Spirit of Christmas

Dates
4 - 8 November 2009

Opening Times
Wednesday     4 November 10am - 6pm
Thursday        5 November 10am - 6pm
Friday             6 November 10am - 6pm
Saturday         7 November 10am - 6pm
Sunday           8 November 10am - 5pm

Location
Grand Hall, Olympia Exhibition Centre, Kensington, W14 8UX

Advanced ticket prices*

Booking line - 0871 230 1089*
Adult                        £15
Child (13 - 16)         £7.50
Two day ticket £27.50

All advanced ticket holders will receive a Fair directory upon arrival at the Fair.

They both have been seen wearing RUBY Jeans, a slinky new line of fashion forward denim wear from U.K. Jeans designer Kate Ogle.

Featured in InStyle Magazine, Hello! and Harper’s Bazaar Ruby London is a cool-as-they-come London denim brand, which specialises in slinky, sexy jean shapes known for their flattering fit and easy pairing with dressy and casual pieces. RUBY Jeans a favourite of stylists, celebs and women worldwide.

Jeans by Ruby London

View the collection of Jeans by Ruby London

Ash Shoes have just opened a shop on Marylebourne High Street. If you are not familiar with this brand, stop by and discover their luxury satin sneakers with velvet laces and unique gladiator sandals. I adore my black satin sneakers and now have my eye on the turquoise ones. If you don’t live in London, don’t worry you can buy them on-line.

We also discovered a great new brand of childrens’ clothing called POLARN O PYRET. So the name does not exactly sell the brand nor does its website which is quite bland. But the clothes are lovely. Beautiful cotton with cool stylish Nordic designs. House of Fraser carries a good selection.

Notting Hill Design’s stunning Aqua gloss python Westbourne handbag made its hollywood debut on TV show Gossip Girls and the feedback has been tremendous. This handbag is a complete stand out with a summer wardrobe! www.anedoti.com/women/bags

Suede can stain easily, so it is best to apply a good protective spray made exclusively for suede leather at time of purchase. Special brushes and suede cleaning products are available at leather goods shops and shoe repair shops. The brush should be used in circular movements for best results. If you do get spots try applying the following techniques:

· If the stain/droplet has just happened and is “beaded up” on the surface, remove it by touching it gently with a paper napkin or tissue to absorb the moisture.

· If the stain on your suede gloves is dry and crusty, brush it off with a toothbrush or nailbrush using quick, light motions.

· Dry stains also respond to “erasing” using a brown art gum eraser (not the pink kind). Rub gently across the suede.

· For harder to remove stains, you can rub the glove with a damp cloth that has been dipped very lightly in vinegar. Always test the cleaning material or vinegar first on a part of the suede that does not show to test the impact on colours.

· You can also steam the suede gently over a kettle to remove deep spots.

In between shows, we enjoyed a relaxing stroll on rue du Faubourg saint Honoré and its side streets. Our two best finds of the day were sneakers for Ed in Pataugas and beautiful paper and writing accessories at l’Art du Papier. Check them out next time you visit:  

On the slopes, I was conquered by funky skiing brand Kjus. Founded in 1997, this Norway-born company creates beautiful gear for men and women, combining awesome materials with super stylish slightly retro designs. At $1000 a jacket, these beautiful designs don’t come cheap but they really stand out on the mountain and they are totally in sync with the needs of the sport.

Oscar, Ed and I headed off to The Commander on Saturday night in Nottinghill and we had a great time.  

This former rundown boozer off Westbourne Grove is now an American style porter house & oyster bar with an adjacent deli, butcher, florist & fishmonger. The restaurant has partnered with one of our favourite butchers,The Ginger Pig, as well as fishmonger John Norris.

The Commander truly captures the essence of a great neighbourhood restaurant: super welcoming staff, child and pet friendly, a lovely atmosphere and affordable luxury combining good food and excellent wines without being fussy.

The entire evening was a success. We started with a selection of oysters at the bar. I recommend the Rock Oysters. They were delicious. We then moved to one of the super cosy booths to enjoy a seafood extravaganza: lobster, prawns & langoustines. The king prawns were superb and come with a delicious sauce. The seared tuna salad is also wonderful. The pricing of wine (wholesale price + corkage rather than high mark ups) means you can really choose an excellent wine at a reasonable price. We enjoyed 3 wonderful bottles throughout the meal (and no headaches the next day). There were only 2 clumsy moments throughout the meal: the restaurant forgot to tell us the last food order is at 9:45 -rather early don’t you think! - so we could not order more charcuterie and the cutlery provided for the seafood. is rather cheap. We broke a pair of lobster plyiers whilst attempting to free our lobster meat from the shell! Nonetheless the charming staff made up for those 2 mistakes with charming smiles and a very helpful attitude. We will be coming again!

Our waiter loved the kids and got the kitchen to make them non fussy special meals. When Sebastian abruptly woke up from a nap half way through dinner, our lovely waiter took Sebastian through a tour of the restaurant to let me eat in peace.

We had 4 bottles of wine, a huge amount of delicious food and the bill came to less than euro 50 per adult! A total deal. If you get a chance to try it, don’t miss out on the Patatas Bravas. They are out of this world and finish off the meal with an indulgent but light and alcoholic Mojito Sorbet!

I am also a big fan of these beautiful earrings by Inbar. At £50, they are a total steal. Gloves are also a fantastic gift. With the cold temperatures we are still experiencing, she will thank you every day for keeping her warm and in style. Again pick a colour that she loves or a unique design rather than a basic black glove.

Hope that helps with your selection and remember you only have 2 days to go!