Passementerie

Tombouctou, 52 jours

2010-02-09T15:58:45+01:00

Now that Beatrice is a year old I am strongly considering decorating her nursery. We didn't have the time or energy to do it when we moved in to this house because I was heavily pregnant and we were drowning in a sea of boxes and while we have gradually cleared most of the unnecessary things out of her room, it looks very bare.

I have been looking at ohdeedoh for inspiration and have fallen in love with a camel print by Ross Menuez in this bedroom, available from the Acorn toy shop in Brooklyn.

Sadly it's a little out of my budget, but I have other ideas up my sleeve. Do you have any clever (and economical!) ideas for decorating a nursery in non-traditional colours?

I need this...

2010-01-30T23:16:25+01:00

... for the mornings (like this morning) after those nights (like last night) when Beatrice decides that sleep is for the weak, leaving me looking somewhat ghoulish about the eyes and in need of a bit of a brighten.

New Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar.

Mine.

2010-01-30T02:14:19+01:00

Wearing them around the house with the Harmonizing slip from yesterday's post makes me feel very nineties. Possibly a grown up Tank Girl.

Ugg Australia Classic Tall in grey

Frills and Furbelows

2010-01-28T16:19:08+01:00

Although there isn't much to tempt me in Anthropologie's Spring line this year, their lingerie and accessories are more adorable then ever and I picked up the two slips pictured above - the Harmonizing slip and the Bertie chemise - and the Laureate hairband in Philadelphia yesterday.

The store here in Philadelphia is fabulous - four floors of treasures with the most wonderful styling and fantastically random and exciting displays throughout.

They're looking for an intern to work on their displays at the moment - he or she must be able to use the experience towards college credit though.

Better late than never!

2010-01-27T16:55:15+01:00

You might remember that a couple of weeks ago, we had surprisingly heavy snow in Oxford - about a foot in our part of the city and more elsewhere, I believe. Not being accustomed to snow, the first thing I did when we woke up and I saw what had happened overnight, was drag my husband and baby out into it for some gambolling and snowballs. And some photographs for you. Admission: the snowmen are sadly not of my own construction.

2010-01-23T13:46:09+01:00

Today is Beatrice's first birthday! I can't believe that my tiny little newborn baby is a hulking great near-toddler who sounds like Gollum, is suddenly outraged by nappies and presses her face as hard as she can into soft things when she's tired.

Very little time

2010-01-21T12:53:53+01:00

I have been terribly busy for the last couple of weeks and have had very little time to myself, least of all, sadly, for blogging. We're in the US now, near Philadelphia, and are staying a lovely house that we swapped with another family for - they're staying in our house in Oxford for three weeks, while we stay here, about five minutes away from my husband's family. It's a great arrangement and will be my longest (and most relaxed) stay in the US yet.

It's hard trying to keep on top of my new job from here though! In the week before we left, a lot of my stock arrived - boxes of beautiful pure linen sheets and cashmere blankets, which are now safely stored away. I'm in constant contact with the people making my cushions, trying to get them just right, and simple things like ordering the care tags for my towels take just that bit longer when you don't have constant internet access. But I'm trying!

Lovely as the town where my in-laws live is, I don't think I could live in a world where something as simple as buying milk has to involve a car. Yesterday we walked to a restaurant about twenty minutes away (by foot) and people driving past stared at us in amazement, which was unnerving. I'm used to everything being on my doorstep and groceries being delivered. I don't think I'm cut out for the suburbs!

So have you been wondering what my news is?

2010-01-10T16:55:52+01:00

For years and years, one of my dearest passions has been the most decadent bedlinen and blankets - pure linen sheets, cashmere blankets, the fluffiest mohair, the softest lambswool.... I just shiver with excitement at the thought of it all. This, coupled with all the inspiration I have received over the last few years from you - my readers and the writers of my favourite blogs, has given me the incentive to take the bold step of making a complete career change and opening my own shop.

Natural History will be opening its virtual doors in late March and will carry a glorious array of products (if I may say so myself) from the most luxurious Irish linen sheets to eccentric teacups and saucers. Expect cashmere, exotic beetles, leather and coral at every turn.

My website is being designed by a wonderful group of people, my stock has been ordered from the most diverse array of places from Belgium to Istanbul and when I get back from the US in February we will be bringing everything together for a photoshoot in an amazing house in London, an event about which I am *very* excited indeed.

As well as carrying a constant stock of bedding, beautiful cushions and other treasures, every month I will venture far from Oxford to explore the fleamarkets of Paris or Berlin, or even back to the souks of Marrakech to find both inspiration and unique artefacts, whether it is a handwritten book of Arabic poetry found in the back of a secret shop near the Djemma el Fna or a French wedding crown discovered in a brocante in Normandy.

To help you follow the exploits of Natural History, I will be starting a new blog carrying my new name, but while I wait for that to be ready to show you, I will remain Passementerie. I owe the origins of Natural History to the wonderful taste and inspiring words of the blogging world, so I hope that you will all come with me on my new adventure!

New friends, new cakes, new beginnings

2010-01-03T10:34:22+01:00

Although I have no doubt that the internet is chock-full of kooks and weirdos, the internet friends whom I have been lucky enough to meet in real life have always been completely charming, clever and chic (the three c's of friendship!). I have made many friends through blogging and other internet activities, some of whom I will probably never get to meet in real life, but others with whom I have formed firm friendships in a way that I'm sure you'll agree, is harder as you get (dare I say it!) older.

When you're a student it's easy, but once you leave the open camaraderie of the Student's Union bar your circle can shrink and of course, you get pickier! The fact that you made sure that girl from your Victorian Novel class got home safely after she got sick behind the Arts Block at 1am during Rag Week is no longer quite sufficient common ground for a lasting friendship, I have found...

Now, being married and living in the provinces, I find that meeting new people can be harder, although I have been lucky enough to stumble upon a fabulous baby group, entirely made up of fantastic expats with whom I eat chocolate cake and discuss the relative merits of living in Moscow over Baku (!).

But yesterday I got to meet up with two fantastic women met through a website which shall remain nameless (first rule of Fight Club etc.) - one of whom, Alice (Brusselsstyle?) I had met before first in London at a larger meeting of friends - the others all seemed to want to go makeup shopping, so we quickly escaped to eat cake at Laduree (we are clearly kindred spirits), and then we met again when she and her husband had dinner with us in Paris.

I had not met Caroline (Caroline, No.) before though, so I had the pleasure of marveling at a new accent (she couldn't believe how Irish I sounded, I couldn't believe how English she sounded - I'm Irish and she's English, so we probably shouldn't have been that shocked, but still) and sneakily wondering where she found her fantastic black shift dress - maybe she'll read this and divulge.

After going diary-shopping in Liberty (I have upgraded this year to the large cerise version of last year's embossed leather diary), we all went for afternoon tea in The Botanist on Sloane Square - fabulous interiors, wonderful champagne, tea, scones and sandwiches, but perhaps very slightly disappointing cakes? Still, it was completely lovely and I'm looking forward to going back and making further investigations into their menu (purely in the spirit of blogging research, of course) after we get back from America. After all, their theme is very much in keeping with the surprise I have lined up for you next week - soon, Passementerie will be no more!

Lest I depart this world in an ungainly manner

2009-12-29T12:15:52+01:00

Week before last I fell down the stairs. The thick glossy paint on our stairs finally conspired with my woolly socks to send me flying from the very top step right to the bottom, resulting in some very impressive bruises and a determination to fix my stair situation immediately in order to avoid a repeat performance of something that has been waiting to happen for a very long time.

The solution, I believe, is a sisal runner.

We have wooden floors throughout, some natural, some painted off white, and I want something that will add grip to the stairs without being overly carpety or fusty in feel. I also like the feel of antique hemp and linen, and I think that sisal will go very well with certain things that are on my mind lately (I'll share soon, I promise!).

Now I just have to go off and price it. Wish me luck!

Image with thanks to Lucyina Moodie