lifeofyablon.com

by yablon | May 10, 2013

Kitchen Party pops up

Kitchen Party, Clerkenwell

Occasionally things just come together. In a number of ways. But I reckon it’s all about the timing. It might be the arrival of a paycheck coinciding with a hefty household bill. A huge downpour to clean a fly-morgue windowscreen. Or a casserole lacking a crucial ingredient yet tasting even better. I think you catch my drift.

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pop-up party door

Anyway, last night was a brilliant example of a ‘coming together’. On the eve of His birthday, we were invited to experience the first night of London’s latest pop-ups, Kitchen Party, a collaboration of temporary dining experiences. All under one roof.

Housed in a not-quite-derelict three-floored building just off Exmouth Market, this blank canvas will be the backdrop for chefs, culinary entrepreneurs and gastronomic fanatics to show off their talent – for the next 4 months.

Bourne & Hollingsworth cocktails

Skipping off to Clerkenwell with excitement, I found Him sipping an Old Fashioned in an eccentric 1920s living-room-cum-cocktail-bar. Known as The Fourth Wall, this is a roaming bar concept from the team at Bourne & Hollingsworth. And after a couple, we moved in a spirit-haze into the critically acclaimed Blanch & Shock for some food design. It was the right option for a birthday/date night but, glancing over my shoulder at Rack & Ruin, the communal open grill, and The Robin Collective, holding a garnishing workshop, they both looked like an awful lot of fun.

Rack & Ruin at Kitchen Party

The Robin Collective, Kitchen Party, Clerkenwell

legendary, homemade bread and butter at Blanch & Shock

Four courses of art-on-plates rolled out in front of us. Curious combinations, googled ingredients and the freshest homemade bread and butter I think I have ever tasted. And the best bit is that you’re not really in a restaurant at all. Who would want to eat in a boring, old restaurant?

art on a plate: cornish crab, celery, sorrel, egg yoke

So – a thoroughly entertaining evening – all curated by the tall, ginger man behind Bourne & Hollingsworth. But it’s not just an installation. It’s a genius demonstration of what they (the foodies) call ‘fully immersive drinking and dining’. And it’s about the timing too. The London food scene needs a shot of energy and creative juice at the moment. And this, my lovies, is it.

Kitchen Party 42 Northampton Road, EC1 020 3174 1156

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by yablon | May 9, 2013

Taska Resort: seamlessly covering up that bikini

Taska Resort: the new resort wear secret

I’m a bikini type of girl. Which is surprising for all those who know my boob journey. But I am and the reason is simple: bikinis make you feel fabulous. Despite being practically naked, the flesh reveal isn’t quite as scary as all that. And – as long as a mirror isn’t in sight – you should feel sexy and sassy when lying down, poolside.

Sujatha & Tanya- founders of Taska

But however good the bikini (and VIX is my absolute favourite for styles, cuts and vibrant colours), we know that it’s the cover-up which takes you seamlessly and decently into lunch for that BIG glass of wine and half a bread basket. Enter: Taska Resort.

I should just mention that it is unusual for me to write about a business or brand without a website, shop nor Twitter handle. In fact, I’m not sure they even have a telephone number. You see, Taska Resort has literally just launched, and softly at that. So, I suppose you could say that I have a secret. A resort wear secret, perfectly timed for the forthcoming summer holidays.

the rail of Taska dresses & cover-ups

A friend actually disclosed the secret to me (she’s a sharer) and we skipped along to meet the founders in one of their homes. There, in their unbelievably beautiful drawing room, was a clothes rail full of quite the prettiest, most flattering, well-made and reasonably-priced dresses and cover-ups.

Sujatha Zafar and Tanya Luthra both grew up in India. And then after stints in NYC and Europe (they’re an international pair, to say the least) while also both marrying Pakistanis, they put their heads together to find a way of designing, manufacturing and selling (at wholesale prices) beautifully-made poolside dresses and cover-ups. Targeting 35-55 yr old women, the initial feedback from their friends and family has been overwhelmingly encouraging, so they are now looking to expand and hard launch the brand.

As readers of Life of Yablon, you have been invited to join the girls at Taska Resort Spring Trunk Show on Wed 15^th May, 4-9pm 12 Cavendish Avenue NW8

Just email taskaresort@gmail.com to RSVP or to arrange a private appointment for viewing/shopping.

So drag out that bikini this year and cover it with some Taska magic.

Taska Resort is also stocked in Pipa in Maida Vale

communal living at The Treasury

we had ‘company’

Have you ever fancied living on a commune? No, nor have I. But I think I might just have got as close to one as I’ll ever get.

I suppose I need to explain. Last weekend, staying in a stunning house called The Treasury, we had ‘company’. In fact, there were 17 of us.

The reunion with His 3 best mates

He has 3 best mates from His school days. One lives in New Zealand with his Kiwi wife and 3 mini Kiwis. Another lives in South London with his wife and two VERY small smalls and the third lives North of us with his wife and their 2 older smalls. With the Kiwi contingency visiting Blighty, a weekend reunion was planned. And a house found to accommodate us all.

the village of Ickham plays host to the Pitt/Jolie family too

the village of Ickham played host to the Pitt/Jolie family too

Of course the resident blogger was offered as barter and a deal was struck. And this was all before I had googled The Treasury only to discover that no less handsome than a Mr Brad Pitt, his Jolie wife and their herd of smalls had laid their heads under this very same roof. (At the end of last year Brad was re-shooting scenes of World War Z and so they spent a month in the sleepy village of Ickham.)

thank you note from Brad to the owners of The Treasury

Foodari delivered local produce

Back to our stay. We had a serious number of mouths to feed. Having previously reviewed Hubbub, we were curious to see how Foodari, the local produce delivery service, would fare. And I was impressed. Our laden boxes were delivered on time – full of Kent fruit, beer and some very green looking veg.

Cooking was tricky. Well, not so much tricky but definitely challenging as we catered for under age ‘refined’ tastes whilst keeping carnivores and vegans alike happy. But it worked and, at times, it even worked well. But it probably worked best when we were in the pub next door …

our token culture was dragging the posse around Canterbury Cathedral

our token effort for culture was to drag the posse around Canterbury Cathedral

The Treasury: and this is where we broke our bread

pictureque garden, The Treasury

There was a HUGE number of children. 9 to be exact. But they were kind to each other and mostly adored hanging off the swing in the idyllic garden, playing football and throwing things into the pond (curiously not themselves which I could have put money on).

No one slept a full night. But that might have been something to do with the wine, beer, spirits and any other anesthetic-inducing relaxants. And once the sun was up, so were we.

adult play… we were asked to review the game, Best of TV & Movies

The house is uber spacious, quirky and almost theatrical in its interior design. But, most importantly, it lends itself very well to family fun as well as parents needing to relax and party. With three bedrooms up one end of the house and another two large family rooms down the other end, the snorers can be separated while the early risers contained.

a corner of one of the sitting rooms

one of the sitting rooms

The kitchen is large and spacious and we were delighted to find a copious amount of herbs and spices as well as a large range cooker and fridge.

So our communal-living weekend is now over. It was a fun and entertaining experiment while also a reasonably exhausting one. Located in the midst of the ‘garden of England’, The Treasury is a real find for large groups of any kind. Celebrities with numerous offspring, grown-up school boys and their familes or anyone needing to get away from it all. I think I might rent it next time on my own.

the stunning ‘garden of England’ surrounding The Treasury

Our weekend away was booked through Mulberry Cottages, the holiday property agency specialising in luxury holiday cottages across Southern England.

a game giveaway

COMPETITION: As you can see in my photos of the weekend away, we played the game of moving pictures, Best of TV & Movies. And Drumond Park, the games manufacturer, has generously given me 4 board games (worth £29.99 each) to give away to my readers. All you have to do is to enter this competition is sign up to my blog (top right of homepage) and follow me on Twitter. The 4 lucky winners will be selected randomly on Wednesday 22nd May 2013.

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by yablon | May 3, 2013

One Night Stand: Chelsea’s fairy godmother

not THE dress but pretty dreamy all the same

I probably didn’t ever really want to go to a Gatecrasher ball. It was probably more of a case of saying that I’d been. It was purely for status reasons, you see. Anyway, IF I was going to go had HAD to wear a puffball. That part was non-negotiable. If I didn’t wear one, there was absolutely no point going. The problem was – as I was 16 years old and without a cent to my name – Lady Y had said I couldn’t have one. A dress for just one evening? She looked at me as if I had just landed from outer space.

party dress galore at One Night Stand, SW3

And then she had a brain wave. We would rent one. There was a shop on Pimlico Road called One Night Stand where there were more beautiful puffballs than I could shake a magic wand at. One was mine – just for the evening. It felt like a perfect compromise.

I hadn’t made the connection when the email first bounded in to my inbox. The PR agency for One Night Stand ( 25 years later still going strong – but now on Flood Street, SW3) was asking if I’d like to meet the founder and admire her frocks. With my sister-in-law’s wedding this summer at Claridges, I was, once again, desperately seeking a dress I’d probably only wear once.

Joanna Doniger lives and breathes her dresses

Joanna Doniger lives and breathes her dresses. Quite literally. Her decadent boudiour boutique turns into her studio home once all her Cinderellas have left for the day. Short, long, sequined, bare, sexy, dramatic, elegant… there’s at least ten dresses for every occasion and every figure. I did try on a few but only for the sake of some photography for my blog post. In truth, the very first dress Joanna pulled off the hanger to fit my brief was THE dress. She really is Chelsea’s very own fairy godmother.

THE £900 dress. Mine for the night.

if I was an opera singer, I would wear this!

I challenge you to find a dress there. And don’t worry if you haven’t got an occasion to wear it. I can bet my bottom dollar you’ll conjure one up when you see yourself in it.

THE dress would have cost me £175 to rent. The matching scarf cover and damage cover are £10 each.

One Night Stand Studio 8 Chelsea Manor Studios Flood Street Chelsea SW3 020 7352 4848

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lifeofyablon.com

Kitchen Party pops up

Taska Resort: seamlessly covering up that bikini

communal living at The Treasury

One Night Stand: Chelsea’s fairy godmother

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