Madame says: MIND BAG
From mind to bag…here are our M.Goldstein bags, with a little colour-break half way through to keep things interesting! SO pleased with them!
THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING by James Dearlove
The first day of spring creeps up on you like a chance meeting with an old friend. It’s such a bewitching moment that Pippa and I even wrote a song about it a few years ago (Madame says: I’ve just put it on the music player!). It happened at some point very recently. I couldn’t tell you exactly when but all of a sudden the winter mud in my garden turned purple, white and gold as various little gems braved the frost and reassured me that winter was on it’s way out.
My goodness…as I write this a flock of green parakeets has just descended onto next door’s apple tree! They are such a bright tropical green…like a dream. Pictured from my garden are snowdrops, helebores, crocus, witch hazel and iris.
Madame says: EASTER BANK HOLIDAY
It might seem like a way off but what are you doing on the Easter bank holiday? Do you want to dance like a dancing fool into the early hours on the Sunday with the comfort of knowing you have a full day of rest up your sleeve on the Monday??
Live music, room after room of top-class-high-end DJs – even a Ponystep room where I shall be whooping it up with P’step regulars AND A SURPRISE GUEST!!!! It must be the Kitsuné Maison Easter Bank Holiday Party!!!!!!! I must remember to venture to see some of the other talent this time…it’s just that our room was too amazing to leave, I didn’t want to miss anything!!!
Madame says: BITTER SWEET
It was BITTERLY cold in St James’ Park on Saturday, but so beautiful, with snowdrops bravely forging towards spring and the low sun backlighting everything. Having been on a rather special guided tour around Westminster Abbey (with access to roped-off areas and everything, imagine my face as one little voice – Joe of course – piped up, “Is this the VIP area?”) and still with evensong ringing in our ears, the sight of Harry, who the boys haven’t seen since last year was enough to turn them truly feral and I thought they might squeeze the poor little fella too hard they were showing him so much love!
As soon as they saw each other, Duke grabbed Harry’s hand and shouted “RUN!” and I pondered, not having seen Alex for the same amount of time, how much fun it would be if as grown-ups we could show the same enthusiasm….I’d love to have grabbed her hand and run off into the park but somehow a kiss was sufficient!
Madame says: A TRIUMPH!
Proof conclusive that the Ladygang could have a good time in a paper bag! Or in this case, a shoe box! Having seven of us together for dinner at mine (plus the boys!) was a sum I chose not to work out prior to the ladies’ arrival – I figured we’re close so if it came to sitting on laps, everyone would just go with the flow!
But we muddled along fine and the boys even turned into the perfect maitre d’s, taking coats and bags and offering cocktail stirrers, even when surplus to requirements! Dinner turned out well, even though I managed to get each recipe slightly wrong, and we even had a choice of pudding (like my mum used to!) because Emma turned up with lilac and gold-leaf choux cakes to go with my tiramisu.
Much cackling into the early hours….and the left-over canapés tasted better the next day for dinner post-jumble, though a scabby donkey would’ve tasted pretty good I was so starving!!!
Noted: Philippa’s perfect beatnik ensemble! I fully expected low-to-the-floor finger snaps and free form poetry…niiiice.
Madame says: WHAT IS CLASS?
Well, in my book it’s taking the interior of Bates Victorian hatter from Jermyn Street, St James and, with a little brut strength, a lot of jiggery pokery and plenty of grim-faced determination, transferring it to the interior of M.Goldstein, Hackney Road.
It’s hard to believe, but that’s what we’ve done. And now it looks like it has always lived there.
Madame says: HOUTKAMP BOOTCAMP
What I mean is…if there is such a thing – sign me up!!!!! I was in the area since I was looking at Mr Goldstein’s work on the interior refit – WHICH IS AMAZING! – so decided to take Duke down to Nelly Duff to see Angelique Houtkamps’s new exhibition. Nahid and I went to her last one and I was beyond smitten with her smokey-eyed, quite dark pin-ups which have graduated from skin to watercolour paper (she still does skin but is probably booked up ’til next Christmas!) and glow from within really well-chosen picture frames. It was interesting to see a development from the last selection of work, the colours are less primary and more subtle and there were less pinned eyes, which may or may not be significant!
Anyway, it was rammed and I snapped a few of my favourites to show you and sadly (tragically in fact) I didn’t have enough money on me to get a book and have her sign it (Tattoo Mystique, looks great!) but I did linger stalkishly long enough to snap a quick pic of the happy lady, then got dragged back to Hackney Road by small-dude.
“Bona Drag” (I know…perfect!) is only on for a couple more days at the Nelly Duff 10am – 4pm so get yourselves down there!
Madame says: JUMBLEDAY SUNDAY
I’ve got a table – and hopefully room for a rail – at the Wills-Moody on Sunday. It’s a great jumble sale where not only do you get to rummage through fabulous clothing, books, records…your jumble standards – but they play great music and there’s a BAR!
Starts at a very agreeable time for a Sunday, and this is actually their 5th Birthday so there’ll be a party atmosphere and plenty of cake!
At St Aloysius Social Club, 21 Phoenix Road, Euston…I recommend.
Madame says: GIANT
This old polaroid I found perfectly illustrates how happy I am the sun has come to visit! My heart o’erfloweth!!!!
And I had to share with you the dream Michael told me he had last night; this has got to be the GAYEST dream evah! ….he dreamt that Bette Midler gave him two lampshades she didn’t want!…punchline is that he actually NEEDS two lampshades so woke up super-disappointed!!!
Love it.
Madame says: HEIDI-HI?
Apologies for a technical glitch which meant the mailer didn’t go out last night as planned. We think it’s all ironed out now so it should be in your inboxes by this evening.
On the plus side it gives Heidi-curious readers joining us today an extra day to subscribe.
