Monday 27 December 2010

The Girl Extraordinaire

Free spirit ...
















 ... never without a book, no matter where she finds herself ...




Sailor of the Ionian sea ...




Child of Africa ...




 She's come an awfully long way from the bush, baby, to the frozen north ...




... to do what she loves best



... English lit student, Edinburgh University ...



... lovely birthday girl 





Happy 18th birthday, Nina!

Saturday 25 December 2010

Friday 24 December 2010

Happy Christmas

We are without any extended family and friends for the first time this year, but the table is laid for just the four of us for Christmas Eve dinner, the presents are under the tree, the fires are lit and snow is all around.






















Thursday 23 December 2010

London Christmas shopping


In contrast to Paris, London's christmas windows are altogether more quirky and eccentric. Fantasy seems to be the motif this year ...

For instance, Liberty's windows are weirdly Wonderland themed, a kaleidoscope of colour  ...






(Flowers at the entrance to Liberty)

... and Carnaby Street is transformed into an array of colourful planets ...


 
 Spaceman Santa descends from the rooftops, while musicians blast carols beneath pink and orange planets ...                           















 
... the colour scheme echoed in shop windows. 


St James' church on Picadilly glows eerily behind suspended lanterns



on the way to Fortnums, where the windows are more traditional, and richly opulent ...








the street outside reflected in this silver ball





(side entrance to Fortnum & Mason)

Bond Street defies the recession with nouveau riche style ...

  
... Cartier wrapped up in a giant red bow

  

 All she wants for Christmas is a Chopard diamond necklace to go with that fur ...






Wednesday 22 December 2010

Christmas window-shopping in Paris

As travel is sadly out of the question this Christmas, I have been consoling myself with a little window shopping via my photos of last Christmas/New Year in Paris.




Windows surely don't come more stylish than this. It strikes me now that the themes were red, white and gold everywhere you looked.











(the wonderful Astier de Villate on rue Saint-Honoré)



























(restaurant window, above and below, on Ile St Louis)


 





and finally, what the well-dressed Parisian dog was wearing last winter ...









































Tuesday 21 December 2010

Birthday Babe



 Styling big sister's hair, Cape Town 1998



Water baby, 2003



 10th birthday, Cape Town 2006



Ice Princess, Stockholm, 2007



 Gondola girl, Venice 2007



Speed queen, Kefalonia 2008



London 2010



 Happy 14th birthday, Bella!


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