Fitz Boutique Blog

Isn’t it lovely to feel the heat in the air.  It’s grey and depressing today but hopefully that will pass and we will be basking in sunshine once again.  I am more excited about my garden this year than ever before, my husband has made me a fabulous cutting patch.  I’m like an impatient child as I wait for my seedlings to grow:) 
Currently in the patch is  black sun flowers, lot’s of giant stocks, gypsophelia, sweet williams,scabious(”sounds like a skin complaint, but they are actually gorgeous multi coloured blooms”) and lot’s and lot’s of sweet peas. 
Hopefully it will supply me with an abundance of  summer country bunches,  i’ll keep you posted in picture form…..
Imagine the state i’ll be in if I have a crop failure. OMG….
  

My husband has been dreaming of a snowboarding trip to Japan for a couple of years now. I didn’t realise until Nic started investigating our trip,  that Japan is the “holy grail” for snowboarding,  having just returned,  I’m now  understanding  why.   It’s “superdry and deep powder snow”.   In January and February, you are guaranteed to be knee to waist deep in the gorgeous powder, it’s amazing!   When we were there it was practically snowing the entire time.   The light amazed me, we still had fantastic bright visibility even when it was snowing.   It  felt like we were in a giant,  real life snow globe.  
Niseko’s landscape is wonderful, it’s quite ethereal, there are silver birch trees all around,  not a conifer in sight!   The famous Mount Yotei is very nearby and there are  great views of it from almost everywhere.

                                                                          

It’s a long way to travel for a skiing holiday, but if you do, I guarantee you’ll love it. We flew to Tokyo and connected onwards to Sapporo, it’s easy peasy to organise an airport transfer to the mountains from there. We chose the ski resort of Niseko and the transfer bus dropped us off in the main town Hirafu.  Hirafu has a mixture of Hotel’s, apartments and a plentiful supply of Pensions (with very cute names) offering bed and breakfast accomodation. Before leaving we emailed a couple to ensure there was accomodation available, however we did our usual thing of not making a concrete booking and once again it paid off:)   A lovely Pension called  ”Woody Note”, stood out and spoke to us straight away and we wouldn’t have had the opportunity of staying there had we booked from the UK.
                             

Woody Note is the home of Toshi and Dea. They are a lovely couple and go out of their way to make your stay quite special. Dea’s breakfast in the morning is a treat, my favourite was the “loveheart eggs”. Following a breakfast feast,  Toshi is always ready to take you to whichever chairlift you choose to start your day on the slopes from,  in the groovy “woody note” bus.  This is a fine example of their hospitality because it would not have been a problem to walk.

Night skiing is big  in Niseko, the lifts run until 20.30 every night. Going skiing and snowboarding at night is really fantastic. We had a lovely time weaving in and out of the silver birches in the ethereal glow of the floodlights – it was very romantic and a real buzz.

Japan’s ski season is quite short, March is classed as late in their season. January/February is definitely the time to go. We experienced conditions that would count as excellent in Europe but we didn’t see any of the knee to waist powder that is expected and guaranteed in Jan and Feb. However having said, Niseko is experienceing awesome, crazy powder conditions at the moment with fresh fluffy stuff down to the road.   ”Oh how I’m wishing we were back there,  in amongst it”.

The people, the culture, the powder: “Haste ye back….”

I won’t lament too much on the disaster that happened on our last day.  Nic managed to get quite a large jump “all wrong”.  Landed from approx 25′ in the air on his head, thank goodness he had a helmet on.  Although he has cracked a vertebrae in his back, he is extremely lucky and should be ok in approx 8-10wks. “Hence the pale and ginger looking fella in the last picture”.    His pain is easing as it’s getting better,  but no golf  and no driving is driving him MAD.
He was “a brave boy” ……

www.snowjapan.com   www.niseko.ne.jp   www.niseko.com   www.skihanazono.com   

This is a little post celebrating the beauty of Erdem.  Erdem Moraliogle is a Canadian designer now based in London. 
His feminine yet fashion forward style is something to behold, vivid and watercolour florals are trademarks of Erdem pieces. I love the way he combines these pretty concepts with intense tailoring to create something so powerful.   For now I am admiring from a far as they are expensive.  Silk dresses like the ones below are in the region of £1500.  Maybe he will collaborate with H&M, my fingers and toes are crossed…

article related to these images-http://bit.ly/aoNsvk

Erdem stockists-  A La Mode, LondonBrowns, LondonDover St. Market, LondonHarvey Nichols, LondonMatches

I love the sound of the camera’s in this …

Spring is just around the corner.  Our Betty dress is one of our favourite spring dresses and
florals in bold shades is one of this seasons key looks.  Wear with leggings and shrug on a cute cardiagn to create a funky nonchalant vibe.   Order yours here today for delivery tommorrow…

Claudia Winkleman( seen here at the Royal Academy’s Art Exhibition ) is master of the funky nonchalant vibe!

 I have become an avid tweeter of late.  I absolutely love twitter,  the psychology behind it is just brilliant and is a post for another time.   This morning I was catching up with our followers on T.   Londonista (I love the name) put a question out to the twittisphere this morning,  she was looking for inspiration for something to do this Sunday, something great but cheap was the criteria.  A sunday morning spent strolling through the flowers at Columbia Road Flower Market  and discovering all the funky shops and cafes, I think is just lovely.    The flower market opens at 8am and closes at 3pm. 
 This has inspired me to build on “Londonista’s”  initial tweet ?  What is your idea of the perfect Sunday? 

               

(Bournemouth beach on Saturday morning with the Isle of Purbeck in the distance)

My husband is from Westbourne in Bournemouth, until I met him I had actually never been to Bournemouth.  We met in 2003 and since then I have grown to love the place where he grew up as much as he does.  I love staying in a sea view room in the High Cliff hotel. 
Nic’s family,  including us live in the South East now, but we visit Bournemouth  as often as we can, one day we  would love to have a weekend bolt hole down there. 
My hopes for the Fitz Boutique are for it to continue growing,  as the year goes on we hope to  find a shop premises to house us on a Surrey High Street.  I have for a long time harboured a dream that this 1st boutique would be so well received that we would soon be opening a 2nd,  and that 2nd has always  been in Westbourne.  I do hope my dream will come true,  and one day I will be getting to know you lovely ladies of Westbourne.  Recently very good friends of ours , Annabel and Pete together with their 2 lovely children  re located to Bournemouth. We miss them,  but it’s nice that where they have chosen to live  some where we have such great affinity with.  We visited them on Friday night and the picture above was taken on Saturday morning.  What a beautiful morning it was we were sitting on the beach drinking coffee with the sun on our faces.

(Needless to say the picture below was not taken this time but on a glorious day in July, I’m sure it will disappear soon at Nic’s request

 “I had a lovely weekend in the Highlands and will tell you all about it as soon as I get the pictures from my sister.  I forgot my camera”.

Our spring cardigans are available to order online.  We have everything from vintage florals,

love hearts,

to sequined birdies

Whether shrugged over a t-shirt with jeans or layered over a dress, the cardigan can be much fun and change the look and vibe of any outfit.   Browse our cute collection.  I hope you have a great weekend.  I am excitedly heading to Bournemouth now.

According to the Guardian the Gorm’s are seeing their “best conditions in over a decade and it’s better than Utah”.  I’m very excited because  my sister and I are heading to the Highlands tommorrow.  We are getting the caledonian sleeper, leaving London’s Euston at 21.15 and arriving in Aviemore at 07.40.   We are staying at The Lazy Duck, Nethy Bridge, a mountain-style bunkhouse which Sleeps up to eight and costs £10 each. 01479 821642, lazyduck.co.uk .  The lazy Duck has been recommended by Lesley McKenna, she is Scotland’s best known snowboarder and Britain’s most successful snowboard world cup competitor.

(my nickname amongst some friends is Moraine.  Hence the pose at the bottom of the La Moraine chair)My Husband lives for snowboarding , he’s a powder junkie!  He would like me to learn.  I don’t think I’ll ever swap skiing for boarding full time,  but  I would like to learn so that I could enjoy fun filled back country days with Nic. Day’s,  that don’t involve him having to hike back up to rescue my sunken skies on a regular basis!   What I didn’t imagine , was for my first lesson from Nic to be in Reigate’s Priory Park.  What a great little nursery slope it made.  (below)

Heel Edge                       Toe Edge                          And Relax…

I can’t believe I am up at 05.53 on a Sunday morning writing a blog post.  It get’s worse I have been here since 4am!  I can explain;  my husband has gone on holiday this morning (alright for some.  Chamonix for a  ”boys”  week . Snowboarding.).  His cab was booked at 4am and playing  the good wife,  I got up to make him tea while he was in the shower.   Since waving him off and watching the tail lights of the Gatwick bound taxi  disappear down the road   I have been wide awake  grrrr.  It’s going to be a long day I feel…..  I have lot’s on today and don’t anticipate being home until late tonight.  Anyway, whilst wilfing  away at 04.30 on the computer I came across an amazing revelation.  A study has revealed that the average women burns 48,000 calories a year –  SHOPPING.  The equivalent of hiking from London to Nottingham.   Read the article here if you like.

Calling all Sushi lovers.  Yo Sushi  restaurants are offering 40% off  on up to 10 plates from the Sushi train.  The offer excludes Heathrow terminal 3,  Selfridges Trafford Centre,  Selfridges Birmingham and Westfield.   To redeem  your voucher follow the link below.  I printed one and used it in London on Wednesday night.  Enjoy your Sushi.  http://www.yosushi.com/offers/eat-forty-percent-more   Offer valid from now until the 28th January.
(Image is from my phone.  Nic (my husband) loves making sushi,
this photograph is from his early sushi rolling days. 
He is something of an expert now.  Lucky me