Louise Sandberg

Give a dog a home.

With the arrival of the New Year comes the dreaded making of one’s resolutions; a chance to look at the year ahead, set challenges and make promises that one invariably fails to keep. And at The Amazing Blog's HQ in Chelsea we've been busy discussing ours.  There is the ‘lose half a stone’ that I, along with most of the female population have sought to do; the ‘drink eight glasses of water’ in the hope of achieving a glowing complexion, and of course the ‘drink less wine’; a challenge I find so alarming I find an insurmountable urge to sit down with said pinot. This year however, I also made the resolution to find a charity to support whose ethos I am passionate about; thus making a New Year’s Resolution that shouldn’t be a struggle to keep. When chatting to our lovely client Louise Sandberg (fellow dog owner) she told me that she was importing a new friend for her dog all the way from Thailand. She told me that on a recent trip to Thailand, she was so shocked by the number of strays that she was determined to help publicise the organisation  Soi Dog Foundation in the UK; who are desperately looking for donations to help save the dogs and cats affected by the recent severe flooding in the Bangkok region.

As owner of the much loved Tibetan Spaniel, Mojai, my heart went out to the thousands of animals who have been effectively ‘orphaned’ after large scale evacuations during which those being evacuated were not allowed to take their pets with them.

This is where the Soi Dog Foundation comes in a not-for-profit, registered charity with branches in Thailand, the US, Australia, the UK, France and Holland. Made up of volunteers and fundraisers, their common goal is to help neglected and abused cats and dogs. Without the tireless work put in by the Soi Dog Foundation, these abandoned animals may have to spend the rest of their lives in government shelters, without the care, love and affection they really deserve.

Both the work the Soi Dog Foundation do and their efforts in reinstating these animals to good homes is incredibly inspiring but they desperately need donations in order to support the continued rescue which, sadly, is far from over. In fact, having recently intercepted 4 trucks on their way to Vietnam carrying over 1000 dogs, they need your help more than ever. Donations can be made on either a one-off or a monthly basis, and really will make the world of difference to their diligent campaign.

With a fab new blog and an active Facebook page it's never been easier to keep track of exactly how your donations are helping.

So if like me, you want to make a New Year’s Resolution you can keep, support a very worthy cause and dig deep. http://www.soidog.org

Why not Chukka ball?

When polo springs to mind, I generally think of mega bucks. But how wrong I am.

A few years ago I’d loyally follow my then boyfriend down to Wiltshire to watch him play ‘low-goal’ (beginner’s polo to you and I) with the Navy.  I have to admit being secretly rather jealous of his fun day out and slightly annoyed as I knew that my equestrian skills were leaps and bounds ahead of his.

Recently, I was chatting with our lovely client, the luxury beachwear designer Louise Sandberg who is also an international polo player representing England.  She made me realise that polo is an accessible sport not just a male bastion – as I originally thought.  It has also become very popular for SME luxury brands like Chateau de Sours to sponsor polo events and a great way to quickly raise their visibility within the luxury media (see photo above).

After a little bit of research I came across Polonetworks, who are based in Ascot and offer exclusive 'Corporate Days’ all year round. What a brilliant way to have a memorable company Christmas party! For a minimum of 4 to 6 people at a cost of £200 per head, you get a fantastic day out : It starts with a yummy breakfast, theory of polo, playing polo on foot, the art of the swing, learning to ride (yes you really can be a complete beginner!). A buffet lunch, followed by being split into two teams and actually playing your first couple of ‘chukkas’ on horse- back; and finally there is tea, a champagne prize giving (to the winning team) and a DVD for you to take home of your adventure.

But best of all, Polonetworks are offering the The Amazing Blog readers a very special offer, a ‘Special Discover Polo’ course is being held for individuals on select Saturday and Sunday mornings. This intensive 3 hours course will teach you the basics and give you the opportunity to dip in and decide whether to develop your new found polo skills. Please call +44 (0) 01276 489 501 and quote: PN/TheAmazingBlog. Perhaps we’ll see you at Guards Polo next year?

The perfect summer accessory

Beaded bags are a summer style staple and this little beauty from our fave beachwear designer Louise Sandberg has ticked all of the boxes for us. We love that it is large enough for all those beach essentials and works perfectly as hand baggage en-route to our summer beach destinations, but is also stylish enough to use as a summer handbag.

All the bags are handmade in a Moroccan collective, so each one will be slightly different - you know how much we all like a little bit of quirky uniqueness here! These bags really are beautifully made, incorporating a structured shape with leather handles, fully cotton lined and obviously some gorgeous embellishments. We think they will be the perfect summer accessory wherever you are heading this summer, from super-yachts in St Tropez to Cornish seaside cottages.

They are also limited edition, so when they’re gone, they’re gone!

Embroidered Bag - £59

Make an appointment to view Louise Sandberg's whole collection of beachwear and kaftans at her pop-up showroom - visit Louise Sandberg's website for more info