To Be Perfectly Frank; Oh! Such Lovely Libeco Linens!

Whither Mr. Franco, literary PhD candidate? 

I didn't see him at Yale this past week, but that was just fine, for I happily indulged my inner Francophone by chatting en francais avec a fellow Canadian at the delightful Atticus bookstore (wonderfully edited-and-presented books; terrific cards for sale--they were mini works of art--decadent espresso and pastry bar too).

I also delighted in the French textiles at Metaphore, which offers a small but beautifully presented (there's that word again; am clearly in thrall to presentation) selection of European table linens, bed linens, and tableware. 

There I could have spent many a Franc--O, I could have done so, but I took home simply a rustic table runner from Libeco, made from Belgian linen. 

Je suis contente.

This post is not sponsored; I simply like the Belgian linen logo.

Tran-Sportation Issues

I've just returned from my academic sojourn to the Ivies, which was utterly invigorating but not without challenges. 

Going and returning, to be specific.

My departing flight was delayed for six hours, which I spent in the airport, and my returning flight was cancelled and rescheduled for the following day.  Fortunately I was in Boston at the time and was able to enjoy an unexpected day in the city.

One item I always look for in the tiny boutiques of any city is a tiny hairpin to hold back my bangs.  In the 1990s the jeweler Gerard Yosca made some delightful pins for hair, but I haven't seen anything to match his casual elegance. 

However, I was charmed by some Jane Tran hairpins that I found at Moxie on Charles Street.  Tran has a vast line, ranging from feathery hairbands (above)

through this delicate jeweled starfish hairpin,

through this crowing peacock clip,

to both this set of pins,

and this set of clips that would be perfect for my daughters.

I bought a pair of tiny enameled yellow flowers on a pin and popped one in my bangs immediately.  But--oh dear--by the time I had finished my walk, the tiny flower was missing!

So I had a third tran-sportation challenge this week, alas!  (I am trying to be a good "sport" about it, though.)

iSad? Liberty London iPad Case Proves Elusive

While I was working on my iPad yesterday, Mr. C looked at me and said, "You need a stylist."

"Puh-leeze, dude," I shot back.  "I certainly do not."

Fortunately, I misheard him, as he had said "stylus" when he saw me typo-ing away on the tiny iPad keyboard.  An iPad stylus magically appeared at breakfast today, a gift from my dear children.

I had fully intended to buy myself an iPad accessory as well.  Gentle readers will know that I have long adored Liberty of London prints (just finished my crazy LoL quilt and will photograph it soon), and I was delighted to learn that Liberty is collaborating with Apple on some cases.

Some are available at Liberty proper, like this one:

It's pretty, but white and canvas will not wear well in my life.

Then I saw this Ianthe-print embossed-leather iPad case at the Apple UK store.  Perfection.

I particularly like Ianthe; it's the border for my newly completed quilt, and think that this case would be both beautiful and useful (thanks, William Morris).

But could I order it from the Apple UK store?  NO!  They do not ship to the United States! 

The kind Apple UK employee suggested I call the New York Apple store to see whether they could get it in via special order.  Could they?  NO!  Apple US does not tangle with imports.

Liberty, however, ships gladly, and while it carries the Ianthe sleeves for the iPhone, it does not offer Ianthe for the iPad. 

Portmanteau word for the day:  iSad (but only in great good fun.)
Still, there will be no Apple for this professor, unless I hop a plane to London and pluck it from the tree myself.

"One Day" Poster: Tiger Beat for Adults?

When I opened my New York Times Book Review section this Sunday, I almost went back to recheck the newspaper's nameplate.  For tucked in the middle was a large, fold-out poster advertising the forthcoming film One Day. 

If the paper had only been glossy I would have been sure that I was reading Tiger Beat.  (Remember those gorgeous glossy posters of David Cassidy and Bobby Sherman?)

But what was an adult reader to do with this sepia-via-hipstamatic-app poster of Anne Hathaway kissing Jim Sturgess? 

Magnetize it to my fridge? 

(Too large: I'd never get the door open.) 

Tape it to my bedroom wall? 

Well, possibly, as the image does  k i n d  o f  evoke that Robert Doisneau photo, but without all those pesky Parisian passersby in the background. 
   

But I hope I've moved beyond those kinds of aspirational love posters.  Definitely beyond tape, that's for certain.

Ponder the (desperately) aggressive book-to-film promotion? 

The novel by David Nicholls, which I read earlier this year, was pure nostalgia for me, as much of it was set in the decade of my maturing: the mid-to-late 1980s.  I recognized--no--had lived the songs, the dropped names, the atmosphere.  The novel was a combination of New Order and Thirtysomething, if you can imagine Gary (Peter Horton) and Melissa (Melanie Mayron) dancing to "Perfect Kiss."

Meilssa and Gary are on the far right of this image.

    

When I saw New Order in concert, they were this grumpy too.

For now, gentle readers, the poster remains folded.  I have read the reviews on each side--Jennifer Grant's book on her father, Cary; a history of American comics featuring the Yellow Kid, the, umm--father--of Yellow Journalism; and two versions of the apocalypse.

Will I feel the urge to reopen the poster, to place it somewhere other than the recycling bin?

Perhaps one day.

(But probably not.)

A Letter to The Manolo . . .

The Manolo has, with his characteristic graciousness and wit, answered my letter about the interplay among academics, movie stardom, and shoes in his weekly Washington Post Express column. 

And I think that his selection of heels is spot on!

(S)pelerine! Fashion at the Scripps Spelling Bee

Last night I was glued to the television set, cheering on the smart young spellers in the 20-round Scripps Spelling Bee competition, hoping that  ESPN Sports Center would NOT interrupt it for a basketball update.

I was rooting for Laura, a seemingly relaxed and charismatic Canadian lass. Curiously, in the last four or five rounds, many of the words Laura had to spell were articles of clothing. 

But Laura triumphed over the linguistic twists of fashion.  One of her words was "pelerine" (there's a small homage to it in my headline), a small cape to be worn just over the shoulders (image above).

Another clothing term was "cheongsam," which did not give Laura any difficulty either.

And then there was "huipil," an embroidered Latin American tunic to be worn over a skirt.

Although Laura came second in the Bee, she made no error here, proving herself to be a very fine "pupil" of the word "huipil" indeed.

Swim Test

Which swimsuit do gentle readers prefer?

A (above)
or

B (below)?

(my coloring, to be factored in, is closer to Model B's)