the perfect cup for tea

My favourite cup. A cup that is the right size, the right weight, the right colour, the right design and in some cases a nice history. A new addition to the cupboard but straight to the top place spot is this Tracey Emin designed cup. I'm a big TE fan. I find her art inspiring, exciting, challenging, emotional. I like her too and I think it's this personality that comes through in her work that draws me in. Bunny purchased this for me the day before starting my new job as a good luck gift - my own special mug for the studio. As it happens I leave it at home as I worry someone might borrow it and break it! The message on the back in all it's simplicity is how I feel when I fall in love - I wear my heart on my sleeve. Depending on my mood I can read it and fill it with emotion - urgency, desperation, sorrow, dreaminess. .........

And as for the front.............well need I say more

fishfinger s/wich #1

I'm caught up in a fishfinger sandwich obsession at the moment. Like when you return from a day's shopping spree with all new purchases in different shades of the same colour, I am finding myself eating them 3 or 4 times a week. Part of the process is in perfecting them and making sure the next is better than the previous. This one from last night was delicious and had addition of sundried tomatos. From research I have decided that the greenery has to be rocket only. Ketchup and Mayo definite additions. This simple dish which is so comforting and takes you back to your childhood will have pride and place at Love Street

Chanel Cloakroom

I popped into Beach Blanket Babylon in Shoreditch last night pre a client event and in my brief time there I managed to eat half a bowl of penny sweets and take this shot. The cloakroom attendant was diligently preparing for the evening to commence. I have sign envy and imagined only Chanel coats being allowed into this VIP cloakroom. I don't think my vintage fur coat would have cut the mustard so kept it on. The Chanel type and logo are so iconic and while I try not to succumb to labels it's one that has such romance about it I can't help but be drawn in.

The Whitechapel Gallery

I went to visit the Whitechapel Gallery this week with view to potentially use it for a creative forum type event. Unfortunately the main space was too small but it was such a treat to go around the gallery in private. When we walked into this room I was not sure if it was an installation or not - maybe I'd stumbled into the United Nations HQ. The tapestry is in fact the life size tapestry of Picasso's Guernica, his anti fascist message. Rockefeller who commissioned the tapestry donated it to the United Nations HQ where it has hung ever since as an anti war message. The blue curtain you see represents the curtain that was drawn across the tapestry when Colm Powell gave his infamous speech about WMD in Iraq. The round table is offered to anyone to use free of charge for meetings / debates whatever and the only requirement is that the discussion is recorded. These recordings are then collated and will make up a wider part of Goshka's exhibition. I thought this was a really lovely idea and now just need to think of a reason to get a few people together for a chat.

Pop-Up Cinema

We went to see Exit through the Gift Shop at the Lambeth Palace on Saturday. Situated under the arches near Waterloo Bridge in an authorised graffiti area the cinema was a real treat. Cosy warm with traditional red velvet seats and bottles of cider to see us through the film. There were also some rather crazy installations that had everyone reaching for their cameras - kinda like we were all at a zoo or something! I love this photo of Bunny posing by the ice cream van - it's like he's jumped into a cartoon world and the guy behind the counter with the Mona Lisa is a funny distraction. It's one of those art within art within art type scenarios.

Oh and the film? It was bloody amazing! We laughed out loud (highlight was Banksy revealing the million pounds he innocently made with princess diana's face - ooops) and exited with big smiles on our face. Result.

fish & chips #1

I love, love, love, love fish and chips. Can I imagine serving it in Love Street? - probably not. Mainly because I don't believe I could do it justice. A fish-finger sandwich though is another matter and I've been working on perfecting this of late. I'll be showing the results when I'm satisfied. This was taken the other week at The Refinery behind the tate modern. It was not my meal so can't comment on taste sensation but I thought the presentation was fun.

how do you like your eggs

This chocolate is from Fortnum & Mason and was too good just to eat without a thought. It needed admiring and playing with for some time beforehand. I amused myself greatly with the makeshift frying pan (camera lens cap) and the way my little chocolate heart became a heart egg. The minute detail on the chocolate also becomes more apparent when you look at it against the thread of the cotton pillow. It really did taste as good as it looked.

home is where the heart is

February 14th - Valentine's Day. Woken to the beautiful sight of these Gran Prix Roses. Romance well and truly alive at my house on that day.



Slightly overwhelmed and in awe of my beautiful new gift I proceeded to spend hours arranging, smelling and photographing them. Which was then I started thinking about people's bedside tables and what they say about them. I always remember my dad's - piled high with intellectual books and a chocolate parrot in a plastic cage that my brothers and I bought him one Birthday and that he refused to eat. For year's we'd beg him to open it (possibly chocolate would have gone off by then) but he's never relent. Looking back what do I think this says about him? He's as stubborn as a mule for sure but he's also a sensitive soul - it just takes a while to break through the layer to the soft centre.



Here's mine.........not sure I should start to analyse myself but on a very superficial level I love the beautiful things in life

Press For Champagne

On the 13th February 2010 Bunny and I took ourselves off to Bob Bob Ricard for a treat. Were we celebrating Valentine's Day? I'm not sure but having stumbled across an article about the restaurant showing off the the art deco interiors and menu consisting of lobster and chips with endless champagne cocktails was basically enough to convince me I would love this place. When we first arrived we were sat at a table for 2 with 2 elderly french ladies next to us. They appeared to be enamoured with our conversation and would take big pauses in their own just to stop and stare/listen to us. Finding ourselves slightly on edge and with green eyed monster for those sat in private booths, Bunny had a word in the ear with the maitre'd. We were swiftly moved and then really began to enjoy our evening. The highlight had to be the press for champagne buttons - plans are currently afoot to have one installed at home.......

Cannes in Snow

I recently returned from a recce in Cannes following a pitch win to produce the sony 'experience' at this year's sony world photography awards. Excited at the prospect of being involved for the third year running and escaping the bitterly cold weather here in London for a couple of days I skipped off to catch my plane. As my colleague Jem and I sat down for breakfast on the 2nd morning I casually remarked 'oh look it's snowing'. And it snowed, and snowed, and snowed. Cannes became a magical fairyland that resulted in no one being able to get in or out. Being snowed in an extra day was not ideal but there are certainly worst things I could have been doing. What was so enchanting was the fact that this was only the second time in 10years that snow had fallen in Cannes. Watching children excitedly running along a white beach and elderly couples gripping umbrellas while capturing the scenes on their cameras was lovely. It was important to think 'ok it's snowing and I need to get home and do lots of work but.... c'est la vie!'

bathroom fit for a king & queen

Doll's houses really are magical things and this bathroom from a cardboard one is no exception. I often see dolls houses out on the streets for sale and it's impossible not to stop and take a little peek into a different world. I never had one as a child but i'm sure if i ever have kids i'll be purchasing one as much for me as them.

Fox

I absolutely love foxes. I find them fascinating creatures. Like most London dwellers I'll often cross paths with them and it's so engaging when they just stop and look at you - rather than arrogance it's like their is a mutual understanding. A passing moment before they scamper off into the bushes. I was visiting my friend Justine who is a very talented graphic designer and was thrilled when she showed me some of her latest work - all revolving around some of my favourite animals

mr. licky

This is mr licky - well not quite, it's what mr. licky my dream dog will look like. i'm trying to keep a lid on my emotions when talking about this dog but it's so god damn cute i just want to cuddle it for eternity! I spotted it in East Dulwich patiently waiting outside a shop for its owner while wearing an amazing red and blue sequined cape which certainly makes a lovely change from the sea of brown usually on display there of late

henry holland's muse

I have a rather large crush on Henry Holland so imagine my surprise when I spotted this.........
http://hommetimes.com/2010/01/the-2009-top-50-moments-in-menswear-1-25/
and noted that it was very similar to an outfit i adapted and sported last Feb. Maybe this crush is mutual, maybe HH is stalking me......anyway enough of my crush. I loved this outfit largely because it was a little ridiclious but also because jumpsuits are so easy to wear - high kicks are achievable, they're playful but sexy. I had a lovely time dancing the night away.

fly away with me

I love this photo. I don't know who the young lady is but she's so sassy and on a mission you can't help but stare in awe. She also manages to avoid looking fancy dress despite being in fancy dress. I imagine her striding home after a wild all nighter where she will briefly freshen up before heading straight back out again. Go girl.