Monday 13 June 2016

Dior London, Nomadic Gardens of Shoreditch, Serpentine Pavilion 2016, etc


A store opening isn't a store opening anymore unless you have satellite events all across England.

Pubs were rented for the night for parties and even Scott's restaurant was doing its PR for the newly opened Dior maison by having Dior mannequin topiaries.


Even the planter boxes got into the spirit.


I must be getting to be an old lady because I think it is marketing gone mad.

Know they self said Socrates and one thing I realize I love more and more is things that have their customized place.

That is probably why out of all the items in the newly opened Dior maison I liked this cutlery holder.

It is a limited edition - of course it is - 
Christofle for Dior cutlery egg.


I don't know about hard surfaces and too much earth elements inside - it is refined glamping whatever way you want to call it.
The baby Dior bags are cute but useless like so much else when you go shopping.
But then art is - in a sociopath's eyes - useless too.

But I love this Russian painting and this picture does it no justice what so ever.

People can be photoshopped but not oil paints.

I was completely freaked out and mesmerized by this plant which I found out later was called liverwort.  
I might have been too enthusiastic in my watering of plants.  
But those tentacles have kept growing but it is just so alien but it is a type of moss. Oddly I did not notice this plant in the famous moss gardens of Japan.


Other plants in my small terrace and in front of my house is ideally bee attractors.
Everytime I see a bee have a little oasis in London, it brings a hippie ass smile to my husband and myself.  We on average see about 5 a day and now I am tempted to go whole hog next year and have a bee hive for honey.
Only plant that doesn't have a "useful" purpose other than botanically prancing about are my roses.

On the left is Shropshire lad and on the right is Gertrude Jekyll that has completely captivated my heard with its blooms, colors, and scent. 

This Russian plate from 1824 reminded me of my new favorite roses.
This plate is very War and Peace-esque as it was part of 
Prince Yusupov's collection.
Could you imagine though the sheer shock of the beauty of this plate 200 hundred years ago - even with my jaded eyes I find this old fashioned and a bit twee but still grabs my attention.
It sold for £9375 if you are wondering.
Yes it is a crazy amount but it is a genuine work of art.

Another genuine work of art was the new installation at the Serpentine pavilion which changes every summer.
This year it is a structure by Bjarke Ingels.
It has to be one of my favourites to date as it is a joy to look at from every angle and a pleasure to be in side and view from the outside.

I am always bemused when I go and see the circulation of ideas presented in different ways and settings.

This bedspring armchair was being auctioned at Sothebys but in the end didn't achieve its estimate price of £10-15,000.
By Dejana Kabiljo
But in fact I preferred the hand woven wicker version by anonymous in the Nomadic Gardens in Shoreditch.

The Nomadic Gardens is my new favourite place in London.
It is old school cool - and it takes a lot for me to say that - if you are proper and bourgeois then you may not like it because there are genuine artists here who are libertarians and not the wannabe ones who still live in their parents' pied a terre in Belgravia you meet at a friend of a friends' dinner party. 

They have bon fires on weekends, artists, and bums but it is a reminder that not many cities would have this vibe and the real pity is that it will be turned into housing next year.
I will be busy signing futile petitions I am sure.

This is the formal pose I get Millie to do when I want to show how well behaved she is.

But in actual fact she is more like this behind the cameras.

Check out this beautiful creature who was a visitor to my street.
Dog-napping was a real possibility until 
I realized the owners knew where I live.
I can see why people love animals more and more 
as they embody qualities that are an antidote to 
all our homo sapien trouble and madness.

I read an article that pet ownership is on the decline and of course I am one of those very people who can not pass a pet without admiring them and yet I can not seem to commit and adapt my life but I need to seriously consider it.

No whisky or other stiff drink destresses like a dog.

31 comments:

  1. Just read the same article and thought how sad it is that people won't know the unconditional love of a companion animal.

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    1. I need to seriously have a talk with my husband and find a good dependable dog sitter just in case because while it is hard work they just warm the heart like nothing else. I am so happy for your Figure!! x

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  2. Dogs are my fave. For lots of my life we've had dogs - as a chid whenever I got into trouble our family dog would come and find me and comfort me. He was such an adorable creature - he knew just how to make you feel better. It's just so devastating when they come to the end of their road. Since our last dog died we haven't found another - for a long time we couldn't face the thought. Now we travel so much it wouldn't be right to keep leaving a dog at the local kennel, despite how good the people are.
    I think we'd like Nomadic Garden. We seem to fall into strange conversations with unusual people - in Antibes we met up with a v well informed French intellectual while sitting at one of the seats along the beach promenade. He was a musician who'd lived around the world but was at that point living in his car. Yesterday we met a male soprano who was singing Ave Maria in the street in the Marais.
    Loved that plate (and yr roses) - so beautiful - I guess I'm v old lady in my tastes, after all I am old lady. Prince Yusipov such an interesting character and the Yusipov Palace in St Petersburg is stunning and fascinating, eg the bijou opera house there where Pavlova danced and Clara Schumann played and the room where he and his friends set upon Rasputin. Pammie

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    1. Yes, I think it is the travel which stops me and I can not bear the thought of them gone.

      You would really enjoy it as it is a hodge podge of allotments and art. The different types of people are really an eye opener and the dogs don't discriminate so I have met all sorts because they chat with Millie and I get introduced!

      The rose is just like my fave but the clarity and to think of the first dinner parties and the excitement when the guests arrived in the 1820's and thereafter...Can you just imagine??

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    2. The Russian Imperial family, and the other princes and princesses outside it, had such exquisite things. Lots of them are in Russian museums to drool over. The Yusipovs too. A lot of it got looted during the revolution and collections broken up. But when you hear how they lived you can understand why there was going to be a revolution at some point. The last Czarina, Alexandra, loved plants and fresh flowers so much (don't we all!) - she had a special train that came every day from the Crimea to bring her the flowers she loved. Kind of endearing - but still! Pammie xx

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  3. I think of Millie as your dog, or at least shared! She is so good for you and you clearly love her so much, wouldn't she be alone much of the time if you weren't taking her out with you? I love having a dog but if I wasn't home all the time Scout would be so sad. When I leave to go to the shops she waits for me by the window the entire time.
    We do have a farm in the country to bring her when we go on trips though, a place like that is key.
    The Nomadic Gardens look amazing, so interesting. I really enjoy visiting your favourite spots with you! XOX

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    1. I do love her dearly! She actually is at doggie day care most days actually but there is one day when the dog sitters don't have a vacancy so I dog sit Millie and another dog who keep me such great company! You are so lucky you have a place as a back up but I am looking for that safe back up I could depend on and that is something I want to make sure of as dog sitters are rather fluid and they tend to move on and then you are stuck. I hope you get to London before they close down Dani and I will take you xx

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  4. Just love this post & the previous one too ( apologies for not commenting but racked with Dior guilt as my sisters went kind of crazy in Dior 15 years ago before our first was born and I can say that the Dior baby onesies are gorgeous but also very strong & durable as our first born was a quiet baby but number 2 was a mover and shaker with literally ants in his pants & he couldn't sit still even if it meant he would get everything he wanted! The babies slept in Dior cot sheet sets ( told you my sis's went OTT) and all the onesies and sheet sets got passed to the cousins born after ours & survived intact.

    I so agree with your final sentence of this post. Some fabulous volunteers bring dogs just like your Millie into the kids hospitals in Sydney. You should see the kids faces light up when they bring them in. Our son then aged 9, had the world's biggest smile when they brought in what looks from photos to be one of Millie's extended family. He couldn't move and lay flat on bed without a pillow and this beautiful dog just went and lay next to him and they had a great time. Brings a smile every time he sees the photos.
    Love your gorgeous flowers too. You've got quite a green thumb! Den xxx

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    1. So funny about the kids' Dior! I was cooking a salmon fillet as i was talking to a neighbour came over and they said oh your husband is getting a treat and I had to correct them that it was for Millie!

      I think dogs are truly all therapy dogs even if they are not formally one. So are cats but it just takes a bit longer to get to know them. It is heartwarming to think that your son had a fun time with a friend. I don't have a green thumb and I think it is beginner pot plant luck xxx

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  5. Have you read about the recent invention of a user friendly bee hive, I believe it's called a 'Flow Hive' and a father and son from northern NSW (Australia) have had great success with it I believe. I've got absolutely no experience with it, but you might enjoy the story if nothing else.
    Sue

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    1. Well there are several rooftops with beehives so maybe I can consider it but thanks for the recommendation and I will research this flow hive. I might get into some veggies next Sue

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  6. Do you got the egg right? I love it it's so midcentury looking. Absolutely love that instillation. Can't imagine how captivating it is in person if that's how good it looks in photos.
    I'm so surprised to see that pet ownership is on the decline. how/why would that be?! I've been having dreams and lots of symbols about two English Setters so I'm sort of putting feelers out there that I might be interested in adopting a bonded pair that might be otherwise difficult to adopt. So in typical form, if the world is going one way, I will go the other. Having a dog would certainly hinder your travel so it might put you at war with yourself constantly. You could always get a cat!

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    1. I didn't get the egg bc I really am bursting at the seams. well me and the house! Yes i think it is just getting harder in the UK as commute times are so long but I think workplaces should allow dogs just hanging out and then on breaks staff could take turns going out for a walk and i think it would be a win win for everyone and the dogs can be out too. If i got a dog i would adopt but they get a bit picky as i don't have a garden and believe it or not i have heard some people get rejected for this reason. I need to have a proper sit down conference with the husband start negotiations but he is just as immature as i am!

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  7. Also installation* :) It wouldn't let me click back up there to fix. I suppose it is an instillation of wonder though.

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  8. GREAT POST.......YOUR ROSES are BEAUTIFUL!Does anyone know is that the SCOTTS in AMERICA??Scotts here is a seafood place........chain of course.I too like the DIOR holder!YOU had A LOT going on in this POST!Sad to hear PET OWNER ship is DOWN...........They bring SO much to one's LIFE!We would be a HAPPIER WORLD if ALL owned a PET!

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    1. `thanks Contessa. Yes I could only imagine if I had Millie full time but i must say i get nothing done when i am with her bc i am so busy telling her how cute she is!!!

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  9. Love the roses, the Russian plates and Millie! Good ol' Millie! I am surprised pet ownership is down, that certainly is not the case here in Park Slope, it is dog heaven. We do have a sometimes-sweet (but mostly edgy) cat here in the house and she does liven the place up when she is running all over the apartment. Side note, if you take a VCA class in Paris (!) I have to hear everything. The classes were so expensive in NYC last year that my very greedy jewelry-loving heart decided to stick with the free lectures (and champagne!) while I save up to add some actual VCA jewelry to my life (still working on it). xx

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    1. Cats are mostly edgy - they keep you on your toes - you are never married but constantly dating with felines. Yes the classes are so expensive that for that money I would prefer another trinket Jill!! xx

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  10. Ah, you are sounding more and more like a future committed pet owner. I feel like a zookeeper most day, what with homeless cats to feed (some outside my house, and some close by), an elderly dog to tend to, bird feeders to refresh, oh, and Torty is back for a month (requires supervised visits to the garden in case she nibbles all the wrong vegetation). Bite the bullet Naomi and go get yourself a dog/cat/fill in the gap?

    I'd like an cutlery egg holder please, but could do without the obvious branding thank you.

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    1. I would do it if I had my husband's help but I am not ready to take the helm all by myself. I envy the zookeeper you are - that is the only reason I would move to the country to just have a field of animals. Yes I will be looking for something like this but yet haven't seen one in any auction CD.

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  11. That liverwort thing is horrendous. It's certainly giving out the poisonous/ invasion of the body snatchers type vibes.
    I agree with you about the CD branding/ launch. It's kind of over the top for the whole streetscaping etc. Where will the commercialism end? A touch is fun, but they're kind of tipping over to the other side of a touch.... not sure about this...
    I think you should get a dog. I think I've said that before. Plus surely you'll find services like doggy day creche and sitters/ walkers in London? We had all of that available in Melb, so I'd think you'd easily find it near you. We used the dog creche when we were selling our house or on the odd occasion we had a kids party on and there'd be too many toddlers around. Scruffy loved it! Most of the other dogs were in there for working parent purposes though I gather...! x

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    1. It is horrendous and that one shown is the baby one before it gets sexual organs - I have another one that is male. Street scaping gone mad. Imagine the meetings the P`r department would have had - most of Mount street that wasn't already another brand was Dior. Yes I need to find a good creche except the good ones already are full like private schools and you have to wait for a spot to appear. It's mad - Even Millie had to wait ages to get her days booked in - she also has to have her standing 6 week grooming appointment or she has to be on standby. Easier to get Nicky Clarke to do your hair!! xx

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  12. Hello CSW, The topiaries, like so much else in fashion and retail, straddle the line between clever and insane, a line which is apparently crossed often. Your liverwort reminds me of when I was little and had a book called How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts, which I used to take to the park to identify wild specimens of these fascinating plants.
    --Jim

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    1. Yes the tension is every where in town Jim!! I didn't know that liverwort had three sexes and so many types. I have to say I find it so interesting to look at while being disgusted by it!

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  13. Your posts always demand far closer inspection than a smartphone and mid-century eyes can deliver.
    I just know Millie & I would get along famously.

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    1. I need a better phone and it was a bit hazy and the light is really difficult here on a greyish day. You really need a special UK flash! Yes Millie and mimzy would get along too

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  14. I'm a pet lover too. I believe the destress thing completely. Serena is a therapy dog and her presence is transformative for some. It's an honour to witness such a thing.

    I love your roses. A beehive is a must. And that Dior egg: perfection! xo

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    1. I bet Serena could cure many ills Jen. She is an angel in many ways eh? I will look more into it bc now I find I might need a licence...x

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  15. What sort of dog would you get?

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    1. i def would get rescue and i want older dogs but my husband says he won't be able to emotionally handle if something went wrong but then neither could I so we have to be realistic whereas my standards with dogs are just anything really!

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  16. Oooh I'm one of those people who would 'shoo' away a dog if it came anywhere near me, especially if I didn't know the owner. I'm not scared of them, Im just not a fan of them, however I'm a huge fan of that cutlery holder. I'll have to look out for the high street version in Ikea next time i'm there not that i really like copy cat versions of things! xx

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