APOTHECARY FOX ON THE MOVE

I have never intended this project to get too personal. Obviously I talk about the things I love, but with the emphasis on highlighting other people's talent, through my own subjective stand point. The one exception will always be documenting my journey towards the ultimate goal...opening a boutique of lovely things, back in my other home of Vermont. So indulge me for a moment, while I break a rule.

I finished my full time job of Restaurant General Manager, for this lovely establishment, on Monday. I am officially unemployed, after 11 years with the same company! This job has truly been my entire life for as long as I can remember, and in order to get some of that back I just had to move on. My team of talented and inspired individuals have made it possible for me to leave with a sense of achievement and no regret (yet). These guys are truly amazing. The VERY best in the business.

My Management Team and I, indulging in some delicious Krug at my leaving party. Thanks to the guys from The Bon Vivant for giving me such a great send off.

Under the bunting (thanks Janey) with some of the gang.

I think having the Festive Season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and my Birthday all coming up in the next 6 weeks makes it easy for me to accept the time off. I hope to hit the ground running in the planning stages for my store in January. With any luck I can open up by the summer...fingers very tightly crossed. I can't wait to share my plans and the details of what will become Apothecary Fox, a kind of modern General Store of loveliness.

Anyway, the fun part of the move has been building up my Vermont-life essentials. It is going to be COLD! These are my purchases to fend off the snow and make the most of the winter in my new home. A while back I did a post about the ultimate winter boots, and finally decided on these.

L.L.Bean Boot, Shearling Lined, naturally!

L.L. Bean's Warm and Light Down Jacket, avoids the bulky look.

Hunter Huntress Wellington Boots, essential chicken coop-ware

Aigle's Lantaro Gilet (I cheated and bought it ages ago but now I get to justify the purchase)

And not forgetting the ultimate accessory, an Alexander McQueen wool skull print scarf. Surely the very best gift anyone could have been given for leaving a job. Adding a bit of glamour to the Green Mountains. Thanks guys!

DESIGN THERAPY: Hunter Boots

Hunter Wellington Boots are a Great British institution (although until recently, American owned). Probably best known by the British upper middle classes (those of the Hunting and Shooting parties at crumbling Country Estates) in the UK, these boots have undergone a revival in recent years, after becoming the boot of choice for discerning fashionistas at music festivals and the like (cue Madonna in Tweed hat, Barbour Jacket and Hunters, dropping into her "local").

Well, fashion comes and goes, but Hunter have been around since 1856, and now operates with Royal Warrants issued by Queen Elizabeth II (in 1986) and The Duke of Edinburgh (in 1977). They have a serious pedigree, and I am glad to say have remained a Scottish-based company, still head-quartered in Edinburgh, although no longer American owned. For more company info go here.

The Hunter Story: "In 1856 Mr Henry Lee Norris, an American entrepreneur, landed on Scottish soil in search of a home for his boot making company. Having acquired a block of buildings in Edinburgh, known as the Castle Silk Mills, the North British Rubber Company (which much later became known as Hunter Boot Ltd.) was registered as a limited liability company in September 1856.
Production of wellington boots were dramatically boosted with the advent of World War I when the company was asked by the War Office to construct a sturdy boot suitable for the conditions in flooded trenches. The mills ran day and night to produce immense quantities of these trench boots. In total, 1,185,036 pairs were made to cope with the Army's demands. The fashionable boot was now a functional necessity.
For WWII they were once again called upon to supply vast quantities of wellingtons and thigh boots. 80% of production was for war materials - from ground sheets to life belts and gas masks. After WWII boot making had to move to a larger factory in Heathhall Dumfries, where the company has been based since, to deal with the rise in demand."-via Hunter

Hunter's most recognisable and iconic welly is the Original Green Wellington, made in 1955. It was an orthopedic boot, designed for ultimate comfort and support. In Britain we refer to the "Green Welly Brigade" with reference to this being the boot of choice for the Landed Gentry (posh people who have country estates in Scotland, but live in the city). In truth, this is still a working boot worn by farmers more than the fashion-conscious.

In recent years, Hunter has modernised it's product and expanded into vibrant coloured boots of various styles to compete with the fashion industry.

1. Jimmy Choo for Hunter 2. Original Clog, Aubergine 3. Original Gloss, Violet 4. Original Colour, Fuschia 5. Original Lace, Yellow

Predictably, I already have the Fuschia, so I think the Hunter Short in Black will be my Fall staple this year.