hot as ice

At the risk of inducing some jealousy here I'm going to tell you that winter is the furthest thing from my mind right now. For the past few weeks I've been bronzing and sweating daily in 35 degree plus heat so it's getting a little hard to remember what it was like to have to wear layers. Truth be told I kind of miss it. Especially now that I've had some time to catch up on Chanel's Fall 2010 RTW show (ironically all of this sunshine has made me sick with a cold so I'm hibernating today and reintroducing myself to the wonderful world of style.com). Anyways, all of this latest Lagerfeld eye candy makes me pleased that my permanent home is in a climate that involves four distinct seasons (albeit not as proportionate as I'd like) rather than this year round heat and humidity. Arctic apparel may be cumbersome at times but I can't imagine a life/wardrobe without chunky scarves, leather jackets, fur vests and tweed.

strawberries and tea

There are few things more delightful than afternoon tea with scones, even better when dolloped with gluttonous amounts of homemade strawberry jam and cream. So imagine how happy I was to discover that this quintessentially British tradition is thriving just a few hours outside of Kuala Lumpur (my home for the time being). A three hour road trip takes you on a winding journey outside of the city to the picturesque countryside of the Cameron Highlands. In stark contrast to the skyscrapers and Starbucks of KL these lush green hills are a rural wonderland dotted with tea plantations, strawberry farms and plenty of wild orchids. Amongst the breathtaking landscape is a charming little English Tudor style hotel called The Smokehouse where we stopped for quite a while to enjoy the colourful rose gardens and some sweet homemade treats. I would definitely recommend a visit for anyone who finds themselves craving some colonial comforts on this side of the globe.

the books

Paul Octavious - The Book Collection

Now I want to make book stacks shaped like Godzilla, The Loch Ness Monster, and the number 26.

chocolate cake

Chocolate Cake, a heavenly little dessert cafe in Hongdae, always has a line up, but is well worth the wait. Their flourless chocolate cake and sinfully rich chocolate pots are wickedly good and the decor is just delightful. In my next home, I want blue walls and lots of framed photographs.

curious pages

Looking for books about teddy bears or rainbows or feelings? You’re at the wrong place. Here we celebrate the offbeat, the abstract, the unusual, the surreal, the macabre, the inappropriate, the subversive and the funky.

I pretty much love every post over at We Love You So - especially their post about Curious Pages, a hilarious blog devoted to peculiar children's books. When I was young, my parents religiously read to me, but stuck to more conventional material - the Merchant family favourites were The Berenstain Bears, Madeline, Each Peach Pear Plum, Goodnight Moon, and, of course, Love You Forever. For someone who teaches her fair share of children's books, I could certainly add some inappropriate tales to Curious Pages' list - Chunk the Chick (a story about a lonely chicken who is too 'chunky' to have any friends), and The Sad Clown Brigade (two clowns quit their circus jobs, become janitors at a hospital, build a rapport with a sick kid, giving him the best day of his life after which he promptly dies). Anyway, I digress. Curious Pages is a treat, serving up equal hits of nostalgia and joy. Check it out.

it will stop raining

My new favourite food blog: it will stop raining*. I like to see pictures of what other people eat as much as I like seeing what they wear and what they read. One thing I've sincerely missed since being in South Korea is cooking, and this delightful Japan-based blog makes me desperately want to use my teeny kitchen for more than just toast, soft-boiled eggs, and cereal.

look up

poster of a girl

I really like these posters for the BAFTA's best picture nominees by Tavis Coburn (I saw them here). I'm a huge fan of An Education and am dying to see Precious. Have any of you seen it?

can you dig it?

I just finished watching The Warriors. If you haven't seen it, it's like a grittier Westside Story with obscenely good costuming and a very, very sexy cast. I especially liked the sassy radio announcer who tracks the Warriors' move with a killer soundtrack. If anything, the movie makes me want to get a serious perm, put on a leather vest, and vandalize something.

monday, monday

I love long weekends:

H&M opened their first flagship store in Seoul on Saturday (with a red carpet and all - it was outrageous), I had a lazy Sunday watching this racy thriller (it was filmed in Toronto - Julianne Moore was as gorgeous as ever), and was treated to a glorious Monday off. I tried duck for the first time (with mashed potato and caramelized apple - heavenly), was surprised with fresh flowers, and found the perfect denim shirt. Oh, and I splurged on some new Chanel polish, too. No complaints over here.