Laura Ashley Is Catching My Eye.


When I was little, I went to summer camp with a girl named Leah.


Within a day, Leah became my best friend for the next two weeks.


Leah wore a patch over her glasses to strengthen a weak eye.
The patch was maroon and had a kitten embroidered on it...
and I loved it so much.


 When my parents arrived to pick me up at the end of camp,
I immediately began to alert them of vision problems in hopes of getting my own.

It didn't work.


Beyond igniting my passion for ocular fashion,
the only other memory I have of my bunkmate Leah is of her cute mom
as she fluffed Leah's bunk with pretty floral bedding
while I sat awkwardly on my faded Little Mermaid sleeping bag.


I remember Leah told me that she worked at a store called Laura Ashley.


And ever since that summer with Leah & her mom,
I've had it permanently fixed in my mind
that Laura Ashley must be a very cool place, indeed.

After attending the press preview for the Spring Summer '12,
I can confirm, that yes,
Laura Ashley has still got it.




Before moving to the UK,
I never realized that Laura Ashley had such a large product line.

Home, fashion, perfume, travel accessories...
you name it, they do it.

And they do it pretty cute!





The clothes definitely had a British feel,
and I was smitten for that leather jacket. 

Wouldn't that be perfect for a trip to Dublin?

Me thinks yes.




I loved this bedside vignette...
clean glass mixed with a subtle modern wall paper.

Who wouldn't feel like a lady
 snoozing in a scene like that?




Recognize that flower from my day with the Queen?
It's Laura Ashley that I got in the gift bag.

While I strolled around the (really chic!) party
I ended up falling for some super cute pieces...


black dot dress (looks fabulous on!) £67.50 | london city scape pillow £27.00
laura ashley perfumes £36 | archer lamp £49

I may have different preferences for my eyepatch fashion today
(maroon really doesn't do much for my complexion)
it's nice to see that some old classics can always catch your eye.

15 comments:

  1. oooh I should have joined! Seems full of goodies! I have quite a few of their cute stuff and love them!!

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  2. What great lamp, I haven't been in there for yonks!

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  3. Helena- yes! i wish you would have been there. Lonely without you!

    Tabitha- I loved the lamp, too!! I think its going to be in my home pretty soon with their 25% off sale & free shipping! :)

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  4. I have a soft spot for Laura Ashley...My mom wore their perfume the whole time I was growing up. They don't make the two scents she wore anymore, but I'll stop by each time I see a LA store and check to see if by chance they've brought them back. PS-Thanks for the sweet comment on 6th Street about my house. PPS-You.are.living.my.dream.seriously.

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  5. growing up I had a pink and white striped wallpaper from laura ashley and pink floral bedding on one side and the stripes on the other. my taste hasn't changed much. I'd still go for that room now. and I'd die to go to a L.A. store in London!

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  6. This brings back memories. My mom used to buy my Laura Ashley clothes for my sister and me when we were very little. I always thought they were so pretty & girly!

    -Keri

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  7. I thought Laura Ashley was only a British thing? I never knew it was in America too! When i was little i had Laura Ashley pink bow wallpaper and a matching duvet set. I thought it was pretty amazing. I wish i still had it, it would probably be back in fashion now!

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  8. What a fun story to read! When I was little I loved Laura Ashley! Then when I moved to NYC there was a Laura Ashely shop on the UWS on Columbus. I used to love to pop in there, but it closed and I lost contact with the offerings. Good to see what they have and that it looks so good. Do you still keep in touch with Leah? BTW, I have talked about having tea with the queen since your post...I think I'm going to do it this summer!

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  9. Looks like Laura Ashley grew up... no more prairie style dresses made of floral fabric (that's what our mum dressed us up in!) Really digging that leather jacket...
    xxoo

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  10. Love the story, the dress and the jacket! I didn't realize she had such a broad market either. It seems as if we only hear about her bedding in the states. xo

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  11. Gorgeous! I had a friend who always wore Laura Ashley dresses and was so jealous of her. I can't believe how chic it all is- I always think 80's floral! Love it.

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  12. I don't think my 10-year-old dream of having a Laura Ashley bedroom has quite died! I'm a little jealous they have such an extensive product line in Britain, because I would definitely go for those clothes!

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  13. You and your dream eyepatch are hilarious! Maroon is so not my color either ; ) I had NO clue Laura Ashley existed past my 1980's floral comforter either! Crazy talk. Well I love it, nonetheless. Lots of hot pieces!

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  14. I used to LOVE Laura Ashley. In addition to a few peter pan collared shirts, I had a floral overnight bag with a matching umbrella. Talk about devoted. Over the years, Laura and I haven't seen much of each other. But, like old friends, it's always good to see them again!! :)

    xoxo Elizabeth

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  15. I have adored Laura Ashley forever. I named one of my daughters Laura, and my other daughter is named Megan Ashley. My soon to be born grand daughters' first name will be Ashley. All because I have loved her products, style, and personal story. I have a black dress I bought almost 30 years ago that I wore to a wedding, celebration dinners, and the last time, my mothers funeral. There are so many memories in that dress. Thank you for posting on this.

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