Coquette & Dove

{ lust list } autumnal dreamings...

2011-11-02T19:56:00.002Z

Oh how I love Autumn. You can keep your summery dresses, swimsuits and short shorts, if I can keep all the snuggly cashmere, tunic dresses and tan leather boots. Deal?

{ 1. Embellished jumper by Roberto Cavalli // 2. Ravan Dress from Toast // 3. YSL ring // 4. Tan Leather satchel from Fossil // 5. Gold leather patched jumper from Zadig & Voltaire // 6. My current mystery obsession - the Voynich Manuscript // 7. Dress from Zara // 8. Totally impractical and totally gorgeous white loafers from Topshop }

Guess who!

2011-10-10T17:01:00.002+01:00

Bet you weren't expecting little old me to pop up on here? Not after my recent lacklustre (or complete lack of) postings!

Well, I can now reveal what's been keeping me oh so busy (and OH so excited!)

Ladies and other lovely blog readers, without further ado, I present to you... my new baby...

Yup, I've only gone and created a most awesome, wedding rocking, lifestyle changing, fashion finding magazine with my pal Mary Lee Herrington of Forever and Ever Events.

Our debut issue launches in January, and we're already working with some amazing photographers, and have some stellar contributors and real weddings lined up.

Being the food lover that I am, I couldn't do a magazine without some finger lickin' features, so you can expect to see some very tasty offerings from some amazing chefs and bakers. Plus I wouldn't really be me if it didn't include some stellar fashion offerings too. All in all, it's got everything a girl could wish for. And then some.

So what are you waiting for? Click on over to the Reverie site, have a snoop around, laugh at me trying to be serious in the "About us" portraits, and check out my blog post on how I dream of marrying in midnight blue McQueen...

{ vanity fair } easy as 1-2-3...

2011-08-31T20:57:00.000+01:00

There's something about a matte red lip with porcelain skin and groomed brows that just kills me every time...

And it really is an incredibly easy look, so don't be afraid to give it a go. Pair it with a striped top and a messy top knot and you'll be beating the boys away with a stick!

{image // 1. Nars Dragon Girl Matte Lip Pencil // 2. Mac Strobe Cream //3. Anastasia Brow Pencil }

{ wedding belles } wedding dress + cardigan = genius...

2011-08-26T03:22:00.000+01:00

I'm totally in love with this planned elopement, and in particular, with the wedding dress/cardi combo, just divine...

{ photography by Jill Thomas via Grey Likes Weddings }

{ lust list } put it on the tab...

2011-08-25T19:06:00.001+01:00

If you're anything like me, you currently have about 40 tabs open in your web browser, with things to read/remember/buy/lust after. I've tried Pinterest-ing things, Evernoting them and so on and so forth, but for me, it's just tab after tab, after tab that works.

Currently taunting me from my cluttered screen are the following...

{ 1. dress from toast // 2. the 'perfect for me" travel/work bag from heritage leather + apolis // 3. a beautiful blue leather-bound copy of pride & prejudice from borders // 4. now that my fringe/bangs are back, and my trusty YSL's no longer suit, I need some new sunnies to replace the 2 (2!) zara pairs that broke within a few weeks of each other, this pair from Warby Parker are right up my alley // 5. who doesn't need some designery temporary tattoos from tattly?? // 6. this buttercup yellow porcelain vase from leif has totally bewitched me // 7. likewise with this fiery redhead by peggy wolf design // 8. stripes. nuff said }

{ feeling crafty } bunting thank you notes...

2011-08-19T02:27:00.001+01:00

OK, so my birthday was, ahem, 4 weeks ago, but thank you notes are better late than never, right? And surely you get more points when they're home made?

I used Martha Stewart paint chips (that's paint samples to us UK folks, why they call them chips is beyond me, there's nothing chip like about them!) from Home Depot.

The cards, which look purple in the pics, but are actually grey, are favorites of mine from Original Crown Mill

With white string and bows drawn on with a white uniball roller ball pen. Et voila!

p.s. when I see bunting like that, that doesn't reach the edge of the page, I always think of grinning monsters. Which I kinda like. What's not to like about happy monsters?!

{ music box } currently hooked on...

2011-08-17T18:49:00.003+01:00

{ notes on style } Vera Wang is killing me softly...

2011-08-16T05:32:00.000+01:00

This dress! I die! Along with my current yellow obsession comes a bubbling undertone of "all grey, all the time". This dress is causing paroxysms of joy and barely containable lust...

The pleated bodice, the fall and folds of the skirt, the colour, the ribbon belt...*sigh*...

{ Vera Wang @ Browns Bride }

{ movie magic } Mrs Wallis Simpson...

2011-08-15T19:03:00.000+01:00

I'm sure you've heard about Madonna's movie project, but have you seen the pictures? I'm dying over here looking at the spot on period styling...

{ Images via Vanity Fair }

{ home comforts } black and white...

2011-08-12T17:45:00.001+01:00

The sister and I are off to NYC and will be swinging by Ikea on our way back to pick up some things for the new abode.

Top of the list (in my mind at least, she's probably more concerned with buying chairs so that we can actually sit at the kitchen table. And quite right she is too!) are these black and white beauties...

{ striped rug // cushion // patterned fabric }

Me + black and white stripes, what a surprise!!

{ inspiration } and where it's found...

2011-08-10T23:25:00.002+01:00

I've found myself thinking more and more about inspiration lately. Where it comes from, and how to harness it when it suddenly rushes up on you, or how to root it out when it tip toes into your mind and takes hold, slowly spreading and spreading until you find yourself unable to think where this 'thing' has come from.

Lately, the colour yellow, in all it's forms, has been slowly been seeping into my life. From the yellow cigar boxes on my desk and the yellow framed noticeboards above it, to the yellow flowers I picked out for my sister's bedroom at the store this morning (I never buy yellow flowers) and the yellow zucchini (courgettes) I thinly sliced and drenched in lemon juice and olive oil to marinate for tonight's dinner.

{ 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5: The Yellow Scale by Franz Kupka // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 }

if you know the sources of any of the unlinked photos, please do tell!

I am also completely obsessed with these pictures from The Cherry Blossom Girl's visit to Dior...

...and have been frantically trying to turn those textures and colours into an invitation design. It's a work in progress, but watch this space...

{ home comforts } ga ga for gypsophilia...

2011-08-10T17:01:00.000+01:00

I've always had quite simple tastes when it comes to flowers, a few velvety peonies or a some crisp white hydrangeas in a glass vase; or a few tall stems of fragrant white (and I mean WHITE) lilies is all it takes to rock my flowery boat. I can be easily pleased with a bunch of scented stocks from the supermarket, or a small posy of freesias that will sit by my bedside and lull me to sleep with their sweet fragrance.

I'm just not a BIG flower person. Huge bouquets packed with roses and... you know... {so I can't actually name all of those other fancy flowers, I just know I don't like them! }

So, I was very happy to see the former Miss Middleton walking down the aisle clutching her teeny but perfectly formed bouquet of lily of the valley, sweet william, ivy, myrtle and hyacinth.

And I'm even more happy to see the current trend for using gypsophilia up front and as a flower in it's own right instead of seeing it relegated to the back row as a filler...

{ Photo: Martha Stewart Weddings, via Dress, Design, Decor }

{ Photo: Cecelia Fox Floral Studio }

{ Photo: Me! From my desk this morning }

{ Photo: Braedon Photography, via Style Me Pretty }

{ Photo: Anna Routh Photography, via Style Me Pretty }

And last, but far from least, I am sooooooooo in love with this wedding photo...

{ Photo: Kristen Marie Photography via Style me Pretty }

{ home comforts } hard at work...

2011-08-09T18:42:00.000+01:00

Settling in...

I'm finally getting myself set up with a little nook where I can beaver away at my work and projects. And blogging!

{ eagle eyed readers will spot my striped reflection, the obsession is alive and thriving! }

I couldn't resist snapping up this mini collection of cigar boxes from Etsy seller Bird in Hand after spotting them here. And the cheap Ikea pinboards have been spruced up with a couple of coats of wall paint in Egg Yolk and Chinchilla from Martha Stewart. I seem to be going through a bit of a yellow phase at the moment, { I was going to take some pics of the yellow accents in my bedroom, but we have house guests staying in there and they aren't quite as OCD as me when it comes bedside tables etc. (not that I would have them any other way, love you darling Kit Bit!)}

As one of my biggest project over the next month { or two...} is my new Coquette Paper & Press website, I'm trying to surround myself with colours and images that reinforce my branding...

And in case you're wondering how that website is shaping up, here's a little sneak peek...

{ what doin' } and then I boarded a plane to a new chapter...

2011-08-06T21:09:00.001+01:00

{ image credit: I wish I knew! Sorry! But the picture has been hanging around in my download folder for weeks, taunting me to cut my fringe/bangs back in, but a Baltimore summer just isn't the place for that level of hair maintenance. Which brings me to... }

If you're reading this post, then 1. thank you for not giving up on me and 2. I'm back!

It's been a loooooooooong time since I've been on the blog, and there's been a lot going on.

My London flat was packed up and squeezed into a storage unit (at this point, HUGE thanks are due to a certain Miss Leray, without whom I would still be in the fetal position on my living room floor, surround by boxes and quietly weeping!)

My suitcases were also packed, and I headed East. Baltimore to be precise. A sister of mine has just moved here from Tanzania, and faced with the prospect of starting a new life sight-unseen, she jumped at the chance of having a familiar housemate, on and off for the next 6 months (not to mention someone to help her decide where to hang pictures and put bookcases and discover who really does make the best crabcakes in Baltimore). I've also been out to California to see family and friends there, all while trying to keep on top of the flurry of Coquette Paper & Press orders.

I was in such a state of flux, that it was difficult to come on here and be the voice of authority on all things lovely, as I was floating around trying to find something to anchor those opinions to. But, I am finally finding my footing, creating a little nook from which to bring you more daily goodies and prettiness.

There are also very grand plans afoot with the development of Coquette Paper & Press. A new website is in the works (man, do those things suck up a girls time like a black hole!) as well as a new collection, new products, and quite possibly a new blog design.

There's a heck of a lot of change going on people, and I can't wait to share it all with you.

{ P.S. if you're a client, past or present, it's been such a pleasure working with you all, I'm so very proud of the beautiful things we've made together this summer! }

Back very soon, KT x

{ made by me } new wedding invitation designs...

2011-06-01T17:46:00.002+01:00

It's been an incredibly busy spring at Coquette Paper & Press. So much so, that our new collection is only just starting to take shape. We've lots planned for the next few months, but couldn't help sharing a couple of the designs ahead of schedule.

So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Beatrice & Alice...

Those of you who are paying attention will have noticed the custom envelope liners. We're now offering custom envelope liners with all of our designs for only £1.00 per Invitation. How can you possibly resist?!

And in case you're wondering what else we've got up our sleeves, here's a sneak peak at a few of the mood boards that are inspiring some of the other designs in the collection...

{ image credits: it pains me to admit that these images have been collected over a number of years in a rather hodge-podge manner, and as such, I don't have the credits I should have for them. Sorry! }

But, I do know that the beautiful dessert table in the Josephine board is styled by Sweet Emilia Jane and photographed by Your Inner Song, and the "me marry you" is from http://recordtheday.lobsterandswan.com/

{ town mouse } crazy, sexy, cool...

2011-05-12T17:13:00.000+01:00

That's it! I want to learn to do this and I want to learn now!

via Jay Z's Life + Times

{ wedding belles } something borrowed...

2011-05-10T16:35:00.001+01:00

Wouldn't these make the most divine "something blue"?

Magic picture from the wonder that is From Me To You

{ made by me } an eco-loving wedding shoot...

2011-05-03T21:53:00.000+01:00

I am so excited to share this with you guys. Months ago, the lovely Mary of Forever and Ever Events asked me if I would do the hair and make up for an eco-themed shoot she was putting together for Love My Dress.

Errr, yes please, Mary has awesome taste!

And then she asked me if I would do the stationery too. Errr, double yes!!

So, paper goods today, lipstick, powder and paint tomorrow...

With an eco-theme, it was all about reducing, reusing and recycling as much as possible, while still keeping things pretty and chic. Most of the card used for these pieces was 100% recycled, topped up with some pieces that were 30% recycled and some beautiful handmade Lotka paper from a Nepalese women's co-op. I hand-finished a lot of the pieces (no mega printers gobbling up electricity here!) and used raffia to tie things up!

Mary had the great idea of making double-sided escort cards, once guests had found their seats, they could use the reverse of the card to leave the happy couple a message and post it into an old heirloom silver box.

{ My sister and I had ourselves in stitches writing the labels for the dessert table, perhaps not everyone's idea of funny, but we're pretty sure we're the funniest people we know! }

Lots more of the beautiful pictures, taken by the very lovely and talented Dasha of Exhibit Emotions, and info about the rest of the fantastic contributors can be found at the foot of the post.

Tune in tomorrow for a closer look at the make up and products used.

Credits:

Photography: Dasha of Exhibit Emotions Photography
Styling and planning: Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events
Event design, prop styling, dessert and buffet tables: Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events
Venue: RSA House
Dresses and jewellery: Kate Halfpenny
Crockery & linens hire: The Vintage Table
Catering: Skye Cooks
Desserts: Molly Bakes
Stationery: Coquette Paper & Press
Makeup & hair: Kate Taylor using Dr Haushka cosmetics
Flowers: Hiden Floral Design
Shoes: Emmy
Wedding cake: Anna Tyler Cakes
Model: Chloe Ruffel

{ lust list } it's in the bag...

2011-05-03T20:36:00.000+01:00

So, I have a fancy new laptop and everything, but I don't have a fancy bag to keep it safe while I'm about town and so forth. Problem? I think so!

Trouble is, I can't quite make my mind up...

Ally Capellino

Liberty London

Liberty of London

Liberty of London - Navy Case

Smythson

Clare Vivier

And yes, we're pretending that I could actually afford these!

Thoughts?

{ notes on style } his royal highness...

2011-05-02T17:57:00.001+01:00

Very much looking forward to taking in the McQueen Savage Beauty exhibit at Met while on my travels this summer.

Stunning.

{ all images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art }

{ wedding belles } THAT dress...

2011-04-29T20:32:00.000+01:00

Happy Royal Wedding Day folks! I've been glued to the TV all day, oohing and aahing at the dresses, the coaches, the flowers & both of the kisses! And the fact that I woke up at 8am to see it all will surprise some of my family who know better than most that I am NOT a morning person!

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion by yesterday afternoon that the bride would be wearing McQueen. The commentators who were still blithering on about the possibility of Temperley this morning had obviously been putting stupid in their tea this morning instead of sugar.

So... the dress...

There have obviously been the comparisons to Grace Kelly, and it's reported that this this was a very conscious move from Kate. Who can blame her, as style icons go, Princess Grace is a pretty stellar role model.

There's also been talk from some corners that the dress wasn't fashion/brave/statement enough. But I have to disagree. I thought the dress was a perfect mix of what Kate and British fashion are all about. From a distance, the silhouette of the dress is very classic, long lace sleeves and high neck, with soft folds at the front, and more structured pleats at the back opening out into a modest train (although I must admit the the train was longer that I had expected).

But upon closer inspection, the dress reveals layers of detail that combine signature McQueen touches such as the padded hips beneath the cinched waist, the sculpted peplum/bustle - visible at the back above the pleats, and the molded corset, with the symmetry and symbolism of the handmade lace - a fitting tribute to British craftsmanship. Handmade by the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace, it incorporated individual, hand-cut and embroidered flowers representing the rose (England), thistle (Scotland), daffodil (Wales) and shamrock (Ireland). Apparently, the hand-stitchers had to wash their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and change the needles every three hours to keep them sharp -I'm a sucker for that kind of detail!!

And I loved her teeny bouquet with it's lily of the valley, myrtle, hyacinth, sweet william and ivy.
I'm biting my tongue about the make up (it's not nice to criticise the bride!)

And how about that Bridesmaid dress? Wowsers...

And last, but by no means least, have you seen the cake...?

Divine!

{ finger lickin' } sour cream pie...

2011-04-27T12:15:00.000+01:00

Every now and then I am struck by a sudden urge to bake something. An urge that generally has to be sated there and then. More often than not this urge strikes when there is very little in the way of baking supplies on hand, and I end up making mystery cake/biscuits/buns that last for one sitting before being chucked.

But yesterday, when the urge struck, I was faced with a well stocked larder and fridge. I had eggs, butter flour, sugar and much more besides. Did I make something simple and familiar? Hell no, I fixated on the pot of sour cream that I had purchased for no discernible reason. I had to use it. HAD to.

So I whacked the oven on to heat up, and lined a cake tin with a sheet of puff pastry (which I had also bought for no reason whatsoever). I then emptied the sour cream (about 1.5 cups) into a bowl, added 2 egg yolks, a couple of tablespoons of sugar and a shake of cinnamon (probably about 1 heaped teaspoon).

I then mixed, poured and baked....

And you know what? It was freakin' delicious! I had a slice while it was still warm and squidgy, with a cup of tea and it was so good, I had to have another slice. It's sweet and creamy with a sour cream tang and a delicate cinnamon flavor. It's not the prettiest looking pie in the world, but damn it if it isn't one of the simplest to make and tastiest to eat!

And I'm happy to report that it tastes just as good cold from the fridge.

{ vanity fair } gone rouge...

2011-04-26T12:04:00.000+01:00

I've been on a bit of a beauty binge in the last couple of months, 2 trips to New York have fueled my madness for maquillage. Between Sephora, Bloomingdale's in SoHo and Duty Free, I've been stocking up on goodies for my work and personal make up bags, and two of my favorite purchases have been lipsticks.

First up is Nars' Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl. A vivid siren red, it's pencil format makes it perfect for slicking on as you run out the door for a midweek night on the tiles, and the matte formula keeps it looking casual. I love wearing it with a bretton striped top and pulled back hair.

My second new lipstick obsession is YSL Rouge Pur No.19. This bright, shocking fuchsia is pitch perfect, just enough blue in it to keep the colour looking 'cool' (i.e. not warm, and therefore not highlighting red undertones in the skin or eyes, or making teeth look yellow) and the formula is so creamy and intense that it glides on effortlessly and after a quick tissue blot, stays on for the duration.

My lips have never been so well dressed!

{ image credits: top - Photographed by Andrea Klarin, styled by Iva Stefanovic fopr Elle Serbia. Hair by Bianca van Zwieten and makeupby Vasko Todorof. Bottom - can't find a credit, so if you know, please spill the beans. Thanks! }

{ music box } currently listening to...

2011-04-26T01:39:00.000+01:00

Some of the tunes currently keeping my toes tapping while I make plans for a mobile lifestyle...

Because Ruby has the kind of soul that makes me go weak.

Because good pop music is good music. Period.
{and I may have a teeny girl crush on her}

Stevie. Enough said.

I hate to admit it, but there's something about the boy...

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N...so true..

Love the song, and the video cracks me up (although it will confuse anyone who's not familiar with TT the first time around)

Because I've loved her since the beginning, and true love lasts a life time!

Hope your toes are tapping too kids!

{ finger lickin' } red pepper sauce...

2011-04-22T16:30:00.000+01:00

See that piece of meat on the left? It's about to be BBQ'd like meat has never been grilled before. And that jar on the right? Well that's my little secret. It's one of the most versatile things you'll find in my fridge and it tastes good with pretty much everything.

It's so incredibly easy to make that you don't really need a recipe, although I will let you in on the tricks that make it so good.

Take a couple of big red bell peppers (UK peeps, I don't find that supermarket ones do the trick here, so I buy them from my local Italian deli where they are dark ruby red and HUGE) and instead of blackening the skins on the gas ring or under a grill, put them on a tray in a scorching hot oven and roast until the skins are blackened and the peppers have collapsed. Remove from the oven and transfer to a heatproof dish, pour on any juices from the pan and cover the dish with clingfilm.

Once they're cool enough to handle, slip the skins from the peppers and discard along with the seeds. Put the peppers into a blender, along with a good glug of olive oil and some salt and pepper, and blitz until smooth. I like to add a clove or two of raw garlic as I'm a garlic fiend and love the heat it gives it, but you can leave this out if you don't fancy it. And that's it. Simples.

Pop it in a a jar in the fridge and you're good to go. In the pic above, I've mixed a few tablespoons with some chopped anchovies and more garlic and smothered a half shoulder of lamb with it. Once it's comes of the grill, I'll serve it with more of the pepper sauce, a broad bean salad and some crunchy fried potatoes. And a chilled glass of white wine. Bliss.

So, what else do I use it for:

It's great with steak and a salad.

It's great thinned with some oil and vinegar to make a salad dressing.

Stirred into an omelet just before it sets in the pan.

Top a dish of chunky hummous with a couple of tablespoons of the sauce before serving as a dip.

Stir into pasta and top with parmesan shavings and rocket.

Serve with grilled fish or vegetables...

...and so on and so forth. Yummy...