i thread the needle through

Beat the Devil's Tattoo - BRMC

Just documented our Sunday stroll through Camden passage for brekky followed by my first dabble in Christmas shopping. And last. Wes and I agreed we will only give little presents this year as we are going to be travelling and every kilo counts! Plus it means we are allowed to buy ourselves a present if something catches our eye in Spain! I think low-key Christmases are catching on. I still got to buy frothy pink things for our two nieces though.

This is also what I basically wore to see BRMC the same weekend. They were really good but played lots of songs I didn't know and a weird pre-recorded voice-over from Iggy Pop. Next on the list are Band of Horses and The Bravery.

Hmm, have I told you about my love of mixing prints? No? Well I really love mixing prints. There.

Lucky we got up early and have finished already. I can't believe people kept joining the end of the queue! Do they realise how many tables are in there? You are actually going to be waiting for the duration of the entire cafe's meals! Then you still might not get in until the next round.

My fab leather (look) leggings and my new boots.

Coat and Breton: Topshop; Scarf and beret: Urban Outfitters; Leggings and gloves: H & M; Boots: Kurt Geiger

go home, i'd like to

Dirty Cartoons - Menomena

Of course by now you know or have at least heard that the snow arrived in London this week. Love it. I am crossing my fingers for more. It was way heavier than in this photo but I didn't take any more shots during the week for some reason. I got my hair trimmed again to be the way I originally wanted it but I think I actually liked it better when it was wrong! Go figure, maybe I'll just need a little while to get used to it. Also, Wes and I went to see Menomena on Tuesday night at brand spanking new venue XOYO in Shoreditch. It still had concrete dust on the stairs and the bars have funny sumo-wrestler suit soundproofing but it was quite intimate - the stage is under the stairs. The band were very interactive with the audience, telling jokes when the sax pick-up wouldn't work (yes, there was a sax) and the drummer doing a little 'boom-tish' after the punch lines. They are really great musically as well, you should check them out if you get a chance.

someone still loves you boris yeltsin

If I weren't totally broke, I would be going retail crazy right now. With all the winter and 'holiday' collections arriving in stores everyday there are just so many irresistible items I have spied and it is hard imagining getting through winter without them! There are the obvious, of course, like I need a new pair of black ankle boots to replace my old holey ones, but there are a few more fun and frivolous items that have caught my eye...

I think this Whistles muff would actually be really practical given the juggling act I perform everyday when I need to take my gloves off to do anything on my phone, which risks dropping phone or gloves or both. But if my gloves were attached to my neck...drama solved!

Hear me out here!! Well, I actually have no reasonable explanation for this one other than that I have always seen snow boots as completely lacking in any style, and one of those signs that someone has just given up and succumbed to pure practicality with no interest in maintaining their physical appearance. But now I look at them and think, I reckon I could pull it off. These ones are by Rubber Duck and you can get them here.

Matalan is definitely not somewhere I have ever looked for wardrobe-updating staples but that is exactly what I think this dress would be. I have so far completely resisted the obsession everyone has with maxi stuff but I now think it would be an absolutely perfect all-weather layering piece and I think this one ticks many trend boxes. And it's sooo cheap!

You may have noticed that I am finding a bit more time for blogging lately. You would be correct with the main reason being that basically all my friends decided to leave London for sunnier climes downunder and I now find myself with far fewer social engagements to fit into my schedule. Party season? What parties?! I really miss them all, but hope they are all enjoying their new lives xx

A little more for little you

The Hives

I never really got the harness trend that went viral on all the fashion blogs last year. S and M creeps me out to be completely honest and the harnesses strayed too far into gimp territory for me. Perhaps I am mentally scarred because I was too young when I saw Pulp Fiction for the first time?? Anyway though, I found a truly beautiful adornment that would allow me to participate in the trend in a more couture, less coutorture kind of way. Clap your eyes on these babies...

Nocturne shoulder jewellery. Can you even begin to imagine the possibilities?? Little bit exxy but maybe a possibility if you have a really generous relative who wants to buy you a Christmas pressie? And they would translate across seasons, so maybe think about the cost per wear ratio too. I can see it with a simple white vest top in summer as well as with a long sleeve black mini dress for winter. I can't get enough of long sleeve mini dresses!!

all the clouds have silver linings

Cut Copy-Feel The Love

Some fun autumn pics. It's getting chilly but I love it. I know, I feel a bit crazy when I admit that, I think I am the only person in London who doesn't whinge about the weather. Fingers crossed for more snow this year!

The Peanut Vendor

Highbury Fields

Album of the Week

Maximum Balloon

I almost didn't listen to this album at all. I know this sounds silly but words are important to me, usually that means the lyrics, but in this case it was the name of the band. Don't you think it sounds like the least amount of time ever spent thinking up a band name? Ever? Maximum Balloon. Hmph.

But if you can get past that, this is actually a truly exceptional album. Maybe Dave Sitek was just too busy producing great music to stop and think too much about the name? I did have another reason to be cautious though. Dave Sitek is one of the TV On The Radio boys and I do find their music a bit heavy going sometimes, just lots of noisy noises and not that much to hold my attention. Think of Maximum Balloon as like an accessible TVOTR. Or TV-lite. And very timely indeed. They seem to be the most achingly hip 'band's band' at the moment, it is becoming almost comical how many young emerging bands reference them so obviously. And I don't mind at all if it means I don't have to listen to the real thing.

Dave has some pretty cool friends too, and I can make no secret of my love for Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A few of the other collaborating names I was not really aware of before, but they all add their own distinct flavour to each track. I guess he's kind of like a more credible Mark Ronson? Yeah, I like his album too, but don't tell anyone.

and this is my kinda love, it's the kind that moves on

Mother Love Bone-Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns

So after lunch at Byron the other day we headed across Millennium bridge to Tate Modern to see Ai Weiwei's sunflower seeds. The Turbine Hall installations are my absolute favourite, I am just so bummed out that I didn't get to go when it first opened and you could walk on them and touch them. Now they have little fences around them with staff to scold you if you get too close. Boo. Major disappointment.

Finally we made it to the actual target destination, the Design Museum, which has two great exhibitions on at the moment: Drawing Fashion and John Pawson Plain Space. Both our favourite things in the one building with just a flight of stairs separating them. The drawings were so beautiful and captivating, it was actually sad to see them all and think that this skilled artform has been largely replaced by boring old photography. The Vogue covers were so much more interesting than a photo of some stoopid airbrushed celebrity. Sigh. Would love so much to have all those prints hanging on my walls.

new change is the name of the street

Got to check out One New Change yesterday, a week after it opened as London's newest shopping centre, and the first proper one in the City. It doesn't have heaps of shops, but it would be just enough for a lunchtime whip around, which is of course the whole point. It looks pretty boring from the outside but is pretty cool inside which is where all these photos are taken. A major drawcard will be the food, with Jamie Oliver opening Barbecoa, an homage to meat, right across from a new Gordon Ramsey that is yet to come. Barbecoa is open now, and I did quite like the look of the menu if I ever had some poundage burning a hole in my pocket and I felt like a steak. In the meantime, we went to Byron for burgers and I got a proper hamburger with beetroot on it! They are only for a limited time though, as part of Movember which is an Australian fundraising event that has been adopted in the UK. Hence, the Aussie hamburger. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

They have a Topshop, Mango, Reiss, Banana Republic, Karen Millen, Office and Dune all with quite workwear-oriented stock, plus a couple of outdoorsy-stores like North Face which I didn't quite get. Is that what city workers do on the weekends? Mountain climbing?

love is the new feel awful

Dandy Warhols-Odditorium

Wes and I just had the most perfect day ever. We did so much I think I'm going to have to break it down into a few more manageable bite-sized posts. First, the clothes! I am excited to show you these because it's been ages since I've had any time to take any outfit shots, and it's also the first photos I have of my new haircut. It was cut about three weeks ago, I don't love it because I actually got into a fight with my hairdresser about how I wanted it done! I know, it was a totally surreal experience, I had photos of celebs and everything and she just said 'no'. I said 'actually, yes' but after a bit of back and forth, even when she was halfway through, she still didn't cut it as short as I wanted!

And I've just realised that my hair looks even worse in these pics than usual! D'oh! Must be too clean. Dry shampoo & mousse have been my best friends since the chop. Mumsy is not the look I'm going for.

I have had to wait awhile before I could wear my new parka, as it's been way too hot! I know, it is November and London has been 16 degrees for the past week. Awesome. And weird.

Parka and cardi: Topshop; skirt: H&M; shoes: Office; bag: SU London; headband: Accessorize.

and if you tolerate this then your children will be next

Camper, tell me, exactly how do you do it? Your men's shoes are actual perfection of the classic, everyday, every occasion, good quality, leather men's footwear variety. See Exhibit A, above. Then when it comes to your women's range you take all of this and do a royally good job of fucking it up completely with ridiculous details that just make them look horribly off. It honestly baffles me. It must take a really long time to come up with the grossest colours and most impractical additions. Hmm, this pair of heels is currently the most versatile pair of classic black pumps. I know, why don't we add some random turquoise details with red stitching so that we seriously limit the outfit coordination possibilities? Oh, and brogues are big at the moment, so why don't we make some in puke-green and chocolate brown, that way no-one will ever buy them!? Or why don't we just make the ugliest cream suede shoes ever????? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Exhibit B and C. 

sunny sunday on the thames

Goodbye summer!! You were great this year, I just hope you decide to come back next year, maybe even a little bit early? Don't get me wrong, I kind of like winter, but you're definitely my favourite.

Now, some details...whenever I wear these earrings they feel ridiculously big and I imagine everyone is staring at my ears, but I think they ended up looking good in these shots. I think I am addicted to wearing my hair in a super-high topknot. And if I ever get my sewing machine back from the repair shop (they've had it since March and won't return my calls!) I will definitely have to let down the hems of these jeans so I can wear them with platforms, they are just the perfect style for leg lengthening. 

Jeans: 18th Amendment; Top: H&M; Shoes: Office; Earrings: ASOS.

blood sugar baby, she has it...

How do we feel about leather leggings? I am seriously considering a pair for this A/W, even though I know I'm way late jumping on the bandwagon. Yes, all the fash gals have been wearing them for a few years now, but I do think they would fit right in with my aesthetic for winter with oversized blouses, slouchy knits and ankle boots. Yes, again with the ankle boots!! I will never get over them.

and when i can feel with my sun hands

A ballooning anvil and some really big underpants. Exactly what you expect to find leftover after a street festival in central London.

Canal-boating in Wales over the long weekend. Had so much fun with my friends. The Brecon Beacons are really beautiful and the canal is so serene you feel like the rest of the world just doesn't even exist. The boats are really hard to drive (as I found out) but you get the hang of the locks and there are soo many pubs aaaallll the way along the canal! I would recommend this holiday to anyone and everyone.

Gee it's been awhile since I've done any fashion-related posts! Well summer's way too busy for thinking about posing for photos. I am actually proud of myself for not even worrying about the blog, I'm just out there living the dream - seriously, can't even begin to describe how much stuff I've packed into the last couple of months - and if I take a few photos while I'm doing it, I'll share them with you :-)

i'll be seeing you

Yes, I actually stayed here. 

Words cannot describe how much I loved my weekend in Tuscany, and how I can't wait to go back, hopefully with more time for sightseeing. I actually went to Pisa and didn't see the leaning tower! Much more pressing matters such as vino and antipasto were at hand. A gorgeous friend was celebrating her Hen's and we did it in style. It was quite last minute but we all whisked ourselves away for a long weekend. I drove on the wrong side of the road, was wooed by a rotund man called Julio, and had the most amazing meal of my life. I will never forget it.

Do I need to explain the title of this post? Stealing Beauty is one of my favourite movies of all time and I always dreamed of living the romance of Tuscany. I also love the soundtrack, which features this mournful Billie Holliday song.

it is happening again

It is time to eat my words when it comes to this band. And not just this band, but basically most bands that Wes gets obsessed with then introduces me to and then I tell him it's boring. It happens alot. He really likes slow, considered composition that initially seems like it doesn't even have any melody. But then it creeps into your head and installs itself and you just can't get it out! Beach House has been described as 'dream pop'. Never even heard of it. I think they are kind of like The XX.  

I was lucky enough to score an invite to one of the Jacques Townhouse 'soirees' last week (thanks to Viv and Fleur. And yes, it has taken me a whole week to get round to posting it). When I arrived I was spirited away just like Alice down the rabbit hole into a world that had been created by someone who got carried away with plaster of Paris via fruity alcoholic beverages. I say 'I', the singular, because I have one key piece of advice if you are going along to one of these things - get there on time and with your friends. I was five minutes late and spent most of the night by my big old self. You kind of move through the rooms together and there are activities that you have to line up for. Still it was pretty and the drinks were free!