Lucky girl

I know it’s naughty to gloat but I couldn’t resist sharing… I felt like the luckiest girl in the world on Christmas day. Truth be told I would have been more than happy with just books and chocolates and books and chocolates I certainly did get. D and I decided to give each other stockings and the funniest thing is we bought each other practically identical stocking-fillers – bath/shower smellies, posh chocs, sweeties, books/cds and an interiors mag (World of Interiors for me, French Elle Deco for him).

I also unwrapped the Unseen Vogue book (I recommend it!), a second-hand Fawlty Towers book (genius!) and an amazing Peter Blake alphabet book that I didn’t even know existed. I’m a glutton for art and photography books, however many I have I still want more. Having missed the Elizabeth Peyton Live Forever exhibition in New York by a whisker I was chuffed to receive the accompanying book which I’d hoped for but not expected. Her sensitive portraits of misunderstood neurotic boy outsiders are really beautiful and the book itself is so nicely designed and printed.



Another book I hadn’t expected at all was the whopping great two-volume Peter Beard collection of photos, diaries and collages – utterly mind-boggling – how does someone have the time to create all this stuff? Madly inspiring.


Fashion-wise I was given a Margaret Howell striped blouse/shirt, my Church’s shoes which I have gone on about enough already, two stripy knitted scarves and gloves and some Rykiel stripy socks to add to my collection.


One of my most exciting surprise gifts was a Chanel No 5 factice. I’m obsessed with factices (fake perfume bottles) , in fact it’s one of the first things I ever blogged about. Only problem is that now I’ve got my first one I fear I will want more…