Larkin & Catcher

According to to this tabloid newspaper — due to a distribution row — some major cinemas are threatening not to show Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

We’re long-time fan’s of both Alice and Tim ‘The Genius’ Burton here at Larkin & Catcher so had to check out if we were going to be deprived of what is bound to be a big-screen treat. It turns out that it is almost certainly a storm in a teacup — as the consensus seems to be with this newspaper’s take on things.

And the other good (Alice related) news is that is Alice — Changed necklace is back. But not for long…

 Alice in Wonderland Necklace

I’m happy to report that the The Heartbreak Store’s Lost Friends (series 2) necklace is finally back in stock.

 Lost Friends Necklace – ‘Lost friends are not dead’

I’ve just come across Ivanka Trump’s jewellery collection and I like it a lot more than I thought I would. 

As Ivanka is the daughter of Ivana and Donald Trump I was expecting her jewellery to be very ‘bling’; it is – but it is tasteful and expensive bling. Most of it is not my style though and I think if I were going to spend that type of money I’d get a one-off piece made.  

I like 1930’s/1940’s films a lot and I’m pretty keen on some of the fashions of that time. But I know nothing about the music of the period (other than the soundtracks to the movies). I had to do a bit of research on the topic recently and it led me from a 1930’s harmony group called the Boswell Sisters to a present-day band called Stolen Sweets (love that name) to the Jazz musician Louis Armstrong.

I’m fairly open-minded about music but I’ve hated any jazz I’ve ever heard. I love Armstrong’s version of St James Infirmary, though (it sounds more like blues to me). I think the song was big in the 1930’s but it has origins in an 18th century English folk song (Wikipedia). I’ve heard a few versions now and I’d say Armstrong’s is definitely my favourite. The song’s a plaintive lament to a lost love (in this version) and the lyrics appeal to my morbid side — though I’d say the sentiment is questionable.

I went down to St. James Infirmary,
Saw my baby there,
Set down on a long white table,
So sweet, so cold, so fair.
Let her go, let her go, God bless her,
Wherever she may be,
She can look this wide world over,
She’ll never find a sweet man like me.

Back to the store

I’ve never met an Australian I didn’t like  — admitedly I don’t get out much due to the demanding baby that is Larkin & Catcher – and now I’ve gone and fallen in love with an Aussie fashion label. Some of the dresses from Strummer’s 2010 Howling Sun collection are so delectable and I could eat them and then go back for seconds.

See some delightful pics on Mecho (I’m not that keen on the ‘doilie’ style ones but the others are adorable).

Back to our store

Snowing here again but the sun is out (hello slush!) and all is well with this little part of the world.

We don’t have a lot of time to update the blog just now but I meant to mention that we’ve now got some more of the ultra cute Made By White jewellery in store. Their lovely jewellery always brings a smile to the face and it has an adorable innocence about it — just sweet as can be. Here’s just some of it:

 ‘Heart Bandit’ brooch

 3 in a bed brooch

HAPPY NEW YEAR, lovely people. May 2010 be the best year ever for you and yours.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are in the perfect mood to face the New Year. I had the most relaxed Christmas ever and I loved it. Usually we have a big family get together but this year was a much more chilled-out affair. I slobbed out most of the time, eating the equivalent of a small hippo in chocolate, watching movies, and playing around with my lovely Christmas presents. Just great and no stress whatsoever.

The only turkey I saw this year was the ‘movie’ Four Christmases — what were they thinking? — I had bigger laughs when I had root canal work done last year. To restore some equilibrium we had to watch Star Trek again – now that’s a movie (there’s someone here who hyperventilates  near enough every time Chris Pike is on the screen – though I think it is the bad-boy Captain Kirk character who she is really in love with).

If you placed an order in the few days over the Christmas period, then be assured that all orders are packed up and ready to ship out today, as the postal service now resume their collection and delivery service after their Christmas break. It seemed an especially long break this year but I guess that is because the weekend followed Christmas day.

Back to the store 

So what do you do when it is Christmas Eve and you’ve got some time off and you have a million things yet to do? Why, go and pay a quick visit to Anthropologie, of course. Strangely enough my first visit, now they are in the UK (dodgy grammar — must be the Festive Spirit…).

I’ve only had a few minutes but so far I’ve had a look at the clothes (obviously) and like some of the ‘leisure wear’:

  These retro-look ’sleep pants’ look fun  — I think I’d wear them around the house

   These bloomers are cute

  This ‘Tissue Henley’ (love the name) doesn’t look like me at all but it would be perfect for layering for all round winter cosiness.

The only other section I’ve had a chance to look at so far is the bath category (we’re decorating) and I love what I’ve seen there. Practically all my shopping has been online this Christmas and I’ve been fairly self-controlled — so I might treat myself to something house-related from Anthropologie in the next few days.

Tonight — slip-sliding through the snow, back home to hot chocolate and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. A winter wonderland outside the windows. Just perfect.

Not so great if you have to drive any distance, or work outside, or if you are stuck in an airport watching the ‘cancelled’ or ‘delayed’ annoucements — and horrible if you do not have a safe and cosy place to be. But a White Christmas is perfectly magical if the circumstances are right.

We’d like to wish you all the very best Christmas — I can’t bear to write ‘Happy Holidays’ — even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you know what we mean. We appreciate you all and we’re sending out a thousand thanks for your support throughout the year.