Month: October 2011

1. This is (allegedly) a satellite picture of India during Diwali. Of course, it could just be a fake but it’s still bad-ass to look at. More (none-fake) colourful pictures of Diwali in this awesome Guardian gallery.

2. I like lobsters almost as much as I like pineapples, with the one key diference being that I like to eat lobster as well as look at it. Charlotte Taylor produced this beautiful blouse earlier this year which I’ve had my eye on for ages, even more so since I saw it IRL at fashion week. Charlotte’s designs, as well as those of loads more talented new names, can be found on YoungBritishDesigners.com and you can currently get 25% off anything on the site with the code G25YBD.  I didn’t get the blouse, unfortunately, but I did get a scarf so lobster-fun to come.

3. I imagine we’ll be treated to an influx of Wallis Simpson biographies before W.E. comes out next January, but this is the latest one. That Woman by Anne Sebba is what I’m reading at the moment and I’ve already learnt a bunch of things I didn’t know already. You know it’s a good book when you make notes as you go and then spend the next day Wikipedia-ing things – I now know all about The Big Four (no, not those ones) and have three books about Shanghai on my Amazon wishlist. Still plenty about Wallis’s genitals and Edward’s small penis but that’s to be expected.

4. Counting down the days until Mishkin’s opens. A Jewish deli with cocktails from the brains behind Polpo and all the rest, set to open in Soho in November. The cocktail list is based on 1930s classics, there’s salt beef on soda bread and the interior is going to be art deco. Soooo… it’s going to be my new favourite place?

The above picture clearly isn’t Mishkin’s in London, it’s an old pharmacy of the same name in New York. By STAGGERING coincidence, this picture is from one of my favourite new blogs, Ephemeral New York. Well, it’s new to me. Featuring ‘faded and forgotten’ New York sites, I came across when I was Googling the name of every single shop, restaurant and bar listed in The Group. Soon to come; a blog post chronicling my finds.

5. The Rookie Mag Halloween playlist is amazing and super-creepy. Listen to it here!

That’s right, this is an attempt at a semi-regular round-up of the week. Typically these last about six weeks before I get bored, but let’s give it a bash.

I know not everyone is totally enthralled by the upcoming Stone Roses reunion, but I don’t think it’s possible to be a Manchester university alum and to have spent most of your Monday nights in 5th Ave and not have at least a small soft spot for them.

See also; Stone Roses: Get the Resurrection Look

Whether you’re a slave to retail or not, it’s hard to deny that there’s something enthralling about department stores. From Liberty and Selfridges to Big Biba and B Altman, there’s something about enormous shops and their interiors that gets me going. No surprise then that I’m very excited about Jan Whitaker’s new book all about the history of the department store. In the UK it’s called The Department Store: History, Design, Display and elsewhere it’s being sold as The World of Department Stores.

Revlon’s Facets of Fuchsia and OPI’s Rainbow Connection (from the Muppets collection, obv) have been on rotation for the past couple of weeks. Both are just as stupidly sparkly as you would imagine.

MPs and their dogs at Westminster Dog of the Year made me reconsider my political allegiances. Just kidding, but anyone who loves their dog can’t be all bad. See the full series here.