PURRFECTLY TERRIBLE

Ugh. Sorry for my lack of posts these past few days. I have been ill. Can’t drag yourself from your bed ill. Whimpering pathetically ill. My lovely chap and I both caught a stomach bug and were suffering tag-team nausea for three days straight. I now feel a shadow of my former self. The only silver lining being that my trousers are noticeably baggier and I look considerably more svelte. Such a shame that wellness will also mean weight gain again. C’est la vie.

P.S. This gorgeous cat pic by Tim Walker has nothing to with my own puce pallor. But it makes me smile and that’s about all I have the energy to do today – along with nibbling Rich Tea biscuits!

STRICTLY STICKLEY

I don’t go a bundle over Cath Kitson. She may be charming and retro, but for me it’s all just a twee step too far. I do, on the other hand, love Lisa Stickley. Similarly vintage, she manages to stay stylish and just the right amount of old-school by mixing her pretty tea rose prints and whimsical scripty fonts with sharp fluro shades and lots of monochrome. Worthy of any smart kitchen counter if you ask me.

Z = 10 POINTS

As many of my fellow iPhone pals are aware, I’m a Scrabble junkie. We’ve discovered an app that lets you play over the cyber waves with your wordsmith friends. I always have a few games going on (and get very frustrated when I’m beaten, thanks mum for my appalling competitive spirit!). These Scrabble mugs, soon to be available from Graham & Green (next month I think) are the perfect Christmas gift for all those Scrabble aficionado grandparents. Why are old people so amazing at Scrabble? My pal Kit and I have received regular whippings from her nan over the years (and she's pushing 90). It gives me hope that one day, when I look like Honor Blackman, I will also be the Scrabble queen. Watch this space.

FANTASY SHOPPING

... on Net A Porter. Sigh.

KANYE STYLE

The new artwork for Kanye West's next single was released today. V. cool. I'm interested to see where he's going style-wise and this album cover is the kind of thing I'd happy frame on my wall (channeling Degas?!). I actually like Kanye a lot. Despite his jumped-up ego and random bad career moves (the man seems to have no edit switch).
He was once supposed to attend a GLAMOUR awards ceremony but the day of the event, his management team sent a message that he'd sprained his ankle playing basketball the day before, so hadn't got on his flight. As you can imagine, we were distraught, disappointed and basically screwed. It turns out, the event was actually still a big hit, but for a time Kanye's name was mud in our office.
Then, around three weeks later, I was sitting as my desk typing, just as I am doing now, when in walks Kanye. No entourage, no airs and graces. He'd come to apologise personally to my editor. The office fizzed with excitement (which he seemed to barely notice), Kanye plonked himself onto my editor's sofa, I decided I wasn't missing out so popped in for the chat too. He was a cool guy. Completely immersed in himself, but along with that, hugely passionate and creative and inspiring - he had such belief in everything he did. Up close it felt more like drive than ego. He didn't ooze charm and charisma like some stars I've met. Actually he was pretty low key and mild mannered. He played us some Rihanna tracks he was collaborating on and showed us artwork and clothing designs. It was fascinating and I came away feeling a lot of love for him. What can I tell you? I just like his style.
PS: The footnote to this should be that I saw Kanye again about a year later, shopping in APC. We were the only ones in there. He completely blanked me. Ha!

KNOBS & KNOCKERS

Just like the next girl, I'm a sucker for a bit of frippery. While on the Anthropologie site the other day, these door knobs caught my eye.

To me, decorative door knobs could act like a decor gaydar - any man who gets excited over them cannot be straight!

Anyway, these are just the right side of gaudy for me (it helps that they are monochrome, so seem somehow less OTT). I think they'd look cute on a white wardrobe, or maybe one of each on a chest of drawers.

CHEERS

Spotted these kitschy toasting glasses on Etsy. The gimmick (you stick them into a cake, as you would birthday candles, fill each with a dash of something lethal, then toast) is pretty hard to resist - but then so is the comedy packaging!

KITCHEN SLUT

In my mind there are different levels of sluttiness in the kitchen (no, I'm not talking about screwing on the work tops). I love an easy life, but I am still a domestic goddess with a culinary moral code, so buying a pudding for a dinner party? Definitely a slut step too far.
If I can be bothered to have people over, I am certainly going to make the effort to actually throw my own dessert together instead of opening a packet. That said, I am all for cutting corners: buy some langue du chat to serve with your homemade mousse, crush a deli meringue into your Eton mess or stir a jar of fancy lemon cured into your speedy syllabub and I'll applaud you.
I am definitely not above recycling though. We have friends coming for dinner tonight and others on Thursday. So yesterday I made a pudding to do double duty. Jamie Oliver's baked cheesecake, which I'll serve both days, with a cherry compote made with cherries from my Uncle's French cherry tree - livened up with a glug of port. Now we just have to practice our surprised faces when we see it again in two days time!

DIRTY PRETTY THINGS

If my budget were bigger and my boobs perkier, I'd definitely be buying these beauties...

WHAT TO WEAR?

Last week my uber chic pal Kit texted me to say she was already digging dressing for A/W 10. "Loving khaki/camel or navy trousers with a smart or check shirt and tailored jacket. Love that you can get ankle boots out again and that it's not all about jeans..." she wrote happily. I share her enthusiasm. Sort of.
As I write I'm wearing a pair of navy high waisted trousers, a marl grey tee and a caramel cashmere cardigan, finished with grey patent Mary Janes with towering heels. It's quite nice to layer - just a little. But what worries me is that currently the air has only got the merest hint crisper. What happens when just a cardi isn't enough and we're piling woollen layers until we resemble Michelin men? What happens when we've been rocking this trouser/blouse/blazer combo every day for six months and are beyond bored? Already I feel like I'm recycling the same few new pieces and although I love them, I wonder how long it will be before they feel like fickle friends who I'm ready to ditch.
What will see you through this season?

HOW DO YOU FEEL?

Jonathan Adler + needlepoint = so cool. I could literally buy cushions until I couldn't see my sofa. I love patterns and prints and smart messages in great fonts. The vaudevillian nature of these cushions really tickles me. I have a smoky grey/blue velvet sofa and could totally imagine both of these nestled side by side. I'd even retire my 101 other cushions for a day or so.

I LIKE THIS.

So true.

SUITS YOU SIR

My gorgeous chap may have discovered his wedding suit this weekend!! Whilst returning from another incredible big day bash on Saturday (the most fun), we fought our raging hangovers and made a detour to go suit shopping on our way home.
I have never voyaged into the world of men's tailoring before and can now conclude that suits are all the same - yet totally different. It didn't take long for us to spot the subtle tweaks that separated a beautifully cut jacket and a badly shaped one.
We fell for slim lapels and sharply cut tuxedos (which we begrudgingly ruled out as being too dressy for our more low-key affair), we went cuckoo for a Vivienne Westwood grey wool number with brown buttons, which fit like a glove but ended up being slightly too jaunty.
We ruled out everything by Hugo Boss (yawn), anything with more than two buttons and anything majorly avant garde (unlike my dress thai suit will see a lot of action). We were surprised we didn't fall more in love with Dior and decided Paul Smith usually added one multi-coloured detail too many.
The suit that I think will make the grade (and I'll never know for sure, as after that initial viewing, I have been rightfully booted out of the decision-making process), is Alexander McQueen. And SO gorgeous. And made my man look Mad Men perfect. I won't say anymore as this is his gig, but we'll see... Exciting, right?

MO LOVE!

I'm not mad keen on anything that's too comically kitsch, but these mugs from Pedlars have just the right amount of wit for me. I'm not a moustache lover in real life (sorry hipsters) but I am a big fan of monochrome, so I'd happily slurp form one of these fellas.

PLATTER MATTERS

Okay, I'll admit it, I have a slightly ridiculous obsession with cake stands. Not only do I love the grandeur of a gateau upon a pedestal, I also love the idea of tiers of treats displayed so elegantly. Of course I have a few at home and of course, I'd like more. Top of my list are these lovely peppermint green milk glass stands from Re. Made even more covetable when paired with candy pink icing.

SMITTEN KITTEN

I'm such a pussycat person that I'd be purring with happiness to receive a box of these ganache truffles from divine chocolate brand Rococo. All of their products are not only inspired and delicious but beyond beautifully packaged.

LONG LIVE THE LUDDITE

I've always been a massive fan of Thomas Paul - his beautiful cushions and melamine plates already have a place in my home and I'd love to open my doors to these charmingly retro phone and iPod cases too.

CAREY LOVE

Feeling inspired by Carey Mulligan's ensemble in this months US Vogue. I love the monochrome floral print of her dress and those way OTT candy pink elbow-length gloves, that actually somehow don't seem so OTT after all.

WHO WANTS TO GROW UP?

The little girl in me still goes ga-ga over Benoit Missolin. Granted, it's not easy to look that sophisticated in his creations, but worn with a very simple black shift dress, your hair messily tied up and a smudge of lipstick, these will stay make an awesome statement at any soiree. When do I sign up?

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

I'm pretty smitten with this fabulously funny catchphrase print from Pedlars. How many of these one liners do you remember lovingly?

FANCY PANTS

How pretty is this lingerie from Luva Huva? It's all flouncy cotton, charming prints and floozy cute (think sexy not sleazy). Perfecting for wafting around the house on a Saturday morning. Hmm, you may need to put the heating on first.

NECKLACE NECCESITY

When I want to buy jewellery, I usually end up feeling caught between a rock and a hard place with the glitzy high end pieces that are elegant, simple and cost six months salary, and the cheap and way-too-chunky gems that you find in normal high-street shops. I always want something special and statementy that isn't so seriously expensive that you're too freaked out to wear it. Actually my two favourite necklaces are from Brooklyn. One is a combo of vintage lockets from Bird, bought my my pal Lara about six years ago and the other was my Christmas pressie this year from my chap, which has four strands of silk thread covered in teeny tiny gold beads, from Dear Fieldbinder. I'd happily add one of the above, from Candace Ang, to my wear-to-death collection too.

EAST SIDER

I really try hard not to blog too much about my impending nuptials. Oh, I could you know. Way, way more than I do. Everyday I allocate a little bit of time to our wedding vision. My bookmarks are full to bursting with statement veils, beautiful letterpress, to-die-for shoes and clouds made with coffee paper filters. I daydream on the bus. I live out different parts of the big day while on the treadmill. I doodle in a notebook or type myself reminders into my iPhone. I enjoy every single second of it.
I love parties.
I love my fiance.
I love looking forward to this most special of days.
I am so so lucky that my chap is as creative and fiercely involved as I am. I love that today he lobbied to change the colour of just one heart on our Save the Date postcards. I am thrilled that he cares that much (I really am, despite being an uber control freak). I don't mind admitting that our wedding, as well as being personal, special and just for us, will also be fanciful and overstyled and the culmination of months of creative vision and energy. I'll plead guilty to already having ordered cupcake cases and started ink stamping notecards and stockpiling wedding desirables from French brocantes and online shops. But despite all this, I am still totally digging East Side Bride, a brilliant LA blog by a hip ex New Yorker, who is anti the OTT wedding and takes a lot of pleasure in bucking the trend (plus she doesn't give two hoots if she offends the peony-loving, Martha Stewart-worshiping girls among us). She doesn't pull any punches, she's smart, original and cuts through the wedding bullshit. She's a breath of fresh air and even if I wasn't getting married, I'd read her blog. You should too.
PS I'm still having peonies though.

PAGE TURNER

What am I doing this weekend? Hitting the gym, chowing on Vietnamese street food with my fiance, going to a Christening, hanging out with pals and throwing a luncheon. What could I very easily do instead? Spend the next 72 hours with my nose firmly stuck between the pages of Jump! the new and undoubtedly brilliant romp by Jilly Cooper. It's no secret that I'm a Jilly devotee, so the moment a review copy of her tome plonked on my desk earlier this week I whooped with joy. I've been trying to surreptitiously read the first chapter whilst editing the entertainment pages of GLAMOUR (no chance). Some of her new characters are called Romy, Drummond, Dare and Shagger Simmons. Oh, and there's stallion called Love Rat! I think I'm going to enjoy this...

C'EST BON!

J'aime these charming decorative sticker by Braume. My chap and I always talk about ripping up our seagrass matting, and painting our old stairs (which are remarkably similar to these) instead. I love the idea of writing some sort of message on them too - and doesn't everything seem more ooh la la in French anyway?

A DO OR A DON'T?

Knitted thighs-highs at J.Crew. A little school girl, but kinda sexy and cool worn with shorts and a big slouchy sweater. Toned thighs and a swathe of self tan essential.

NO NEED TO TELL YOU...

... how I feel about this print by Bold & Noble!

DO YOUR EARS HANG LOW?

It's not often that I even think about wearing a long earring. Here are the reasons:
a) Long blonde hair
b) Ample bosom
c) Fondness for scarlet lips
You see? A statement pair of dangly gems would be serious overkill, right? But these newbies at Net A Porter (from Marni to Marant), are making me think a ponytail, pale lip and a poloneck...