Japanese Photobooks of the 1960s and 70s

Japanese Photobooks of the 1960s and 70s

$75

This book came in a couple of months ago but I haven't posted on it before. I wasn't sure the images would translate. But I think these do. It's very interesting and visually impressive.

Today I got an angel in my advent calendar. Yesterday, a flock of robins. I love Christmas.

Art Forms in Nature by Ernst Haeckel

Art Forms in Nature

$25

The best value book in the store for the person who likes amazingness.

Art Forms from the Ocean

Art Forms from the Ocean by Ernst Haeckel

$25

Best value book in store for any and all budding oceanographers.

See!

Not only did it POUR with rain all day yesterday in LA (causing lots of spiders to appear in the house, I hid them under a variety of cups and let Jimmy humanely deal with them when he got home. I'm no good with eight-legged crawlers), but this morning the tree outside my house had undergone a turn-of-the-leaf! We have seasons! We do! (Kind of.)

Could Have Been Worse

Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa
$29.95

So my day today could have been my brother's day. His day was whore-end-dous. He woke up late for work. Got into the shower and fell over in it, seriously bruising his man-boobs and his pride. While trotting to work (in agony) he got caught in a deluge of rain that only London can produce. Drenched and sore he bumped into a very attractive photographer whom brother has had his eye on for a while but is always too shy to talk to, attractive photographer then told brother he had "some breakfast on his chin."

Awesome. As is this book about tribal fashion. It's fab.

Black Friday.

Bande a Part: New York Underground 60s 70s 80s
$35

I've not had a bad day. I've just had one of those days when perhaps it would better have served me to just STAY in bed. It started this morning when I walked the dudes (dogs) around the block and I saw a skinny wolf belt past. I have a phobia of dogs off leashes - this comes from being eaten by a bunch of them when I was a small kidwinker and from Boddington The Dog being mauled on my street a few years ago. Needless to say I nearly shit myself and had to race home. THEN I left the house and half way to the dry-cleaners I realized a: I'd only bought one of my Union Jack Pillows instead of the pair - because I'm fucking STOOPS and b: I'd left the back-door open so the wild-rabid-wolf-roaming-free could get into the house and eat my dudes. So I turned around raced home, dealt with that, went to the supermarket got a salad - it exploded in my work bag and got cilantro mayonnaise which is lurid green on EVERYTHING. I got to work, ate some strawberries to calm myself (whatever) and spilt strawberry juice down my dress. I sponged it out in a frenzy and made it look like I'd peed myself. I'm now sitting here with soggy tights. FUGUGUGUGUG.

On the up-side - HOW pretty is Patti Smith? Blondie - I want your hair and doesn't Madonna look like she was WAYYYYY more fun back in the day?

Striped Monk's Robe Coat.

I was reading the new Foale & Tuffin book - it's about sixties fashion and I saw this picture of a model wearing a Striped Monk's Robe Coat by Jo Bergman. It's exactly the same as the robe that I got from the ACE Hotel in Palm Springs a few weeks ago. That's me in the second picture wearing it! Weirds.

Stitchery

Got this book in a few days ago. It's great but I don't like the word "stitchery", it sounds like a nasty infection.

The Front Line of Fashion #2

The Front Line of Fashion

$59.95

So I said before I couldn't post about this book because it was too delicate but some dirty-fingered customer soiled (ewwww groossss) my display copy so now I can post away to my hearts content.

The Ballets Russes.

The Ballets Russes and the Art of Design

$50

The most awesome costumes in the whole ever. The end.

Toni in Topanga.

Tut-tus That Make The Fingers Tingle

Topanga.

I'm out of the store for a few days as my Mum has come to visit - so the next few posts might be out and-about-ish and/or a bit random. Yesterday we went to Topanga Canyon - we loves it here -it's a tradition. We go to the Inn of the Seventh Ray and have a bottle of wine and then drive down to the Quilt Emporium in Woodland Hills where my Mum tends to go a bit bonkers. This trip we also stopped by Hidden Treasures - the best vintage store in the entire universe of the vintage. I think I've posted about it before..we tried on 1930s silk kimonos. A whole rack of tu-tus were outside. Typing tu-tus makes my fingers tingle.

Maxime de la Falaise

Elle Dec UK December 2009

"Wartime code breaker, model, expert on medieval English cookery, interior designer, friend to Andy Warhol...These are just a few of the many accomplishments of Maxime de la Falaise (1922-2009), whom Cecile Beaton once called "the only truly chic Englishwoman of her generation". She came from a wealthy but bohemain family of artists (her father was Edwardian portraitist Sir Oswald Birley) and grew up at Charleston Manor in Sussex, famous as the creative hub of the Bloomsbury Group. After marrying - and divorcing - a French Count, she turned her hand to a dizzying array of careers, notably as consultant to Yves Saint Laurent (her daughter Loulou and granddaughter Lucie later became muses to the designer). In the 1980s, she retired to Provence to write her memoirs - sadly, they remained unpublished when she died last April."

What a DAME!

Draco.

My friend Draco has the BEST blog. It's just suuuuuuuuuuper. Check, check, check it...

http://theimportanceofbeingalion.blogspot.com

Emigre! Like ME!

Emigre No. 70

$49.95

Gingko Press

Sometimes a book comes in and the cover is so delicious, it makes me go quiet. This is quite unusual as I am a big-mouthed loudy. This is one such cover. I hate pink and red together. But I LOVE this. Good job Gingko Press people. Good job.

Small Faces.

I am listening to the Small Faces today. I like them. This may be because I have a rather small face.

Book Sculptures.

I'm making book sculptures. It's going quite well....

I found these on India Knight's blog - she posts some really fab stuff. This is what she had to say about 'em:

These beautiful books you can't read - they're handbags and minaudières - are by Olympia Le-Tan and currently available from Colette in Paris. Found via We Love You So.

Boxtrot!

This is why I've been so quiet. I've been wrapping boxes like a MANIAC. But I figure I have got a lot of practice for the holiday season and I'll be the fastest wrapper in the west. And who wouldn't want an accolade like THAT???

Apologies!

For the lack of posts.......I have family in town and I'm furiously doing the holiday window. I will be back!

Eggxtreme Halloweeen!

"What are you looking at? I come to work dressed as an egg every day. Now stop bothering me, I'm eggxtremely busy trying to make a graphic. Jeez."

"Oh hi. Yeah. I'm eggxcellent today? And you?"

My BFF really loves Halloween. Like REALLY loves Halloween. Today she has gone to work in her Hussein Chalayan inspired egg dress. She made it all herself. She's insane and I love her.

Parky.

Norman Parkinson

$65

Camper.

I would like nothing more than to fill up a VW camper with dogs and patchwork quilts and take a road trip across the country. It's a bit of a pain-in-the-nutsack that the love-o'-my-life doesn't really like being in a moving vehicle. It may be a trip I take with the yentas.

Gypset.

Gypset

$45

Yes please.