Burberry's Latest Campaign - Inspiration Item #15

* Lily Donaldson & George Craig, lead sing of One Night Only

The broken down romance of an English country garden is the inspiration for Burberry's latest campaign. The campaign was shot by renowned photographer Mario Testino in a rambling wilderness of Petersham's Nurseries on the edge of the Thames.

* Lily Donaldson & designer Christopher Bailey

The house's chief designer, Christopher Bailey says the campaign celebrates the rich heritage of Burberry with its distinct brand of restrained and discreet luxury. He also hasn't forgotten the iconic tartan of the fashion house.

* Lily Donaldson & Eden Clarke

Bailey has stuck to the tradition of the last few campaigns by using an eclectic group of British young people to model his designs.

*Alexina Graham, Lily Donaldson & Eden Clarke

Model Lily Donaldson leads the show flanked by fellow catwalkers Eden Clarke and Alexina Graham. I found the modern Burberry man personified less appealing.. a bit too underdeveloped pour moi. * Alex Pettyfer, George Craig & Richard Wyndham

And heads up... this is the latest 'it-bag' according to French Vogue. The patchwork crocodile tote, called Le Gardener or The Garden it is set to become all the rage (unless the gorgeous shoes do instead).

Inspiration Item #15

http://www.vogue.fr/mode/en_vogue/081210-les-coulisses-du-shooting-de-la-cam.aspx

Man Shopping.. Inspiration Item #14

Yesterday, I went man shopping.

This doesn't mean I went out and shopped for a man, though it would be nice if that was possible (6ft+ please, dark haired preferably, with infectious sense of humor and love of books).

No, it means that I went into the men's section of the department store where I work and shopped for a guy. Admittedly this 'man' was my Dad, but that didn't lessen the enjoyment.

Guys' clothes have such simplicity and gorgeousness about them.. very few items are fussy, most were beautifually made and had the simple edged lines of coolness (there were a course a lot of fuddy duddy, grandpa inspired items, but I didn't look at them - no offence grandpa).

I ended up buying a gorgeous periwinkle blue tshirt from industrie and a green French Connection scarf, which had a myriad of colours woven through it.. very nice.

That's my Christmas pressies for Dad solved.

Inspiration Item #14

Abridged Books.. NEGATIVE Inspiration Item #3

I just discovered the copy of The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay I'm reading is abridged, arggggh!

So annoyed... I'm 2/3rds of the way through and was up until 12:30 reading (even the abridged version is brilliant) and then I turned to the back and saw author's note: book is abridged, hope when you grow up you enjoy the full version.

I guess that teaches me to get books from the YA section of the library.

Abridged books should be BANNED!!! You get all the trial and hardship of reading the stooopid novel and then none of the glory.

Similar scenario happened when I read War and Peace - except then the abridged version was still 700 pages.

Broken Ray Bans.. NEGATIVE Inspiration Item #2

I just broke my Ray Bans I got for my Birthday :( They were gorgeous old school, tortoiseshell ones and now I can never wear them again.

I feel like the little superboy in this photo, who's just realised he's a long way off superman.

So, sigh, big negative inspiration sob story.. I sat on them and now they're cracked and unwearable.

Goodbye, Ray Bans.

* photo compliments of Soffia

Negative Inspiration Item #2

Art Garfunkel's reading list.. Inspiration Item #13

http://www.artgarfunkel.com/library/list1.html more will be added tomo.. now it's time for bed.

This post will be updated soon... now I have to go Christmas shopping, wish me luck!

Soffia Gisladóttir, Icelandic Photographer.. Inspiration Item #12

It's the type of beauty inspiration which is almost impossible to capture and translate to another person.

A lot of the photos have a rich narrative.. something you could imagine a story to.

To see some of Soffia's personal favs click on the stream below.. beautiful.

** if you want an extra special watching experience listen to Icelandic singer Erby's song Inside your head while viewing the slideshow, Soffia did the music video.


www.soffia.net

Inspiration Item #12

Ugly Blue Shoe.. NEGATIVE Inspiration Item #1

I was just reading a blog, or rather I was looking at it because it was in Spanish, when I saw something which should be recorded as a negative inspiration item.

So here goes.. Negative Inspiration Item #1: ugly blue shoe.

Though it treads the realm of coolness, it's still and always will be - UGLY FUGLY.

There's no getting away from it there is just no way this shoe could be attractive.. cool, yes.. attractive, no.

*** for those who are truly intrested in the blueness of this shoe you are going to be disappointed. The shoe is SOLD OUT on www.alifenyc.com, but other colours like sunshine yellow and passionfruit purple are avaliable. For the truly brave there is black crocodile skin with a white sole.



Negative Inspiration Item #1

Rediscovered quotes.. Inspiration Item #11

I love rediscovering quotes which I had forgotten all about. This one is a classic:

"The green stuff outside is grass and the yellow stuff coming down on it is sunshine"
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

Inspiration Item #11

Atonement, an old review.. Inspiration Item #10

***this is an old review I wrote on the 9th of May 2008, after having just finished reading Atonement by Ian McEwan.
_____

hmmm... sigh, isn't this shot just beautiful? I think it epitomises everything I like about period pieces (ie flowers, costumes and emotive looks - obviously the all important dialogue is missing).

I finished reading Ian McEwan's Atonement a week ago. I have to confess that I was inspired by Joe Wright's movie version which is coming out soon (I was a big fan of his Pride and Prejudice and I know its sacrilege to the 1996 BBC TV version, but I do like his interpretation even if it wasn't a strict adaptation).

Anyway, continuing on (I refuse to be sucked down a Pride and Prejudice tangent yet again)... I felt the book was beautiful despite its heavy description and raw war scenes. Actually these 'raw' war scenes and follow up hospital chapters were McEwan's strong point. The sudden switch between a Britain disconnected from war across the channel and a Britain reeling from the Dunkirk evacuation, made the book and strengthened McEwan's rush towards an **spoiler** unhappy end. But I couldn't help but feel that the war scenes and the grimy 'otherworld' reality were vaguely reminiscenet of Sebastian Faulks Birdsong (maybe I should check my dates before I assert that and work out which one was published first)!

The first act and its long, languid description of the hottest day in 1935 had all the steamy tension necessary for a romantic pre-war drama, plus a little more. Lets just say a four letter word, a missent letter and two bodies -very much alive- in the library had a lot to do with speeding/steaming up McEwan's plot.

The suffocating heat of the book's opening act morphed into the cold, clammy war reality, tinged with psychological suspense. The pace of the book also increased before it crashed (unfortunately in my opinion), into a heavy, 'years later' epilogue - it reminded me of a certain Rowling book which left too little to the imagination in an all inculusive and binding epilogue.

Thankfully this epilogue and McEwan's knife twist final plot turner, which he spung on an unsuspecting and trusting reader, did not quite extinguish all my love for the book and its characters. I'll definitely be there when the movie eventually reaches Australia's shores in December (I think they must be sending the movie over by super slow snail mail as lucky UK and US movie goers get to see Joe Wright's version right about now).


Inspiration Item #10

$2 books at Op Shops.. Inspiration Item #9

I went book shopping today and before visiting the 'official' bookstores I hit the op shop and found a stack of $2 Atonements!

Perfect for Christmas presents, so I bought 3 but think I will go back and get some more... gifts for everyone.

I read the book 9 months ago, before the movie came out here in Australia.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Though I was a little bit glum at the ending.

Despite the merits of a high literary, 'realistic' ending I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

In my opinion authors should always work against fate and their inner literary genius to give a happily-ever-after to the stalwart, well-deserving reader.

Anyways, while writing this post I suddenly remembered that I did a review of Atonement the movie... so I've pasted it as the next Inspiration Item.

Inspiration Item #9

Black Kids + Dinner Party = inspiration item #8

A couple of nights back I went to a dinner party (ok, maybe that term's a little bit grandiose), but it was dinner and a semi-party/gathering.

Mostly they were old school mates, some of whom I hadn't seen in ages.

To sum up how they're going:

1. One had found love and seemed to be pedalling down the right track with a girl who was gorgeous and close to his 6.5ft height.

2. Another guy made some delicious pasta for us all and therefore can't be accused of not having his life together.

3. & 4. The other two boys were a bit quiet on the whole 'my life's a success' part but seemed to be breathing and living okay.

5. As for the girls one has a crazy bitch of a boss and had just been put through the wringer at work so was a bit saddened.

6. The other has just got a new job in a high-end fashion store and has started off on the first leg of what could be a long-term romance.

7. And me? I'm working in a poshie dept store, earning money in the lead up to Christmas.. 6 sleeps to go.

The soundtrack for this night was Black Kid's new album 'Partie Traumatic'. Good stuff and particuarly appropriate I felt...




Inspiration item #8

The Depp Family.. Inspiration item #7

If anything was going to make me feel non-apathetic about singledom (see previous post). It would be this gorgeous picture.

A bigger argument for happy families would be hard to find.

Inspiration item #7

Singledom.. inspiration item #6

DEFINITION:

1. Singledom
someone who is single. singledom- similar to freedom.

2. Singledom
a realm of solitude whose cohorts are apathetic to their condition.



According to the Urban Dictionary there are two definitions of 'singledom'.

Personally I'm going for the first one, where singledom is seen as an attitude of freedom. I can't help but picture a whole kingdom, ruled by me and my imagination (slightly egotistical I know).

Though I do like the whole idea of 'A realm of solitude', which is where Sharon Tate looks like she's at (see pic above).

But I'm just not sure if I'm apathetic to my condition.. am I comfy enough with singledom to inhabit my own kingdom of solitude?


Inspiration item #6

the banana leaf parable by Charles Eames (the great American designer)... Inspiration item #5

Excerpt from Norton Lecture #1 1970-1971

There's sort of a parable I'd like to . . . In India . . . I guess it's a parable: In India, sort of the lowest, the poorest, the, those, those without and the lowest in caste, eat very often--particularly in southern India--they eat off of a banana leaf. And those a little bit up the scale, eat off of a sort of a un . . . a low-fired ceramic dish.

And a little bit higher, why, they have a glaze on--a thing they call a "tali"--they use a banana leaf and then the ceramic as a tali upon which they put all the food. And there get to be some fairly elegant glazed talis, but it graduates to--if you're up the scale a little bit more--why, a brass tali, and a bell-bronze tali is absolutely marvelous, it has a sort of a ring to it.

And then things get to be a little questionable. There are things like silver-plated talis and there are solid silver talis and I suppose some nut has had a gold tali that he's eaten off of, but I've never seen one.

But you can go beyond that and the guys that have not only means, but a certain amount of knowledge and understanding, go the next step and they eat off of a banana leaf.

And I think that in these times when we fall back and regroup, that somehow or other, the banana leaf parable sort of got to get working there, because I'm not prepared to say that the banana leaf that one eats off of is the same as the other eats off of, but it's that process that has happened within the man that changes the banana leaf.

And as we attack these problems--and I hope and I expect that the total amount of energy used in this world is going to go from high to medium to a little bit lower--the banana leaf idea might have a great part in it.

Inspiration item #5

eating into the book challenge... The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch Inspiration item #4

First off the angus+robinson book list is 'The Last Lecture' by Randy Pausch. Kicking off with a book written by a man in the last few months of life before pancreatic cancer takes over is probably not the most cheerful way to start my lastest challenge.. but it is inspiring.

And to top it all the book is definitely quotable:

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." p.148

Luck is what happens when luck meets opportunity." p.147 (Seneca, Roman philosopher born 5B.C.).

"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right.

"Proper apologies have three parts:
1) What I did was wrong.
2) I feel badly that I hurt you.
3) How do I make this better?" p. 162

"...the moral is: If you want something bad enough, never give up (and take a boost when offered). Brick walls are there for a reason. And once you get over them - even if someone has practically had to throw you over - it can be helpful to others to tell them how you did it." p.174

* The copy I've got is published Hachette Australia.. and they've got a little space rocket adorning the cover, but I thought a disney picture pretty much summed the book up. One of Randy Pausch's dreams was being an 'imaginer' at Disney.. a fulfilled dream he details in the book.

Inspiration item #4

my book list challenge.. inspiration item #3

One of Australia's biggest book store chains yearly puts out a list of Australia's favourite books (voted by 25,000 online opinonated and avid readers). Late last night I sussed out the list and worked out I've only read 15 of the 100 (see the ones bolded).

My heart was saddened and I've set myself a challenge...

Read the remaining 85 in the shortest amount of time possible... so here goes

1 Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling

2 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

3 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

4 The Obernewtyn Chronicles - Isobelle Carmody

5 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult

6 To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

7 The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
8 Breath - Tim Winton

9 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini1

10 Break No Bones - Kathy Reichs

11 The Power Of One - Bryce Courtenay

12 Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

13 Magician - Raymond E. Feist

14 The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simons

15 Mao's Last Dancer - Li Cunxin

16 Memoirs Of A Geisha - Arthur Golden

17 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

18 Cross - James Patterson

19 Persuasion - Jane Austen

20 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

21 The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

22 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne

23 Marley and Me - John Grogan

24 Antony and Cleopatra - Colleen McCullough

25 April Fools Day - Bryce Courtney

26 North & South - Elizabeth Gaskell

27 In My Skin - Kate Holden

28 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

29 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

30 The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillipa Gregory

31 Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult

32 Atonement - Ian McEwan

33 Shantaram Gregory - David Roberts

34 Pillars Of The Earth - Ken Follett

35 The Pact - Jodi Picoult

36 Ice Station - Matthew Reilly

37 Cloudstreet - Tim Winton

38 Jessica - Bryce Courtenay

39 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle

40 The Princess Bride - William Goldman

41 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs

42 Anybody Out There? - Marian Keyes

43 Life Of Pi - Yann Martel

44 Seven Ancient Wonders - Matthew Reilly

45 People Of The Book - Geraldine Brooks

46 Six Sacred Stones - Matthew Reilly

47 Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards

48 Brother Odd - Dean Koontz

49 Tully - Paullina Simons

50 Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom

51 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D Salinger

52 Eragon - Christopher Paolini

53 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

54 It's Not About The Bike - Lance Armstrong

55 A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

56 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

57 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

58 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

59 A Fortunate Life - A.B. Facey

60 The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

61 The Notebook -Nicholas Sparks

62 Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen

63 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

64 The Host - Stephenie Meyer

65 Dirt Music - Tim Winton

66 Eldest - Christopher Paolini

67 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

68 It - Stephen King

69 World Without End - Ken Follett

70 Emma - Jane Austen

71 Temple - Matthew Reilly

72 Little Women - Alcott Louisa May

73 Lean Mean Thirteen - Janet Evanovich

74 Scarecrow - Matthew Reilly

75 American Gods - Neil Gaiman

76 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

77 P.S, I Love You - Cecelia Ahern

78 All That Remains - Patricia Cornwell

79 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

80 Past Secrets - Cathy Kelly

81 The Persimmon Tree - Bryce Courtenay

82 Husband - Dean Koontz

83 Plain Truth - Jodi Picoult

84 Wicked - Gregory Maguire

85 Spot Of Bother - Mark Haddon

86 Always And Forever - Cathy Kelly

87 The Road - Cormac McCarthy

88 Cents & Sensibility - Maggie Alderson

89 Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

90 The Shifting Fog - Kate Morton

91 We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver

92 Everyone Worth Knowing - Lauren Weisberger

93 Hour Game - David Baldacci

94 Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay

95 The Woods - Harlan Coben

96 Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

97 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides

98 Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis

99 Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali

100 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

Inspiration item #3

Could any song have a sexier beginning? Inspiration item #2 - Supermassive Black Hole

Muse marries it all.... intrepid drum beat, sexy wailing tenor and best gutair intro to be heard in a long while. No song could be better at kickstarting a fuddy duddy day into fifth gear.

Inspiration item #2

** if you haven't already guessed credit should be given to the baseball scene of twilight

Inspiration item #1 .. edward cullen's room

Twilight fever is everywhere (you'd have to have your head down a hell hole to be oblivious to the epidemic). But forget about the vampire number 1, Edward Cullen.. it's his room I have the hots for... absorb it's sheer understated vampish beauty.

Inspiration Item #1