The Fashion World Loses Karl Lagerfeld: A Look At His Quirky Designs Inspired By His Favourite Muse- Choupette His Cat

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Your very own cuddly Choupette

Your very own cuddly Choupette

 

 February 19th 2019, and we have just heard that fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld has died after a recent period of illness. He was a name known to the likes of myself, who has a passing interest in fashion but certainly couldn’t name you the heads of most fashion houses, and probably would get stuck half way through being challenged to even name ten such fashion houses themselves.

 

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Karl was the creative director and head of design at Chanel, another household name for even us high-street label wearing types. His iconic trademark look in his later years of swept back silver ponytail and sleek dark shades is as legendary as Anna Wintour’s bob. 

 

Another ‘trademark’ of Karl in the last decade would be his love affair with a little white cat called Choupette. 

 

Given to Mr Lagerfeld as a Christmas gift in 2011, he fell so in love with his furry companion that he claimed in a 2013 interview with CNN that he wished he could marry her,  saying, “There is no marriage yet for human beings and animals.. I never thought I would fall in love like this with a cat”. 

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It followed suit that many Choupette themed fashion items and accessories came to life, as his cat-muse inspired hats, handbags, and even a makeup line. (Click any of the tiny pictures to see the detail)

 

Whilst the famous handbag might be the most lusted item from Chanel, being a crazy cat lady myself, I think I would love a Choupette.

RIP Karl. 

No Bouquets Here- Guns, Knives & Emotional Blackmail? - Disturbing Valentine’s Cards of Yesteryear

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I’ve featured vintage Valentine’s cards on the blog on previous February fourteenth’s, but this year how about some really strange ones?  

 

From threatening to throw yourself off a pier with a stone tied round your neck and a gun held to your head (see the skunk card centre, top row below), to knife swallowing, fire swallowing, and more guns than I care to mention - vintage Valentine’s cards were pretty hardcore. 

How about that one in the centre above where he’s just casually running over his Valentine with his car? You can click on any of the cards to enlarge for a closer look. 

The threats don’t end there! Below, this Valentine reminds you that you can run, but you can’t hide, because he will break down any wall! Not to mention the final card with some flat out clubbing. Different times indeed. 

Happy Valentine’s everyone! 

Valentine’s Day CAN Be All Year Round With a Gift Subscription to Ben Cameron’s Pin Badge Club

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So I was a little slack and forgot to blog Valentine’s gift ideas like I said I would, but hopefully this nifty little idea will make up for it.

You often hear the refrain this time of year, “Valentine’s Day is just one day, you should show your love all year round!”.

That doesn’t have to mean a £60 bunch of two dozen, long stem, red roses every fortnight. I’ve found this cute little UK based subscription box that’s just £7 a month including postage, that will remind your loved one you are thinking of them every time it drops through the post box.

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It’s Pin Badge Club by illustrator Ben Cameron. You may recognise some of his doodles as they have been being shared over social media for years now, you’ll definitely recognise his simple, yet delightful and joyful style.

 

Subscribing to Pin Badge Club will send your Valentine a monthly pin badge and stickers. There is also Ben’s Etsy store, but given that it’s now 11th February I would say it’s a bit late to order anything and have it arrive in time for Valentine’s. So a card & some chocs & letting them know they are expecting a Pin Badge surprise could be the best option!

 

Tatty Devine, Choose the Original, Cult, Statement Jewellery for Your Favourite Fashionista on February Fourteenth - World of Kitsch Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2019

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Kicking off my guide to Valentine’s Day for 2019, here’s a quick whizz over to visit a classic British brand that everyone should have one piece of.

 

Tatty Devine’s jewellery mostly comprises of laser cut acrylic necklace and brooch designs, with the odd wooden style now and then. 

 

There is also homeware and bags, although you’ll only see those about once or twice a year, whereas as of 2018 they were producing around three hundred new jewellery offerings to choose from. 

 

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‘Tatty’ is actually twosome Rosie & Harriet, who started their brand making guitar plectrums into jewellery, then making acrylic name necklaces, which you can still buy today on the site. Tatty Devine necklaces have been made for & spotted on Jessie J, Kelly Osbourne and Dawn O Porter.

The current Tatty Devine online store is a literal treasure trove, of which I’ve picked the most ‘Valentine’ and ‘love’ themed, but other collections on sale right now include, ‘Stormy Weather’ and ‘Astral Haze’ as well as collaborations with other designers and museums.

Lastly, if you are shopping for a gift, it can even be a one stop shop- there are greetings card for £3 too! 

Non-Vegans Are QUAKING! Dirty Fries, Cashew Mac, No Chic’n Nuggets - M&S New Plant Kitchen Range

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£3.50

£3.50

I reviewed some of M&S’s vegan range two years ago, burgers and sausages, which are two of the staple foods that vegetarians and vegans get ‘recreated’ in non-meat form first. Even two years ago Marksies were ahead of the game and didn’t just have the usual reformed burger, mystery non-meat veggie burger.

They had beet burgers and crazy green sausages, and like the rest of my taste in life, I also love novelty in food, so I was more than happy to try those out. Their range back then was great and we had them around BBQ season and loved it so much I bought their vegan, golden orange, sweet potato sausages for many BBQs to come.

 

 

£3

£3

The vegan range expanded slowly but surely since 2017 as more and more families adopted vegetarian and vegan tastes, whether it be by moral stance, or by dietary needs (approx 20%). Someone in my close family has a dairy allergy, so I often look for vegan desserts as they are the superior option to find something that hasn’t scrimped on taste quality because they automatically start from a point of not using any dairy, rather than trying to just exclude it.

 

So here we are at the beginning of 2019, and some people may want to give veganism a go for health reasons, or for the environment.

 

Fries £3 : Mac £3 : Nuggets £2.50

Fries £3 : Mac £3 : Nuggets £2.50

M&S launched their Plant Kitchen range on 2nd January, with over 60 different products, which you’ll find easily within your local store thanks to the distinctive teal packaging. There are what they call ‘dirty vegan’ comfort food, like the Cauliflower Popcorn with Buffalo Dip & Cashew Mac, and two amazing looking, artisan, sourdough pizzas.

There are healthy versions of ‘ready meals’, using fresh vegetables, not frozen, like the Thai Green Curry, or the Katsu Curry. There are even non-chicken Chic’n Nuggets- we are living in the future, people! 

£3.50

£3.50

 

 

Everything in the Plant Kitchen range is meat-free and dairy-free, entirely vegan, and made from plant proteins. There are also basic ingredients like Tofu, and Grain Packs like Non-meat Meatballs, Non-meat Mince etc, for you to make your own recipes. 

Those tasty burgers and sausages from the original vegan ranges are still around too, and I imagine when BBQ season swings by the range will be expanded even further. In store now, but ideal for picnic times ahead are the vegan Coleslaw and Potato Salad, both priced at £1.50 which I believe is the same price as the regular Deli Coleslaw.

£3.50 : £1.50

£3.50 : £1.50

The newest foodie word on the street being ‘flexitarian’, someone who occasionally eats meat. I heard it last week for the first time, but it’s been around for quite some time, being voted the year’s most useful word by the American Dialect Society in 2003. I always thought giving up meat completely would be impossible, but with ranges like Plant Kitchen, and thinking how it could expand in the future, I could see a time when I could be a No Chic’N Nuggets girl. What do you think?

Take a closer look at the Plant Kitchen range on the Marks & Spencer website. 

Netflix’s Dark Artwork by Anderson Green Devil - Mysteries From Winden

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Hypnotically good artwork, one for each episode of Netflix’s mind-bending, time-travel drama Dark by illustrator Anderson Green Devil. 

Click any of the small previews below to study the detail. 

 

These are obviously just a couple of the set, see the complete ‘Mysteries From Winden Collection’ here. 

Shop the Green Devil Store here. 

My Tiny, Twee, Swiss Chalet Music Box Collection

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A veritable village of music boxes, some original, vintage ones and some newer reproductions. 

I remember playing with my Gran’s Swiss Chalet music box at her house on Saturday evenings, but I can’t recall when I started my own little collection, but it’s definitely a tribute.  

I think my favourite one is the cute homestead on the middle shelf on the right with the white stag heads. 

The top, left chalet is a weather predictor! (It doesn’t work, sadly). 

If I buy any more, I’ll need a bigger cabinet. 

How A-peeling, The Banana Dog & Cat Bed (Try To Avoid Buying One After Seeing This Post)

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There’s a Hot Spot in the middle of the hall upstairs where Mrs Meow will plonk herself down when the heating is on, which we worked out must be right above a hot pipe under the floor. I decided to treat her to a little bed to put on the Hot Spot, rather than have her just lying like she’s collapsed in a heap all the time, especially as I’ve almost tripped over her a couple of times in the dark.

I went on AliExpress & eBay to find something fun and colourful and found the Banana Bed. It comes in various sizes, from small through to extra large.  

Be careful when ordering, you may see cheaper deals, but if you may be ordering a smaller size which would be for a kitten or small dog. I ordered the large from a U.K. eBay seller (so shipping was quick too) and that was the perfect size for a cat. 

My Banana Bed - Large Size

My Banana Bed - Large Size

The listing I bought from had the large for £8.45 and shipping was 99p, but you’ll find lots of other sellers with this item, and AliExpress has tonnes of them. 

As for Mrs Meow? Well, you may remember the tremendous leopard print cat tower I bought her from Lidl NI last February... that she’s been inside five times, for less than a total of twenty minutes altogether.

I put the Banana Bed on the Hot Spot in the hall.

Mrs Meow looked dejectedly at the Banana Bed.

Mrs Meow spent the next week sleeping beside the Banana Bed just off the Hot Spot rather than getting into the nice new bed I had bought her!

I think I have a defective cat. Where is the ‘if I fits I sits’ reset button, please?!