Now That's FROCKANROLLA...!

*LEATHER JACKET:£1,963; COTTON TOP:£278; SILK MIX TROUSERS:£533
SUNGLASSES:£320 ALL :MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA
CLUTCH LEATHER BAG:£530 BY 3.1 PHILIP LIM

*COTTON JACKET:£1,135 ; COTTON TROUSERS:£340 BOTH STELLA McCARTNEY
WOOL TOP:£165 BY YMC
RESIN SUNGLASSES:£505 PQ EYEWEAR BY RON ARAD
LEATHER BAG :£1,195: SMYTHSON
LEATHER TRAINERS:£415 PIERRE HARDY FOR MOTHER OF PEARL

*BLACK WOOL JACKET:£2,350; WHITE WOOL TROUSERS:£860
BOTH CHRISTIAN DIOR
GREY FELT HAT:£60 CHRISTY'S @ LIBERTY
WHITE LEATHER BAG:£580 BY 3.1 PHILIP LIM
WHITE CANVAS TRAINERS (JUST SEEN):£140 BY Y-3

                                   HAPPY EASTER FROM FROCKANROLLA

Lou Cigalon, a Treasure in Valbonne

Big surprises come in little packages and this is what I will say about Lou Cigalon in Valbonne.
A small restaurant with a BIG heart and excellent service. There are not many tables so do reserve..in fact it is a must otherwise you will be disappointed.

Once the menu was handed to me ...I had my Pavlovian reaction and immediately started salivating. There are 2 Menus on offer: Menu Decouverte at 39€ with an either/or selection of mouthwatering suggestions and the Sensation du Marche at 68€ which we chose. We savoured the dishes that were beautifully presented...each dish had little "crumbs/seasonings " to one side to be "tasted with your finger" and I did...each and every time : there was a dusting of cumin with the lobster, sugared verveine with the refresher sorbet and ginger bread with the Camembert.

Fabulous French cuisine that is neither humble nor over exaggerated. Bring an appetite,sit back and enjoy LaDoucette Pouilly Fussee...you can thank me later!
Check out the website for the menus which they change every 2/3 months...I am so excited,because the change is imminent and so is our return to this enchanting little restaurant with the most charming hostess and chef.
What are you waiting for? Make a reservation for your next trip over.

I am kicking myself for forgetting to take photos...I was so distracted I didn't want to take my eye off the prize!

But you trust me...no?

Get Set.... Glow!

So Spring is officially with us...yet no one has thought of leaving a memo to Mr. Weather. No matter, what it is time to do is reboot our skin and our insides to get ready for the healthy glow of summer.

As each season brings about its changes so must we: a detox is always a great way to kick start  things and it is advised but all pharmacists (I speak of here in France).
I have been taking these daily wee bottles of herbal goodness:plant extracts,herbs and fruit... at each change of season coming on to a year now and I feel better for it...no hokum, on the level.
And they taste good too!

Moving on to the face: I have discovered and subsequently tried : PAYOT Pate Grise and have been pleasantly surprised.

This thick clay-like substance ( if it smells like it and feels like it...) is to be used to cover those pesky spots that pop up and annoy the hell out of you while you try to make them disappear while mercilessly picking at them while watching TV ...STOP!! 

*DELAROM Exfoliating face mask & PAYOT Pate grise*

Dip your finger in,and cover the offending spot  with a layer and go to bed. Yes...go to bed and in the morning...angry spot has been beaten to submission and the inflammation has gone down. Seriously..this is my new "go to" remedy for all spots and blemishes.

I was persuaded to buy this skin exfoliating face mask by DELAROM( see above photo) because it apparently has been "flying off the shelves"..(don't believe the hype...) and because the pink clay (more clay...sorry!) acts not only as a 7-10 minute mask but also becomes a scrub  and actually renders your skin extra soft and extra touchable.

It can also be used twice a week and is recommended for all skin types.

There.

Simples.

Fendi Frenzy

Leather and resin shoes £980....by FENDI

This was singled out by the ELLE shoe team as being "The One" in their March edition.

As far as I am concerned this is the result of "Bring your kids to work Friday...."

What is the Capital of Yoghurt?

Conversation with my partner: Alfa Male

" I have had 22 hits on my blog from Latvia!..."I announce to my partner. 

Silence....and then he quietly replies:

"Isn't Latvia a yoghurt.....?"

As I am breathless with laughter..he turns to look at me and sees the tears of laughter in my eyes and he joins in:

"I was trying to figure out how people from a yoghurt were accessing your blog....!!"

Cannes' Best Kept Secret...COUBY'S CAFE

Ok...so it's not in one of the nicest,let alone chicest streets in Cannes, it is tucked away off of the top end of the rue D'Antibes (not far from the Diesel store) and a stone's throw from an intersecting duel carriage way...But forget about all that!
Let's talk hang out...let's talk decor...let's talk BURGERS!

Couby's Cafe is a burger and drinks restaurant but until you have tasted the burgers you won't be blamed into thinking:
"Yeah..right. The French and burgers???...I am dubious the twain shall ever meet..."
Well, I am happy  to report that :...I am soooo wrong! 
Not only have the "twain met"... they have hung out and made sweet music together:

*COUBY CAFE'S TEXAN BURGER*

These are quite simply : THE BEST BURGERS I have eaten on the Riviera and I have lived here long enough to have tasted them from Monaco to Saint Tropez. Apart from the Quail Burger at Pierre Reboul in Aix en Provence (See "Ode to the Quail Burger"...) nothing has ever been worth mentioning let alone digesting. The fries are thick and crispy,the coleslaw and shredded lettuce are as God intended: fresh and crunchy, the egg just this side of runny and I could go on...so I tell you what:
Go there and check it out yourselves:

COUBY'S CAFE: BURGERS & DRINKS
3 BD DE LORRAINE-06400 CANNES
04 93 300 337

WWW.COUBYSCAFE.COM

La Cambuse in Nice:Perfect service for lacklustre food

We just came back from Nice and lunch in the sun at "La Cambuse " but we were deeply disappointed especially when the service was perfect and the staff friendly...The food was quite simply :average.

The location is ideal,slap bang in the centre of Le Cours Saleya and with tables right there in the sun...Purrr-fect.
But the food simply wasn't : "les petits farcis nicois' "stuffing mix had some fatty bits that put me right off(nothing like trusting your stuffing only to bite into a piece of unyielding grisle...Urgh!) 
On to the risotto dish(the only one on the menu...)..so you think: 
"This should be good!"... But it wasn't.
First of all it came in something the size of a bathroom sink with a packet of rice used for each. The Gambas was over cooked and the Saint Jacques too...as they had no taste. I couldn't say they were good...I couldn't say they were bad..they simply were.
I hate giving bad reviews especially to restaurants who greeted us and served us with smiles but when the 2 elderly"Nicois" gentleman who sat beside us  didn't enjoy their food either...(one left his sardines uneaten while his companion asked the lady beside him if she enjoyed her food as they didn't...)..it clearly wasn't just us.

Enough said...maybe they were having a "bad food day" and things will be better tomorrow...or Monday...or next month. As for us...we'll try some place else.

Now back to the elderly gentleman who came and sat beside us:
As one of them tried to side step along the table to sit down opposite his friend,he knocked over the glass ashtray that was on our table and it smashed to pieces on the floor...right in front of our dog. I switched places with my partner in order to get Titan out of harms way and to let the waiter sweep it all up. As I sat down beside the lovely gentleman he says to his friend:

"There's a glass smashed on the floor..."

"It wasn't a glass,but an ashtray.." I say to him not knowing if he is pulling my leg or genuinely in the dark that he was the culprit to this mini mayhem.

"You shouldn't be smoking in public my dear....do it at home" he replies smiling.

" It was you who broke the ashtray!!" says his friend. "Everywhere we go...You have to smash something!"

"Yes I do!" was the lovely man's reply.

And then they proceeded not to enjoy their food either.

Audrey Hepburn Starring in Galaxy Chocolate UK TV Advertisement

While I am feeling nostalgic...let me share this truly beautiful advertisement for Galaxy Chocolate with another screen siren,the much loved : Audrey Hepburn.
It is like watching a film,the intense colour, Audrey's breathy voice singing "Moon River"...a gem.
Enjoy.

Brian Atwood Spring 2013 Fashion Film

How Sexy is this? Eva Herzagova for Brian Atwood shot by Mert & Marcus in London.
Think the 50s with the sultry music....think Marilyn and those gorgeous red lips...think: slammin' body....then think:
"Hang on?! What am I supposed to be looking at?...Aaah! Yesss...the gorgeous shoes"

Brian Atwood Spring/Summer 2013.

Ad Campaigns that Demand Attention & more....

As for these? Well they deserve to be bought by the die hard fashionistas:

The quirky Lego brick handbag from Chanel....

The darling Miss Dior....

And that dress from Mary Katrantzou....

Hula Hoop Handbags at Chanel.....

"Are you serious?"... should be the collective cry!!!
"Don't be ridiculous !"... is what my friend Philippe would say and it will invariably annoy me because you see as unbelievable as it may seem... (then again Fashion is all about make believe; make believe you can  afford it/ wear it and pull it off! )
.... the proof is right here in the pudding!!....

Chanel apparently caused quite the stir when it sent models down the runway sporting these giant Hulas Hoop handbags. Of course one never expects to see these "fantasies" come to life in the real world and yet...there it is!

Isn't it blatantly obvious that this gentleman can pull it off...in fact he can also pull it around his waist and shake his little tail feather and hopefully the bag that is trapped within this fashion travesty will come loose from its ridiculous bindings, fall to the floor to serve its real purpose: housing a small family of fashion conscious....chihuahuas! 

And.... doesn't it look heavy?

What would you put in there? And how long will it take for you to find it,let alone fish it out?...

"Don'cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?"....

Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man [Official Video]

Because it is Friday.... because it is raining .....because it is  Bruno Mars and he is beautiful....
Go on....indulge me.

Three - The Pony #DancePonyDance

This is for my dad "The Dad Hatter"...who not only loves this advertisement and chuckles his way through it but has somehow convinced himself that the pony is in fact a "pantomime" style pony...with 2 people inside....

Enjoy!

This one is for you, Dad!

"Pause Button Therapy":..read on.

I came across an article in the health section of last month's Red magazine inviting you to try: "Pause Button Therapy" (PBT) if you fly off the handle easily... teaching you how to visualise the likely results of your actions as if you were watching a film. 

Dr Martin Shirran,psychologist and co-author of Pause Button Therapy explains the benefits of using this technique prior to..let's say wigging out and blasting a colleague at work, your boss....etc.
But I say; why not use this for compulsive shoppers? Those that think that during the sales you have the unmitigated right to shop and buy simply because it is half price....cheaper and therefore your God given right. 
So let us all try this technique while we salivate before our Obsession du Jour...(I have mine...pick one of yours and concentrate...):

....."Stop for a few seconds and imagine your next course of action..." 
Well that's easy:Buy the blasted thing and make your heart ZING!!...Well, no!..cos...

...."That's when you press pause to give yourself some thinking time"....
Easy! Think about what these :(insert your item of choice)...would go with...Hmmmm,should I get them in this colour or not? Will my friends be insanely jealous...Yes Yes ....Yessssss!!

...."Then press fast - forward  and think about how things will go if you react badly-what will people think..."
More like what life would be like if  you don't buy this desired item...People will think that I am a cheapskate/easily manipulated!! and WEAK!!

...."What could it be doing to your blood pressure?"....Wreaking havoc! Heart racing,blood pounding as you wrestle with your inner shopping demons as you whip out your extremely tired credit card that is cringing at the task at hand.

...."Lastly,press rewind and imagine another scenario...."Easy your frenemy rushing in and snapping it up while you spend all this time pausing, fast-forwarding and bloody rewinding!!

NB: (as printed in Red magazine)
"..PBT is used in anger management, but it can be applied to any habitual behaviour such as reaching for a drink or cigarette as a way to cope when you feel angry or upset..."

Bloody right when you have spent so much time reflecting on why you shouldn't buy the item of choice.... that the item is now: 
a)Sold out!
b)Dangling from the arm of your not so best friend... You will need a glass of wine, a cigarette and a good kick up your ass.

If it looks good and your credit card doesn't wilt at the sight of the amount...GO FOR IT!

FROCK ON.

Barbara "THE BEAR " Bui : London Bound...

I have a large warm embrace of a sheepskin coat that I take out in extreme weather, it is vintage and by Barbara Bui....I call it The Bear.

The Bear and I were boarding a flight to London and I had to part with it prior to sitting down. I rolled him up in a BIG BEAR BALL and looked for an overhead compartment that was close enough and not filled to the brim with wheelie bags.
The lady beside me on the aisle seat saw me looking around in vain:
"I need a a place to put my coat...  The bear..." I said scanning above me.
"Look there' s some place here.." she pointed to the overhead bin an aisle behind me and I shoved my coat in.
On landing I proceeded to reach up to grab my coat and in doing so I heard a booming baritone of a voice saying:

"Aahhh! THE BEAR"...

My surprise came in 2 stages:
1) that someone actually listens to my nonsense and
2)that the baritone voice actually came out of a giant of a woman who slowly unfurled in the row behind me:

" Yes indeed!"I replied taking in the he/she person and wrapping my brain around the vista that expanded before me...."is it? isn't it?...what is it?!

"We are having a close encounter!" he/she boomed with continued fervour.

I laughed and moved along not wanting to appear rude by proceeding with my visual investigation on this Wo-Man.

So what is new on the shopping front?

Ri Ri has launched her collaboration with River Island... she appeared for 6 minutes at the launch party and then skedaddled to party the night away before receiving a bottle of Lucozade flung her way by a disgruntled fan, unhappy with her relationship with the infamous bad boy Chris Brown....someone could have gone the soft route and flung the clothes she designed for River Island instead....

Opposite River Island on Oxford street a whole new building has come up and brought forth more shopping opportunities, namely an "Asics" store and a huge "Urban Outfitters"...like I said before...it could be New York or London ...only the accents change.

On to Sloane Street and a whole batch of shops that have closed down to make room for the fashion Giants!....namely "Tom Ford"....

Yes the gorgeous one is back ! And will take up prime shopping space on Sloane street, neighbour to Harvey Nichols and Zegna. 

Talking about Tom Ford...Gucci is celebrating 60 years of the Loafer:

I for one look back fondly... when 20 years or so I was a proud owner of a pair of Gucci loafers in brown suede. My friend Rula and I (she had a few!) wore them with pride and always put our best feet forward. Would I go back down that route and spring for another pair?

Nahhh! Been there...done that. As for Rula? I'll have to ask her...

But rather a loafer that Beyonce's trainer travesties....come on! Do they need to be in ostrich, boa, ray and crocodile?...(have I left out an endangered species ??)

As lovely and as talented as she is...some people simply have more money than sense or style for that matter...A diamond encrusted,white gold dummy for baby Blue....??

COME ON!!

Enough said.

Latters!