Bird brains and bird bands

No, this isn’t a post about Girls Aloud, though some may find their music preferable to opera. I overheard an interview recently on Radio 4, in which someone claimed that many opera goers don’t even like opera – they attend operatic events simply to mingle amongst high brow types and be able to say that they’ve been. Apparently, even so called opera buffs agree that the plots are often ridiculous and unbelievable. This sounds to me much the same attitude as many who attend fashion shows – I reckon most of the audience just want to be seen to be ‘in’ with the fashionable crowd at xyz’s show and be able to boast about it. And, in any case, the designs are often too ‘creative’ to be wearable.

Anyway, I confess, I was at the first night of Garsington Opera yesterday, courtesy of some wonderful and very generous friends. I’ll also openly admit that I’m not the world’s greatest fan of opera, though the magical productions at Garsington might help to change my mind - and Le Nozzi di Figaro was spellbinding. Okay, the plot is seriously bird brained and, on occasion, even Mozart’s music, combined with the voices of some of the world’s finest opera singers haven’t prevented me from nodding off during this opera.


But Garsington’s productions are different – cleverly staged and directed; fun, relaxed and down to earth – and all done in the most highly professional way. I was totally entranced all evening - and not just by the Count, played by rather dishy Grant Doyle (was that a chest wig, or is he really that hairy?) The voices were also divine, especially Sri Lankan soprano, Kishani Jayasinghe, as the Countess.




Added to this was a perfect Summer evening, which was lovely – except that every light aircraft enthusiast in the area decided to take out their private plane for a spin, creating a curious background accompaniment. However, as the sun went down, the birds started to sing. At one point there were pigeons cooing, I wondered if they lived in the dovecot in the gardens. Then, as the sun finally set, there was the most beauiful bird song from all around… it was almost as if the birds were competing with the singers for attention.









By the way, talking of bird bands, we’ve got some rather lovely new hair accessories at ShopCurious. Each of these unique, handmade feather hairbands is adorned with a curiously cute feather bird and embellished with original vintage jewels. Plus, these dramatically different fascinators are simply perfect for outdoor Summer events, like the opera, as well as wedding parties, of course.








It’s rather sad that this is the last year that Garsignton Opera will actually be held in Garsington, as next year it’s moving to an estate called Wormsley. I’m sure it'll be even better, but I guess the ambience won’t be quite the same... unless the birds go along too.


Will you?




PS Mentioning Wormsley made me remember to tell you, worm, that you’re the winner of our previous giveaway. A curiously conventional Reebok gym bag will be winging its way to you shortly. Hope you find a suitably appropriate use for it.

Nature's rare accessories

The tree of knowledge, eh? At Chelsea Flower Show a wicker sculpture (the sort of thing you might see festooned with tempting floral treats in a department store), formed the centerpiece of a ‘biodiversity display’. The aim: to seduce the public into doing anything and everything to encourage insects and birds to visit their gardens. However, only certain plants and flowers appeal to butterflies and bees... and possibly not the likes of this strangely inventive creation.

These days, all ‘great ideas’ seem to require celebrity endorsement. The tree of knowledge was no exception, with luvvies like Jeremy Irons and Greg Wise offering their penny’s worth. Mr Wise even penned a rather luvverly poem, imploring us to ‘be less tidy’, ‘let things rot’ and ‘embrace decay’. Cheers, Greg!





My favourite gardens are invariably where the wild things are. A stunning entry at the show was L’Occitane's Provencal garden with its luxurious lavender beds – great for bees… plus wonderfully gnarled olive trees and ruggedly unadulterated rocky terraces. M&G's traditional English garden was nice, and, I suppose, guaranteed to be a winner – being the show's official sponsor and all of that.





And Leeds City Council's garden, sponsored by Hesco Bastion, was awesomely overgrown, with the rather contrived addition of a model canal lock (I can’t imagine that was entirely cast from eco-friendly materials?)

Anyway, seeing these delightfully unkempt plots reminded me that the winged insect I haven’t seen much of in recent years (despite living by the river) is the dragonfly. Dragonflies apparently gobble up all manner of curious bugs, okay they eat some butterflies and bees too - but also mosquitoes, which could come in handy with global warming. They’re curiously colourful as well, and imbued with symbolism and cultural significance in many parts of the world.





At ShopCurious, we’ve been promoting the benefits of naturally beautiful things for ages, which is why we’ve got plenty of nature inspired jewellery and accessories on offer - this unique Art Nouveau style dragonfly brooch being the perfect example.

Knowledge may be a dangerous thing, but birds and bees are a safe bet any day. I reckon seeing a few more dragonflies might be good news for biodiversity too.

Do you?

Chelsea's traditional Summer charm

The Chelsea Flower Show has to be one of the ultimate occasions of the Summer season. Although it’s very much an international event, attracting landscape gardeners, growers and sponsors from all over the world, the setting and style of the show are quintessentially British.














The Royal Hospital, home to the Chelsea Pensioners, is as full of character and charm as its curiously colourful occupants, whose bright red jackets vie for attention with the exotic floral displays. Of course, they’re always on hand to give directions, perform on the bandstand, or simply have a little chat about whatever takes their fancy - which often seems to be a pretty young girl!


The State Apartments make the perfect venue for an authentic English afternoon tea, where ladies in hats find it hard to resist the temptation of pastries that look as magnificent as the works of art adorning the walls.

































The traditional English country garden, with a slightly wild and overgrown feel about it, is the variety I often find the most appealing – and there are plenty on display this year. Incidentally, you can vote for your favourite garden design on the Royal Horticultural Society website.




















There seems to be an even larger selection of merchandise on sale too, from a multitude of specialist retailers. You can buy all sorts of products, from packets of seeds and gardening gloves to garden furniture and rather impressive looking tractor type things.







However, of all the gadgets I saw, the one I most coveted was this chap’s mobility bike… perfect for getting about the sprawling site - and for carrying all those heavy information packs.

Most of the clothing stands at the show are geared towards outdoor types: there’s an abundance of brown and green accessories like wellies, oilskins and cloth caps. This contrasts with the stylish dress of many of the visitors.





Anyway, if you’re looking for something that’s appropriately understated, yet still rather unique, to jazz up an outfit for a Summer garden event, I can recommend this vintage polished natural stone brooch from ShopCurious.









By the way, someone left their specs behind - I was wondering if anyone happens to know who these belong to…

Do you?

Cupid's accessory of desire

Call him Cupid or Eros, this little devil often strikes when the weather hots up. With temperatures reaching at least 30 degrees centigrade in London today, and people strolling around town semi-naked, Cupid’s probably working overtime with his bow and arrow.

As sunbathers take to the parks, the fashion conscious are probably looking for unique accessories to give added allure to skimpy beach attire. Earrings are a popular choice, as they don’t interfere with the sun-tanning process.








.. And, never mind the arrows, we’ve got Cupid’s earrings of desire at ShopCurious. This one-off vintage pair of curiously cute clip-on Cupids will set your heart on fire, without burning a hole in your wallet.










May I also suggest something suitable to read in the park: If you’ve a passion for poetry, Aphra Behn’s The Willing Mistriss seems rather appropriate.

Are you?

Sporty Summer giveaway

I’ve been waiting for an opportune moment to mention the Reebok giveaway* at ShopCurious and, now that Summer (or at least a spot of sunshine) seems to have arrived, I think the time has come..

I was recently asked to participate in a trial of the new EasyTone shoes by Reebok – the ones that are supposed to give you a work out just by walking in them. When nature intervened, my plans for everything were interrupted by volcanic ash from Iceland, and I ended up testing out said shoes in the sunny Caribbean.



I usually shun mainstream brands, but the fitness market is somewhat limited in terms of the range of practical-yet-stylish clothing on offer. Moreover, my curiosity was aroused by the unique design of the EasyTone Curve Trainers– and claims that just stepping out in a pair of these specially engineered shoes could help tone up the legs. Hmmm..

Reebok rather generously sent me a complete outfit, along with the curious looking footwear. In terms of styling, the whole ensemble was a little more ‘pensioners playground’ (described by the Evening Standard as ‘definitely not the place to wear Lycra, ‘feel the burn’ or consume energy drinks) than dance studio cool. The bootleg exercise pants were curiously slimming, though the bottoms were a little strangely cut (to fit over shoes?);




The top was comfortable enough, but I couldn’t be doing with the weird little toggles that get caught up if you wave your hands about (as I do when aerobically challenged); The sleeveless ‘jerkin’ (a word that time forgot, but the only appropriate one I could find to describe it), was an oversized hip-hop style oddity; Even the shoes were curiously clunky looking - but hey, if they help to firm up those leg muscles, who’s to complain...

Anyway, I certainly put the trainers through their paces. I’d say they’re damned difficult to do a regular high impact exercise class in – and jogging is pretty hard going too (especially at 30C degrees). They feel peculiarly imbalanced to wear as well, but that’s why they’re supposed to be so effective:




The pads (or pods) on the bottom of the shoe are designed to cause instability, similar to the effect of walking along a beach. No surprise then, that a walk along a real beach in these shoes is like doing a triple strength work out. They make a great sand print too. The only problem is that sand gets stuck in the holes in the top of the shoe (guess they weren’t intended for beachwear).





Easytone trainers are perfect for walking though, better still speed-walking, as well as posing in front of Giorgio Armani’s stylish Caribbean villa. And they say that walking burns almost as many calories as jogging, plus it’s better for the joints too. So there you go... and the overall rating I give them is:

Style 6/10 (a matter of personal taste, of course)
Comfort 8/10
Fit 9/10
Performance 8/10 (it's the sand factor!)







Now for the giveaway. Just comment on this blog, and you’ll be entered into the prize draw for a natty black Reebok gym bag (left). Whether or not you’re inspired by the fashion for fitness, this is a decent sized (approx 60 cm across), sturdily made holdall.

*Simply add a comment to this post before the closing date of Friday 28th May to be included in the draw for a free Reebok gym bag.

Will you?


PS Congratulations to Jan from Race of Style, the winner of our Grace Kelly book giveaway.

Wedding butterflies

Whether or not you have butterflies in your stomach at your wedding, you can pay to have butterflies released on your big day. This unusual gesture is becoming increasingly common -











rather like releasing doves, (although they probably know where to return home to later).


Curiously, both are deemed suitable and are also available for release at funerals and memorial services too.

Anyway, I suppose this fanciful style statement is a little less messy than rice or confetti, and relatively eco-friendly to boot… However, in this day and age, should we not be concerned about the welfare of the poor butterflies? Supposing they get lost, let alone disorientated, after being shaken up and let loose in a strange place. Won’t being trapped in a container or basket make them traumatized? Never mind the couple getting married, spare a thought for the poor innocent victims etc.

If you’re looking for a more humane lepidopteran alternative, how about this 1950s vintage Bakelite butterfly bag from ShopCurious? I think this could be the perfect accessory for the social (and socially aware) butterfly – suitable for bride and guest alike.

Do you?

Pre-wedding butterflies?

If you’re planning to get married in the near future, you’re highly likely to suffer from pre-wedding nerves – often referred to as 'butterflies in the stomach'. Butterflies are symbolically associated with romance, and this strange ‘all of a flutter’ feeling is one you might also experience when you first fall in love.








Looks like Kylie Minogue is head over heels (in love) in the recent photo shoot by David Slijper for Elle magazine. On the cover of this June’s Elle, Kylie has literally got butterflies on her stomach… Okay, they’re acutally beautifully hand painted and embroidered onto the unique, vintage silk obi belt from ShopCurious that she’s wearing in the photograph.





Kylie now has “more than 22 years of pop stardom under her belt”, and many are wondering if she’ll ever settle down. Elle’s Kerry Potter asks Kylie if choosing a wedding dress is something that might eventually happen and, if so, who would she want to design it. Check out the article if you’re curious to know her answer to this and other fashion related questions, such as her favourite designers, costumes and style preferences.






I’m more curious to know what’s triggered the current trend for butterfly inspired accessories..

Are you?