In Between Days

I love the relaxed days in-between Christmas and New Year's Eve, when the world is in slow-motion, particularly in London, where the contrast between this time and everyday life is so marked. 

And so I share with you some glimpses of these past few days.

Dulwich and Forest Hill on the twenty-seventh:

Somerset House terrace on the twenty-eighth:

Perambulations around Clerkenwell on the twenty-ninth: 

And now the build-up to the end of 2013/beginning of 2014 begins...

Wishing you all a very happy New Year.

Air Hostess Sassiness

Following up on the travel theme of my last post, and just for a bit of fun... 

Air hostesses. What I also want to know is why they don't make them like this as standard anymore?

All images are from The Retroscape website. If you don't subscribe to it, you really, really should. It is full of amazing images like this, from all different eras.

And thinking of sassy ladies and planes brought my mind to James Bond and Pussy Galore's Flying Circus girls. Which is also relevant as The Cat and I are finally going off to see the Designing 007 exhibition at the Barbican tomorrow. We have pre-ordered our tickets, and our martinis. Very excited!

Pussy Galore and her Flying Circus girls (Image source)

The Sad Dearth of Stylish Luggage

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I've been trying to find a suitably generously sized but at least somewhat pretty suitcase for my upcoming extended holiday to Australia. What I want to know is why they don't make them like this as standard anymore...

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I guess travelling is an entirely different experience these days. Vintage luggage appears to be largely vanity cases and overnight suitcases for short trips, or massive steamer trunks for long voyages aboard ships. Neither of the above is really appropriate or feasible for catching a plane for a two-month holiday. The small suitcases aren't large enough and, as much as I would love to have some men on hand to lug a trunk around for me, sadly, that's not possible.

This luggage is too small!

This luggage is too big! (Image source)

In reality, I need something modern with wheels. But sadly, all the options are so deeply dull and unstylish... Except this!

This luggage is juuuuust right!
(Except, maybe not pink?)

Unfortunately, the Steamline luggage above is, ahem, just a tad more expensive than I was hoping to pay... Dammit, don't you just hate having to spend money on functional things when there just isn't the realistic option of choosing something at least a bit personalised or fun and stylish?

I definitely think that someone more entrepreneurial than me should start a more affordable repro vintage luggage line. I really think it would take off... no pun intended.

In one day...

My thesis is is due tomorrow.

... And it's all printed and bound!  Now, top of my priorities is sleep!

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In two days...

My thesis is due in two days.

Once it's handed in, I'm going to play with my winnings from the lovely Miss Wendy's giveaway.

All wrapped up pretty with lace

Patterns and fabric and book - oh my!

In three days...

My thesis is due in three days...

Once it's handed in, I'm actually, believe it or not, going to keep reading about bishops' palaces, the topic of my thesis.  Incredibly, I'm still finding them interesting and want to know more and more.  So, I'm going to return to books I've strategically dipped into and take time to enjoy them cover to cover.

But, this time, it might be in the bath or curled up in bed, instead of with paper and pen or computer at hand for note-taking.  That way I can fully appreciate the wonderful early twentieth-century prose, such as this dramatic snippet:

"... in 1640 the Long Parliament fixed its fascinating gaze on the unfortunate bishop and so paralyzed him with fears of imprisonment and confiscation that he withered up and died with little or no sickness."

They just don't write 'em like they used to, do they?

In four days...

My thesis is due in four days.

Once it's handed in, I might pop down to the Shoreditch Vintage Fair to see if I can find something to wear to the Future Cinema Bugsy Malone event.

I've never actually been to this particular vintage fair.  Has anyone else?  Is it any good?

In five days...

My thesis is due in five days.

Once it's handed in, I'm going to think about what to pack for my Bank Holiday weekend in Normandy.

Hopefully my trip will involve a visit to Mont Saint Michel... (Image source)

In six days...

My thesis is due in six days.

Once it's handed in, I'm going to track down and watch the movie, We'll Meet Again.  Love this song, love this clip, love her outfit.

In seven days...

As I work super hard on my thesis, I keep daydreaming about things I'm going to do after the 27th.  So in my wee coffee breaks, because it really only takes a few moments and it will help keep me sane, I've decided I'm going to do a daily countdown post of something I'm looking forward to, post-deadline.  So here it begins.

My thesis is due in seven days.

Once it's handed in, I'm going to take a bubble bath.

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