Posts Tagged ‘Soho’
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Gorgeous lunch for a fiver: Wok to Walk
I’m still hot on the trail of tasty lunches for fewer than five pounds, although I have to admit that my quest is becoming increasingly difficult. But lucky for us, I’ve got some serious snack-detecting skills under my hat.
Today’s gorgeous lunch for a fiver comes from Wok to Walk, a groovy little noodle place in Soho, but there are actually branches all over the world. (Technical note: although my lunch came in at under a fiver, I cannot comment on international pricing policies!)
Posted in Food
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Sometimes you just need a treat
It’s been a long week over here chez Sassy – a good week, but a distinctly exhausting week. For this reason, I had one thing on my mind come Friday afternoon: cake.
To celebrate the beginnings of good things, the ends of bad things and the general Friday-ness of it all, I took a similarly exhausted and in-need-of-sugarspun-love friend to my favourite patisserie in all of London – Maison Bertaux.
Posted in Food
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Gorgeous lunch for a fiver: Tuk Tuk Thai
pad Thai at Tuk Tuk -- delicious!
Deep in the heart of Soho, about halfway down Old Compton Street, nestled amongst pants stores and sex shops, is a little Thai joint called Tuk Tuk. It’s easy enough to miss, marked by just a tiny orange awning, but well worth a visit.
I treated a friend to Tuk Tuk last week and ours was a typical Tuk Tuk experience: briskly seated, we were handed well-loved, plasticised menus, and given a minute or two (no longer, please) to order. Service is polite, but it’s also efficient. This is not a place to dawdle.
Posted in Food
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Make your own instant (bang-on-trend) wardrobe update for £5 or less.
Guess what? I’ve been using a needle and thread! (cue murmurings of shock and horror). And I’ve been using tea as a make-do method for home dyeing. Yes, I have. In fact, I discovered a good strong brew of proper builder’s tea is the key to this season’s predilection for nude and neutral shades!
After hitting the various haberdashery and cheap jewellery shops of London’s Soho I spent no more than £5 on a couple of bits and bobs to create my own bang-on-trend instant wardrobe updater.
So here’s a free tutorial of my (totally humble) take on this season’s key fringe trend. Wear the necklace with a plain vest or dress for instant fringing (and straight from the catwalk) style.
You will need:
• 1 plain link necklace (I got mine for £1.25 from one of the budget jewellery shops on Berwick Street in London.) For a tougher look, you could get a length of chain from the hardware store and tie it with a ribbon at the back of your neck.• Fringing of your choice (The minimum length I could purchase was one metre, which was enough for optional layers – or extra necklaces for thrifty gifts!) If you’re in London, I recommend visiting Kleins haberdashery at 5 Noel Street, W1 (Tel. 020 7437 6162).
• Needle and thread in a colour that matches your fringing.
• Optional: tea bag and white vinegar for dyeing.
How to make it:
1. The fringing I found at Kleins was actually a stark white with tiny gold beads. A little too Texan cowgirl for my liking. I couldn’t find the on-trend nude/neutral shade I was after, so I decided to experiment with some home tea dyeing.
2. To dye the white fringe an antique-y nude colour, soak it in a (cooled) cup (or bowl) of strong tea. Take it out every couple of minutes until it’s turned the exact shade you’re after. Five minutes did the job for me. Don’t leave it in for too long unless you want it quite brown! Take it out and set it in a cup of water with white vinegar . I’ve heard that salt is also quite effective for setting the colour. Leave to dry on a piece of kitchen towel.
3. Cut the fringing to the length of your choice – experiment by pinning it to the necklace to see what kind of effect you like best.
4. Thread the needle and carefully hand-sew the fringing to each link of the necklace. At the end of the length, secure it with a double knot. That’s it – you’re done.
Watch me make the necklace on the video below.
Make your own instant fashion update! from OolaMoola on Vimeo.
Total spent: £4.75 (1 metre of beaded fringing £3.50; Chain necklace £1.25)
Cost of similar-style fringe necklace on Net-a-porter: £215
Total saved: £210.25
