helen james design

Would you like a bag with that?

2012-01-20T13:41:00.002Z

Paper "Hermes" bag

by Wonder Anatomie

Is this an instance where a Fake bag is actually ok?

cost $100

via

5 inch and up

Amaryllis

2012-01-14T09:56:00.003Z

Enjoying the full bloom of my Amaryllis

and the promise of more to come

all photos

Helen James

New Old Boots

2012-01-10T18:35:00.002Z

Looking through my winter wardrobe

I was lacking a pair of really good brown boots

I did have though a pair of light tan boots that I really liked

but didn't seem to wear as often as I might simply because

well, light tan isn't the boot I want to put on every day

so out came the implements

Good shoe brushes

and good polish

(I recently learned that you set the polish alight for a moment

which makes it turn liquid and solves the crumbly problem)

a little elbow grease

and my tan boots

were transformed to a beautiful pair of brown boots that

I have worn non stop

and didn't spend a cent on

I particularly like the way the brown polish caught

in the seams

Homemade Yoghurt

2012-01-08T20:38:00.001Z

Starting the new year with good, healthy, delicious food
homemade yoghurt
with honey, dried cranberries and toasted nuts
I made the yoghurt following these instructions
Happy New Year

Ice Ice baby

2011-12-18T15:24:00.000Z

Hope you are managing to stay warm during the icy weather

7 days and counting

trying not to panic

the panic of a working mother to 3 boys

who hasn't purchased a single Christmas gift yet

...........breathe...

image source A Well Travelled Woman

christmas Wishlist

2011-12-11T12:11:00.001Z

The first of my wishlists

for Christmas 2012

Stackable Rings from

Odette NY

Mugs

John Derian for Astier de Vilatte

An Hermes
Enamel Bracelet

A Ring from

Satomi Kawakita

This book

Deborah Needleman

Beautifully Illustrated by

Virginia Johnson

or one of her beautiful shawls

Shawl by Virgina Johnson

These Arm warmers

Eilis Boyle at Bow

More wishlists coming soon

random cakes and jobs

2011-11-26T21:46:00.001Z

Oh I had every intention of writing beautiful individual posts for each one of these lovely items

................. but I just am not going to be able so here in a brief but enthusiastic manner

Made Crab apple chutney- the tree was laden

Spiced Pear cake

Made with my own Pears

Picking flowers
there were still quite a few blossoms in the garden in late Sept

Roses, Michelmas daisies, Japanese anemone's, lady's mantle
I missed picking flowers from my garden so so much while I was in NY

There are many jobs that need doing around the house

getting the goose neck gate hung

organising winter fuel

Tying up the wisteria.......
3 years and am hoping, fingers crossed that next year it will flower!

oh and last week I was in Hong Kong

x

Tim Ryan

2011-11-18T16:36:00.001Z

Irish designer Tim Ryan's latest collection is his best yet

ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING

Currently stocked in Browns London

This collection should take him on to new and dizzying heights

If buyers don't sit up and take notice ............. well I believe they will

Such a talent

Congratulations Tim

images by Felipe Pagani

Apple & Apple Mint Jelly

2011-11-11T21:27:00.001Z

This is not a typo

Apple & Apple Mint Jelly

is a mint jelly made with Apples,

for their natural pectin and flavour

and using Apple Mint

(sometimes called wooly mint)

Apple mint is,

in my opinion, by the far the most superior of mints

The flavour is flatter than regular mint

Oh and don't tell me you use spearmint to cook with?

everything ends up tasting like chewing gum!

No, Apple mint is what you need

Fantastic chopped with a little ginger and sprinkled over a fruit salad

Adds the perfect flavour to cous cous

and Lamb......

well of course with Lamb it is king.

As we have had a couple of mornings of frost recently here in Ireland

I decided it was time to stock up on my mint fix for winter

And as my garden has been untended for a year

and the mint has gone a little wild

(taken over)

I made mint oil, by blanching about

4 cups of mint leaves

chopping finely

and covering with good olive oil in a sealed and sterilised jar

I also did the same but covered the mint with vinegar

for a more traditional mint sauce

and then decided to raise the bar, go all out and make a mint jelly

This was my first attempt at a jelly

(I mean a real jelly made with natural pectin not a chivers pack)

RECIPE

APPLE & APPLE MINT JELLY

4lbs Cooking Apples (or granny Smith )

4 cups water

2 cups vinegar

2 cups Apple Mint leaves whole

2 cups Apple Mint Leaves finely chopped

5 cups sugar (approx)

METHOD

Roughly chop the apples and add to large pan

keep all of the core and seeds as these have the most pectin in them

add 2 cups whole mint leaves

bring to boil and boil for 20 mins

add vinegar

boil 5 more mins

Strain Apple pulp

in a jelly bag if you have it

otherwise use an old pillow case

you should have 4-5 cups of clear amber coloured juice

Add this to clean pan and add 7/8 cup of sugar to every cup of juice

so for 5 cups of juice you will add approx 4 1/2 cups sugar

bring to the boil

add finely chopped mint

boil for 30 mins- 1 hour

this will depend on how much pectin was released

and how strong your mixture is

You want to reach the setting stage

You can test it using the cold saucer method

or with a candy thermometer

you should get 4 x 8ozs jars of jelly

The frost is coming

2011-11-07T12:25:00.000Z

The last 2 mornings we have had a thick frost on the ground

they say this winter is going to be a deep freeze

My back yard at 7am

BREAD

2011-11-05T10:29:00.001Z

Who can deny there is something about making your own bread

Something primal

a deep sense of... I am in control of my life....

In order to make bread you need
1 main ingredient

time

yes I know there are quick recipes

and you can knock out a loaf of brown soda bread pretty sharpish

but for a yeasted loaf you need to be in the moment

while the physical acts of kneading, proofing, rising,

may actually take 20 mins of work

the timing and co-ordinating means you must be able to pay attention

The act of making bread was something I really missed while living in NYC

as I never seemed to have the expanse of unfilled hours it takes
to occupy yourself with yeast and dough

So it is with GREAT pleasure that I return to the pasttime

I am a huge fan of the

No knead method of bread making

But the above baguettes were made using the Poolish method

from this Bread book

Bread is food for my soul

photograph by HELEN JAMES

August Sander and life

2011-10-21T16:58:00.001+01:00

I have not yet been hooked up to the 21st century again.

I am thinking internet will be up and running in about a week

so please excuse the lack of posts

I will be back with gusto and have many photos and thoughts on the change

from Brooklyn NY to Rural Ireland

Lots of exciting things going on and I am sure that the move back was the right thing to do

In moments my life went from Subway commute to a walk in the woods

Lots of baking and chutney making

Ordering chickens for the garden

...but don't worry I haven't put down the design brush

I have been busy working on a very exciting new project

In the process of doing some research for this exciting new project I came across

the beautiful works of

August Sander

and had to post them

please bear with me until regular posting is back up and running

pause

2011-10-03T14:43:00.000+01:00

There will be a small delay while I get Internet connection
I expect to be back with all the news about Oct 10th
xx

Alex Vervoodt, Wabi Sabi and the little woodwormed table

2011-09-19T17:18:00.003+01:00

The movers have been and gone

My treasured possesions are now on the high seas

slowly making ther way across the ocean again.

We are living a spartan/glamping existence

for our final days in the city of New York

and you know what,

I like it

Less stuff means less tidying up

Less noise

This also coincides with my recent purchase of

this beautiful book

and some further research into the japanese philosophy of

Wabi Sabi

(this is a great piece about it)

I feel like I found my soul

I cannot get enough of the scrubbed wooden floors, Does anyone have floors like this in their home?

Some years ago a little house in the local village was being demolished

I looked in through the windows and saw an old cracked belfast sink

after a little detective work I got in touch with the owner who told me to go in and take anything I like

I recovered a little desk, some old iron hooks

a mirror, the beflast sink

and a small woodwormed table.

I treated the table, to halt its destruction and set it in my kitchen

I texted Mr HJD who was away travelling:

Is there something wrong with loving a little woodwormed table THIS much

I sat and stared at it for days

I rubbed the worn patina on its face and traced the woodwormed furrows with my fingers

So now, in one week,

I return to my little woodwormed table

and the old familiar patina of my life in a little village in the middle of Ireland

and while the hottest new restaurant will not be opening
their next outpost there, any time soon........

I can't wait.

All Images from Alex Vervoodt Wabi Interiors

J Crew at Fashion week

2011-09-13T23:07:00.001+01:00

Love these mood boards from

J CREW

who showed for the first time on the official

New York Fashion week

schedule this morning

Topshop in london

also now have a place on the official

London Fashion Week schedule

How do we feel about this ?

High street was the follower

Now they are being given a place at the table with the leaders

Have they become leaders?

Do they set trends.......

Well in my opinion

in these 2 cases, then Yes they do

The influence of J Crew on how

America dresses is not to be underestimated

Certainly from what I see on the streets of NY

J Crew is definitely influencing and not just being influenced

They do have a point of view

a unique point of view

and it is very apparent in the way

women and men are dressing.

Also people are styling themselves to look like J Crew

without necessarily wearing J Crew

Which surely is a sign of a reach that is beyond what one might have traditionally

expected from the high street

Packing

2011-09-07T19:19:00.003+01:00

image oscarscharwzvald via Bodie &Fou

So in the funny twists and turns of life

I am packing up boxes again

This time to return to Ireland

I can't wait to sink my hands in the dirt of the garden

bake

get back to my studio

walk in the woods

see friends

While the time here in NYC has been AMAZING

I am looking forward to slightly slower pace for a while

There are so many exciting things on the horizon though

not sure if it is going to be exactly quiet!

Stay tuned as I have many NYC posts coming up of things that

I have done here but haven't had time to post about

and will be keeping you up to date on all the exciting changes

japanese ceramics

2011-09-05T13:41:00.001+01:00

I have always been drawn to the Japanese aesthetic

but I think being back in New York and bombarded with stimuli

makes me yearn for the simplicity and rawness of this even more

and these Japanese ceramics from

Savoir Vivre

are making me rethink my career path

Day Birger Mikkelsen

2011-09-05T01:47:00.001+01:00

Beautiful images of the Fall 2011

Day Birger Mikkelsen Catalogue

from

Ditte Isager

I have been feeling very Black and White recently
but this palette is exquisite

In other news......

Fall 2011 is bringing big changes to the HJD household

All exciting stuff

I will keep you posted

Iris Velghe

2011-08-31T04:18:00.000+01:00

So we made it through

IRENE

without any casualties here

My heart goes out to all of those without power

or with water damage or flooding

Beautiful images by

Iris Velghe

found via

BLOOM

The eye of the storm

2011-08-27T03:38:00.001+01:00

During the week, as I am sure you heard, we had a minor Earthquake here in NYC

I was on the 9th floor of a building in midtown

and apparently the lights were swinging

I was in a lightbox approving color lab dips

and didn't notice a thing.

Many people evacuated our building

For 20 mins we decided what to do

should we leave the office and try to get home

as maybe transit would be an issue if an aftershock came

In the end we stayed where we were and there was really no disruption.

Now as we sit and wait for Irene to arrive

I have to say it is all a little surreal!

I am not accustomed to natural disasters

Ireland has a lot of rain but no hurricanes or earthquakes.

This evening I went to the supermarket on the way home

and it was pretty crazy,

empty shelves, crowds of people

It actually made me more anxious.

I am staying informed but trying not to plug in to the hype too much

Praying for a safe weekend for all

see you on the other side

Miranda Brooks

2011-08-26T01:28:00.002+01:00

These outdoor spaces by
Miranda Brooks
are blowing me away

The focus is on greenery,
symmetry,

shapes and textures

and very few blooms

looks so fresh and modern

I love the drawings too

Roman and Williams

2011-08-21T18:39:00.003+01:00

I have been hearing so much about The ACE Hotel

and have yet to get there

....it's on my to do list

When Abigail Ahern of ATELIER Abigail Ahern

mentioned the designers

Roman and Williams

the other day on her blog

It needed some further investigation

Which led me to this video on

The Scout

Roman & Williams from The Scout on Vimeo.

definitely worth the watch

"It's a shame to only have dreams at night, you should have opportunities during the day"

says Stephen Alesch

What they create are timeless interiors

drawing on influences from Classical Architecture,

Asia, India and all with a heavy emphasis on texture

I love when they talk in the video about texture and how important it is to them,

how the Arts have such a heavy focus on visual stimulus and how how limiting that seems to them.

Their interiors also have a touch of whimsy and humour so nothing feels really precious
but like somewhere you could really live
eat
work
create
which is what a modern home should be

You can also read

this blog post on Rose Callahan's blog

about her studio visit to Roman and Williams.

Julia Hetta addition

2011-08-13T03:28:00.001+01:00

I know I just posted Julia Hetta photographs

but I just had to post these too

They are the images that brought me to her

published in

acnepaper

and I cannot tell you how much I love them

julia hetta

2011-08-11T17:31:00.001+01:00

Swedish Photographer

Julia Hetta

Kinfolk

2011-08-01T16:54:00.000+01:00

KINFOLK

This is the most interesting thing to happen in

the world of online magazines

since LONNY first published

There have been many debates in the blogosphere about

online magazines

This NY Times article

sparked a flurry of debate

LONNY

whether you like it or not,

was groundbreaking

There are many more that followed some worthy of a mention some

.....well lacking

BUT

as the debate was raging

I was thinking how quick we are to dismiss

In this culture of online fast fixes

something is hardly given a chance

A chance to find it's feet

find it's voice

it's place

Because there is room for everyone

and everyone should be given the space to explore and learn

and discover

If only the things that were most popular survived,

what a boring and

dull world THAT

would be!

That is like only having network television

or only being able to shop

at H&M or TOPSHOP

One of the things that I enjoy about working in HOME

as opposed to Fashion

is that the pace is a little more civilized

Things can be developed and nurtured without the fear of doing 8 collections a year

and the constant pressure to move on

drop what you have been working on because it belongs to last season.

It has struck me living in New York

One of the fastest paced cities

That what is new and cool

what is peaking interest and trending

is to slow down

simplify

look back.

drink from a mason jar

make bread

It's like the Internet has given a big voice to a smalltown

and

KINFOLK

are right on the button

Coral, Red, Orange?

2011-07-27T23:11:00.002+01:00

Guess what colors I am loving at the moment

I am drawn to

This on Vogue.com

The new Ikram store in Chicago

How incredibly Chic and Bold

This Nail polish

Summer Toes

This Proenza Schouler Bag

A classic shape with a fresh palette

This image on

The Sartorialist

Simplicity lifted from mundanity by a pop of intense color

and worn with such insouciance

Jil Sander Spring 2011

The influence of this collection was overwhelming!

Merci Paris, Egg London and shopping

2011-07-19T21:02:00.001+01:00

installation at Merci by Li Edelkoort

I don't need to tell you about

MERCI

The inspirational retail experience founded by

Marie-France and Bernard Cohen

The people behind childrens label

BONPONT

Tapping in to the belief that the customer who goes to a store wants an experience.

This is a place you can buy clothes for yourself, your kids

flowers
and items for your home
a second hand book and you can eat!

In this day when everything you could desire is a click away

Sit curled on your own sofa steaming mug of tea in hand and purchase a book,

a nail polish, a dress, a meal

So why would you bother to go to an actual store

Why would you jump on a plane and FLY to Paris ?

Because this store like a handful of others in the world

Is not just offering product

They have delved into something deeper

They have delved into your emotions

EGG,
London

images from Accessorator

When I visited EGG in london for the first time I had such an overpowering feeling

I did not want to leave

I wanted to sleep there

There, it seemed everything would be perfect

in a pale chalk and indigo blue wash of inspiration

Maureen Doherty has also, through a curated focus and impeccable eye

managed to create a shop that offers more than just a quick fix of retail therapy.

Retail giants in an attempt

(some more successful than others )

to capture a little of this magic are collaborating with smaller

and more exclusive brands

A recent example is the

Missoni for Target

launching Sept 13th in the US

An ambitious project of 400 items from suitcases to bicycles

It's fun and true to the brand

The reality is most of America is unaware of Missoni

But I am sure there will be a rush on these items

personally I have my eye on the bike

A pause

2011-07-14T15:10:00.002+01:00

It is hot in NY at the moment

Not too hot

Yesterday our electricity went out

No Air conditioners

No Fans

No lights

within 10 mins NY became too hot

But in that moment

The light coming in through the window was so beautiful

and it gave me pause

The color of the light hitting the greenery near the window

Inspiring

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY HELEN JAMES
CONTENT BY HELEN JAMES
PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU WISH TO RE-PRODUCE

Ai Weiwei

2011-07-12T17:08:00.000+01:00

Tiny handmade porcelain sunflower seeds

Installation at The Turbine Hall

in London

Ai Weiwei

These hanpainted porcelain seeds cover the floor

and people walk on them .....

such a beautiful and thought provoking concept

Seen via mindmaded

Cy Twombly

2011-07-07T22:13:00.000+01:00

R.I.P

Cy Twombly

stars and stripes

2011-07-04T02:05:00.001+01:00

Star Star

by the Frames

image from Lonny

I want to paint my tiny NYC bathroom like this

Happy 4th of July

Pure dkny

2011-06-06T18:55:00.000+01:00

As previously mentioned

Here are the first beds that I worked on in my new position.

They launched at Bloomingdales last week

There is a light and it never goes out

2011-06-01T02:48:00.003+01:00

In deepest, deepest Ireland,

In a dark, dark wood

was this......

Shawbrook school of dance

song by

Gemma Hayes

Backing vocals

Ann Scott

video by Sinead Ofarrell

Cheese bread

2011-05-11T02:07:00.001+01:00

This is delicious with soup, with a salad or just with lots of butter...........
I make it anytime I buy a cheese that turns out not to be so popular amongst the crew here, or anytime I seem to have an abundance of cheese!
Think of it as a cheese scone pretending to be a loaf of bread

111/2 ozs plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

31/2 ozs cheese..... strong cheddar works well , I usually use whatever has been hanging about in th fridge for more than a little while

7 fl ozs milk

2 eggs

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

2 flozs olive oil

Preheat oven to 180C (350F)

lightly oil loaf tin

sift all the dry ingredients in to a bowl

add the grated cheeese and mix

Pour the milk eggs and mustard into a jug and whisk very lightly with a fork

add the liquid to the dry and mix well

You will get a fairly wet dough

scoop into tin

Bake for 50 mins

remove from tin and bake for a further 10 mins

leave to cool

Great to bring on a picnic as we did last weekend ....... enjoy

Adapted from Rachel Allen's rustic bacon and cheddar bread

Savage beauty by Alexander McQueen

2011-05-03T01:45:00.001+01:00

The Alexander McQueen exhibition

opens at the Met May 4th

I will get there this week

If it kills me

All images from Met Blog

Interestingly I was in the McQueen store last week
and was struck by how beautiful it was and how it reminded me of a museum
Each piece felt Museum worthy.... exquisite

Tonight is the Costume Institute Ball

My ticket must have gotten lost in the mail

Image from Barneys

But Daphne Guinness had hers

and was getting dressed in the window of

Barneys at 5pm today

You can watch the video HERE

Fashion Performance Art

New York

you gotta love it!

Kate and Sarah's Wedding dress

2011-04-29T16:52:00.001+01:00

Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa

from

Vogue.com

Simply Exquisite dress for Kate
by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen

Mary Katrantzou by Erik Madigan Heck

2011-04-21T15:01:00.002+01:00

Oh I am breathless after taking in these incredible photos of

Mary Katrantzou

Spring 2011

Erik Madigan Heck

Nomenus Quarterly

They are simply the most beautiful things I have seen this year

Inspired by Pierre Bonnard and Vuillard paintings

Heck took the colorful work of this talented designer and shot to a new level

I am sure that this shoot will open up new doors for Katrantzou

and make editors and buyers sit up and take note

The color saturation and combination is artistry

This is one of the most difficult styles to pull off

Minimalism is restaint

but this is also a form of restraint

The beauty come from knowing just when enough is enough

That is pure talent and intuition

and not something that can be taught

They also make me think of Klimt and Egon Schiele

and the Russian Tea Rooms

All images Erik Madigan Heck

Darr, Hollander & Lexer

2011-04-20T02:00:00.000+01:00

Another great store further down Atlantic is

DARR

I love the wooden table set with wooden dinnerware

I would think it too much but actually it is really beautiful, it has a simplicity and purity.

I did purchase a beautiful Horn bangle for $30

(will post it later)

They stock the incredible

Cote de Bastide

line of fragrance and candles which I have loved ever since I bought

my first Fig room scent from

The Cross

10 years ago

The same owners also have a store across the street

Hollander & Lexer

Where they sell their own line of locally made menswear,

although when I dropped in there were quite a few items I coveted for my own wardrobe,

along with a few selected labels.

love this image of old shoe lasts from their site

so enjoy shopping

and buy local whatever that locale may be

Holler & Squall

2011-04-14T02:47:00.001+01:00

So The first Shop I visited on Atlantic was
Holler and Squall
Amazing eclectic mix of curiosities and interesting and unusual lighting
Also really good price points!

Holler and Squall has a beautifully curated collection of old and new items, most with very reasonable price tags

I would love this as an Island in my Kitchen......... with the rug included

All above images are from the Holler and Squall blog
As I did forgot my camera
Do check it out for the latest additions to the store

Spring in Brooklyn

2011-04-09T18:58:00.001+01:00

Spring is pushing her blossoming head through the dark clouds of winter.

Almost 1 year since I came on my first trip back to New York

Which led to us packing up and moving over

It's been a long winter here

Looking forward to better weather

Today I browsed the shops on Atlantic Ave

some of my favourites coming up in the next few days

The Gloss

2011-04-07T15:25:00.000+01:00

I haven't read the article yet

but if you are in Ireland check out todays

THE GLOSS

to read more about me and life in NYC

Ultimate chocolate chip cookies

2011-04-03T00:44:00.002+01:00

Let me preface this by saying I have been searching.......

searching......... searching for the ultimate choc chip cookie.

I have read many recipes and
baked many variations
and I have come to understand that
your ultimate choc chip cookie might not necessarily
be my ultimate choc chip cookie!

and
yes,
vice versa

but I highly recommend you try these

Chewy, with the lightest crisp coating on a soft centre....

and the brown sugar gives them a hint of caramel

After my 11 year old son ate one

he looked at me with eyebrows raised and said

"mum you are unbelievable!"

The other amazing thing about these cookies is that the recipe came

not
from my favourite San Francisco baker

not
from the english domestic goddess

and not from the little artisan baker around the corner in Brooklyn

but

from

The back of the
"Gold Medal All Purpose Flour"

I bought 2 days ago
Sometimes the best things are in the most unexpected places

RECIPE

3/4 C sugar

3/4 C soft brown sugar

1 C very soft butter

1large egg

2 1/4 C All purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 oz semi sweet choc chips ( I use Ghirardelli)

METHOD

Preheat Oven to 375

Mix well together sugars, butter, egg.

Add flour, bak soda, salt and choc chips

Mix well

form walnut size balls place on ungreased cookie tray bake for 11 mins

Until they look like this (see image below)

Leave to cool on tray for 3 -5 mins

remove to cooling rack

EAT!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did

Recipe originally from "Gold medal all purpose flour"
altered slightly by me
all photos Helen James

New York Armory Red and White Quilt Show

2011-03-29T21:50:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I went to the

New York City Armory

to see the Red and White quilt show

On display were 615 quilts

All the private collection of one woman.

They were so beautifully displayed

hanging lit overhead

but you were still able to get up close to some

The fact that they shared a common palate

made the patterns all the more compelling as you were not distracted by

the use of different colors

The work was exquisite

and thinking that a lot of it was done by candlelight

or gaslamp....

Now where are my needle and thread.............

All photographs by Helen James

COS

2011-03-22T20:57:00.002Z

Can anyone tell me why there are no COS stores in the US?

Basically it is one of the few high street shops that I go into and want everything in there
They also do a great kids line
and they have a great site which features amazing artists, designers and generally interesting people like

Kaat Debo
Fashion Director of
MOMU
in Antwerp

follow this link to read the article

http://www.cosstores.com/gb/site/home__start.nhtml#BLOG-1676f84b-e0d9-4c3d-8191-4928aeaa65ab

I loved these shots of the accessories

Still lives with shadows

Happy Birthday Boy

2011-03-21T18:59:00.002Z

Happy Birthday

2 yrs old

Last weekend

New yellow coat

Old Navy

New blue linen trousers

The Gap

Blue skies in New York this weekend
so even though today is grey

Feels like Spring is just around the corner

The Pier Antique Show etc....

2011-03-14T14:27:00.006Z

Saturday Morning I took myself off to

The Pier Antique Show

With some new NY pals
Oh Heaven

The joys of living in NYC

Rows and Rows of antiques, jewelry and vintage clothing

A Louis Vuitton Trunk anyone?

......................My purchases were somewhat smaller and more modest
I was looking for bargains
The find is always sweeter for me when I don't have guilt....
Here is what made it's way home with me

A small Brass devil pin

$8, bargained down to $6

A small chain link bracelet

$16 bargained down to $14

which I will wear mixed with thin gold bangles

and a small gold chain bracelet

A Tweed suit

$40, bargained down to $35

I will wear the peices seperately

I Loved meeting the dealers and seeing all the characters shopping

It was really some of the best people watching I have had
in a long time!
Wish I had more snaps for you..........

Also made a new friend
who purchased this fabulous hat
unfortunately the photo came out blurry
but I had to post it anyway

The fabulous Angela
A vintage aficionado!

Have a great week guys
x

Saipua

2011-03-07T15:10:00.000Z

A belated thank you to all at

SAIPUA

who delivered these beautiful flowers to me last friday

Part of their friday free flower giveaway

They made my week

Dries Van Noten

2011-03-02T22:57:00.000Z

My love for this man will never cease.............

All images from

Vogue.com

Portrait of Isabella Blow

2011-02-24T03:15:00.000Z

Portrait of Isabella Blow

Via

Garance Dore

The Blogger extraordinaire

posted this image today from

The National Portrait gallery

It is a sculpture consisting of stuffed animals and feathers

I find the execution of this enthralling

Creating an image from a shadow

something from nothing

so thought provoking and inspiring

as a creative person I am constantly

Looking, questioning and exploring

I have been reading

THIS

A book by the insiring

Keri Smith

The journey of the creative mind is a fascinating one

we can be our own worst critic

"Compare and despair"

We need to remember to give back to the well

the creative well

so I have begun my explorations

i will keep you posted

Danko Steiner

2011-02-20T18:00:00.002Z

I saw this

Photograph of Hamish Bowles by Danko Steiner

at Little Augury

Which reminded me of This Shoot

Because of this detail

and lead me to
HERE

To Discover

These

Final 3 photographs by

Danko Steiner

Klaus Haapaniemi

2011-02-14T01:40:00.001Z

I am loving the magical scarves and throws

of Finnish Illustrator

Klaus Haapaniemi

Available from

KLAUSH

Hair and wake up

2011-02-08T03:14:00.002Z

Living in New York and working away from home,
my daily routine of crocs and tracksuits just doesn't cut it any more......

Now I have to dress for work

and while the atmosphere is very relaxed a girl likes to put her best foot forward.

The snow, ice, freezing rain etc is a challenge I must say

particularly as most of my winter clothes are in my mothers attic

and I am out the door at 7am.

I am trying to do the clever thing of laying out tomorrows outfit the night before

.............it's a work in progress

Here are some outfits I have been finding inspriring.

All from The Sartorialist

The fabulous Phoebe Philo
Love the tailored jacket over the chunky knit

J Crew

Love these colours

another dilemma I face is what to do with my hair

This is such a great hairdo

These 3 images from Hanelli Mustaparta

This is very cool , from the Michael Kors show

but a little impractical

mine has grown quite long and I like to wear it up

elastics hurt my head and those claw things are not very chic!

In fact I have often wondered why the world of hair accessories was extremely

lacking in good ideas that were easy but also

looked good.

Today I discovered these

they twist in to your hair are incredibly simple and give you that tousled bun affect

that's the kind I like

Ingenious

and they stay in

To order them online you can go HERE

Also this weekend got a manicure and eyebrow wax

......... I AM turning in to a New Yorker

NOTE: This is MY opinion and I was NOT paid any money nor given any gift to express this.........just saying, in honour of transparency

Brooklyn in the snow

2011-02-01T01:52:00.001Z

Brooklyn 7am

Last week
A city with a fresh coat of paint

Givenchy Couture

2011-01-27T20:51:00.000Z

Solange Azagury Partridge

2011-01-25T02:24:00.001Z

COVET

So I know they have been around for a while

but I still desperately covet one of these

silver and enamel Hotlips ring from

Solange Azagury-Partridge

Because they are beautiful and put a smile on my face

Oh but which one?

50% of the profits from the red

go to Aids relief in Africa

That could make the decision easier

connected

2011-01-20T02:37:00.001Z

Thierry Mugler

Menswear

image from HERE

Huang Xu

2011-01-10T00:14:00.000Z

Haunting photographs

Plastic bags

Chinese Artist

Huang Xu

VOILA !

2011-01-05T17:18:00.001Z

Image via HERE

let it........

2010-12-28T15:53:00.002Z

Overnight 20" of snow in Brooklyn
A winter wonderland

Photo of Prospect Park in 1904 from HERE

Wishing you a very Peaceful Christmas

2010-12-25T02:28:00.001Z

This has been quite a year

to think merely 12 months ago I was preparing for, what was, unknowingly

to be our last Christmas in our house in Ireland.

Now here we are in New York

The adjustment for the children has been more difficult than

I anticipated but slowly, we are all finding our way.

I thought it appropriate on this Christmas eve to share with you

these beautiful photographs by someone whom I have met in my new life here in

the big Apple

Meghan Hickey

There is such a quiet peace in her photographs

These are taken from a series called

"Sensible Longing"

They find the sacred in the Urban world

Meghan wrote this about the series

In many ways, the series Sensible Longing grew out of my budding relationship with the Rolleiflex medium-format camera I acquired a year and a half ago. I'd seen some work by another photographer on a Rollei, and I knew right away it was the tool I needed - the tone, the texture, the romance with light were all what I was looking for, plus I quite simply loved the square shape. As I began to learn more about this particular camera, its personality traits and limitations, I really began to appreciate the sensory experience it provides: looking down into the hood, half tuning out the noise around me, I steal a moment alone with the subject, and give myself permission to be present in a way that might not otherwise be possible. It's a contemplative moment, and in keeping with the spirit of the project. I will occasionally will use another medium-format camera, such as a Diana, for the series, but the Rollei is my partner in this enterprise.

Wishing you all the most peaceful and serene of

Christmas Days

blog blank......

2010-12-18T13:35:00.001Z

Blog Blank: when you saw an image or an article on a blog

not too long ago that you now want to reference, re-read,

show someone or refer to for some other reason......

but you cannot remember where you saw it and cannot

after too many an hour trawling through familiar blogs,

find that one image/article/christmas present you were looking for

Chadwick Tyler

2010-12-03T01:49:00.000Z

Haunting

,,,,,,,, and beautiful

Chadwick Tyler

Breakfast Biscotti

2010-11-26T16:32:00.003Z

Sometimes the morning after a day of feasting

one doesn't feel like a large slap up brunch

but more a crunchy,
yet sweet breakfast of strong coffee and Italian biscotti

I started to make these when I lived in
rural Ireland and purchasing Italian Biscotti
meant a train ride to Dublin.
Now I know these are better than any store bought ones I have tried.
The method sounds a little fiddly but really it is incredibly simple
maybe just a step more than your usual cookie
But this is what gives these their tooth breaking crunch.

RECIPE

1 large egg

4ozs sugar

1/2 tspn vanilla extract

5 ozs plain flour

1/2 tspn baking powder

1/4 tspn salt

2 ozs whole almonds

3 ozs chocolate chips

METHOD

Line a baking tray with parchment paper

Pre-heat oven to 350f/180c

Whisk the egg and sugar with an electric whisk until pale, you want it to leave ribbons when you lift the whisk

Add vanilla extract, then fold in flour, salt and baking powder

Add choc chips and almonds

Shape dough into a log approx 10" long which is tapered at each end

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes

Remove and leave to set for 5-10 mins

Slice into biscotti and lay back on the baking tray

Pop back in oven for 10 mins then turn and cook for a further 5-10 mins

Remove and cool on a wire rack

You can store them in an airtight container for 7-10 days... but

They probably won't last that long.

Photo's by Helen James

Sometimes it's the small things....

2010-11-22T20:56:00.001Z

New table and chair from

Ikea

for my budding Artist

Photo by Mark Geary

Tom Ford

2010-11-18T01:07:00.000Z

Tom Ford the modern day Midas

He turned around Gucci

He was THE designer of the nineties

His first movie was oscar nominated

His scents are divine

his eyewear coveted

I have to say I never really liked his Gucci work

I admire him, but it was not to my taste

However, now he has returned to women's wear

and the pieces look exquisite

Tom created a sensation when he decided to show his capsule collection

to a miniscule 100 selected people

shunning many press and bloggers

and going against the grain of instant gratification.

The pieces are immaculately made and meant to last

The true future of luxury.

New collection available at his Men's stores

As seen on http://www.vogue.com/magazine/

10th collection by Eilis Boyle

2010-11-12T00:47:00.005Z

10th collection from Eilis Boyle on Vimeo.

so beautiful
from the ever talented Eilis Boyle
To see photos from the launch event go
HERE
to see more beautiful clothes by Eilis
go HERE

coming up.....

2010-11-11T12:54:00.000Z

Tune in tomorrow for the online launch of

Eilis Boyle's

10th collection

Fashion Film

I married an Irish farmer

2010-11-04T00:25:00.000Z

Imen of I married an Irish Farmer

I am both humbled and flattered that the wonderful Imen of

I married an irish Farmer

asked me to do an interview for her wonderful blog.

Her questions were truly thought provoking for me

to read it and find out what I am up to here in New York

click HERE

I look forward to the day Imen and I meet in the real world

for proper teatime

Loretta Lux

2010-10-20T03:23:00.001+01:00

Photographs by

Loretta Lux

exhibition on now at

Galleria Carla Sozzani

in Milan

Louise's last year

2010-10-14T22:09:00.000+01:00

incredible pictures of

Louise Bourgeois

Alex Van Gelder

In her final year of life

to see more go here

New collection by Eilis Boyle

2010-10-08T01:46:00.001+01:00

Incredible new collection by Eilis Boyle

so beautiful

Eilis talks often on her blog about

the struggles of being creative and

having to pay the electricity bill

This collection was all about bursting through

that struggle and trying to find her

"true identity"

through design

I believe she succeeded

to see more go here

........ and she used a Helen James headpiece
in the shot above

never looked so good

commes des garcons s/s 2011

2010-10-03T20:24:00.000+01:00

Only Rei Kawakubo

could make a wig turned inside out

the chicest headgear on the runway

this season

German Collins

2010-10-01T02:38:00.000+01:00

I couldn't make it to the opening of the exhibition by

incredibly talented photographer

German Collins

last Thursday in Dublin

but I didn't want you to miss out on seeing these

inspiring and beautiful images

for more work by German go HERE

Irish Talent

2010-09-28T02:14:00.000+01:00

Dais from Dais on Vimeo.

A beautiful short film

Conceived by Sonya Lennon

and Christian Amman

what's new what's next

2010-09-26T15:16:00.005+01:00

On Thursday

was being held at the New York Design Centre on Lexington Ave

An Emporium for Interior Designers

I went along to have a look around

I loved the organic lighting by

AQUA

These reminded me of Sea Anemones and Jellyfish

I was also captivated by the creations of
textile artist

Maki Yamamoto

Also this week all of our boxes have arrived from Ireland

I had a helper to unpack

He came prepared

(sorry for the bad iphone pictures ..it was 6am)

All of these strange shapes and sizes

unwrapped to reveal treasures I already owned

Like christmas presents from a best friend who knows

just what you like

All of my cookery and design reference books

This Domino book of interiors, will be dog eared in just a few months

We are trying to make our apartment feel like home

I will keep you updated on all the changes

Marchesa inspiration

2010-09-16T03:35:00.000+01:00

The inspiration walls of

MARCHESA

just another weekend in New York City

2010-09-13T02:32:00.005+01:00

Well it's been quite a weekend!

Friday night was Fashions Night Out!

I wanted to go home to bed

You are in NYC!

YOU MUST GO

said my angel/devil on my shoulder

Yes they were right I must

Decided to pick one event and then explore things in close proximity to this!

The event that was picked was

The Olsen twins at their Elizabeth & James store

The reason?

The Row A/W10

a) I really admire their label The Row

b) a friend was playing a gig nearby right after (hey I was always practical)

c) my colleague who was accompanying me wanted to go

We arrived at the store at 6:50

10 mins before they were due
There were not many people around

"sorry ladies, wait here" said the man above

so we waited .....

The queue quickly snaked around the block

passing the time looking at my friends shoes.....

Eventually we entered the store
we were like 2 giddy groupies

The Olsens were looking petite and demure as they manned the cash registers

(no flash sorry)

Job done we were off to check out other things,

We were in the meatpacking district and it was buzzing

bands playing on the street, lots of fabulous people
shopping, chatting.
There was a carnival atmosphere

unfortunately the Alexander Mcqueen shop

was just closing as we arrived

we had to make do with looking in the windows

I will go back next week

Saturday morning I went to one of my favourite Brooklyn stores

Layla

I want everything in this store

The clothes

The jewelry

The Home collections

I settled on 2 shirts and a dress 60% off in the sale!
Then Saturday evening I met an old friend

The creator of this incredible jewelry collection

Mannin

we browsed Maryam Nassir Zadeh

it was 7pm

....don't you love New York

I wanted these shoes so bad

and this scarf....... you can't believe how soft it was

Then Sunday I was off to the

DKNY spring 2011 fashion show
It was held on Greenwich Street
in the west village
not in Lincoln centre like most of the shows this season
There were huge amounts of press/bloggers outside
photographing shoes, bags, buyers, celebrities

waiting for everyone to sit and the show to start.

Natalie Massenet from Net-a-porter was opposite me

Hilary Alexander was across the way

Oh, they were all there

The fashion crew

........and me

The show was all about the scarf

The palette was navy, dune, pink and red

You can see it tomorrow on Style.com

I'm off to bed....... I have to get up for work in the morning!

Lizzie Buckmaster Dove

2010-09-09T00:36:00.000+01:00

All Images

NG Art Gallery

The society inc

2010-09-03T03:36:00.002+01:00

Every 3 months Sibella Court creates a new palette for

Murobond paints

based on a story she creates by collecting found objects.

I can't tell you how beautiful her site is

You shall have to go and see for yourself

The Society Inc

Looking through her site made me so nostalgic for
all my bits and buttons and sticks and stitches
that I had spent years collecting
but left in Ireland!
Now I want them all, to artfully arrange on my mantelpiece
and curate into beautiful "scapes".
I guess I will have to start a new collection.

If you happen to live in Paddington NSW, Australia,

Do please visit her shop and let us know all about it

It's a man's world

2010-08-31T01:35:00.002+01:00

As New york gears up for the S/S 11 Womens shows

Here are some of my favourite things from the world of the other half

Backstage at John Galliano

Bags by Dries Van Noten

Details from Lanvin Homme

All Images via HERE

Adler Fedora hats
the perfect hat for Fall, no?

and

This outfit
I want it!

Images via HERE

I love a pocket handkerchief like this

With a feminine lace touch

An unexpected blue shoe

All images via HERE

The colour of this Hermes shirt

image via HERE

julien david

2010-08-26T02:01:00.001+01:00

Now that the weather in New York has plummeted

I want to wrap myself in one of these

gorgeous silk and cashmere wraps by

Julien David
spotted in last weeks
New York Times T magazine
The coolest thing about this chic scarf is
when you open it out it is a giant print of

A pill

Alxander McQueen's omega

2010-08-23T04:36:00.001+01:00

The last dress Alexander McQueen ever made

Deborah Paauwe

2010-08-12T15:09:00.001+01:00

“Progress has not followed a straight ascending line,

but a spiral with rhythms of progress and retrogression,

of evolution and dissolution."

GOETHE

Beautiful Images from "Carousel"

by Australian Fine Art Photgrapher

Deborah Paauwe

A Mothers Arithmetic

2010-08-09T19:13:00.002+01:00

coffee

Laptop

Toddler

coffee + computer + cute toddler = very light posting until I replace my Laptop

Thank you for all you emails and comments

We are settling in well

Definitely adjusting to apartment living with 3 kids

but loving NYC and all it has to offer

please bear with me during this crazy time

matteo home

2010-08-03T01:50:00.001+01:00

The heat and humidity in New York

has me longing for the cool drape

of vintage linen sheets from

Matteo

which i saw last week at

ABC Carpet & Home

Based in Los Angeles, Matteo do simplicity and quality

I am really thinking of a black and white theme for the new apartment

These would work perfectly.

all images reproduced with permission from Matteo

Murmur by Gail Sorronda

2010-07-21T14:20:00.000+01:00

Completely inspired by the amazing SS11 collection from

Australian designer

Gail Sorronda

ps waiting for internet connection in the NYC apartment

so posting will be a little light until I get it fixed

should all be done this week

Jefferson Hayman

2010-07-08T22:34:00.000+01:00

This week has been draining

5 days to go and we will be in New York

I promise to write more often

Beautiful image courtesy of

Jefferson Hayman

Bloomin Marvellous

2010-06-28T08:20:00.001+01:00

While I was in New York for 3 weeks

Nature was busy

and the garden is looking so wonderful

White Lupins, Lady's Mantle, Fennel, Flowering Sage

a yellow flower I have no idea what it is (do you?)

and lots of weeds

Lady's Mantle, Fennel, Delphinium.........buttercups!

Roses

and white Peony beside blood red Astrantia

I liked this so much that it was the inspiration for a small bouquet for a friend

I will have no outdoor space in New York

I will miss picking posies

and tending to it, planning and waiting and being surprised

A garden has taught me to have patience, trust and faith.

So I hereby declare

Universe!

I would like a garden in NYC

Clearing and a Tiny Victorian Cottage

2010-06-24T14:56:00.003+01:00

I am back in Ireland and slightly over my jet lag.

We have started the process of sorting through and clearing

7 years of a life in a Home.

There is something cleansing about sorting through

the back of dusty cupboards.

It feels good to bin, keep, charity shop, through all of the useful

and useless, meaningless and full of memories, debris that one accumulates.

While the process is cleansing it is also incredibly emotional.

Moments glimpsed in an old photo or a card made by a child.

It is difficult not to dwell on each piece of my past.

I am excited about our new adventure and showing the Kids the city and all it has to offer,

but that doesn't mean it is not with some sadness that I pack away

the detrius and say goodbye to this House that has been our home, the place

where my children have become little men.

As it happens This person whom I find so inspirational is also

relocating to a different country right now.

She has some very inspiring recent posts about her process.

Having lived the last 2 months out of a suitcase I am being

ruthless and attempting to apply the 'love it or leave it' mantra to

everything I place in the "keep" pile.

Also we will have to fit it all in to a 2 bedroom NYC apartment.

With this on my mind I received this post in my inbox just now, from

E J Carr , the photographer responsible for this Helen James shoot
letting me know about this article in The New York Times

A Tiny Victorian Cottage in The Catskills

From The New York Times

You don't need a lot of money or square footage to make a beautiful space

Here are some initial photo's of our little slice New York Real Estate

Very much a work in progress but it's a start

2010-06-18T13:53:00.000+01:00

image from future flyers

With all this coming and going I realise I haven't really

let you know whats going on!

I am currently in NYC

leaving this weekend back to Ireland to pack up the house

pick up the kids and then back to NYC mid July

Then I will be here full time.

All been so hectic but I am looking forward to

settling in and showing my kids the bright lights.

I will keep you updated on the progress.

Thank you for all your kind comments and emails wishing us well

NYC living

2010-06-16T14:02:00.000+01:00

So I am settling in to my new NYC apartment.

I am loving the area which is Carroll gardens in Brooklyn.

Currently the furniture situation is pretty scarce....romantic minimalism!

but I am looking forward to searching the local antique stores and flea markets.

Some of my first acquisitions are this little cobalt jug $1 at a local flea market

and this milk glass vase $3

The Peonies are from the sunday farmers market

The Chelsea Flower show and The Gore

2010-06-09T23:07:00.002+01:00

So The Chelsea Flower Show....

There were Roses

Miniature fields of lavender

Irises

and deepest purple Irises

This was an innovative way of re-cycling old plastic bottles

But this was my favourite garden

Silver birch underplanted with white Astrantia, Foxgloves Soloman's seal,

Ferns, Heuchara, bleeding hearts

Simple and so, so fresh and beautiful.

Reminded me of this painting

The Goose girl by Stanley Royle previously attributed to Lavery

and of course of the ultimate white garden

Sissinghurst
Created by Vita Sackville-West

After a long day discussing all things horticultural we retired to

The Gore

This was the Headboard of our bed

The stay at The Gore was a gift from dear friends as I mentioned,

and it was so generous and kind.

I debated for a long time as to how to write this post not wanting to seem ungrateful

and I had decided when I started HelenJamesDesign to blog about things I loved

and not too write about things that I didn't....... but in the spirit of transparency

unfortunately The Gore was disappointing.

The service was terrible, the food was not great, the room was unremarkable

(apart from the headboard)

but it didn't spoil our fun.

Next post is about EGG the inspirational store in Knightsbridge

owned by Maureen Doherty

EGG was the second highlight of the trip.

London, The Albion and Ottolenghi

2010-06-04T14:16:00.000+01:00

Ok so finally sorted the technical difficulties.

***

OK Lets begin our trip to London...

Thursday

The evening of my arrival we went to The Albion in Islington

image via the albion website

The Albion is just what one would expect from a Gastropub

and they have everything just right !

Great menu,

friendly service,

relaxed atmosphere,

very reasonably priced,

oh and an incredible garden

Basically when someone tells you they are bringing you to a London gastropub this is what one expects and The Albion delivers.

****

Friday morning

This was the day we were off to The Chelsea Flower show

First we went for breakfast.

Ottolenghi was the first highlight of the trip

Meringues

Tarts

Lemon Meringue tarts

all images taken by my shaky hand on my iphone

The display looked like something from a Nancy Meyers movie....perfect!!

As we were leaving they were putting out the salads which were works of Art,

colour, texture and of course taste.

My companion gave me a gift of their cookbook and I read it all the way over on the plane

The Food is Middle Eastern based (personal fave) but very modern and with

unexpected turns!

I can't wait to get into my new apartment and start cooking up a storm

You should checkout their site and they also have a blog

If you like to cook I HIGHLY recommend this cookbook

and next time you are in London this place should be top of your list.

Stop by Monday for The Chelsea Flower Show and Egg

Have a great weekend

London Calling

2010-06-01T14:50:00.000+01:00

Oh I have so much to tell you

all about my trip to London

I am having some difficulty as I had emailed all the

images to myself from my iphone.....

got to NYC and there are no images in my email account?

Excuse me while I figure this out

any suggestions as to how I can get my images from my

Irish iphone on to a NYC computer appreciated

stay tuned