well behaved dogs off the lead and good food places!

Richmond Park and Petersham Nurseries are fantastic, here are some pictures:

Street entrance when coming out of Richmond Park and view of the beautiful privately owned Petersham House!

 Flowers in the nurseries

The shop offers nice things for the garden, bathroom and kitchen.

I can't help myself buying a plant or two when I visit, their clay pots are also very nice as well. Cute logo paper bag...

The Nursery has a great cafe with the famous Australian chef Greg Malouf. The food is really good and healthy.

Pictures of the cafe and the inside. Because we walk through Richmond Park before and after, we are allowed to enjoy one of the many delicious cakes...

A few more pictures from Richmond Park:

Our dog Niko, he loves the different trails...looking for something to chase!

Old Oak trees are everywhere...

Have respect for the deer! Apparently they are not that friendly, so leave them be or they might go after you!

Entrance to the park from Ham Common, where we park and walk to the left, until you reach the park gate. Once you are out of the gate cross the main road towards the left, and you will see the white painted wall with the Petersham Nurseries logo.

If you still don't have plans this weekend, then this is a great walk, lunch and plant visit, even if it rains a bit and you don't have a dog!

Enjoy,

Pernille 

Arne Jacobsen stackable chairs

My series 7 chairs from Arne Jacobsen...

One of my Black chairs!

I purchased my first two aqua blue Arne Jacobsen stackable chairs, when I lived in Copenhagen in the mid 90's, and I inherited two black ones from an old company canteen in Hellerup some years later. I treasure them so much, that they will be in my home for ever!

Both my Aqua Blue and Black stacked!

The design is simple, and they remind me of being Danish! Not all our house guest think they are all that, also because they have now been copied by a few other furniture giants, so they are not so recognisable! For me, they are part of our home and I couldn't imagine living with out them! You can even get a small special designed cushion for the seat, if your bottom gets cold. The chairs are made of 11 layers of thin wood veneer, that are covered in two layers of varnish, so they can feel a bit cold when sitting on them at first, but they do warm up pretty quickly!

Even though my chairs now have a few scratches, I still can't help thinking, when I can get more! It does require a bigger house I'm afraid, but I just love the design and their colours. They come in many beautiful tones, and they are now being introduced in 9 new colours and 9 new different wood varieties, (Republic, the annual briefing from Fritz Hansen's universe no. 10/2012).  The idea behind offering the chair in so many colours, is to create a great colour palette, either when they are stacked or placed around a table. Some people prefer them all in one colour, matching perhaps other colours in their home or adding a new colour, but I think there are too many nice colours to choose from, I want to have them all!

The chair was originally designed for the canteen of the world famous pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk in Denmark about 60 years ago, the Danish manufacturer Fritz Hansen has now produced more than 8 million chairs! That is an incredible achievement, wow...!

Fritz Hansen is going strong and have now opened their first flagship store in London called Republic of Fritz Hansen. The doors should also be open now in their new Japan store and the Stockholm store is expanding and moving to a more exclusive area, so there is plenty of opportunity for customers to now go directly to the brand and buy iconic designs right then and there (sorry they do have a short lead time for delivery)! The shops offer a big range of Scandinavian Iconic furniture such as the Egg and the Swan, vintage glass and pottery mixed with Iittala and other Scandinavian home accessories. It's a real pleasure to visit. They also have special limited editions at the moment, of Poul Kjaerholm's iconic masterpieces and the new furniture series from Cecilie Manz called Minuscule.

Location

Store front from Margaret Street

 The store Flag with the Iconic Egg Chair profile!

The store sign, so cool!

Arne Jacobsen  was a famous architect, artist and designer. His work is incredible and influential to the furniture design of the 20th century. Go to one of the Republic of Fritz Hansen stores if you can,  you wont regret it! The worst thing that could happen is, that you will want to re-decorate your home!

Enjoy,

Pernille

Liberty store

Liberty is by far my favourite store in London, I can spend hours there...

One thing I was really happy about, when I moved to London, was that I would be close to Liberty.

I have known the store, since I was very young, because my family always mentioned it and kept showing me items from their endless shopping! The purple coloured Liberty shopping bags are very recognizable, see my picture below of my latest Liberty shopping bag, sorry I can't share what is in it!
I visited the store for the first time, when I was about 14, when my aunt invited me to London. I fell in love right away, what a treasure with arts, crafts and design. The building and the inside design is full of history, and it makes you feel, like you have stepped into something special, forgetting the busy London streets outside!

Store view from Regent Street, this street is one of London's most busiest streets, look out for the left side traffic and tourists!

Side entrance with the beautiful flower shop!

Small picture of the flower shop!

Liberty's history is fascinating and the new managing Director, Ed Burstell, who previously worked in my favourite NYC store Bergdorf Goodman, is doing a great job. He is really bringing out the best of the Liberty brand and store. Finally now again Liberty is becoming a destination store for London visitors and shoppers. Hurray!

They also now have pop up shops, the current one is in Westfield in Stratford for the Olympics.

The Royal colour Purple Liberty shopping bag and my loyalty card!

A good tip for new Liberty shoppers, is to get a Liberty loyalty card and collect points and get further discounts! Also sign up for the Liberty blog and email news letters. I just got an email a few days ago, that they have started their summer sale with 60% off!!! Liberty here I come...

Just promise me, that you visit Liberty, when you are in London. I can assure you, that it is worth it! Happy shopping!

Enjoy,

Pernille

People behind the brands

Who makes it all happen...

We all know big designer brands, but we never get to meet the hard working people behind them! So I decided to portrait as many, as I can from my network. The first one I would like to introduce is the lovely Morgain Wade.

Morgaine is head of buying of all Ready to Wear raw materials (fabric and trims!) for the British fashion brand called Reiss across both Men's and Women's Wear. She over sees a team of 5 people at the moment which will continue to grow. She travels to Milan and Paris twice a year, to the big trend fabric fairs. Here she gets the latest raw material trends and developments within the fashion industry for the next season ahead, spring or fall. Together with the design teams, she plans a head, as to what we will be wearing from Reiss next season!

The interview started with me taking her picture. This is always the hardest thing to ask people, when you are not a famous photographer! After taking her picture (I like it!), we went inside the pub and got our first drink. It always makes you relax a bit with a drink, plus this is the British way of hanging out, drinking in a pub, it's great and fun. Well not always the day after! I asked her my 11 questions which are short and sweet:

1. Where do you work?
-Reiss London

2. What do you do?
-Head of fabric and trims department

3. What do you love to wear?
-Dresses, heals and red lipstick from Mac. My classic Burberry trench coat when it rains!

4. What is your favourite shop?
- COS and Zara

5. What is you worst travel memory?
-Stock in a car park lift

6. What is you favourite colour?
- Green

7. What would you like to be remembered for?
- My humour and laugh

8. What is your favourite drink and food?
- Red Rioja and smoked cheddar

9. Where is your next travel destination?
- Milan in September to visit the fabric show

10. Will you always work in fashion?
- Yes

11. What is your favourite style?
- 50's retro chic

It was a pleasure meeting up with Morgaine, she is a great friend and really good at her job! 


Thanks Morgaine you are a star! You can also follow her on, Pinterest.com/morgainewade

Follow the people behind big brands, more will follow soon!

Enjoy,

Pernille