Kelly Doust introduces readers to her wonderful world of reviving and customising vintage pieces, while bringing a modern and unique twist to wearing vintage clothes – Dita Von Teese
Beatles to Bowie
The Beatles in 1964
Speaking of the UK (see post below), I started looking again through some of my favourite UK sites, and found that the National Portrait Gallery is featuring the Beatles to Bowie retrospective at the moment. I wish I could be there to see it.
The NPG has to be my favourite place in all of London – when I lived there I would spend entire days just wandering through the various rooms and viewing the archives. There’s so much to see in people’s faces. And when they’ve been captured in a picture, you’re absolutely free to stare. I just love that – to me they are endlessly fascinating.
Here are two more black & white pics I love below – perhaps for sartorial inspiration more than anything else.
The incomparable Astrud Gilberto
Oh Edie... an Edie Sedgwick pic by Keith Moon
A cosy English winter
It’s hard to imagine as I sit here, silently wilting amidst the wet heat of a Sydney summer, but oh to be staring out the window at sights like these…
My father-in-law, D sent me these images recently of their farm in south-west England, snowed in as they were with the heaviest snowfall they’ve had in over thirty years. To be sitting inside near a roaring fire, sipping hot chocolate and cutting up old jumpers to make a soft toy or two, or a hot water bottle cover for a friend… now that would be bliss.
Deer in the fields
Or maybe a tea cosy from the book, like this:
My love heart tea cosy
More excellent vintage posters
Here’s another great place to source vintage posters – allposters.com. J’adore the one above, and check out some other favourites below.
Click here for an earlier post on Galerie Montmartre.
I do like to be beside the seaside
Flag iconic
Sequinned clutch
Is there any better flag than the good old Union Jack? Not if you ask me. Check out the above sequinned clutch, modelled by Parisian gal Miss Pandora.
That’s it, I’m making myself a Union Jack cushion out of old scraps of denim, calico and strips of red velvet, salvaged from a past-it frock. Stay tuned.
Lark Handmade
Knitted teaset from Lark Handmade
Love this site, both for its super-cute, well chosen items and total ethos supporting handmade and ethical products. And they deliver in no time at all, too.
Knit me a cake or two
Do It In Paris
Katrina put me onto this site ages ago, and I have to say I really look forward to receiving the latest newsletter every week or so. Simply gorgeous illustrations cover some of the most recent catwalk looks, the site links are fab-slash-deadly for online shopping, plus the tips on favourite hidden Parisian gems are well worth saving up for your next trip.
Ooh la la.
A few of my favourite things #5
Fornasetti plates
I was thinking the other day about really iconic design that speaks to me, and why. Here’s a few pieces you can’t go past for timeless quality: a Fornasetti plate or two, Philippe Starck‘s Louis Ghost chair, and the Alessi kettle.
Philippe Starck Louis Ghost chair
Whistling bird kettle from Alessi
For a few of my favourite things #1 click here.
For a few of my favourite things #2 click here.
For a few of my favourite things #3 click here.
For a few of my favourite things #4 click here.
From the brains behind Distillate
Image from a past season's Lyell catalogue - love it
Well, it was only a matter of time before Jacqui Lewis, the brains behind one of my favourite websites, Distillate, set up her own new blog. Check it out – the gal has taste.
Says Jacqui, the site is ‘my little online studio, where I escape my real studio’s day to day demands, and post about things that inspire me. It’s about being inspired by the little things in life, and quality not quantity.’
Vanessa’s Crafty Minx throw
Recycled throw
Vanessa bought the book late last year and we’ve had a lovely correspondence about the things she’s been making. Here’s a throw, made from her daughter’s recycled clothes following the instructions in the book. I love its homespun charm – thanks Vanessa.
Home
James' photo of a butterfly alighting on our backyard lime tree yesterday afternoon
My thoughts keep returning to the poor people of Haiti and it makes me remember what a privilege, and not a right this life is.
Note to self: give thanks, every day, for the little things.
And she flies away