News

Winter Is Coming

Winter is (kinda) here! Let’s celebrate the glories of this crisp, chilly weather with a blog post all about the best bits of Winter; clothes, food and wintery things to do.

Winter clothes! We have a wonderful range of winter clothes here at Madame Fancy Pants. Highnoontea, Miss Sparrow, Arielle Mermin and Book of Deer are currently gracing our racks. Such stunning collections, you have to check them out! Plus we have COATS. I think coats are the best part of winter, but finding The One can be a bit of a chore. You need a coat that you can throw over your snuggly jumpers, one that will go with everything and one that isn’t black. Lucky we have two perfect coats and one little rain cape to make finding The One a lot easier. Have a peek at this classic navy coat and little red rain cape from Highnoontea.


And how about this stunning wool cape from Miss Sparrow?



Winter food and drinks; the comfort, the cuddling up in bed with a mug of homemade hot chocolate, the “using baking as a way to keep warm” trick.

Hot Chocolate is my guilty pleasure in winter, especially with a massive dollop of cloud like cream. Everyone likes hot chocolate, so why not keep things interesting and try out some creative flavours like Red Velvet and Salted Caramel? I created a wonderful, easy hot chocolate recipe for a midnight feast after dancing my night away to the sweet tunes of John The Baptist one chilly Friday night (JTB are a great wintery band, plenty of foot stomping dancing to be had), here it is; take one cup of milk and heat on the stove with about two to four rows of milk chocolate (I used Dairy Milk, but Whittaker’s Creamy Milk would make for a richer, smoother drink; I’d probably use less chocolate, more to nibble on!) add a drop or two of vanilla essence and a sprinkling of cinnamon, remember to keep stirring! Pour into your favourite mug and snuggle up in bed with your favourite book.


Can’t wait to try out some warm, snuggly cocktails from A Beautiful Mess! Love me a mug of mulled wine, but warm spiked cider sounds perfect for warding off the chills too.


We just got a new fridge here at MFP so we ladies can bring in some lovely soup to warm us up on those bitter, cold days. Soup is such a fantastic winter lunch, easy to take to work and usually healthy too! Check out 101Cookbooks post ‘Soups Worth Making’ for an eclectic and delicious mix of soup recipes. Really want the Pumpkin and Rice Soup in my belly right now!



If soup isn’t your jam, and you really want to delve into a bowl of cheesy, classic comfort food with a twist check out '30 Mac and Cheese Recipes' from The Food In My Beard. I know. My jaw dropped too.


What to do in Winter? Don't feel as if all there is to do is curl up in bed and watch movies from your laptop (although that isn't such a bad idea!). Wellington is full of lovely things to do, and you can always get a little creative when you're stuck indoors for the day! 

+ With the end of the water ban we can finally get our skates on and try out the ice rink on the waterfront! Outdoors + exercise= good vibes. So excited for this one! See here for the daily sessions they run. 

+ Need something to keep little ones occupied and you inspired? Be sure to check out the Wellington Makertorium on April 27th at Te Papa if you’re a crafter/creator/inventor/tinkerer/thinker. A one of a kind massive exhibition featuring all kinds of brilliantly creative and inventive bits and bobs, as well as workshops for those mini-makers! 

+ Like music? Go to a gig. Dancing is sure to keep the spirits high, check out Brockaflowersaurus-rex at Bodega on May 11th. Their eclectic mix of hip hop, funk and soul will have you tapping your feet for sure. Preview their music and get warmed up before you go by listening to their EP online

+ Don’t want to venture outdoors? If you’re a crafty type an Embroidery Transfer and some Floss from Sublime Stitching will keep your fingers occupied and the boredom at bay as you sew by the fire, or whip up a cute little animal from Sarah Young to decorate your sofa this Winter; the fox and the hare are particularly well suited to the chilly months.


So there it is! A whole bunch of wintery goodness to keep you entertained, stylish and full this winter! Stay tuned for gift ideas for Mum this Mother’s Day and a Winter Style Special.

Thanks for reading!

Anneke xoxo

 

Read more

I May Have Been Eating Chocolate Whilst Writing This Blog..

Hello there! Welcome to another weekly Madame Fancy Pants blog post!

First of all, an invitation. We would love to see you here next Thursday evening for a little tipple and a look through High Noon Tea’s collection, plus enjoy 30% off all purchases of High Noon Tea on the night! This is all to celebrate High Noon Tea’s debut at Wellington Fashion Week as part of the SS’14 Group Showcase next Friday; purchase your tickets here for an evening of exciting fashion.



Easter is coming up this weekend and with that comes chocolate, family time, craft and chocolate. Yeah, I said chocolate twice.. I’m seriously looking forward to guiltlessly eating my way through an entire Easter egg trail! Maybe I’ll have a lazy Sunday walk afterwards, maybe. With that in mind here are some cool ideas for crafts and chocolate.

First up are these seriously cool classic blown egg decorations (Eggs with moustaches. So. Cool.)! You’ll know how to create these lovelies from your childhood, if you can’t remember you can learn how to here. Then just decorate them how you please, these have been stenciled, but try dying, dipping or painting. An easy craft idea that you can make with kids. 


Mmmm.. chocolate! These cute Easter themed chocolate bars are easy to make, just melt some chocolate and stud with your favourite toppings. All thanks to one of our favourite blogs, A Beautiful Mess.


Another DIY chocolate idea: if you want to learn how to make your own Easter chocolates this weekend, check out Agnes Almeida’s awesome video all about easy chocolate making and you’ll be making your own chocolates in no time. Check it out here.  

 

Oh, I didn’t forget about all you vegans out there, and non-dairy kids can enjoy this trio of recipes too! Thanks to Laura at Hungry and Frozen, my favourite Wellington food blog, here are some delicious vegan friendly chocolate recipes (just sub out honey for agave nectar if need be):  No-bake Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles, Water Chocolate Mousse and Cocoa Sorbet


 

With all the delicious chocolate out there, it pays to make an informed choice in regards to your Easter goodies. Palm oil is in a lot of chocolate treats, and as it’s important to protect our environment and the habitat of some pretty special wildlife, it’s best that we avoid purchasing products that use palm oil. Auckland Zoo has come out with this handy guide to choosing palm oil free goodies, so check it out  before you go buy your treats!

The newest issue of Extra Curricular has just arrived here at MFP. This issue is all about new beginnings, very fitting for Easter! There are tons of interviews with crafty people, pretty pictures and some delicious recipes to try out. For a full run down check out their blog. Isn’t the cover amazing? A lovely read and a lovely gift for the crafty gal/guy in your life who doesn’t like chocolate. (I can’t actually imagine a creative type who doesn’t love chocolate, but there will be a few out there I’m sure!)


Hope you all have a lovely weekend spent with family, friends and chocolate!

Thanks for reading,

Anneke xox

 

Read more

Lovely New Things!

We have lots of wonderful things to share with you, lovely reader!

First up are the super cool May28th Watches that have just arrived on our doorstep! They come in cool colours and lovely designs; at $60 they are pretty and practical! The 08:16AM watch with its classic black strap and regal stag design is perfect for the upcoming cooler months whilst our customer favourite 12:40PM, hot pink and full of flowers, is a great pick for brightening up your day. Check them out!




If you’re in the mood for an at home manicure, try out the lovely Kester Black Nail Polishes. These polishes are free of any nasty chemicals, so you’ll be caring for your nails whilst dazzling your admirers! We have a few new polishes to round out our collection and add to yours; Asteroid- a clear polish with shards of sparkle, Fairy Floss- a pretty pastel pink and a magical Matt Top Coat; which transforms shiny polish to an edgey matte look. The ladies at Madame Fancy Pants love Buttercream- a classic nude opaque polish; layered with the Matt Top Coat it creates an understated look to pair with brighter outfits. They are $21.50 each and we have testers in store so feel free to come and try them out!



For those crafty yet tech savvy lads and lasses we have a range of Cross Stitch iPhone Cases which you can stitch up yourself! Cool right? From $35, they come with floss, a needle and a pattern. Feel free to create your own designs to really show off your creative flair! Nifty, crafty and very cool.




We’ll leave you with our clothing pick of the week, the gorgeous Amanda Jones dress by Arielle Mermin, perfect for the eventual Autumnal day!


Thanks for reading xx


ps We have 35% off MOR Cosmetics in store! So come on in and stock up on some lovely goodies to pamper you, your friends and a Mother in your life; remember that Mother's Day is coming up in May! xx




Read more

Sublime Stitching heck yes!

Not your grammas stitching is their motto and aint it true!

From beefcakes to kitty's, skulls to owls, russian dolls, unicorns and more the Sublime Stitching girls have thought of it all.  

If you like a simple stitch or an in-depth multi coloured and stitched extravaganza you can make it so.  Each sheet of transfers can be used up to 5 time and at $8 a pack that works out at roughly 10-30 CENTS an image! nuts eh.  You can stitch'a lil something for everyone (perhaps even start on those Christmas pressies now..eeekk yes I said it)
We have 2 types of ABC,  Heavy Metal (ra!) and a more vintage influenced type for spelling out rude words or kind words.
For those folk who missed out on the super rad owl scissors...we have em back in! only a few pairs so snip snap em up!  If you have never stitched before and you would like some advice I am more than happy to give a some and send you to some super helpful sites to get you on your stitching way.

happy stitching!
xoxclaire




 

Read more

Twine be Mine!

Many of you may have noticed the lovely coloured twine we have been using to gift wrap all the lil' bits'n'pieces about the shop, well it is now available on our online store. Yay!

 Divine Twine comes in a range of colours that complement both patterned gift wrap and plain brown paper. But oh ho ho its uses go far beyond mere gift wrapping! Use it to add an extra layer of awesome to all those posted packages and letters, make teeny tiny bunting as shown below (from http://thimbleanna.com/) or use it to stitch things, hang things or tie things or anything(s)! 

So purdy, and one roll goes a long way xxx





Read more

Odd One Out

 

More like 'RAD One Out', Niki Gribble from Auckland gives new life to old plates and lonesome saucers that have long since lost their teacups. We have a small collection of her decorative works in store, each with a sweet wee illustration (and each a lil' different depending on the dish). The definition of Nana chic? And only $55 to boot!

Read more

Hot off the press - The Wellington Book!

Concluding that existing tourist books did no justice to the city’s creative reputation, Fitzbeck Creative directors Mike Fitzsimons and Nigel Beckford drew up a list of their favourite Wellington haunts and worked with two young illustrators, Sandi MacKechnie and Jess Lunnon, to bring their vision to life. If you like Wellington, you’ll love this gloriously illustrated celebration of one of the world’s coolest and quirkiest cities! We have a whole bunch waiting for you for just $40 each at Madame Fancy Pants, swell for gifts too! xxx






Read more

cake cake CAKE!

 I love cake.  I love chocolate cake, banana cake, even carrot cake (especially the icing!!)  But seriously....an ice cream cake?! thats gotta top it for indulgence. YUM! 

Check out One Charming Party for party ideas...so lovely! They have a DIY page and you can even purchase party plans to help you nut out all the nitty gritty party business.  Yes please baking party!!



Read more