At what stage does inspiration and imitation tip over into plagiarisation?
Being in an Orla Kiely frame of mind recently, I was amused to note this at Land of Nod this weekend.
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And these in the Pottery Barn Teens catalogue
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And here’s a bit of original Orla Stem print, just to compare.
So Gwyneth Paltrow is apparently starting up her own ‘lifestyle’ website, entitled, somewhat peculiarly, GOOP.
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At the moment, it’s a strange little two-paged affair – click on any one of the icons above and you get a vacuous and somewhat patronising little essay about how Gwyneth has created her own very lovely life – the very loveliness of which I’m sure has NOTHING to do with the many millions of pounds she and her husband earn. The site is currently as content-free as its owner, though it does promise that in due course it will be full of fabulous hints and tips so that we too can lead lives as fabulous as hers.
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I’m sure Gwynnie is hoping to become the next Martha Stewart and I don’t fundamentally have a problem with that. After all, isn’t that what all of us ‘lifestyle’ bloggers are secretly hoping might happen to us? And it’s not just that I find her profoundly irritating as a person – as you know I’m not overly keen on Martha or Nigella as people, but blimey, do they have some great ideas.
And that, I’m afraid is my problem with GOOP. I just don’t believe that Gwynnie will have anything to say that will interest me.
After all, would you take fashion advice from someone who, with all the money and stylists in the world, manages to look like she forgot her trousers on the red carpet?
Or take interiors advice from someone who, with all the money and interior designers in the world, has a house that looks like a somewhat soulless collaboration with the Sugar Plum Fairy?
Or indeed, take foodie advice from someone with a concave chest?
And anyway how can we trust her taste when she is married to HIM?
Will you be taking lifestyle advice from Gwynnie? Or are there any other celebs who you wish would put together a lifestyle website? (Personally I can’t wait for Sarah Palin’s).
For all Seattle readers, this is just to let you know that tonight’s Lab is all about the growth of modern architecture in Seattle and features Richard Corff founder 360Modern. Unfortunately I can’t be there yet again (the Minx’s new school keeps organising events for new parents on Wednesday evenings, and I feel these should take priority for the moment). But if you go, I know you’ll have fun.
I’ve finally pulled my finger out and got some new stuff on the site. First up, some new products from groovy French design trio Atelier LZC, who continue to renew and develop their aesthetic and whose stuff I just love, love, love.
This also marks mirrormirror‘s first foray into greeting cards and stationery other than notebooks, and they seem to be selling well so far, so if you produce beautiful greetings cards, please let me know.
Set of 6 general purpose double-sided greetings cards with detail of back and front.
Set of 6 more kiddie-oriented double-sided greetings cards with detail of back and front.
Set of 20 postcards in a book. Actually I love how these complement each other so much I’m wondering if I can somehow just frame them.
Two different Japanese-influenced print tea towels.
Or, Kelly Wearstler – WTF?
I know that American design sensibilities are different from European ones. Americans seem to like more fuss, clutter and ornamentation than Europeans are used to. I think this is because minimalism was a European thing and its philosophy of clean lines, simple shapes and less clutter seems to have permeated our culture a lot more, even if we wouldn’t consider ourselves minimalists.
Having said all that, I just can’t understand the American adoration of interior designer Kelly Wearstler. An ex-topless model, champion of Hollywood Regency style, author of many books, and judge on interior design reality pogramme Top Design, she’s probably the equivalent in status to a Kelly Hoppen or Tricia Guild in the UK (though with very different design sensibilities) and very much admired.
But I. just. don’t. get. it.
Here are pictures from her recent spread in Domino magazine. Am I really the only person who thinks this looks like a wealthy Arab just ran amok in an early 80s motel? (With apologies to all wealthy Arabs with taste). Isn’t all the gold and shiny stuff and horrendous layered pattern and blocks of marble and overstuffed leather and fussy knickknackery just, well, hideous? Can someone please explain what I’m missing here?
By the way, these are the ways she chooses to wear her hair, in public, nay, even on telly. There doesn’t appear to be any coercion involved. Thank goodness she’s beautiful.
My life is now complete. Look who’s just appeared on my desk. My very own Tim Gunn talking bobblehead!
The Minx thinks my ‘funny man’ is quite hilarious and keeps sneaking up behind me and making him say ‘carry on’ or ‘FAB-U-LOUS’ or, of course, ‘make it work’.
His benign and smiling presence and inspirational catch phrases are actually strangely motivating. I think old age is getting to me.
It’s my birthday today and I’m feeling lazy (and old), so only a very small post.
First up fruit flies. I was sitting with my friend at the playground yesterday evening, watching our kids trying to kill themselves and discussing fruit flies (as you do), and she suggested using a solution of apple cider vinegar and washing up liquid in the trap, which apparently kills the flies stone dead. I will combine this with the cling film method and report back.
Next, one of Megan Not Martha’s lovely commenters has pointed out that there is a knitting pattern available HERE for yesterday’s ‘cappuccio‘. I would love to knit it, but don’t think it looks half as wonderful here as it does below. Do you think it’s just because they’ve used an acrylic yarn? I think I will give it a go, but in merino or cashmere. Can anyone recommend a fabulous merino or cashmere chunky weight yarn? (Is chunky the same as aran weight in the UK?)
Finally if you want to know what your name would be if Sarah Palin were your mother, then click here.
Although the temperature is set to rise to the high 70s today, my mind is starting to turn to snuggly things, in particular these gorgeous knitted pieces in 100% merino wool from Italian online store Sartoria Vico (found via Not Martha).
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They have created a range of simple but interesting and often multifunctional knitted pieces, each available in a range of colours. I love the way the website is a arranged, with clear photos and simple illustrations.
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Incidentally ‘cappuccio’ – pronounced ‘ka-pu-cho – simply means hood and ‘sciarpone’ – pronounced ‘sharponay’ – means big scarf. I’m wondering whether these will be knitty overkill with last year’s knitted Uggs which had to be surgically removed from my feet come the end of winter.
This is for the many people OK, one person, who has been clamouring for the recipe.
I first encountered this under a friend’s pergola in the West Country (I believe she had pulled the recipe from a magazine) and haven’t stopped eating it since. It is divine.
Slice up a couple of nice, firm, shiny aubergines (eggplants – why are they called eggplants?) lengthwise. The slices should be about 1cm or half an inch thick, not so thin that they get burnt to a crisp and not so fat that they take for ever to cook. Coat the aubergine slices with olive oil (I find the spray stuff you can buy invaluable for this sort of thing) and then grill them. As in all things (sadly) too much oil is better than too little. They are sublime cooked on an outdoor gas grill or barbecue, but work very successfully on a normal indoor grill. Take care not to burn them.
When they are golden brown and soft as butter, take them off the grill and shred them into thin strips in a shallow bowl. If they seem ridiculously oily, pat them with some kitchen towel. Halve about a punnet of cherry tomatoes or other small, sweet tomatoes and stir them in.
In the meantime make a pesto in your food processor from a big bunch of mint, three or four tablespoons of shelled pistachios, a couple of cloves of garlic, some salt and pepper and a stalk of lemongrass if you have it to hand (it’s not necessary but adds a certain je ne sais quoi). Add the juice of half a lemon and enough olive oil to make a pesto-y paste. Then stir the pesto into the tomatoes and aubergines.
The great thing about this dish is that it gets better and better as the flavours mingle. Make it early on the day you’re going to serve it and it will sit quite happily in the fridge. I always make it with two aubergines so that I have plenty left over for lunches etc.
Serve with grilled chicken or lamb, a little rocket salad, a hunk of delicious bread and an enormous glass of rose’.
This blog really isn’t the place for political stuff, though some days it doesn’t feel right to be wittering on about cushions and cupcakes. Today is one of those days.
I used to work in the City. I stuck at investment banking for about nine years until I worked out that I hated it. And one of the things I hated most was this feeling that we were putting lipstick on pigs and never really admitting they were pigs. But today the chickens and the pigs as well are coming home to roost.
As an outsider to the American political process, it has been fascinating and terrifying to watch it from the ‘inside’. I had some idea when back in the UK that abortion was a big issue here. I had no idea that even with so much negative crap going on, it would still be one of the most important issues on the agenda. People here don’t believe me when I say that back in the UK I don’t have a clue where top politicians stand on abortion, that it’s hardly even mentioned.
Amazing as it may seem, I feel nostalgic for the British political process. For discussion that, however sleazily or simplistically, still focuses on things like taxation, healthcare, education, the Iraq war and the environment. Here, the discussion is all about abortion, teenage pregnancy, lipstick, guns and where Sarah Palin gets her glasses.
Americans, and the rest of the world, deserve better than that.
Here, for what it’s worth, is some of the most insightful and funniest commentary so far. (Sorry I can’t embed a video as NBC has had all the ones on YouTube deleted).