birthday delivery

I'm not 29 for another 20 days - but it's here...

a mildly flustered UPS man just dropped off a very big Vitra box, all taped up in Conran Shop branding, and I think it's for me :)

take a guess what it is!

Oxford girl hair

Also known as 'private school hair', 'Jack Wills hair' or 'rich-girl hair' but most easily spotted on Oxbridge lawns and Jack Wills sales associates, this phenomenon seemed nothing short of laughable when we first moved to Oxford.

It's true, this look can be spotted at private schools and Ancient universities all over the UK, but Oxford seems to be a special gathering place for preppy kids looking to fit in.

Here's the deal.
Oxford girl hair = looong, typically blondified locks, untouched by a comb except for backcombing purposes, frequently unwashed, deeply parted at the side and casually flipped in that I-just-tumbled-out-of-bed-after-a-night-of-champagne-and-Pimms-and-couldn't-be-bothered sort of way (note, this look takes much time and skill to achieve). An extra special touch is a single dreadlock in the back, or perhaps a messy off-centre ponytail or a plait across the front. You'll know you've got it right if your scalp is slightly itchy and you are constantly pushing your hair out of your eyes (see samples below).

Lucky for us, the Jack Wills website tells you exactly how to achieve this coveted look. Thanks Jack! Advice from a Jack Wills contributor: "I absolutely NEVER brush my hair - wash it, but then try to make it look as dirty as poss in order to make it messy enough.. i found if you put mousse and talc on it when it's just been washed, it gets really messy, loves it! also, dont wash it every day - every other day works much better and if you tie it up into a scrunched bun when you're asleep, when you wake up itll have a funny strawlike texture which feels a bit gross but looks fabulous! hope that helps, ciao bellas,xxx - imogen" oh bless.

other ways to spot an Oxford girl
wears: JW hoodie, Uggs, puffy vest, jean skirt
drinks: Pimms+lemonade
eats: occasionally
hobbies: horses, summer eights, Proms in the park, country walks in wellies, reading vogue

prime offenders:
Peaches Geldof
Chelsy Davy
Mischa Barton

specimen A

specimen B

specimen C

specimen D

revisiting the front lawn / writer for hire (again)

When I started this blog and its predecessor, I had no idea I'd one day move to city known for its flawlessly manicured lawns. I had simply read a short story by Raymond Carver and it resonated with me in light of this 'new' trend towards online journalling. Is it more strange to put your living room on your front lawn than it is to put your life on the internet? I suppose not, but more than five years later, it has started to seem quite normal.

Now that we've moved to Stanton St John we find ourselves with a fairly expansive front lawn and I feel even more attached to the name that has become my handle for pretty much everything.

So I guess it's no surprise that, having finally embarked on my freelance career, I'm taking the moniker along with me for the ride. If all goes according to plan, the newly registered frontlawncreative.com should be launched within two or three months!

Many of you have asked how I'm filling my time at the moment: I'm still putting in two days/week for the business school, on contract, with travel to London purely optional. I also have an editing contract lined up for August/September that will bring me home for a week or two this fall. (eeee!)

I still have plenty of time to fill though and would welcome any writing or editing opportunities you might have. Drop me a line at thefrontlawn@gmail.com and I'll happily send you a quote.

In the meantime, I'll be right here, scribbling away:

The Uniform Project

Six school years of uniform wearing taught me that a little consistency is no bad thing. So I get much pleasure out of projects like this, where an individual attempts to recycle the same article of clothing every day for a year. In this case, designer Sheena Matheiken had a little black dress (or seven identical dresses) custom designed and wears it, with flair, each and every day. As Alissa points out over at the Curator, "What’s immediately striking about clicking through the day-by-day photos on the Uniform Project is that two months into wearing the same thing every day, Matheiken is still way more stylish than you are."

It's true.

At the core, I think I like the message this sort of project sends - about making do with what you've got, shunning consumerism, spending less time deliberating how to look each day blah blah. But of course, the lovely irony here is that just the accessories involved in this particular project could fill my wardrobe thrice over! Does the time and effort it takes to accumulate and compose each look sort of defeat the purpose? I dunno, because I do actually love what she's done, and find it sartorially inspiring.

Last week I was chatting with one of my nearest and dearest who lives on a ship in Africa. With minimal closet space and minimal high fashion at her disposal, her hubby recently challenged her to a great project: line up all her tops in the closet and wear them one by one - then start all over again. It's a great way to purge clothes; if there's a top you continually skip then it's probably time to pass it along to charity.

I love this idea, though the unpredictable English weather makes it a challenge.

How do you guys maximise your wardrobe??

Stream House Chapel, a preview

Last night was our fifth in the new house... our new home. It feels like it already. really! Though I can see how it would be easy to unintentionally cut yourself off from the rest of the world when you're living out in a teeny country village like this.

Lest you think we are completely in the boonies, I should clarify that we're only 10 minutes from Dean's office and 15 from Oxford's town centre. But it is another world out here - one where I can forget pushy European high school exchange students and Sainsbury queues.

So what's it like? Here are some highlights:
- the inescapable soothing sound of rushing water
- friendly ducks, goose and kitty who visit us each day
- trees that envelop the conservatory kitchen and make me feel like I am snug and warm in the great outdoors
- cobwebs and their architects in every corner which I lovingly squash and dispose of
- brilliant white walls and metres of wood bookshelves
- finally, a comfortable bed
- a totally indulgent egg-shaped bathtub (no shower) which necessitates lazy morning routines
- antique chairs for curling up with books
- my first bonafide walk in closet
- a sofa bed with your name on it

I took some photos on Sunday, mid-unpack, and some later that evening when Chris and Heather joined us for dinner. More to come when things around here are finally up to snuff!

Smith Magazine

Another gem from Flavorpill's Daily Dose email: Smith Magazine.

It's not just that they have a fabulous name - these are the dudes who started collecting those pithy six-word memoirs, and they've got some grrreat personal narratives (particularly entertaining in illustrated form) on their website. enjoy!