Hola Silver Birds

I have to thank my sister for leading me to Joanna Rutter and her pretty silver birds. Birds have in the last few years gain a popularity in fashion and jewellery. It can get quite difficult to see something special when a motif has been used over and over again.

It is remarkable that Joanna Rutter can produce such simple jewellery that you want badly. I wouldn’t say that there’s anything especially unique about it but there’s a gentleness about the designs. And a sense that time has been spent designing and making these.

Having bookmarked this last summer I looked at the designs again today and was pleased to see that I still wanted.  If you read her blog, you will see that it is bursting with inspiration and a sort of quiet appreciation of all things nice- not unlike her jewellery.

Her pretty pieces are available to buy here.

Invitation to Love (Twin Peaks)

David Lynch has been on my mind lately. I decided to revisit Twin Peaks and found that the series was just as gripping the second time around. It pleased me so much to see Agent Cooper and his love for damn good coffee and cherry pie. The ICA is screening Eraserhead again and I was really happy to spot that the zigzag motif on the floor in Henry’s apartment block is the same one as in the red lodge in Twin Peaks.

The only time I’ve been brave enough to listen to the soundtrack (Julee Cruise’s haunting voice) on my own, I found Fire Walk With Me for £3 in Fopp in the same week.  So I got to relive a bit more of Twin Peaks. Although the film is not exactly the same in inpact as the TV series, I am glad to have finally seen it just to have seen the character Lil the Dancer. I love her bright red hair and the coded dance.

Lots of chocolate for me to…

Look and eat!

It’s soon to be Shrove Tuesday and many will be giving up chocolate for lent.

Not me!

Shrove Tuesday will be an excuse to have a pancake party.

This evening, I’d like to talk about chocolate and how beautiful some of the design and packaging is. I was reminded of my love for chocolate and beautifully packaged chocolate when Maria from work gave me a bar of Chocolate Organiko because she thought I’d appreciate the typography-led graphics on the packaging. She was correct. Chocolate Organiko uses clean and bold typography and it works really well. It works so well that I’ve not touched the chocolate bar for I quite like to keep this to look at for a wee while.

I thought of another cool Spanish chocolate maker Xocoa. The first time I went to Barcelona a few years ago my sister mentioned reading about Xocoa on her flight over. She had forgotten to note down the address. We were quietly obsessing over the missed opportunity here to check out a nice chocolate shop when we stumbled upon one of the branches of Xocoa in the city on our very last day there.

In Britain, Kings Road based Rococo Chocolates have gone the opposite direction on packaging from their Spanish counterparts. So named for the decorative arts-led packaging,  my first encounter with Rococo Chocolates was in So Cocoa in Stockbridge, Edinburgh. My favourite Saturdays usually involved a walk by the canal and a stop to buy lavender or rose flavoured chocolate bars.

The thing about chocolate is that you can more or less judge it by its packaging. Pleasure can come in the form of a tiny square of fine chocolate. And it starts from the moment you hear that clear snap from breaking a piece to savouring the taste.

The Magician that is Tim Walker

My friend Claire came to stay the other day and we were talking about exhibitions that stood out recently.

Mine was the Tim Walker exhibition at The Design Museum. It was a concise collection but I remember the amount of pleasure walking through the rooms being surrounded by his fantastical images. 

There is something so quintessentially British about his images. They always remind me of Alice in Wonderland and just the magical, surreal and pure wonderful. 

It’s amazing that he is able to create so much magic and fantasy through his photos alone. By default I tend to look towards books and film (Celine and Julie Go Boating spring to mind) to disappear into a world where anything was possible but these photos evoke the same magic in me and beyond…as they inspire me to dress up.

Colour and print knock your socks off!

Although the days are getting lighter and spring is upon us, I know that when it gets warmer, I am going to miss wearing tights. When it starts getting too cold for bare legs, I always get excited over the prospect of wearing coloured or patterned tights. I love how easily you can change the way an outfit looks. 

Meow gave me this pair of Tabio sheer heart tights which I am saving to wear with the right frock. I am sorry to have missed the opportunity to dress up with heart-y legs on Valentines Day but seeing as I don’t really celebrate it, I am sure some other occasion will come up where hearts on pins are perfect. 

If tights are less your thing, hot on every hipster’s feet are some fashion socks. We met Happy Socks man Viktor Tell in Paris last  year and I’ve since seen his socks stocked in many boutiques.  Happy Socks based in Sweden have a good selection of cheerful socks, although when I googled it Happy Socks came up with a grubbier meaning. 

From Sarah came these pair of pencil socks from Ashi Dashi. Perhaps if you wear only one pencil sock on one side and wear the notebook sock on the other, you will always be prepared for making notes with your feet! 

 

Dressing Up Like A Present

Krisatomic is quickly becoming one of my favourite illustrators. This is a new one I’ve saved which reminded me of my birthday outfit which had giant sheer ruffles layering continuously from collar to sleeves.  I wore my Feraud (Charles Anastase-like ) pierrot-inspired organza blouse under a simple  Maria Westerlind dress and finished the outfit with a tartan rossette hairband. I dressed up a little like a present and it felt right for the occasion.

Tache-tastic

The moustache has been a big source of amusement and entertainment for me. It all started with Dali and his moustache. From the day when Tyler and I went around the supermarket  with fake moustaches looking for treacle to make gingerbreadmen to the night at The Egg where I danced quite seriously with a moustache above my lip.

And so the obsession continued, one work Christmas do we were given fake moustaches to wear over lunch, much to everyone’s delight.  Although I would have been equally happy with the moustache pencils.

One of Guy‘s first presents to me was a serious fat man’s tache which I hang by my door like it’s for sale. And then came the Moustache Envy badges Sarah bought for me. This year for my birthday, my lovely friends found a moustache ring for me from Tatty Devine.  It’s a beautiful ring and great for instant fancydress occasions.

I am delighted to see the number of moustache products out there. Clearly, moustaches make people happy. Here’s a blog with many a hairy post and if you wanted to go out dancing in London, there’s the Moustache Bar in Dalston or in Paris, here’s a club for moustachioed boys and girls.

Light and Darkness

I had some films processed today and amidst the snow and slush, I remember that crisp Autumn day when we walked down Kingsland Road and into Geffrye Museum. The light was so beautiful. 

Here lies the magic of having your films processed. They take you back through the seasons.