Festive Attire

I bought this dress for a christmas party coming up and I can't wait to wear it!!! I would not normally even look at the likes of a full sequin dress but I guess the holiday bug came over me!!

Patchwork and Quilt

I found this book while searching for a secret santa gift. I have always been very interested in patchwork and quilting and I would really like to challenge myself to a quilt project. I am also developing some work to sell on my etsy store so this may be very helpful in coming up with small sellable items.

Vintage Santa

I bought these vintage holiday Santas on a street stall next to my work. They once belonged to an old lady who lived on the Upper East Side. Sadly, this old woman died and friends of hers have been disturbing the contents, which spans some 100 years or more. I also found a Spode dish and 4 Koson prints, which I just discovered sell for $400 each. These are so much more special compared to the mass produced nonsense you find nowadays.

Catherine Ledner

I found these amazing photographs by Catherine Ledner today. She has a book out which covers her love for animal portraiture and wallpaper. The natural beauty of the live animals combined along side the stylized beauty of the patterns is a skillful match and a very pleasing aesthetic. The book is called 'Animal House' and as soon as I obtain a new bookshelf in order to resume the collecting of such books, this one will be top shelf!

Last Supper

I finally found the link to this supposedly amazing, digital version of 'The Last Supper' as you can see, the detail was lacking. It basically took forever and ever and ever to load!! Even on various computers and servers etc I still cannot get the whole image. I was looking forward to analyzing the brush strokes of Leonardo promised by this technology but it fell short. The abstraction of it is quite ironic however, if you would like to sum up the painting in muted color blocks!!

Marks and Spencer

No, this is not Agent Provocateurs latest ad campaign; believe it or not it’s Marks and Spencer. Also known in the borough of Perth as 'Markies'. 80% of women in Britain buy their lingerie there and I am one of them. My Christmas stocking would not be complete without my 6 pack of briefs courtesy of mum! I wish they had a store in the US, I'm sick of CKU and Victoria’s well-known secret, polyester.

Pie In The Sky

I cant wait for Thanksgiving!! mmmmmmm turkey, mashed potatoes Robuchon style........apple pie.........wine.......mmmmmm

Tartan and Plaid

I found this picture of David Bowie in a New York Times article on plaid trends and I fell in love with it. Being Scottish I am prone to tartan, but this is not the only reason. I personally feel that it is one of the most versatile and flattering textiles in the world. I love to see the full blown traditional dress of kilt but also the small touch of a tartan tie or tweed cap. Tartan and check textiles have a lengthy history that I have no intention of recounting but this is perhaps 90% of their charm. Fashion continues to manipulate plaids in a wide range of manners, which never cease to amaze me.

CHANEL nails

Mademoiselle Chanel changed the reputation of red nails forever. I really love this ruby lacquer. As a person sensitive to color, I have to say they produce the richest shades in the most thought through colors and finishes. It is pricey but it’s worth every penny. I opt for the classic red, its timeless so I feel its worth the investment and wont go out of style.

Watership Down

"All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and when they catch you, they will kill you... but first they must catch you." Quite the tagline for a children’s film!
Martin Rosen created this animated version of ‘Watership Down’ based on the novel by Richard Adams. It was released in 1978 and grew to the top of the British box office by 1979. Aided by Art Garfunkel's hit 'Bright Eyes' an all round dark movie indeed! This movie was intended for children but it pushes this notion to the edge. In one scene some of the bunnies are buried alive in the next there’s fights to the death! I felt it visually and thematically relevant when I watched it last week. It is especially interesting to see the animation techniques of the 70’s compared with that of todays.

Classic Inferno

I made this really simple collage recently and it’s sparked some ideas. I love combining traditional with the unexpected. It makes we want to wear a fuchsia silk dress and drink earl grey and shortbread. In this manner I'm thinking of acquiring some neon eye shadow this week to shake up a classic black outfit.

Bizarre Luxury

Chanel has created this limited edition bicycle for spring/summer 08. Needless to say it costs a couple of grand. More and more I see designers pushing into the realm of bizarre luxury goods. I also saw in the last edition of Surface magazine a mink hammock! Has elitism really stretched this far so as to escape the clasp of the masses? Limited edition seems to be trend of the moment on the other side of the scale too. Roberto Cavalli recently puked up his 'cheap' collection for H&M. I decided not to visualy insult you by demonstrating the extent of the collection, I'm sure you can imagine. Lets all go and line up for a piece of poor quality polyester plastered with a large, gaudy leopard print.......uuugh.....

Timorous Beasties

Timorous Beasties is a Scottish textile company that has finally arrived in the US. This is one of two, flocked, neo-Victorian designs created for Anthropologie. The company's founder, Alastair McAuley wanted to create an affordable wallcovering line. Normally their wallpaper sells for around $1000 a roll but this is availble for $168.

Petite Paper Squid

A little origami project I found for myself. I have always looked at squid in the mysterious documentaries with great admiration. The elusive nature of giant squid keeps me fascinated in the same way as the Loch Ness monster, only a little more real. Suction cups the size of dinner plates and eyes of black pools............... I think my petite paper squid will make unusual but graceful tree decorations this year.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

I watched a great documentary last night about the making of 'Dark Side'. Some 30 years later the major themes of the album still ring true today. Hearing Roger Waters discuss the emotion involved in the making of the songs and working together as a band was really inspiring. It rekindled my love for the album and this morning I sought out a vintage tour t-shirt, complete of course with the iconic prism design. If you have not listened to Pink Floyd or do not yet own this epic album, please get on it!!

Argento in Soho

As a designer working in Soho, I always keep an eye out for an interesting exhibit via a store window. This is BESS, a real menagerie of quirky goods. I immediately thought of Dario Argento's film 'Suspiria' when I saw this. The creep factor is 10 with an edgy essence that sums up the stores contents. My pick from the stores current contents is a vintage poster of a 70's Scandinavian nude model. Other items range from Megadeath tees to glass skulls.
Located: 292 Lafayette - Soho

A Dream Within a Dream - Edgar Allan Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow--
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Every Dog Has Its Day

Nepal is celebrating the festival of Tihar, its equivalent of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. In Nepal, on the second day of the feast, special honour is bestowed on dogs. Look at these proud little darlings!! Check out BBC news.com for more adoreable photos.

Mellow Yellow

Yellow is a key color trend for the following year. Accessories especially will flourish in warm and acid hues. I found this fabulous yellow lace bra which is ideal for people who cant carry this color easily. Let the straps be seen or wear layered with a lace or semi sheer t-shirt, voila!

Todays Collage: Gothic Headache

Collage a day......

I have always had a great love for collage. I truly adore finding and gathering the imagery and materials to create such things. This is the first in many I plan to share with you of my more fleeting assemblages and collages. In the works are larger, more complex pieces, which I propose to sell on etsy later this year. I am currently looking for vintage/antique frames to pair with these. Joseph Cornell and Rebecca Horn have been of great inspiration to me. I strongly recommend these artists as a source of research to anyone interested in this medium.

Nostalgic Kitsch

It seems as soon as another piece of heritage hits the scrap heap someone somewhere yields thier pop art power and reinvents it into, what else, a handbag. I miss these red beauties, my hometown luckily still clings to its solitary box. And yes, it smells like 50 years of urine and cigarettes but we still love it! Marc Jacobs and this L train passenger obviously do too.

Remember, remember...........

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Usually, at home in Scotland, I would be celebrating bonfire night with a huge fire, (construction of which starts in September!) Crowned with a 'Guy' the inferno of crackling goodness is paired with only the largest and loudest of illegal fireworks. The film 'V for Vendetta', based on the graphic novel, does justice to our dear friend and he does succeed in his treason and plot. Watch the guy burn, rosy cheeked with a beer in one hand and a sparkler in the other.

Magma Books

When I lived in London I used to shop at this place for fashion magazines. It now sells products and has interviews on its website with current designers and artists. The bookshop is incredible and covers basically every design field there is. You can order online but it takes a good few weeks for delivery in the US. It is pretty easy however to locate the books here in NY. I like the website because all of the sifting through countless dud design publications is done for me!

Spode

I have always been a keen collector of china and ceramics and this is my most recent purchase. This is my second piece from the 'Blue Italian' collection by Spode. The pattern itself is over 170 years old and there is some speculation as to the origin of this pattern which only adds to the charm. I love the idea of investing in quality, traditional china such as this. In years to come it will be rewarding to have these items to pass on. Recently there has been a trend towards this custom of the past and increasingly there is recognition in young consumers towards craftsmanship and considered design. I cant wait to use this for thanksgiving turkey!

McQueen Reigns

By far my favorite show, by far my favorite designer. I love the collaboration with Philip Treacy on this season. The colours of the collection started in a classic, muted way, with red butterflies and owl feathers. As the show progressed the parrots and seagulls appeared in a neon, dip-dyed frenzy. He seems to sum up the transitional, morphing theme and trend that many others struggled to combine in thier show.

Mobile Food Concept

Ok, so let me just get this straight. Amazing dessert by a former 'Le Cirque' pastry chef, found on the street for $5! It sounds like a dream come true, and I quote "At our mobile food truck, there's no bullshit, no pretension. Just really good desserts. Passion for food is our inspiration. But making people smile, one dessert at a time, is our ultimate goal."
They are located at 8th street and University Place and you can find thier menu online. Firstly I am going to try thier vanilla creme brule, my favorite dessert of all time. Lets see if they live up to my expectations!

Minimal Realism

I need this book! The illustrations by the late Charley Harper are truly inspiring. He grew up on a farm in West Virginia and as a country girl I felt this relationship with nature immediately in his drawings. He passed away this year in June and I feel regret that I only discovered his work recently. His birds are what I have fallen in love with and I am keen to further develop my own illustration style. Perhaps I will create a mini series of wildlife based post-cards of my own.