Freedom bikes

After an eye-straining weekend, the corsages for the Hawai'i wedding commission are finally finished and about to be packed up and shipped to Greece. Can't wait to see what it all looks like together on the big day with fifties-inspired lemon yellow frocks, buttermilk clutches and butterflies and bridesmaids necklaces.



On a more kitsch note, Sarah was inspired by my rather excessive enthusiasm for Paris' new 'freedom bikes' scheme, Velib'. For the more than reasonable sum of 30 Euros a year, you can hire a bike from any of the hundreds of Velib' stations around the capital. The first half hour is free, after that the price goes up the longer you keep the bike, but the scheme is ideal for short hops to the gym or the market. A reasonable knowledge of the French highway code is a good idea if you don't want to get on the wrong side of Gallic motorists - its' easy to get a little cavalier once behind the substantial handlebars and forget you're actiuand cycling round the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs Elysees is not recommended for your first go... Anyway, like all good trends, Velib' has opened up a world of potential for cycling-themed accessories, from designer Velib' card-holders (yes, you get another card for your groaning wallet) to cycling capes in this season's colours and stylish helmets and pink milk has celebrated this with a Cycling in Paris necklace, below.


It sold in less then 12 hours, but just like Velib' stations, more are coming, so wear them with pride as you ride the eco-wave - remember, two wheels good, four wheels bad...

Tagged! Seven things about us...

Working hard on a commission for a wedding - five sets of bridemaid's accessories, including clutches with brooches, which are going to magically materialise from the picture above, to go with Sarah's stunning butterflies and bridesmaids necklaces. I have been fighting my way through Saturday shopping crowds in St Pierre and the Marais for fabric, but before I get down to it, here are seven 'interesting' things about us to make your click worthwhile, after Pepperina Press's tag last week:

1.Kate has had arthritis since she was 17, a possibly consequence of gymnastics in her formative years...
2.Despite this, she was once an artist's foot model.
3.Staying with feet for a moment, Sarah has an enormous big toe
4.While they were travelling round Europe many years ago, Sarah accidentally trashed the first rose a handsome man had ever given to Kate (as far as I can remember he was handsome... it was in Rome at the Trevi Fountain however, so for the purposes of the tale let's stick with handsome). She has since forgiven her.
5.During the same trip, they both survived for several days on crusty bread, Philedelphia cheese and cherries, so they could buy pretty things to take home.
6.Sarah lives in a small town near Athens, thankfully not razed to the ground by this summer's forect fires.
7.They have known each other for 16 years and used to wear a purple uniform. Joli...

Tagged, you are: Bibbity Bob; Shiny (post-wedding); The GoodBooks; Veronica Darling; Weenie, Pampering Beki and Michelle Brusegaard.

Milan fashion protest

This poster, from Italian brand Nolita has all but eclipsed the goings-on on the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week, along with the requirement for girls to carry medical certificates in what has been seen as the start of a heroin chic backlash. With a governmental study into model health underway in London, will the rest of the world follow suit?

Shot by fashion photographer Oliviero Toscani, famous for the Benetton’s controversial ad campaigns of the 80s and 90s, the image has raised designer hackles in Italy. Despite brand owners Flash & Partners denial that they are using shock tactics to sell clothes with an assertion that they are aiming to raise awareness of the illness and the part fashion images may have in perpetuating it, style stalwarts Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have hit back, telling the press that eating disorders have “nothing to do with fashion”, while Giorgio Armani has reportedly also rubbished allegations that the industry is to blame.

The debate is raging both on and off the runway. Undeniably, clothes look better on a slim frame and designers show their work to the press and buyers in small sample sizes. A move towards a healthier look however, say a 38 rather than 34 perhaps would surely not make an enormous difference? It seems it's time for shock tactics.

Read the full story on guardianunlimited.co.uk

Thanks for the tag pepperinapress, our seven fascinating pink milk facts are on their way...

mrs lynch stole the crown jewels

Sarah has been very busy listing new pretty things while I've been lounging around on holiday, I love the mrs lynch stole the crown jewels bracelet! So delicate, such creamy pearls, it makes me think of Italian ice cream in the sunshine.

Coming home

On the return flight from Italy, we had a lovely sunset as we flew into Charles de Gaulle. Humour me as I prolong my holiday with some pictures...


Place de l'Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe clearly visible bottom left (where I work, but we'll gloss over that on a Sunday night), across the river is the Eiffel Tower and the Champs de Mars.



Sunset on the horizon.



Runway, somewhat less glam but pretty in the evening light nonetheless.