Kokeshi dollies

It could be all the Murakami she's been reading, but pink milk Sarah has been getting into Japan in a big way recently, traditional Kokeshi dolls, to be more precise, which has resulted in some delightful little felt brooches. During the process, disaster struck the pink milk Athens atelier, in a button explosion all over the floor. I think it would make a nice print...

She has designed three Kokeshi brooches so far, all available on pink milk:

Kokeshi the Mirror Girl

Kokeshi Little Birds

Kokeshi Pearl Girl

I love Little Bird's little bow.

blushing in the sunshine pink bustier top

In a fit of creativity this morning, I customised this top that I would otherwise have got rid of and am very pleased with my handiwork. Trying to clear unecessary clutter, a lot of which is clothing that hasn't been worn for ages, so there may be more where this came from, if I get time.

It looks great with the Pearly Queen necklace, if I do say so myself...

Withnail and I

For all fans of the British comic masterpiece Withnail and I to enjoy over fine wine and cake: the latest edition of BBC Radio Four's The Reunion, which reunited cast members and crew for an illuminating chat about the making of the film, available from this page.

A few Withnail and I-based Etsy picks, to mark the occasion.

The Camden Town necklace, location of the most decrepit flat in British film, by michvanetta.


In hommage the Camberwell Carrot, Camberwell art from sophiaalmaria:


The King Curtis version of A Whiter Shade of Pale (by Southend band Procul Harem, fact finders, the original and the best) was used on the soundtrack, ladies and gentlemen I present you cookoorikoo's Whiter Shade of Pale ring:


Finally, most of the film was shot on location in the Lake District, inspiration for swirlyart's Lake District map badges:

Under the blazing sun at Giverny

In the middle of a five-day weekend thanks to bank holidays falling on a Thursday and the following Monday and many companies in France writing the Friday off as a bad loss and closing for the day. A mini-holiday, even if it is involving boring visits to the bank and boring flat-buying paperwork.

On Thursday we went to Giverny, to see Monet's house and garden, under a glorious blazing sun.

The trian took us as far as Vernon, where we took a hot, stuffy bus the extra 7km through the Normandy countryside. Beautiful views, lush fields, rolling hills. The main garden is a 'Clos Normand' flower garden, with gravelled paths running between herbs and flora beds. The day was so bright that the colours appear bleached in Ali's photos (thank you!) but it is beautifully thought-out, recreated just as it was during Monet's later years with the addition of some plants and flowers from a town in Japan which works with the Foundation, reflecting his love of the Japanese art displayed inside his former home.

The garden was glorious, we spent a while wandering round in a heady fug of scent before escaping the sun in his long, low house with crazy yellow kitchen. Next came the waterlilly pond and Japanese bridge, the subject of some of his best-known works, a complete change of scene from the bucolic flower garden. The bamboo rustling in the wind reminded me of the bamboo lawns in Hawai'i near the Stairway to Heaven.

The American Museum of Art just up the road also has an impressive contemporay garden for further wanderings, which banks up a hill from which you can see the river as you doze in the sun. It also has a great restaurant, and local Normandy cider. Happy faces.

Fondation Claude Monet
An hour away from Paris St Lazare
Buses leave from vernon to Giverny 15 mins after train arrives, or you can hire bikes and cycle through the fields by the Seine.
House + garden entry E5.50

Brit charity shop finds

After a week in the UK with family, I came back ladened with little finds from the rather fabulous charity shops near to my grandmother's house. This, I loved and was frankly quite sad it sold within hours as I enjoyed wearing it (I don't think I'm meant to admit that?). A little handcarved imitation bone brooch, depicting a deer surrounded by thistles which I think was originally from the Highlands, was sent to a lucky girl in Japan:


There was also a really chunky, luminous mock amber bangle, which is now winging its way to the States, but very similar to this one found by Sarah in the flea market in Athens:

I also got carried away with the May Day sunshine and bought this little enamel cutie:

So there. yesterday on the etsy homepage was a vintage mushroom tulle shrug by a designer that I was going to feature (as if it needed more publicity, it was divine) but I can't find it now. I've just found and bought these though from Dragonhead, which are equally as beautiful, so that make everything alright.