Perth says come hither

Apart from the very adequate reason that one of my dearest friends is in Perth, I have found an equally lovely reason to visit the furthest Western city of Australia- Pigeonhole.

I picked up Marie Claire's 15th birthday issue whilst in Australia last week, and have only just gotten around to reading the behemoth 426 pages (let's assume a few bonus' are heading their ways to the MC advertising execs).

Here I was alerted to Pigenhole, through the article 50 Best Boutiques. As mentioned, the store (or stores, to be precise) is located in Perth though one can browse their wares online- yes, they have gone digital. Brands include Secret Squirrel Clothing, Limedrop, Colab and more more more.

Stocking clothes, homewares, stationary, jewellery and even toys, this store seems like a labour of someones intense need to be surrounded by everything they love- and to capitalise on this. When you know you have taste, you may as well provide to the masses. I hear Perth needs more of the same to suckle the hungry inhabitants; for a city that produces such beauty (Gemma Ward, Nicole Trufino), perhaps Pigenhole can lead the way.

Top to bottom: Shafto Lane store; London Court store

The online shop is not the best display of their wares, though the experience is not hampered by this. The website is powered through Wordpress, and has a blog attached.

I'm coveting these pants, left. Not too expensive, though I think to carry these off you have to offer height minus weight to the equation.

Left: Minimarket pants ($165), Pigeonhole loop necklace ($65), Leather brogues ($185), Soto Smith Aztec tee ($75), Pigeonhole bag ($200).

Check website for the locations of their four stores, including the most recent arrival of all things vintage, bless.

For Sale

I'm still here, and hopelessly apologise for ignoring the glories of daily blogging.

I'm still working like a chump, still riding my very sweet, yet very vintage bike around London and I'm still trying to save the pennies to afford the lifestyle I shall like to lead in the near future...more to follow. This leads me to announce I have several things currently on Ebay.

Please feel free to check out the beyond gorgeous cape I am rebaying (is this a word? It should be!), the white polka dot dress, Whistles chinos, and more!

Sorry I've been away...

Started three crocheted blankets, in assorted colours
Moved house
Went to Paris
Watched the Tour de France obsessively
Acquired Lucy Hutchings jewellery
Purchased daily coffees on Whitecross St
Ventured to John Lewis to admire and choose yarn at heavily discounted prices
Made Magnolia cupcakes, with pink buttercream icing
Visted Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A, and got lost in the emotion of its beauty
Planned Winter adventures to Morocco
Counselled friends
Bought new headphones
Admired Swedish Hasbeens and wished I could afford them
Read Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, now taking a break and reading something more serious
Ridden many kilometres of London roads
Watched Toy Story 3, and frankly, was a bit scared at times
Saw Band of Horses, and thought it was one of the best live shows I've seen
Saw Beach House and thought it was one of the worst live shows I've ever seen

This is why I have ignored my blog. Well, primarily because I have deadlines on the blankets. I have skills, and shall use them.

Look what I can do!

Check out my new skill! It was my aim to learn to crochet this year, and true to my word, here are the spoils.

I took a class on Thursday in central London, which taught me the basics of how to make a 'granny square'. I can now follow a pattern and understand the basic stitches, which in turn will make it easier to understand the extended stitches such as triple crochet.

I am not one of those terribly co-ordinated people I have to say, though I wasn't going to go into this experience thinking that I couldn't do it. After almost dropping the f bomb a couple of times in class, my teacher patiently guided me through the loops and hooks that makes a stitch, reaffirmed that I could do it, and told me not to worry. By the third 'round', I was understanding that crochet is basically a formula, and by following that formula (i.e. the pattern), you'll get the desired design. So dense I no longer felt; instead, pats on the back all round.

With no wool on Friday, I was on edge. This morning, almost timing it to perfection, the God's of retail had blessed today be the start of the summer sales, therefore I bought 20 reams of wool for 50% off.  Nice one.

So here I am on a beautiful London Summer's day, enjoying the breeze, whilst watching Nadal at Wimbledon, and crocheting my granny squares.

Today is bliss.

Somewhere- Sofia Coppola- wetting my pants

I cannot sing the praises of Sofia Coppola high enough, and her latest work Somewhere, does not change this opinion.

I fell in love with Coppola through her work, The Virgin Suicides then again with Lost in Translation. I even favoured Marie Antoinette, despite less than positive reviews.

Somewhere stars Stephen Dorff, the 90s posterboy that people of my generation favoured before he got drug-haggled and disappeared (probably got fat, then decided to pull a Mickey Rourke on us and take a chance). It also features little Elle Fanning (sister of Dakota) in what looks like a role which will break through her family shackles.

Because Somewhere was written by Coppola (she received an Oscar for screenwriting Lost in Translation), I know me and this film are going to get along like a house on fire. Slow, meloncholic, serious, contemplative- throw all these words at me and they shall roll off my back. For Coppola knows how to write, perhaps because she draws upon so many of her own experiences. And who wouldn't want to find out more about the life she has led?

Somewhere will premiere at Venice Film Festival in September, then has a release date of December elsewhere. Crossing off my calendar now.

“I just knew in my heart that there was more. And I don’t know what that necessarily means, maybe it was just a yearning to live outside the parameters I lived in. I knew - particularly when I was a teenager - that I wasn’t cut out to live where I was from, where I was born.”
Karen Elson

I've re-blogged this quote, originally found on Russh.

It's something that I can relate to. I thought a lot more people felt this way, until I realised they were there and I was here. I thought we all wanted to escape. I guess contentness comes in many different forms. Like Karen, I just wasn't cut out to stay put.

Karen Elson & Jack White: Vogue US June 2010
Picture credit: Fashionising.com. Click to enlarge.

Who is she?

Imagine if you were the inspiration for this song.

The life you must have led...

Peter Sarstedt, Where do you go to my lovely?

Biscuits + Football

Today I woke up resolute to fill the day with all sorts of activity.

Then I looked at the clock, and realised Australia's World Cup match was mere hours aways. So instead, I bided my time and fixated myself on recipes that I would cook later today.

I'm not really a follower of football, though I understand the appeal of 'the beautiful game' and the emotion attached to it. The World Cup, to lean upon many cliches, brings attention not just to a simple ball game; this spectacle draws countries together, builds hope, conjures fear, delivers disappointment, delivers joy. I am a fan, and I support Australia, with England being my 'second' team. Oh, and Switzerland, though only because I drew them in my office sweep and I stand to profit.

So you can imagine my nerves this morning when the hour upon 3 was drawing closer. To occupy my mind, I pedalled down to my local shops and bought some ingredients to make delightful chocolatey mint morsels. Cooking relaxes me, it focuses me and I couldn't think of anything more I'd rather do. Especially when the outcome of such efforts turn out like the below.

So here is the recipe I used, though to be honest it definately didn't turn out like proposed. Even though I diligently converted the annoying US measurements (a stick of butter? Whatever.), at the point where the batter was supposed to resemble 'pebbles', it more took the shape of cake batter. So I added more flour. Then more sugar. It still looked like batter, albeit a little stiffer.

I refrigerated for an hour during the first half of the game (score Aus 1: Ghana 1; Kewell red carded for a hand ball, fool), then decided to roll these into balls and make choc mint melting moments. Delicious.

So after I made what seemed like 50 biscuits, the game ended. The tenseness of the match was eased when I stepped into the kitchen.

So I decided to melt some dark chocolate (with some mint essence) and coat half of these little soldiers into submission. I drowned them into the chocolate, then femmed them up somewhat (more petticoated them) with hundreds & thousands.

The other half I used as planned; I combined a couple of cups of icing sugar, with about 50g of butter and a good dollop of milk and peppermint essence. Then I beat this concoction, until it thickened and was good to ice one biscuit.

So here is the outcome. I'm home alone this week, so have over baked once again, though such is the result when I want to relax. I may take these into work, though I fear they will not travel well. We shall see how long they last.

I ♥ my bicycle

 
Images from We♥it.

Canon woop.

'I tried taking pictures, but they were so mediocre. I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses... taking dumb pictures of your feet' Lost in Translation.

...so said Charlotte, as she mused through life sipping her drink at a Tokyo Hotel bar.

She could be right, though I doubt when she went through her phase, that she had the awesome tools that I now have as I go though my photography phase.

Squeals of delight could be heard throughout Londontown when I purchased the beautiful Canon EOS 550D a few weeks ago.

After doing my research (flicking through some digital camera magazines over a flat white, browsing The Gadget Show's online site, and conducting a facebook focus group*), I decided that the Canon was indeed worthy of investment.

I've since been around the neighbourhood, snapping everything in sight. I'm preferring manual focus for now, though once I understand the science behind my camera, I'm sure I'll become accustomed with the other settings at my fingertips.

I almost feel unworthy, though I know CC and I will be mates for a while. I was even thinking of getting her a friend in the form of a tripod, to take steadier pictures.

Here's some test shots from our first couple of days together.

*Thanks to Patrick, Jess and Nat who told me to go for the Canon. I know you know your shit.