FATLDN presents the Enchanted Castle ~ Buffet de Chocolat Launch Party
Jewel Bar Piccadilly, Tuesday 29th June 7.30 – 11.30pm
Lift the lid on Buffet de Chocolat and you’ll be mesmerised by a mouth-watering evening of chocolate indulgence. Enjoy a bespoke event themed with art, music and most importantly chocolate! Join fellow chocolate lovers for a night of confectionary appreciation.
Wave goodbye to nouveau cuisine portions – we want you to sample as much as your taste buds can muster. We certainly didn’t call ourselves Buffet de Chocolat for nothing!
We have ventured high and low to source the most tantalising array of luxury chocolates and exotic desserts. Let’s not forget the piece de resistance – a chocolate fountain overflowing with sweet allure on the night.
Join us in the Velvet Room at the Jewel barfor the ultimate feast for your eyes!
Enjoy an evening of chocolate indulgence for the exclusive Buffet de Chocolat launch party. Themed as The Enchanted Castle all we ask is that you come armed with good taste, but fear not, you don’t have to be royalty to attend this one!
So, whether you’re a chocolate fanatic, culture vulture or looking for the perfect surprise gift for your loved one, Buffet de Chocolat serves up the perfect evening in the heart of the capital.
What a really unique treat! This weekend Kensington Townhall will be preparing for the arrival of the Kensington Dollhouse Festival.
Kensington’s Dollhouse Festival was established in 1985 and has become the leading event for craftsmen & miniatures enthusiasts to get together & enjoy their obsession.
The festival showcases a collection of over 170 of the top dolls house & miniature makers from around the globe. There is even an chance to talk to the super-talented artisans who create them, some who have been specialising in miniatures for over 30 years.
I like the sound of the following workshops and events (which are charged seperately):
Jill Bennett – Create a doll using Jill’s fabulous new kits
The Little Hatter – Make a hat, parasol & hatboxC which is £35 for a 3 hr session
Ann High – A 14th Century chest inc a carving masterclass (a bit pricey but definately for those who are taking this seriously as it lasts a whole day!)
Some interesting free talks
Kevin Mulvany & Susan Rogers talk on their latest work, including 18th Century Chateau Antoniette, Bishop’s House & their most recent project for a US Museum.
Beth Clackett of the Royal Collections will talk about the amazing story of Queen Mary’s Dolls house.
This is not just an exhibition for collectors, it is a day out for everyone of all ages. The festival takes place this weekend 14th – 16th May and tickets cost between £8 – £10.
Address: Kensington Town Hall
Hornton St
London
W8 7NX
Picture and information sourced from www.dollshousefestival.com
Kensington Palace has just seen a wonderfully new and exciting makeover as it becomes the ‘Enchanted Palace’. The Enchanted Palace promises us the unleashing of secret stories about the lives of Kensington’s princesses.
From March 26th, visitors can journey through the palace rooms into the ‘Room of Beginnings’ and the ‘Room of Tears’ to discover the wonderful story-telling installations that showcase the work of world famous designers Vivienne Westwood, William Tempest, Stephen Jones, Boudicca, Aminaka Wilmont and Echo Morgan, in collaboration with theatre group Wildworks.
I really do have to mention Vivienne Westwood and her dress for the ‘rebellious princess’ because I have always been a huge fan of her clothes and jewellery ever since I worked for Liberty in London.
Vivienne Westwood Dress at Enchanted Palace (Source: Richard Lea-Hair / newsteam.co.uk)
A beautifully produced piece that really illustrates historical royal fashion complemented by Viviennes Westwood’s contemporary punk style.
In the room for a ‘Sleeping Princess’, William Tempest inspires us all with his period dress that makes a statement! Created using a total of 1000 origami birds, the dress is suspended from the ceiling near to where Queen Victoria once slept.
As if that wasn’t enough, the palace also has other adventures in store! Visitors will have to unravel the mystery behind various clues and follow an enchanted map to reveal the identity of various royal residents. Bringing the palace to life will be a host of professional actors and palace guardians, illustrating their insight into the elusive world of the palace.
I am eagerly waiting for my visit to the palace and to discover which of the seven princesses rebelled against their arranged marriage and into the arms of love and which was responsible for stealing her father’s throne all with the help of her husband.
Enjoy your visit.
Tickets for the Enchanted Palace are £11.50 for adults (if purchased online). For more information visit www.hrp.org.uk.
My plan was to write about my experience at an exhibition in Belgravia, showcasing Banksy and Damien Hirst pieces but since Banksy has already had his limelight in my first post I decided to go for low key food artists that deserve recognition.
I recently tweeted about beautiful latte art creations by amazingly talented baristas and since then I have started seeing an explosion of food art everywhere around me in cafes, magazines and even talks. Maybe it was just the fact I began taking a concious interest in it and not the fact that I was leading the trend, which is what I would like to believe.
As it happens, I was told about Hotelympia, an exhibition showcasing design, furniture, cooking equipment for the hotel and hospitality industry. I am sure that some of you may have switched off by this point thinking what the hell does this have to do with me? Well nothing really, if these finely crafted canapés dont impress you.
Restaurant Plates - Hotelympia 2010
Restaurant Plates - Hotelympia 2010
The Salon Culinaire competition was swarmed by people taking photographs and so I thought I would get in on the act. As an Events Manager and Marketing nerd, I have seen many canapés change hands but nothing like this! It might have something to do with the fact that some of them were made for the House of Commons and, the company I keep might not be as high brow as politicians.
Have you ever seen an Apple Mac made out of fat? Well here it is.
Apple Mac made from fat at Hotelympia
I am not sure how seriously I can take a romantic couple made out of lard but nevertheless it is beautiful.
Romance made of love (and fat!)
and finally, who can forget the perfect American family ‘The Simpsons’…
The Simpsons Cake
For a full list of the winners please visit the Caterer Search website http://bit.ly/cqcbPZ
Now, these exhibitions are lethal because you don’t stop eating wherever you go. One minute I had tofu in green curry on a toothpick and the next I was being shown soya caviar!
One stall which stuck in my mind was Lauden Chocolate with their beautifully designed chocolates and truffles. Based in Leeds, Lauden have won a Bronze Award by the Academy of Chocolate in 2009 for their House Truffle. Unfortunately for me I have given up chocolate for lent but my friend who joined me could not stop drooling or reaching her fingers back into the chocolate box, fully armed with that innocent puppy eyed look. Yes, there is always one!
I really love how art always seems to be in places you least expect it and how it can take on so many forms. The presentation of these dishes and cakes were so eye catching and creative.
I have to say that recently a friend and I were debating about food and art – she claimed she has absolutely no creativity and didn’t know the first thing about art. I really think you have to encourage people to look harder into their creative qualities because having worked in a restaurant as a talented chef it was not hard to see her artistic ability through creating dishes. Food combines artistic colours and flavours and it takes creativity to know what works, which is exactly what the Salon Culinaire displays illustrated.
I have wanted to start a blog for ages but was looking for an excuse and a hint of creative drama so, what better night to start than following my visit to Lambeth Palace for Banksy’s screening of ‘Exit through the gift shop’. Lambeth Palace, a make shift cinema, was set up for an exclusive two week period in a mysterious tunnel previously used for Banksy’s Can Festival back in 2008.
This was my first visit in what appeared to be a secret tunnel nestled in a dark and damp alley in Waterloo, covered wall to wall with graffiti. Totally immersed in colour, political statements and designs, I couldn’t wait to see what the elusive Banksy had in store!
Walking through ‘The Tunnel’ to Lambeth Palace…
Some of my favourites…
Now – I warn you! If you are going to see the screening and still want to be surprised then look away now!
I was so excited by the fact that I really didn’t know what to expect! As I made my way into the gallery area the first thing I thought was I’d been invited to V’s house (as in ‘V for vendetta’). Highly amused by the playful sign above the old school seating area, it read ‘Paranoid pictures’. I sat facing the coolest Mr Whippy van, decked with a replica of the Mona Lisa and selling popcorn for three times less than the Odeon – good on you Banksy!
These have to be the coolest underground toilets!
Yes, these hot dogs are really moving!
Plus lets not forget the lion..
Exit through the gift shop kept me in suspense throughout – it was all about the journeys of Thierry Guetta, a quirky Frenchman who went from being a random guy with a camera to ‘Mr Brainwash’ street artist! He began filming his cousin the ‘Invader’, a street artist responsible for pasting Space Invader characters on random buildings around the world.
Thierry spent hours and hours filming street artists including Shepard Fairey, the guy responsible for the Barrack Obama ‘Hope Poster’. Thierry became addicted to taping but had no clue what he was going to do with the thousands of tapes he had stored away in boxes. You will have to wait and see what actually happened to the tapes as I dont wanna give it all away!
Thierry’s obsessive and hilariously funny nature is certainly infectious. He becomes obsessed with meeting Banksy and eventually the two become great friends – they even venture to Disneyland together to spread a meaningful political message!
I would say my favourite part of the night had to be the sound of the train passing overhead whilst watching key parts of the film, and the air of mystery in the thought that Banksy himself could be there, curiously watching us!
And finally, as I’m sucker for ‘and the moral of the story is’ I took away so many things. The movie was a stab at art world hype and full of pokes towards artists going mass, mainstream and commercial. On the other hand, I left feeling inspired and armed with the belief that even if you don’t know what you are passionate for, simply being passionate and never taking no for an answer will always get you somewhere!
My mum (Lizaoncanvas) is the Banksy in our house and I’m the Thierry marketing lady! Her creativity inspires me every day to the point where I find myself quietly drawing and painting. I am no way as talented as she is and therefore I may be better off sticking to creative direction like Thierry! So here’s to the creative people who surround us and who make us delve deeper and look further into how colourful life truly is and can be.
Exit through the gift shop is due to be released on 5th March in cinemas so be sure to check it out yourselves!
For instant updates on my blog posts please follow FatLDN on Twitter. If you are interested in contemporary art then please follow Lizaoncanvas on twitter.
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