{two lovely things: green & white}

. . . two lovely things: wallpapered cabinets & beautiful bunches of narcissi and it's beginning to look a lot like spring . . .


{images: patrick cline for lonny magazine & gingerlily flowers}

{at the shops: florence & florence, uk}

. . . happened across florence & florence, an utterly charming vintage shop run by mother and daughter, christine and annie florence, who have a love for beautiful things and "specialise in finding exciting second-hand pieces", filling their little shop with delicate glass compotes and filigreed pepper pots befitting the most elegantly extravagant dinner party on a mid-spring evening, scalloped cake stands and silver sugar tongs perfect for high-tea on a sunday afternoon, and tea & cake sets that will have you dreaming of the most romantic early april picnics . . .


{images: photography by rebecca cornell for florence & florence, via elle}

{at the shops: rothschild & bickers, uk}

. . . can hardly tear myself away from these stunning arts & crafts style floral pendants, designed by victoria rothschild & mark bickers, the royal college of art graduates who combine traditional glass techniques with contemporary design, creating signature as well as bespoke pieces; each is beautifully handmade at london glassworks, one of the last workshops in the uk, and can only be described as a work of art . . .

{p.s.} previous at the shops:
* mrs. press, australia
* billy bride, australia
* satomi kawakita, new york

{images: rothschild & bickers}

{pear martinis + summer's end}

. . . every thursday, a late lunch with my sister, and yesterday was not unlike any other, with the exception of the discovery of a magical and secret garden terrace for drinks and laughter, and while catching up over pear martinis to the sultry sound of late-august leaves rustling in the golden afternoon light, had wished that summer could last forever . . . on the way home, however, a reminder in all the shop windows that the crispness and energy of autumn has its own romance and must confess that the fall lookbooks in late summer are nearly as exciting as the spring books in the last of the winter days, which can only mean one thing: le changement est bon / change is good . . .

{images: warehouse via katie armour}

{the english countryside}

A little slow with the updates, this week, I know--(sometimes there are not enough hours in a day). When I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, I think about donning my wellies à la Kate Moss at Glastonbury, or Marina Hanbury (although I probably wouldn't wear them with a see-through evening gown) and head to the English countryside, the perfect place for repose . . . green rolling hills, moors, dales, old stone cottages, skittish rabbits, rambling rose bushes, fiesty roosters, random sheep wandering about the narrow, winding roads and rustic footpaths.

If you ever feel the need to (really) escape the city, find your way to the English countryside, and you'll return with a new perspective. The little village where we stayed has remained unchanged for years, farmers still building and maintaining stone pasture walls by hand, years of history in each perfectly placed rounded rock, on top of moss-covered remants and beneath newly built wooden step ladders. Here, time nearly stands still and the pace of life is relaxed, the pride of the town lying in their recent win in a countrywide botanical competition. Here you'll get to know the utterly charming locals and taste local cuisne, such as Lemon Baked Sole au Gratin, and here you'll lose yourself in the greenest hills and country air . . .

{Marina Hanbury collecting eggs}

{one of my favourite photographs, farmer and cow ambling down a cottage road}

{late summer lamb}

{old stone cottage with enormous pink hydrangeas}

{English roses}