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Last weekend I was in London with my daughter Maui and I absolutely wanted to visit The Beauty Project at London’s trendiest megastore Selfridges.

The Beauty Project is a mind-provoking and multi layered exploration of the definition of beauty and what it means in today's society.

 The first thing you notice is a total takeover of the store's famous window displays. Statements are made about ‘letting your hair grow’, thoughts on science versus nature, ‘ eat yourself beautiful food, an open window fragrance lab and questions about what is beauty (and what not)

Un-retouched images of unknown faces will appear all over London in a new campaign shot by Norbert Schoerner, whilst debates in the store's ‘Salon’ focus upon challenging topics such as The History of Beauty and Ugliness and the relationship between beauty and youth.

The point of The Beauty Project is to define many versions of beauty: mature ladies, colored girls, pink hair or all over tattoos. The idea is that when we have a wider range of ideals to look at, so women can feel better about the way they look and do not need to be disappointed not looking like the lipstick advert girls in a magazine.

Fun workshops are be inn organized like a face gym (a workout for the face that uses collagen-boosting finger moves), skin analysis, a Dove self-esteem workshop for mothers and daughters, hair straightening demonstrations and yoga. 

There is also a GREAT Fragrance Lab (London only) which I visited off course, but I tell you more about this in the next post.

Founder Harry Selfridge was the first to introduce a fully-fledged beauty fragrance and make up department at the centre of its London store back in 1910. With the The Beauty Project Selfridges sets again the trend tone, after the very remarked ’Silence room of last year’, by putting topics around beauty issues close to their heart on the agenda.

Business need to run to, so the big brands join in as well: Chanel customizes nails, Nars offers one-to-one blush consultations and Mac gives advice on the perfect shades as Tom Ford offers manicures with private cosmetics consultations. For the guys, a pop-up barber shop provides traditional shaves.

But hurry! The Beauty Project only runs until June 12 at all Selfridges stores, but the one in London has the most allure and events.

http://www.selfridges.com/en/StaticPage/the-beauty-project-hello-beautiful

Join the #beautyproject. I did.

The Jugged Hare: a typical British gastropub_a life inspiration story

I need to be in London for work reasons quite often. My motto has always been 'combine work and pleasure in your job’, and I try to live by that motto. 

So when traveling, I always look for new places to eat, drink, chat, sleep or dance. 

We had to be in the neighborhood of The Barbican for a seminar, and this pub has always been one I wanted to check out. Not that I particularly like the dead animals in the window, but they are a part of the pub's story and to be honest, I do like to eat fish, meat and other kind of living creatures.

The Jugged Hare is a so called gastropub, where you can either hang on the bar and have some strong draught Ales, Lagers, Stout or ciders. The bar is filled with the typical London ’suits’, relaxed chatting with other traders, bankers and other City workers. Everywhere in the pub you see animals from the hunt, as a kind of trophy in closets, armoires or on the wall. This kind of Victorian decoration is hip and happening in London and reflects a hunger for old, more safe and relax times. Time stands still in this place, but service follows our current time pressure. Best of both worlds, I told ya. 

We tried a dark Jugged Hare pale ale and a gin tonic (pleasure in-between work, you know).

Lunch and diner is served in a corresponding room with lots of red velvet, leather, brass and oak floors. A very friendly staff, British polite and professional explained us the menu. 

As you will read in other people’s feedback on Tripadvisor or Yelp, food is excellent. And I can admit, it is lovely.

Meat is definitly the main topic on the menu, but as I still prefer fish my choice was easy.

The Shetland mussels were probably the best mussels I ever had(and that means something): a pot of delicious Shetland mussels with Jugged hare pale ale, smoked bacon, garlic and some hand cut chips. 

The 'Billingsgate' on the menu stands for Billingsgate Fish Market. Billingsgate is the UK's largest inland fish market, located at Canary Wharf. Each trading day at Billingsgate Market offers buyers an opportunity to see the largest selection of fish in the United Kingdom. Daily arrivals from the coast and overseas ensure a continuity of fresh supplies. (Billingsgate Market, Trafalgar Way, Poplar, London E14 5ST)

The Jugged Hare is a great place to lunch. The excellent cuisine, the warm atmosphere and the Victorian style are worth the travel. Situated on the corner of Chiswell Street and Silk Street in the City of London, the pub forms part of the famous old Grade II listed Whitbread Brewery (now the Montcalm 5 Star London City Hotel).

Enjoy and say hi to the joly bartender!

Address: The Jugged Hare, 9 Chiswell St, London EC1Y 4SA. Nearest tubes: Moorgate, Barbican and Liverpool Street are all very close by as are Old Street and Farringdon. 

OPENING HOURS:
Monday - Wednesday	7am - 11pm
Thursday - Saturday	7am - midnight
Sunday	7am - 10.30pm

Reservation is a must, but when you come early before the restaurant opens for lunch, you can be lucky (like we did).

http://www.thejuggedhare.com

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It took us a while, to set up the right template for my blog, I know. Creating something for yourself is always more difficult. You keep questioning yourself if that's what you want, if the vibe is good, if it reflects what you want to express. 

But we did it. Happy? Yes.

Time gives you time to reflect. Thats good. Always.

So, whats new besides the brand new lay-out and template? 

Even more focus.

I always had multiple sensors, aerials or antennas” as I call them, to feel what’s going on in the world, what is coming and why. It always felt natural. I try to cover an interesting scope. From fashion, over design, food, modern art, communication, nightlife and other stuff that keeps me going. Beauty, disturbance, emotion, curiosity, warnings and hope.

“ It’s about seeing the first ripples in the sea, to be ahead of the wave and not behind.”

I see it as grabbing contemporary culture. The culture that influences our behavior, our choices and our values. It's personal. Off course.

Hope you like it. Let me know. React. Talk. Discuss.

Welcome back! Kate

©Photo Kate Stockman_the squid stories/ November 2013 Bricklane London 

Legendary 24 h bagels_a life inspiration story

After our Roa walk we arrived in Bricklane, an area in London near Clerkenwell and Shoreditch. Bricklane is not a fancy hipster spot but a typical British brick road packed with Indian deli's, nightshops and unusual small but fun shops and bars. Always adventurous to step into some to check ot what's cooking. 

Passing by an old bakery with damph windows and older ladies serving a kind of meat dish on a bagel, a long row of (mostly) men queuing in & out store, we couldn't resist checking it out.

It seemed to be the famous Beigel Bake store! 

This legendary hotspot is a 24-hour bakery serving mainly bagels (spelled beigels on the facade)baked in  traditional Jewish style with fillings such as hot salt beef with mustard, chopped herring, and cream cheese and salmon. Beigel Bake is the oldest and best bagel shop in London, and produces 7,000 bagels every day!!

You can also order pastries and sweets such as Danish rolls, apple strudel, Eccles cakes and cheesecake, as well as white, rye and black bread. Beigel Bake is the oldest bagel shop in London and produces 7,000 bagels over night, every night. 

Open 24 hours a day with a melting pot of people, queuing like only the English can, for the most famous bagel of all: the one filled with brilliant moist salt beef, carved as you wait from a slab kept warm in the front window. The bagels are boiled before being baked here since 1977. A bagel is 25p and filled bagels with delicious kosher fillings range up to about £1.50. The Brick Lane's location makes this thé favorite snack stop (overnight but also during the day!)for clubbers, trendy kids, Jewish old-timers, back packers, imbibers and taxi drivers. 

Next time in Bricklane, give it a try and start queuing!

Beigel Bake

159 Brick Lane

London

E1 6SB

Open 24hrs daily

©ALL photos by Kate Stockman_THE SQUID STORIES

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/561462/restaurant/Shoreditch/Beigel-Bake-London

Roa love_a life inspiration story

It started with this drawing, on a wall just opposite our hotel The Hoxton in London.

As we are huge fans of Roa's work (see previous posts), we immediately recognized his hand. After posting this image on Instagram, the conversation manager of The Hoxton texted us that this was only one of many Roa murals in the neighbourhood.

Great.

Off we went, to look for all Roa work.

We had no plan, no tips, we just followed our instinct.

Just walking around was one option. Asking for tips in a nearby gallery was another one.

We stepped in at The Pure Evil Gallery, a street art specialized gallery with a most kind owner, who told us funny enough that he was Roa's first gallerist, and he had some work in his cellar. 

What a coincidence...

Check out what we found in the cellar, under the stairs…

... This big ROA piece, sprayed on some old cupboards and in excellent shape. A left-over from a previous exhibition. We found number 2! And Charlie draw us a map with some other Roa murals in the surrounding streets. Off we went! Thanks Charlie!

Charlie, owner of the Pure Evil Gallery and street artist himself, happy to help out and give some tips about Roa. We'll be back mate!

Two streets further, lost again, we entered a small agency, to ask for the road again. It seemed to be a PR agency, and you won't believe it: also they were early believers of Roa's art work. A beautifull 3D piece was installed in their client meeting room. Ah, if we could have bought this one, right here, right now.... Thank gou guys, for letting us in!

A real Roa piece in the meeting room....

We continued our Roa walk. On this huge parking lot, we think we spotted another one, behind some left-behind-cars. But, we couldn't enter the venue. A movie crew was working there. SHIT.

I'm sure it was one. Have a look.

And so, we walked and walked. And discovered one Roa after another. each time, a revelation. Admiring the boldness, the technique (scratching his cans very closely on the wall) and always one hell of an animal, placed so perfectly on the available spot. Taking over, without harming the others present. Just walking by.

Man, I love it.

This one, we had to look very carefully. This small piglet, hidden underneath a window of a small store. Fell a sleep, I guess.

And yes, we found the big bird. Magnificent. Strong. Looking over the neighbourhood.

Again, the bird next to other work, in perfect harmony, each for it's own audience, an inspiration for each other.

This 'little fella' was the last one we found that day.... Enormous, and at first we just walked by without noticing him. very weird. Looking and not seeing... And then there is that moment, when you look up, and this huge one is revealed to you. You don't understand why you missed him, and you know, you'll never will.

Fabulous.

Yeah, we know. We're huge fans. I don't mind admitting.

If one of my readers knows Roa in person, please pass this 'ode' to him.

I know, in my home town Ghent, there are also Roa murals, hidden in some deserted spots. We'll walk and find them too.

And please let Roa know, we live in an old factory building, and we have loads of room to host one of his (sleeping or awake) animals. I'm not kiddin'. Give us a call.

©ALL photos by Kate Stockman and Ivan Missinne_THE SQUID STORIES