I have to say I almost politely declined. I mean, London Fashion Week and Expat Mum aren't usually found in the same sentence are they? (I'm sitting here in a five year old baggy sweater that's not baggy in a good way, boyfriend jeans that are also baggy and not in a Katie Holmes style way, and fluffy slippers that are now difficult to walk in because the fluff in the soles has migrated to the edges. )
Not what mine look like.And who can forget the last time I tried to find something different to wear? No, the folks at the London Fashion Week wouldn't want me sitting in the front row.
But - my ideal London shopping trip?
Well, first off, I would be ON MY OWN. Although we come over to England every year, I haven't done the Central London thing until recently because the thought of carting three kids around the great metropolis just didn't appeal. Bearing in mind that I would have been pushchair/stroller laden for many of those years, and remembering that many London underground stations don't have lifts/elevators, - can you blame me?
Last summer however, I had about 45 minutes to kill in the Regent Street area, and you know what that means? Liberty of London. I used to work within walking distance of this beautiful shop, but in the immortal words of Joni Mitchel - you don't know what you've got till it's gone do you? I can't believe I didn't spend all day, every day in there. Anyway, I wandered around for a while, then came across the knitting patterns. (Aaaahhhh. Choirs of cherubim and seraphim angels in the background.) Let's just say I spent my entire time allocation perusing the pattern books. I bought one but didn't even have enough time to buy the recommended yarn let alone anything else of gorgeousness.
So - were I to win this fabulous competition prize, I would ditch the kids, (two of them are old enough to look after themselves now, don't worry) and spend it all in the hallowed confines of Liberty. First on my list is this -
I mean how fabulous is this? (It's a pin cushion by the way, because I sew and my pins are always found stuck in the shag pile whenever I get my sewing machine out.)I would then go on the rampage in the Haberdashery department (don't you love that word) buying this Cool Britannia Bunting Kit and this lovely sewing box.
Given that none of these items are very expensive, I would still have wads of cash leftover for the women's department, where I'd almost certainly find a sales assistant who's over twenty (see link to previous post above) and clothes that I just cannot get in the States. I could even be persuaded to purchase something like this exquisite pencil skirt.
Oh yes......
