Things I have loved in April
My monthly roundup of things I have been enjoying lately (including some incredibly cute baby foxes)
I have to be straight with you: I have slightly struggled with this month’s Edit. The main reason being, I spent most of the month locked away in Italy not doing very much, so I haven’t been exposed to my usual London dose of inspiration. Plus, as I already shared most of the things I got inspired by in Italy (see my last two posts), I had to dig a little deeper than usual to find inspiring things to talk about. But don’t worry, find them I did!
My mind has also been preoccupied with a new project I have had in the pipeline for quite some time, which will be announced soon. It’s something I am really proud of and care about a lot, so I’m super excited but at the same time slightly nervous to let it out into the world. It might or might not have something to do with something (or someone?) mentioned in this article….eeeeeek!
Watch this space ;)
But for now, here are a few things that gave me joy this month.
1. Baby foxes in our garden
We came home from Italy only to find our back garden had been illegally occupied by a family of seven. Luckily for us, the new occupants are really quite cute, so we are not planning to evict them anytime soon.
If you don’t live in London, you might be surprised by the brashness with which these wild animals roam our garden, fully aware of our gaze a few metres away. The truth is, here in London (or at least, in our neighbourhood), foxes are as common as pigeons and squirrels. Our garden room’s roof has long been transformed into their own private terrace, and we got used to seeing this couple of adult foxes sunbathing on it. Little did we know that the young lovers had family expansion plans on the horizon, and took the chance whilst we were away to do a little home renovation of their own: we now have five cubs and a whole lair dug underneath the Garden Room, complete with their own very private entrance on the side of the building.
As you can imagine, we have been glued to the window, hoping to catch the squad in action. Taming attempts have been made, with little to no success so far. But I am a patient woman. That’s a lie, I’m really not. But there is still hope.
2. William Morris rug from Ruggable
Much like our foxes, Joe and I have been busy with some home improvements around the Garden Room area – more specifically inside it. Not many people know what’s inside: it’s my woman’s cave, and where I keep a reformer pilates bed I bought second-hand last year from my dear friend (and pilates instructor) Ksenija.
As a room, it is not quite ready to share yet, but one of the much-needed additions has been this beautiful rug. The room insulation is not the greatest, which means that in the cold months the room, and most importantly the floor, get really chilly. Luckily, we do have power sockets there and the little electric radiator does a decent job of heating up the space relatively quickly, but the floor remains icy for quite some time, making walking barefoot quite uncomfortable. This rug fits perfectly under the bed, covers most of the room, and added so much comfort and cosiness to the room. I have become a big fan of Ruggable (I have two other of their rugs, one in the living room and one in the hallway), and chose this William Morris pattern thinking that a) the green and pink hues would go well with the raw plaster walls, and b) the floral motif would fit with the Garden theme (spoiler alert: I think was right)
☞ Morris & Co. Pimpernel Jade Rug, £259.00
Use the code THEVENETIANPANTRY10 for 10% off!
3. Perfect Days
Speaking of finding joy in little things, I can’t not mention the cinematic highlight of the month. We finally managed to watch this little gem of a movie, after having heard so much about it from at least 5 different friends. It’s the kind of movie that serves you a slice of someone’s life on a platter, for you to consume like the most entranced fly on the wall.
We follow the life of Hirayama, a single middle-aged man who cleans public toilets for a living. He doesn’t speak much, but he loves to read, take photos of trees and listen to 70s music. It’s the kind of humble, slow life where nothing much happens, yet somehow Koji Yakusho manages to make you feel so deeply, and so many emotions.
The cinematography is exquisite, with beautiful oniric visual explorations. The soundtrack is simply iconic.
The fact that is set in Tokyo and incidentally portrays the Japanese cleanliness culture is just the icing on the cake for me (read my previous article on this exact topic).
Fun fact: all the toilets shown in the movie have been specifically designed by famous architects and designers (including Tadao Ando!). You can see them all on a map on the official Tokyo Toilet website
4. In praise of Shadows
I am convinced that Hirayama, the protagonist of Perfect Days, would have had this book in his collection. It is a short essay written in 1933 by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, and it was gifted to me by my good friend Samara as a birthday gift early in the year. It contains a reflection on Japanese Aesthetics, at a point in history when Japan was facing fast-paced changes and a progressive westernisation. A fascinating read.
5. Ripley
Speaking of shadows, we have been enjoying watching the Netflix remake of the iconic The Talented Mr Ripley, starring a bone-chilling Andrew Scott. I do have some minor criticism of it: for one, I don’t think Scott, whilst undoubtedly a fine actor, manages to strike the perfect creepy-to-charming balance quite right, being brilliant at being the first but not so much the second (not in the way Matt Damon achieved it anyway); he also got a little too lucky on a couple of occasions, and my eyebrows were raised on a number of occasions (really? he is getting away with that?!). Still, what I really enjoyed was the choice of portraying this 60s noir in black and white, making it feel quite Hitchcock-esque. And I have been loving the glorious Italian backdrops, of course.
6. Fashion masterclasses from Graham St.
From black and white to technicolour, thanks to the Graham St Girls – aka my favourite fashion duo in the world. You know how much I love Hannah’s sense of style, and in particular the outfits she creates for her mother Sue (my ultimate style icon and muse). This recent collaboration with British slow fashion brand Plumo took my breath away – in particular this camel waxed coat with detached hoodie combined with the bright red….ouff!
I had the good fortune of having a one-on-one session with Hannah last year, and it completely revolutionised the way I dress, using layers and colours in a way I would have never dreamt of before. In the images below, Hannah has styled the same Plumo jacket with a colourful scarf, and it sings in a whole different way. And what to say about this green and blue number Sue is wearing, complete with Olive Vans and baby blue socks? To say I am obsessed would be the understatement of the year!
For details on what Hannah and Sue are wearing, you can find a whole breakdown of the outfits on their blog,
Or follow them on Instagram
7. Isadora Jumper from Sézane
I feel like Spring this year has been true to its name, in the sense that it has been bouncing back and forth like one of those rainbow thingies we used to play with in the nineties. April has been a constant back and forth of hot and cold, in Italy as much as in London.
On my part, I have been doing some hard-core manifesting, willing spring to finally make up its mind with this colourful flowery number from Sézane.
Here is me styling it with my signature over-the-shoulder, coastal grandma look, complete with my inseparable Uniqlo vest.
☞ Isadora Jumper, Sézane, £110
8. Clinique Black Honey
Something else I am wearing in the picture above is the viral (yes, I have succumbed) Clinique Black Honey “Almost” lipstick, which is a mix between a lip balm, lip gloss and lipstick. The shade is buildable, it looks natural, and I love how it gives a bit of life to my face without going to all the effort of putting proper lipstick on.
☞ Black Honey Almost Lipstick, Clinique, £24 £20.40
9. Wild Nutrition
My medical checkup in Italy revealed that – surprise surprise – I am severely Vitamin D deficient, amongst other things. This might explain why I have been feeling so fatigued lately, and it propelled me to look into supplements and ways to improve my overall health (I also recently did the whole Zoe shebang and went into a rabbit hole of anti-glucose spikes literature, but that’s another story).
Aaaaanywaaay, it is in this healthy eating frenzy that I came across the brand Wild Nutrition, captivated, as I usually am, by good branding (sidenote: I am a graphic designer specialising in branding, so I will always, always try to support brands that have clearly spent their dough on good designers).
Their vitamins come in pre-dosed daily paper pouches, making it so much easier to stay on top of your pills. It’s especially handy when travelling, as you can simply take with you the number of pouches you need rather than a myriad of different bottles.
The product I have been loving most of all is their organic protein powder: I am not big on breakfast, as my stomach takes a while to open up. I have been finding smoothies much easier to approach first thing in the morning, and as I’ve been learning that protein should be the base of your breakfast to avoid the infamous glucose spikes, this powder solves the issue. It is also packed with adaptogens such as mushrooms, and I have to say it does satiate me until lunch.
10. My auntie’s Liquorice cookies
One of the highlights of our trip to Italy (other than spending quality time with friends and family of course) has been the showering of delicious homemade cookies my auntie Michela spoiled us with. She is an incredible cook and baker, and knowing I share her passion for food, she has taken the habit of preparing yummy treats for us to take back to London. A regular feature of such treats are my absolute favourites – Liquorice cookies. They are utterly morish and the perfect accompaniment to a black tea.
I shared my auntie’s easy-peasy recipe earlier this month on my Instagram; If you are keen to give them a go, all you have to do is click on the link below!
I hope you have enjoyed this month’s edit! I’ll see you next week with my exciting news…any guesses?
Oh the foxes, how cute!! Also adored Ripley and was rather taken with Marge’s wardrobe!!! Xx
What a fab post! Baby foxes, Ripley 😍, Perfect Days and everything else! A joy!