Roof-top

Very cool roof-top bar, just near Bank.  Quite glam, despite being full of suits.  The web-site doesn't really have any pictures, but trust me, it's cool.  Good place for a cheeky champagne mid-week.

Coq d'Argent

Daffodils

This is one of the things I love about England. The flowers really bloom, and the daffodils in spring-time pop up everywhere. It's over now, because we're well into summer, but it was so pretty, and so English.

Birthday fun

This is where I had my birthday dinner. I had just arrived in London, and this place was perfect. I gathered the few close friends I have in London together in a private room on the top floor, and when we arrived this was how the room was set up. Just lovely, and perfect because we could mingle, wander around, and make as much noise as we wanted.

First Floor, Notting Hill

Shah 'Abbas

On my wish-list of places to visit is Isfahan in Iran, so I was happy to be able to see this show at the British Museum earlier this month:

Shah 'Abbas - The Making of Modern Iran

Shah 'Abbas was the ruler of Iran from 1587-1689, and he collected paintings, carpets, ceramics from all over the world. The show at the BM was beautiful. The intricacy of the work in the miniature paintings, and the hours that must have been spent on the silk carpets... incredible.

Paolo Roversi

Another favourite photographer. His work has a painterly quality that I really like. And his subjects, especially Guinevere Van Seenus (last pic) are often quite soulful. His website is here.

(images via google)

Romance

Taken at my friends' wedding, just before the ceremony.

Chloe in Chloe

Chloe Sevigny wearing Chloe SS09. I like the scalloping, that it's casual but chic, and that she likes it so much she doesn't mind wearing it over and over.

(image via elle blog)

Bar-hopping

We only went for one drink to this place, but I loved it -- great interior, moody, colourful, comfy, and a very cool crowd. Loved the walls covered in old cassettes.

It's in Shoreditch, right in the thick of it.

Callooh Callay

Delicious

Stunning French restaurant by Tower Bridge, at which I had possibly the best red wine I've ever had in my life... And now I can't remember the name of it!

Lovely food and ambience too.

Le Pont de la Tour

Abbey and Bunny

Abbey Lee by Max Doyle, for Australian Vogue.

(image via fashionista)

Nick Knight

Dolls at Petra

Love

Tim Walker's photography. His website is here.

The image above is of Lily Cole in India, for British Vogue. Love.

(image via google)

Half Full

Work in progress

My walls were looking a bit bare, so this is something I'm putting together to brighten up my room.

Yes, that's Miss Piggy wearing Marc Jacobs!

Thriller

An interesting compilation of tributes by NY mag here.

(image via style.com)

Delicious

The gorgeous parents of one of my closest friends were recently in London, and took me to this délicieux restaurant, in Shepherds Market, Mayfair. Merci!

Le Boudin Blanc

Blossom

Blake's London

(image via wikipedia)

I didn't realise until today, reading this article in the Times, that William Blake wrote Jerusalem (as a preface to a longer poem called Milton), and that he was writing about London:

"In the greatest of his epics, Jerusalem, Blake, carrying the sun as a lamp, travels through London as a pilgrim. The streets of the city are avenues into the spiritual world. That is why the “dark Satanic mills” of Jerusalem can be found in the heart of the capital. They are emblems of eternity, but have a specific and local identity."

I'm not religious, but Jerusalem was one of my favourite hymns in high school, and it's strange to discover that it was originally a Blake poem, set to music by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916.

"Hello Dad"

Comic genius:

Advertisements for Alan Carr's "Chatty Man"

Woodblock magic

This is from another show I saw recently, at the Royal Academy. Every art-work was extraordinary. Incredibly detailed, colourful and humorous. Surprisingly modern too, considering the artist, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, died in 1861.

(image via Royal Academy )

Love

The floor at High Road House, Chiswick.

Le Corbusier

I saw this show at the Barbican, not long after I arrived in London. Le Corbusier (1887-1965) was a pioneer of modern architecture, with radical ideas about changing the way we live through urban planning. He is equally celebrated and scorned, so the show was quite interesting.

(image via google)

Snuggling Up

These little guys were all lined up (not tethered together), patiently waiting to be milked.
Have a look at their faces in the next shot.

Taken by the side of a road in Jordan, just outside Amman.

Need to See

I'm dying to see this show at the Hayward Gallery. Might have to go this weekend... Will report back. The work in the picture is one by Yayoi Kusama, who I'm pretty sure had a recent show in Sydney.

Delicious

I had dinner at Quo Vadis last night, in Soho.

It was delicious. Casual but upmarket, beautiful flavours, nice and relaxed. I would highly recommend it!

Listening To

I still love this album - so much soul.

(image via wikipedia)

Coveting

Limited edition minty-green polish, which will apparently be available in October.

(via style.com)

Love

Illustrator Ruben Toledo has produced a number of covers for classic novels, including this one, for Wuthering Heights.

(via fashionologie)

Cherry picking in Grasse

Brighton pier posts

Welcome to my blog, where I'll post bits and pieces (photos, restaurants I've been to, places I've visited, exhibitions I've seen) as a kind of on-line diary. This is a bit of an experiment at the moment. We'll see how it goes...