Wednesday 29 December 2010

What to wear on New Year's Eve

Finding the perfect New Year's date is hard enough so the elves at Fin's for Him thought they would make your life a little easier by giving you the perfect attire for any NYE activity... and of course, the elves here at The Great Date Guide can show you all the perfect places to go!

Naturally, the look was inspired by a pair of the ever-popular George Suede Loafer in chic Hamptons Black.


 Team them with skinny(ish) jeans from Levi's and a Fin's Bertie Belt in steel grey.

    

Wear with this fabulous D&G blazer and Hentschman shirt. In our opinion, it usually works best to go with a classic white shirt rather than anything too jazzy.

    

Now if that doesn't get you a kiss at midnight, we're not sure what will!

Miss Mary says... "A big thank you to the super stylish elves at Fin's for Him for their tips on what to wear for a New Year's date. If you like what you see then you should head over to the Fin's for Him website and take a look at more of their stylish offerings... From shoes to belts to socks they've got men's accessories covered, and they'll make sure any man looks tip top for a first date!"


Friday 17 December 2010

It's all change….

So, you may have noticed that this blog has undergone somewhat of a facelift over the past few days and perhaps you are asking yourself why?  Well, (trumpet sound) we are pleased to announce some pretty big changes at www.thegreatdateguide.com, the first of which is a BRAND NEW WEBSITE, due to launch in 2011!  


But wait, there's more…. Not only is it going to LOOK better, but it's also going to DO MORE! As well as providing you with all of the best ideas and inspiration on where to go out in London, we're also going to help you book your date, at no extra cost to you, and any other bits and bobs you think you might need in addition (we're thinking flowers, chocolates, taxis…?!). What's more, Miss Mary herself will be on hand to offer assistance in our new bespoke date arranging service… name your criteria and let Miss Mary make your dream date a reality (although we can't vouch for your parter in crime, that we leave up to you!).

Anyhow, we're sure you're going to love the new site as much as we do, so keep your eyes peeled in Jan 2011...

Happy Christmas Everyone! 

xxx

Friday 10 December 2010

The 12 Dates of Christmas

There's only just over 2 weeks to go before Christmas, can you believe it?! Thankfully, however, that's the perfect amount of time to fit in our '12 Dates of Christmas' - with a day or two to spare! So, sing along to our slightly edited version of a well known festive carol, but more importantly, get out there and do it!


Here's a sneaky preview of dates 1 - 5… head to the website for 6 - 12!




On the first day of Christmas my true love... took me to Partridges on Duke of York Square, off the Kings Road, to ponder all the deliciousness and to choose all my favourite Chirstmas treats for a winter picnic… (if you'd rather stay indoors try a romantic carpet picnic with candles et al!).


On the second day of Christmas my true love... took me on a romatic walk along the river to The (Turtle) Dove in Hammersmith, to while away the afternoon watching the river go by and drinking hot toddies in this cozy olde worldy pub.


On the third day of Christmas my true love... took me to French Morgan M (sorry we couldn't think of any hen places but at least this rhymes!) in Islington to eat and drink fabulous French food!


On the fourth day of Christmas my true love... took me on a walking tour of all the sights of London, including a stop to feed the (calling) birds at Piccadilly Circus.


On the fifth day of Christmas my true love... gave to me, 5 GOLD RINGS!!! Or just a spot of window shopping on the very festive Old Bond Street!

Read more...

Sunday 5 December 2010

The Dreaded Awkward Silence...

Good chat can make or break a date so the art of conversation is crucial if you’re going to click with someone. There’s no hiding in a one-on-one situation but remember, a date is a marathon not a sprint, so be prepared because you never know when one of those awkward silences is about to descend.

It may seem a bit calculating but having a couple of prepared questions up your sleeve is no bad thing. My uni housemate, for example, always favoured ‘Do you play a musical instrument?’ as her back-up question….but then she is still single so maybe try and be a bit more creative! I certainly wish I’d had an emergency subject to fall back on recently when an absolute shocker of a conversation pause led to pretty disastrous consequences.

Let me set the scene – I’d met Rugby Boy in a bar the weekend before and we agreed to go for drinks. He was sweet, funny, and pretty easy to talk to so drinks seemed a safe bet. We met for a shandy or two in Clapham and we were getting on really well….the only problem was I just wasn’t sure if I was attracted to him. There wasn’t any real chemistry and I was definitely thinking more friend than fancy-man.

Still, we were having a great time chatting away and despite a few suggestive comments coming across the table from the rugger bugger, I was doing my best to keep things more friendly than flirty.

It was nearly closing time and I was feeling pretty pleased to have met such a great new mate when I could suddenly feel it coming – the awkward silence. He’d just returned from the bar with drinks and the conversation stalled – we had run out of things to say. He stared; I stared; he awkwardly played with a beer mat; I nonchalantly fiddled with my hair.

‘So…’ I began, racking my brains for a new topic of conversation. ‘How far is it to your place from here?’

Rugby boy slowly put the beer mat down, coyly smiled at me and slid his hand over the table to stroke mine in what I think was supposed to be an alluring way.

‘I thought you’d never ask, we can be back at mine in 5 - I’ll get us a cab.’

Oh no, awkward silence panic had led to a slightly provocative but totally accidental agreement to a first date sleepover! I racked my brains to think of a way to back track but I couldn’t work out what to say so another sizable silence descended on our table.

He dropped my hand abruptly as I stammered and explained I just had an interest in London geography and didn’t actually intend on joining him on the five minute journey back to his bachelor pad.

A cab was then indeed hailed but it was for a solo passenger as Rugby Boy made a speedy enough exit to keep any winger on their toes. An awkward goodbye, an even more awkward peck on the cheek and I was left standing outside the bar watching as his taxi disappeared into the distance.

That was the end of what could have been a beautiful friendship.