Poppies All in a Row

Cheering Up the Dreary Day :: Tejas // Cano Cafenol // No flash

Today I am working on some children’s book illustrations in watercolour. Since I knew I’d be bending over and didn’t want to have my hair trailing in the paint, or getting in my eyes, I thought I’d better pin it back. But a ponytail is so boring. Besides it puts a kink in my hair when it’s damp (I never bother fully drying it after washing). So I thought a headband. Something fun to cheer up the dreary day: a row of coral pink poppies.

(Yes I know I look pensive rather than cheerful; but this out-of-focus shot was much more interesting than the smiling portrait. It’s hard to self-take with the Hipstamatic, but I suppose a front-facing camera goes against their manifesto.) 

The Quest for the Custo Grail

FRIENDLY grail :: Ben Watts // Big Up // No flashWhen in Barcelona, it is obligatory to at least attempt to buy something from Custo Barcelona. However, I have never been a fan, finding the clothing just too gaudy for my taste. I did wander into a couple of boutiques, but I found myself marching out fairly quickly each time. Until I got to the airport.

In a desperate effort to spend just a few more euros, and attracted by the colourful merchandising, I stepped into yet another boutique. There I finally found my Custo Grail: a little racer-back tank wildly printed in pink, orange, blue and green with a graffiti design, and entirely plastered over with clear sequins. It reminds me more of Gaudí’s work than any other souvenir I could find. It was about €45 (half the price they’d charge in Australia), and I bought it. So un-French* of me, n’est pas?

*Referring to Ines de la Fressange’s decree that one must forever repudiate sequins (see preceding post)

Boiled sweets :: Ben Watts // Big Up // No flashInsouciant blue :: Ben Watts // Big Up // No flash

Princess Finds Lump of Coal in Stocking!

Dorothy Shoes: Side Elevation :: Watts // Big Up // No flashCan you believe it? I almost literally found a lump of coal in my stocking on Christmas morning. Everything was arranged and I was ready to go: the last item on the agenda was to put on my new glittery red Dorothy shoes.

I crammed my right foot in … and in one of those earth-shattering filmic moments was pulled up short. Something was not right. Had I switched places overnight with Cinderella’s sister? I was disbelieving for a moment and turned the shoe over. It was in fact the wrong size.

I turned the left over. It was also the wrong size.

Impotent rage seethed within me. On Thursday I had tried on my usual size, but found the shoes were a little short in length for me, and I asked the salesgirl for the next size up. She obliged, and asked me if they were better. “Much better,” I told her happily.

She returned a few minutes later and asked automatically, “Are you going to think about it?”

“No, I’m going to take them.”

She seemed surprised. Perhaps her usual clientele were not usually so decisive. But: Red. Glitter. Dorothy. Magic could happen in those shoes. How could I possibly say no?

Dorothy Shoes: Rear View :: Watts // BIg Up // No flash

Magic could happen in those shoes. How could I possibly say no? … Magic did happen. Black magic. 

Magic did happen. Black magic. That witch masquerading as my fairy godmother (to mix fairytales) pulled a switcheroo, and sold me the smaller shoes.

I wore them anyway, and beamed at the railway turnstile attendant’s grandiose compliments as I bravely hobbled through. Later on I accepted my family’s compliments through gritted teeth, and a couple of hours later the shoes were off. Fortunately I had taken a spare pair of shoes with me to travel home in.

The next day I cleaned up the shoes (not a mark on them) and promptly swapped the evil twins for a good pair. The moral of the tale: it’s Christmas, so don’t be naughty, be nice – at least until the salesgirl gives you the right pair of shoes. Then you can whack her upside the head with the wrong ones … what?

Chintz Knits

Lidushka in Chintz :: Tejas // Ina’s 1969 // No flashLidushka looked too cute today in her floral print knit, with its slightly puffed shoulders. I immediately asked her if it was vintage, and she chuckled that it was from H&M – she didn’t wear vintage at all. It totally reminded me of 80s floral printed jumpers, although they were usually in pastel shades rather than these rich hues. Check out the original chintz here.

Lidushka’s Chintz Chest :: Tejas // Ina’s 1969 // No flash

Bangle and Beads

The Agate Bangle :: Watts // Blanko Noir // No flashThis ebony bangle slid from atop the stack of coloured agate bangles and off the crystal bowl, landing with a musical chime onto the sprawled loops of a pink and red jade necklace. There it sits, by the crystal container holding red and pink hued hair ties. The dramatic colours instantly have me reaching for the Hipstamatic.