Victorian Psychedelic

I really enjoyed wearing my socks from Min with these brogues. Victorian footwear and 1960s tie-dye - what a happy couple.

Collared

Loved Rosa's chain mail collar this afternoon, especially with her chunky Fisherman's jumper.

Weekend Off

This never, ever, happens to me

What better way to celebrate? Slightly embarrassing that James' toasted sandwich doesn't even come close to the amount of food I ordered....

The Garden Island

This was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday

A postcard from Tessa, and the Isle of Wight - 'The Garden Island.' The reverse assures me that 'all the flowers and trees surrounding the map were photographed on the Isle of Wight', phew!
About three or four summers ago Tessa and I had a dreamy, sun bleached few days on the Island, staying at her parents and cycling to beaches and pubs.

 

Tessa's bike complete with a sprig of some sort of flower and pink ribbon.

 

We strapped a little suitcase bought in a charity shop nearby to the back of our bikes, and filled it with supplies for the beach. It was the best time, partly due to the fact that it did kind of feel like we were two parts of the Famous Five - intrepid island explorers with flasks of tea at the ready.

(More) Inspiration

Towards the end of last year I became a bit obsessed with keeping things from magazines etc, flyers, posters, newspaper articles - anything that caught my eye... I am looking out for the perfect sketch/scrap book so that this year I can make sense of all these pieces of paper.

Tequila Sunrise

It might be getting slightly boring how regularly I mention that I love Shepherd's Bush, but... I only went out to buy a battery (for this amazing watch, no luck sadly), when I spotted:

Tequila sunrise air freshener... Ironically I think air freshener is typically used to remove the smell of spilled tequila.
I was reminded of Tessa's lighter post by these

Granted, Tessa's lighters had some cultural context - I was just bowled over by the variety on offer here. There was even fuego for the more intellectual type:

 

Bright spark, Einstein. (sorry).

Picasso at Tate Britain

I am really looking forward to the Picasso and British Modern Art exhibition at the Tate Britain next month. One of my modules during my final term at uni was simply called, PICASSO, so it's fair to say that he is a figure that I have looked quite closely at. Before taking the module, despite Picasso's famous and prolific artistic output, the picture that often came to mind was not even by Picasso but of him:

Taken by Robert Doisneau taken in 1952. Must have been hard to paint with those chubby digits.

Snakeskin Medusa

 

Caravaggio/Primark: probably not a comparison that occurs often (or at all) but my new snakeskin jeans do make me feel quite Medusa-esque, although without all her bad bits like being a monster and turning people to stone.

Dizzy Blue Heights

When I took a picture of these yesterday in Primark, it was initially to scoff and and say annoying things like 'no wonder these are in the sale, pah!' But for some reason this morning I am feeling like part of me actually, maybe, almost quite likes them?!? Something about the colour and the disgusting (great) feathery trim... I think really I've just been indoors too long, and they truly do belong in Primark's bargain bucket.

 

I know this blue snakeskin bag of Rosa's is nice though, no doubt there. I really enjoyed the flowers on her saucer matching her bag too. 

Frosted Fabrics

I spotted this pink sequin embellished fabric at a shop on Uxbridge road today. Love the sequins forming the sketchy animal print, the scalloped edges and the gold/pink combination. The black and gold fabric hanging next to it was pretty great too, and looked amazing wrapped round this mannequin as a strapless dress. If only I was better at sewing....

Doubled

I managed to catch both sides of the river on my phone's (awful) camera yesterday on my way to work. I love this cold weather even if it means my hands are constantly purple.

Fashion Forecast

Nina Ricci Spring 2012
Skirt not unlike One Off's vintage Liberty Print skirt, styled last winter:

Wishful

On Tuesday I was in St Margaret's for Hermione's birthday, which included a massive fire outside (which was so hot I thought I could constantly smell my eyebrows singeing) and lots of paper lanterns.

This is a rubbish picture of a Frida Kahlo frame/picture resting against a huge moon-shaped candle. Daisy had just come back from Mexico and was laden down with Mexican gifts for Min. Couldn't help noticing that the evening was dominated by spherical shapes (fire place, candles, lanterns). Too much?

Spring on its way...

At work yesterday I took a small delivery of the new Spring/Summer collection.. These photos don't do the them justice AT ALL - it was actually pretty exciting to unwrap fresh splashes of colour and to feel like spring was on its way.... I'm really happy that colour seems to feature a lot for most Spring/Summer 12 collections, always been a fan.
Its not quite daffodil and crocus time yet, which is when I tend to get most excited, like HERE and HERE.

NY and Minnesota

I was reminded to dig out my own pictures of New York taken on a trip during summer 2010, by my post on Rob's drawing below.... A few days and nights in the busy city was contrasted by a week or so in the Midwest - Fergus Falls, Northern Minnesota. 

2006 sketchbook

I found this old sketchbook this evening and it made me realise that a new blank version should be purchased and filled steadily as a new year's resolution, so that I can continue ripping Vogue etc to shreds, just like the old days.