Pink Things

1. This is one of the corridors in the Student Union. It's lined with offices with big open windows and painted a brilliant salmon pink, and there are tables for working. So not only is it great for voyeurism and people-watching purposes, it is also "colourfully" pleasing. May just repaint my bedroom in salmon..

2. I bought this nail varnish a few days ago and I can honestly say, hand on heart, it is the best glitter nail varnish of all time. (It's Milani nail varnish in "Disco Lights", I've never heard of Milani before, so it may just be an American brand. Very possibly a Barry M equivalent, i.e., loved by teenage girls and shoplifters alike.) The glitter spreads on really liberally, so it looks like you've just tipped your nails into a pot of it. I always wanted to give using 'real' glitter a go, going over the top of it in clear polish, but the faffy-sounding process always put me off a little bit. This nail varnish has pretty much the same effect though, and it's bordering on silly how happy it's been making me since I first put it on. "Dude, it's nail varnish." "..I can't help it."

3. You know the deal, I often rattle on about something that's on my 'wishlist' for a good while before actually buying it. This isn't something I necessarily like about myself as it's probably a long-term side effect of all those Alvin Hall money programmes I used to watch with my Mum when I was little. But as my last set of headphone have just given up the ghost, I finally bought a pair of Koss Porta Pro Stereo Headphones after I saw a girl last year wearing a pair on the bus in Manchester and looking all Natalie Portman and 'deep in thought'. It's like a revelation wearing these headphones! I hadn't realised I'd been previously subjecting myself to shoddy quality music listening. "Have you heard of this new band? I've been listening to them all week. They're just so unique and, and..tinny.." Alas, no more tinny music, no more..

Bob your hair and play Basketball.

Beautiful shots from the April issue of British Vogue, shot by Bruce Weber and Joe McKenna. Especially love the Arizona Muse-esque bobbed hair, the perfect white rollneck from Pringle and the sporty presence of basketballs and neoprene surfing gear. I've been completely cut off from British magazines since I've been out in America so I'm looking forward to catching up on Vogue when I come home in a month. The Gentlewoman, Husk and Tank are all top of my list.

Ps, you guys have seen this old video of Joe McKenna singing Cha Cha at the Opera, right? 

Opening Ceremony x London

Photographs of the new Opening Ceremony commuter shop at Tokyo's Shinjuku train station.

Man, this is such exciting news. Opening Ceremony are to open a pop-up shop on Covent Garden's King Street this July as a savvy celebration of the London Olympics and a permanent store with follow in the Autumn. Who doesn't love Opening Ceremony? A trip to New York is never quite complete without a visit to their Howard Street outpost for a peek at their constantly awesome and innovative collaborations and a wander around their deliciously designed floors. I can't wait to have a UK-based Opening Ceremony to call our own. I'm particularly excited about being able to go in a coo over endless pairs of chunky Marques Almeida shoes (Opening Ceremony are one of only 3 stockists), 'Radarte' Rodarte tees, the Chloe Sevigny x Opening Ceremony collection (duh) and having a peruse of the collaborations with both Adidas and Topshop which will launch along with the pop-up store. 

Fingers crossed also for some awesome Kenzo decor in the same style as the SS12 displays seen at Harvey Nichols (see Susie's post here..) and the possibility of some sort of accompanying eatery. It is a 3,000 square foot store after all.. 

Kicking in Cortez in China

Really love these two videos which are a collaboration between Nike China and Tank Magazine to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the classic Nike Cortez running trainer.

The first follows Liu Xiao ("a makeup artist who usually doesn't wear makeup herself"-intriguing.) while the second features designer Richie Chan and actress and writer Tian Yuan. Styling comes from Isabelle Sawyer (who has also styled a really awesome Year Book Portrait editorial in the latest issue of Hot and Cool Magazine) and a flawless soundtrack from London-based Slime (whose EP Increases is definitely worth a listen to.) 

These videos definitely put drizzly days into an appealing light. Drizzly days that involve walking around the Jinhua architecture park in China from under the protection of a nice cosy mac, and atop huge geometric paving slabs, naturally. 

Maarten Van Der Horst for Topshop

Maarten Van Der Horst Hawaiian Blazer, Miu Miu sunglasses, Maarten Van Der Horst Crop Top, Wicker Basket, Flatform shoes, Office, Hair clips, Boots, Maarten Van Der Horst Hawaiian Shorts,  The Gentlewoman Magazine.

The Maarten Van Der Horst for Topshop collection launches today and following the equally botanic-tastic splendours of the Mary Katrantzou collaboration, it's (in my books at least) even more exciting. God knows I'm a sucker for a good juicy leaf. The Hawaiian blazer is definitely my favourite piece (although I sort of wish an matching pair of trousers could have been slipped into the mix too) Really like the addition of some hot pink jersey pieces (crop tops and cycling shorts for those who dare..) which would be pretty perfect for wearing in the garden whilst dozing and listening to the Olympics on the radio come the summertime. Or for camouflaged disguise behind the equally rosy latest issue of The Gentlewoman. Although the print will make the collection very easily distinguishable in public, I'm actually looking forward to seeing someone waltz past me head to toe in verdant ferns; it'll makes a nice change from florals. Plus fellow comrades in the Maarten Van Der Horst appreciation society deserve a good old high five, which is exactly what such a sight would warrant. High five!

Today

Good god, it's hot. Which means it's one of those days in which a laid-back minidress sling is required. This is one of the pieces I picked up last week from Goodwill. Also required: occasionally holding ice-cubes to the back of my neck and delivering cool one-liners like an aged divorcee from behind my sunglasses.

I'll bring you flowers

A couple of fantastic shots from the Anne De Rijk editorial in the Spring 2012 issue of Rika Magazine. Transparent sunglasses, I've still got the joneses for you. This crush won't budge. 

the west coast is the best coast

I'm on a big high after spending a few days in California with some of my best friends, eating my own body weight in fresh avocado on toast and having my love for the West Coast reaffirmed. Making the most of my time in America has been a real priority and visiting my friends who are also on exchange at their respective universities has been high up the list-particularly with two of them at Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz. Seeing everyone after a few months of absence was really, really lovely. People who understand my filthy wit! Familiar bodies with which to lie in bed watching Apocalypse, Now! Friendship is a fine, fine thing.

Some of my highlights included spending a lot of time in Jim's crusty but loveable Toyota 'Shandy' (complete with a 'Badass Bitch' bumper sticker which I like to think was akin to Uma Thurman's 'Pussy Galore' paintwork in Kill Bill, but about 100 times smaller.) I also cycled through San Francisco with Charlie and huffed and puffed up for a ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was blazing and we spied two porpoises down in the bay below us. 

We took the Highway 1 from San Francisco to Monterrey, stopping at the brilliant Swanton Berry Farm Stand which is a couple of miles north of Davenport. Jim and Kate were cold and wet after a naked dash into the sea (see above) and we were collectively seduced by their super delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate, cooshty sofas, variety of pies, honesty box and free reign of a backgammon board. Certainly worth a visit if you ever find yourself on that stretch of road with a rumbling tummy. 

The guys in California have is pretty good. There's nothing quite like being so close to such breathtaking scenery and having sunshine on tap to make life look pretty good. I found myself fantasising about running away to the Golden Coast, wearing a permanent tan, learning to skateboard and driving an obscenely hyper-masculine 1980s car. 

The Architect and The Painter

"They were introducing people to look at the world differently. Life was fun was work was fun was life."

Doesn't this documentary on Charles and Ray Eames look brilliant? I still haven't seen the Bill Cunningham documentary yet so I think these two would make a pretty nice double-bill. Watched back to back for optimum inspiration explosions.

Dreamy Waitress

Pyjama shirt: Marni/ Sunglasses: Number Two in Tortoiseshell, Karen Walker/ Gold Sleeper Earrings/ Skirt/ Converse in Maroon.

I've been slightly fantasising about working in a diner recently, for purely shallow reasons- to wear a blouse with contrasting piped edging and hold a coffee pot in my hand. So Lily Tomlin in Robert Altman's Shortcuts and Kerry Russell in Waitress have inspired this outfit, as my favourite big-screen waitresses. (Definitely putting them on your to-watch list if you haven't seen them already) My Mum has also made me think that some maroon coloured Converse would be a pretty good idea for Summer, after I saw her wearing a pair in an old photograph I was looking at recently. Topped off with some thin gold sleepers, some big old Karen Walker shades and a bottle of Coca Cola..