For Your Royal Appetite – Lady in Waiting

I don’t need to tell anyone that The Crown is back, chances are you’ve already seen it too. Although I haven’t yet, I thought you might now be craving some more royal storytelling and I have just the thing – an autobiography that was prompted in part by the Netflix series!
When the brilliant Helena Bonham Carter was cast as the late Princess Margaret, she started researching the person she was about the portray, beyond what everybody had been able to see. This led her to former Lady in Waiting Anne Tennant, Baroness Glenconner, which, in turn, encouraged the Baroness to write her memoir, Lady in Waiting, to tell us all about her fabulous life. I must add, despite the title, her role in the royal household was only a small part of what made her life incredible.

What will always stay with me from this book is the description of the parties they used to have on their private island, Mustique, how much thought and preparation went into planning these, the famous people you could encounter there, the absolute enchantment of it all. You can’t help but hope you will at least once in your lifetime experience something like that.

I listened to this book read by the almost 90 years old Baroness and it is such an intimate experience! Something close to sitting down to dinner with this amazing lady and listening to her life story. Fascinating!
Rome’s Stolen Art Vault
I devoured this article on Atlas Obscura about the Italian vault where all artworks, fake or real, that have had a brush with crime are kept until their destiny is decided by judges and they are returned to their rightful owners. It sounds to me like a huge curiosity shop, with a fabulous back story. Just look at that splendid frame in the picture above!
Thinking about exquisite jobs, the gentlemen in this interview have really hit the lottery in my opinion! How many other similarly amazing jobs must be out there that I can’t even dream about?!
⚜ Uncommon Places to Find Exquisite Gifts ⚜
No 2 – Brand Stores

Photo Sources: Dior
In this week’s installment of this festive series, I bring you a very obvious option, so much so that it is often overlooked – a brand’s online store! Here is the twist, think of the recipient’s favorite branded products that he/she doesn’t normally buy directly from a flagship store, but rather through a retailer (like supermarkets, libraries, tech stores, car dealerships, jewelry stores and more). It can be something as little as tea or chocolate, or something as big as high-end clothes and accessories or even a car.
If you go to the brand’s website, chances are they will have an online store where you can find all sorts of perfect gifts – accessories, festive editions or limited collections, collaborations with other brands and so much more.

Photo Sources: Moleskine
To give just a few examples, beloved tea brand Twinings actually has a Gifts section on their website where they have pretty much all the items I listed above. So does cult car Mini Cooper, featuring a range of lifestyle merchandise and real-car accessories, as well as luxury brand Dior, including my favourite section – gifts for the home. Iconic Moleskine currently has a collection celebrating none other than Frida Kahlo, including a limited edition collector’s box. And while Veuve Cliquot has its special collections, Moët & Chandon allow you to actually customize their classic boxes.
Photo Sources: Moët & Chandon
But these are just the first names to come to my mind. The better you know the person, the more specific you can be, giving you the chance to find a truly exquisite gift.
Polka Dot Door

I’ve wanted to share these images for some time now, for just how brilliantly simple yet immensely chic this decor idea is! I don’t even need to say more, the images are self-explanatory, but I must mention I prefer the one on the left because the dots go across the wall as well. I bet this can be done and looks just as good with small sticker dots, if you’re just not sure you want it long term or if, like me, you live in a rented house. I must try it, I have just the right door and adjoining wall!
The Fabric Shaver
Knitwear season is in full swing and I just thought I’d share a potentially less glamorous find, but nonetheless, one that will leave your clothes looking truly exquisite and polished, pretty much like new. Although I found it most often recommended for fine items like cashmere sweaters and cardigans, the fabric shaver actually works on many textiles and can be used even around the house for your sofa, armchairs, cushions and whatnot.
I bought mine to bring back to life an oversized old houndstooth coat I really loved and still do thanks to it! They come in a fair variety in terms of sizes and prices (as low as £5!), and I think they all pretty much do the job just as well.
Brilliant Embroidery

I haven’t touched my needles and hoops in a while now, but I love seeing what new and absolutely brilliant ideas embroiders all over the world come up with, as this excellent past time activity has been enjoying a well-deserved popularity boost in the past few years. I’ve gathered my favorites on Pinterest, from three-dimensional skyscapes to aerial views of fields and forests, black on black and realistic insects adorned with metallic thread and precious beads.
Of course, most of the artists also have shops of their own or on Etsy, so you can bring their art into your home too!
Rare word – Eunoia
It has occurred to me that I haven’t shared a rare word in a while and it so happens that I stumbled upon the greek eunoia, vaguely remembering it from my Rhetoric class at University. The meaning, according to Cambridge Dictionary, a feeling of goodwill (being friendly and wanting to help), especially one that exists between a speaker and an audience, seems to have expanded also to beautiful thinking, and it made me realise that this is what I am in fact trying to do in each of my letters, with all the exquisite finds I share. I hope I am succeeding…
Eunoia is also the shortest English word containing all five main vowel graphemes and here is how to pronounce it.
If this letter has offered you a moment of inspiration, kindly forward it to others who might enjoy it too. And if you have been forwarded it, indulge in all previous Miss Onion’s Exquisite Finds and subscribe to the weekly letter.
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Merci!