ilovegorgeous... the blog

Have a sweet weekend!

2012-03-10T09:00:00.000Z

A couple of ideas for the coming weekend, which promises to be lovely according to the weatherman (at least here in England!):

Spend some time making a simple sweet treat - only five ingredients needed to make delicious coconut ice. We love the idea of adding some raspberry puree, or freeze-dried raspberry or strawberry pieces to one of the layers too, a fruity twist to this no-cook classic to make with the children!

And why not take a spring walk? Up here in Yorkshire we have the choice of some of the most stunning scenery in the country, with our HQ nestled in the Yorkshire Dales, not too far from the North Yorkshire Moors and the dramatic Yorkshire coast, we're lucky to be able to enjoy it all practically on our doorstep!

Here are some ideas for elsewhere in the British Isles from The Telegraph Travel website and The Ramblers (via The Guardian website). Wherever you spend the weekend - enjoy the spring weather, and we'd love it if you sent us a lovely spring picture, via our Facebook page!

Keeping your little fashionista current!

2012-03-05T11:36:00.000Z

Watching a new season unfold is always exciting and we're loving the colours and themes we're seeing in the spring/summer collections.

Trend forecasters WGSN were pretty spot-on with their early predictions. Head of Kidswear, Fiona Coleman, explains the Cinematic trend for SS12 childrenswear as - 'Hazy summer light captures nostalgic memories and informs vintage prints and textures in a palette of chilled pastels, saturated poolside brights and retro mid-tones’

With our SS12 collection right on trend, you can keep your mini style diva looking fresh and modern effortlessly and beautifully!

ZigZag Romper, £68

Palm Dress, £57

Bikini, £39


Indian Summer Beach Cover-up, £42

Heart Sunglasses, deep blue, £18

Obliteration!

2012-02-27T13:22:00.004Z

We spotted news of the Obliteration Room at Tate Modern on the Babycccino blog and in The Guardian and we just thought it looks the most fun for children. Imagine being let loose with a sheet of dotty stickers, and being allowed to stick them wherever you liked! Things like this didn't happen when we were young! It's part of artist Yayoi Kusama's retrospective at Tate Modern from 9th February until 5th June 2012 for more information, visit Tate Modern's Website.

Photo credits: Mark Sherwood/Natasha Harth/Rex Features

Pretty things

2012-02-20T11:19:00.000Z

Sometimes we discover a shop, place to stay or place to eat that we love and want to share with you.

Recently while shopping in the lovely market town of Easingwold near York we discovered a gorgeous interiors and lifestyle shop called Angel - it was literally impossible to leave without buying something. Particularly lovely are the hand-appliqued cushions made with vintage linen, quirky typography pictures and pretty sticky tape. We also loved the Sophie Conran candles and bought a gorgeous necklace of tiny amazonite and gold beads and hammered gold rings.

Visit Angel Lifestyle online at www.angel-lifestyle.com, or if you're in the area, you can find the beautiful shop at 23 Chapel Street, Easingwold, Nr York, North Yorkshire.

Half term project - Shoe box doll's house

2012-02-13T11:51:00.001Z

It's half term holiday for us here in the UK, and we've put our heads together to think of a lovely way to spend a day with your gorgeous girl, at home, crafting and creating together.

And we've come up with a shoe box doll's house, we know when we were little we would have just loved to make one of these beautiful and simple projects together with our Mum or Granny...

So where to begin? You'll need:
- A shoe box. Any shoe box. If it's an adult one it's bigger, so a little easier to work with
- Scissors
- A glue stick
- White paper and crayons, pencils or felt tips
- A selection of small boxes, cardboard or little objects to use as furniture - be imaginative!
- An old fashioned clothes peg for a peg-doll, or little animals/people from the toy box
- Scraps of fabric, lace, ribbon, buttons...

First step: paint out the inside of the box in your chosen colour, or you could use wrapping paper or a wallpaper sample to decorate the walls. Sometimes you're lucky and your shoe box has a coloured inside - mine is glossy hot pink (how very ilovegorgeous!), so why not use a piece of wrapping/wallpaper as a funky carpet?

Next you want a window with a view. Draw a rectangle on a piece of white paper and draw a lovely view - whatever you'd like to see - trees, hills, flowers, palm trees on a sandy beach? Or you could cut a photo out of a magazine or travel brochure and simply draw a frame around it. The travel pages and classified pages of glossy magazines provide a great source of little pictures!

Now if you want curtains, decide whether you'd like them short or long - will there be a pelmet? Set free your inner designer! Cut strips of fabric for curtains and use a ribbon or trim for a pelmet.

Will your room have pictures in frames? Snip away at a magazine or catalogue - we found ours in an interiors accessories catalogue. You could have anything that takes your fancy - a fireplace, blue and white china plates on the wall - see if you can find three flying ducks!

You can make furniture out of anything you can find - matchboxes, pipe cleaners, little gift boxes, use your imagination - anything tiny could be something else...

Brown paper looks a little like woodgrain, so wrap up a small box to make a cabinet, wardrobe, blanket box...

So now you've made one room, you could make some more. Stack two or four together and make a pitched roof out of a simple piece of cardboard folded down the centre...

And don't forget to send us your pictures via our Facebook page! There'll be a prize for our favourite!

Pop-up shop

2012-02-10T11:01:00.000Z

Our friends at Papillon are playing host to an ilovegorgeous pop-up-shop at their Marylebone Lane store... doesn't it look adorable? Not only can you find the best range of children's shoes, but now you can stock up on colourful clothes for your gorgeous girls too!

Meet our gorgeous girls...

2012-02-01T15:34:00.000Z

There are two sides to ilovegorgeous... - our London side, with a smart shop in hip and chic Ledbury Road in Notting Hill - surrounded by wonderful shops, restaurants, delis and must-have luxuries - and then there's the hive of creativity that is our design studio, a short walk from the shop and in a modern, urban space.

And, of course, we have our Yorkshire HQ - we've shared before photos of our stunning location at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, in an elegant stable block conversion. Here, we are surrounded by fields, hills, sheep and some very beautiful architecture! It's here we take your calls and send out your parcels.

Last week we mentioned on our Facebook page that there was a new project afoot for one of our Yorkshire team - adopting, or rescuing, five ex-battery hens. We asked for name suggestions and got some brilliant replies!

So here are the ladies - we have decided to call them (inspired by Facebook friend Sarah Bird and her Hollywood roll-call)... Marlene, Greta, Lana, Rita and Ginger. As you can see, they're looking a bit worse for wear now, and they really must get the hang of not standing in their food dish... but we're sure with a little bit of TLC they'll soon grow glossy new feathers and their combs will be red and perky in no time! We'll keep you updated.

In the meantime, we're happy to report that they're already feeling quite at home in their new des-res, complete with cosy straw-lined sleeping quarters and open plan dining and leisure area! So much so, in fact, that today, just three days after their arrival at their new rural home, they have laid four eggs. Clever girls!

Northern Lights

2012-01-25T10:24:00.001Z

We've been hopeful of spotting the Aurora Borealis here in Yorkshire, there have been clear skies but we didn't manage to catch a glimpse...

However, Lucy had a trip to Norway recently and look at what she saw!

Just stunning - and enough to send us outside in pyjamas again tonight - you never know!

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

2012-01-23T16:18:00.001Z

Well, we think that means Happy Chinese New Year! Welcome to the Year of the Dragon.

For some lovely craft ideas to keep little hands busy this week why not have a look at the wonderful free online resources available Activity Village?

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/chinese_new_year.htm

Making gorgeous things we love...

2012-01-16T13:55:00.002Z

We're a crafty bunch here at ilovegorgeous... and there's almost nothing we like more than inspiration for beautiful projects. For those of us who can lose whole days in haberdashery departments (don't get us started on the fabulousness of Liberty's fabric floor or the magic of VV Rouleaux) it's great fun trawling blogs for ideas and patterns. So when Mollie Makes Magazine was launched in the UK last year we were over the moon with the lovely content, tutorials, and of course the front cover project. We now have bespoke iPhone covers, felt rose rings for our fingers and corsages adorning our bags and clothes!

Mollie Makes Making Spot blog offers a daily dose of craft inspiration. And what we really love too are the links to all the wonderful suppliers of quirky buttons, vintage fabrics, the softest yarns and all sorts of haberdashery. The next issue is out on Thursday, keep an eye out in your local newsagent!

SALE now up to 50% off!

2012-01-11T12:01:00.000Z

Take a look at our sale - now with further reductions - some items are discounted by 50%!

ilovegorgeous sale continues with 30% off

2012-01-05T10:39:00.000Z

Firstly may we wish all our customers and friends a very happy 2012! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas break.

Find all your favourites with 30% off as our sale continues. Particularly good value for this time of year is our fab range of separates with practical and cosy knitwear, pretty skirts and wearable winter shorts that will take your gorgeous girl from winter into spring looking chic and cool.

Shop our sale at www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk

ilovegorgeous winter sale - great reductions!

2011-12-26T09:34:00.002Z

There's 30% off in our winter sale on our website now - please visit www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk to shop at great prices!

Happy shopping!

Things to do with the children...

2011-12-22T10:02:00.000Z

So, the last posting dates have passed, so while your little ones are waiting for Father Christmas to come, why not keep them busy with these festive activities?

We love this idea from Babyccino, hands and feet reindeer! We're sure Rudolph would love to see a garland of these along the fireplace this Christmas morning! Click on the link for a how-to.

And how about something delicious to leave on the hearth for Father Christmas this Christmas Eve? These star biscuits are yummy and are great to make together. You could also make a hole in the top, thread them with ribbon and hang some from the tree... (with thanks to BBC Good Food Magazine for recipe inspiration and picture!)

Sugar Cookie dough:

200g unsalted butter , at room temperature
150g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
300g plain flour , sifted

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla extract, beat until smooth, add the flour and bring together to make a smooth dough. Roll into a ball, flatten and chill in the fridge for about half an hour. Then roll it out to about 5mm thick, use a star cutter, or any other shaped cutter you like, and if you want to hang them on the tree pierce a hole in one point of the star with a skewer (not too near the edge, or it will break when you hang it). Place on a baking sheet and chill for about 15 mins before baking at 180 degrees for about 10-12 mins.

A simple and pretty way to decorate these is to brush with a little beaten egg white and sprinkle with silver balls, crystal sugar or edible glitter! Santa will LOVE them!

Enjoy your holiday break, and don't forget our sale starts on Boxing day, 26th December.

Merry Christmas, with love from all at ilovegorgeous! x

Last minute panic?

2011-12-19T10:30:00.001Z

Need a party dress in a hurry? Don't worry... you've got until 2pm on Wednesday 21st December (GMT, UK orders) to place an order that will be delivered before Christmas!

That Christmas feeling...

2011-12-13T13:39:00.000Z

20% off stocking fillers...

2011-12-12T15:26:00.000Z

Take a look at our website today for a wonderful 20% discount on a range of last-minute stocking filler ideas...

click here for 20% discount!

We've found the perfect present...

2011-12-09T08:28:00.001Z

... for the person who has everything.

There's always one person on your list who is so tricky to buy for, isn't there? We think we may have the answer. Our dear friend, and ex-ilovegorgeous... girl, Vicky Smith makes the most fantastic jams and preserves, and has just launched her website, offering hand made artisan jams by subscription.

At ilovegorgeous... HQ in Yorkshire, we are massive fans of Vicky's jams, marmalades and jellies. When Vicky worked with us we were lucky enough to be able to try out her new flavours and combinations and eat her preserves every day on our toast!

Take a look at her website for more information and inspiration... http://www.jamsmith.co.uk/

Christmas Shop Window

2011-12-07T08:31:00.001Z

One of the magical things about Christmas shopping is seeing all the beautiful displays in the shop windows. Snow, fairies, baubles, lights, sparkles... this year our window has a sweet little Bambi deer, do you like it?

Late Night Notting Hill

2011-12-05T15:04:00.001Z

This Thursday evening, 8th December, we're participating in the first Late Night Notting Hill event. Our shop, at 52 Ledbury Road, is joining in with this exciting evening of shopping and treats!

Along with more than forty other boutiques, we'll be open from 5pm until late and we'll be offering you a glass of champagne and a mince pie while you browse, a fabulous 15% discount off your purchases on the night, and gorgeous free gift wrap too!

You can download a PDF map of W11, where you'll find our shop, as well as all the other lovely stores participating in the Late Night Notting Hill event!

If you're out and about in London this weekend...

2011-12-01T10:34:00.001Z

We have two recommendations for you -

The first is our Sample Sale, which takes place in our design studio on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th from 12-6pm at Studio 104, Great Western Studios, 65 Alfred Road, London W2 5EU.
There will be production samples for sale from past seasons, a good range of sizes from baby upwards, some one-off pieces and unique fabrics - all at fabulous prices! We'd love to meet more of our customers, do drop in to say hello and have a look at the wonderful range of special samples.

And also on Sunday 4th if you're in Camden between 12-5pm, pop in and see the Lovely Merchants:

Christmas shopping at ilovegorgeous...

2011-11-28T13:07:00.001Z

Take a look at our Most wanted selection for the best festive dressing, and don't forget we're offering free returns until January 10th, and free worldwide shipping over £150.

We have a lovely selection of gift sets too, outfits put together in a beautiful gift box - we've taken 10% off the combined price of the items, and we'll wrap it beautifully in the gift box for no extra charge!

And don't forget we offer some wonderful stocking fillers too - jewellery, hair accessories, dancing shoes and cosy knits and super warm tights to name but a few...

12 days of Christmas advent calendar

2011-11-26T10:35:00.001Z

Want to win an ilovegorgeous... Party Star dress?

Want to win eleven other covetable prizes from the likes of Isabella Oliver, Wilbur & Gussie, Party Pieces and Molly Brown?

The Little Style Book, Maggie & Rose and The Party Times have teamed up to bring you a fantastic competition offering a fabulous prize every day from 1st to 12th December. From a photoshoot to a night's babysitting, dinner for two or a catered dinner party, the gifts are really special!

Log on to The Little Style Book Little Magazine to find out more!

click here for more information

Nikki Hahn wears ilovegorgeous...

2011-11-21T10:38:00.001Z

We are thrilled that gorgeous young American actress Nikki Hahn has become a fan of ilg - see these wonderful pictures of her in our Empress Dress and shaggy collar coat. Perfect ...and we think the clothes look good too!

Mummy and Me

2011-11-15T20:51:00.001Z

We have so many comments from Mummies who wish we made Mum sized dresses too... well, so far, we don't, but in the spirit of the party season, here are a few suggestions for your gorgeous girl's special outfit - and one for you too...

Picture the scene - a Christmas party, fun and games for little ones, and canapes and cocktails for bigger people (well, a girl can dream)...

H&M gold cardi £24.99

ilovegorgeous... Gold lurex cardi £48

Star Print Dress, L'Agence at Net a Porter, £420

ilovegorgeous... Teal Party Star Dress, £64

Metallic shoes, LK Bennet at House of Fraser, £175

Gold shoes, Penelope Chilvers for ilovegorgeous... £48


Gretal Clutch Bag, Monsoon, £22

ilovegorgeous... Teal Star Party Bag, £20

Time to give

2011-11-14T09:45:00.001Z

Much excitement in the Yorkshire office this morning - the girls saw Matt Baker on his rickshaw near our offices in Richmond, cycling his way through the misty countryside in aid of Children in Need...

Today Matt is cycling from nearby Barnard Castle to York - 70 miles in one day, brave man!

To donate £5, text "MATT" to 70705, texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message, £5 will go to BBC Children in Need. Click here for full terms and conditions. (You must be over 16 and ask the bill payer's permission.)

Party 24/7!

2011-11-10T12:13:00.002Z

We're all abuzz with Christmas party chatter this week - the ilovegorgeous... girls are getting together for their seasonal soiree and the inevitable cry of 'But I've nothing to wear!' goes up and so we all think about party dresses...

And for your gorgeous girls we know the perfect dress is all-important for those special parties, so we have put together our must-haves for the party season here!

It's not just dresses to think about - how about a cosy and soft gold cardy to keep her warm on a frosty evening; a smart party coat; a little party bag for her sweeties and (chocolate) coins; a bow for her hair and some gold dancing shoes? We've got it covered, from head to toe!

must-haves for this winter's party season...

A treat for tired winter skin

2011-11-07T10:29:00.001Z

This month we've teamed up with Nude skincare to offer you a free sample of their award-winning Replenishing Night Oil and an exclusive discount code which you'll receive in with your order, offering 15% off purchases from Nude's website - just in time for your Christmas shopping!

Spirit of Christmas

2011-11-04T08:45:00.001Z

ilovegorgeous... will be at the Spirit of Christmas shopping fair at London's Olympia until Sunday 6th November, with a stand of fabulous ilovegorgeous... archive stock at prices reduced up to 50% off original selling price! There are plenty of party dresses, cosy knits and warm winter day wear. We'd love to see you there, come and say hello if you're one of the estimated 33,000 visitors to the fair! Details of how to get there and other exhibitors at the Spirit of Christmas website.

There are so many gorgeous things to look at - but one exhibitor we love is Butterfly Blue. Their scarf and ribbon belts are a real discovery - a really simple concept but so clever and pretty! You get a leather belt with D-rings attached either side and then you can buy pretty Liberty print scarves, silk scarves, or use your own favourite scarf, ribbon, vintage fabric... the combinations are endless. They look great finishing off your jeans, gathering in a waterfall cardy, over a knitted dress or a gilet... genius idea!

How's your Christmas list coming along? Don't forget to order your gorgeous girl something really special to wear on Christmas day - until 7th November we're offering free gift wrap with orders over £50, a perfect special gift box to delight her on Christmas morning!

And in your stocking? What could be cosier than a cashmere poncho? We love this cabled version with toggles from luxury loungewear brand Charlotte and Co - versatile and beautiful. Here's hoping...

Oh Baby... you're gorgeous!

2011-11-01T10:57:00.002Z

We're celebrating our beautiful babywear this week... scrumptious miniature versions of some of our most popular dresses and knitwear, as well as sweet ruffled knickers, cosy cashmere blend babygrows, jumpers, hareem pants, mittens and booties.

And our friends at Sheerluxe have featured the Happy Carmen silk baby dress in their online magazine, saying "Definitely an investment, but equally one of the most divine little dresses around: pretty but not too frilly, and she loved the feel of the silk."

Happy Carmen baby dress, available in Grey, Coral or Teal silk, £96

Remembering the Just So Festival...

2011-10-27T13:29:00.001+01:00

A lovely surprise in our inbox this week...

The lovely people at Wild Rumpus, who organised the Just So Festival this summer sent us a few pictures showing our installation of dresses as lanterns in the trees! We think they look quite pretty, what do you think?

To see more highlights of the festival, take a look at the Just So Festival 2011 photo gallery...

And if you fancy some spooky shenanigans this weekend, why not take a trip to Nutcrack Night in Lancashire?

20% off ilovegorgeous until 20th October 2011

2011-10-25T09:58:00.003+01:00

There's a wicked Halloween offer for all our lovely customers this week...

We are offering 20% off when you buy any two items (excludes shoes) until midnight 28th October. So now there is no excuse for not DRESSING UP!

Click through to www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk to take advantage of this scarily good offer!

Behind the Scenes - our Yorkshire office

2011-10-20T10:23:00.002+01:00

We're incredibly lucky to have our office in the Yorkshire Dales, a beautiful place to work. The journey to work is different every day with the landscape changing colours and mood with the weather. We are surrounded by hills and the Swaledale landscape of stone walls and black-faced sheep.

Our base in in the converted stable block of Aske Hall, near Richmond in North Yorkshire, is where all your mail order parcels are packed, and if you ring us for advice or help, that's where we answer your call. Clare and Jess answer most of your calls and are happy to give you guidance on sizing or completing an outfit - you'll always get friendly help and advice!

We also ship out boxes from here to the lovely boutiques around the world who stock our clothes, so the office is a hive of activity (and a warren of boxes!).

There couldn't be more of a contrast between our chic Notting Hill flagship store and our rural head office in Yorkshire - but the ethos is the same... friendly, personal service and the loveliest shopping experience you can have, whether you're in London or on the other side of the world!

Party in the press...

2011-10-17T14:10:00.001+01:00

Junior Magazine and Tatler featured our A/W launch party that was held in our Notting Hill shop, take a look at their lovely snaps!

We can't wait!

2011-10-12T19:05:00.001+01:00

From next week we will be sneaking delicious mini bars of chocolate from Melt in all parcels. We adore their chocolate which is hand made on the premises in their small Notting Hill shop. The best news is it is also available for mail order! Check out http://www.meltchocolates.com/

24 hour 20% discount on cosy ilovegorgeous winter coats...

2011-10-10T14:31:00.001+01:00

From midnight GMT tonight, until midnight tomorrow (11th October) you can save a whopping 20% off winter coats, simply by entering the code COAT20 into the coupon code field at checkout on the website, and applying the discount to your total.

This is a limited-time offer, just in time for the cold weather coming!

Shop our range of coats by clicking here...

Party time for ilovegorgeous...

2011-10-06T20:32:00.000+01:00

We held a wonderful afternoon party in our Notting Hill store last week for our loyal customers, friends and some very special little people too...

We were lucky enough to have friends to help out with our goodie bags too, including the very talented Giles Andreae, with his joyful new books - World of Happy.

With some of these wonderful books to look at we could be sure of some happy little people, they also enjoyed face painting, fairy cakes and biscuit lollipops from our friends at Biscuiteers!

A wonderful party for our gorgeous little customers - and some bigger ones too!

Starry Starry Night...

2011-10-03T12:53:00.001+01:00

Star prints are all the rage this autumn and winter, with many of the major designers showing star prints for blouses, dresses, scarves...

German magazine KidX celebrates our own range on their blog today, with a round-up of some of our cutest clothes and accessories.

The star print clothes, hairbands and bags make a sweet, on-trend statement for your little stars this season!

ilovegorgeous loves... Sisters Guild

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000+01:00

We get to work with some lovely people, it's wonderful to have stockists with beautiful stores, websites and blogs. To share their creativity with you, we're going to run an occasional series featuring some of our lovely stockists. And first up is Sisters Guild, a beautiful online boutiqe and inspiring blog.

We asked Bekka and Carla, founders of the company, to choose their favourite piece from our current collection - and they chose the Mauve Star Debbie Dress. Why? "Because it's such a unique design and the Mauve colour for the autumn and winter season is beautiful. Also, the Debbie dress is a style we would love to wear to a party!"

A favourite product from elsewhere in their store is this quirky range of Felt bags from En Gry & Sif.

And in turn, we love the Monday Makery on their blog - creative ideas to make and do with your little ones, from recipes to sewing projects. Step by step instructions and clear photographs help every project become a success. Browse their blog and enjoy Bekka and Carla's flawless taste and incredible creativity!

last few days of the French Bedroom Company competition

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000+01:00

You only have until Friday 30th September to enter our fabulous competition with The French Bedroonm Company!

You can win £500 worth of vouchers to spend on their beautiful website... just visit our Facebook pages to find out more...

www.facebook.com/ilovegorgeousuk to win French Bedroom Company vouchers
www.facebook.com/frenchbedroomcompany to win ilovegorgeous... vouchers

Good luck!

Junior Loves...

2011-09-26T10:27:00.002+01:00

Linda McLean, fashion editor of Junior Magazine, has chosen her 'must-have' pieces from our Autumn/Winter collection. See what she chose on our website... click here

A beautiful treat for you...

2011-09-26T09:51:00.001+01:00

Free when you place an order with us - an exclusive ilovegorgeous... pink iced butterfly from Biscuiteers. And you can get £5 off your first tin of biscuits when you order from Biscuiteers too - just type the code 'gorgeous' at the checkout!

Make your own Biscuiteers-inspired goodies...

2011-09-23T09:00:00.000+01:00

Feeling inspired by our delicious Biscuiteers tie-in? Here’s an exclusiverecipe from their kitchen for you to try:

ilovegorgeous… FairyParty Biscuits

Ingredients (makes 24biscuits)

350g plainflour

100g self-raisingflour

125ggranulated sugar

125g saltedbutter, diced

125g goldensyrup

1 large egg,lightly beaten

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 170c/350f/gas mark 4 beforeyou begin.

Sift the flours together into a mixing bowl, addthe sugar and mix well.
Add the butter. Using just the tips of yourfingers, rub together the ingredients until the mixture resembles finebreadcrumbs.
When all the butter is evenly mixed in, make awell in the centre and add the syrup and the egg.
Mix well, drawing in any of the flour left atthe sides of the bowl and stop as soon as a ball has formed.
Place the dough onto your clean worktop. Divideinto two and squash the dough into two even-sized flat discs. Cover and chilluntil ready to use, or roll out immediately.
Place the dough on a sheet of parchment andbegin by gently squashing the dough down with a rolling pin or your hands.Cover with a second sheet of parchment and then use the rolling pin to roll outproperly.
The top sheet of paper may crinkle from time totime, just peel it off and smooth it down gently before starting to roll again.
Gently roll the dough until it is 5mm thick allover, then transfer the whole sheet of rolled dough still sandwiched betweenits sheets of parchment to a baking tray and place in the fridge to chill forat least 20 – 30 minutes before cutting.
Fairy party themed cutters are widely availableonline, or you can choose to make your own. To do this, identify the shapes youwant to trace (crowns and butterflies work really well!) and lay a sheet ofparchment on top, carefully tracing around the shape. Remember that you can ice on much more detailthan needs to be reflected in the shape of the biscuit. Carefully cut thetemplates out with scissors. You can find some of our favourite templates inthe BiscuiteersBook of Iced Biscuits.
Assemble your collection of cutters or templatesand start to cut. To use the dough efficiently cut the biscuits out as closetogether as possible. Lift each biscuit onto the parchment covered baking trayand make sure they are not too close together as the dough will spread a littleon baking. Any trimmings can be re-rolled a couple of times.
Evenly space the trays in the oven and cook for14-18 minutes, depending on your oven. When the biscuits are evenly cooked and justbeginning to turn a golden colour remove the trays from the oven and transferthe whole sheet of parchment to a cooling rack. Do this carefully as thebiscuits will be quite fragile and hot!
Cool totally before starting to ice.

Fairy-Party Icing Tips

To start, cut your piping bag straight across toachieve a clean icing line.

Alwaysuse a clean piping bag, so that your icing colours stay lovely.
Practice your icing techniques on a parchmentsheet before starting on your biscuits.
Mix icing in girly colours – pink, purple andsparkling white.
If you are icing line-detail on top of runnyicing, always wait until it is completely dry!
When filling areas with runny icing, use a sharpcocktail stick to burst any bubbles. This will help achieve a smooth andluxurious finish.
Stock up on lots of baubles and sugar glitter togive your biscuits a dusting of fairy magic.
Remember that sugar glitter will stick better tosuper wet icing (its dries pretty fast!)

Happy baking -and click here to send us pics of your results!

Brilliant Biscuiteers!

2011-09-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

We’ve always been enchanted by the Biscuiteers' special iced biscuits, sowhen an opportunity came for us to work together, we couldn’t have been moreexcited!

We are very pleased to offer a lovely treat for all our UK customers– a very special ilovegorgeous… pink-iced butterfly biscuit, presentedin a beautiful Biscuiteers box. And as if that isn’t enough, there’s also a discount code for thebrilliant Biscuiteers website, you’llnever be stuck for a present idea again!

And if you are inspired to make your own iced biscuits, we'll be publishing an exclusive Biscuiteers recipe on Friday, complete with icing tips...

Enjoy!

French Bedroom Company collaboration....

2011-09-19T10:54:00.003+01:00

We are delighted to be running a promotion with

We have a £500 voucher for The French Bedroom Company to give away. To enter the competition - simply 'like' our Facebook page. If you've already 'liked' us, don't worry, we'll include all our friends!

Why not pop over to their website to whet your appetite? We love this beautiful Madame Butterfly mini silver chest (£495) and the lovely Queen of Hearts red blanket (from £50), both from their Les Enfants range. Perfect for your gorgeous girl!

New collection - available now!

2011-09-13T09:51:00.000+01:00

Our entire new Autumn/Winter 2011 collection is now available on our website, and during September we are offering free returns.Lovely subtle colours, silk velvets, cosy cashmere-blend knitwear, funky star prints and some lovely every day dresses and separates. Take a look now - browse our new collection.

New collection video... September 2011

2011-09-06T10:32:00.000+01:00

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As seen in Sunday Times Style magazine...

2011-09-05T11:41:00.001+01:00

The Sunday Times Style magazine chose a few of our pieces for its 'Tot Gear' feature last weekend...

Debbie Dress, mauve star - coming to our website very soon!

Peach rose floral head dress

Peach rose chiffon head band

You can click on the links to view the product, or view our A/W11 preview...

That back to school feeling.

2011-08-30T10:44:00.000+01:00

So, that's it - the last bank holiday before Christmas has been and gone here in the UK, and today there is a proper autumnal feel in the air. Back to school for our children next week, Mums will be sewing on name tapes, ironing school uniform, new school shoes will come out of their boxes. It's the start of something new... which in itself is really quite exciting!

And on our website we have a preview of our Autumn/Winter 2011 collection...

and the last chance to get your Summer sale bargains.

Here's one of my favourite pieces from the collection - the Peace and Love jumper, £59. With a peace sign on the front and a heart on the back, it's sweet and cosy and ever-so-slightly rock and roll!

Something in the air...

2011-08-22T14:08:00.000+01:00

The end is nigh - summer holidays with only two weeks to go, and the mornings are starting to feel chilly and damp, we're all thinking about Autumn all of a sudden.

New pencils, shiny shoes, a cosy coat and a snuggly jumper...

And for those of you grabbing a few more rays of sunshine before turning to velvet and cashmere... don't miss the last bargains of our sale - a great chance to stock up on Winter sunshine holiday essentials! ilovegorgeous summer sale...

Some holiday inspiration...

2011-08-16T14:12:00.000+01:00

It's sometimes hard to think of things to do during these long holidays, either to take a day out or just entertain the children on a rainy day... 'Mummy, I'm bored, what can I do?' is a familiar refrain.

There are some pretty inspirational blogs and websites out there, Ready for Ten is a great resource for parents of primary aged children, and Deb at Carrots and Kids shows you how to get your little ones interested in gardening, amongst other things. Baking Mad offers great easy recipes to bake with children. If you're in London, check out A Little Bird for everything inspirational - with children or without!

And of course don't forget to support your local library, you will generally find summer holiday reading projects for all ages of children, often with storytellers, prizes and incentives to get your little bookworm hooked!

And for those of you lucky enough to be heading off to a festival, a late summer break or even thinking about a winter break somewhere hot... don't forget to catch our sale while it lasts - only two weeks left... ilovegorgeous sale!

Just So Festival...

2011-08-12T08:00:00.002+01:00

We're very excited about the Just So Festival next weekend (19 - 21 August 2011), if you're heading over there look out for the fabulous ilovegorgeous... installation - some of our favourite dresses magically turned in to lanterns in the trees!

There are still some tickets available if you fancy a trip to this award winning festival in Staffordshire.

Latest availability in the sale...

2011-08-10T11:23:00.000+01:00

There are still lots of styles left in a good range of sizes in our sale - with up to 50% off!

Stock up on pretty tops and dresses, maybe order a size bigger for next year, browse our knitwear, including Logo and Lurex cardis, they will be as useful in Autumn and Winter as they have been over Spring and will continue to be on chillier Summer days!

Carmen Top

Maddie Dress

Carmen Dress

Rosie Dress

Lucy T and Logo Cardi

Daisy Dress

Logo Cardi

Daisy Top

www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk

Rainy day activities...

2011-08-04T14:52:00.001+01:00

So after the heatwave comes the rain - and what can we do with those long dreary days and little people to amuse? An all-time favourite is baking a cake, and a favourite of the ilovegorgeous girls is lemon-yoghurt-poppyseed cake with a crunchy lemon topping - yum. Here's what you need:

For the cake:
100g softened butter
150g golden caster sugar
150g SR flour
1tsp baking powder
2 large eggs (don't forget to buy Free Range or Organic, and never from caged birds!)
2tbsp natural yoghurt
1tbsp poppy seeds
Zest of 1 large lemon

For the topping:
Juice of the lemon
50g golden caster sugar
50g granulated or demarara sugar

And here's how to make it:

First take a 20cm cake tin and grease it, lining the base with a circle of baking paper.

Put the eggs in a bowl and whisk well, add the flour, baking powder, sugar and soft butter and beat well with a wooden spoon. Drop in the yoghurt to slacken the mixture, stir in the lemon zest and poppy seeds and turn the mixture into the tin.

Bake at 180 degrees, set your timer for 40 minutes. And meanwhile do the washing up! Then put the 50g of the two sugars into a small bowl or jug and pour the lemon juice over the top to soak in to the sugar.

When the timer rings, insert a skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cake's ready! Leave it to cool for about five minutes in the tin, then, while it's still in the tin, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the top and spread about so it covers the top. When the cake's cool turn it out and enjoy. It's the best lemon cake we've ever tasted!

To change things around a bit why not make this recipe into cupcakes for a birthday or for a lovely present for a friend or Granny? You can make the topping into a lovely lemony white icing by replacing the granular sugars with icing sugar - you can play around with sugarpaste flowers, crystallised flowers, sparkles and sprinkles. Or, you know, just eat the cake plain and delicious as it is!

We know the summer holidays can be long... fun, but long... and with this in mind we are currently designing a fabulous and gorgeous downloadable project that we will put on our blog very soon... watch this space!

Gorgeous on Monday... Little Chairs

2011-08-01T11:15:00.001+01:00

We recently received the most wonderful little chair for our ilovegorgeous... shop, upholstered in our favourite hot pink colour.

A new venture, Little Chairs, used some of our Autumn/Winter '11 dresses for a photo shoot to launch their company. Take a look at the delicious pink chair, and also a preview of three of our pretty dresses, available from September.

Carnaby Street Dress in Teal Indian flower

Buffalo Girl dress in Teal star

Here's a bit more information about Little Chairs - in their own words...

Arabella Hampson, designer and owner of Little Chairs, had the idea for the company after she had her own children: "My husband gave Rufus (now 3) a chair that he had had as a child - a miniature armchair. We had it re-covered and Rufus and his friends all adored it. So of course when Kitty came along (9 months now), we had to have a chair made especially for her.”

Arabella was surprised that she couldn’t find anything of the highest quality, using the best fabrics, and made in England, to buy for Kitty, so she set about finding the right people to work with, and started making her own. She found that the best furniture-makers were right on her doorstep, and she sourced the most beautiful fabrics with which to cover the chairs.

Little Chairs is the only company in the UK solely making these upholstered armchairs in children’s sizes, which make a very special gift for christenings and birthdays, because they are stylish, sentimental and, very importantly, sustainable.

Arabella Hampson, owner of Little Chairs, says: “ Our chairs are built to last and make perfect heirlooms to be handed down through the generations. But they are also statement pieces for those who are passionate about interior design: unique miniature chairs with maximum impact that look stylish and original. We think that our chairs will provide a talking point for guests and look great in any room; not just in a nursery or child’s bedroom.”

The chairs are each named after a Derbyshire stately home (there is also a daybed; the Chatsworth.) They are available from www.little-chairs.com

Woodstock dress (l) and Carnaby Street dress (r) in Teal Indian Flower

A gorgeous holiday escape...

2011-07-29T13:06:00.000+01:00

We love to recommend places for you to stay - tried and tested by one of us, so you know it will be just lovely.

After a recent break in Dorset we are delighted to tell you about a cottage on one of the most photographed streets in the UK. Gold Hill in Shaftesbury is famous for the Hovis bread TV advert of the little boy pushing his bicycle up the steep, cobbled hill.

Updown Cottage was found on Alastair Sawday's invaluable website, and is every bit as special as promised. Comfy beds, crisp white sheets and fluffy towels, squashy velvet and tweed sofas, a log-burner for colder nights, a beautiful terraced garden (for breakfast coffee and evening G&Ts) and even a baby grand piano!

The local area offers tons to do for any age - Lulworth Cove for fossil hunting and swimming, Durdle Door for breathtaking scenery and walking, Stonehenge for a must-see experience, Punch and Judy and ice creams in Weymouth, the huge cathedral with modern art installations in Salisbury and idyllic views at Stourhead are just a few of the highlights within driving distance.

Shaftesbury itself is a quiet market town with an eclectic selection of shops and eating places. Great delis and shops for one-off gifts and crafts, and a treasure trove of gorgeous clothes and things found at Six the Commons, just look at these irresistible dog clocks! Mine's the spaniel please!

Take a look at Updown's website here.

Gorgeous on Wednesday... crafts for the holidays

2011-07-27T09:00:00.001+01:00

What better time than the long summer break to sit down with your girls and learn something new?

Crochet is my new must-learn craft, to start making flower corsages and accessories... these books are simply inspirational:

100 Flowers to knit and crochet

75 birds, butterflies & beasties...

Kids learn to Crochet

And if you fancy trying your hand at knitting - take a look at this book, the pictures were shot by ilovegorgeous's favourite photographer Christina Wilson... Jane Brocket's The Gentle Art of Knitting. Jane's blog is inspirational, take a look to discover some gorgeous images, links and crafty ideas.

Have a go - send us your pictures via our Facebook page or website!

Gorgeous on Monday... A/W11 sneak peek behind the scenes

2011-07-25T09:00:00.001+01:00

We were lucky enough to have snow when we shot the forthcoming autumn/winter collection last December. Christina Wilson, our photographer, and Mary Mathieson, our stylist, made everything look like a magical Narnian kingdom!

The cold wasn't quite so much fun for our gorgeous little models, though! But warm blankets and plenty of jumping about and hugs kept them warm...

There are some beautiful new clothes for the coming season, rich velvets, cosy knits, starry party dresses, s smattering of sequins and practical everyday pieces too. Here's an informal, behind the scenes, preview:

Watch out for that Turkish Delight! Remember what happened to Edmund?

Gorgeous on Friday... wonderful bridesmaids

2011-07-22T16:00:00.001+01:00

We've loved seeing the beautiful little bridesmaids at the weddings of the two Kates - Middleton and Moss - this year, so we thought we'd have a round-up of our lovely little dresses which make any little attendants beautiful for your own very special wedding day.

BRIDEfinds blog recently featured our Dorothy Dress here... take a look at their blog for some lovely ideas and syle inspiration.

But no matter how gorgeous the big, news-worthy weddings may be, we still love romantic English weddings the best, stone churches, sweet peas and roses, the greenest countryside, little girls running barefoot across daisy-strewn lawns... too pretty for words!

Take a look on our website for details of dresses in this season's collection...

Gorgeous on Wednesday... surf's up!

2011-07-20T20:43:00.000+01:00

What better way to celebrate the start of the summer holidays than with a round-up of our favourite Cornwall beaches? Read about them here...

We're celebrating too with some great sale prices on our favourite beachwear, perfect for paddling, building sandcastles and games of beach cricket!

If you haven't signed up to our newsletters yet, go to our website to put your name down. Be the first to hear of exclusive discounts and offers, and get a VIP look at new season and sale stock! Have a read of our latest newsletter for the special summer 'Surf's Up!' offers...

Gorgeous on Friday... 50% off! and an exhibition for the summer hols

2011-07-15T13:16:00.000+01:00

There is now 50% off many items in our summer sale - and still lots of summer left to be wearing these outfits!

So, a couple of weeks ago we receommended the wonderful Wiveton Hall in here our blog.

Now we hear of a beautiful exhibition happening at the Wiveton Hall Cafe during August, and ideal place to take the children to see some of the timeless illustrations by Edward Ardizzone.

(These images are borrowed from the Ardizzone prints website)

Gorgeous on Wednesday... Saying thanks...

2011-07-13T11:17:00.002+01:00

When a friend of ilovegorgeous... asked us to help them raise money for one of the best causes around we were pleased to be able to help out. And it wasn't just us, lots of great companies dug deep and donated vouchers, prizes and subscriptions for the Angels and Urchins 10th Anniversary raffle in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Angels and Urchins is the indispensable London parenting guide - all you need to know for parents and families in and around London. There's a magazine and a website to browse, with loads of great information, inspiration and practical advice.

Anyway, here's a letter they sent us which explains everything...

"I wanted officially to write and thank you for your incredibly generous donation in our raffle.

The party held in Hyde Park was a tremendous success. We raised over £20,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital and 200 children of friends and family (and 120 mothers) had an unforgettable afternoon: water games, tug-of-war, Punch and Judy, Lucky Dip and the most sumptuous tea party. And the sun shone.

None of it could have been possible without the incredibly generous donations. £500 from Ilovegorgeous was definitely very high up on everyone's list of coveted prizes. We are hugely grateful as it generated so much interest.

We would like to pass on the message of thanks we received from GOSH: 'We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended on the day and supported Great Ormond Street Children's Charity. The money raised will help to fund life-saving research and equipment and to redevelop the hospital, so we can help even more of our sickest children. Thank you.'

Have a great summer.

Best wishes

Annie and Emily, and all the angels & urchins' team"

Gorgeous on Monday - English Wines

2011-07-11T10:22:00.000+01:00

With all the concern about food miles and the provenance of our food, why aren't we all drinking more English wine?

We have several great wineries in this country, mainly in the most southerly counties, but even as north as Yorkshire, surprisingly.

A great favourite, regularly winning awards for their wines, is Chapel Down in Tenterden, Kent.

Their English Rose is the perfect chilled summer evening wine, and the Flint and Bacchus whites are just gorgeous too, and the sparkling wines are a match for champagne for any occasion - competitively priced too. If you're anywhere near Tenterden, pay the winery a visit, you can taste the wines and there's a great foodie shop, and a fabulous restaurant. After a visit on a hot, sunny day last year (the 10am wine tasting felt very wrong!) and a wander aroung the herb garden and the vines, Chapel Down has much to recommend it!

Gorgeous on Friday... Winter Bridesmaids sneak peek

2011-07-08T13:40:00.000+01:00

We can't resist showing you some of our Autumn/Winter collection, and if you're planning a winter wedding you'll already be thinking about bridesmaids dresses, so here are a few beautiful pics to give you a flavour of what's on offer this year. Think soft shades of grey, sage, coral, cream. There are also some gorgeous velvet party dresses that would make lovely bridesmaids dresses in stronger colours like teal, plum and hot pink - available from September.

If you would like to pre-order or have any queries, please do give us a call on 0844 371 3301, we'd be delighted to help and advise.

Don't forget there are still some summer bridesmaid styles in our sale at www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk

Gorgeous on Wednesday... Sophie Worthington

2011-07-06T10:03:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago we showed you some childhood photos of one of our founders, Lucy Enfield. Today it's the turn of our other founder - Sophie Worthington. This is one of the favourite parts of my job, collecting and scanning photos from the past, seeing the resemblance then and now, and seeing photos so reminiscent of the era!

So here we have Sophie as a tiny one, so sweet, I think we've all worn a little handknit cardi like this one!

And later, looking so very glam!

Gorgeous on Monday... seasonal fruit

2011-07-04T21:23:00.000+01:00

It's a fabulous time of year for local, seasonal fruit. And it seems to be a bumper year for berries and currants in particular. Pick your own farms up and down the country are offering a wide range of fruit and vegetables, while in cities, the farmers are bringing their produce to local markets and speciality food fairs.

Now's the time to pick your fruit, and make the most of it in lovely puddings and healthy compotes to stir into yoghurt. Storing it up for later months couldn't be more fun, and it's something we can be doing now, before the children break up from school - the hot pans and volcanic sugary mess of jam making is not for tiny fingers! Turning blackcurrants into jam, jelly (to stir into casseroles and gravies in colder months), cassis-like liqueurs and even home-made cordial is pretty easy as long as you have a few basic bits of kit. Raid your local kitchen shop (or Mum's cupboard, there's often a family hand-me-down lurking somewhere) for a maslin pan, jelly bag and jam funnel. Sterilise some jars and bottles and you're off!

The River Cottage Preserving handbook is an invaluable source of recipes, as is Nigel Slater's Tender volume 2 - loads of simply gorgeous recipes to use seasonal fruit.

You'll get a summery reminiscence in the heart of winter every time you twist the lid off your jam!

And before the children break up, make sure you're stocked up on all the summer outfits your girls will need for the coming sunny months - don't forget to check what's left in our sale, there are still some real bargains to be had!

Gorgeous on Friday - a gorgeous place to go

2011-07-01T10:06:00.000+01:00

Today we have a recommendation from Sophie, it's a lovely place to stay in Norfolk Wiveton Hall
- a self catering house to sleep 8-9, with nearby cottages for smaller parties or families.
And an equally lovely place to eat: Wiveton Farm Cafe, there's a fab farm shop too to stock up on local produce and foodie goodies!

The north Norfolk coast is a beautiful place to have a traditional seaside holiday. There are beautiful beaches, such as the wide sweep of sand at Holkham, lovely market towns and villages to discover, and peaceful marshes for spotting coastal birds.

Don't forget to pack your gorgeous girl's suitcase with lots of playsuits, summer dresses, shorts and t-shirts - see what we have left in the sale! www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk

Gorgeous on Monday... smoothie ice lollies

2011-06-27T13:24:00.000+01:00

Sorry to state the obvious but it's hot hot hot - even up in our Yorkshire office (and that doesn't happen very often!)

We think the best way to cool down in this heat is with a delicious smoothie ice lolly. Here are a few suggestions we love - get yourself a lolly making kit (try your local cook shop, Lakeland does a great range, or there's a fab rocket lolly set from Sam Turner's - available by mail order...) and get making!

Summer Berry Smoothie lollies
1 punnet strawberries
1 punnet raspberries
1 small pot natural bio yoghurt
1 teaspoon honey (or more, depending on how sweet you like your lollies!)
Blitz all these together in a blender, pour into moulds and freeze...

Banoffee pops
2 bananas
1 small pot natural bio yoghurt
2 tablespoons Dulce de Leche or Carnation caramelised condensed milk
Blitz, freeze, enjoy! For an extra indulgent treat, drizzle the frozen pop with melted chocolate or chocolate sauce...

Old fashioned lemonade ice lollies
Make up some lemon squash cordial (we like Rock's Organic lemon squash) with some lemonade, fill the ice lolly moulds, leaving a little room for the mix to expand as the bubbles come up out of the lemonade. Enjoy the most refreshing ice lollies under the sun...

Don't forget to stock up on your hot weather essentials in our ongoing sale - there are plenty of high-summer buys left in all sizes.

www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk

Gorgeous on Wednesday - sale best sellers...

2011-06-22T15:06:00.001+01:00

The great thing about the sale is that you get to make savings on basic items that we keep in the collection from season to season.

For summer, think Lucy Ts, Logo Ts, Logo Cardis and stripey knitwear. Lovely little flouncy party skirts, like the Mini Mallow and the Festival skirt, as well as cotton day skirts like the Sweetie Pocket and Bonny skirt.

Some of our dresses are popular every season, like the Pinny dress, the Gwyneth, the Muse or Festival dress, we just re-imagine them in new fabrics, or slightly different fabric blends/weights each time.

There are still good stocks left in many items - high summer favourites include the funky New Yorker Playsuit and the cool Sweet Pea cotton crepe dress.

We hope you're finding some great bargains!

www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk

Gorgeous on Monday... ilovegorgeous sale!

2011-06-20T14:28:00.000+01:00

Wow - you're keeping us busy, ordering from the ilovegorgeous sale - we have reduced prices across our Spring/Summer 2011 range!

Up here in Yorkshire we're picking your orders as we receive them, wrapping them carefully in hot pink tissue paper (we still care about sending you a beautiful package, even in the sale) and sending them out as quickly as we can so you can get your little ones looking even more gorgeous in no time at all!

It's a sweltering day, made all the more warm with all the busy bustling and packing we're doing!

Thank you!

Gorgeous on Friday - THE SALE!

2011-06-17T15:50:00.000+01:00

Pssst! Want to know something exciting?

The ilovegorgeous... summer sales goes live on our website at 5pm BST today!

Grab a bargain - summer's just started so stock up for the summer holidays...

Playsuits, rompers, shorts and sundresses... there's lots to choose from for your gorgeous girls this summer.

www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk

Gorgeous on Thursday... The Swan Inn, Swinbrook

2011-06-16T12:20:00.000+01:00

Today we're offering a recommendation of somewhere just completely gorgeous to stay in the Cotswolds - right on the border of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, a few minutes outside of beautiful Burford.

The Swan Inn at Swinbrook is owned by the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, the youngest Mitford sister. Swinbrook was the childhood home of the Mitfords and Nancy, Diana and Unity are buried in the churchyard here, with a memorial to their brother Tom inside the church.

The pub is now rum by Archie and Nicola Orr-Ewing who also run the (equally great) Kings Head Inn at nearby Bledington.

Not only is the food delicious and the surroundings beautiful, the accommodation is luxurious but not ridiculously priced, and you will charmed by the bantam hens and cockerels in the garden, as well as a wild muscovy duck who comes for breakfast every morning! It's the kind of place you don't want to leave, a real bubble of rural idyll and a special escape from the real world.

http://www.theswanswinbrook.co.uk

Gorgeous on Monday... Bubble London

2011-06-13T15:59:00.000+01:00

Busy busy busy here, we're getting ready for the Bubble London trade show this weekend...

We're putting together all sorts of lovely things - line sheets, press books, photo books, display boards... there are phone calls flying back and forth to London: "Have you seen the butterflies - are they with you?" "Have you got a lovely picture of a swimming cap?" and to customers: "I'll see you on the stand!"

We can't wait to show our wholesale customers our Spring/Summer 2012 range.

But before we get carried away with new stuff - we're starting to put together the sale for this season's range... first there will be a VIP secret sale for web customers, Facebook and Twitter fans, if you don't already follow us, join up now to get first pick in the sale! The links can be found to the right of this page.

Gorgeous on Friday - gorgeous girls...

2011-06-10T13:26:00.000+01:00

Last weekend was the photo shoot for our Spring/Summer 2012 range. It's incredible that we're starting to present next summer's range to our wholesale customers while we're still in this summer, but that's they way the fashion world works!

Image: Christina Wilson

Our photographer Christina blogged about, well, blogs actually - and included a few sneak peeks from next year's summer range. She also mentioned that we're always looking for child models under the age of nine. So if you think your daughter/niece/grandaughter is the most beautiful girl in the world - and she's confident and likes having her photograph taken - let Christina or us know!

Read Christina's sneak peak Blog here!

Gorgeous on Thursday... Lucy Enfield

2011-06-09T14:21:00.000+01:00

Our own Lucy Enfield features today, pictures from the past. Very evocative of each age!

Lucy founded ilovegorgeous... in 2006 with her friend Sophie Worthington. Lucy and Sophie design each collection together and head up the company from our two bases in London (Lucy) and Yorkshire (Sophie).

Just lovely! Who can we persuade to show their baby and childhood pictures next? Watch this space...

Gorgeous on Wednesday... Lucza

2011-06-08T10:26:00.004+01:00

When one of our friends launches a fab new venture, we just have to share it with you...

They say:

"LUCZA is a luxury lifestyle brand specializing in timeless, elegant wardrobe essentials and accessories made from highest quality materials and featuring only the finest finish. For entertaining, an evening out, or at home with family, the premiere LUCZA capsule collection can be dressed up or down providing endless options dependent upon occasion and mood.

Karen Scofield established LUCZA in January 2010 after unsuccessfully searching for pieces she could "throw on without thinking and look instantly chic yet completely comfortable" whether for a dinner party or dinner with her family. Designed for the sophisticated, understated woman with a demanding lifestyle, LUCZA's mission is to create ongoing collections that are classic, refined and truly effortless."

We think that Lucza's clothes are absolutely beautiful, fluid and simple yet utterly elegant. And what's more, there's 20% off dresses, free shipping and returns until 10/6/11 - see the website for details...

For those in London there's a Lucza sale at the 20th Century Theatre in Westbourne Grove this Saturday 11th June...

And with the promise of cashmere and woollens coming for the autumn, we can't wait!

www.lucza.com

Gorgeous on Tuesday ...

2011-06-07T11:13:00.000+01:00

Babyccino, one of our favourite blogs, has launched an online shopping portal, with 100 of the best children's online boutiques around... and we're one of them!

Simply use the link on our blog list - to the right of this screen - and click on the shop icon (as illustrated below) on the Babyccino blog.

Gorgeous on Monday... Jamsmith

2011-06-06T10:38:00.002+01:00

Simply drooling this morning over Jamsmith's new offerings... Strawberry and Wild Mint; Strawberry, Raspberry & Balsamic; Strawberry & Cassis; Strawberry & Garden Rhubarb…

What more could you want? Jamsmith herself is a friend of ilovegorgeous. Until recently, Vicky worked for us in our Yorkshire office, helping in the sales team, wrapping your gorgeous orders, feeding us on delicious jams and marmalades and generally inspiring us to craft and create. Vicky is a creative whirlwind, sewing and cooking and jamming and photographing (the photos in this post are Vicky's)...

Pop over to her blog (click HERE or find a permanent link in our blog list - to the right of this page) to look at her lovely work, and find out how to order her prize-winning preserves.

www.jamsmith.tumblr.com

Vicky left us a few weeks ago to pursue her jamming and bread-baking more seriously. We can only wish her luck, and say "Sourdough, please!" with jam, of course.

email Jamsmith: vicky.grantsmith@btinternet.com

Gorgeous on Friday... Northumberland coastal gems

2011-06-03T13:24:00.006+01:00

If you're thinking of spending some time in Northumberland this summer, it's always nice to have a personal recommendation of a holiday cottage or place to stay.

For somewhere tastefully decorated, with great design and quality, our recommendation is to take a look at the spotless Embleton Mill Cottages close to the beaches of Bamburgh, Craster, Seahouses and the haunting castle ruins at Dunstanburgh. Owned by the most lovely person, Elizabeth Robertson, (known to her friends as Fred) whose eye for detail (as a photographer too) is second to none, she also owns the divine, luxurious cottage at Spitalford, where you'll also find Fred's exquisite shop and cafe, Eleanor's Byre, full of pretty things, must-haves and can't-live-withouts, and raved about by The Lady magazine's Jane Alexander - and by us too!

(photos courtesy Elizabeth Robertson)

Gorgeous on Thursday... gorgeous greetings cards

2011-06-02T12:55:00.005+01:00

Our photographer, and the subject of Tuesday's blog, Christina Wilson, has produced some beautiful photographic greetings cards - some of them featuring ilovegorgeous clothes and models. They are available to buy in our Notting Hill shop and online - click here.

If you're looking for something different to the run of the mill card, you might just find inspiration!

www.christinawilson.co.uk

Gorgeous on Wednesday... our summer window

2011-06-01T13:16:00.002+01:00

A gorgeous, vibrant new look for our summer window display at our Notting Hill shop!

Gorgeous on Tuesday... Christina Wilson

2011-05-31T12:55:00.000+01:00

We're lucky to count Christina as a friend.

Her beautiful, romantic style of photography suits our ethos and our clothes so well, her photos never fail to conjure up that special magic that has come to be synonymous with ilovegorgeous shoots.

Christina started in PR, working with Comme des Garcons, Tom Dixon and Ilse Crawford, then turned her talents to styling, in which she had a successful career for over a decade. Turning to her love of photography has been a smart career move - Christina brings an acutely feminine eye to subject matter ranging from fashion to interiors, portraiture to landscape. She’s worked for journals including The Sunday Times, You magazine and Grazia, and recently shot the photographs for craft blogger Jane Brocket's book - The Gentle Art of Knitting.

Here are some beautiful photos of Christina as a little one... and today with her own little one!

www.christinawilson.co.uk

Gorgeous on Friday...

2011-05-27T13:00:00.000+01:00

For those of us in the North - something to do this weekend. Visit Yorkshire's newest gallery with a permanent display of sculpture by Wakefield-born Barbara Hepworth.

The Hepworth Wakefield is Yorkshire’s newest major modern art gallery, celebrating the area’s unique artistic legacy and exploring the work of major contemporary artists. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, with ten superb gallery spaces making this one of the UK’s largest purpose-built galleries outside London.

Barbara Hepworth's 'Mother and Child', 1934

There is much to do and see, and some fantastic arts workshops are in the pipeline - from sculpture and sketching to creative writing. Inspiring!

And finally, an inspiring book for all style lovers - Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange. We'll all be feeling the need for navy cashmere and Porselli ballet flats after reading this!

Gorgeous on Thursday...

2011-05-26T13:00:00.000+01:00

Half term's coming - do you have any fun plans?

Let's hope we have some lovely weather, we can head to the beach and run around, take the dogs for a splash in the sea and have a fab picnic.

Lots of lovely ideas for days out can be found here at the Enjoy England website, searchable by region.

Rainy day activities (video tutorials on how to make a kite, or origami) or ideas for great outdoors activities (like kids' orienteering, in-line skating...) can be found at Ready for Ten.

Delicious child-friendly picnic ideas from Jamie Oliver and Nigella (or just cheat and stock up on a bag full from good old M&S!)

And something very useful to have at hand, the wonderful book 'I'm Bored!' by Suzy Barratt and Polly Beard, and the follow-up 'I'm Bored... Again!'. These two books have been life savers on rainy days!

Whatever the weather, have fun!

Gorgeous on Wednesday...

2011-05-25T13:00:00.000+01:00

Don't forget we have 10% off our holiday gift boxes - themed outfits chosen by Sophie and Lucy. Whether you're thinking of a country cottage, island escape, city break or glamping at a festival there's something to choose...

English Rose Festival Dress Gift Box - ~~£139~~ now £125.10

Gorgeous on Tuesday...

2011-05-24T13:00:00.002+01:00

This season for the first time we've collaborated with another company to produce a limited range of ladies clothing. Our friends at Pedlars are selling a small collection of summer clothing that echoes some of our most popular children's daywear:

View the range here...

Gorgeous on Monday...

2011-05-23T10:47:00.001+01:00

Don't miss the final days of our bridesmaid dresses promotion.

We have selected some of our most popular styles and discounted them until 26th May - next Thursday.

Do have a look at our special selection of pretty dresses for your special day, such as this beautiful dove grey silk Sweet Pea dress. Perhaps grey isn't the first colour that springs to mind for bridesmaids, but this is such a subtle, soft colour, it works so well with the whites and ivories of bridal wear.

Something gorgeous for the weekend...

2011-05-20T16:49:00.003+01:00

This Friday we love...

this genius little guide from Hermes featuring lots of ingenious ways to use your scarf. You can make a handbag (who knew?) or a bandana with a flower at the side (it's called Pirate Fleur, love it!). If only we all looked like those models in little else than a square of silk. Still, a girl can dream... Thanks to India Knight's fab Posterous site for flagging this one up.

And in turn, India Knight's site was a recommendation on A Little Bird. As it turns out, we love what they love! Going out, staying in, travel... too many lovely things to list here, go and have a look and sign up for their weekly email.

One this to do this week? Book tickets for the Cult of Beauty exhibition at the V&A. Swooningly gorgeous throughout...

Have a lovely weekend - see you next week for some more gorgeous moments...

(Don't forget our mid-season sale over on our website - 20% off selected bridesmaid dresses, and also 10% off Lucy & Sophie's holiday outfit gift boxes!)

Gorgeous on Thursday...

2011-05-19T12:04:00.000+01:00

Gorgeous on Wednesday...

2011-05-18T13:00:00.001+01:00

We’re very excited here at ilovegorgeous as we have been awarded Highly Commended in the ‘Designer Girls Fashion’ category of the prestigious Junior Design Awards, hosted by Junior Magazine.

We’re thrilled to have been selected for an award in such a hotly contested category and are delighted to be able to share the news with all our customers, stockists and fans. Thank you all for your continued support.

The Junior Design Awards are ‘the only awards that recognise excellence in style and design – and everything beautiful in a child’s life’. Showcasing the best in children’s fashion, lifestyle, interiors, travel, food, dining, toys, books and green parenting. A special 164 – page Collectors Edition of Junior Magazine (July issue – on sale June 3rd) will showcase all the award winners and shortlisted products.

Gorgeous on Tuesday...

2011-05-17T13:00:00.001+01:00

Here's an article from last Sunday's Sunday Times Style magazine, featuring Maddie Griffiths, who models our clothes, we're her favourite label. Thanks Maddie!

Gorgeous on Monday...

2011-05-16T14:43:00.000+01:00

The Sample Sale at our North Yorkshire office is in full swing! Busy busy busy... we might need cake just to keep us going (any excuse...)

Gorgeous on Thursday...

2011-05-12T13:03:00.000+01:00

Behind the scenes....

Mummies, sisters, photographer, stylist, hairstyles, breakfast, dogs, ponies. The shoot's a busy time, and we are lucky to have so many wonderful people helping out.