darn it!

Ha - I've just amused myself with my silly post title. Sorry. My Mum has taught me how to darn. My alpine jumper (again... it's that time of year) has some quite extreme moth holes in it which I'd been meaning to darn for a while but didn't know how. My Mum's reaction to said holes was to inform me that she'd bought the jumper whilst visiting the Hebridies during the early 1970s thus making it almost 40 years old and therefore expected to have holes. Anyway with the use of a darning mushroom and some almost identical thread I successfully mended the six holes in my jumper and I'm now ready to combat any more damage the evil moths that live in my house might make!

Over the last year a group of pesky moths have wreaked havoc on my clothes, destroying the skirt of my 1950s suit (the jacket is currently in the freezer to protect it from any more damage - if they ruined that I think I would proabably cry), an angora cardigan that had belonged to my great aunt and chewing holes in many other jumpers and cardigans. I don't like the idea of coating clothes in lots of scary chemicals and although I did try some kind of toxic mothball they didn't work anyway. I have cedar blocks folded into all my jumpers and cardigans, have made little bags of herbs and recently put conkers amongst all my wooll items after hearing that they act as some kind of a deterrent. I don't have anything against moths as a creature in general and I know that they need to eat but I wish they wouldn't use my clothes!

(darning in progress, ta-da!, some brussel sprout trees in the snow)

diary

Every year, during December, I obsess over which diary I'm going to buy for next year. I love the sense of a new start, as this year's diary starts to look tired and worn, and the ritual of copying over people's birthdays and filing in other plans already arranged for next year.
I like either Muji or Moleskine (I've had Muji ones for the last few years but I'm going back to Moleskine this year as I've managed to find one of their vertical layout diaries!) I'm quite particular about the layout of the pages - I either need the week to be laid out with the days arranged vertically or if the days are going to be horizontal then they need to be on the left-hand page and a blank page on the right-hand side.
Why this specificity you may ask? Well it's because of my lists. I'm an obsessive list maker. I make them all the time. There's something very calming about making a list. And then crossing things off it. The security of knowing you don't have to worry about remembering something because you've written it down. So I like to make lists in my diary of things I need to do on particular days.
I have notebooks with lists in of books I plan to read, films I want to watch, items of clothing I feel that I 'need'... I like the address book insert that comes at the back of a Moleskine diary, it's perfect for list making, and as it has tabs I can have sections for different kind of lists such as: a list of things I'm planning on making/doing eg. mending my patchwork quilt, moving around the furniture in the bedroom and a list of things I plan to achieve in the next year and a list of important phone numbers that I can't remember - I am very bad at remembering numbers!
In the new year I'm thinking of creating a series of list based posts - so any topics suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

christmas crackers, icy turquoise and clara bow

I've just read this post and it's really inspired me to think about my Christmas day outfit. I normally stick to my alpine jumper but that's getting a bit repetitive now and I want to get more wear out of it generally during the season rather than just saving it for Christmas day... I do have a red and green checked 1950s dress (which my sister calls my christmas cracker dress) that I usually wear quite a lot during the summer but rarely at this time of year - perhaps that's a missed opportunity I've overlooked? I've also got what I like to think of as my Marilyn Monroe ski lodge jumper - as I image that it's the kind of thing she may have worn if she were visiting such a place - a Biba black knitted polo neck with leopard print faux fur cuffs which is another possibility. Hmm. I think I need to give this some thought - it needs to be something comfortable and warm for relaxing in that will allow for an expanding waistline after eating too much... Do you plan a Christmas day outift?
I've just painted my nails with my newish Barry M nail-varnish in turquoise. (I do love their range of flat opaque colours - not a big fan of metallic nail-varnish myself). I thought it seemed appropriate for today's very cold icy weather but I'm not so sure if it looks right against my cold pink hands? Perhaps I just need to get used to it - I usually stick to reds, dark reds or coral.
Yesterday I dyed my hair, my hair has not been it's natural colour since I was seventeen, and this time I went for a more obvious shade of red rather than the gingery colour I've favoured for a while now - although after a few washes my hair normally returns to said gingery shade. My hair has been red predominantly for the last twelve years, with the odd period of black and an 'interesting' blonde period, as it's the colour that suits me best. I feel frustrated that my natural shade of mousy brown does nothing for my complexion and makes my incredibly pale skin look washed out and sallow. And with my new darker shade and recently trimmed bob (courtesy of my sister's excellent self-taught hairdressing skills) I'm quite liking my Clara Bow-esque look. Damn it if only it were natural!

elf

I have decided that my calling in life is to become an elf. (When I say elf I mean a one of Santa's helpers kind of elf not a Lord of the Rings kind of elf). I'm small. I like making things. What other requirements could I possibly need to fulfil? For the past few weeks most of my spare time has been filled with Christmas present and card making and in spite of not being the world's biggest fan of Christmas I'm enjoying this year's build up. Although I suspect that may have something to do with the fact that this year I've eschewed Christmas shopping in favour of the aforementioned making of presents. I had a tiny amount of shopping to do which I did yesterday and was fortunate enough that not only was Oxford Street not painfully busy but that it also snowed quite heavily and so I mostly enjoyed the experience. Today has seen the first wearing of my favourite jumper - my alpine style Shetland wool jumper which used to be my Mum's and I save for wearing this time of the year (it's very The Ice Storm). And also my first taste of my winter lettuce that I've been growing which I had for lunch with some poached eggs.

(my living room looking cosy and festive, a failed attempt at photographing the snow whilst shopping, my tasty lunch, and fortnum and mason's window display - just because)

my paris

Finally I have gotten around to posting about my trip to Paris at the end of October and I thought the best way to do it was through some of my favourite pictures and experiences and let the city speak for itself...
(From the top down)

• A sculpture in one of the parks made of cymbals that people were gathered around throwing stones at to make a plinky plonky sound - there appeared to be a respect for public space in Paris that I really liked.
• An installation by Annette Messager in a survey of art by women from 1960 to the present day at the Pompidou centre which replaced the general survey of art from that period usually on display there. I thought it was a bold and important decision for a public institution to dedicate that much of it's gallery space to women artists.
• Napoleon III's apartments at the Louvre - one of the most breathtaking environments I've ever been in.
• French style.
• The Pere Lachaise Cemetary - (yes that's me!) the highlight of my trip and I shall be dedicating a whole post to it soon...
• The Opera Garnier and a lamp-post - Parisian architecture is incredible.
• Macaroons or Macarons! I was aware that macaroons are gluten-free but wanted to wait until I went to Paris to try them - from Laduree where this particular kind were invented. The wait was worth it particularly for the pink grapefruit ones!
  
• Some gloriously, frothy Fragonard.
  

So that's my Paris.

fantastically foxy

I finally got to see Fantastic Mr Fox the other night and it was worth the wait. I like Wes Anderson's films a lot but I often find the storylines to be a little weak. The quirkiness of the production design and the idiosyncrasies of the characters for me are his forte and so I felt that his interpretation of Dahl's story worked particularly well as there was already a good story there for him to work with. I loved that it had been animated using stop-motion techniques rather than CGI and that the animation wasn't slick and perfect but a little bit off beat. My favourite character was the Foxes' son, Ash, with his cantankerous adolescent attitude. And of course I loved all the typical Anderson details like Mrs Fox's pockets in her dress for paint brushes and scissors and spoons, that she was a landscape painter who paints thunderstorms and hurricanes, that the Foxes drank coffee and from a Bialetti espresso maker, their maniacal dancing style and the juice boxes they find in the supermarket.

(Images from indiemoviesonline.com and filmofilia.com)

good things

just a few things that have brought me much happiness over the last few days...

• that I managed to cook myself two perfect boiled eggs on Saturday morning. Although I am actually quite a good cook as a general rule my boiled eggs are always undercooked and partly raw (I am not a huge fan of timing things) so much so that both 'R' and my Mum will not let me cook them boiled eggs and always insist on doing it themselves....
• that I got my copy of Dita von Teese's new book Stripteese signed by the lady herself on Friday evening.
• that my seedling are growing! albeit quite slowly...
• that I went to the Sunday UpMarket on Brick Lane yesterday with my sister to find that not only it has expanded hugely since I last went and now has loads of vintage stalls upstairs but one lady had a box of 'free stuff' she was getting rid of at the end of the day and I got a kimono with this amazing dragon on! it has a hole in one of the shoulder seams and the belt is missing but otherwise it's in perfect condition. I have another one in dark blue I bought ages ago which I altered and made into a shirt/top type thing and am yet to wear so had been kind of regretting it but now I have another one I can flounce around in when it gets warmer!
• that it has been forecast to rain all day (although it isn't right now...) and there's loads of good stuff to listen to on the radio iPlayer including last week's Dylan show!
  

a christmas aesthetic?

Paris themed posts will come soon ( I keep forgetting to charge my camera so I can download the photos and I may need to draft them a few times...) but in the meantime I'm trying to decide on a theme/aesthetic for my Christmas cards for this year. Last year's had a gothic theme and featured a raven (or crow?) and lots of frosty coloured glitter! I was really pleased with them as they met with my appreciation for the slightly darker things in life and general dislike of the typical snowman/father christmas/redgreenwhite aesthetic so I'm finding it hard to come up with something better this year... Generally I try to go for a wintery seasonal theme rather than a festive Christmas one. So far I've come up with a few ideas: a green/gold/leopard print combination (one of my favourite colour combinations generally), a yellow/orange/gold/woodprint 70s aesthetic featuring woodland animals eg. squirrels, owls, deer or something collage based depending on what's in my collaging bag. I'm thinking the orange and yellow idea might be the best? Do you spend a long time agonising over an aesthetic for your Christmas cards/wrapping/decorations?

P.S. The herbs are growing - photos to come soon!

simple pleasures

(One of my favourite things - my reconditioned 1930s bakelite phone which has the best ringtone)

Have just discovered that Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour is back on the radio. It's my favourite radio programme and I'm enjoying it through the wonders of the BBC iPlayer so I can listen whenever I like. Unfortunately they're not archived as my favourite theme he's ever covered is 'the telephone'. I've always been drawn to songs with the sound of a telephone in them, which is quite odd as I don't like answering the phone very much, and as Dylan's taste in music is so good you know you're in for some great examples. Knowing that this is back on makes all seem right within the world, well at least for the hour in which I'm listening to it...
Another thing that makes me happy is when I'm reading a book that I'm enjoying so much I look forward to opportunities to read and it usually results in me reading it within a week and then feeling sad that it's over too quickly. I'm reading such a book at the moment: Alain De Botton's Status Anxiety. I had put it in the bathroom with the intention of reading it idly whilst in the bath. I started to read it the other night, whilst in the bath, and I lay and read the first 50 pages in one sitting until the water had almost gone cold. This took my completely by surprise and I love it when a book does that to you. I've watched some of De Botton's programmes on TV before and really enjoyed them but this is the first time I've read one of his books. I'm really liking his writing style and it's accessibility and that you feel like you're receiving a history lesson at the same time - it also feels like a very relevant book for the world as it is today.
In her first book, The Gentle Art of Domesticity, Jane Brocket writes about receiving happiness from your own set of simple pleasures, unfortunately I don't own a copy but as far as I remember I think her's included good chocolate, some wine and a nice new ball of wool. I think mine would have to include a cup of good earl grey tea, some cake and a rainy afternoon inside with something good on the radio (preferably Dylan's Theme Time).

growing things

Although I only have a small balcony to grow things on I do feel sad when this time of year comes around and it's difficult to grow edible things. I like to think if I had a garden I'd grow things all year round by growing veg that suit different seasons. I have some herbs out on the balcony (rosemary, oregano and mint) that I'm hoping will survive the Winter but to keep my growing habits going I'm trying some herbs and lettuce on the kitchen window sill. The lettuce is a special winter blend that is doing quite well, the herbs (basil and coriander) less so in fact all I have at the moment is one tiny coriander shoot... but nevertheless it's exciting watching their progress!

crafting

(This year's pumpkins which were finally carved a week late and provided us with a week's worth of pumpkin pie - enough for breakfast every day!)

I've been away from my blog for a while, not intentionally, but now I'm back! I've got lots of ideas for entries ready to be posted so hopefully there will be a lot more action around here... Including some entries on my recent trip to Paris! But firstly I've been doing lots of crafting recently which I'm finding incredibly restorative after the stress of finishing my MA, being unemployed and now being only very partly employed. Unfortunately I can't reveal any of my creations until after Christmas otherwise some readers of this blog won't be getting surprises on Christmas morning. Although I'm not a huge fan of Christmas itself I do like spending the couple of months leading up to it making presents and cards and decorations. There's something that's just 'right' about this time of year and crafting don't you think?

halloween

Halloween is my favourite festival by far. There's no great expectations, family politics, apparent inequalities or sense of propriety. It's all about fun, dressing up, playing games and reveling in the darker sides of our imagination in a safe and familiar way. And in honour of this celebration of all things dark and creepy here's a photo of my pumpkin from last year (this year's is yet to be carved...) and the interior of the home of my favourite fictional family - The Addams Family. If only to have a house like theirs...

music to bake to...

I'm quite particular about my baking conditions. I like to bake in the afternoon but not before 3. Baking in the morning is also ok but it then somehow seems like more of a necessity than an indulgence. And baking in the evening is wrong - I don't know why it just is. I'm also quite particular about the music I listen to whilst I bake. (perhaps this is connected to the indulgence part?) Mostly I listen to Peggy Lee but Dizzy Gillespie I find also works well. For me baking needs something that's upbeat but soothing and not too distracting. I am also most happy to bake when it's a bit grey and dreary outside and therefore feels most warm and cosy in.
I think I am particular about these things as someone who is gluten intolerant cake or biscuits are an indulgence. I only have them when I've had time to do some baking so therefore the conditions must be right. Although I am greatly appreciative of the supermarket's 'freefrom' ranges, and on the whole their products are good, few of the cakes and biscuits live up to expectations (except for sainsbury's doughnuts but these are also a treat at £1.99 for 2...) and as with 'glutenous' cakes I think home-made is always better.

perfect autumn dinner

Last week I made the perfect autumn dinner - lamb chops roasted in red wine, rosemary and garlic and plum crumble with custard - both were variations on recipes from Nigella Lawson's amazing book Feast. (I learnt a lot of what I know about cooking from Nigella and I love her wholly unapologetic attitude towards food). Having just completed an MA I have spent most of the last three months researching and writing my dissertation with little time for anything else, including cooking, so I am relishing having time to cook again and have insisted on making dinner nearly every night since then. I find something incredibly restorative and calming about making a good dinner and at this time of year there are few things better than pottering around in the kitchen knowing that something yummy is baking in the oven.

some blue...

Have started knitting a scarf using some wool oddments that are too small to do anything else with. It's progressing quite quickly (for me) - this is an evening's worth of knitting. I'm not particularity good I can only do flat straight things like scarves or blankets or... yep that's it. My knitting is a source of amusement for my mum and sister (my mum was an accomplished knitter by the time she was 10!) it's normally so tight that it doesn't move along the needles very easily. This attempt is much looser but this looseness is causing many other problems like dropped stitches and randoms loops and some strange looking stitches... but I'm quite liking these quirks I think they add some character to my funny little scarf.
I go through phases of liking colours. At the moment I'm really being drawn to blues and turquoises so was pleased that many of my wool oddments feel into this colour group. Although there is still a strong green bias but it's my favourite colour so that can't be helped...
On the subject of 'blue' I saw Roger Hiorn's amazing installation, Seizure, that earned him his Turner Prize nomination last week. He's covered the interior of a flat, that's due for demolition, with copper sulphate crystals and it's quite incredible. Photos just don't do it justice.

autumn

Autumn is my favourite season. I look forward to it the way people look forward to summer. Not that I don't like summer but it doesn't fill me with the same sense of excitement as when it begins to get a bit nippy, the shops start selling Halloween things, leaves turn yellow and go crispy, you want to start making soups and stews and crumbles and custard, you dig out your boots and jumpers and woolly tights and the nights draw in - encouraging you to stay in and cosy up with a pot of tea, some cake and a good book or film.

(Photos from a walk through Victoria Park along the River Lea to Hackney Marshes)

I (heart) Kim Deal

(Image from Rolling Stone)

Because she's cool. Because she still sounds like a girl even though she's nearly 50. Because her twin sister, Kelley, writes books on knitting. Because at the end of an amazing gig, with the Pixies at the Brixton Academy, she takes the time to stand at the edge of the stage and wave at everyone whilst looking so happy that we're all there.

Beginnings

After spending a while reading lots of other blogs I've decided to 'take the plunge' and start my own. It's not specifically going to be about one thing but cover lots of areas that I'm interested in including: art, vintage style, film, crafting, visual culture in general and a bit of cooking and gardening. I'm thinking of it as a work in progress, a notepad, a space for ideas so let's see where it goes....

Hello

Hello just testing!