Gorgeous on Monday... smoothie ice lollies

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...

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!

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!

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

 

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

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...

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

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

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 ...

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

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

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

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

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