The Sneaky Magpie

This spring is going to be exciting, there are few big exhibitions worth seeing. Here is my list of the big ones:

David Hockney at Royal Academy

Lucien Freud at National Portrait Gallery – tickets are booked to avoid missing it. It is a thing with me that if I don’t go straight away I never go, like with the Soviet architecture, sigh.

V&A will have few good things going on, as usual. British Design 1948-2012, Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton, and Ballgowns since 1950!

Is there anything you’d like to see?

As Charlie Brooker said:

“Rather than setting yourself a New Year’s resolution, why not simply pick a reason for hating yourself for the next 365 days? Takes less time, and it’s easier to stick to.”

Brilliant as usual.

Why don’t we pick something enjoyable instead of hard regimen, it will also demand a bit of discipline and we will get a lot more out of it. Few years ago I quit coffee, now I am back on it but only choose to drink very good one. I picked walking instead of the tube and it was excellent, I discovered a lot of things I would never see instead of poking out of a hole like a mole. Eating home baked sweets instead of cheap chocolate, why not?

This year I would like to address my efforts towards reading. Last year, as you know, I had a baby and was absolutely shell shocked, I had no time for anything, as soon as he was asleep I was cooking dinner, cleaning the house, doing laundry. Watching films was my only amusement. I read very little at the beginning of the year and I only started to read book after book later in the year.

Kindle makes reading so easy but it is on a loan to my hubby so I opened a suitcase full of books to read. They are all gifted, borrowed and pre-Kindle purchases. I should read them as this little space is filled with writers I love.

I also really want to read all the Dickens novels, I read and know a lot of them but this year marking the bicentenary of his birth seems like a good time to complete his body of work. Have you got a favorite Dickens novel or story? I read David Copperfield recently and absolutely loved it. There was a great documentary on BBC where Armando Iannucci discussed the book and V&A have a special display where you can explore the original manuscript. You can also hear a lot of the novels on Radio 4, and catch up on Iplayer The Mystery of Edwin Drood – a very dark tale of passion and murder with Matthew Rhys who is as creepy as David Morrissey in Our Mutual Friend.

Peter Ackroyd who wrote wonderful books about London and Themes among others is back with London Under in which he discovers the unseen dirty gritty layers of the capital. Another reason to love the resolution.

The frost is here, which makes me think (and hope) there might be snow! There better be snow, I bought a nice wooden sledge for the boy and I am itching to use it.

The leeks and one lonely caovolo nero are looking rather pretty today.

In warmer and cozier news I have gone all peachy with this year’s make up and also, even more important make up news – Stila is back! There will be a counter at Harvey Nichols.

Above, Essie Tangerine nail varnish, Stila Major Lash mascara (the best mascara ever) and Stila blusher in Petunia. Cath Kidson hair accessory because since my son was born I have not been to a hairdresser and am now sporting a pony tail or a bun.

The interior got also bit orange-y with Orla Kiely’s cookie barrel and baking with strange rose petal macaroons. I am experimenting with red food colouring and rose petal essence.

We did a fair bit of decorating over the last couple of months, the staircase is looking very nice and is nearly nearly there. Here is a sneak peek – staircase in Charleston grey by Farrow&Ball, the Bloomsbury group’s favourite colour.When we moved here everything was badly painted including any brass and metal details. We started to uncover it all and it adds so much detail to the space.

Thank you so much for the lovely messages, I had no idea I had so many wonderful readers! You are all amazing. I promise to update as often as possible but it is definitely encouraging to know you will be back even if I have breaks. Yay. Onwards and upwards then. Here are few things I am obsessed with at the moment (because you need something to keep you going in January):

I have a new found love for Anthropology. When the shop first opened I found everything in it too pretty and fluffy but it has grown on me since, both clothing and home wares. So I purchased a pair of boots which I adore, I have been looking for such a pair for a long time and couldn’t find anything that was right. The stripy tops are Petit Bateau – great thick cotton, I have one and so does my son. All the bangles and the bracelet are Alex Monroe.

As you know I got really into Dickens and was looking forward to Great Expectations on BBC but sadly it was very disappointing. Firstly, it is a real shame to squeeze such a wonderful novel into 3 hours, it felt really rushed and a lot of very important things and characters got missed. Gillian Anderson was not right as Miss Havisham and Ray Winston played basically himself (as usual). Pip was more beautiful than Estella. Joe Gargery was much gentler and more humble in the book, and so was Magwich when he came back to reveal himself to Pip. Perhaps it would feel different to me have I not read the book. The art direction and set design were stunning though.

Next week we have The Mystery of Edwin Drood directed by Gwyneth Hughes (she did Emma and Little Dorrit) with very Dickensian cast like Alun Armstrong. It should be good.

And I am reading, for the first time, David Copperfield – what a great book this is. I am nearly at the end of it and I shall miss all the characters hugely. I think I will pick something light afterward, any recommendations?

Something to look forward to in the spring, a new Sue Townsend book.

And new Douglas Coupland book which is out now.

These two should bring me back to the 21st century for a bit. And of course another author I only discovered few month ago – the wonderfully witty India Knight!

I have been obsessing with my skin which gets very irritated in winter, I find rose and honey products the best.

From top left: Dr Hauschka’s body balm, Ren’s body scrub, Neal’s Yard’s facial wash, Ren’s delightful Moroccan rose bath oil, a smelly candle to improve one’s mood, Nuxe’s honey lip balm and Ren’s Mayday rescue cream. There is another cream that I swear by – a very wallet friendly Dr Organic’s Manuka rescue cream.

I am sorry for the long-ish absence from this space but combination of Freddie’s birthday party (he turned 1 in December!), Christmas, a baby stomach virus and absolute addiction to David Copperfield left me with no time whatsoever.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a fun New Year’s eve and am wishing you all the best in 2012.

I have been pondering about this space a little, I was wondering whether I should just close it down or pay it a proper attention and update the look, mmm.

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the last month and I will be back shortly with some more things to share.

The birthday boy

The retro yule log!

Plenty of cookies

Stylish objects at Science Museum

Freezer cherry pie

I rather fancied one of those wonderful Wild at Heart wreaths but at £50-200 it was a bit pricey so instead I set off to make my own. I went to Wimbledon Common and came back with loads of Christmas tree branches, holly, ivy and some other berries.

All you need is a green twine or wire, scissors and a metal ring, or if like me you haven’t got one – a wire hanger will do, just shape it round a plant pot of desirable size.

I started with the Christmas branches, even if your ring is not perfectly round it is easy to disguise it. Mine was rather wonky.

Then I added holly.

Then I added these pretty dark berries.

I finished off with some ivy and few other leftover bits. The only important thing is to make sure everything is tied up well. Now I need to hang it on our front door and that’s it.

Above decorations from:

Cath Kidston, Bombki, Paperchase, Pedlars , The National Gallery

Nothing like a nice fashion accessory for Christmas, here are my picks:

Vivienne Westwood scarves, I want I want I want. They start at £35.

Sitting on a sofa drinking tea, eating lebkuchen and thinking of the gifts I yet have to buy – books spring to my mind! Here are few literary suggestions, I hope you like.

Kindle! Yes, it is the best thing ever. I know that real books are great, the smell, the touch but Kindle is so handy if, like me, you have no space to house all the books you want. It can store up to 1500 books and you get them within seconds. And just imagine how easy it is to read on a packed public transport not to mention how light it is for your poor stressed shoulders. From Amazon.

The funny, witty and smart author, India Knight, writes about four Christmases she hosted. Pure joy. From Amazon.

If I had enough space I would get all the Penguin Classics with covers by Coralie Bickford-Smith. They are so beautiful.

This great edition of Master and Margarita and many more stunning books at The Folio Society.

The Making of a Marchioness and other wonderfully rediscovered 20th century classics from Persephone Books.

A Kindle cover which is not a Kindle cover – it’s a Whistles make up bag! But it fits perfectly and is so much more stylish. Also comes in dusty navy blue.

PS Apologies for the messy pictures but for some reason WordPress won’t center, argghh.

This must be one of the most amazing places to see in London. This is what I expected Charles Dickens House to be like, and all other historical house in fact. Real food, real fire, candle light – it looked, felt and smelt like we went back in time.

The house is supposed to be seen in an absolute silence, there are sounds assisting you to truly experience life of this family of silk weavers, you can hear steps on the stairs, bits of conversation, tea being poured into cups. There is an unfinished breakfast and an unopened letter in one of the bedrooms, half drunk cups of tea, a pomegranate cut in half, someone has just left the table, perhaps to answer the door, and will be back soon. After a while you start to imagine additional noises and become acquainted with the inhabitants.

You are not meant to look at all the object like in a museum but take it all in as a home, we move through the ages starting in the basement where bits of St. Mary’s Spital are placed in a crater, they are from 1197, we move on to Enlightenment, Victorian times, Baroque and end in 1914, there is no chronological order as such, but you grow more mature as a person ending in a ragged dirty bedroom at the top which probably housed an industrial working class family of eight.

If you visit now you will discover the house to be all dressed up for Christmas with a Christmas tree, mince pies, Christmas pudding, sweets and plenty of spectacular festive decorations. You can also book a place for the evening tour called Silent Night, how amazing would that be? No artificial light  whatsoever.

The house is a location as well and Crimson Petal and the White was shot there, I am guessing scenes from Mrs Castaway’s house, definitely Sugar’s bedroom.

Take a peek.

Apart from the top exterior shot all the pictures are from Dennis Severs’ House website and Flickr account.

Dennis Severs’ House

18 Folgate Street

E1

For opening times visit the website.