Sunday 22 January 2012

House Update


The aim was to have most of the house done by now. Christmas and the new baby being the deadlines. And I think, more or less, we're there. There are a few more rooms that we'll do when we've lived here for a year or two; turning the attic into Chaz's office, making our bathroom a dressing room and some more major wallpapering...
But for now we can wash out our paintbrushes, hang up the dust sheets and enjoy.


Obviously there have been moments when I've wanted to fling myself off the nearest tall building but on the whole I have loved everything about doing up the house. Having, more or less, a blank canvas, with only imagination to restrict me, has been an incredible experience. I've worried that i've gone too far sometimes with wallpapers. On certain days the green, Sanderson sensation on the upstairs landing can feel a bit like being in a jungle. And the Hague blue in our bedroom can make me feel slightly Morticia Adams-esque. But I feel it's better than playing safe. We can do sensible and neutral in fifty years time. And, if we really don't like something, change is it's only another coat of paint away.




My favourite rooms are the ones painted by Fifi McAlpine. I still can't walk past either one without going in and marvelling at her how beautiful they are. They're like stepping into huge pieces of art.





We painted the sitting room in Farrow and Ball 'Pigeon' which rather disarmingly completely changes colour at different times of the day.







My new obsession - an antique Indian chest from Bluedog & Saught in Woodstock.



The Sanderson jungle





Our Hague Blue bedroom

Thursday 19 January 2012

Heavenly Feathers



There's something about a feather that I just can't resist. Throw in a bit of gold and some jewels to the mix and I'm anyone's.
I'm finding these Jeeyun Ha design earrings especially visionary today. Perfect for a bit of friday retail...









www.net-a-porter.com/Shop/Designers/Jeeyun_Ha_Designs

Wednesday 18 January 2012

John Dilnot


In my ongoing hunt for new, not-going-to-break-the-bank artists, I've recently come across English artist, John Dilnot. I love the innocence and brightness of his works and am thinking that the screen prints of caterpillars and beetles could be perfect in the new little chick's bedroom.




Beetles signed and numbered edition of 200 on watercolour paper
paper size 28x37cm
£110.00



NATURAL HISTORY
box detail 30x31x26 cm




OVER THE THAMES
2011 15x12x7cm
£360












Little Brown Birds signed and numbered edition of 200 on watercolour paper
paper size 28x37cm
£110




Garden Pests signed and numbered edition of 200 on watercolour paper
paper size 28x37cm
£110



IN THE WASH 2011 15x12x7cm
£360







Caterpillars signed and numbered edition of 450 on watercolour paper
paper size 24x33cm
£70



Above are some of my favourites of John's screen prints and boxes

www.johndilnot.com

Monday 16 January 2012

White Pod



Chaz and I have been planning my 30th birthday party for about five years now. We still haven't ever made an actual decision about what we want to do or even where we want to go. It's still over a year away but we happily wile away many an hour going over every possibility. Moroccan Riads, beach villas in Bali or Cape Town being the ideas that we keep coming back to.
Given the choice I will always choose sun over snow but yesterday has left me maybe thinking otherwise. I came across the eco skiing resort, Whitepod in the small Swiss village of Les Cerniers. It's a tiny private resort that is built each season from scratch using totally ecologically friendly materials and only has 15 'pods'. There is one main hang out area that can fit 80 people (perfect for the party) and then come ski time, you have 7kms of your own pistes and private lifts.








www.whitepod.com
www.thesnowcollection.com

Sunday 15 January 2012

Pretty as a Pansy




After the Cub arrived life was a million times easier if I was wearing some kind of top with buttons down the front. Easy access. (for feeding).
The first few weeks were spent in a daze, lolling around in one of Chaz's tartan numbers but after a while I got sick of looking like a small trucker and was desperate for something slightly more feminine. Living in France you would imagine it would be an easy task to pop out and find something pretty but in reality ended up shipping over (pretty hideous) bits and pieces from the UK. Being in a permanent state of exhaustion with blurred vision meant that my choices weren't what I'd usually go for. A particularly hideous sparkly tartan one from Uniqlo keeps popping up in my memory...
So this time, I'm going to be better prepared. I'm very excited about my first find, this silk pansy print shirt from Warehouse. On the Warehouse website it tells me it's silk - not ideal with a new cherub - but on the asos.com site it's claiming to be polyester so I'm going to believe the latter so I can tick off the pretty and practical boxes on my mental check list and not feel guilty about splashing out on something I'm not going to be able to wear for another six months.




Pansy sensation £55 available from
www.asos.com
and
www.warehouse.co.uk

Thursday 12 January 2012

Whilst on the Subject


While we are on the subject of our dear friend Isabel Marant, please can she stop it with her new jewel collection. I was doing so well abstaining from buying anything for myself - things that the baby can use too (shawls) obviously don't count as shopping for me.
But now she's thrown lots of tassely, beady, pompom numbers into the mix, I don't think I can restrain myself a second longer.








Actually. Now that I'm thinking of it, a twinkly pompom-ed creation would be perfect for keeping a newborn cherub entertained, no?


This one's even in the sale...

All jewels available from netaporter.com and matchesfashion.com

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Isabel Marant + Willow


When Isabel Marant brought out her heeled trainers last year I went into meltdown trying to work out how to get my hands on them. Thanks to some crafty calling and a quick tripette back to France (I honestly was going anyway), they were mine.
I've got deja-vu all over again all over again but this time they are actually made for me. The proof is in the title..


Introducing Isabel Marant's WILLOW sneaker...



Friday 6 January 2012

Wildfox Spring Summer 2012


She was 16


She fell in love with a cowboy

She had a palamino pony

they lived for adventure

He broke her heart

she went West


She broke the law...























www.ilovewildfox.com