Ink on my fingers

~ I heart Anthropologie ~

When i received an email asking if i'd like to attend a tea party at the new Anthropologie store in London, it took me all of 30 seconds to email back a resounding yes. Ever since Denise and Letha introduced me to Anthropologie in Seattle I've been hoping this gorgeous store would hit our shores, and at last it has, with a 10,000 square foot store on Regent Street and another opening on the Kings Road next year. Yesterday was the press launch, and as I was allowed to bring a plus one with me I invited my sister (with her own +1 in utero) to London for an adventure. We stuffed our faces in Carluccio's before heading to the new store, and friends it was all i could do not to stuff everything i saw in my bag - everything's that delicious. Most of the clothes were on the upper end of the pricing scale, but with lots of bargain homewares and stationery, you can still visit the store, get a hit of inspiration and then leave with a little treat. I splurged on some jewel-coloured glasses that were made in Portugal and all under a tenner*; Abby bought the cutest mug ever. We each had a nugget of Anthropologie to take home with us, and with tired feet - but very happy eyes - we treated ourselves to a cab back to Paddington, and from there the train home. Favourite moment? When a girl with a beaming smile came over and asked if i was me - turns out she reads my blog. We had a hug and chat and my day was offically made (thanks Zoe!)

* UK to US translation: less that ten pounds in price. There were no discounts (shame!) but i did partake of some delightful mini cupcakes ;)

Updated: I'm sharing lots more photos from the store over on decor8 today

~ Recycled notes ~

I'm a bit short on words this week, but luckily the ones i do have i can record in my beautiful recycled notebooks, from Etsy seller Oh So Good. We've got a really fun thread running on the Unravelling discussion board right now about our shared love of delicious stationery - the photos are increasingly becoming pure stationery porn. Simple pleasures make me happy: a new notebook, some pretty writing paper, a fancy pen. Has anyone got any hot stationery leads they could share?

Edited to add: suggestions so far: Field & Sea,The Black Apple, My Folk Lover, Heather Smith Jones, The Card Society

Loving these calenders: Albertine Press, Satsuma Press, Letter C Design, Claudia Pearson, Cat Seto, Alicia Bock    

~ Ethical adornment ~

The first piece of 'proper' jewellery I ever bought was from Wright & Teague. I was working in my first salaried job and wanted to treat myself to something that, while not hideously expensive, felt like a very grown-up and important purchase; I still wear the necklace to this day. I love the shared vision of husband-and-wife team Gary Wright and Sheila Teague, and feel very attached to their creations (do you get that way too? Feel genuine loyalty to certain brands?) so I had to share the gorgeous necklaces they've created exclusively for Oxfam.

~ Ageless style ~

Photo credits: 1. Garance Dore; 2. Sartorialist; 3. Sartorialist; 4. Sartorialist

~ Love at first sight ~

When I first saw these beautiful images I swear my heart skipped a beat. This is what you get when you mix Polaroid, a crazy-talented photographer and the gorgeous creations of Ban.do. Chloe Aftel has become the new photographer for Jen & Jamie's chic line of hair adornments, and i am swooning over here. Swooning, i tell you!

[all photographs by Chloe Aftel]

~ Painted memories ~

So as you can see, I'm still thinking about lakes.

One of my favourite reasons to shop on Etsy is that i know i'm supporting an individual artist/crafter rather than a faceless corporation. I found Ryan Fowler's work today and I am completely smitten. His colour palette feels so autumnal, and takes me back to our drive through a pocket of Vermont. And the polar bear just triggered a memory that I had to phone my mum to confirm: growing up we had a huge reproduction painting of a polar bear's head hanging above the fireplace in the living room. In my mind I saw a polar bear, but i still had to phone and ask, because my first thought was - really? A polar bear? But my mum remembered the same, so there you have it - my 70s childhood included a polar bear.

We also had a dog who looked remarkably like this dog below, called Sadie. I still dream about her, and she often speaks to me in my dreams, but i'll save that for another day...

[all art work & photographs by Ryan Fowler]

~ a little hello ~

[This is Bath; i left my plug adaptor and USB lead at home like an idiot!]

The day before my flight i had the beginnings of a cold and now, on my second day in this beautiful European-flavoured city, i am a mess of blocked sinuses and used tissues. Yesterday i walked around Jeanine's neighbourhood, snapping a few Polaroids and foraging for coffee and books; as i currently have only two working senses, i'm fascinated by how we usually interact with a new place. I have no sense of taste or smell, so i can't tell you what the food is like, or what the streets smell of. And, most uncomfortably of all, my ears are blocked, so my hearing is so impaired i'm walking around feeling like i've a glass helmet on my head. As my new course is all about the senses I've been noticing how much more my eyes want to work to compensate for the lack of anything else - everything is so much bigger and more colourful suddenly. I also now realise how important taste and smell is for making you want to eat (i have no appetite) and how incredibly inward you become when you can't hear what people are saying.

What's also interesting is that despite all these physical discomforts, I feel incredibly comfortable here. I was a little wary of the language issue, considering that i don't speak French, but everyone i've met has been a) bi-lingual and b) so nice it hasn't been a problem; shamefully, my school-girl French is but a distant memory. Right now Jeanine and I are sitting in her favourite cafe, typing away on our laptops while our coffees cool and African beats pump through the speakers attached to the wall. Tomorrow we leave early to drive to Squam, making our way to the border and on through Vermont and New Hampshire; i can't wait to see if the leaves have changed colour, and what the journey has in store for us...

[I've shared a few words and pictures over on This Joy + Ride this week.]

~ Wish I may ~

Star light star bright
The first star I see tonight,
Wish I may, wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.

It's 09-09-09. It's a day for wishing... I wish for a healthy niece or nephew. I wish for love to find me. I wish for continued growth in my wee business. I wish for a healthy body. I wish for a never-ending supply of Polaroid film. I wish for a wedding day filled with laughter. I wish for a book publishing deal. I wish for a  book-blog tour across Northern America, Europe and down under. I wish for continued unravelling and magic. I wish for connections and friendships. I wish for an easily attained driver's license. I wish for a year living in California. I wish for a return to London. I wish for a ride in a hot-air balloon. I wish for a holiday by the sea. I wish for the perfect black shirt. I wish for a PA. I wish for hot summers. I wish for another rose cupcake from the Hummingbird Bakery on Portobello Road. I wish for a world filled with friendly people. I wish to go to Paris and have a perfume made for me. I wish for a dragon tattoo across my back for my 40th birthday. I wish for a Polaroid safari in Morocco. I wish for sciatica-free living.

I wish to find my man.

What do you wish for? Make a list today - I think there's magic in the air.

~ There's no place like home ~

Monday is my one-year anniversary of living in Bath; i'll be in London on the actual day but i know i'll be looking forward to getting back to my little flat and cosying in with my metaphorical pipe 'n' slippers. This place really has become my home, both the city with its friendly taxi drivers and extraordinary refuse problem, and this flat with its tired carpet and insect flatmates (seriously - just call me Susannah Doolittle). I feel settled here, i feel held and supported. My dreams are beginning to flourish, and i know that it was my leap last year that has made it all possible. I hoped for more, for a bigger life, but i didn't expect of all this... I truly hope that this is just the beginning. I'm feeling more able to make space in my inner cupboards now, so there's room for a partner-in-crime in my world... i think it could be fun. I'm ready for some fun.

1. Sam Roddick's living room; 2. colourful rooms from Family Living (via Desire to Inspire); 3. Lisa Congdon's kitchen (via Apartment Therapy); 4. via Living Etc; 5. photo by Annika Vannerus (via Emmas designblogg); 6. the perfect workspace (via Emmas designblogg)

~ Pola gratitude No. 4 ~