cambridge mint vs oxford blue: what a row

We're having such an English Sunday: an AMAZING Easter Service at our beautiful St. Marys in the Boltons church, then we thought we'd do what other people do. Make a roast lunch. But Sainsbury's was closed for Easter, so was Waitrose, so we got two skinless chicken breasts at Tescos and a ton of potatoes (sweet and regular) onions, carrots, bacon, created the most magic lunch.

Then the Oxford Cambridge (or is it Cambridge Oxford) boat race on TV.

And while both teams are Blue teams (I love blue teams), Oxford is the dark blue, Cambridge light. But I noticed, the light blue (as in the caps) has over the years morphed into what Brit-Stitch call grayed jade, or Celedon, or mint. And I've just spent half an hour trying to find images of the Wellies they wore. After a lot of searching to find you a photo, I found that Hunter does make a colour they call mint, but it looks totally aqua on their site.


And then I found a shot of the boots they wore. And something more (scroll to the bottom).

Thank you to the HuffPost for these shots -and for putting together such a great piece on today's race. It was moving, personally, to watch it: my good friend, Major Bobby Collins, who died 31st January 2012, rowed for Oxford, and was in the Olympics. As well as many wars. He was in his late 80s, and I wondered how he felt last year, when there was all that drama: the swimmer, and then, because of the swimmer, the conditions meant one of the team mates nearly died. But this year, they won.

I'm sorry Cambridge lost - Cambridge is where our other dear friend, Dr. Dennis McMullan, who co-invented the electron microscope, studied and worked, and the lovely Barbara Clapham, who created our garden square, is in hospital, aged 98. She's also from Cambridge and has had the most incredible life. Thinking of all these three dear friends and neighbours, one not with us, but very much in spirit. What a laugh.

He'd be the first to say, it's definitely not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.

grace

Still beyond frustrated that I can't get into Photobucket, can't get the ProSupport (the operative word being Pro, as in, I'm paying the f****rs!) to reply to my pleas, and haven't yet found a viable alternative. My lovely friend Jerry, in Santa Monica - the head of the department of psychiatry at a big university there - responded to my pleas with one word, DropBox, which I quickly installed, but it doesn't seem to have the code.

Ironically, they referred to my annual renewal fee - in the last time they corresponded with me, i.e. to get more of my money - as 'just a drop in the bucket'. Maybe to you, Photobucket!

So - because I need to get out, need to get on with my screenplay - I'm cutting and pasting another line of code from an old post. I'm loving the randomness of it - like a fortune cookie - and as always, reminded that what's out there on the street is irrelevant to what the industry tell us we'll be wearing.

We have, and always will - those of us who know our own style - wear what we want. This is - what, two years ago? I love this look because I love aqua, blue, bit of beige, and 3/4 length sleeves.

And the fact that she's - deliberately or not - channelling the Hitchcock Blonde in front of this particular sign.

Hope that whatever you're doing, wherever you are, you're feeling as calm as I now feel,  having vented on my post. And you're doing it with style, and Grace.

your beating heart

So: fashion week is over, in London at least. I'm not chasing the circus to Paris or Milan, but I've gotta say: I LOVED it this year. Flew in from Miami on Day Two, slept thru that, and waltzed in on Day Three with my amazing, Amazonian friend Jessi Lindstrom (top shot), California blonde Homecoming Queen, mother of Jasper, wife of Thorsten, lived in Paris, now in London. What I love about her - and there's so much to choose from - is the REASON she was Homecoming Queen. Not because she was bitchy or competitive - or even had any desire to be - but for the freak reason that she had this habit, in high school, of noticing if someone was sitting by themselves in the cafeteria, and sitting down and getting to know the people who didn't have a lot of friends.

And they all ended up voting for her. Because she's got such a big heart.

It feels like a metaphor for me. For all my life.

Lots of photos to show you, and I'm actually a bit overwhelmed where to start, so I'll take it a day at a time. Go with Burberry again. And work my way through the colour theme spectrum. And what better place to start than cool, electric, cobalt blue. True Blue.

Oh! And re: yesterday's post, the mystery girl singing Happy Together at the Burberry Show is Misty Miller. But now - before I go out and resume my previous life, which includes adapting my novel to a screenplay, I've got to find out who played live at the end of the show. The song about 'your beating heart'. When you hold me in your arms.

So far, I can't find this song, so if anyone has a clue, please let me know.

That's what I love about Christopher Bailey: the way he, like Jessi, has the generosity of spirit to showcase new talent. But it's not just him, the Chief Creative Director at Burberry. It's Angela Ahrendts, the American businesswoman who took the helm of Burberry as CEO in 2006. I've not had the privilege of meeting her - yet. Or Mr. Bailey. But I feel what they've done with the brand is incredible. Not a trace of the iconic plaid in this show. This was a more sexed up version: 'trench-kissing', Bailey calls it. Great piece in the Telegraph, by Lisa Armstrong.

Yes, there was tan. And trenches. But rarely both. We saw it all tighter, trimmer, Christine Keeler circa early 60s, 'one part sex kitten and two parts Little Miss Prim.' Lots of black, and burgundy, and leopard print pencil skirts. And shine.

And hearts. Lots of heart.

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!

you think this has nothing to do with you: 12.12.12

Woke up this morning: the sky is bright, deep, cerulean blue. Like Anne Hathaway's jumper in The Devil Wears Prada. And I realised, it's 12.12.12. I love that stuff. It's not going to be 12.12.12. for another thousand years. And I want today to count.


And here's the irony: only six years on, and Anne's jumper - which was chosen because it was so deeply uncool - is now so bang on trend. It's like they've just discovered jumpers. And the fashion industry is all over themselves about the idea of blue: cobalt, electric. It's like the Emperor's New Clothes - but then again, that's what fashion is all about. And here's the funny thing: I'm loving it, too.

It's such an easy trend to wear, because we've all got a bit of blue in our wardrobe. Unlike many of the others - shoes, especially, because it's hard to just pull the latest trend in shoes out of the back of our wardrobes - most of us still have something bright, something blue. And especially in London: when it's grey outside, the tendency is to sink into nudes and soft shades of grey and beige, like nursing a nice cup of tea, all cosy (although that's when I most want to be bold: stark black and white) - but when the sun is out, what I reach for is my brightest blues.

And I've got the best coup of all: a genuine Perri Ellis knitted long cardigan - and midi skirt - in cobalt blue cotton. It cost me more than a months' rent, in my early 20s, and I saved it all these years just in case.. the only thing that dates it are the softest of shoulder pads: apart from that, it's a classic, classy, simple white buttoned take on an upper class knitted 1920s lady's suit.. gorgeous sillhouette. I wish I could show it to you, but my camera has died and I'm not quite up to speed with my other one just yet. Hence going back thru the virtual wardrobe of my photo files, and finally finding the shot I've been looking for for ages: this smashing girl in stars, below.

I wish someone would have left a comment on my post last night ('for Azza'). Maybe no one's read it. That's okay: I wrote it, from the heart, and that's all that matters.

And after I've done a bit of work, cold or no cold, I plan to go outside. In my Perri Ellis jumper, probably over tight black riding trousers and riding boots, maybe my Uniqlo heattech turtle neck jumper. Celebrate today. Because it's not gonna come around again for another thousand years.