OOH LA LA!

This weekend my chap and I went to a fancy dress party with a French theme. My first thought was to become a can can dancer, naturally (who doesn't love an excuse to pile on the plumage?!), then I decided to choose a character with even more girlie decadence...

IN THE CHILL

Okay so it's not knitted scarves and thermal long johns weather, but it's definitely time to twirl an oversize cotton scarf atop your trench coat. These are my faves. Totally value for money if you consider it an injection of colour and pattern into your mostly-grey/black/navy-closet and a splash of style for everyday.

COMFORT EATING

It's pouring with rain outside. And cold. Seriously Autumnal. This morning leaves in shades of gold, chestnut and amber swirled around my mustard Georgina Goodmans as I walked down Old Bond Street. We have pals coming to dinner tonight and there's only one thing for it. Comfort food. We received the new Nigella Kitchen cookbook at the GLAMOUR office last week and I've decided to whip up her Thyme Toad in the Hole for the four of us. The addition of a sprinkling of fresh thyme apparently makes this a small step up from the British classic, but there's nothing like a pile of pillowy Yorkshire pudding, drowned in onion gravy to restore you back to your former self. I'll be serving it up alongside red wine and Strictly Come Dancing. Okay, I know it's not a night at a chi chi cocktail bar, but just right now, I couldn't think of anything nicer.

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!