RUBY+ED CELEBRATE THE DIAMOND JUBILEE

Being a British brand here at Ruby+Ed HQ we are all getting very excited for the Diamond Jubilee weekend which is fast approaching. Seeing as we are all going to be with our friends and family during the weekend we decided that we would hold a tea party which everyone contributed to with decorations, food and drinks so that we could celebrate together in true Ruby+Ed style. The Ruby+Ed team all wore their favourite pieces from the SS12 collection and we partook in numerous party games and a great British quiz created by Hollie our Trade Manager.

Being loyal to tradition Megan made some delicious coronation chicken sandwiches, and Laura baked some British themed cupcakes which were to die for! 

Above you can see Hollie wearing the elegant Esha Tunic whilst cutting into our Union Jack cake after we had devoured all of the wonderful sandwiches and snacks. 

Above you can see Laura who is also wearing the Esha Tunic being crowned Queen of the Diamond Jubilee quiz, and all of us playing a game of 'guess who' around the table. 

Below is Claire and Megan pictured modelling two of our silk blouses from the SS12 capsule clothing collection. 

Here is Olivia and Suzy wearing their novelty masks! Olivia is wearing the Surya teared dress and Suzy is supporting our Neha chemise dress.

As you can see from the pictures the afternoon was a great success and we hope that it inspires you to create your very own Diamond Jubilee tea party.  To view all of the pictures from the afternoon please visit the Ruby+Ed Facebook page, and don't forget to ‘like’ us :) 

Keep an eye on our blog as we will be posting a story soon of how you can create some of your very own home made Jubilee bunting. 

Ruby+Ed x

SAM'S HOLIDAY TO MOROCCO

As you may have noticed we have been writing our ‘Around the world diaries’ for quite some time now and we are thoroughly enjoying telling you all about our adventures. One customer has enjoyed the series so much that she has decided to contribute with her own story. It was so lovely to read and she kindly agreed to allow us to use it on the blog. Here is Sam’s story of what she did when she went to Morocco.

‘I have just returned from the gorgeous country of Morocco where I wore my new lovely Ruby+Ed purchases that I got from their website a few weeks ago in preparation for my holiday. Being a fan of the Ruby+Ed Blog and your Ruby+Ed Facebook page I have been captivated by your lovely ‘Around the world diaries’, so It gave me some inspiration to share my trip with you.

Sam at the beach in Agadir wearing the Aruna Dusty Rose dress

I stayed by the beach in Agadir in south west Morocco. My Ruby+Ed Aruna dress in Dusty Rose was perfect for walking along the beach which went on for miles! Whilst walking along the beach one day we came across this lovely man and his camel where I asked for a photo. Below you can see a photo of me on a camel wearing my Aruna Dusty Rose dress.

Sam posing on a camel wearing the Aruna Dusty Rose dress

Agadir was a nice quiet resort, quite modern due to it being rebuilt after it was nearly all destroyed by an earthquake in 1960. However to see more traditional Morocco we headed for Marrakech....

The main square in Marrakech is full of performers, such as snake charmers and acrobats, it was like another world. The souks were like a maze of market stalls of locals selling their handmade crafts and locally produced products. During a tour of the souks we passed through an area where you could see the local people making everything from leather bags to lanterns all by hand.

Roof top restaurant where we had lunch

I also visited the Bahia Palace (pictures below) where I wore my Ruby+Ed hand printed Bela tunic which made me feel very at home among the decorative tiles and paintings. Afterwards we stopped off for lunch on a roof top restaurant (pictured above) with fantastic views over the city for some traditional Moroccan food.

Same wearing the Bela tunic outside the Bahia Palace

Marrakech was a magical city and I would love to go back to one day. ‘

We hope you have been inspired by Sam’s travel diary and we encourage you all to send yours into us either via our contact form on our on-line site or simply sending an email to info@rubyanded.co.uk  FAO Chris Hughes.

Ruby+Ed x

EXPLORING THE ETERNAL CITY OF ROME

Last weekend our Creative Design Manager Ed was treated by his mum and brother with a weekend holiday to Rome for his Birthday. Here is his travel diary accompanied with some beautiful pictures he took whilst he was out there. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did!

'Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated with ancient Roman history, and have always dreamt about where it all began and what it must have been like to stand in the great Coliseum 2000 years ago. So for my Birthday my mum (Irene) and brother (Tom) decided to treat me to a weekend away in the old city of Rome.

We arrived in Rome on Friday afternoon and were welcomed by the beaming sunshine and 26 degrees heat. With that we put on our walking shoes and hit the road to discover the city. The hotel was a perfect boutique hotel placed a stone’s throw away from the great Trevi Fountain and even better it was right in front of Rome’s famous Trevi ice cream parlour.

The Trevi Fountain 

The Trevi fountain was built around 400 years ago and is famous for being one of the most romantic sites in the city as well as being a popular scene for many movies such as the 1954 film ‘Three Coins in the Fountain’. The Trevi fountain stands at 26 metres high and 20 metres in width making it the largest Baroque fountain in Rome. There is a myth that if a visitor of Rome throws a coin in the fountain they are ensured to return to Rome one day. So naturally the three of us threw in a coin in hope of being able to come back one day.

Irene in front of the Trevi Fountain

As you can see from the photos above it is a truly impressive site but not quite near as impressive as my beautiful mother sporting the Ruby+Ed Maya Linen dress.

From the fountain we took our exploring deeper into the city and further back in time visiting the Pantheon a temple which was originally built to honour of the ancient Roman Gods. After being amazed by the beautiful architecture and murals of the Pantheon our travels lead us to the Spanish steps. 

(left) The Pantheon, (right) Irene and Tom sitting on the Spanish steps.

On our second day we took a long but leisurely walk to one of history’s most deadly and famous arenas... the Coliseum! Below you can see some pictures that I took of the Coliseum where my mum wore the Aruna Dusty Rose dress from our SS12 collection. 

Ed and Irene at the Coliseum. Here you can see Irene wearing the Aruna Dusty Rose

After taking a tour of the Coliseum we had a quick look at the Forum before taking what felt like a trek to the Pope’s household and possibly the smallest country I have ever visited…The Vatican City and the Vatican museum.

Walking past the Forum to the Vatican City

If you have never been to the Vatican then I would definitely recommend it to you, especially if you have an appreciation of art. I was pleasantly surprised and would say it was possibly one of the most impressive places that we saw during the holiday. I learnt that the Vatican isn't just the home of the Pope and the Mecca of the Roman Catholic religion but is also the home of the Sistine Chapel of which has a ceiling completely painted by the famous Michelangelo some 500 years ago. In addition to this it would seem that every room and corridor was painted from wall to ceiling, all of which by either Michelangelo and or his students.

Irene outside the Vatican wearing the Charcoal crinkle scarf

The Vatican has one of the richest sculpture collections in the world and I would safely say that you don’t have to be an art lover to be blown away by the sites of the building. However, I would say that if you have a bad neck then be prepared as you can’t help but walk around with your head tilted back and eyes glued upwards at the ceilings.'

Inside the Vatican

Ruby+Ed x

A WEEKEND BREAK IN BERLIN

For our next instalment of the ‘Around the world diaries with Ruby+Ed’ we catch up with Olivia our PR Manager to find out what she got up to when she went for a weekend city break to Berlin with her boyfriend. 

‘For my boyfriend’s birthday I surprised him with a 4 day city break to Berlin. We’d heard so much about the city before we went but I was completely blown away by the rich history and culture that was embedded in its architecture and people. I took the Ruby+Ed silk Georgette Surya dress to wear on our first night as we had reservations for a traditional 1920’s cabaret show in one of Berlin’s famous old theatres. The dress felt very appropriate for the occasion as its design was drawn from the ‘flapper’ era. I teamed it with some high court shoes, a blue woven zip blazer and a felt wide brimmed hat.

Olivia and Ramon outside the theatre.

We had a rule to eat no mediocre meals so there was lots of traditional German food consumed by us both including Sauerkraut and Sausage, Bratwurst and of course washed down with a few beers! 

Olivia enjoying a beer and some traditional German food.

The architecture impressed us the most and the best way to view this was by bike, a good way to compensate for all the food and beer we were enjoying! We cycled along a part of the Berlin wall that had been covered in hundreds of paintings commemorating the cold war and I couldn't believe that it was a piece of history very much in place during my childhood. I wore a pair of the White Canvas Lace up pumps perfect for jumping off and on our bikes!

Olivia and Ramon cycling past part of the Berlin wall.

Olivia riding her bike in Berlin.

When we weren't cycling around the sights we took the U-Bahn (the Berlin underground) which is one of the most modern public transport systems in all of Europe, of course built by the German’s! Here I was wearing the Aruna Cerise Dress on our way to a 60’s inspired cocktail bar where you had to knock to enter. I have never seen such an impressive cocktail list and I would highly recommend the Mojitos.  

Olivia catching the tube in Berlin.

Slightly suffering the next day we decided to spend a morning relaxing in the hotel. Below Ramon relaxes in a pair of the Men’s Pebble waffle mules. The summer slipper collection is designed in lightweight materials perfect for taking on holiday. I would recommend the jersey corsage mule in Thistle from the women’s range as they are super soft, light, and in a gorgeous summery colour, perfect for slipping on after a long bath.

Ramon relaxing in the hotel wearing his favourite pair of Ruby+Ed slippers.

I would highly recommend a weekend away in Berlin considering there is so much to explore and how easy it is to get around. Take some Ruby+Ed clothes to wear if you want easy and elegant pieces to pack for a short summer break.'

Ruby+Ed x 

MY TRAVEL WARDROBE

This week we are visiting My Travel Wardrobe a beautiful and breezy boutique perched on the coast of the quaint seaside town of Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. 

Outside My Travel Wardrobe 

The owner, Sarah Taylor, has stocked Ruby+Ed for a few seasons now and always displays our collections right in the window to draw customers in. Our Bluebell and Fallow Shimmer lace up pumps perfectly suit the Cowes shopper who might be needing a pair of pumps for a boating trip whilst on their travels. My Travel Wardrobe have a new site which will be launching soon that you can view here. 

Above and below you can see a variety of our canvas lace ups, slipper mules, make up bags and crinkle scarves from our SS12 collection being displayed in an elegant and eye catching way.

Ruby+Ed x