the converse is true

It really is true: happiness, I totally believe, is a question of expectations vs. outcomes. Lately my experiences seem to far surpass my expectations, perhaps because I'm not placing my happiness at any given moment on the outcome making me happy.

Say WHAT??

Trying to quickly post some of the many shots I took at the Converse press party last.. what day was it? Wednesday? Something I had no particular expectation for - I was honoured and pleased to be invited, of course, but it ran from 5:00-8:00 and it had been a full day and I'd told my husband I'd just show up @ 5:00 sharp and stay a few minutes. That's was my plan.

But as they say: when you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.






Some really good friends were there, some were people I'd met here & there, some I was getting to know.. the waiters were great, one or two we'd even met at other events.. fabulous mini bacon cheeseburgers, and cartons of macaroni & cheese and little grilled NY style reubens with HOME MADE NY style rye bread.. not to mention people were getting smashed on 'Long Island Iced Tea' served in gold rimmed tea cups and saucers.. let's just say, we closed the place down. They literally had to throw us all out. They even gave us little striped paper bags of popcorn: for the road.







Thank you to Amy and Becky and the fabulous Converse UK people: what a great place to work, you lucky ducks.

This is such a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend so far - and it's only half over! And I've got more to say- and to show - about this event but hey, I know most people are somewhere else, away. We're off to see friends at the seaside tomorrow and quite frankly, are having the most wonderful staycation. I'm happy as a clam, swimming every day. Hope you are, too, wherever you are.

oh so coco

What IS it about Chanel? Just the sight of those interlocking C's.. or that simple white San Serif font, all caps, on a black shopping bag.. I have known Chanel, not the person, not personally, but that standard, that ideal of perfection, all my life. And I'm probably older than most of you reading this (except for you, Mom!) and yet most women - and gay men - have also 'known' Chanel all their lives. And still, there is something so heady, so.. otherworldly, about stepping into my first Chanel press day, with Charlie May, last week. The same day I went to Mawi, and Start, and Rupert Sanderson.. the day of the Good Karma glass of water outside Sotheby's.. it's starting to feel, for me, that that was just the quintessential PERFECT PRESS DAY, and it started at Chanel.







I can't imagine not loving Chanel. Not just the person, the oh so Coco (who I keep picturing as Audrey Tautou: it's making me want to see the film again). The brand. As a concept. The clothes. The colours of the nail varnish, for goodness sake! Even the taste and texture of those little crab canapes.. or the beautiful jackets the Chanel girls were wearing.. while shooting the biker jacket I eavesdropped two fashion insiders - mature, stylish women - talking with authority about Karl Lagerfeld. I felt like a spy and was wishing I had a tape recording device in my wristwatch. I had to resist the urge to take out my ever present notebook and jot things down. Words like 'genius' and 'strength to strength' were batted about like a birdy in a badminton game on a summer's lawn. I have so many images from my time in that small sunlit room, these are just a few. Pink hair is George's, aka Georgina Langford, aka Glitterbird, who assists Melanie Rickie, 'fashion editor at large' at Grazia. George, on the other hand, goes by the title of 'fashion junior at large', and is fabulous.

I defy anyone reading this to tell me, in all honesty, that you don't love Chanel. I mean, you can say 'oh S/S 2010 wasn't my favourite' or whatever but really: it's like not liking chocolate. Or sunsets. Or whiskers on kittens. But I bet there are people out there who don't get it about Chanel, and I welcome your opinions.

Thank you to all the team at CHANEL: more coming up.