November

Ah, a new month. I always get excited at the start of November because, even though I love Halloween, it means all sorts of other exciting business is on the way. Namely, Christmas starts seeping into everyone's subconscious (the commercial world most of all) and that means peppermint mochas in red cups from Starbucks, LED lights in decked out shop windows, baubles and red stripes, shiny wrapping and gaudy glitter all over the place. I could go on for ages about all my plans for taking advantage of London Christmas, but let's get back to November, since that's where we are at present.

This inspirsession is a strange blend of color and black. Like I've said before, fall always makes me feel of life and death at the same time. Just as spring threads the loneliness of winter through all its ignition of technicolor blossoms and sweet pollens, so too does fall seem to lay summer to rest as it surges in its fiery blaze toward snow and ice. I recently watched Johnny Depp's interview on Inside the Actor's Studio. I've always associated Depp with fall somehow -- Benny and Joon will forever be associated with October in Spokane for me; longtime cohort Tim Burton is always producing creepy Halloween-y stuff with him in it; and Edward Scissorhands becomes fair game as soon as November hits. This year I watched Sleepy Hollow, which was alright (Christina Ricci's another fall favorite). 

Speaking of movies, I've been doing a fair amount of research on Asta Neilsen, whose 1920 performance of Hamlet in a German silent film is INCREDIBLE and so inspiring. It's lead me to read up on other early Shakespearean heroine actresses, including Sarah Siddons (Lady M in the lower left corner) and Ellen Terry (other corner, playing Imogene in Cymbeline which is, by the way, a great read). Of course the chilling weather has got me thinking about buying warmer clothes -- I'm especially attracted to all the tailored coats popping up around London, but I know buying one would be completely insensible -- too much to lug back in my suitcase. Neilsen's got me excited about brooding in black turtlenecks. 

I also really like these "flare" dresses, though they're not the most flattering for a person with any amount of chest -- and am still trying to figure out which of the autumn fire colors I can pull off. Lately I've been super into grilled vegetables, which is a blessing during a time when usually all I crave is baked goods. On the other hand, I had a Tootsie Roll Pop for the first time in eons and have had a hankering for more of those as well. (The brown ones are the best; let's not argue this.) An airmail envelope that found its way into my mailbox sent me over the moon -- I've always wanted to receive one of these! -- and last, but not least, November 7th marks the return of the Starbucks Christmas cup, which only Katie Kowalski will be able to appreciate fully.