Maybe it’s because I’ve watched too much This Is Us, and feel like Rebecca is both my friend and Mum, but I was really moved by Mandy Moore’s wedding photos this past week. She looked like a fairytale bride in that candyfloss pink Erdem frock. Her veil had a childlike nostalgia to it, in that it looked like something a little girl might fashion herself. And the baby’s breath laced through her hair, was so soft and romantic looking. Oh, mandy!
I bought my niece a matryoshka doll on the weekend, a classic gift that every child enjoys. My father’s wife grew up in Moscow, and I’m quite sure it was her parents who gave me mine. I can remember lining the dolls up on my mantle piece, from the largest, maybe 8 inches tall, to the tiniest, no larger than a lentil. The other day, as I opened each doll to find another inside, I was genuinely excited. It was the nostalgia, yes, but more than that, it was the surprise that I enjoyed so much. Just when I thought I’d reached the last doll, two more appeared! It make me think about possibility and discovery. The person within the person within the person, and so on. We’re all Matryoshka dolls!
This winter arrangement is so beautiful; a combination of dendrobium orchids, bittersweet, honeysuckle vine, narcissus and flannel flower. The wiry branch is dried viburnum greens and the fruits on the mantle are persimmon. It’s all so wild and whimsical, and such an imaginative, yet simple antidote to more traditional arrangements.
As a kid, whenever I was nervous about taking a test, or competing in a match, let’s say, my Dad used to tell me to imagine the invigilator or competition on the loo. “Just imagine them taking a crap, and that’ll ease your nerves.” There’s something equalizing in the idea that we all shit and fart and burp, and that even Kings and Queens and exam proctors blow their noses and study their snot. Which is why, and I’ve said this here before, I love to happen upon images of great and important people doing mundane things. Like Queen Elizabeth, drinking a glass of wine.
Once you’ve worn cashmere, not even merino will do. I’m kidding, (sort of). I like the idea of a full romper spun entirely from Mogolian cashmere. My winter uniform. And this cashmere sweater/skirt set from Adam Lippes looks lovely and decadent, too. Good knitwear makes winter bearable.
It’s hard not to take a closer look at this photo of Neneh Cherry and her Mum, Moki at their home in the Swedish countryside in the early Seventies. The wild mural, the girl’s outfits, (Neneh’s sweater is amazing) the textiles. It was an old schoolhouse before Neneh’s parents turned it into the family home. Neneh and her brother still own it, and live between London and Stockholm. Take a look at this interview, where Neneh talks about childhood memories of colour, makeup and style, and how they informed her future self.
When I picture cement, I see floors, roofs, stairs, pillars and roads. And a massive concrete mixer. It’s not a sophisticated material, but these vases certainly are. They’re elegant, simple and bold. I picture a cluster of them on this fantastic terrazzo table. The vases are handmade in Greece, and can be used inside or out.
This here is a beautiful room. From the windows to the tiles, to the play of colour and light, there’s nothing I don’t like. Rooms like these aren’t designed all at once, they come together over time. The books, the magazines, photos and flowers; given the chance to walk around for a minute or two, I think one could learn so much about the person who lives here.
I’m drawn to the simplicity of Caroline Popham‘s paintings and collages. There’s a subtle movement to them that I really enjoy. I read that Popham’s work acts as her visual journal, that she takes mundane moments and routines from her everyday and re-imagines them in her paintings . “Human habits, routines, and observations are denoted using abstract forms, gradations, and sequential rhythms while color translates mood and action.” Take a look Popham’s work. It may resonate with you, too.
After a short break, six months or so, my hair is back in it’s natural habitat, scrunched up on the top of my head. But as the festive season begins, I feel that plain, old hair elastics won’t do. You may catch me with a pretty silk foulard around my head, or maybe I’ll find a beautiful, antique comb to stick in my top knot. A silk ribbon is always a good idea, the thicker the better. And one can never go wrong with diamonds.
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