gourmet grotto

Today my lovely friend Anna and I went to Well Walk Tea Rooms for tea and cake and a jolly good catch-up with each other's news. Inside they have a Santa's Grotto full of gorgeous Christmas decorations and the decor and crockery is almost as delicious as the homemade cakes they serve...

a passage to india

Despite the evident homage to India in Chanel's pre-autumn/winter 2012-13 collection - rich metallic shades, jewel-studded saris, embroidered fabrics - I couldn't help but think that the beautifully-clothed models wouldn't go amiss as angels decorating a Christmas tree (alongside a resplendent feast for optimum festive indulgence, of course).

Decorations from Monsoon, Accessorize, Paperchase, Vinegar Hill and Harrods.

dolls that raise dollars

Following the success of the Children in Need teddy bears, Lanvin is selling four super-cute dolls hand-embroidered by HIV-positive women from Swaziland, the proceeds of which will help improve their quality of life.

To find out more about Dessine L'Espoir, the charity which the sale of the dolls supports, click here.

a bear with flair

Today is Children in Need, and I've fallen in love with the makeovers that fashion designers have given Pudsey bear to raise money for the cause through online auctions.

To donate to Children in Need, click here.

sunshine on a rainy day

The Bridget Riley exhibition at Kettle's Yard is an absolute gem. If I'm ever cycling past and feeling down I pop in for a quick fix of bright colour and sunshine to perk me up again.

And if I don't have the time to visit the exhibition, there's always my Bridget Riley-inspired bookchair to make writing essays that little bit brighter...!

From this...

...to this:

pastel perfect

The pastel hues at Louis Vuitton reminded me of tea parties with fondant fancies, neopolitan ice cream and iced buns. I recently discovered a gorgeous website called Such Pretty Things full of beautifully decorated sweet treats - now all I need is a pretty dress courtesy of Mr. Jacobs, a box of Laduree macarons and some vintage crockery and I'll be picnic perfect. ♥

pretty as a picture

A number of designers were heavily influenced by artists this season. Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Starry Night were unmissable at Rodarte:

At Jil Sander, Picasso's faces came printed across knitwear as models walked down a catwalk covered with blocks of bright colour:

In the words of Oscar Wilde, "One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art."