This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

Yet another week has zoomed by and guess what...we're officially under 12 weeks to Christmas!!! Roll on those cosy cashmere jumpers, steaming mugs of mulled wine and snggly sofa nights in whilst the bitter cold and rain pelts down  outside! 

On the flip side...oh so much to do in 12 weeks...halloween, finding the perfect pair of winter boots and a coat for that matter, Daddy Mouse and HK Mouse's birthdays, picking and wrapping the most perfect Christmas gifts and deciding how to ring in the New Year...wow!  

Argggg...for now lets just be happy that...

This week the Mice have mostly been...

Scouring the shops for some much needed going out gems. During Summer I always find everyone dresses more casually and as Autumn/Winter hits, we all push into next gear towards dressy. That's fine with us, there's nothing that makes a night more fun than a getting ready session with all the girls, wine and emerging dressed to the nines with a whole heap of fabulous fun ahead! 

One of my best girls is moving to Australia with her husband this week. They promise it's just for a for a couple of years (or so they say!) to explore what the other side of the world has to offer...beaches, sun, BBQs and koalas...mmm tough choice!! 

Anyway we'd planned a big farewell dinner, followed by cocktails and night of full on debauchery at The Box which came with strict instructions to glam up! This I love...until I go shopping and find very few choices in the shops! I was on a last minute mission so online wasn't an option, Oxford Circus was all I had! Topshop nothing but crop tops and sequins, Urban Outfitters just casual, casual and a bit more casual, H&M full to brim of knitwear and knitwear only, COS beautiful but mainly workwear and finally my regular saviour Zara...lots of lovely pieces but all suited to daytime chic and nothing expressing a hint of evening glam! After much huffing and puffing I eventually punted for a tux play suit from Zara - with the help of a few safety pins I felt ready to go but it was a struggle...a bit of a worry when the party season is approaching! 

So...when a little Body Frock parcel arrived earlier this week I breathed a sigh of relief...of course they would come up trumps and placate such worries! Now if you don't know Body Frock you really should...we blogged about them last November and they're simply fabulous! Their secret is a pull-you-in slip dress under each style - it's the answer to all our prayers, once you have one you won't stop wearing it believe me! 

We each chose a dress from the new collection, I went for The Jamie £165...

And Middle Mouse chose The Natalie, £255...

Two outfits sorted thanks to Body Frock, now just fifty more to locate!!! 

Itching to get to the cinema and let the movie nights begin! When the cold creeps in, it's less about wandering the streets trying to find that great new bar that's just opened, and more about trotting off to your local cinema to enjoy a great film all cosy and warm! If it's an Everyman cinema then bonus points as this can be done with a glass of wine and nibbles, perfection! 

And it just gets better and better as there's some seriously good films winging their way to our screens which we're all SUPER excited for! 

First up the recently released Gone Girl, I haven't managed to fit it in my diary just yet but we've got a doodle going with the girls to find a date we can all make and I cannot wait!!! The book was amazing, even if I did scream with frustration at the ending whilst lazing in a hammock overlooking peaceful Sri Lankan paddy fields, there's no denying it was one hell of a page turner. Gushing reviews are already claiming it to be the next box office hit and if you didn't love the book you should go anyway as a couple of hours starring at Ben Affleck is never a bad thing! 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is released on 21st October and it can't come sooner! I was very late to the party with this one, never reading the books and only watching the first two last month! If like me, you ignored the hype and carried on re-watching Magic Mike and Crazy Stupid Love instead, then I urge you to get up to speed before the release date! They're ridiculously gripping to the point of me having to pause a number of time to calm down and Jennifer Lawrence is amazing, you fall in love with her as a character, I officially want to be her when I grow up - beautiful, clever and brave!  

Even if it doesn't seem like a film you'd usually like (believe me I'm the queen of rom-coms), give it 10 minutes you you'll be hooked...

Finally, but by no means least, Fifty Shade of Grey! OK it's not the most literary of books and there were many people out there slating it, however to sell 100m copies worldwide you have to be doing something right?! 

I for one will be there in February next year waiting to see the Billionaire Christian Slater seduce innocent student Anastasia Steele, and the fact that Jamie Dornen plays Christian is the icing on the cake! If you're in the office you may want to plug your ear phones in for this trailer and turn your screen so no one can see...!!

Right on that note I'll leave you all to count down the final hours until cocktail o'clock! Have the most fabulous weekend!

The Mice x

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

We don't know about you but, we've got...

We know that there're a few more hours to go before we can pack up our satchels and head off for two full days of cocktails and lazy lie-ins, but we're here to help you while those last few deskbound hours away with a round-up of all that's new and notable in Miceland. So, without further waffle, this week the Mice have mostly been...

Getting hyper over Instagram's genius new time lapse video app, Hyperlapse. While previously creating a time lapse video required expensive kit and lots of time and patience, now we can all create high speed shorts armed just with our iPhones. If you haven't seen it yet, take a peek at the Instagram promo vid to see what all the fuss is about...

We've been madly filming anything and everything ever since we downloaded the app. We've still got some practice to get promo video pro, but here's a little Hong Kong Hyperlapse (with music courtesy of another great app, Lomotif) that we made earlier...

Taking our make-up bags to the next level with a hefty dose of Tom Ford amazingness. We'll happily admit that we're out and out beauty junkies each with bathroom cupboards overflowing with a myriad of eyeshadows, blushers, foundations and lipglosses. So quite how it's taken us this long to invest in a slice of Tom Ford Beauty is a little beyond us. But now that we have, my God are we hooked!

It may be at the higher end of pricey but the quality's incredible and the packaging is so luxe that we want to constantly whip out our TF booty for public touch-ups. 

So far we've snapped up the Eye Colour Quad in Cognac Sable - four gorgeous bronzy browns that go on in a perfect buttery smudge, last all day and amp blue eyes up like no other colours we've ever tried.

And we couldn't resist another lipstick to add to our ever growing collections - hello queen of the nudes - Lip Color in Vanilla Suede.

Something tells us these aren't going to be our last Tom Ford purchases... Poor old credit cards!

Waiting with baited breath to see what we'll be wearing next spring as New York Fashion Week kicks off. For the next month we'll be poring over Style on a daily basis, swooning over all the pre-show street style and pinning all our SS'15 inspiration. 

In celebration of the start of fashion month, we thought we'd share our current sartorial obsession - our top fashion illustration Instagram accounts. Get following these paintbrush wizards immediately and prepare to see your feed flooded with fashion illustration deliciousness. In no particular order...

Donald Drawbertson
Head of Creative Development at Bobbi Brown by day, illustrator extraordinaire by night, Donald Robertson who's adopted the very apt Insta-moniker, Drawbertson, is an absolute must follow.

StudioDore
When you're one half of a fashion blogging power couple, your Instagram feed is bound to be pretty fabulous. Add in a dash of Parisian chic and a wicked way with a fine-liner and you have Garance Doré's swoonworthy account. 

Blairz
The perfectly imperfect pouty girls that Blairz (AKA Blair Breitenstein) sketches are exactly who we'd like to wake-up as this fashion week. In the meantime, we'll just have to make do with wearing one of her beyond awesome Lips & Lashes Tees.

And that's that for another week, so...

Lots of love

x

The Mice

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

Oh hello there last working day of the week, we're not going to lie, we're pretty pleased to see you...

The last seven days have seen the London Mice ooh la la it across the Channel to a farmhouse in the French countryside for a week of rest, reading and sipping on pitcher after pitcher of Basil & Lemon Gin Coolers.

Meanwhile, over in Hong Kong, their poor big sister has been laid-up with a horrid summer cold while relentless torrential rain pours down outside. But luckily it hasn't been all sneezing fits and showers, when I haven't been puddle-hopping with a fistful of tissues, this week this Mouse has mostly been... 

Rhapsodising about having discovered burger nirvana. Yup, I know that's a pretty huge claim, but this week I finally found the one. Burger lovers, the only three words you need to know from here on in are: Butcher's Club Burgers. Well, I mean, just so that you can find your way there, it would probably be handy to know the words: 2 Landale Street, Wan Chai too. And once you're there you're probably going to want to know the words: duck fat fries and ice-cream float too, but you get the idea.

There's only actually one burger on the official menu here but, when the burgers are this good, one burger is all you need. We're talking - a juicy, smoky hand-ground burger, draped in rashers of bacon and a cloak of oozy melted cheese, spiked with a kiss of pickle and nestled between two halves a perfectly grilled bun. Each and every mouthful is patty poetry.

If you've brought your smartphone (and your super sleuthing A-game), use the phone's camera to scan one of the mysterious QR codes on the wall to unlock the secret burger menu featuring a handful of other beefy delights (and even a vegetarian option). 

If you're really in the mood for a burger blow-out, then order up the Double Happiness - double everything in the regular burger all sandwiched between two rounds of grilled cheese. Words really can't do this bad boy justice, so I'll just let the photo do the talking...

Go hungry, go NOW!

The Butcher's Club Burgers

G/F Rialto Building

2 Landale Street

Wan Chai

2528  2083

(No Reservations, Open Noon-11pm, 7 days a week)

Sending my credit card scuttling off to cower in the corner after discovering the Little Shop of Jasmine. Anyone who spends any time at all on Pinterest, will definitely have already discovered at least a little piece of the typography genius of Jasmine Dowling, you just might not know about it yet... I've pinned her beautiful brushstroke typography pieces so many times over the last few months without ever taking the time to find out who was behind them. This week though, I clicked through on one of those pins, and hey presto, the girl behind the brush was revealed! Better yet, I realised there's a whole host of drool-worthy products in her e-shop, the Little Shop of Jasmine, just waiting to be snapped up. Now all I have to do is decide which gorgeous piece I'm going to make mine...

Beauty in the Chaos Print

$55

Bonne Nuit & Bonjour Pillowcases

$49 each

Phases of the Moon Print

$55

All You Need Is Sleep Cushion

$49

Raising a glass, draping ourselves in strings of pearls and honouring Coco Chanel because last Tuesday would have been her 131st Birthday. We personally think that the anniversary of the doyenne of fashion's birth should be a worldwide public holiday, but until then, here's a little Coco wisdom to finish off the week on the right note...

Have the most wonderful weekend!

x

The Mice

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

It's F...F...F...Frrrrriday!

Oh yes it is!

And as it's been at least two weeks since one of us was last sunning ourselves on a beach somewhere, you'll be relieved to know that the London Mice will soon be filling your Instagram feeds with lots of sun-soaked smoasting as this weekend they're jetting off on yet another holiday! Lucky little 'uns!

When I haven't been wistfully eyeing my empty suitcase and wishing I was zipping off on a jet plane too, this week this Mouse has mostly been...

Drooling over each and every pair of swoon some heels in the Olivia Palermo x Aquazurra capsule collection. Yeah, we know, she's a reality TV star, but this is hardly your average famous-for-five-minutes-person-lends-their-name-to-shoddy-product collaboration. Take a look at these babies and tell us you aren't at least considering blowing a hefty chunk of August's paycheck on a pair...

Prices start at £375. Fight you for them when they drop on Net-A-Porter on the 25th...

Sipping divine concoctions at my new favourite cocktail hotspot, the Woods. This slinky new addition to Hollywood Road's buzzing bar scene manages to be minimalist yet cosy, buzzy yet quiet enough to have a proper chat and shakes up some of the most deliciously different cocktails I've tried in a very long time.

The Watermelon Cilantro is fruity and aromatic with a spicy kick. 

While the Fizzy Cucumber Gimlet is super refreshing and summery - a garden in a glass. 

I've heard great things about the 4-course prix-fixe cocktail menu which includes a gin basil smash that you quite literally take a hammer to before you drink. Hammered on Hollywood just took on a whole new meaning...

The Woods

17 Hollywood Road

Central 

Hong Kong

+852 2522 0281

Cranking up the aircon and pretending that Autumn's come early, while shopping the awesome Needle knitwear sale. If you haven't discovered Needle yet, hop over to the gorgeously shoppable site immediately - when the cold weather sets in, these cosy chic separates are going to be your NBFs! The Needle fall/winter '14 collection drops in a couple of weeks' time, but until then go and shop up a storm in the sale. Luxe knitwear at a snip? How can you say no to that?! 

Ithica Lace Hole Striped Jumper

Now £67.50 (down from £135)

Ravello Cable Knit Jumper

Now £65 (down from £145)

Capri Colour-blocked Striped Jumper 

Now £44 (down from £125)

So that just leaves us with one last thing to say before we head off for a couple of rounds of celebratory Friday cocktails...

x

The Mice

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

Folks - summer has FINALLY arrived here in London. We've pretty much had a full week of beautiful weather - blue skies, birds singing and flip flops all round! We're keeping everything crossed that it continues into the weekend when we plan do oh-so-much of this...

In other news HK mouse is away on yet ANOTHER holiday with her boyfriend, Jasper - this time Cambodia for 10 days. Lucky ducky! Watch her Instagram for almost guaranteed daily updates... 

Mini and myself have been powering on as always until Thursday evening struck and I was bought down with a bout of viral laryngitis - boo hoo for me! So i've been resting up and feeling rather sorry for myself - OI i'm allowed, i'm ill!

Bar the above, this week the mice have mostly been...

Spoiling our skin with the new Verbena Collection. Fresh, lemony with a hint of cucumber, cooling and quite simply divine - L'Occitaine couldn't have timed this launch better with the recent scorching weather. 

My favourite has to be the limited edition fragrance (RRP £42, 100ml) - i've used half of the bottle already - it's seriously summer bottled! It's actually rather addictive, mini keeps telling me off for being wasteful as I spray it too often! She's just jealous!

The shower gel (RRP £14, 250ml) is also super spoiling, a real treat after a busy day at work or to freshen you up before a summer's evening out with friends. We also tried the body mist (RRP £12, 50ml) and the ice gel for legs and feet (RRP £20, 50ml) - a big thumbs up all round - we now just need to slow down on how often we're using them to make them last the summer!

Going gaga over Christian Louboutin's signature red nail varnish! Need I go on??? Well, I will regardless! Most of you will by now understand my great obsession with shoes and in particular Louboutin's and that raunchy red sole.

The red hot polish matches the brand's iconic sole to the t and what's more... have you seen the beautiful bottle design? The varnish lid is inspired by the highest stiletto the brand sells, measuring 20.5cm. And apparently, nail varnish is where it all started 20 years when CL was busy designing. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of his assistant's red nail varnish ... so, like you do, he started painting the soles with the colour as an experiment. One hell of an experiment we'd say! 

The range is said to be made up of 30 different hues of which are set to be released in September at £36 a pop. We likey!  

Witnessing a baby boom! Last Saturday, I celebrated my gorgeous friend Gemma's 30th birthday. I arrived at her house for an afternoon of BBQ food and champagne and was greeted by more babies than adults! I hadn't until this moment actually realised how many of my friends were doing the baby thing - i'm clearly not there yet! Here's a snap of me and Raffy (Gem's sweet little boy)...

Anyway this baby boom realisation got me thinking and I just had to share the following with you. Homemade House Illustrations, set up by my old school pal Erin, offers the cutest personalised baby announcement cards for mums and dads. 

So often you receive the same birthday, moving home and well done cards because naturally we all flock to the best designs in the likes of Paperchase or John Lewis. The thing I love about Erin's designs is that they're so different and clever. The baby's building blocks spell out the new bundle's name, the calendar displays the date he/she was born, a clock for the time and scales for the baby's weight. Lovely. Order in batches of 25, 50 and 100...

Well that's it for ANOTHER week! Have a great sunny (finger's crossed) weekend all. 

XOXO until Monday