Hatchards Bookshop

I love books. I eat books (not literally, of course), which is why i experience an unstoppable gravitational pull, whenever i walk past a good bookshop - i only feel a slight twitch with the bigger chains! With a spare 20 minutes before meeting friends, i allowed myself to be pulled into one of my faves, Hatchards, on Piccadilly. This is the oldest surviving bookshop in London and a great place to lose yourself in a world of imagination.

Now, I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but i'm a sucker for the cloth bound Penguin classics. These stunning covers are the designs of Coralie Bickford-Smith and they literally make my heart ache. I am in the process of collecting one at a time, a painful process when it comes to choosing which one...

After 20 mins of what was turning out to be some kind of book porn, i was running late. I should have averted my eyes and marched to the door. But noooo! I was instead enticed by a display of Barnes and Noble big, heavy, leather bound classics. Now these are something special. The cover designs, the inner co-ord prints, the gold edged pages...i was in heaven! 'Looking at book covers' is not a good excuse for being late...trust me!

Happy Halloween

Walking past Fortnum and Mason's earlier, i was curious to see the results of their annual pumpkin carving competition. So i popped my head in and was greeted by these beauties! Can you believe there was a £1000 F&M hamper up for grabs?! Definitely worth the inevitable stained orange hands and unavoidable carving battle scars.  Not sure who the winner was, but we'll find out soon, when their creation lights up the next window display. Major honour. Do you have a favourite?

An Anthropologie Christmas...

Yes, I know it's only October, but please don't freak out at the mention of the 'C' word...This is how things work in the retail world. Yes, it was a little strange to be munching mince pies and singing along to classic Christmas tunes at Anthropologie's press party last month, but for product like this, i'd listen to Cliff Richard all year round! But remember people, Anthro is not just for Christmas, they are hot all year round! Start making that list...