gourmet grotto

Today my lovely friend Anna and I went to Well Walk Tea Rooms for tea and cake and a jolly good catch-up with each other's news. Inside they have a Santa's Grotto full of gorgeous Christmas decorations and the decor and crockery is almost as delicious as the homemade cakes they serve...

a passage to india

Despite the evident homage to India in Chanel's pre-autumn/winter 2012-13 collection - rich metallic shades, jewel-studded saris, embroidered fabrics - I couldn't help but think that the beautifully-clothed models wouldn't go amiss as angels decorating a Christmas tree (alongside a resplendent feast for optimum festive indulgence, of course).

Decorations from Monsoon, Accessorize, Paperchase, Vinegar Hill and Harrods.

dolls that raise dollars

Following the success of the Children in Need teddy bears, Lanvin is selling four super-cute dolls hand-embroidered by HIV-positive women from Swaziland, the proceeds of which will help improve their quality of life.

To find out more about Dessine L'Espoir, the charity which the sale of the dolls supports, click here.