R.I.P T.W.A.T.

The decision was made today to change the old The World According To... website. The old shop is being turned into a falafel den as we speak. Completely erased. It was freaky when the hairdressers who used to work in the space came into the old The World According To.../Shop space and tell us where the sinks and mirrors were and now it will be pita and hoummous.

One thing that we are all sad to see get destroyed in the path of change are the incredible murals that James Jarvis - artist, cartoonist, designer for Silas and creator of the Amos Toys range - drew for The World According To... directly onto the plaster walls of in the stairwell. Fortunately Pippa had the foresight to document the day James Jarvis was in with his marker pens on video which I have just uploaded to YouTube [there are a gang of other James Jarvis videos FYI there to check out!] and here it is for you to reminisce:



How FANTASTIC!!


Oh! That reminds me!! Pippa's band All About Eve Babitz have a song in the movie "Love and Other Disasters" Directed by Alek Keshishian [you know - the one who did that Madonna movie!] showing at the BFI 22nd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. the cast is only Cast: Brittany Murphy, Matthew Rhys, Catherine Tate, Stephanie Beacham, Jamie Sives, Santiago Cabrera [you get me!]

The song is "Fantastic" which is totally gorgeous and you can hear it on the All About Eve Babitz MySpace page.

Here is a little synopsis about the movie btw from the BFI website:

A star-studded romantic comedy set in London among stylish twenty-something sophisticates. Brittany Murphy plays Emily 'Jacks' Jackson, a fashion assistant who is constantly trying to find a boyfriend for Peter, her hopeless gay flatmate (Matthew Rhys - best known for his role in Brothers and Sisters). Like a sharper, gayer version of Love, Actually crossed with a pinch of The Devil Wears Prada with more than a nod to classic screwball comedy, this is a film that wears its quotations with self-conscious flair.

When Peter seems to fall in love at first sight with an arty-looking, floppy haired young man, the stage is set for a comedy of contemporary manners. Murphy is beautiful and seems to spend half the time naked or getting undressed before pulling on something chic. Their best friend Tallulah, played by Catherine Tate, gives a laugh-out-loud fabulous performance as a posh neurotic poet.

With memorable supporting roles from the likes of Stephanie Beacham, Dawn French and Richard Wilson, this is a wilfully clever, imaginative confection with plenty of beautiful people and some delightfully unexpected star cameos.

Jacks has her own emotional journey but can't recognise the potential for love that is under her nose. For connoisseurs of shoes, contemporary underwear, fashion and old-fashioned plotting with a modern twist, this is something of a departure for the video director who gave us the unforgettable In Bed With Madonna. Nothing in that film could prepare you for the warm-hearted, feel-good effects of this film with its punchy script and gold-plated cast.

Brian Robinson

Book Club!

We had our first bookclub this morning! Bev, Jonathan and I thought we'd set the ball rolling on the Bookclub, worst thing to do is talk about what you're going to do....better just do it, I've been banging on about it since January.

What a success! I felt right invigorated afterwards! The idea was just to meet up loosely with a bookish theme ( I mentioned the books we've been swapping in an earlier blog) and I had imagined we'd make a pretence at the literary and then on with the gossip as per, but NO..... Patrick Hamilton, Muriel Stark, Rhonda Byrne were the themes of the day, but quite by accident we have our next subject for discussion "The Driver's Seat" by Muriel Stark....if anyone wants to discuss "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" we understand and accept its genius and it deserves a round of applause at least! (Miss Murphy can we tempt you?). It's so wierd because I saw a clip from the film of the book starring Elizabeth Taylor on Donald Urquart's myspace page
http://www.myspace.com/thatdonald and was intrigued, especially since I'm obsessed with Elizabeth at this stage of her life, she did some strange and great work possibly through a bit of a drug fug and I find her so beautiful still even though she has an obvious disregard for her perfection....like Anita Pallenberg or Anna Nicole Smith later. Here's a clip of the movie, I'm sure you'll understand why I was hooked...

Who knew what Muriel Stark thought of the movie......!?

Anyway, it turns out Jonathan is writing an article for an academic literary anthology on "The Driver's Seat" and so it's nice to have an academic slant on things....Doctor Kemp will be opening all sorts of doors of learning over the coming weeks I feel! So, next Thursday morning it's a date. 11.30 in the Shop; coffee, literary chat, cake if you please and I'm sure a big dollop of gossip!!
Do come!

Madame xxx

Happy Birthday two times!

It was Jasmine's birthday on Sunday and she looked so perfect in her geranium strapless prom dress sitting among the Laduree macaroons....

...and Bev told me it's Johnny Cash's birthday today too and wierdly he kept popping up on my Shuffle from beyond the grave....

Madame x

Not great but an effort...

So, I was bored and Emma said, "why don't you animate some Westwood jewelry?"....which I'm sure i'll get around to doing sometime but I felt I needed a plot for my three second animation. The plot is that the Eley Kishimoto flash kubrick teddy falls in love with a flash converse and they make a baby....

....and it's not very flash at all....

Madame xx

MAXKLEOPATRA

Today I went down to Shop At Maison B to see Max who I hadn't seen in a long time due to the dedication to my DIY capers at home. When I sat down for a coffee and a catch up look what Max had to show me on YouTube - Dead or Alive live on stage WITH MAX AS KEYBOARD PLAYER in the band!! YES THAT IS MAX AS THE VIDEO STILL!!



I swear I haven't laughed so much in ages! And yes! That Rolex is for life baby!
So the one in the Nukleopatra hair is Pete Burns back in the day he still brushed his wigs. The one in the red wig I can't remember who Max said that was - but I was laughing telling Max to tell David Morris it looks like him. The other keyboard player with the asymetric vest, moustach and goatee is Jeyjon a friend of the Shop. Max is the one wearing a vest with two straps really working the keys at about 3:40 mins into the video.

xx Emma

Girls with guns....

Emma and I must've both been feeling pushed to the limit last week....

I'm actually feeling much better now......especially since I found the video of me shooting a gun which I thought I'd lost!!!!....AND the first delivery of A.P.C. has just arrived!!!!!!!! Hurrah!!!

Madame xxx

A NEW OBSESSION

Right now it is Spanish Drag Queens - only La Terremoto de Alcorcon is actually a woman - urgh it is too confusing.

xx Lektrogirl

EVER FELT LIKE THIS?

There has been someone in my life that has driven me to feel like doing something like this. And if only I would look that amazing in my underwear! That girl has junk in her trunk! What about you? Anyone ever make your blood boil?

xx Emma

Bishi in Buenos Aires

Got a message on myspace today from Bishi, who's recording her new album in Buenos Aires if you please!

She's also been appearing on tv shows out there, I'm going to put the link here, you really must check her out if you haven't had the chance http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/desidna/2008/artists/profi
le/bishi/
...she's uniquely, shimmeringly, fantastically talented and beautiful goes without saying of course, and has got some cracking songs which you can watch on the bbc link. She's going to be properly famous one day soon I reckon....and she's so ready for it! As soon as you see her weilding her sitar like an electric guitar you'll be hooked.......

madame xxx

LIFE IN NORTH LONDON

This is my new favourite café in North London, Le Péché Mignon 6 Ronalds Road, London, N5 1XH.



The name means like "cute sin" - a sin you are allowed cause you can't resist. And I tell you, I am already ADDICTED to the Croque Monsieur there!



My ONLY CRITICISM about the place is the lettuce - that Apollo / Frisée stuff that prickles the inside of your mouth. It is a non food. It is like Br'er Rabbit all over again.



Never mind. Check out the coffee:



Not too hot when you get it so you can drink it straight away. This is always a very serious consideration - who wants to burn their mouth first sip when there is always so much gossiping to do be done? And note, that is actually cows milk not soya milk as I would normally ask for.

Le Péché Mignon isn't a patisserie but they have the most delicious Nata I had in ages - the pastry outside still crispy. The friend I was with had soup and the other people grabbing something to eat around the big shared table had a variety of toasted sandwiches with salami, cheese and vegetables from the deli part of this tiny place.

Looking at the map, you might think Ronalds Road is a kind of nowheresville along Holloway Road, but bear this in mind: the junk shop 'The Other Attic' is there [nice sideboard for 45 quid], 'Oh La La' is over the road - the most beautiful 30's dresser in the window at the moment and I just bought the citron 50's kitchen larder cupboard PLUS 'the top secret second hand clothes shop' is also within walking distance. This is where I get all my floral vintage dresses from - you would really have to bribe me to make me tell you.



I mean don't hate a playa, just hate the game. This fab print skirt was only 7 quid. Jealous?!

Anyway I better go. Pippa air pied me today - I sent her an SMS to ask about the APC delivery and I didn't hear back from her. Maybe she was buried under a mountain of boxes?! Here's hoping!!

xx Emma

FAST FORWARD A FEW YEARS

Flash - La Prohibida


Who have I seen prancing around in a platinum wig dressed like a Bratz doll a lot lately?

xx Emma

Basement Slaxx

So much has been going on this week, I almost forgot to tell you about Basement Slaxx on Fridays at Clerkenwell House where I dj every other week. It's a new night Tryg has started in the basement and it was so FUN last week!!!

There were a couple of acts on....Amber Topaz does a scintilating striptease with balloons and a pin, followed by a casino-themed strip while singing "Alright, okay, you win.." where she is literally dressed AS A CASINO!!!! She had a green apron with glitter roulette table numbers all over, a roulette wheel HAT and 100,000 dollar bill skirt! A tough crowd too, lots of blokey blokes trying to play pool whilst ignoring the entertainment...Amber Topaz put a stop to that, potting balls inappropriately and willy nilly and ending with a showstopping nipple tassle twizzle in opposite directions!!

Here she is relaxing with Tryg afterwards....

Also, some of Horsebox played an brilliant acoustic set again despite the indifference of the pool-playing contingent....they just got back off tour with Babyshambles and liked a drink...in fact we all ended up jumping around to Tatu, Dolly Parton and M.I.A. like it was our private party!!!

Anyhoo, I should be djing there next Friday night if anyone fancies coming....

Madame xx

Finished!

Phew! Emma got her video up so quick-smart that I was shamed into finishing mine! Thing is I had so much footage due to my access-all-areas advantage!!! But anyway, here it is....The Eley Kishimoto front-row view of Autumn/Winter 2008:

As you'll know if you've been checking the blog, we've got some beautiful summer Eley Kishimoto already...yes still waiting for A.P.C.....but I reckon today.....

madame xx

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Yesterday Pippa said that every customer in the shop was a man. There must be a lot of lucky ladies this morning!

xx Emma

ELEY KISHIMOTO VILLIAGE FETE

Another quick-n-eazee video shot in a few minutes in store at Shop at Maison B. Uploading it to YouTube took longer!! Here is Madame wearing the latest pieces to arrive to the shop from the Eley Kishimoto Spring Summer 2008 Village Fête collection.

The Eley Kishimoto look book poster says about the collection:

Chains and chevrons, organization for recreation.
D.I.Y. hyper reality of balloons and bunting superimposed on the field of green.
Shelters of stripes roof over the pride of grit and fluff.
Rosettes on pumpkins, Ribbons on old junks,
Lurid colours on automated horses, A beauty queen in a paper crown.
Thrill for frills make perfect sense till the hired generators are turned off.

And yep. The Eley Kishimoto Spring Summer 2008 Village Fête collection looks about as crazy as that sounds!

You will also spot in there the Eley Kishimoto Be@rbrick covered in the Flash Print. You can't buy these from the shop but if you want to come in, give him a kiss or get your picture taken with the bear you are more than welcome! Other designers who have decorated the Be@rbrick are Comme des Garcons, Vivienne Westwood and Karl Lagerfeld. There have also been loads of graffiti artists who have done it too.


And speaking of the Eley Kishimoto Flash Print, the Converse sneakers from Japan are back in stock! There are navy blue and white or red and white to choose from. I personally went a bit nuts when I saw the navy and white ones - but I had to restrain - I'm so poor at the moment.

Oh - and I forgot to say, the music for the video is Chanson D'A by Stereo Total.

xx Emma

And P.S. Ima Doll whispered that there is an Agent Provocateur sale basket in the Berwick St shop with samples in it for bargain prices all sized 34B. She got the Eleanor Bra for less than half price! Jealous!

ONE DAY TO GO

No ladies, I'm not talking about the A.P.C. delivery though I understand from Pippa that this is going to be at any second. I am talking about the second most important thing after a new season of A.P.C. and that is VALENTINE'S DAY. So this message is not only to celebrate the most romantic day of the year, but to let anybody out there know that I am here and waiting ready for your Valentine's cards.


A beautiful song most suitable to get everyone in the mood.



And if anyone wants to go further and send along a gift with their card I just wanted to drop a few hints. It has to be said, I'm a more practical girl. I would rather have a gift I can use or eat.
1] Macaroons from Ladurée - rose are my favourite
2] De Walt Cordless Drill - my old one got lent to someone who messed the motor. Furious!
3] Madeleine Tin
4] Any vintage dress from between 1940 and 1959
5] A jigsaw - the electrical kind

But to be honest, I'll take anything I can get.

xx Emma

P.S. Regarding the picture below:
No I was not hanging out in bed with Pippa, despite how that picture looks.
Yes as soon as I stood up I realised what a freakish thing I just did.
Yes Pippa does have a pink chenille bedspread just like she is out of Grease.

I'm not saying...

....that Emma is obsessive, or compulsive or has any kind of disorder, but when she was at my flat the other night, Joe's Bratz were strewn about the place, but by the time we left to go to dinner, this was the scene....

All neatly arranged according to height with the man in pants and his sidekick the pink power ranger in charge!!!

Then again, this is me tonite, preparing for our A.P.C. delivery tomorrow....

I'm one to talk really, aren't I?!

Madame x

Laydees Nite....

Oh what laughter!!! We (Madame, Lektrogirl, Jasmine, Sarah, Bev, Philippa and Nahid) all went out for a delicious dinner on Saturday night at La Barca, a favourite of mine and Emma's which we decided to force everyone else to enjoy!

And it looked like there was something for everyone....favourite was lobster spaghetti which I used to order every time until I decided I can't eat lobsters anymore. So Bev and I had asparagus risotto which was divine, Sarah had something with melted cheese on top and Nahid had a salad and.....was it a prawn dish..? Her plate was the furthest away from me but pudding-wise I can definately say she had chocolate mousse as she shared with me!! I forgot to take food pictures apart from this one of Emma's profiteroles....

And also the only person I didn't get a picture of.....

....except this of her scary, scary hands, was Emma!
Emma, Sarah and I sat on one side and chuckled as we saw our glossy be-fringed raven locked girlfriends lined up in front of us like this...

...except Bev and Nahid sat down to eat....
We had a fine glass of Frangelico which Sarah first introduced us to and is a liqueur of hazlenuts and very sweet and delicious. Sarah looks like she just poisoned my glass in this one....

It was such a wonderful time, we tottered out onto Lower Marsh at midnight and then I stayed up to watch Vivienne Westwood on the repeat of the Jonathan Ross show with my sister who got in from her party at the same time. She was fantastic, glinting in some holographic pirate-ish boiler suit and really eloquent and funny....love that lady!

Madame xxx

ENOUGH TO MAKE JOE CRY

A few posts ago Pippa brought Annabel Mehran's amazing photography to our attention. Today, I want you to check out this picture by a friend of mine in Spain, Ramiro Elena.



All that pink and glitter I am sure is enough to make Pippa's son Joe weak at the knees!

Also, don't you just wish life was like this everyday?

xx Emma

Ima LOVING the new Eley Kishimoto!!

The spring stuff has started to trickle in....starting with Eley Kishimoto! Then Ima Doll happened to drop by and I persuaded her to give it a whirl! Hope you like this little effort I quickly cobbled together, she looks super-cute I think you'll agree and she definately lifted me out of my black mood....the strawberry cheesecake icecream helped too!!!!!


madame xx

AM I OBSESSED?

FOOD?! You know, I don't know. I don't eat all the time. I don't think about food all the time. I just really like nice food. So here I am sitting underneath dust sheets, all my furniture in the middle of the living room, cobwebs totally gone, shelves off the wall PAINTING the walls and ceiling. And yes my computer is STILL on and yes, I am still checking my e-mail and YES THERE EVEN IS TIME TO CHECK OUT OTHER PEOPLES BLOGS AND EVEN MAKE A POST. So maybe food I'm interested, Internet I'm obsessed.

My friend Dal who works at Jas MB sent me this link for an Australian food blogger. Though everything seems to be able cakes. :) Therefore I though I should be sharing it with the dedicated cake lovers of the Shop at Maison Bertaux Blog readers.

ilovemilkandcookies.blogspot.com

JenJen from Sydney, Australia writes an awesome blog with pictures like this:


And the recipe:
OR THE TORTINI
160g dark chocolate(70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
160g unsalted butter, coarsley chopped
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
50g (1/3 cup) plain all-purpose flour
Mascarpone cheese, to serve

FOR THE SAUCE
150ml Tawny Port
100ml water
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
2 punnets blueberries

MAKING THE TORTINI
Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stir to combine and cool.
Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, yolks and sugar for 8 minutes or until thick and creamy.
Gradually add flour and whisk to combine, then add chocolate mixture and whisk for another 5 minutes.
Divide mixture between 6 lightly greased and floured 10cm-diameter round pie tins, place on an oven tray and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 170ºC.
Bake tortini for 10-12 minutes or until they are firm but their centres are soft.
To serve, remove tortini carefully from pie tins and place on plates, top with a scoop of mascarpone, drizzle with blueberry sauce and serve immediately.

MAKING THE PORT AND BLUEBERRY SAUCE
Combine port, water, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the blueberries and reduce heat and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid becomes syrupy.
Set aside to cool.

JenJen also has a Flickr page.

Anyway - you so have to go and check it out! Maybe we should have an official bake off using some of her recipes. Bagsie I be the tasting judge!

I couldn't find a banana eclair recipe tho'. Maison Bertaux is still a winner there.

xx Emma

P.S. FYI - I totally forgot I had two "soft boiled eggs" on the go and a coffee waiting for me in the kitchen for lunch. Instead I now have two rubber balls and a cold coffee. Takers anyone?