wish i were there

a girl after my own heart...

since we're on the subject, here's a perfect london guide, written by blogger naive.
this is exactly the kind of list i love: written by a local, not just for tourists, full of favorite idiosycratic places, shops and places to grab a bite, and illustrated with creative photography (see above, one of her images).  the list is too long to recap, but check it out - it's perfect.  and while you're at it, the rest of her blog is great, too.

happy english shop

shelf looks like a fabulous place to pop into while in london... i heard about it on the blog of the fabulous laura normandin, who makes lovely illustrations and delicious hand-crafted goods.  there are more pictures on her site... 
(secret confession - when i was working in a tiny shop in soho a few years ago, i think i accosted her when she came in and made a purchase.  i was just so excited to meet the person who had drawn the cover art for sufjan steven's michigan album, of which i was obsessed at the time, that i just couldn't help myself.  awkward!  anyway, nice to see she's continuing to make more good things.  oh yeah, and speaking of good things, she's also one of the amazing crafters that makes martha fabulous.)