I HEART: Happy New Year Everyone!

For a 2009 that is comng to a close.

For a 2010 full of positivity and good will.

For all the rest, we will always have Rome!

I HEART: Mary McCarthy by Jane Bown via Betty Draper.

I am a huge fan of Jane Bown's work. In fact, I have a print of her Mick Jagger image pinned on a board right above my desk and every time I look at it I fall in love with the young Mick yet again! So much energy in a black and white image!

So, when a couple of weeks back I flicked through the Observer's book reviews and came across this picture of Mary McCarthy, author of The Group, I knew it was one of Ms Bown's, and I was right. I just had to scan it and post it here!

The Group is one of the books I've been meaning to get for a while now and although the pile of books to read on my shelf is magically refusing to get shorter (I still have books that were a Christmas present from last year!) I will definitely get my hands on a copy in the next few weeks. There has been a lot of talk about it recently but the image I have stuck in my head is a glimpse-and-you'll-miss-it scene from the last series of Mad Men where Betty is reading it (in its original 1963 cover, of course!) in the bath. So much to say in such a short scene! In fact, I can only imagine the black and white portrait shot that Jane Bown would take of Ms Draper!

Images by AMC and Jane Bown for The Observer.

BLOG BLESS AMERICA: Me, Me, Me!

A couple or so weeks ago, I ordered a copy of the Phillip Lim edition of Me Magazine from New York, curious to see both the magazine's concept up-close and in particular Lim's selection of friends and family. Due to a small mishap, I received the latest issue of the magazine, edited by Kitsune, but the lovely Me people quickly sent out the Lim edition too.

I'm a huuuuge Phillip Lim fan and really loved reading about all the people that have been instrumental in his life and career, from his business partner Wen Zhou to Joe Zee and Amanda Brooks as well as Anh Duong and a certain Mr. Oliver. Oh, and the big question of "why 3.1?" is answered!

Kitsune was a lovely surprise too and it was fun seeing Dr Richard Mortimer of Ponystep in it as well as Colette's Sarah, Loic Prigent, Pierre Hardy and Christian Mazzalai from Phoenix.

So, here are some scans, excuse the poor quality, I spent a couple of hours scanning on Friday and nearly lost my mind so these will just do! But do go onto Me's website where you can order any issue from their back catalogue. Very well worth it!

Images by Me Magazine.

BLOG BLESS: Cacharel in my dreams...

Cacharel is one of those names that instantly bring to mind hazy, rose-tinted childhood memories, whether you ever had any direct encounters with the brand or not. It's just there. I vaguely remember a bottle of Anais Anais on my mother's white dressing table. I must have liked it although I can't say for certain. I definitely liked the pretty flowers on the bottle and most certainly fell in love with the name, Anais; so good they named it twice! I imagine I day dreamed about being a girl that would have such a sweet, ethereal French name...

For all those faded memories I was pleasantly surprised to see these showroom images on Géraldine's Café Mode from the label's SS10 collection. I must admit, the show itself passed me by and I didn't take much notice of it other than being aware that it was the first under new designer Cedric Charlier, previously at Lanvin and His Royal Genius Alber Elbaz for six years. The collection has made more of an impact on my hanging on a rail than on the show, strange, no? It feels very fresh, poetic, crisp. Perhaps it's all the blush and white (not shown here) shirt and tee details. I love the print dresses and adore the blue rail. In fact, I'm sure I dreamt about that blue dress, hanging at the end, recently. I think my name was Anais...

Images by Cafe Mode.

Francophilia: The Lanvin is in the post!

Monsieur Elbaz, vous êtes magnifique!

BOW BOW BOW!!!

Valentino tee at Net-a-Porter.

BLOG BLESS: Putting a smile on your Monday's face!

I HEART: Doogie Whistles!

I know there's a dog theme running through this blog lately but trust me, story of my life!

This sweetie is named Doogie and he turns out to be Whistles' studio pet. Very appropriately he's gracing their Xmas sweater this season (and I think he ought to do so every year!) with profits of each sale going directly to Shelter (this amounts to around £25 with each sale).

Talking of Whistles, I know their press day was ages ago, or so it seems, but I still can't get over how good their SS10 collection is, just wait! I literally wanted every single item on the rails, a huge congrats to Ms Shepperdson and her team! Here are some pics, the prints in particular feel so right for spring, there's a great 'bandage' skirt, cool jackets to throw on top of everything and, of course, an amazing jumpsuit! Oh, did I mention the sweet canvas flats that so happen to be in my fave colours?

Images by Whistles and myself.

BLOG BLESS: The amimal issue.

Just to round up the silly posts session nicely, here are three images that have been waiting on my desktop for a while.

My perfect dog. I can't remember where I saw this (sorry I haven't credited anybody) but I love it! Remember, I'm the asthmatic girl that could never have a puppy as a kid and after watching one too many Lassies (God, how old does this make me sound?!) made a plan that one day I too would have a ridiculously intelligent dog that would carry my shopping list to the local shop in a basket and come back with all the shopping! So, what this good boy is doing here is pretty spot on. Oh, and did I mention that the other day I saw a terrier carrying a magazine down the road? One day.

Also, the perfect job? This lady is Sharon Montrose and she's a puppy photographer. As I said, the perfect job!

No, not a dog but found this beauty hiding besides a rubbish bin by Mornington Crescent tube.

Images by A Cup of Jo and myself.

I HEART: So many things, so little time!

Where was I? Right here, it seems, accumulating more 'cool things for the blog' while somehow finding less and less time to actually 'add cool things to said blog'. C'est la vie, que sera sera, it is what it is! So, my lovely imaginary friends, here is a super-post; a long, rambling, inconsequential list of stuff I felt like sharing weeks ago and are still, strangely, in my head.

Like the last episode of the third series of 'Mad Men' that I still haven't managed to get over. Don't worry UK residents, no reveals here. The third series has yet to start over here, of course (no rush BBC, who's waiting, right?), but the lovely boyfriend, his magic Apple TV and the lifesaving US i-tunes account ensured that we watched every episode as it aired in A M E R I K A. So, now I have to wait for season 4. But that Vanity Fair article on the fantastic Mr Weiner has made me worry. Just a feeling. We'll see. Until then, we'll always have Rome. Ciao Draper!

Talking about Matthew Weiner, you know about his adorable, super-duper-dapper son, Arlo, right? What? No? Here he is, as seen in the American GQ. Papa Weiner, adopt me. I will play freak-out-over-the-exact-shade-of-eggshell-blue-a-copywriter-would-go-for-in-1963 with you and Arlo, I promise!

On a different note, I watched Coraline on dvd ages ago but still obsess over her yellow raincoat.

I saw the one Stella did for Gap. I liked. It's for kids, of course, but Carla Bruni wore one of their jackets and they're probably sold out by now, but still...

So, I went over to the movie's website (last time I did this was, what, 2002?) and played around with the games. Here is my name as performed by the circus mice and here's me with buttons with eyes. Scary, I know. No, not the eyes. The amount of time I can waste online. And still no yellow raincoat. Did I mention that Coraline has a cool blue bob?