south beach: parisian

Post cards from Florida: hot sunny day, in my parents' car on Collins Avenue with my English husband, past and present and maybe future, blending in the hot sun. Memories of being a child with my friends, singing Beatles songs, dreaming of marrying a Beatle someday (and instead, bizarrely, meeting someone in NY - my future husband - who more resembled a Stone. Jaggeresque).

So my new (old) camera - the first model of the Canon EOS, 12 years old, Vintage Digital - which said husband had bought before my Canon died - is now starting to feel like my own. Shooting from the window, took maybe 30 shots that day, and all but a few are post-worthy. Only got one 'street style' shot - the girl on the top.

These are the colours I will bring back to London. I'm really into black and neon at the moment: a black long sleeved tee with tan hot pants, neon orange gel sandals and hot pink nails and toes - black is really popping in this light. But when I'm back in London, I'm planning to wear all pastels and white: powder blue turtle neck, white jeans. Bring a bit of sunshine back with me.

blue

Carry's daughter Sienna, in blue.

That great BBCFour show - the History of Art in Three Colours - is now up to White, which we have two days to see. Blue was great. Starting with James Fox talking to us from a gondola heading into Venice, carrying a large chunk of blue lapis from the one cave in Afghanistan - the one place, IN THE WORLD, where it exists, and explaining that it was how it would arrive in Venice, to be traded for gold. More precious than gold. And he went on to show us the most amazing works - a ceiling of lapis blue, with gold, that showed us mortals what Heaven looks like.

Blue is my favourite colour (with aqua, esp. pale aqua, a close second) - and I love, come to think of it, the hot pink/orange with a bit of tan or black or sandy hues -  tropical Spanish bullfighter stuff - which I'm heating up for, as I think about how I can pare down my packing for Miami/Palm Beach. Can't wait! Leaving Sunday. Then back in time for London Fashion Week.

Yes, friends, I'm getting back on that horse.

I'll be shooting for LookBible, but also doing some posts here. So best to sign up - it's easy, and you'll love it - it's only two months old but growing fast thru the London girls, going global, and it's a really sweet, non competitive, friendly community. Please let me know when you're in - I'm Jill A, user 1718, so this way I can follow you.

Sienna's also wearing a dress designed by her mum's friend. And I love her chunky jazz tap shoes. I have a similar pair - which I've saved since I was her age in this shot - about 14 - but I don't wear them because of the taps. I really should: this way they can hear me coming!

gold, gone

I hope you're reading this before it's too late. I found the name of the show about gold, it's called The History of Art in Three Colours, presented by Dr. James Fox on BBCFour, but Gold is gone. GONE. It's too late for gold.

It's not too late for Blue, though: that ends tonight (on iPlayer, I mean: it will linger in our memories) at 9:00. So anyone reading this in the UK, if you're having a lazy snowy lie in today, definitely watch it. White, the last in the trilogy, is airing next week.

James Fox is a youngish guy, a professor, I suppose, with Dr. in front of his name, who dresses like the early Beatles: I love that style of white shirts, suit jacket, skinny black tie: he does his with a twist sometimes, like hiking in the German alps, in the snow, to find the perfect blue flower from an early novel that put blue on the romance map, with jeans and loafers below his black suit and tie.  I can't work out whether his area is science or culture or art.. it doesn't matter. He leads you on this journey, through history, in the case of blue arriving by vote to Venice carrying a huge piece of real Lapis, the way the traders did, from a cave in Afghanistan, the only place it's mined, that one cave, to trade for gold.

We - husband and I both - LOVE the series. We like to watch stuff together, and to find something we both love - like the Killing, which we're now devouring on dvd - is rare. This weekend, after I go out to meet a good friend, and he swims in the gym, we're planning to dive back under the duvet and have a Killathon.

This is Carry Sommers, who created Pachacuti, the wonderful ethical hat company, at the WEBA awards, where she was nominated. She had her golden dress made by a designer friend, whose name, alas, eludes me. I love gold at the moment - nearly as much as I love blue - and especially now. When it's cold out, I want to wear something warm, and gold feels warm. I think, though, I might wear a powder blue jumper and white jeans and thick warm boots. We've got a ball coming up on Monday, and it's 'black tie optional' so I'm wearing one of the cocktail dresses I've had made in the late 20th Century. Jackie Kennedy with a twist. I wish I could wear this dress, but I think I'm going for shimmery, silken, golden lime green.

Definitely watch the show on Blue: I'd love to hear what you think.