Fabulous Girl's Boudoir

School run chic?

2011-09-17T08:12:00.001-07:00

Really? Isn't this a celeb-mum reaction to the paparazzi stalking them 24/7? Does the average mom have time for this? And does she need one more pressure in her busy morning? Guardian's Jess Cartner-Morley weighs in:

There are two problems with the notion of working-mum chic. For one, it feeds into a blinkered deification of mothers as heroines that is skewing our culture. Our obsession with motherhood threatens to obscure the fact that communities need sisters, wives, daughters and friends. These roles are important. Second, the American Vogue/Goop version is as unrealistic for most of us as the perma-smiling 50s housewife or the 80s hard-body gym bunny.

You know how I feel about GP, but her lifestyle is hardly achievable.

Shuesday: Guess

2011-07-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

Whose shoes?

Sometimes

2011-06-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

NY Mag just does my work for me.

What Kate Middleton Should Wear - NY Mag

Antimacasser, anyone?

2011-06-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

Or perhaps a doily?

I understand that white lace is all the thing this summer, but surely Sienna Miller could do it better than this. And with better accessories. And hair.

Now that it's raining more than ever

2011-06-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

And on Wimbledon no less.

It's my fault - I've been telling people ever since I arrived in London that the weather was far, far better than I'd anticipated, and that people everywhere think they have the worst weather (along with the worst traffic), and it can't possibly be true for eveywhere. However ...

I'm not a big fan of a wet June, and this is unpredictable wet - serious downpours blowing through unpredictably and soaking everything possible. It's not fun.

Shuesday: The Princess Bride

2011-06-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Just her shoes, actually:

(Photo courtesy of What Kate Wore)

We all look the same

2011-06-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem to matter where we are.

The current look in London, when it's not just colourblock insanity, is as follows: ballet flats or boots over skinny jeans/jeggings/leggings, something undeterminable under a blazer/jacket, accessorized by a scarf, an enormous bag, and long, long hair.

So basically, we all look like the Middleton girls.

The Shame Game

2011-06-10T09:30:00.001-07:00

"I've been a bad bad girl ..."

I know, I KNOW. Say it with me now; "My name is FG and I am a bad blogger. I got a new life in a new country with a new job and I stopped blogging. My last serious post was 2 June, 2010." (And now you say, "Hi, FG."

It's not that there haven't been things to tell you about. There was the job. Fashion trends have been observed. There were trips to New York and Boston, San Francisco and Seattle. Various prominent women were embarrassed (or not) by their husbands. Elizabeth Taylor's demise didn't even bring the FG to the page. And there was shopping, of course. And I hear there was a wedding ...?

Give me another chance?

Oscars 2011: Plan B

2011-02-28T07:34:00.000-08:00

See up above there where I was going to do the fashion review of the Globes? See how that didn't happen? See how I was on an airplane - an AIRPLANE - during the Oscars last night? And yet, here's your fashion report.

Cate - loved it. She always does something different (and this was very different) and it works.

And then there was the lace brigade. I want to like Mila's dress, really, but I can't.

No such qualms about Nicole Kidman - way, way too much going on there.

I liked Halle and Hilary, and Hailee too. Reese reminded me of Ms J. Roberts circa 2001.

I liked the various red dresses, especially Sandra Bullock's, but this just looks like J Law added a skirt to her Baywatch suit.

The Golden Globes '11

2011-01-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

Last year, The FG stayed up until 3 or so am to watch the Globes online from Edinburgh. This year, she is in London, and, frankly, people are expecting her to show up to work tomorrow morning, so she's stepping away this year. Plus, she is on the cusp of recovering from laryngitis and a serious head cold, and she's not going back to Thursday, when she had no voice whatsoever. Sorry kids, you're on your own.

(That said, so far, I'm not loving the beige theme, and black is so safe ... and wow, January is certainly keeping up with the Joneses ... and I can't resist sharing HBC ...)

Tell you what, I'll be back asap with my usual fashion review. In the meantime, get off your computer, open a bottle of bubbly and enjoy the show. If you're desperate for some fashion input, visit the NYT predictions page here.

The sun also rises ...

2010-12-22T01:32:00.000-08:00

"...and hasteth to (her) place where (s)he arose."

The FG knows that she left you alone too long, and she confesses that 'twas the news of the imminent retirement of Carine Roitfeld's retirement from the helm of French Vogue that brought her back. Also, the shaming she received at the hands of WendyB, who put her on a dearly departed list. That'll teach her to take a few months off!

The reality is that a new place and a new job and a whole new life caught up with your FG for a while there, but I suspect that, baby, the b*@%h is back. And now that she's off work for the holidays, she's heading to Bliss London for the day, followed by a little non-Amazon holiday shopping.

Ex-oh, ex-oh.

And the tent goes on ...

2010-06-02T01:49:00.001-07:00

I've been chronicling this summer trend since 2005, so don't give me that "new generation of early adopters" line, NYTimes. The women who were wearing these skirts five years ago aren't 30 yet.

I understand that they're comfortable, especially when brunch or farmer's market shopping can easily turn into an afternoon lounging on the grass in Central Park, followed by cocktails on the Upper (pick your 'hood) Side (although I can't condone the combat boots for that scenario), but if you're young, and you've got legs, why not show them off, especially in summer?

If you have to go there, at least pick one that's plain, and accessorize with big earrings, etc. Nothing that resembles the quilt your Great Aunt Hester made for your Holly Hobbie-themed bedroom, please.

And don't get me started on jumpsuits...

NYT

Shuesday: Hello Sailor II

2010-06-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

Although the FG is no longer located in NYC, she keeps up, and these are in honour of the most recent Fleet Week. Go get them, girls!

Coach at Nordstrom.

Previously

Sangria season

2010-05-30T01:38:00.000-07:00

I'm ignoring the chill and the wind and the rain I experienced yesterday on the Brighton Boardwalk and celebrating today's summer sun in Greenwich by sharing this Thai basil sangria recipe from Food & Wine. Because summer is here, damnit, whether it likes it or not.

Shuesday: Too much

2010-05-25T00:51:00.000-07:00

And believe me, I like shoes with a lot going on, but this is just silly. It's a wedge, a sandal and a Mary Jane, with menswear detailing, and a zip up the heel, and, oh, btw, it's on a five inch platform. I'm dizzy.

Dior at BG.

Must haves: Earrings fit for a queen

2010-05-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's SATC II week - you're all in a frenzy and don't know what to wear.

Make the mini-cineplexers jealous with these Cleopatra earrings - as seen in SATC II - by my dear friend WendyB. They are

To.
Die.
For.

Especially if you're a Samantha. And if the diamond studded ones aren't quite in your budget, get them in silver. Just as fabulous, and Ms. Field would totally approve.

Shuesday: No, Bad, Wrong III

2010-05-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

I had to postpone the planned post for this week when these came to my attention. I think they may trump the other NBW posts below, on the grounds of animal cruelty alone.

Also, what happens if/when your feet get warm?

Also available at If Shoes Could Kill, bacon flats.

If Shoes Could Kill, via The Frisky, via Chic in Review, NYT

Previously: Part 1, Part 2

Reading my mind

2010-05-17T02:02:00.000-07:00

Wendell Jamieson has written an article on pairing cocktails and movies - one more article I don't have to write.

(Although doesn't an icy cold martini sort of go with anything?)

(And he fails to mention that Pimm's goes with anything Merchant/Ivory, set in the summer.)

Fit for a McQueen

2010-05-14T02:00:00.000-07:00

Isn't she lovely? And what a great dress.

At Cannes via NY Mag.

Requisite celebrity sightings 14

2010-05-13T01:23:00.000-07:00

In the continuing UK edition of RCS, the FG had a surprise date night including dim sum and an evening at The Old Vic to see Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing.

You might think we'd see Kevin Spacey, but not tonight - instead the play featured Toby Stephens (Die Another Day, among many, many other things), who was loovely.

And Fred Willard was in the audience!

(PS - I learned later that Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons played the main roles in the Broadway production.)

Shuesday: Attention to detail

2010-05-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

What happened here, exactly? Did the scissors have a mind of their own? Did the designer walk away mid-creation? Cause these look like the shoes Pig Pen's older sister would wear.

Valentino at BG.

Icons we mourn: Lena Horne

2010-05-10T00:55:00.000-07:00

Lena Horne, who was the first black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer, died on Sunday night at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. She was 92 and lived in Manhattan.

Ms. Horne might have become a major movie star, but she was born 50 years too early, and languished at MGM in the 1940s because of the color of her skin ...

NYT

Shuesday: This is more like it

2010-05-04T00:43:00.000-07:00

For spring, what you really, really want is a neutral, ladylike heel that you can wear with anything. Trust me. Because it's not always about the shoe.

Gucci at BG

Shuesday: Get your Scot on

2010-04-27T00:38:00.000-07:00

Because of course what everyone needs for summer is a Kiltie Brogue wedge - with a peep toe no less.

Rachel Comey at BG

Must haves: God save the Queen

2010-04-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

The FG is totally suffering from Union Jack fever - is this too much? In a corner somewhere?

Fashion Police UK

2010-04-23T02:34:00.000-07:00

I've been on this side of the pond for almost a full six months now, and I have comments.

Inexplicably, still in fashion here: deep orange tans, excessive foundation/face powder/blush, wearing running shoes to, from, and in-between work (Working Girl, anyone?), tights in all hues, Uggs, hairbands (Gossip Girl is huge here), leggings (I know, I know, they're still in fashion on the other side of the pond too), giant pearl necklaces (clearly I should have kept this), and wearing next to nothing in freezing temperatures. Also, not wearing clothes that fit in a nation that is, well, more comfortable with its average size than you'll find in major US cities. It's not pretty.

What I remember from NYC: loads of necklaces, aforementioned leggings, scarves, scarves, scarves, trench coats for spring (see below), artfully messy updos

I don't remember: skirts that emphasize the hips - is this the return of the pouf skirt?, far more skirts than pants, actually, and skirts far, far too short for things like sitting down, bending over, etc. Also deep, deep side parts in long, flowing hair, and polka dot trench coats everywhere.

I'm just saying.

I'm off to a wedding near Edinburgh this weekend. Wish me (fashion) luck?

Shuesday: AMcQ gives you wings

2010-04-20T04:28:00.000-07:00

Love it. Don't you?

He is so missed.

Too bad these won't go with My Dress.

Courtesy HuffPo.

Must haves: Give Peace a chance

2010-04-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

Love these! Perfect anniversary gift for your girl, or a special gift for your girlfriend. And they also make accessories.

Thanks Daily Candy.

Shuesday: Hello Petunia

2010-04-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

Aren't these beautiful? I'm not sure how the clear part will work with the rest of the shoe, but I love the idea.

Brian Atwood at Saks

May flowers

2010-04-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

OK, I know it's not anywhere close to May yet, but aren't these pretty?

Warning, I know the photos looks big, and these are indeed large earrings. But so pretty ...

Marni @ Net-a-Porter

Shuesday: Fairytale or

2010-04-06T05:11:00.000-07:00

nightmare?

There's a lot going on here, but now that my walk to the tube features a lovely canal full of swans, ducks and moorhens, it just reminds me of fluffy spring duckings and cygnets.

Valentino at BG

Fooling everyone

2010-04-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

Even when it's raining (men or otherwise), keep your spirits up with this lovely umbrella from my new fav everything shop, Aspinal of London.

Shuesday: Jumping on the bandwagon

2010-03-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

I've been a little behind in my postings, and whilst I was distracted, these have been posted and discussed everywhere and all over the place, but I couldn't /not/ post them ...

Free People via Jezebel

Perhaps we can blame Alexa Chung?

Occasional Baggage Part VIII

2010-03-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

BS passed this along ages ago when I was searching for my iPhone case, and I love it (too).

In indigo, please.

Hobo

Shuesday: If you have to get married 4

2010-03-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

These are sort of lovely. Also, possibly more expensive than your dress.

(I have to say that I had a moment when these reminded me of this crazy girl, but if you really like these shoes, and have good musical taste, don't click through. Also, turn down the volume on your computer if you're ar work.)

Rene Caovilla at BG.

Updated: Of course, I forgot to add the link to the crazy girl, in my attempt to avoid her completely. Argh. Now in place.

MiFancy

2010-03-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, I got an iPhone, yes I love it, and yes, I finally, finally, after asking everyone I knew and searching several shops, online and otherwise, found a case that I could live with.

And here it is. I love it.

Sena

This looks vaguely familiar

2010-03-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

But I can't seem to find the post about the Marc Jacobs perfume ring ... hmmm.

Anyway, Hanae Mori has gone there too. Pretty, isn't it?

Shuesday: If Irish eyes

2010-03-16T02:52:00.000-07:00

are smiling, it's probably because they've caught sight of these.

CL at Saks

Requisite celebrity sightings 13

2010-03-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Bet you thought these were done now that the FG has packed up her life and whisked herself off to the British Isles - at best you thought I might run into Miss Knightly somewhere in the West End, but today, I kid you not, the Fabulous Mother spotted Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie (with his wife) at the next table as we were lunching at Harvey Nicks.

Although he's known to be a wee bit cranky, he was very nice to the FM.

The Official Website.

Shuesday: If you have to get married 3

2010-03-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

If you have to get married, and you have a similar height differential as Eva Longoria does to whatshisname Parker, then these are the shoes for you. Yes, that is a five inch heel.

CL again, bien sur.

Abandon(ed) ship!

2010-03-04T03:33:00.000-08:00

My apologies for the absence of posts of late - I've been watching the Olympics. No, really. Now that they're over (and I've almost finished watching the dvr-ed bits. I suppose I should have warned you. And I've been holding on to a number of posts - Amsterdam for one.

Here, will a gummi bear chandelier distract you?

Shuesday: A tissle, a tassel

2010-03-02T03:25:00.000-08:00

The FG believes it's far, far too early for white shoe shopping, even if the weather seems to be turning towards spring.

But.

Blame it on Manolo?

Also, there's an app for that.

Manolo @ Bergdorf

Shuesday: I don't know why I like it

2010-02-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

but I do. A fun shoe to fancy up a plain black suit. Plus, if anyone can tell me what it says ...

Christian Louboutin @ Saks

Shuesday: I hate to speak ill of the dead

2010-02-16T05:34:00.000-08:00

but Alexander darling, what is this? I'm sure it will sell out, but still ... ugh.

Alexander McQueen @ Saks

Slayer

2010-02-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

You've heard me gush about WendyB's jewelry before, (also here and here) and I think I've mentioned my dislike of heart shaped ... well, anything really.

As you'd expect from the sassy jewelry goddess that she is, WB has created the exception that proves the rule. I /die/ for this ring. And it's inspired by Buffy and Spike, one of the best TV couples ever. What more could a girl want the day after V-Day?

And there are more similar designs to come! What a beautiful piece, as well as a conversation starter.

Photo by Wendy Brandes.

Icons we mourn: Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to say about the untimely death of Alexander McQueen, except that I wish I owned more than one piece of his clothing. An amazing designer, gone too soon. Click here for a retrospective, via NY Mag.

Previously: Looong weekend, Loyalty on your feet, All about the tailoring.

Shuesday: Olympic fever

2010-02-09T04:08:00.000-08:00

So you say there isn't any snow in Vancouver? Put these on, click your heels, and see what happens.

Louboutin at Saks.

Occasional Baggage Part VII

2010-02-07T02:31:00.000-08:00

I saw this in person at Selfridges yesterday and, well, it's hot. Thanks Christian!

C. Louboutin @ Neiman Marcus

Samurai Shopper

2010-02-06T02:23:00.000-08:00

I discovered the Samurai Shopper at the NY Times recently, and I'm featuring him/her here because, really, anyone who gives an award to q-tips deserves at least 15 seconds in the Boudoir.

Welcome to awards season, when everything unreal and unimportant in showbiz is celebrated, digested and parsed with bloated, brainlessly baroque observations of no import whatsoever. The Samurai Shopper, as usual, is throwing her hat into the fluttering mists of fatuity to honor her own superstars: those beauty products that may or may not grace the faces of telegenic Golden Globers, Grammy-grabbers and the unfortunately named S.A.G. nominees. I’ll deploy the same sentimental, indulgent, politically circumspect judgment in awarding my prizes as the Hollywood corps does with theirs.

NY Times

The Olympics are back

2010-02-05T02:16:00.000-08:00

... and so is Johnny's backside. Oh dear. Just because it's by Rodarte (also featured in The New Yorker recently) doesn't make it OK.

via NY Mag.

Giddy-up

2010-02-03T02:12:00.000-08:00

The FG is not sure what she thinks of these ... I mean, they're Wolford, but still ...

via NY Mag

Shuesday: Imagine, imagine, you can imagine

2010-02-02T03:18:00.000-08:00

making your own shoes, under the direction of an expert! Sounds like sooooo much fun ...

Ms. Neithardt, who makes her living as a Jungian-inspired clairvoyant (that’s a seer who knows her archetypes), and who has the diction and timing of a stand-up comedian, was moved to make shoes for herself a few years ago. They are fantastical creations of fig bark and rooster feathers, spotted python and blood-red kid leather. (She has also made shoes from a clear green plastic placemat, a pair of crystal earrings and a black lace bustier.)

A Vision in Five Inch Heels, NY Times.

Icons we mourn: J.D. Salinger

2010-01-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

J. D. Salinger, who was thought at one time to be the most important American writer to emerge since World War II but who then turned his back on success and adulation, becoming the Garbo of letters, famous for not wanting to be famous, died Wednesday at his home in Cornish, N.H., where he had lived in seclusion for more than 50 years. He was 91.

So, not having been raised in the US of A, I read "Catcher" much later than most of you out there, but I was fortunate to be introduced to Franny and Zooey at a reasonably young age, and it was my favourite book for years, only replaced by Pilgrim, by Timothy Findley, when I was around twenty five (I think). Anyway, it's now number two, but a solid number two. So thanks, J.D.

Shuesday: If you have to get married ... 2

2010-01-26T03:11:00.000-08:00

Now these are the ticket. Beautiful and wearable, and with a reasonable heel. I think I'm in love!

Christian Louboutin at Neiman Marcus

Occasional Baggage Part VI

2010-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

This seems the perfect bag for late January, early February, to lighten your mood, or for those of you who are fortunate enough to be escaping the drear of winter.

I'd love to see it with a white caftan over a bathing suit, or with an all black winter ensemble - over the knee boots, black coat, snood, etc.

Saffiano, by Prada, at Neiman Marcus

Must haves: Primed and polished

2010-01-22T02:49:00.000-08:00

I've fallen hard for this new Chanel nail polish, "Particulière", and will be out and about looking for it here in the next few days (yes I have far, far too much time on my hands). I'll issue another post if I come up empty.

NY Times

I don't hear anyone complaining

2010-01-21T02:42:00.000-08:00

Viewers who watched CNN’s earthquake coverage this last week were bound to be struck by correspondents who looked a lot less like the usual disheveled examples of those in the profession than like bendable action figures.

You could call it the Anderson Cooper effect. Mr. Cooper has rarely missed an opportunity to showcase his buff physique (as anyone would know if he or she remembers his stripping to a bathing suit to quiz Michael Phelps). But Mr. Cooper isn’t the only CNN correspondent with a self-conscious taste for form-fitting charcoal T-shirts, accessorized with a tiny microphone clipped at the neck.

Looking somewhat sheepish about it, a newly sleek Dr. Sanjay Gupta moved through Port-au-Prince wearing a snug gray T-shirt, his hair styled in the obligatory CNN crop. His colleague Jason Carroll, reporting on Wednesday’s aftershock and looking like a guy who had done 20 quick pushups before going on air, wore a T-shirt so snugly revealing it called into question whether a disaster zone is the place to flaunt one’s gym physique. A spokeswoman for CNN declined to comment, but in journalism, as in most things, old standards of decorum are clearly on the wane.
“We know the rules of what journalists look like have changed a lot,” Ms. Steele said. They have shifted from the military style favored by, say, John Hersey, who was pictured on a United States postage stamp in a combat helmet and uniform. “That’s simply a part of where society in general is going,” she added, referring to the shift away from formality and the hierarchies suggested by wise old owls like Walter Cronkite, with their sandy mustaches, their elbow patches and pipes, toward sexy entertainment news and correspondents with “that international superstar journalist look.”

NY Times

Shuesday: Like your favourite pair of jeans

2010-01-19T02:33:00.000-08:00

I like jeans as much as the next girl - I've been practically living in them for three months now (90% of my wardrobe is in a storage unit on the south coast of England) - but I'm not sure I want denim shoes. Even if Manolo is making them. (Sorry dahling!)

Definitely not into these D&G boots with black lace.

Although if the denim ones just randomly showed up, I'd probably at least try them on ...

At Neiman Marcus

Don't you rain on my parade: The Globes 2010

2010-01-18T02:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, the FG loves award shows so much that she stayed up until 3:30 am live streaming the Globes, to bring you this commentary.

Perhaps to remind Hollywood that their lives could be worse (ie, their nation could have been crippled by a major earthquake last week), the gods chose rain for the red carpet this year. The FG thinks that that's a good reason to have a cocktail length dress, or something black and on the fitted side, as back-up, as people like Ginnifer Goodwin, Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde and Glenn Close were far happier than, say, Kate Hudson. (Although I'd much rather be any of those girls than KH, despite her super-fun "Cinema Italiano" number that was one of the only good things about Nine.)

Moving on from the weather-related commentary, the dresses were black, or not black. Black, it turns out, can be poorly done, but it is seldom as bad as not-black, poorly done (what was E. Moss thinking?). One could look like a sofa, perhaps at your grandmother's, for example, and being British and dating a Beatle, or being American and married to America's favourite actor, doesn't get you off that particular hook. And, when you're Jennifer Aniston, choose the right shoes and can rock a slit with legs like that, black is the best of all worlds.

The theme, other than black, was clearly asymmetrical necklines or strapless (which sheds interesting light on wedding dress choices). So what did I like? Marion Cotillard always looks lovely, the shoes worked, and the little black slip? I die. Toni Collette looked gorgeous in Elie Saab - gold is great on red-heads and the detailing on the waist-hip area was beautifully slimming, not that she needs it. I can't recall what Perrey Reeves is in, but I really liked her Herve Leger dress. Not totally award-show appropriate, but I liked it. Julia Roberts looked great - comfortable and like she was having a fantastic time. Also the perfect choice for the weather. And Sophia Loren always looks classy and age appropriate - ditto Helen Mirren.

And the dislikes? I thought Cameron Diaz looked strangely hippy in that shiny red (also, where was her jewelry?), there was something wrong with Signorney Weaver's dress, although I can't quite put my finger on it, and while I salute Rose Byrne in general and for wearing purple Lanvin, the brooch on the hip doesn't quite work, and the top of her strapless dress eliminated any cleavage she might have. A plunging neckline would have been a better choice. Drew Barrymore's urchin shoulder and hip accessories took away from her general loveliness - that dress would have been so much better without them. Carey Mulligan is super sweet, but this strapless Nina Ricci doesn't do anything for her either - there's nothing but acres of chest above her girls. I adore Christina Hendricks, but that dress was too much going on and insufficiently fierce. We know she has girls and hips, so don't shove them in our faces and be-ruffle them, flatter them! And I agree with the conventional wisdom that Fergie looked like an upscale bridesmaid. Mariah Carey was clearly seeking attention, 'nuff said.

There were poor shoes aplenty - Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, I'm talking to you. And furthermore, AP, why are you dressing like a 60 year old? You have decades in which to wear sleeves, honey! I liked Tina Fey's shoes, but not with that dress. (They should really make paper dolls after the fact, so we can mix and match.)

The FG particularly enjoyed Chloe Sevigny's hissy fit when the gentleman who escorted her up the stairs stepped on her train. That dress could have been OK, but the total lack of structure/support became grossly apparent when she walked towards the podium to accept her award, and was most distracting/unflattering.

A Scottish winter

2010-01-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

To none but those who have themselves suffered the thing in body, can the gloom and depression of our Edinburgh winter be brought home. For some constitutions there is something almost physically disgusting in the bleak ugliness of easterly weather; the wind wearies, the sickly sky depresses them; and they turn back from their walk to avoid the aspect of the unrefulgent sun going down among perturbed and pallid mists. The days are so short that a man does much of his business, and certainly all his pleasure, by the haggard glare of gas lamps. The roads are as heavy as a fallow. People go by, so drenched and draggle-tailed that I have often wondered how they found the heart to undress. And meanwhile, the wind whistles through the town as if it were an open meadow; and if you lie awake all night, you hear it shrieking and raving overhead with a noise of shipwrecks and falling houses. In a word, life is so unsightly that there are times when the heart turns sick within a man's inside; and the look of a tavern, or the thought of the warm, fire-lit study, is like the touch of land to one who has been long struggling with the seas.

Edinburgh; Picturesque Notes, Robert Louis Stevenson

Edinburgh wardrobe: Part 7

2010-01-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

The Snood is back, and seems perfect for this gothic city, as well as for the recent chilly weather. I like this one, in shearling, from Karl Donoghue.

Net-A-Porter.

Icons we mourn: Miep Gies

2010-01-13T05:07:00.000-08:00

Miep Gies, the last survivor among Anne Frank’s protectors and the woman who preserved the diary that endures as a testament to the human spirit in the face of unfathomable evil, died Monday night, the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam said. She was 100.

The British Broadcasting Corporation said Mrs. Gies suffered a fall late last month and died at a nursing home.

“I am not a hero,” Mrs. Gies wrote in her memoir, “Anne Frank Remembered,” published in 1987. “I stand at the end of the long, long line of good Dutch people who did what I did and more — much more — during those dark and terrible times years ago, but always like yesterday in the heart of those of us who bear witness.”

Mrs. Gies sought no accolades for joining with her husband and three others in hiding Anne Frank, her father, mother and older sister and four other Dutch Jews for 25 months in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. But she came to be viewed as a courageous figure when her role in sheltering Anne Frank was revealed with the publication of her memoir. She then traveled the world while in her 80s, speaking against intolerance. The West German government presented her with its highest civilian medal in 1989, and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands knighted her in 1996.

NY Times

Shuesday: Leaving me flat

2010-01-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

Apparently (according to Alexa Chung, Agness Deyn and InStyle UK), these are la dernière mode, but I don't see the appeal, especially with a skirt. You can find them at Paul Smith (where they are on sale!)

Green is sexy

2010-01-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

OK, you've probably already heard about this, and yes, there's a celeb connection, but I like Green is Sexy. It's posts are bite-sized, digestible, and just plain good. What to do with your old cell phone, natural cold remedies, reasons to walk instead of ride, etc., etc. The FG recommends.

January making you crabby? Eat up!

2010-01-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't been reading between the lines at all, the FG loves to cook. Sometimes it's all day extravaganzas - home made bread, fresh pasta, holiday cookies, stews that simmer for hours and include eighteen ingredients just for the stock she's making from scratch. (Actually, it's been a while since she really cooked that way, which has everything to do with the size of her recent kitchens.) More often, it's a few fresh ingredients thrown together at the last minute for something tasty and on the comfort food side of things.

She wasn't entirely sure how this recipe was going to work out, but it included some of her fav ingredients - wine, peppers, lemon - so gave it a shot, and it was /delish/. Highly recommended.

Spicy crab, chilli and lemon pasta

Ingredients

150g spaghetti or linguine (fresh recommended)
2 spring onions or baby leeks, finely chopped
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (live a little, use a whole one)
200ml white wine (sauvignon blanc from NZ)
Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
200g fresh white crab meat (if you can't find fresh, canned is surprisingly good.)
50g wild rocket (arugula that is, one small bag)

Method

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, drain well, then toss with a little olive oil.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the spring onions or baby leeks and chilli and fry for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the wine and bubble for 1-2 minutes or until reduced slightly. Turn down the heat, add the lemon zest and juice and crab meat, and stir to combine.
Season to taste, then add to the cooked pasta along with the rocket and mix well. Divide between 2 pasta bowls to serve.

It was that easy. Obviously, do your prep ahead, so you can just toss it all together once the pasta's on.

Yum.

From delicious magazine (you can find a photo of the final here.)

Shuesday: It's snowing again

2010-01-05T15:24:00.001-08:00

So for those of you in a sunny state, or state of mind, or whomever still has any extra dollars to shop the resort collections, this one's for you, courtesy of Chloé (and Saks).

Icons we mourn: The Decade

2010-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

The NY Times does the comprehensive version of my occasional "Icons we mourn" posting. Can't believe how many have gone in just the past ten years. The ones I'll miss the most:

Katharine Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Paul Newman, John Gielgud, Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, Fred Rogers, Ted Kennedy, John Updike, Nina Simone, Oscar Peterson, Richard Avedon, Sydney Pollack, Yves St. Laurent and Natasha Richardson.

And furthermore, Julia Child, Betty Friedan, Brooke Astor, Madeline L'Engle, Anthony Mingella, and William Safire.

In Remembrance

2009 in sentences

2010-01-01T06:53:00.000-08:00

The Annual Roundup:

January: Apologies for the delay and the clumping, but I couldn't let these two get away without recognition.

February: First of all, it's clear (or it should be) that we're all scaling back this year. (And aren't we all glad we didn't spend a year of our lives filming Confessions of a Shopaholic, coming soon to a theatre near you.)

March: Resort season, anyone? (Dior Bow Sandal)

April: Keep telling yourself that.

May: I can't believe I haven't seen anyone since October, but here goes: At Prune for Sunday brunch, at the next table, Top Chef Stephanie Izard. *

June: If you must be married ocean-side, I suppose bare feet are de rigueur, but in case there's a painful stone walkway involved, why not slip in and out of these Gucci thongs.

July: These will definitely go with my tan and my Expose your Toes polish.

August: In a meta moment, I went searching desperately through the Boudoir* for this hilarious bit (30 Rock is a ripoff of the Muppet Show, discuss.), only to learn that I had merely posted it to Facebook, and not actually blogged it.

September: Fall is in the air, and the FG thinks you should pre-order these boots.

October: This seems somehow an updated version of something I imagine on a Brontë heroine.

November: Vote with your feet - Doesn't this remind you of Election Day bunting?**

December: I'm off to London for the weekend (again), but I know you're all panicking about what to get everyone from your special someone to the colleagues you're paired with via Secret Santa.***

*Thank the stars that brunch made at least one appearance!

** Clearly the first of the month was good for Shuesday. Again.

*** Yes, I cheated here. It's not /all/ about the shoes!

Previously

Icons we mourn: Tavern on the Green

2009-12-31T07:05:00.000-08:00

Tavern on the Green, once America's highest-grossing restaurant, is singing its culinary swan song.
The former sheepfold at the edge of Central Park, now ringed by twinkling lights and fake topiary animals, is preparing for New Year's Eve, when it will serve its last meal. Just three years ago, it was plating more than 700,000 meals annually, bringing in more than $38 million.

But that astronomical sum wasn't enough to keep the landmark restaurant out of bankruptcy court. Its $8 million debt is to be covered at an auction of Baccarat and Waterford chandeliers, Tiffany stained glass, a mural depicting Central Park and other over-the-top decor that has bewitched visitors for decades.

NY Times

Shuesday: Dancing in the New Year

2009-12-29T04:49:00.000-08:00

If you're celebrating this year, I've got suggestions for your footwear.

Everyone loves a little fringe, and it looks lovely when you're twirling round and round, so try these in purple suede, or these in black if your dress is the accent piece.

If you're somewhere warm and dry, or are wearing something sparkly, I don't think you could do better than these. Chiffon shoes - thank you Mr. Blahnik!

Best of 2009: Catch-up 2

2009-12-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

Since this is clearly a once every 10 days event, I'm going to skip around a bit.

Moment of Peace: There have been several, and it's hard to remember them all at this point. Given the year I've had, it's good to know I can recall more than one. Sitting on the dock in the warm early September sun with a book and a beer and a boy. The quiet of my empty, perfectly cleaned apartment in late October on the last day I still had the keys. Those moments where you are the only one awake on the airplane - even surrounded my people, peace can be found.

Challenge: It has to be getting myself out of another challenging workplace with my head held high. And I had LOADS of help and support from friends and family. Thank you!

Album of the Year: I mean, hello, the Glee soundtrack.

Best Place: Previously mentioned dock. The Isle of Skye. Bar Veloce. My apartment on TV night, with friends and cheap Indian food.

New food: Arepas and ramen. Which means Caracas, Ippudo and Wagamama.

Change you made to the place you live: Can I get back to you on that once I have my London flat? 'Cause I've definitely changed the place I live, like, by an ocean, but I'm not in the new place yet.

Rush: Best rush of the year? My surprise engagement party.

Best packaging: My engagement ring came in the most beautiful purple box from Hamilton & Inches. Yes, I'm biased.

Tea of the year: Lady Grey. (This list is clearly by girls for girls.)

Word/phrase of the year: Hod yer wheesht.

Shopping: J. Crew got a lot of my hard earned cash this year, I must say, as did Francis. Next year will obviously be the year of THE DRESS.

Car ride: The 5 days driving around the north of Scotland were amazing.

OK, enough for today. Enjoy! And finish wrapping your presents already!

What the fuss is all about

2009-12-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

I know you think the excitement at this time of year is about a little dude born in a manger somewhere in the Middle East 2000+ years ago, but you're wrong - it's actually all about WendyB, whose birthday is today. Happy Birthday Wendy!

I'm going to celebrate by going shopping at Wendy's jewelry site for her, choosing the gifts I'd buy for her if I had all the money in the world. And if you're still shopping for the holidays, some of her items are 15% off, like the Lady Jane necklace.

Lady Jane was always one of my favourite figures in British history, and if you haven't seen the movie with Cary Elwes and Helena Bonham-Carter (before she got all crazy), it's a must. Anyway, Wendy looks great in red, and this is a beautiful piece.

Then again, as an independent woman, Wendy might prefer the Virginia Woolf Whistle necklace. Although Virginia also met a tragic end, at least it was one of her own choosing, right? Plus it features all that is most cool about Wendy's designs - moving parts, ironic double meanings, and beautiful craftswomanship. And it's one of a kind. What a conversation piece! Run, don't walk.

Of course, if you use your hands when you talk as much as I do, you'll also need a ring. Wendy usually wears 5-6 at a time, and that doesn't count the Swear Rings! The Queen Min ring has always been one of my favourites - beautiful and subtle at the same time. And isn't purple the new black?

For something with more obvious bells and whistles, I should probably also choose one of the poison rings. Named after famously crafty women in history - Nefertiti, Agrippina, Borgia, Livia and Edburga. They're also a lesson in "be careful whom you marry."

Regardless, I hope Wendy has a fantastic birthday today. And feel free to do all your Boxing Day shopping at her site!

All photos from Wendy Brandes.com

Shuesday: Size matters

2009-12-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

If you thought last week's boot was big (and/or you're stuck at an airport in Europe or the Eastern Seaboard at the moment) wait til you see this! You go Tory.

Tory Burch @ BG

Mmmmmm, popovers

2009-12-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

My grandmother used to make roast beef and yorkshire puddings once a year, and now that I live in the UK, they're everywhere. But if you're looking for a lighter version, Mark Bittman, The Minimalist, reminds us about popovers.

If you're all fancy, get yourself a special popover pan, but a muffin pan will do (Mark says).

Popovers

Time: About 45 minutes

5 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), optional.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle a teaspoon or so of melted butter in each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan or a popover tin and put it in oven while you make batter.

2. Beat together the eggs, milk, 1 tablespoon butter, sugar and salt. Beat in the flour a little bit at a time and add thyme if using; mixture should be smooth.

3. Carefully remove muffin tin from oven and fill each cup about halfway. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 15 minutes more, or until popovers are puffed and browned. Do not check popovers until they have baked for a total of 30 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and serve hot.

Yield: 12 popovers.

NYT

Mmmmmm, cookies.

2009-12-19T09:46:00.001-08:00

When I come home for the holidays, I generally bake. Mum has all the equipment and ingredients, and a bigger kitchen, and that's enough of a reason for me.

Some years are more ambitious than others, and this one falls somewhere in the middle. I'm doing shortbread with a ginger twist, the infamous Crunchits, and chewy chocolate gingerbread. I love butter twists, but they're a lot of work and I didn't bring the recipe anyway. The shortbread and the gingerbread are both from Martha, and I've been making them for years. Chocolate and gingerbread are two of my fav flavours, so it only makes sense to put them together. They're delish, so enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Makes 2 dozen (it makes more)

7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more. (You can skip the refrigeration part if you like.)
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

So good!

Martha

Oh the Places You'll Go: Toronto (via Amsterdam)

2009-12-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

Well there's no place like home for the holidays.

The FG had a truly fabulous journey from the snowy hills of EDI to Toronto, via everyone's favourite capital, Amsterdam. I have been particularly good this year, and Santa must have told the people at KLM, because when I checked in online 30 hours before the flight took off, I was inexplicably able to reserve an exit row on the short flight and a business class seat for the AMS-YYZ leg. Everyone was /very/ pleased with themselves. I read silly magazines on the first leg, and my current book, and quickly found myself in Sin City. Confined to the airport, of course, but still.

There are endless, and endlessly stocked, duty-free shops at Schiphol (where it was also snowing). Honestly, I found it all somewhat overwhelming, and was therefore quite well behaved. Still, it was fun to look around. For security reasons, we all had to go through security again immediately prior to boarding, which no one enjoys, but the machine that shoots rays at you to determine your level of terrorist intentions wasn't working, so at least it was just a normal x-ray machine. And it was in the second waiting area that I ran into a girl I haven't seen since high school graduation. She was in Amsterdam giving a speech about the work she'd done in post-war Bosnia (wow), and we were on the same flight home.

Business class is a good thing, especially on long flights - but you knew that. There was endless leg room, tons of space in the overhead compartments, the seats were wide and of the fully reclining variety - it was wonderful. There was sauvignon blanc and my meal (some airlines are still serving food, it turns out) was quite edible. I watched The September Issue (which I had unconscionably missed in NYC) and The Young Victoria (which was not particularly good). I started watching Che, but decided that sleep wouldn't be a terrible idea.

Am now ensconced at home for the maximum 10 day period, and am looking forward to frolicking with friends and spending quality time en famille. Happy Holidays!

Shuesday: Abominable Snowman

2009-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

These are hilarious. I can't imagine wearing these anywhere where you'd be able to see them - I'm thinking insane snowstorms - but they're cute ...

Maybe I'm just looking forward to going home.

(love him!)

KORS @ BG

Best of 2009: Catch-up

2009-12-14T03:35:00.000-08:00

The FG is a little late getting on this particular bandwagon, but I know you'll forgive me. It comes from Gwen Bell, via BS. Bear with my whilst I catch up (and skip a few - best article? I can't possible choose). Here are the first five:

Best trip: Tough choice - the March weekend in Caracas was amazing, and not only because I finally made it to South America. But the two weeks in Scotland in July were gorgeous, especially the drive around the north.

Best restaurant moment: Again, I'm ignoring the formula and picking two - Le Bernardin and the Three Chimneys. Make that three - the Canadian wine tasting at Hearth was fun and delicious.

Best book: Sadly, I'm going to have to go with The New Yorker here. I've been terrible about reading books this year, again, and the ones I have read don't qualify for the best category.

Best night out: I think that would have to be the engagement afternoon/night - all of our NY friends gathered at Bar Veloce for cocktails and merriment, and then we ran off for a quiet dinner together at Hearth. There were also a few fun all night poker sessions, but they don't quite measure up.

Best workshop/conference: Hmmm. Usually this would be a no-brainer, but let's just say that my professional development opportunities were few and far between this year.

And that's all she wrote.

Shopaholic Part 6: What you really, really want

2009-12-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

There's always candy at Christmas, but it's often the kind no one really wants to eat - store bought Hershey's crap. You eat it because it's there, in mass quantities, and feel bad later.

This year, indulge your loved ones with caramels, candy, cookies and bars from Bushwick Baked. Fantastic flavours like bourbon pecan, fleur de sel and eggnog caramels, pecan and walnut toffee, chocolate gingerbread, even gluten-free cookies! Peppermint patty brownies, oatmeal peanut butter bars, delicious loaves - I could go on and on. They make perfect stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, or end of meal delights just for you. They're so good, you won't stuff yourself, and you'll want to share them with everyone you know.

Ordering is easy, and they also do events - if you've agreed to host a shower or a holiday party in the next few months, get in touch soon.

Because life is too short to eat bad candy.

Occasional baggage Part V

2009-12-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Brits knew what they were doing when they came up with this flag. I loooove it.

I think this bag is perfect for the holidays - wear a little navy dress (which also works the asymmetrical neckline that is au courant) instead of black, or pair it with a strapless red dress to really stand out.

Lulu at Harrods
MARC by Marc Jacobs at BG
Herve Leger at BG

Shuesday: Wear your loyalty on your feet

2009-12-08T01:15:00.000-08:00

These are fantastic. Alexander McQueen, of course.

Yes, I'm going through a Union Jack phase. More on that later.

Fashion TV

Oh the Places You'll Go: London (again)

2009-12-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Apologies for not blogging the first trip, a few weeks ago, but I'll summarize it here: Caught a far too early flight, left bags at the station, brunched at Spitalfields, shopped, went to the Tate Modern, Trafalgar Square and the National Portrait Gallery, caught a rugby game at a pub, and caught the train to Essex for a fantastic cocktail birthday party.

This time, we and had more time in the city proper. So:

Caught a plane in the early evening, took the train in from Standstead, checked in to our hotel just around the corner from St. Paul's Cathedral, and grabbed a late dinner at Yo! Sushi - one of the places where the sushi goes round and round past the diners. I also ordered the Spicy Seafood Udon, which was fantastic. Hit the hay early in preparation for a busy Friday.

I got up early, for me, (which was a good thing, because Blackfriars Station is closed until 2012). Anyway, I made it to The Dress Shop in Belgravia and tried on The Dress (again). Then it was back across to The City to meet with a recruiter near the Lloyds of London building. Lunched at Mother Mash - how could I skip pie in London? - and then hopped back on the Tube to Mayfair, via Oxford Street. I was then right on time to meet Mme. Connected for tea at the Connaught Hotel. There was a live harpist in the tea room - it was /something/.

Back to the hotel to switch from my suit into something more comfortable, and off to a pub to meet the Finance Posse for a little more beer than was absolutely necessary, and then to a curry in Brick Lane at Nazrul. Not the best curry I've had in the UK - so far those have been at Indian Calvalry Club and The Raj (both in EDI), but I'm optimistic. Our fellow diners were more inebriated and raucous than we - I'm talking singing at the top of their lungs at 11:30 pm in a crowded restaurant - but we enjoyed ourselves all the same.

Saturday morning we hit Selfridges - we behaved ourselves quite well - and then walked down Bond Street - away from the mad, mad shoppers - for a family lunch. Then a quick trip to the V&A to see the fashion exhibit before we dashed back to the train station (missing the train we really needed to catch) and flew through security, fortunately catching our QueasyJet home.

Shopaholic Part 5: The Countdown is on

2009-12-03T01:16:00.000-08:00

I'm off to London for the weekend (again), but I know you're all panicking about what to get everyone from your special someone to the colleagues you're paired with via Secret Santa. My nearest/dearest are getting UK-themed gifts this year, but here are hits for the Restivus:

This turkey stuffing cage is a safe guy gift - unnecessary, but sufficiently cool for the foodie you love. Provided he's willing to clean it afterwards. Or, if your foodie is old fashioned, get him/her a dressing spoon. It was my grandmother's standard wedding gift, and it will help your manicure survive the holiday season. Note: the cage is only for turkeys over 14 lbs, so be sure your giftee holds large-ish holiday meals.

In love with a former Lego devotee? Get them the Guggenheim! I actually think this is pretty cool, provided you have a den or a large bookshelf with room for it. And someone else to dust it.

That's it for today, but there will be more, I promise.

BB&Beyond
Taca-tiques
Brick Structures

Shuesday: Another month ...

2009-12-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

another pair of shoes?

Apparently J. Crew has a shoe of the month club, just in time for holiday giving. Bubblegum emailed them and learned the following:

It's $1800 for a full 12 months.
You can choose to receive either all flats, all heels or a combination of both, and the shoes each month are at a $150 value.
They'll exchange for size, but not for color or style.

Generally, I like the idea of their shoes, but not the execution, so I'm not sure I want 12 pair chosen by someone else, but if you know someone who loves shoes and you think the economy's going to turn around in 2010, this may be a gift you'll be giving.

Jcrewaholics has the deets on the other monthly clubs, along with a monthly cost breakdown.

Via HuffPo

Damn she's good IV: Miss Blunt

2009-11-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

... Blunt—who knew of Victoria only from “a paragraph in a history textbook and the movie Mrs. Brown”—was delighted to find that she’d been given the role of a protofeminist. “Victoria was an absolute person, fiery, rebellious, and passionate.”
When I suggest that her Victoria is perhaps easier on the eye than the original, Blunt shrieks. “How dare you!” Then she laughs. “Maybe in her later years. Victoria started to turn to the food. The food and the drink and the opium. She was definitely known for her appetite.”

How is it possible that Miss Blunt is only 26, btw? So unfair ...

NY Mag
VFair via editorialism

Previously, Queen for Life, Perpendicular Girls. (clearly, I'm a fan.)

Wear your rue with a difference

2009-11-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

I understand naming things after women - shoes, pieces of jewelry, wedding dresses, even hats and fascinators.

But really, there's no reason to name a fascinator after Ophelia. Not exactly a role model of wedded bliss.

Although I'm sure it would look lovely floating after you down river ...

Shuesday: If you have to get married ...

2009-11-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

Shouldn't Manolo be there?

Surely the FG can register for shoes ...

PS: She wears US 8.5, (38.5 European).

Edinburgh musings 2

2009-11-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

It's almost been three weeks, and I have further updates:

There's a tendency for some women here to dye their hair a drastic shade of blonde not found in nature. Clearly, they remember Madonna in her super blonde phase ... although they're not exactly Madonna. Remember, we look to icons for inspiration, not for replication on ourselves.
Tights are to Edinburgh as scarves are to NYC - women wear them constantly, regardless of the appropriateness of the occasion or the weather. In the case of EDI, this results in women sporting tights and flats in driving, freezing rain. Not smart, and it looks terrible.
Gardening is a full contact sport here - I've not seen such exquisitely manicured lawns since Versailles. And then there are those who just pave over their front lawn, or fill it with decorative rocks. No one's quite sure what that's about, but even the BBC is concerned.
Double decker buses are great, except when you're trying to descend the stairs to exit the bus as the driver is coming to a stop. Danger, danger, and no warning signs whatsoever. No wonder all the little elderly people remain on the first level.
The martinis are served wet unless you ask for them otherwise. What's that about? (Especially when everything else is wet ...)
The wind is worse than the rain. 'Nuff said.

Icons we mourn: Jeanne-Claude

2009-11-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

Jeanne-Claude, who collaborated with her husband, Christo, on dozens of environmental arts projects, notably the wrapping of the Pont Neuf in Paris and the Reichstag in Berlin and the installation of 7,503 vinyl gates with saffron-colored nylon panels in Central Park, died Thursday in Manhattan, where she lived. She was 74. (...)
Like all of their projects, these were intended to be temporary, a quality at the heart of the artistic enterprise. Whether executed in oil drum or brightly colored fabric, the art of her and her husband, Jeanne-Claude said, expressed “ the quality of love and tenderness that we human beings have for what does not last.”

One of my few regrets about my time in New York is that I missed seeing The Gates.

NYTimes

Shuesday: Walking around boots

2009-11-17T09:49:00.001-08:00

For packing/suitcase size reasons, my cowboy boots went into the Container (still somewhere in New Jersey), so I'm a little limited in appropriate walking around shoes for the varied streets of Edinburgh - paved, cobblestone, little bitty cobblestone, etc.

These would be good - and they're on sale! And who knew Nordstrom delivered to the UK?!?!

Franco Sarto @ Nordstrom

Must haves: I blame MObama

2009-11-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

This is just an amazing jacket, and I'd like to thank FLOTUS for bringing it to my attention. Gorgeous.

Maybe an early birthday gift for an FG?

Moschino, courtesy of Net-a-Porter, via NY Mag

Shuesday: Oh the weather outside

2009-11-10T06:09:00.000-08:00

is frightful.

Actually, it's not that bad, it's just rainy and damp today (I know, welcome to the UK). I've ensconced myself near the radiator with a warm computer on my lap and Taggart on the tube, and I've arrayed myself in black cashmere and fine wale cordouroy, but I'm missing something ...

What would match my all-black ensemble is this boot from Ralph Lauren, but somehow these Opening Ceremony ankle boots appeal more.

Saks

Long live the cocktail!

2009-11-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

The FG hopped Queasy Jet and flew to London this weekend to poke about and attend a lovely birthday party for a school-days friend in Essex. The birthday girl-slash-hostess purchased several sets of glassware, lashing of alcohol, mixers, fruit and herbs and checked out numerous cocktail recipe books from the local library (The FG does not kid about libraries) so as to host the most fabulous cocktail party Essex has ever seen. And it was.

The FG started with a French 75 and kept her champagne glass for the evening, refilling it with pure champagne when necessary. Others were less wise, but all survived the evening. On return to sunny EDI, she found this yummy sounding concoction in the Waitrose magazine, and thought it would have been a lovely addition to the event.

Zatoichi (makes 1)

2 cucumber slices, one 1 cm thick, one paper thin
pinch Wasabi paste (recipe says 1 cm, but really, is there a ruler in your bar kit? I thought not.)
2 tbsp fresh ginger juice (grate fresh ginger, enclose in cheese cloth and squeeze)
2 tbsp lemon juice
Vodka*
2 tsp simple syrup (boil equal amounts sugar and water until sugar is dissolved, cool)

Muddle the thick cucumber slice and the wasabi in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and remaining ingredients, shake, and strain into a chilled martini glass.. Garnish with the thin cucumber slice.

*the recipe says 40 ml, I have no idea how many ml are in a shot glass, nor do I know the size of your martini glasses. Make it work!

Edinburgh musings

2009-11-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

Well, now that I've been on the original side of the pond for a full 5 days, I have several items to report;

If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes. I have experienced downpours, violent winds, rainbows, mist, and sunlit blue skies, all in the space of a single day.
It is, as reputed, somewhat damp and cold, but there are unending pots of tea to consume, which helps.
Every beer has its own style of pint glass (with the possible exception of the seasonals). Seriously, a Peroni comes in a different glass than a Heineken, comes in a different glass than a Deuchars, comes in a different glass than a Hoegaarden. Amazing. One suspects US bartenders wouldn't put up with that - clearly they're not taking their beer sufficiently seriously.
Many flats feature a room known as a "box room" - this is not a room in which to store boxes, it is a room without windows. I cannot imagine it, but apparently some people use them for bedrooms. I'm thinking storage, cat litter, etc.
Most doors seem to open inwards, into the shop from the street (except those that do not). Ages ago, The Scottish Cowgirl told me that doors in the States to rooms holding more than 25 people must open out, in case of fire. Clearly that doesn't apply here.

More to come, I'm sure. Meanwhile, the flat-hunt continues!

Photo from ePints.

Shuesday: Vote with your feet

2009-11-03T15:53:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this remind you of Election Day bunting? Or something? Also, might go nicely with the occasional baggage below?

Just a thought.

Have you voted? Polls are still open ...

Moschino at Nordstrom

In case you didn't get the memo

2009-10-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

I'm flying off to my new life in Edinburgh tonight, never to return.

OK, not /never/ to return - yes, I can be a drama queen. I expect to be there 2-3 years, before returning to my homeland in the Great White North.

The luggage will at least get across the Atlantic - cross your fingers it gets from LHR to EDI, please!

I'll miss NYC, but I will be back, I promise. And there will be fabulous in Edinburgh, I'm just sure of it.

Occasional Baggage: Part IV

2009-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

This post is appropriately timed because the movers came yesterday and gathered all the things I carry and took them away in a big truck so they can travel across the Atlantic and meet me in Edinburgh in 5-6 weeks. There will be no shopping for a while - the thing about packing is that you realize really just how much you own, and no one is certain that there are sufficient closets in the old country for all my bits - but a girl can dream, and who doesn't love black ruffles?

Actually, this also reminds me a bit of several of J. Crew's latest tops.

Valentino at BG

Photo courtesy of Fashion Fuss

Shuesday: Speaking of ridiculous

2009-10-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, in the Times:

Are high heels all about sexual advantage, since they elongate and exaggerate the female form? Or is there another explanation? What liberates women and what shackles them, when it comes to shoes?

Anna-Marie Fitzgerald, a book publicist who lives in London, is co-editor, with Phoebe Frangoul, of Pamflet, a feminist fashion and pop culture zine and blog says:

Elongating the leg and squashing the toes, a skyscraper shoe is an addictive, paradoxical combination of pain (ouch), power (taller, but you can’t walk) and beauty (a peep-toed sigh). That Louboutin under-lick of red is a tantalizing hint of flesh, the stiletto spike a phallic shadow and in one’s pinched toes — sensation there lies an exquisite kind of torture. We can’t honestly wonder at the agonies of the 19th-century corset or foot-binding when we’re obsessed with “the shoe,” can we?

And, as Jennifer Scanlon is author of “Bad Girls Go Everywhere,” a biography of Helen Gurley Brown, and a professor of gender and women’s studies at Bowdoin College, says:

As Helen Gurley Brown realized, women are no better — and no worse — at making decisions big and small than men are. They simply have more shoes to choose from — and make a wider range of choices. Who’s going to draw the line on just how high a heel is practical, or healthful or sexy?

Edinburgh wardrobe: Part 6

2009-10-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

I do like a suit, and red prevents anyone from blending in with the rest of the penguins. Plus, it's Dior ...

When in doubt

2009-10-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

At a sample sale, it's always better to buy first, and answer questions later.

Madame Royale

This royal fleur-de-lis represents Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, the eldest child of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, who was known by the honorific "Madame Royale." She was imprisoned from the time of the French Revolution in 1789 till the end of the Reign of Terror in 1794, and was the only member of her immediate family to survive.

My first WendyB piece! And I love that it's dedicated to a survivor. If my mother's taught me anything (and she's taught me a lot), it's the importance of survival. Which will help with the gray skies of Edinburgh to come.

Also, I have a serious susceptibility to fleur de lis. Just saying.