neon.
Ill-fatedly, I feel as though Spring is going to crop up any day now. Coats ought to be packed away, scarves tossed aside, and socks thrown out the window. My toes yearn for sandals, my legs for cut offs, and my back for the scorching heat of the sun. Is it really only January? Are we truly still in the middle of winter? Gave the weather the birdie and had a beach party in my front room. Union jack acted as my beach towel and i-D plus Twin magazine were my 'summer' reads. Surely a week spent with no laptop, cell phone, or makeup (lost luggage) deserves to be compensated by a little faux holiday fun. Only missing the sand and piña coladas...
Wearing: Weekday necklace around my wrist, Monki bra, and American Apparel vest.
a place for great ideas...
Great ideas always come to me as I'm trying to fall asleep. Only, in the morning, when I try to recall what they were... they often don't seem quite as remarkable as they did the night before. Surely I've forgotten the key to the perfect plan, the ultimate blog post, the revolutionary book... or maybe they weren't actually that impressive to begin with? Regardless, I came back to Oxford today to find this special little gift from my parents who always believe in my ideas, no matter how ridiculous they are. Thanks Mom and Dad. Now I have a place for all my great ideas.
Happy New Year everybody. Hope all your great ideas make it big this year.
Smythson notebook featured.
the end is near.
The last few hours of 2010 are upon us. As it winds to a close it feels as if we are hovering in a state of twilight. Christmas is over, it ended with a torrential thud, and the holiday season is almost entirely behind us. With the new year will come a fresh pile of resolutions. Mine is currently so long it reaches down to my toes. As I sit on the sofa gobbling up ham sandwiches and Swedish sour sweets I mumble about how I will join the gym upon arriving home... but the words are muffled by the shoveling movement of my hands. Ah well, such is the charm of lists... they are just as easily made as they are thrown away. I hope everyone looks back on 2010 with a sense of happiness and appreciation. It's been a great year in my books and I'm looking on with great anticipation for the new one that lies just ahead. Wishing everyone a joyful new year!
Wearing: Cruz boots and Ragna dress both by Monki, Fjallraven Kanken, and Jigsaw scarf.
p.s. I will join the gym.
Lessons in Lim (Pre Fall 2011 Edition)...
Rethink the sheath dress and the shell. Don't overlook a straight jacket or a pair of well cut trousers. The daily uniform never looked this good. Forget what your mom told you and mix black, navy and white. Arm yourself in sturdy multifunctional basics to fight against the daily grind. Lim's girls are warriors of the modern kind.
It's the colour that will take you perfectly from summer into fall - when days start getting shorter and tans start to fade. Wear it on its own to begin with and then layer soft greys overtop when the pale skin starts peeking out. To make a real statement, don't be shy, pile it on head to toe.
Raid your nan's closet and pile on your Sunday best. Then bring it back down to earth by throwing on some chunky black shoes and your most hard core biker jacket. A palette that rivals the feint blush of young love with moon-landing florals to boot. It's achingly feminine, slightly tongue in cheek, and reminds me a bit of what Blaire Waldorf might wear on a safari in Spring. Whatever you call it, I'll be adopting the look long before 'pre-fall' time creeps around.
Please note: I want to be a Lim lady.
All photos sourced from Vogue.com and can be found in their original format here.
a Nordic fog...
Venturing out to gaze across the frozen lake by my husband's family home in Sweden requires serious reinforcements. Only a short walk away, but I stashed sweets and a thermos full of hot chocolate into my bag. Don't worry, I wasn't crazy enough to wade through the snow and minus 10 degree weather in just this little dress. I've adopted a massive puffy jacket that makes me resemble the Michelin Man that I wear whenever I step outside. It's so big I can hardly lower my arms to my side but at least it works to cushion the fall when I slide and topple over in the snow.
Wearing: Monki Clementina dress, Näbb stövlar boots from the 1970s, Fashionology bird skull necklace, and The Bridge bag.
Giveaway Winner Announced
The Mulberry for Target giveaway has officially ended and a winner has been chosen at random. Thanks to all that entered! Hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas. I ventured out today to check out the sales and picked up two dresses from the Swedish shop Monki. Everywhere was crammed with people and the abundance of massive puffy coats made it even more difficult than normal to navigate the rails. I'm planning a little photo shoot out by a frozen lake tomorrow. Stay tuned for the result...
God Jul...
圣诞节快乐, Feliz Navidad, С Рождеством, عيد ميلاد مجيد... wishing you a Merry Christmas wherever you are in the world.
Blurried journey...
It has taken forty-six hours to make the journey from London to Stockholm, which should only take two and half. Arriving at Heathrow at 5am yesterday to an airport that was bathed in a sense of destroyed chaos. Rows of passengers without flights laid in rows on the tile floors under aluminum blankets. Disheveled and distraught, they bore signs that chastised their airlines for mistreating and ignoring them. Security guards blocked entrances to the airport, refusing to allow people to enter the terminal, forcing them to stand outside in the freezing conditions without any explanation. By some miracle, our flight was one of the few that managed to leave Heathrow. Originally meant to depart at 7am, we sat in the terminal, bags checked, for nine hours watching the screens move forward while our flight stayed frozen at the top of the board: 'please wait' it read. The 'condition', as it was being called, had brought one of the world's busiest airports to a standstill and was largely due to 5 inches of snow that fell in one hour in London on Saturday. Despite what might sound like a negative tone, the trip actually wasn't too bad. Heathrow has free wifi and plenty of coffee shops, once we made it to Frankfurt we were put up in a lovely hotel, given taxi rides to and from the airport, and were provided with three meals. We might have arrived a little behind schedule but, to be honest, I haven't got much to complain about.
Wishing good luck to anyone having to travel this holiday season... hope you make it to your final destination quickly and safely.
Oh, the weather outside...
It's slightly surreal stepping out into Oxford, like what it might feel like to float around inside a snow globe. Everything is covered and just about when you think it's starting to melt away someone flips us upside and it all starts sprinkling down again. Havoc has descended onto all transport, pipes are freezing, and toes are going numb. Despite all those factors though, it's impossible to deny how beautiful everything looks.
Wearing: cashmere beanie from Lord & Taylor, red satchel bag from Dooney & Bourke, gloves from Eddie Bauer, and coat from Jigsaw.
Keep calm...
The holidays are upon us and, although it's a time of immense joy and excitement, it can feel a bit overwhelming. Traveling, unpredictable weather, being crunched for time, and family gatherings - all generate a buzz but can leave you feeling slightly dizzy. Be sure to take some time out for yourself in order to avoid burning out too early. I was given this book, 'A Year of Mornings: 3,191 Miles Apart', as an early Christmas present today. Developed from a collaboration that begun on the blog 3191 miles apart, it is chocked full of simple but inspiring photos. It only seemed fitting to pour over the pages in a bathtub filled with bubbles. The perfect relaxation to a day spent frolicking through half a foot of snow. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and taking this Sunday nice and easy...
Mulberry for Target Giveaway...
This summer I was going mental about these Mulberry for Target bags. I ripped an ad out of a magazine, put it on my sisters fridge in the states, and wrote on it the date they would be released. 'Please, puhleeeaaasseee, get me these when they come out!' I begged her. They weren't being sold in England and she was my only hope of getting my hands on one. I was so surprised when, on the release date, I got a phone call from my brother-in-law, who was at Target on his own, with three kids in tow, picking out Mulberry bags for me. Seriously, what a star. So, it seems only fair to spread the love around... the one I've got up for grabs is the pebble mini cross body.
In order to enter please follow this blog and leave a comment below. Tweet about this post to receive an extra entry. I'll announce the winner on Boxing Day (December 26th). Good luck!
Pop In: Elizabeth Lau
If you're in London before Christmas I'd urge you to get down to Carnaby Street to visit the Elizabeth Lau pop up shop. It's a gem of a place, with iced cookies sitting on a table by the entrance and goldfish swimming in bowls attached to the walls. The atmosphere is quintessentially English, with tea flowing and well thought through quirky elements bridging the gap between the shop itself and the collection. Lau's knits are fined tuned with antique buttons and stitched hearts, all crafted from the softest knits. In her Autumn/Winter collection there is a velvet tiered one shoulder dress that is to die for and a Madeline-esque black and grey coat that would be the perfect addition to any outfit. One of my favourite parts of visiting the shop was watching Elizabeth in action. She would politely and discretely guide customers through the collection and help them make decisions about what to purchase. A true testament to her designs and personality, each person that came through the door left with a new item tucked under their arm. The shop is a little masterpiece. If you're able to, be sure to pop in and say hello to Elizabeth. I promise you wont regret it.
Location: Elizabeth Lau Christmas Pop up Boutique, 2 Ganton Street (just off Carnaby St.), London, W1F 7QL. Open until Christmas Eve. View the Autumn/Winter collection here.
bottles in the ice...
Hanging out in some back alleys behind the Breakfast Club in Soho wearing a combination of favourite items. I got this jumper back in the summer and I only wore it for the first time last week. Heather green and a waffled knit - it is the ultimate in cozy. It helps that I bought it in an extra large... ohhh, I love it. England has finally thawed out enough that it's possible to wear somewhat normal clothes, as opposed to three jumpers and multiple socks worn under massive puffy jackets.
Someone recently commented that they have never seen me in loose fitting trousers. I tend to stick to a generic oversized top and tight bottom combo. I think it developed when I was about seven... only then it was pink leggings and big white tied dyed t-shirts (with an obligatory knot in the side, yeaaah baby, brings back the 90s). Anyway, this uniform is partly due to my mode of transport: the bicycle. Wide legs really don't bode well when you ride a bike... unless you want to wind up with your face in the pavement. I'm not sure how I'm going to swing this whole 70s revival. I may have to fashion some sort of trouser decompressor for when I'm in transit. Enough rambling. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.
Wearing: J.Crew peacoat, Banana Republic jumper, Made in the Shade leggings, H&M boots, Alexander McQueen bag, Fashionology necklace and Jigsaw scarf. Big thank you to Kit and Jill for the photos.
On Deconstruction...
There is a certain unexpected beauty in the natural deconstruction of a favourite jumper. Just when you thought it was safe to haul your old knits over to Oxfam... jumper worn by Jill from Street Style London.