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Laetitia Maklouf's The Virgin Gardener
The Good Bad China collection from nofixedabode.ie
May 10, 2009
VOL 26 NO 19
The Fix - This Week's Greatest Hits
Notelets from Paul Costello for Dunnes Stores
French Connection's shoes
Stella McCartney's new look
Gucci's perfume Floral
Gap joining forces with asos.com to offer Gap clothes online
Virgin In The Beds
If you're an aspiring gardener but don't know where to start, Laetitia Maklouf's The Virgin Gardener is the book for you. The author is being hailed as a fresh new voice in the horticultural world and visually, it's stunning. Maklouf provides good basic info for those who can't differentiate between a trowel and a trellis and there are plenty of inspiring ideas like how to make your own elderflower bubbly, creating meadows for private sunbathing and growing spring bulbs in a basket. €25.75 from Dubray Books.
Say It Loud
Go on – you know you want to. The overpriced, over hyped It bag is dead – long live the fun, frivolous and even lurid bag instead. This little baby, by Paul's Boutique, has summer written all over it and nobody can ever accuse its owner of taking herself too seriously. €70 from BT2
Chinese Whispers
Rather die of thirst than sip your coffee from a vessel that says, "My other mug is funny"? Don't write off slogan china just yet. The Good China Bad China collection is very chic and amusing in the style of Dorothy Parker as opposed to Jim Davidson. You can choose from seven deadly sins and seven virtues although you'd best be fairly thick-skinned to eat cake off one adorned with 'gluttony'. Get them at www.nofixedabode.ie where they've been reduced. The pair of Abstinence/Gluttony serving plates was €65 and is now €50 while the pair of dinner plates (humility/pride; chastity/lust etc) was €35 and is now €25.
Write Stuff
Designer and high street store collaborations can be hit and miss but the Paul Costello for Dunnes Stores range never disappoints. It's classic, it's affordable, it's superb quality and we like just about everything in the collection, from the striking bed linen to the scented candles that give the likes of Diptyque a run for its money at a fraction of the price. We especially like these notelets from the Spring/Summer ranges which will encourage you to write more 'thank you' notes, ¤8.
The Shopping Audit
We love French Connection's shoes
The fashion hit of the year to date has been a pair of neon pink shoes from Penneys. These courts, we think, are far superior, not to mention far pricier at €135. They do however possess the most amazing leg lengthening powers thanks to their almost nude-pink shade and impressive heel.
We're not sure about Stella McCartney's look
The cobbler's children always go shoeless. In much the same vein McCartney has been so busy designing for others, she is neglecting herself and wore this lace monstrosity (right) to the Metropolitan Museum Gala. Then again, Madonna wore a puffball dress, thigh boots and 'Donnie Darko' headgear...
We're buying Gucci Floral
Gucci's first eponymous perfume was a sell-out success and has a huge following; try their latest scent, Floral, which combines tough Italian spirit with romantic, woody notes in a nicely balanced, fresh and breezy scent. ¤50 for 30ml, available from Brown Thomas.
We can't wait for Gap online
We've waited, oh how we've waited. Those lucky Yanks have had Gap online for years now, but the e-tail whizzkids at Asos.com last week announced they'd be joining forces with the high-street fave to offer some of its range online from August 2009. Great for stocking up on preppy pieces and classic kit quickly and easily from Gap's autumn/winter collection.
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