Hello Kitty suitcase December 20, 2006

This is my fiancé pulling my suitcase for me at Paris’s Gare du Nord, while we waited for a taxi (click photo to see a larger version). It’s a great case, with a Louis Vuitton-inspired HK motif. (Side note: I have decided that the best way to declare yourself uninterested in anything but conformity is to carry Louis Vuitton luggage or a LV handbag. I see so many hundreds of people with that stuff that I just can’t think of anything less original to spend huge wads of money on. I wouldn’t even waste money on the rip-off stuff, just to look like a bunch of other people.)

I post this picture now because I had a dream about this case last night, and about another HK suitcase that I don’t think actually exists. It was super cute, though, with a huge Hello Kitty face spanning the centre and the left corner of the pink luggage. My dreams rule.

Not all cashmere is equal December 19, 2006

On the way back from last Saturday’s impromtu shopping trip, I stopped at Bluebird – there was a posh mini-market just outside the restaurant. I came across a stall with lots of beautiful (and expensive) cashmere, which does deserve a mention. Having acquired a fair amount of cashmere in New York on my last trip (the full extent of the cashmere extravaganza is between me and Jackie!), I could appreciate the quality, if not the price. It was Emma Jane Knight’s (ejk) cashmere and she was ‘manning’ the stall herself. As she explained there is so much competition in cashmere these days, she went for the top end of the market. Fair enough. I particularly like the BAST style (£260). 

AFRODITE also looks wonderful, I am still looking for that ultimate wrap top.

So it seems that what I need to do now is to blog about all the cashemere I got in New York last week.

Nick & Nora Sock Monkey Flannel Sheets December 19, 2006

I can’t exit a Target without a set of sheets. I bought these on a trip to the big, new Target in San Jose, California. They cost less than 30 smackers and are fabulous in every way. (Sadly, it looks like they’re only available in twin size through the website.)

I need this on a cushion December 19, 2006

Of course, I’d have to hide it when family came ’round, but it would be worth it. (This is by Gayla, who runs You Grow Girl and fabulous online shop SuperFantastico.)

Time to work December 18, 2006

I flew from the US on Saturday with a nasty cold. From experience I know that the best way to avoid jetlag is to keep going. So what’s a girl to do? Go and check out her local fashion haunts. It helps being within spitting distance from the King’s Road. Dahling.

One of the best finds was a Christian Lacroix (warning, a horrible flash site) hand painted silk top. I did not get it as the colour didn’t go with my skin tone (too pale) but wanted to show what’s out there.

And this simply had to be photographed, Jackie’s obsession appreciation of handbags, made this one a must. Ghastly as it is, it certainly has ‘comedy’ value.

Strangely enough, I did not purchase either of the items shown here. But I did get a pretty Jean Muir grey knit top (£9.99). I will post pictures of it once I try it on unsuspecting public.

Lucky Star Origami Earrings December 17, 2006

Here’s how you know you’re an Etsy addict: When you’re subjecting your fiancé to a review of the day’s ‘ones that got away’ on Etsy (red flag number one), you get insanely jealous of whoever snapped up those Lucky Star Origami Earrings (red flag number two), and are then astonished to see on your Etsy history that you are the one who snapped them up (red flag number three).

I have no idea what I’m going to wear these with, and they seem a little longer than I usually go for when it comes to earrings, but I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to make them work. I just love the colours and the concept of origami accessories. Plus, at $4, this is hardly a purchase I could ever live to regret.

My name is Jackie, and I’m an Etsy addict December 16, 2006

Seriously, I have a problem. I have never once visited Etsy and not bought something before forcing myself to close the browser window. These days, I can’t walk away without buying at least three or four things. I keep myself to a strict(ish) budget per visit, but with the dollar-to-pound exchange rate making things especially affordable lately, it’s hard to be restrained when it comes to Etsy.

Here are today’s finds (actual purchases I made are marked with asterisks) – which, by the way, you can always keep track of via the TM feed on the right sidebar of this blog (to which you can also subscribe with your RSS reader):

• Robin in pink cherry blossoms magnet*
  Puppy loves you magnet*
  Japanese squirrel condom package magnet*
  1951 ephemera dragonfly and pink flowers pocket mirror
  Punky pink deer towel
  Little boy with a bird bracelet (pictured above)
  Little girl with flowers bracelet
  Cherry cardinal vintage charm necklace (this appeals to my Ohioan side, the cardinal being our state bird)
  Water garden floral cha cha charm bracelet (this is too bulky for my wrist, I think, but I love the beads and the colours)
  Vintage Lucite rainbow heart cell phone/mp3 player/handbag charm (for the ’80s kid in me)

Challah back December 16, 2006

If you want a cute Jewish t-shirt, try this on for size. (I have to stop blogging about this; my fiancé is convinced I want to convert.)

Ralph Lauren hobo December 15, 2006

I got this Ralph Lauren hobo bag in New York last weekend. I was originally planning to give it to someone else as a Christmas gift – I wasn’t sure who, exactly – but, in an unsurprising twist, decided to keep it for myself. It’s so soft and pretty, and easy to carry. Good pockets, too. But really, the pretty is the important part. At first, I was a little “Eh” about it, but now I’m quite “Oh!” about it. This was a steal at $39.99.

Jo Malone: Sometimes more is more… December 13, 2006

I love Jo Malone’s perfumes. Traditionally made but with a twist and an occassional edge. I think I found one when I tried Black Vetyver Cafe cologne last time I was flying. I alway stop by in the shop in Terminal 3. (I have been wearing Pomegranate Noir Cologne for a few months now and although I haven’t tired of it, I wouldn’t mind something new. )

I like it even after a few hours on my skin so on my next flight, last Saturday, I had a good reason to visit the shop again. This time I found the fragrance a bit too heavy and spicy, although still wonderful. The shop assistant suggested I try straighforward Vetyver, which seemed a bit too traditional for my taste. Then she suggested blending the two. This worked perfectly and created a complex fragrance that works during the day as well as in the evening. I loved it instantly. So now I have two small(ish) bottles of perfume, both amazing on their own and combined I have my own ‘personalised’ fragrance. This is as good as it gets in retail.