Larkin & Catcher's Very Best Things

Where the Hell Are You, then?

2009-07-10T15:46:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the Sudden Demise of our hosting service we are now over at Strange Garden. More uncommon objects and very wantable goods will be added anon. Life is still sweet.

Coupon Code Information

2009-06-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Life's got too busy to be blogging all over the place just now -- so I'm mostly over at the Larkin & Catcher blog. Remember to use the MEME coupon code for your 10% discount in the store! Valid for the next few days only.

Alternative Get Well Card

2009-06-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

We've just put some amazing unusual birthday cards and greetings cards in the store, including this alternative get well card.

Alternative Get Well Card

The artwork on the cards is by the world renowned tattoo artist and painter Angelique Houtkamp and they are just gorgeous to look at and totally different from the kind of thing you'll see in most card shops.

Lost and Found

2009-05-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago I had to move some stuff through my garden, so I took my precious little Steampunk-style Love bracelet off and put it in my pocket for safe-keeping. But it must have fallen out my pocket and despite a good search I couldn't find it. I could have got another one from the store but I wanted my original one because it was my little good-luck charm -- though not so lucky that it didn't get itself lost.

Today I'm walking through the garden when a little white dog I've never seen before comes tearing past me and through the gate. I go after the dog to see where it goes but its gone in seconds. But on my way back I spy this little cross poking up through some low shrubs...

I take a closer look...

And grab it before it disappears again.

Little Rabbits

2009-05-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

Isn't this little fellow the sweetest thing? He's 7 inches high and handmade from vintage angora sweaters.

Little Grey Rabbit $75.00

Find him and more of Sonja Ahlers beautiful bunnies at her Makeitawesome Etsy shop.

Clutch Bags at ASOS

2009-05-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

I reckon clutches are going to be big (in every sense) this summer and ASOS has some beauties in stock just now.

I love this structured looking oversized croc-look bag -- it has a slight 1940's look to it, which is always good. Similar bags were also around in the 1980's (not so good -- my all-time least-favourite fashion decade).

ASOS Metal Trim Croc Look Oversize Clutch £18.00

This gold-coloured French Connection quilted clutch also has a lot going for it -- the addition of the chain handle is an added plus point.

French Connection Quilted Oversized Clutch Bag £45.00

Is the Economy Improving?

2009-05-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

According the the Telegraph there are 10 reasons to be cheerful about the economy

Celebrities Ageing Badly

2009-05-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Forever Young piece in the Chicago Tribune lists around ninety 'then and now' photographs of celebrities -- and boy, was it scary.

Scary Man in make-up -- in contrast to his normal-looking (but with weird hair) younger self

It took me a while to go through all the images and it was kind of depressing but I was transfixed by just how ghastly some of the celebrities looked in their ill-judged attempts to beat the hands of time. Couldn't help thinking how more dignified most of them would look if they ditched the desperate (and fruitless) attempts to turn back the clock and just concentrated on looking good for their age.

One thing I noticed was that the men looked at least as bad as the women (though it was sometimes difficult to tell what sex they were) and also that older men should never, ever wear cosmetics.

Here's some of the things I learned from looking at the before and after images:

after a certain age refuse to have your photograph taken. If unavoidable insist on black and white
keep your teeth looking as natural and realistic as possible. Excessively white, extremely even teeth just look like dentures and their 'perfection' draws attention to all the less-than-perfect aspects of a face
don't have cosmetic surgery. Even so-called successful surgery leaves the person looking strangely alien and usually not a great deal younger

See all the images at Forever Young: celebs then and now

Gothic School Bag Sale

2009-05-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

For the next few days only -- save 25% the large Catfight gothic shoulder bag. Sturdy, lightweight, looks fabulous and is a great alternative shoulder bag for school or college!

Our Style Icon Competition

2009-04-21T04:43:00.000-07:00

If you don't already know -- that's the beautiful Louise Brooks in the above images -- one of our choices for our Style Icons Past and Present competition. Cute prizes for the best entries.

Shock Horror: Dita Von Teese 'Wears Granny Shoes'

2009-04-21T03:01:00.000-07:00

Chris Johnson over at the Mail Online is horrified at a supposed lapse of glamour by burlesque style queen Dita Von Teese. Johnson is seemingly disappointed by the 'orthopaedic granny shoes' worn by Von Teese at the Coachella Festival in California at the weekend.

Wrong, Mr Johnson. Or even stuff and nonsense, as my dear old granny might have said. The shoes complemented Dita's outfit perfectly, authentically matched her 1940's look and the wedge style was an ideal choice of footwear for wearing at a festival.

Michelle Obama vs Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

2009-04-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Guardian readers stating their case over the Michelle Obama -- Carla Bruni-Sarkozy 'Fashion Face Off'

I guess those commentators just don't appreciate how much we need fashion in these dark days...

The Cookies Purse is Back

2009-04-03T04:35:00.001-07:00

We've now got the much sought-after Dumpling Dynasty Cookies purse back in stock. This really has to be the cutest ever purse we've ever set eyes on.

This version is slightly different from the previous version, in that has an all-round zipper -- so it is a perfectly secure means of storing all your hard-earned dosh. Still the same gorgeous Dumpling Dynasty artwork, though. Buy it here.

'Parking the Beast'

2009-04-01T04:22:00.000-07:00

I like this -- even if only for the phrase 'Parking the Beast' (Obama's car).

Rockabye, Baby -- Jewellery Sale

2009-03-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

Jewellery Sale

Ends at midnight -- one day discounts on all items of our (strange but lovely) jewellery.

Handbag Sale Ends Midnight Tonight

2009-03-30T11:02:00.001-07:00

When it is over it's over -- handbag sale ends midnight tonight.

Film List: Ghost World

2009-03-29T15:25:00.001-07:00

I've been escaping a lot more into books recently (especially fiction) and watching more movies than ever before. I reckon it's not unconnected to all the doom-laden news we've all been getting and I'm pretty sure that there's a higher number of people than ever before who feel the need for a bit of escapism these days.

Ghost World is a film I wanted to see a while back but somehow forgot about. I could just go a good dose of freaky outsider sisterhood just now, so this is going to be one of my first little cheer-up treats this month.

Five things to do to stay Sane

2009-03-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've just come across an article in last years Times, where a panel of scientists list five activities we can do a day to promote our mental well-being. I don't usually listen to what is prescribed by 'experts' and I've no time for the five-a-day brigade when they cross the line into Health Zealot territory but this little list seems to make some good sense (especially the 'be curious' one).

Firefluff Postcards

2009-03-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

A while back we told you how we'd fallen in love with the beautiful, dreamy artwork of the illustrator Lisa Evans. We're happy to say that we now have some of Lisa's lovely Postcard Sets in our store.

You can see a wider selection of Lisa's work at her Etsy Store and you can find out what else she is up to at her Firefluff blog.

Electric Edwardians

2009-03-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Electric Edwardians -- from the Michell & Kenyon Collection, via My Cozy Little Whimsy Nook

Cute Little Cuffs

2009-03-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

I love these cute little cuffs that we've just put in the store -- they are just so full of feel-good retro fun and make great inexpensive but quirky gifts.

Boyfriend Cuff

CPR Cuff

French Speaking Cuff

Chicken Badge

2009-03-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Found this blog -- Fine Little Day, which I really like and thanks to a random search through the archives (which I tend to do), I found these badges by Container

I think they made these a while back and as far as I can work out (it's really late here) I think they're going to be doing some more. I want the chicken one and I'll be checking back until I get one.

Miso Very Pretty!

2009-03-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

And now we have:

Miso Pretty Body Mist: peony scent, with hints of cut grass and tuberose -- for extremely pretty girls.

Glasvegas -- Daddy's Gone

2009-03-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

Listening to Daddy's Gone from my fellow Glaswegians Glasvegas. I love it (and then some) but according to the band's frontman James Allen, many of the residents of our fair city do not appreciate the songs being sung in the Glaswegian accent. It the 'Proclaimers factor' someone suggests. Here's the 'Glaswegian' version of the song:

Hoosier Cabinets

2009-03-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

We're in the middle of renovating a kitchen just now and there's a bit of a debate going on about the best way to go about it, in terms of the design. I can't stand fitted kitchens and prefer a free-standing kitchen with a slightly retro 'shabby chic' feel, but I'm outnumbered by my housemates who want a fitted kitchen -- their argument being that people expect a fitted kitchen and that if we don't have one we'll be at a disadvantage when it comes time to sell up.

I get their point but -- apart from the fact that I don't like the look of fitted kitchens -- I also think that even half-way decent ones are hideously expensive. We checked out what was on offer last week and almost fell into a dead faint at the prices. And it is most probably likely that whoever moves in here after us will just haul all the kitchen out and install one to their own liking. So I might get my way with the free-standing idea, even if it is just for economic reasons.

I'm sure we could have a pretty good kitchen for a few hundred quid, if we shopped at thrift stores and reclamation yards. I'd love an old Hooiser-style cabinet and I bet we could pick up one real cheap. The Hoosiers were popular in American kitchens in the first part of the last century (someone even wrote a book about them) but we had similar type cabinets here in the United Kingdom. We used to have a lovely old cream-coloured 1930's one in my last place but someone threw it out when they were 'modernising' the kitchen, replacing it with a horrible set of cheap units.

Above is an image of an old Hoosier from Hoosiercabinet.com -- who supply all the original canisters and jars which would have been included with the old cabinets.

Anyway, I'm going to have a look around next week and see if I can come up with anything interesting.