colouring, watching, gushing

Went and checked my postbox earlier to find three packages were waiting for me, all things I'd completely forgotten I'd ordered over the holidays. This semester I'm going to make a bit of an effort to curb my spending on silly little things that add up. Mainly bus fare and the take away coffees I usually buy to perk me up just before a lecture. So, ta-da, a insulated travel mug! Along with a tin of Caran D'ache pens I ordered from Amazon the other day when suddenly overcome by the urge to...colour in? My Granny used to buy me sets of Caran D'ache when I was little-I remember spending so long labouring over a picture of an underwater scene of spotted octopus and stripey fish and bright coral each day after school for a Blue Peter competition and then missing the deadline when I liked it too much to want to send it in. Maybe it's just fond memories like this but in a sad way I'm kind of feeling just 'drawing' at the moment.  Maybe something to do with catching up with the genius Isabel's Animal Talk and missing having a pen between my fingers to draw rather than write with. On the subject of Isabel, she never fails to amaze me, she creates such cool little sculptures. Supersized Geodes or tongue-in-cheek 'cake landscapes' that are painted in colours so knee-weakeningly pretty that you're torn between wanting to pop them in your mouth and chew them like bubblegum or crawl into them and never come out.

And something I was very excited about is this copy of US Vogue from 1961. With mini reviews for Breakfast at Tiffanys and West Side Story and an awful lot of adverts for mink coats and stockings and lipstick and ford cars having a leaf through it felt very Betty Draper. It was sent to me by Leanne who is working for Sky Atlantic, which I've been really excited about launching after reading about it in various 'What to look out for in 2011' magazine features over Christmas. There is always something about January and fantastic television schedules that makes me feel all excited and compelled to confine myself indoors every night with a hot water bottle and strict viewing plans. As an American Studies student and general US cultcha nerd I'm especially excited for the launch of a channel with so many stateside exports. Treme (I couchsurfed with a guy whose Dad was working on it when I was in Venice Beach), Boardwalk Empire, new Mad Men (don't get me started..) yadda yadda.

All in all a bit of a gushy post. And here is a nice chilled song to remedy the overexcited tone..

you see, I see, go see

Gorgeous go-see photograph of model shot by Juergen Teller. Just goes to prove that having crackalackin chin definition always takes a poloneck that extra mile. Sigh.. (image via Letty Schmiterlow)

back in the manchester groove

Ah, back in the Manchester groove. Arrived back 'home' (is it home? I never quite know what to call it..) yesterday and it feels so good to be reunited with everybody, despite the impending exams hanging over our heads and the fact we're all unable to avoid 'oh, I haven't done any revision' type conversations which only serve to distress and egg each other on in a bad way. Today I'm wearing my new Benetton jumper which I bought from eBay the other week for a steal of 99p. Now less chat and more work. Off to the library I go..

Childrensalon Further Reductions Up To 70% + NEW Spring 2011 Collections

Childrensalon is offering up to 70% off Fall/Winter 2010 items plus shop the new Spring/Summer 2011 Collections that are arriving daily!

Established in 1952, Childrensalon has grown from selling beautiful own-brand handmade dresses and boys suits from it’s store in the UK to being the internets largest children’s designer fashion, toys and gifts retailer.

Childrensalon offers over 220 children’s designers; including Burberry, Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Junior Gaultier, D&G Junior, Armani, I Pinco Pallino and Fendi - to more sought-after emerging designers such as Lesy, Pamilla, Cap Ras- all hand picked from our buyers with over 60 years experience between them.

Add traditional and contemporary toys, gifts for all ages, special occasion wear, accessories and shoes and you begin to have an idea of the 12,000 products on offer, with new items added daily and all available worldwide.

style notes for the guys

Calypso jumper (via through a glass darkly) / Damon Albarn in a Nike hoodie/ George Clooney's shirt in 'One Fine Day'/ Charles Bukowski/ Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water/ Burberry shirt/ swimming man/ Woody Harrelson/ Clementines (I've lost count of how many I've eaten over the past two months..)

And this camp spectacle of a performance by The Rubettes. I love how much energy they have and how mismatched it is against the crowd's obligatory steady clapping. If I ever end up getting married, or just throwing a huge birthday party I may find a tribute act to recreate this just for the hilarity. But first need to sort out George Michael singing Careless Whisper to me on a table for my 21st. I like the idea of an awkward intimate performance for each milestone birthday..

Inside Style - Age Limits

Inside Style by Annmarie O'Connor - as featured in The Dubliner magazine - January 13th

Age - I never quite act mine. At four years old, I advised my mother to cancel my imminent birthday party as I would not be turning five. This refusal to engage with the process of growing up has stood me in good fashion stead. In an industry where airbrushing and Photoshop blast away the sands of time, my Peter Pan-like proclivities fit in quite nicely.

Well, that’s what I thought. A recent visit to a city centre clothing store taught me I appear more hip replacement than hipster.  Browsing through rails of Breton tops, braces and fluro mesh I was approached by a concerned staff member. “Do you need any help?” enquired the bespectacled blonde. “No, thank you,” I replied, impressed by the customer service.

Seconds later, as I approached the gold lamé bras and Lady GaGa pants, another sales assistant wearing similar Buddy Holly frames beseeched me accordingly. “Are you okay?” she asked with concern. “Yes,” I blurted. Paranoid, I caught my reflection in one of the mirrors. A routine inspection dispensed with fears of spinach-clad teeth, wind-swept hair, smeared lippie et al. So just why was I getting the ‘security, please!’ vibe?

Puzzled, I continued to flirt with rainbow racks of tees and stripy tube socks and questionable tie dye.  I lifted up lacy confections as alien beings, renouncing just about everything with a mental diatribe: ‘too pricey, ‘too see through’, ‘too silly’.  And that’s before castigating the music because I didn’t ‘know the words’.  Then it hit me...

If Carlsberg made epiphanies, they’d avoid mine on account of being too cringe-worthy. Aware of my fifteen year disadvantage over most of the staff and patrons, I quickly skulked out of the double glass doors and made my way home.

I felt as if I’d morphed into Edina Monsoon – a risible perma-teen only minus the Ab Fab wardrobe budget.  It was confirmed. My demographic is commanding less sartorial sway with each eroding year. One more wrinkle and I’m fashion roadkill. Gulp...

Still, if there’s one thing Eddie and I have in common, it’s that place called Denial where Bolly runs in rivers, everyone is a size 8 and cellulite an urban myth.  With that I called my own Patsy sidekick and hit up The Octagon for a cocktail as big as my age.  It may only be a number but it’s also a handy excuse for an afternoon tipple.

wrapping up

Duffle Coat, Uniqlo/ Perfume, Classique by Jean Paul Gaultier/ Tote by Margaret Howell/ 

Tartan Scarf, Lands End/ Dress, Topshop Boutique / Plain Moleskine/ Navy and White 420, New Balance/

Ah, January. That grey month when bitter fingers and continuous rainfall are still the norm, and because it feels like Spring may never come warm cosy clothes to get you through the grey days are paramount. It's raining cats and dogs outside and impending exams are looming over my head-this is my perfect 'sling on some layers and run to the library' outfit. See pockets on Uniqlo duffle which are perfect for burying fingers and biros and a bag of nuts for snack time.