A FRENCH CHRISTMAS

I woke up this morning to the most beautiful sunny day through my bedroom window. So I thought I would share with you all a few photos of my French Christmas spent with my family.

The weather was so nice we even went for a drive in our 1940s car, a 4 seater Morgan.

We have a lovely Christmas tree (well I think so anyway!), it is very simple with relatively little on it, but with just enough sparkle and of course room for lots of presents under it!

A lot of our decorations were bought when I was little so have great sentimental value.

Nothing better than snuggling up on the sofa with a fire roaring behind you.


Joyeux Noel!
xxJackie

A Stylish Customer...

As the manager of the Langton Street store, I often meet beautifully dressed people that interpret C&R in their own individual way.  This is the lovely Stephanie who came into Langton Street on Saturday with her mum Maria, to do their last bit of Christmas shopping before returning home to Dublin. As she looked so sweet in this outfit, and had such a Cabbages spirit about her, I felt it was only fair that I should share just how wonderful she looked.  She is wearing the Plain Victoria Shirt, and the Raspberry Frill skirt in Green. Both of these items go so well together, and were perfectly matched with her tan shoes.  

We hope to see you soon.

Love Gemma and everyone at Langton Street xx

The Dining Room Shop

Another independent store that we love is The Dining Room Shop, again in Barnes, which was set up by Kate Dyson in 1985.  One of the original team who set up 'The World of Interiors' publication, Kate decided to open the store to be nearer to home and her four young children.  Now in its 26th year, the shop is regularly featured in the press and is a fantastic destination for a shopping trip (or simply a visit to peruse their beautiful objects!)

For more information and opening hours, see their website http://www.thediningroomshop.co.uk/index.html

Cabbages & Roses Map

Just in case you're not sure where in the UK you can buy from Cabbages & Roses, here is a little map for your information including both stand alone stores and concessions...

Knots Elementals

Yesterday we blogged about the lovely Tobias and the Angel - today we have more delicious things for you!  At the back of the store, in another beautiful room, is Knots Elementals, a Kinesiology and essential oil company normally based in Middlesex.  For a limited time the store has decamped to Barnes and it's an absolute feast for the eyes, let alone the spirit!   A lovely lady sits and advises on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and she even mixed an ointment for Christina's grandson Frankie, with a sweet little personalised ticket.

If you're stressed and need some TLC, go to www.knotselementals.com.  Here are some photo's of the display for your perusal...

Tobias and the Angel

As a small business ourselves, we always try to support other independent retailers where possible, particu­larly when they have stores as beautiful as this one.

In the spirit of Christmas we went along to Tobias and the Angel, a double-fronted treasure trove filled with handmade and antique homewares. The shop is situated in leafy Barnes (south-west London) and we had remembered how wonderful it looks especially during the festive period.

The store was opened by Angel Hughes in 1986 on White Hart Lane SW13. It is open everyday (except Sunday) from 10am to 6pm and is well worth a trip. For more information, visit their website www.tobias­andtheangel.com. 

Angel kindly allowed us to take some photographs to share with you all. There were so many things that we loved we couldn’t bear to leave much of it out…

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

This weekend I decided it was high time I got into the spirit of Christmas. Here’s a quick run-down of how I did it…

Saturday morning I got up early and got the bus down to the Kings Road (Chelsea, London). It is always bustling with people going about their Saturday morning tasks and I can happily sit in a coffee shop just watching the people go by. I was en route to Jigsaw in Duke of York Square (where Cabbages and Roses has a concession), when suddenly I found myself in the midst of hundreds of people dressed as Father Christmas, it was one of the most surreal things I’ve ever seen, but certainly got me feeling Christmassy!!

Later on I caught up with them as they marched towards Sloane Square tube station, as they chanted “What do we want? CHRISTMAS! When do we want it? NOW!”

Sunday morning I had been invited to attend the Royal Guard’s carol service by my friend Alicia. It is held at the Guard’s Chapel in Wellington Barracks – for those of you that don’t know, this is where all the soldiers with the bear skin hats train and live.

The chapel is beautiful and steeped in so much history. The ceilings are lined with beautiful flags from previous battles and the walls covered in memorials for those soldiers that have lost their lives.

 

The service was beautiful and there’s nothing more rousing than singing O Come All Ye Faithful against the background of a full band.

I finished off my weekend by inviting some friends round for a roast and some mulled wine. I can’t think of many better ways to spend a Sunday than with great friends, eating, drinking and laughing.

Weekend over; I’m now thoroughly ready for Christmas.

Love Jackie xxC&R

PS. The image of the Guards Chapel is from wikipedia.org. 

Christmas Tree (oh Christmas Tree)

Today I finally went to pick my Christmas tree up, and stopped off along the way at a local fete where I enjoyed a delicious cupcake (white chocolate and raspberry) and nosed around the stalls (hand knitted scarves, vintage jewellery and handmade cards). I took some photo's of nice things along the way & thought I'd share them with you.  My tree has now been decorated and I'm feeling very celebratory!  Have fun decorating your trees everyone!

Love, Holly x

How to stay cosy...

With our 20% off all full priced knitwear ending on Sunday (11th December 2011) and the weather getting colder, now is a perfect time to invest in your winter wardrobe! Today's featured item is the Inverted Pleat Front Dress in black, with a sweet gingham black and white check collar and cuffs which are detachable - easy to wash and style as desired. The inverted pleats, which start at the bust, give a lovely A line shape to the dress and the hemline sits just below the knee. The mix of baby alpaca cotton and merino wool make the dress wonderfully soft, lightweight and wearable.

And as mentioned above, one of our scented candles could be a great gift this Christmas, available in either hyacinth, bluebell or tuberose and ylang - in stores and on our website.

Have a lovely weekend,

Love C&R xx

Recipes for the festive season...

 

Love C&R xx

Velvet (a very short history)

With Christmas only 16 days away, the season of celebration has begun! Typically associated with Christmas, velvet is soft and luxurious to the touch, traditionally made from silk or a silk blend. Not knowing too much about its history, we decided to do a little research...

The art of velvet-weaving apparently originated in medieval Kashmir around the beginning of the fourteenth century. For a long period of history, velvet was a possession of the rich and royal; a sumptuous fabric that was draped across walls and adorned noble dress, as without the use of industrial power looms it was extremely costly to produce. Velvet is woven on a special loom that weaves two thicknesses of velvet at the same time, and the two pieces are then cut apart to create the pile effect, giving a textured fabric surface and change in colour tone. Cutting the pile into shapes can create cut velvet surface patterns that are popular in drapery and soft furnishings, and twisting the fabric whilst wet forms crushed velvet, a highly textured velvet fabric. The end product is extremely plush and soft, and most popular in deep, rich colours.

We have combined our love of luxury with our knitwear to produce the Velvet Bow Bottom Sweater (also available in navy) picutred below, for this season.

The long sleeves and round neck will keep you warm and cosy, whilst the sweet bow and velvet trim on the hem add a touch of wearable luxury, perfect for the holidays. We also have the Velvet Flossie Frock Coat, a truly decadent coat silk mix coat, cut beautifully to nip in the waist and flare gently over the hips. It also features decorative ticket pockets on the front and a vent opening at the back for ease of movement.  An ideal coat to wear over party dresses this Christmas!

Don't forget our 20% off all full priced knitwear is on until Sunday 11th December, take a look at our website and enjoy the season of giving!

Love C&R xx

P.S. Image taken from www.anthonylingwood.com

The Check Linda Pleat Dress

Our featured item today is the Check Linda Pleat Dress; a practical pinafore dress in large black and off-white checks, fitted across the bust and gently flaring over the hips. We sourced the bold check fabric from a mill in America, which according to their history is 'the oldest in America' (www.woolrichfabrics.com), and the dress was made here in the UK.

As seen here on Holly, the dress is sleeveless and works best layered over soft jersey tops such as the Reindeer Tee or the Fluted Jersey Top, or alternatively over a cosy shirt such as the Plain Victoria Shirt with its decorative collar and cuffs.

Don't forget our 20% off all full priced knitwear promotion is on until Sunday 11th December 2011 - have a look for perfect Christmas gifts for loved ones, or another winter layer for yourself!

Love C&R xx

Autumn/Winter Film Stills

If you missed the chance to see our A/W 2011 film, we urge you to take a look here at the wonderful work of our very talented film maker Katy Lawrence. She captured the essence of Cabbages & Roses beautifully, and also shot her own behind-the-scenes photographs with models Lu and Charlotte (as seen below) wearing the current winter collection you can find here on our website.

From top:
Plain Hacking Jacket, Stripe Slouch Top, Cable Knit Sweater in white, Frosty Pleat Skirt
Flossie Frock Coat, Linda Pleat Dress, Plain Victoria Shirt
Veronica Dress, Mohair Swirly Hem Coat, pink petticoat (vintage)

DON'T FORGET - Our 20% off all full priced knitwear promotion is on until Sunday 11th December 2011 - visit our website or stores and enjoy the season of giving!

Love C&R xx

Christmas at Brook Cottage

Christmas arrived at our three Cabbages & Roses stores last week, and Christina has been hanging natural greenery and decorating the tree in her own Bath home, as seen in the The Sunday Telegraph this weekend! The tree is simply adorned with white lights and cinnamon sticks tied together in sweet bunches, and fresh greenery from the garden and bountiful displays of fruit cover available surfaces, with the sound of a crackling fire in the background. What better way to spend the weekend...

And you can read the article here:

Love C&R xx

Sheepskin Biker Jacket

Made from 100% sheepskin, our jacket (pictured on the right below) is a beautifully warm and cosy coat for the holiday season. With its soft cream sheepskin inside, double zip fastenings and zip pockets, it is the ideal jacket for layering over winter knits and every bit luxurious too. The contrast panelling gives our sheepskin coat character, and its turned over cuffs and stand up collar will keep you warm against the coldest of weather.

Clockwise from left:
1. Wooden Skis, from a selection of vintage homeware in store2. Cable Knit Sweater, now £132
3. Sheepskin Biker Jacket, £150
4. Vintage boots, display only
5. Weekend bag, from a selection of homeware in store

DON'T FORGET - our 20% off all full priced knitwear continues in store and online until 11th December 2011!

Love C&R xx

Beautiful Walks...

At Cabbages & Roses we all enjoy the benefits of a hearty winter walk, preferably when the weather is crisp and bright, and where the landscape is rural and peaceful.  Often a trek through picturesque countryside is all you need to calm the soul, and so in the run up to the mayhem of Christmas, here are our eight favourite winter walks for you to enjoy when the opportunity arises...

Love, C&R xx

Baby Cabbage

Meet our beautiful baby Cabbage! Lauren has brought Erin-Rose to Langton Street for a flying visit, and we are so pleased to meet her! We think she looks exactly like her mummy (who is looking beautiful in the Velvet Bow Bottom Sweater!) We're hoping to see Lauren and Erin-Rose lots more over the coming months, and wish them both all of our love.

Love C&R xx

Recipes for December...