Brokenfab Jewellery

Are you a jewellery person, or a textiles person? Perhaps you are both? Then I have a solution for you - Brokenfab's utterly gorgeous beaded fabric jewellery in the most wonderful eye-popping colours. This particular collection is entitled "Disco Beading Vol 1." As a source of inspiration, Brokenfab's fabby website cites: "...spending long evenings at London's Plastic People or Deviation's club night soaking up the sounds of Disco, Boogie, Synth, Funk, Electro, Detroit Techno, Dub steps, Broken Beats...". I also see a bit of native American bead work going on too! what do you think? Check out the stunning website for this unique jewellery.

The London Roller Girls

Did you know that there was a womens' flat-track roller derby league that existed in London? No me neither! Well, not until I came across The London Roller Girls website whilst writing up the post about Tatty Devine jewellery (they're sponsors of the league). The main teams seem to be The Steam Rollers, Ultra Violent Femmes and Suffra Jets! The girls themselves have great Cramps-style names like "Liv or Die", "Fox Sake" and "May BeTwisted" and veer from being tattooed rock girls to sports fanatics; but all seem to fit into the sport equally well! Please check out the site for future fixtures and a full explanation of the sport - it looks fantastic - I deffo want to get some tickets for the next game!

Shoes for Monday Blues #2

In stark contrast to the last pair of shoes to cure the Monday blues, we have these super cute and totally bonkers shoes from Irregular Choice (notice the lovely clear yellow conical heels!) If you wear these you will definitely look different to everyone else - but you will also stand out more!

Shoes for Monday Blues

These Louboutin Pigalles may well have been around for a while now, but they have become a business woman's staple pair of killer-deal shoes! Compared to other shoes from the designer, they are a bit more affordable too, and I have a sneaky feeling that if you bought these for work then you would end of paying about 1p per cost of wear! You can get them from many places, but if you want the I-mean-business-suit to go with them, then check out the brilliant businesswomanboutique. A lot of the clothing on this site is very monochromatic, but without looking "standard issue". Although I reckon many of the pieces would look great if you were to team them up with the brightly coloured DVF dresses on the last post!

DVF Sale at Matches Fashion

Apparently, It's going to be a beautiful sunny weekend here in Blightly, and that has put me in a very generous mood! So I'd like to share some of my favourite items in the sale at Matches with you; from the queen of pattern, and inventor of the wrap dress - Diane Von Furstenberg! Visit Matches Fashion DVF shop for big discounts on some really exquisite items!

Tatty Devine - Collaborations

I've loved Tatty Devine stuff for quite some time now (I featured their "Modern" necklace at the Tate Shop in an earlier post on Popartrockgirlyeah!). However, it was my friend Bonnie that highlighted the below Wizard of Oz necklace after seeing the Patrick Cox "Dorothy" post I did the other day (cheers Bonnie!) So I thought it'd been some time since I had a look in their shop, and went for a little peek this morning; I was very happy at what I saw! The "Ruby Slippers Necklace" is one of their many fantastic collaboration pieces online (this particular piece has been made for the Royal Festival Hall's production of the Wizard of Oz!)

Other favourites are; an amazing glasses necklace tribute to those singing sculpture poo-masters Gilbert & George, a "French Navy" tattoo anchor necklace for one of their favourite bands - "Camera Obscura" and last up a "London Roller Girls" necklace, dedicated to the "Steam Rollers" (who are as the site puts it, "a team of twisted Victoriana anarchists... on roller skates!) Phew, it's all too much, I need to sit down!

Jane Foster - Retro Cushions.

How about these groovy retro cushions - these are almost too good to sit on! If you like retro/ vintage/ Orla Kiely/ Cath Kidston et al then you will love these cushions from Brighton designer and illustrator Jane Foster! (one of my favourite designers of all things retro/ kitsch and cool!). Here's the link to her lovely cushion shop! http://www.janefostervintagecushions.bigcartel.com/. Oh, and she also creates designs for the wonderful new Clothkits site (featured in one of my earlier posts!)

Vintage finds at ATELIER-MAYER.COM

My fashion mantra is somewhat like that of a new bride: "Something old, something new, something borrowed...something red!" These days we all like to mix a bit of high-street, high fashion, cheap n cheerful, luxury and vintage. In my experience though, online vintage can be a bit hit and miss. Atelier-mayer.com however, really gets it right. Apart from jawdroppingly fantastic jewellery, clothes, shoes and Objects D'Arts on the "Madame Mayers Loves" page, there are also tips on buying vintage and some links to very useful sites for art and fashion history (which I immensely enjoyed going through!) I had a very hard job indeed to choose the photos to post from their site as I couldn't limit myself, anyways this is what I decided on!

Sexy black 1980's Mini Dress by Tadashi

Elsa Schiaparelli 1950's Gold and Silver Wedge Shoes

1960s Black and Red Scalloped Bag

Pucci 1970's Print Silk Handbag

Yves Saint Laurent Silk Fuchsia Bolero and Gold Skirt

Blueberry and Lime Tart

I haven't added any recipes recently, so I've been on the hunt and found this amazing blueberry and lime tart. Visually very stunning and relatively simple to make - my kind of cooking. This a great US magazine that offers an online newsletter. For English readers, don't forget to convert the cups! www.bonappetit.com/recipes

Read on for recipe >>

Recipe


Lime Curd

3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
Crust
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 large pinch of salt
Topping
2 6-ounce containers fresh blackberries
1 6-ounce container fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon blackberry jam

Test-Kitchen Tips
Pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the lime curd makes sure that a skin doesn't form as the custard chills. Brushing the berries with a little blackberry jam gives the fruit topping a shiny, pastry-shop finish.

Preparation

Lime Curd

Set fine metal strainer over medium bowl and set aside. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in another medium metal bowl to blend. Whisk in lime juice. Set bowl over large saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until curd thickens and instant-read thermometer inserted into curd registers 178°F to 180°F, about 6 minutes. Immediately pour curd through prepared strainer set over bowl. Add butter to warm strained curd; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until blended and smooth. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd, covering completely. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. DO AHEAD Lime curd can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Crust

Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in medium bowl until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg yolk; beat to blend. Add flour and salt and mix on low speed until mixture resembles large peas. Using hands, knead in bowl just until dough comes together.
Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Break dough into pieces, then press dough evenly up sides and onto bottom of pan. Cover and chill 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover crust and bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.

Topping

Remove sides from tart pan and place crust on plate. Spread lime curd evenly in baked crust. Arrange blackberries in 2 concentric circles just inside edge of tart. Mound blueberries in center of tart. Place jam in small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave until jam is melted, about 15 seconds. Whisk to loosen and blend, adding water by teaspoonfuls if thick. Brush jam over berries. DO AHEAD Tart can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Chill uncovered.

Crazy bags from Lunacy.

Whilst we are on a childhood theme, I came across this site today; if this doesn't make you relive your childhood, nothing will! There is definitely something a bit Lady Gaga going on with these bags (if you remember the telephone video and the fake "fur coat" made from Kermit the Frogs!) Available from the fantastically outre store that calls itself "Lunacy Boutique". http://www.lunacyboutique.co.uk/

Shoes for Monday Blues

Most people either love or hate The Wizard of Oz. I personally love it. Although forget flying monkeys and mad witches, it was THOSE red shoes that I was really interested in. I honestly did believe they were magic! So you can imagine how over the rainbow I was when I spotted these "Dorothy" Patrick Cox heels on the internet - the stuff dreams are made of! Blue ginhgam dress and white ankle socks optional. http://www.patrickcox.com/

WFP: La Dolce Vita

Weekend Flick Pick

La Dolce Vita is, quite simply put, filmmaking at its very best. It is also filmmaking at its absolute coolest. There is now so much mythology around the film and people associated with it, that you could easily write a book on the subject (and a very large one at that). For example, the word Paparazzi has now become part of the lexicon of British popular culture, but the word comes from the name of the character "Paparazzo" in the film. Also think of the Trevi fountain, and an image of the buxom Anita Ekberg, lolloping about in the water wearing her party frock, instantly springs to mind!

La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life/ The Good Life) caused a sensation when it was released, and was banned in Italy for many years. It ushered in a different era of sexual identity and cultural awareness; and displayed a pessimism regarding Catholism which wasn't taken kindly to in certain quarters! The film was directed  by Italian cinemas' Enfant Terrible - Federico Fellini, and playing the lead character of bored hack-journalist Marcello, is the wonderful Marcello Mastroianni.

The cinematography, the attention to detail (in the clothes, the architecture, and nightclubs) and the acting are all sublime. If you are going to Rome for a holiday, this film is a must see, if not see it anyway!

Howard Hodgkin exhibitions in Oxford!

Without a shadow of a doubt, Howard Hodgkin, is one of my favourite British artists, EVER! It really does, p*** me off, that he is not recognised as being the great talent that we have, by the art establishment in this country: So I'm consoling myself with the fact that there are two exhibitions that relate to the great man himself in Oxford institutions in June! The first exhibition is at The Oxford MoMA (Museum of Modern Art - New York MoMA's little sister!) Indeed it was they that first showed any kind of retrospective of Hodgkin's work in Britain (in 1976). This current exhibition concentrates on his work from the first 10 years or so of this Decade. Even if you are new to abstract art, please do go and see this, you will rarely see such beautiful usage of colour - he is obsessed with it in a way like all artist's favourite artists are; The Venetians, Turner, Matisse, Kandinsky!

The second exhibition is showing some works from Hodgkin's private collection, and is being held at the Newly fabulous Ashmolean Museum. "Royal Elephants from Mughal India" showcases 20 beautiful depictions of Indian Court elephants from 1570 to 1750.

Go to Oxford and make a Howard Hodgkin day of it!

Home, Home on the Range, 2001 - 2007 - Howard Hodgkin

Elephant and Rider, c. 1640 - Indian Court painting

Orla Kiely Laptop Bag

I've been looking around for a good laptop case for some time now, and although the state of play is much better than it was, I still find a lot of them a bit, meh. So I was very happy indeed to see this on Asos.com today. I've been a big fan of Kiely since the early days when I bought one of her gorgeous retro oilcloth apples & pears purses in Selfridges. I used it so much that eventually it fell apart! Hopefully I will get as much usage out of this.

Annina Vogel Jewellery

Annina Vogel, a Brit moved to San Fran, became a jewellery designer after an early obsession with Vintage jewellery - especially that from the Victorian era. She works predominantly with precious stones and gold, and her work is completly bespoke as it starts off from indivdual charms and other such items that she happens upon! There is lots of end of season stock, according to her beautiful website, so please go and investigate. How about the below Horseshoe and Cupid's Arrow necklace; with this a first date would be a sure-fire hit! http://www.anninavogel.co.uk/

Pop Justice

Friends of mine are often intrigued/ confused/ alarmed, by the variety of stuff on my Ipod. It ranges from Bobby Brown to Sonic Youth. Whatever pleases one camp of people dissatisfies the other. I have given up trying to please everyone and now just play what I want, mainly because I can't be bothered to justify every single track. It is especially very difficult  to explain the merits of a good pop song to alternative music fascists (think of Jack Black in High Fidelity).

Just to straighten things out a bit, I like a bit of  pop cheese. Especially "Chuckaway pop", which has an even shorter shelf life than throwaway pop - it's the difference between Chipmunk and Lady Gaga! It's the kind of music that you probably love for about two weeks and then totally hate; only to listen to it about 15 years later when it is retro (and then you probably hate it after one week). After that it gets relegated to the dusty bargain basement bin of crap music history, never to be exalted in ever again! But there is a place for this type of music: Jimi Hendrix was indeed a great musician, but his stuff is no good to do ironing or aerobics to! If you are still confused, then check out "Pop Justice" and they will tell you why pop music is great and good! http://www.popjustice.com/

Kylie: Fainting in tight corsets isn't just for Victorians you know

Shoes for Monday Blues

Now I know, before you say anything, that these aren't exactly utilitarian, but where would the fun be in life if everything was practical! Gianmarco Lorenzi, from the fabby http://www.farfetch.com/.

Mad Hatters

A few hatworthy things going on in June. There's Ascot Gold Cup (Ladies day) on the 17th of course, but if that's not quite your scene, The Kensington and Chelsea College Millinery department are showing the work of its' very talented students until Sunday (see below beautiful blue and green sea urchin looking creation). Whilst we are on a hat theme, The Hat magazine is a great read; and if you are a beginner and fancy having a bit of a go at millinery yourself then I really recommend one of the courses run by the charity Hatwalk (who has Philip Treacy no less as one of its' patrons). http://www.hatwalk.co.uk/

London Jewellery Week

As part of London Jewellery Week, there are all manner of fantastic events happening at various places such as The Goldsmiths' Company, (amongst others). There is also the fabulous Hatton Garden Festival. I particularly like the look of The Association for Contemporary Jewellery stand (I could be wrong, but the necklace on their web page looks incredibly like a Fred Butler piece!) Here's a few pictures of different up and coming jeweller's pieces that I really like - see if you can hunt them down on below website (warning, might be an idea to hide your credit card!) http://www.londonjewelleryweek.co.uk/

WFP: La Vie en Rose

Weekend Flick Pick

The press blurb from the studio states: "The most astonishing immersion of one performer into the body and soul of another ever encountered on film". That's quite some claim, but on having seen the film I realise that this is not completely unjustified (mind you how about Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, or Robert Downey, Jr, as Charlie Chaplin!)

Marion Cotillard dazzles as Edith Piaf, and one can only sit back in wonder as the film takes you on a whirlwind tour of high and low society, fame, drug addiction, illness and bereavement. There are scenes that are absolutely heart breaking. For example, the young Edith not wanted by her mother, is taken to live with her paternal grandmother - the madame of a brothel. Suffice to say, she saw things that a young child shouldn't really have to, which is quite shocking.

Edith's lovers were many, and the story of the real love of her life is one saddest scenes comitted to celuloid, but I'm not going to divulge this as I think you need to see for yourself.

One of the only slightly annoying things about the film was the way it jumped about. I'm not saying that I have a problem with films that have a different kind of narrative structure; it's just that there are times when you're not sure about the time frame of things happening (although the attention to historial detail is lovely and helps ground it a fair bit).

La Vie en Rose takes you back to a different world of the dance hall, bawdy coffee-house humour, endless glamour and running away with the circus; but the main themes were almost made for the current times. There are all too many artists today that seem afflicted with overburdening talent, addiction, illness and grief. Let's hope that their stories end a bit happier than Edith's and that they also experience the same moments of pure happiness.

Pierre Hermé Chocolate Mousse

I was just sitting at my laptop, mooching about whilst half watching rubbish late night tv in my glamorous blogging attire of track bottoms and Fit Flops (erm, I mean my DVF dress and feather mules), and then suddenly, I hit food-blog gold! This recipe's one adapted from famous pastry guru Pierre Hermé, and whilst I haven't yet tried it, I most certainly will be tomorrow evening! The aforementioned blog is called Serious Eats, and seriously, they are SERIOUS! http://www.seriouseats.com/

Read on for recipe...


Adapted from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé by Pierre Hermé.

- makes 6 servings -



Ingredients

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup whole milk

1 large egg yolk

4 large egg whites

2 tablespoons sugar



Procedure

1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over (not touching) simmering water or in the microwave oven. (If you want to melt the chocolate in the microwave, set it to 30 seconds and stir thoroughly, then every 15 seconds thereafter, until melted.) If necessary, transfer the chocolate to a bowl that is large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Keep the chocolate on the counter until needed. The chocolate should still feel warm to the touch when you're ready to use it.



2. Bring the milk to the boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Using a small whisk, gently blend the milk into the chocolate. Add the egg yolk and whisk it into the chocolate, again working gently; stop when the yolk is incorporated.



3. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed just until they hold soft peaks. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the sugar. Continue to beat the whites until they are firm but still glossy. Scoop 1/3 of the whites out of the bowl onto the chocolate mixture. Working with a whisk, beat the whites into the chocolate to lighten the mixture. Now, with either the whisk or a large flexible rubber spatula, delicately but thoroughly fold the rest of the beaten whites into the chocolate.



4. Turn the mousse into a large serving bowl—glass is very nice for this dessert—or into individual cups, and refrigerate for 1 hour to set.



On storage: Although the texture of the mousse will be lighter if you serve it shortly after chilling, it can be covered and kept in the refrigerator for up to two days. It will be just as delicious, if a little denser.

Wooden Iphone Case

Now I don't normally like to beg for things, but please, please, please can those lovely people at the Design Museum get some more of these Iphone cases put in their shop! Thankyou. Here's the linky (just so that you can also feel my pain) http://designmuseumshop.com/

Shoes What Rock!

These are so rock n roll - but also incredibly well put together - and this is because they are made by Charlotte Olympia (real name Charlotte Olympia Dellal, and sister of model Alice). This designer is one to watch. She's already making waves with various celebrities seeking out her heels (and has an online shop coming soon - I will let you know when this happens). Like Jimmy Choo, Emma Hope, Patrick Cox and Nicholas Kirkwood, she is an ex Cordwainers student (related post imminent). I found these on Polyvore (the most addictive website in history of fashiondom). http://www.polyvore.com/

Grace Kelly season at the BFI

As if by magic, the BFI are holding a month's screening of Grace Kelly films, including Rear Window this week (see recent "Weekend Flick Pick"). This is to be held at BFI Southbank and runs alongside the Fabulous V & A exhibition in Kensington which examines the style impact of Ms Kelly!
http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/