With the Queen’s Jubilee coming up I am sure you all have a long list of plans and things to do come the amazing 4 day weekend! Lets hope the glorious sun sticks around for all those upcoming street parties…

Speaking of street parties, what will yours entail? Are you a wine connoisseur? a cocktail mixologist? or are you rather content with a good ol’ cuppa?

Whichever you prefer, we like to think our store has the goods to fit the bill.

Our friends over at Donkey products are always coming up with hilarious ways to drink a good old fashioned cup of Assam tea. Let your cuppa brew away whilst the Queen herself keeps a watchful eye over your tea…

Donkey Afternoon Tea featuring Great British Icons

Too hot for Tea? Why not create some cocktails (or mocktails) and the old English favourite- Pimm’s to quench that thirst. We love the idea of creating a twist by putting the drinks in some traditional yet adorable Milk Bottles. Your street party will be mistaken for a new age cocktail bar!

We also have a wide range of British inspired decorations to help you set the scene. Look out for more blog entires with ideas on how to make your party stand out form the rest.

Traditional School Milk Bottle

Mothers day is approaching. It’s a time that always makes me a bit nervous. What do I get for my mum? How do I show her just how thankful I am for the things she has done for me? The thoughtfulness, the patience. The handmade school lunches she made everyday, which I would often trade for a packet of crisps at lunchtime. When other kids had roll-ups I had almonds and dried apricots, and have grown up fit and strong because of the healthy start she gave me.

My mum threw me the best birthdays, and would never tell us girls off for talking all night at slumber parties (all the other parents did). She came on every school trip, taking a day off work each time. Not so easy for a single mum to do. This Mothers day I want to show my mum how much I admire her, and say thanks for being the person who has always loved me unconditionally.

These are my Mothers day picks from Kuati:

I think my mum would really love the contrast between the daintiness of the thin silver bangle and the chunkiness of the semi-precious topaz stones. Even better, the set of three bracelets are on sale!

Citrine by the Stones Silver Julia Bangles: Was £140 - Now £84

The LaCreme Beaute range uses all organic and natural products. This Hydrating Glow Mask nourishes the skin with beeswax and sea buckthorn, leaving it soft and vitalised.

Use it as a mask, a deep cleanser, or apply a small amount under makeup to leave skin glowing. I know my mum will love this product: 1. it works, 2.it’s natural, and 3. it supports local business. Ticks all the boxes!

LaCrème Beauté Glow Hydrating Treatment Face Mask £44.50

My Mother loves working in her garden, she used to ask me to help her when I was a child. The one time I agreed I accidently weeded all her newly sprouting bulbs out. Without my help her garden is an immaculate jungle. America Retold do some cool vintage style hanging metal signs to hang inside or outside. We have several different quotes and styles in store, but I think my mum will appreciate this one:

America Retold "May all your weeds be wildflowers" £10

Amelie et Melanie do an lucious range of bath treats as well as room diffusers that arent too overpowering. My Mother loves a good long bath (to escape from the chaos of the rest of the house), this year I’ll treat her to the Reves D’anges Bath oil, so she can completely relax during her time-out.

The Reves D’anges scent is warm and florally, it’s a smell that evokes memories of playing with my mother when I was a young child. Pair it with a matching handmade soap for an extra special gift.

Amélie et Mélanie Reve D'Anges Bath Oil 300 ml £21

We have put together a special Mothers Day section on the Kuati website. Check it out for more Mothers Day gifts and ideas that don’t have to cost a fortune (Mum’s are always telling us to save our money anyway) . But no matter how you decide to spoil your mum. remember to tell her how much you love and appreciate her and give her a great big hug.

Your smiles may have faded now that the sunny weekend has passed, and the grey sky is looming over us once again. Don’t dismay just yet … Kuati has a SALE to chase those mid-winter blues away!

For starters we’ve taken 40% off our luxurious Knitwear because while it appears to be warming up (by a measly few degrees), there’s no doubt its still jolly cold.

The Samantha Holmes range from Peru includes hot water bottle covers, fingerless gloves and beanies made from Alpaca, Bamboo and Eco Wool. Not to mention our snuggly Samantha Holmes Slippers which are lined with Alpaca Fur, because the worst thing in winter is having cold feet!

Samantha Holmes Alpaca Boots: Were £85 - Now £51

We also have beautifully soft cashmere wrist warmers from Crumpet reduced from £45 to £27. Give someone a gift they can use for many winters, and at this price they are a steal!

This is only the tip of the icebrrrg, we have a huge range of knitwear on sale.

Swimwear has the duty to be both flattering and fashionable.  At Kuati we have a mix of styles and colors to suit all bodies. Not only can your beach body look good, but you can feel better with 50% off.

Whether you prefer pretty floral prints, or simple, classic cut one-piece swimsuits, or the more eye grabbing Just Cavalli sequin bikinis to dazzle the poolside, Kuati will have it … and for now its Half-price!

Nardis Beach Bronze, Amalfi Bandeau Bikini Set: Was £81 - Now £40.50

Lure out your inner goddess  with 50% off our Kaftans. Opt for a short Kaftan to pair with jeans in the cooler months, or long for stylish mooching at the beach. In a range of colours, they make a perfect gift for Mothers Day. We can’t wait to lounge in these under the sun. All that’s missing now is our super yacht anchored in the Mediterranean…

Mustique Aqua Kaftan: Was £195 - Now £97.50

Feel sexy and more confident as we launch into spring by treating yourself to some new lingerie. With 50% off All Lingerie you can spoil yourself twice! We have a gorgeous range of silk night slips, as well as bra and underwear sets. Our favorite is the Cotton Club Smokey Grey Chemise & Thong. We love the elegance of the unusual colour, and the lace panelling under the bust is feminine without being too girlish.

Cotton Club Smokey Grey Chemise & Thong: Was £195 - Now £97.50

We’ve also reduced some of our Jewellery and Bougies la Francaise candles … Visit the sale section of our website to view all of our reductions.

Image From http://blog.emmaalvarez.com/2010/11/real-snowflakes.html

Fact one- It’s freezing.

Fact two- We as humans don’t tend to do well with the cold.

Fact three- After a record high in temperatures in both December and January, I think we had sort of forgotten how Arctic the Northern Hemisphere can get…

Fact Four- It is very easy to be fooled by the Sun whilst getting ready for the days activities… don’t forget that it is 1 degree outside and one layer just WON’T DO (I learnt this the hard way).

Thank goodness our store just so happens to stock some irresistibly warm knitwear and Boots. We ordered in some fabulous Alpaca Fur Boots all the way from Peru, they are perfect for slipping on at home after a long days work. Sure to help you forget how numb your toes were in those sheer stockings and heels you have been walking around in all day!

Alpaca Fur Boots- Ivory

It also wouldn’t be Winter if we didn’t include our ever popular Crumpet Cashmere goodies. I for one LOVE my Cashmere Wrist warmers, not only are they silky soft against the skin, the gorgeous lavender colour peeps out perfectly under my big black Winter Coats.

Crumpet Cashmere Wrist Warmers

So rug up, stay warm and get ready for the snow to start falling- Winter has arrived!

Image from http://www.investigate.co.uk/private-investigator-industry/happy-new-year

So it seems we have survived another year and have successfully made it through to 2012, I don’t know about the rest of you but I certainly do not know where the year 2011 disappeared to!

After such a great Christmas (involving far too many mince pies for the waistline) followed by an oddly warm and mild New Years celebration here in London, the mood around town seems to be a bit too sombre for our liking. Perhaps we are all reminiscing a bit too much on the hot mulled wine, warm ciders, company of friends, family and not to mention the constant supply of turkey sandwiches… It is definitely that time of year where it seems nobody is around and not much is going on meaning your evenings become filled with nothing, unless you count watching endless repeats of Come Dine With Me!

In an attempt to welcome 2012 with open arms and positive thoughts -ridding us and our loyal customers of the feelings mentioned above- we have decided to offer some fabulous price markdowns on a wide range of products here at Kuati.

Image from http://free-extras.com/images/make_you_smile-1619.htm

Abahna Reed Diffuser- Frangipani and Orange Blossom. Was £36.00 NOW £18.00

A nice and easy way for a fresh pick me up is to fill your senses with these great Abahna room diffuses, with its mixture of floral and citrus scents- the thought of a cold, damp Winter will be but a distant memory.

Warm up those icy toes with these gorgeous Alpaca Boots, handmade in Peru with the finest materials available.

Samantha Holmes Ivory Alpaca Boots were £85.00 NOW £59.50

Learn a lesson about Christmas shopping and ease your load for next year by stocking up on our 50% off discounted decorations. You will be extremely thankful come this time next year!

Berry Kissing Ball Decoration was £5.00 NOW £2.50

Silver Dove Decoration was £3.00 NOW £1.50

Some people may be starting to tire of all things festive by now.  After all, the chestnuts have been roasting and the wine has been mulling for quite some time. However, there is only one more week to go until Christmas is upon us and we, here at Kuati, certainly intend to make the most of it.

Nothing puts us in the mood to wrap presents like a good Christmas song.  So, we have out together a wee list of our favourite seasonal songs for you to croon along.

And talking of chestnuts, we could not think of a better way to start our lists than with Nat King Cole’s Christmas song.

Now, Christmas movies are a must.  There are a couple that we truly would not want to live without, and the next two tracks are the standout songs from Home Alone and The Muppet’s Christmas Carol.

This next song has more fantastic version than we could imagine including in one post.  We had to choose between the exquisite renditions provided by Ray Charles and Nina Simone, Cerys Matthews and Tom Jones, Willie Nelson and Norah Jones and, mother’s favourite, Michael Buble.  However, the version that stands out for us features the vocal charms of Dean Martin and Doris Day.

We have always got a minute for Mike Oldfield’s divine In Dulci Jubilo (in sweet jubilations).

Now on the movie front, we know it is not specifically a Christmas film, but we enjoyed the Mean Girl’s Christmas number far too much to omit it from our list.

We are totally torn over which of these classics to put at the top of our list, perhaps you could let us know your thoughts on which tune ought to top our list.

A very merry Mariah!

Elton John in his element…

George Michael at his finest…

The Pogues and Kirsy MacColl

And on that wonderful wintery note, we would like to take the time to wish you a  very merry Christmas from Kuati and leave you with The Andrews Sisters and ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland.’

Image from www.getentrepreneurial.com

Does this sound familiar?

- Wake up

- Catch the tube

- Arrive at work (any chance the boss will notice the tube was delayed…)

- Trek home after what seems like the longest day (it definitely was)

- Cook Dinner

- Dishes

Result: Officially Exhausted.

Sometimes it feels like, in general, there is just simply not enough time to get everything done. With Christmas around the corner and it feeling like the busiest time of the year who has the energy to search for those unique gifts for your friends and family? That is why Kuati has decided to have a one off late night evening sale this Thursday (the 15th). Pop in for some Mulled Wine and have a look at our Christmas gift selection, oh and did we mention that between 6-8pm there is going to be a product sale of up to 50%?!

Our team will be here to give gift advice for both Males and Females of all ages and of course our luxury gift wrapping service is always an option, making your gift shopping even easier. We also have a range of Christmas ornaments for some last minute decorating, along with our unique wreaths and garlands.

Gisela Graham Berry Heart Wreath

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday night at;

6 Shepherd Street

Mayfair, London

W1J7JE

The Kuati Gift Boutique

By now, you should be feeling suitably seasonal. There is something about the warming scents of cinnamon and cloves that transports us to the times when carols were an integral part of the holiday season. We have put together our own little ditty inspired by a festive favourite of ours. We hope you enjoy!

Kuati’s 12 days of Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… a stylish way to make a cup of tea!

On the second day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… two cashmere gloves

On the third day of Christmas Kuati gave to me…  three wacky pens

On the fourth day of Christmas Kuati gave to me…  4 sparkly birds

On the fifth day of Christmas Kuati gave to me…  5 glitzy rings!

On the sixth day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… 6 stockings hanging

On the seventh day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… 7 bobbins bobbing

On the eighth day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… 8 bulldogs growling

On the ninth day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… 9 babies bouncing

On the tenth day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… 10 crackers cracking

On the eleventh day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… 11 baths-a-bubbling

On the twelth day of Christmas Kuati gave to me… 12 wrappers wrapping!!!

We are very lucky here at Kuati to be located in the heart of Mayfair- literally a ten minute walk from one of London’s great Christmas fairs, Winter Wonderland.

Image taken from http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/hyde-park-winter-wonderland

With Mother Nature finally showing her true colours this week, the girls at Kuati were reminded once again of that cold Winter chill we were beginning to think was a myth of the past…

What better way to cure our chilled bones then with some delicious traditional German Bratwurst paired with a Hot Spicy Mulled Wine?? To us it sounded like the perfect remedy so, we chucked on our warm Winter Beanies and Gloves and off to Hyde Park we went!

Winter Wonderland never fails to impress us with it’s selection of rides, games, food and Christmas gift market. Who can resist the Spooky Horror House or life sized Mad Hatter Tea Party?

Being a Tuesday evening we assumed it would be less busy then usual London weekend events -wrong. So, so wrong! Packed with people left, right and center, our thirst and hunger got the better of us and our noses could not help but follow the aroma of hot food and wine. We were lead into The Spiegel Saloon where we were surprised by a special guest- a pianist jukebox. We got our dancing shoes on and enjoyed singing along (much to everyone else’s dismay…) as he belted out tune after tune upon request. It was a great way to kick off the Christmas season and get us all in the festive spirit.

Speaking of the festive spirit- it is about time we planned our Christmas work function, can you believe how fast the end of year is approaching us?! On the agenda we have great food, great company and of course- great giving! One of the things we are the most excited about getting our paws into are these great Christmas Crackers we came across from our friends at Celebration. It isn’t usual that you find a elegant cracker for your Dinner party that not only looks great but also has great gifts inside- gone are the days of Christmas Cracker junk! We have an assortment available ranging from a chic black and white cutlery design to  unique eco friendly recycled Crackers each with individual retro inspired gifts.

Recycled Design Christmas Crackers

Black Cutlery Design Christmas Crackers

So, while we warm our toes and get the fire crackling for a Christmas Winter feast we wish you the best of luck in completing all your Christmas duties- don’t forget it is just around the corner!