Style Your Life blog with celebrity stylist and image consultant Ceril Campbell
This was my latest project – a rental cottage I’ve just renovated in the Isle of Wight.
The cottage is available to rent through WightLocations.co.uk
Plantation shutters by openshut.co.uk; all furnishings sourced from vintage shops, car boot sales
charity shops, Primark, BHS, Matalan, M&S, M&co and my favourite find was the original 50’s formica
sideboard bought for £25 in the Wimbledon carboot sale.
Very early this morning dashed up to Sketch, Conduit St London W1 for the breakfast launch of the Andrex Limited collection (yes- it is loo paper)! with Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and Anna Ryder Richardson.
The Limited Collection in 4-pack pattern choices come in either “Bright and Bold”(Laurence) or “Subtle and stylish” (Anna).
Well by coincidence, I have just redesigned and styled the interior of a holiday rental cottage in Bembridge, Isle of Wight and these bright and bold bubble-gum colours are exactly in line with my 50’s retro styling of the cottage.
So keep and eye on my blog over the next 2 weeks and you will be able to see the finished cottage/bathroom transformation from plain and boring to bright and funky together with my cheap and chic High Street buys from BHS, Debenhams, primark and car boot sales together with Andrex make-a-statement-with colour and pattern loo rolls.
Loving BOB MACKIE’s artwork.
Just had an exclusive preview of this sketch by the talented Mr Bob Mackie – his vision of our
Princess-in-waiting’s wedding dress. A sketch Bob did of what he envisions Kate should wear
on her wedding day.
QVC asked him, and other designers, to do a rendition for their own Wedding Boutique. See the sketches on QVC’s site.
“ROYAL WEDDING OF A LIFETIME” for the USA TV network, A&E.
will be shown on Mylifetime.com over 6 shows starting Monday 18th April at 11pm (not sure whether that is UK time)
I am appearing in shows 2 and 3. “Tale of 2 princesses at 8pm on 21st April and 9pm “Kate’s gown of renown” at 9pm.
It was such fun filming it as I was given a “Kate Middleton look-alike” to style and show how the real Kate would get the look both in a wedding dress and her day clothes.
Looking forward to the wedding on the 29th when I am commenting for BBC Radio 5 live on the fashions and The Dress.
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A window of opportunity between personal client appointments and my next QVC TV Bob Mackie shows this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10th/11th and 12th March, found me in room no 8 at Grayshott Spa for some recuperation and relaxation "me" time.
Room no 8 – a lucky number in Chinese Feng Shui, has a south facing sun trap roof terrace. How lovely to sit outside on a sun lounger mid-March – (with many sweaters) reading magazines. Could never do this mid-week at home – I would be rushing for work. Must already be chilling and only been here 2 hours.
Healthy eating is easy at Grayshott and not a limp, lonely lettuce leaf in sight. Think four star gourmet restaurant dining with buffet spreads at lunchtime and 3 course dinners at night. But all courses are portion controlled, low fat and cleverly created both visually and calorifically. So the man in your life, if accompanying you, will not feel he is being starved whilst you are still being super-healthy.
Consultations with nurse Joannie and nutritionist Paula to agree my strategy for detox and de-stress. All my treatments are to be holistic (my choice). "Less is more" is their instructions – no gym, no rushing around and if I feel like doing absolutely nothing then that’s what I should do.
A steam room and an hour Thai foot massage with Faye, (nodded off during it – blissful!). Ended my day with Sue Woodd’s Chi Kung class. She is the most inspiring teacher I have ever met of Yoga, Tai Chi and Chi Kung and is one of my reasons for my repeated return visits to Grayshott.
Day 2 spent all day doing absolutely nothing, reading magazines and eating! Yoga with Sue and another massage.
The remainder of my stay included a Rainforest Rejuvenating facial with Lisa. This hour long treatment included a foot and lower leg massage and exfoliation ( yes I know – nothing to do with the face – but nevertheless very enjoyable and relaxing and part of the treatment) and lymphatic facial massage with cleansing creams and mask.
A classic full body massage each day to moisturise and relax after the steam room. A Micronised marine Algae wrap to detox and help the immune system whilst I lay on a "dry" flotation bed for complete relaxation.
I did doze through most of my treatments but was awake enough to notice that they were of the highest standard. After 4 days of being exfoliated, massaged, oiled and buffed and chilled out with meditation, relaxation classes and Yoga and Chi Kung – I left Grayshott – slightly slimmer, healthier and fitter for the first time in 2 months. A spring in my step and a positive upbeat attitude again to 2011.
www.grayshottspa.com
01428 602000
[email protected]
Having now had a killer strain of flu since 27th Dec, with loss of voice, bronchitis and strained inter-costal muscles from coughing so much, I looked for alternative remedies as 2 courses of antibiotics did nothing.
I tried acupuncture, reflexology and extra vitamins but still no better and a loss of voice is a bit of a problem for both live TV and radio!
The Salt Cave in Earlsfield was suggested as a help to my cure so I have now had 2 sessions and am trying to fit in as many as I can.
I sat in the salt cave room for a hour and in fact went to sleep whilst my fellow salt cave occupants (around 10 maybe) read or dozed too. A lovely way to relax whilst hopefull gaining beneficial effects from the salty air. I definitely found I could breathe more easily whilst there. There is even a special separate salt cave room for kids too!
I do suggest checking this place out…. it seems to be working for me. There is also a salt cave in Kent.
The Salt Cave E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: 033 3344 0533
320B Earlsfield Road – London – SW18 3EJ
Web: www.saltcave.co.uk
What makes a Four Seasons Hotel so special? It’s the attention to detail and personal service.
The fabulous Four Seasons Sharm el Sheikh is one of the few hotels in the world that I have ever wanted to revisit again and again. I took my daughter for my first holiday after 3 years of non-stop working.
We booked our trip though Crusader Travel who as usual were so helpful (www.crusadertravel.com)
The Four Seasons ‘meet and greet’ airport service made us feel like VIPs as we were whisked through passport control and customs whilst everyone else was still queuing. After a quick drive from airport to hotel in the hotel’s chauffeured Mercedes we were shown to our luxurious seaview suite which was nearly as big as my home. I would love a walk-in closet in my next home, just like the one in our suite.
So, attention to detail… Bose music system, LG 50″ flat screen tv, high thread count silky Egyptian cotton sheets, feather pillows, comfy Seely beds, Bulgari shower and bath toiletries, and staff attentive to every wish or request.
Buffet breakfast had everything you could wish to eat and more – from strawberries to smoked salmon, marinated fillet steak to cheeses and salads, porridge, low fat yogurt to high fat waffles and eggs with every filling imaginable to add.
Beach and poolside offered constant attentive drinks service, your sunglasses are even cleaned for you and you can be spritzed with water to cool down in case your weary legs can’t take you to the pool or sea.
Yoga every morning looking out to sea, pilates or meditation as the sun sets, and a relaxing spa with fabulous treatments and a gym that I did manage to visit once with a one-2-one with the trainer who even gave me a training regime to carry on once at home again. The stairs up and down to the beach were my main daily exercise but there is a funicular tram that most guests take.
What more can you wish for than to be made to feel special on a holiday? Every member of staff has been briefed on guests as they all know who you are and greet you by name – and I’m sure it’s not just me.
My daughter, who has always travelled with our family since she was a little girl, mentioned she had never been anywhere as wonderful as this hotel in her life. That said it all.
Thinking of revisiting again at Easter. May have to start saving now!
I’m taking part in a discussion on BBC World Service radio at 12.30pm gmt
Click to read the article in The Guardian that inspired this question.
Waiting to go on air for the 7pm Bob Mackie Wearable Art show on QVC shopping channel, wearing one of my favourite Bob Mackie tops.