Happy Weekend...

It's cold and rainy in LA, and I just want to stay tucked in by the fireplace -- sipping chai, listening to my new Norah Jones CD and reading...What are you doing this weekend?


(Photo by Thiago Lopes.)

Advertise on the English Muse!

Hello everyone, the English Muse is now accepting new ads! Please inquire if you're interested. Details here!

The Creative Spaces of London Fashion Designers

The Guardian has been doing this fabulous series spotlighting one room in the homes of major designers and artists.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Lulu Guinness

Erdem

Alice Temperley

I love Erdem's collage wall! (PS: Don't forget to visit our collage blog The Next Page!)

Stars like jewels...

This photo, taken by Thomas Shahan, is one of the most beautiful pictures of the Milky Way that I've ever seen.  It's magical.  Have you ever stayed up half the night just to watch the stars and planets move across the sky?  I did it once on a moonless night at Yosemite, with a group of astronomers. It was freezing cold, but we counted over 20 shooting stars and a half dozen satellites. It's one of the best shows on earth, and completely free...

What books are you reading?

And which books do you want for Christmas?

I figured it was time to update the English Muse reading list....

 

So please leave your answers on this post...

And I'll report back with everyone's favorites later this week!

PS: I usually read a couple books at once....so now I'm reading Once on a Moonless Night by Dai Sijie and Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith...

Photo credits {here}

Taylor Swift? Is that you??

Tis the season for transformation ...Taylor dons a frothy little Chanel dress in this photo by Raymond Meier for the NYT's T Magazine. The sunglasses are sharp! More {here}. ...

Arianna Huffington's Book Hallway

Arianna Huffington lives in a beautiful Mediterranean-style estate on Los Angeles' Weststide.  Every time I visit her house, I always end up here, in this hallway where she stacks the public affairs books that arrive daily in her mailbox. (Spotted today: The Wealth of Networks, the J Curve and The Blue Way.)

At the end of the hallway there's a set of French doors:

...covered with postcards...

Love.

Mod Cool: Aline Weber

Tom Ford cast the Brazilian runway beauty in his debut film, A Single Man.  She looks so chic in her black pencil pants (styled by Madonna's costume designer, Arianne Phillips.) But I'm most loving her hair!

A few more of her photos:

From Italian Vogue:

(Polaroids of models are always interesting...)

Red

So lovely...I hope you're having a wonderful Friday.

(All from We Heart It, here)....

Zooey Deschanel? Is that you?

I almost didn't recognize her with the blonde hair. Then I saw who took the photo: the goddess of transformation, Ellen Von Unwerth.

But what do you make of this photo?...(i feel like i'm alone on my blog today. where is everyone?)

Neville Trickett, Diptych Master

South African artist and stylist Neville Tricket produces the most interesting diptychs. Here he juxtaposes modern clothing tags against old fashioned sewing notions. Have a look:

There are even more on Trickett's blog, Saint Verde Digest.  Let me know what you think!  Creating diptychs seems so easy to the casual observer, yet it's actually very complex. Like mathematics translated into visual beauty.

The Next Page Update

Hello everyone...I just wanted to give you a little update about our new blog, The Next Page.  The RSS for my fashion blog, Ms. Muse, is now forwarding to the site.  So those of you who were signed up for Ms. Muse, I hope you're not too surprised to find The Next Page content on your reader.  The blog is doing well, but please tell your friends about it and add it to your blogrolls. Here's the address: http://lilymuse-collage.com/ ... As you know, it's so hard to get a new blog going.  Liss and I really appreciate your help. Also, don't forget to email us if you want to submit a post!  Here's a little sampler of what we have up now on the site:

Thank you!! xo

Colin Firth

Hello everyone! I wanted to tell you that my story on Colin Firth ran today, if you're interested in seeing it. The link is here.  He's considered an Oscar contender for his role in Tom Ford's  "A Single Man," based on the Christopher Isherwood novel. He's also smart, down to earth, and -- well -- very handsome (tall, square jaw, curly brown hair). ... Ok, I'll stop. Check out the story and let me know what you think!  It was a piece I was working on at the LA Times...

UPDATE: I'm loving this newly released poster for the movie.

Girls Who Wear Glasses...

I've been trying to decide for a few months now what sort of glasses I should get. Perhaps something bold, Anna Karina style...

But should they be round or square or oblong or heart shaped? Like these....

Or perhaps like these?...

I have a new life, so I decided to do something unexpected:  Big,  gold, and bold -- to match the new streaks in my hair.  With glasses from here.  In addition to being beautiful these glasses, hopefully, will finally help me see things clearly!

Hope you're having a lovely Wednesday...I can't believe the week is almost over!

(Photos from We Heart It, with credits on my page.)

Charming Stockholm Apartments

I love these photos from the Jeu de Paume series, which I found in my favorite bookstore in LA's little Tokyo recently! These little apartments have so much style. Have a look:

From the apartment of Cajsa Bratt & Pontus Frankenstein. I love the pink fabric.

From the apartment of Linda Karlsson. It's such a clever way to display a teacup collection -- just nails on wood.

From the apartment of Saga Ekman.  Ooooh I love the Chanel clogs!

From the apartment of Lilian Bäckman. I love photo walls, although they're complicated to put together, like a puzzle.

Have a lovely Tuesday everyone...I'm meeting a friend for lunch here in LA, where the weather is perfect today...