Dreaming in colour

Cute and ever so slightly creepy, taxidermy dyed bunnies found here

My sister-in-law Ellen recently penned what can only be described as her style manifesto (here) on her delicious blog Vagabondiana. I completely adore Ellie's preference for what she calls 'Catholic-wear' (lots of navy, smock dresses, bibs and bows) however I would personally find it difficult to sum up my own look as succinctly. If only. When it comes to style I am a chameleon. I am as attracted to a vintage tea dress as I am to a pair of Ashish spiked track pants. You could say I'm fickle (I'd prefer open minded). There is in fact only one style choice that I seem to have remained committed to over the years, this being the colour combination pink and turquoise, or variations of them (coral and jade, blush and aqua, shell and mint, peach and duck-egg). For some reason I have always been drawn to this combo and have found much evidence of this love in my house and wardrobe (see further below). Unsurprisingly Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette' is a firm favourite due to the lashings of sherbety pinks and blues from start to finish.




Pinks and blues of all shades feature heavily in my own boudoir (below)

I love everything about this mint Topshop Unique dress, from the colour obviously, to the zips, each one finished with a tiny horseshoe.

This fluoro-peach lacy number (below) is a recent purchase bought purely for the colour. I shall loll about in it for Mr Lola's benefit now and again then pop it back on the wall to admire like art.

A pink and turquoise dream.......

Matisse's 'L'Atelier Rose' (above)

Karen in a frou frou fantasy (above)

L'Hotel Soubise, Paris (above)

Much swooning occurred when Mr Lola and I passed Laduree in Paris last summer (me, not him!)

If Looks Could Kill

Last week LA's Dum Dum Girls were in town. I was really looking forward to this gig as I absolutely love their debut 'I Will Be' and after missing Best Coast the week before (same night as Hole, what you gonna do?) I was very much ready for a super slice of West Coast girl punk. Weirdly though it was an all round quite odd experience. Around 9.45 the girls took to the stage in their matching black playsuits, vertical stripe circus tights and wicked scowls and immediately all I could think of was that Robert Plant video for 'Addicted to Love' with the identikit supermodels swaying in unison, and frankly I hadn't expected that. Bizarrely they opened with a cover of the Rolling Stones 'Play With Fire', which isn't really bizarre at all except that Hole had opened with the same cover the week before. Like I said, odd. Between songs Dee Dee offered nothing but a few shy thank yous, and lots and lots of cutting glares. Too cool for school they may be, but they do have the songs and they do look a-mazing, so hey why shouldn't they be smug? For an equally bemused review check out my buddy The Real Macaw.

P.S - Circus tights have been purchased and will be paraded with a playsuit and an expression that can paralyze at 10 paces.

All pictures my own except last two sourced from Sub Pop.

....Or maybe not?

News just in that Karen has pulled out of all her European tour dates for now. No reason given as yet. :(

You can take the girl out of Manchester....

Karen comes home: May 27th, Night and Day Cafe. Too delicious for words.



Mrs Jack White; a fellow lover of all things peach n' coral.

The Girl with the Most Cake

Courtney Love, so misunderstood. In this world of celebrity fakery, Courtney consistently remains a breath of fresh air to me since there is nothing fake about Ms Love (OK so not in a physical sense exactly but which LA lady in the spotlight doesn't feel pressure to tighten and plump). Through the early days of Hole, her marriage to the coolest man that ever lived (if Kurt loved her, she is worth loving), her various breakdowns, overdoses and legal battles (Nirvana rights, Frances Bean) one thing remains true; her spirit. Courtney is a trooper and for that she deserves respect. She was also responsible for 'Live Through This' one of my top five albums of all time; double respect and the kinder-whore look; triple respect.

One of my favourite early pictures of Courtney looking like a ragdoll.

Michael Lavine's famous portrait of Kurt and Courtney in happier times.

Courtney on the cover of Face (April 2002)

Over the years Courtney has graced the pages of many a mag and with each one her face is slightly less recognisable and her style evolved, but what remains forever intact is her attitude. She wears her bruises and scars, physical and emotional with not pride exactly, but honesty. She is undoubtedly messed up, but no one knows it or admits it more than her.

A more recent Courtney (above and below)
After years of Courtney fascination I finally saw her perform this weekend in my home town. She came minus Eric and Melissa (it was basically Courtney and some session musicians) but under the name Hole all the same. It was exactly as I expected, shambolic, disjointed, incredible. The new songs are admittedly weak and you get the feeling she knows it but when singing from her back catalogue ('Violet', 'Doll Parts' 'Miss World' 'Asking For It' and even 'Jennifer's Body', the words of which she forgot, the crowd helpfully prompting her through it) she delivered them with conviction, her voice equal parts sugar and venom. For Mr Lola and I it brought back sweet memories of our courtship over 11 years ago, played out to a soundtrack of grunge and stoner rock.

My kinder-whore get-up for the Friday night gig at Manchester Academy (above)

A seemingly healthy, happy Courtney on stage with the latest incarnation of Hole - (below). Throughout the gig she chatted and joked, twice inviting fans from the front row on stage to sing with her.

Reckon I could rock some raspberry red jeans?