HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Petite Anglaise -- it's all about the books now...

I've been a fan of the Petite Anglaise blog since way back when she started out. Then she got outed for 'blogging on duty' (working on her blog during working hours) and also making some mention of her employers. She got sacked, the papers heard about it and she gained some notoriety. Numbers of visitors to her blog soared and a book deal followed. Petite has always had a loyal (and very protective) following and they seem to have stuck by her throughout all her tribulations. I still check out Petites blog -- just to see what's happening in her life and to find out if there's any new developments.

But she doesn't post much any more and I've got the feeling that she's had enough of it. A lot of it now seems to focus on promoting her books. Here's an excerpt for her last post -- which was basically an apology for her recent lack of posting (though she insisted that her post was not an apology):

I will be back in early 2009, not least to remind you of the impending arrival of petite in paperback as of February 5th (see sidebar right), and of the publication of my first novel, Rendez-vous, hot on petite’s heels in August 2009…

To me, that just looks like an ad for her books and it seems that her blog is now just a vehicle for promoting the books. I'm not criticising her for that -- this blog is unashamedly used to promote my store and I think she'd be crazy not to use every means she has to sell more of her books.

But I don't believe she's got much more to say on her blog just now and it's my guess that she's had enough of it. Unlike this blog, Petite's is based on personal revelations and I think she just does not have the time or the inclination to give a blow-by-blow account of her daily life. There must come a time when you want to keep things private and when you don't feel there is any need to open your life up to strangers and I think Petite has reached that stage.

I wonder just how many bloggers -- previously caught up in the blogging phenomenon of the past few years -- have came to a point when they feel they have said enough about their lives.

I've often wondered about the implications of 'expose' type blogging and the effects it can have on the blogger and their family. Fine, perhaps until it 'goes global' -- and you know that strangers now have privy to what goes on behind your doors.

Scary stuff and an area that I'd stay clear away from -- people either become bored by it or -- even worse -- become obsessed by it and want to know too much; by involving readers in the intimate details of one's life, a sense of ownership can be created. It is also not beyond the bounds of possibility that the need to feed the blog can shape 'real life' behaviours. It would be too easy to reach the stage where incidents or events becomes potential blog fodder and where decisions are -- perhaps unconsciously -- influenced by the current blog 'story' or the potential to hold the interest of blog visitors.

Alternative Bags Discounts

We're not following the High Street and jumping on the MASSIVE SALES!!! bandwagon but there's a Boxing Day discount on bags and jewellery on just now over at the Larkin & Catcher store.

'Cookies' Shopper Bag

Dumpling Dynasty Overnight Bag

Don't Worry: be Happy

Magical Illustrations by Elevenish

Warm and Cozy Colour Print ($10.00)

Isn't this print from Carolyne Tillery at Elevenish just totally adorable? Check out this and Carolyne's other illustrations at her Etsy store.

It's little gems like this that make me love Etsy so much -- it is the perfect place to go when you're shopping for something special.

Johnny Depp in Wonderland

Thanks to Glendy over at Style Amor I've now found out that there's an Alice in Wonderland film in the offing. The bad news is that it won't make its appearance until 2010 but the good -- if somewhat predictable -- news is that it will be directed by Tim Burton and the cast will include Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

That trio are just perfect for Wonderland -- though I have to say I couldn't stand Depp in Willie Wonker and the Chocolate Factory. Something about his teeth put me off... But I also thought that he was hamming it up a little too much and trying too hard to come across as a weird character. Gene Wilder's version of the character, on the other hand, seemed more genuinely sinister. Anyway, it's a waste to try and make Depp look unattractive -- as some of us are just naturally gorgeous...

Croquet anyone?

I've never played croquet and don't think I'll never be overcome with the urge to do so -- but that doesn't stop me loving this Croquet Bunnies bag that has just arrived in the store.
Croquet Bunnies shoulder bag

And the Cute as Hell bag is just that...




Cute as Hell shoulder bag

A Gothic Christmas

So what do you get a goth for Christmas? The answer probably depends on the goth in question, because those of the 'gothic persuasion' range along a spectrum -- from hard-died(!) old school goths who embrace the whole subculture, to those who just play about with it because they like gothic type fashion (which can be pretty flattering and is -- once again -- so big this year).

Here's a nice little Amazon review from Emily Pertaikov: Know What to get a Goth for Christmas.

Or you could head over to the Larkin & Catcher amazing and strangely wonderful boutique and grab one of the last of these rather fetching Gothic Mourning Chokers

Christmas in Norway

Another random post -- but I suddenly started to wonder how Christmas was celebrated in other countries. I've no idea why Norway is first on my little list, other than it being the first country to come into my head (that is a bit weird because I don't think I've ever given that country one single conscious thought). The 'mashed rutabaga' from their Christmas dinner menu sounded a lot more interesting before I found out it is turnip. So -- Christmas in Norway from Stavanger-web.

Retro Pin-up & Rockabilly Bags Back

More retro inspired Hell's Belles bags back in at the Larkin & Catcher store, including the beautiful Elixir handbag and the much sought-after House Call 'doctor' style bag.

The House Call bag from Hell's Belles Finishing School for Girls

The Elixir bag from Hell's Belles Finishing School for Girls

Goodbye Bettie Page

One of the first things I do in the morning is switch on the news to find out if the world's still turning. The first bit of news that hit me today was that the legendary pin-up model Bettie Page died today at the age of 85. I didn't know that much about Bettie, other than her association with burlesque and the fact that she seems to have been an originator of a much-copied look which is particularly popular in the rockabilly scene and among pin-up models.

It was strange checking out her old dance routines on YouTube and difficult to think of her being anything other than full of life. Her performances are tame by today's standards but you can see why she became an iconic symbol and why her poses are so often replicated by retro models. She seemed to have such a sweet innocence about her, a cheeky knowing playfulness that is unashamedly cheesy but surely a lot more appealing that a bare-it-all approach to 'exotic dance'.

I do know that Bettie was also associated with some pretty unsavoury business and I'm not that sure of the truth of that matter -- but the image of the forever youthful Bettie in the YouTube Dancing Fool video just makes me smile. I love her facial expressions, her seeming joyfulness, the fact that she's not that skinny -- the reminder that burlesque lingerie is immensely flattering.

The stuck-in-time quality of Page is, in part, brought about by the fact that she didn't allow photographs of her older self to be taken -- she wanted to preserve the image of the Bettie Page that had been and to uphold the mystique. One image that she did allow, however, taken when she was eighty years old, shows that she was still beautiful -- and proves the point that preserving some body fat is rather a good idea for the older woman: Bettie Page at eighty years old.

Bettie 'disappeared' from the public eye many years ago but she has always had a cult following: now her death will bring her briefly into the public eye once again and I think she's bound to have an appreciative audience.

Here's the YouTube video of her 'Dancing Fool'

Small Town life in 1950's USA

Day In The Life Of A 1950's Small Town -- a really great little film about a day in the 'life' of the small town of Millwood in 1952. As pointed out by some of the You Tube commentators -- wouldn't it have been great if we could have taken away all the bad things about 1950's life (the various forms of discrimination, etc) but left in all the good stuff.

Silver Bird Necklace

This gorgeous unusual necklace is another beautiful piece of handcrafted unique jewellery from Mullanium:


Silver bird necklace from Mullanium at the Larkin & Catcher store

Trapped in an Elevator

No, not me -- I never go near the things. I'd go crazy (or even crazier) if I had to be in one for ten minutes, let alone 41 hours! Elevators seriously scare the hell out of me -- the only thing worse than getting stuck in one would be getting stuck in one with some kind of nutcase with a bad attitude. So maybe the man in this video should at least be grateful that he was on his own...

Story from the New Yorker

and video footage from YouTube:

Christmas Shopping Dates

Buying Christmas gifts at the Larkin & Catcher store ? Don't miss out on these shopping dates!

If you are ordering items for Christmas gifts please use the following guide to make sure your order arrives on time:

United Kingdom and the Channel Islands: last date to place your order in time for Christmas delivery is 18 December

Europe: last date to place your order for delivery in time for Christmas is 12 December

USA: last date to place your order for delivery in time for Christmas is 10 December

Australia: last date to place your order for delivery in time for Christmas is 5 December

More Fabulous Jewellery

We adore Mullanium's beautiful handcrafted jewellery and we've added yet more pieces from their collection to our jewellery section at Larkin & Catcher. Here's a gorgeous steampunk style bracelet that we've all fallen in love with:

The 'Love' Bracelet

Cute & Unusual Jewellery Gifts

There's lots of new unusual jewellery being added to the Larkin & Catcher store just now -- just in time to buy some unique Christmas gifts or to treat yourself to something a bit different.

The pieces here are from the Sydney-based design team Made by White. Their jewellery has a definite theme, which mostly centres on old fairy tales, nursery rhymes and children's books, so -- although most of Made by White's jewellery could be described as cute and fun -- there's also a playfully dark edge in some of their designs (which make me love them all the more).

The Three Blind Mice Brooch

The Wicked Witch Necklace

The Rockabye Brooch

And not forgetting the very popular Red Riding Hood brooch and the slightly unsettling Flying Monkey brooch.

Red Riding Hood brooch

Flying Monkey brooch