DESIGN AT HOME

I should really call this post "What I Do When I'm Procrastinating". Just 24 hours to go until an intensive 3-week-long work trip to Indonesia, and instead of checking I've got my notebooks and dictaphone, I'm rearranging my bathroom shelf.

I have an excuse though - I just picked up these two blue saucers from Portobello market and they seem pretty happy holding my jingly jangly gold Indian-style jewellery. The ceramic saucers are European by design, but the saucer in the top left corner looked Rajasthani to me as I walked past the stall, even though it's apparently over a hundred years old, and hung out in some old English dude's manor house until recently. Oh and those cute silver circle earrings just about visible in the top right corner were made by my lovely flatmate and jewellery-maker extraordinaire. The earrings are mine but you can buy her other gorgeous stuff here.

Ok bathroom re-organised. Back to my packing. Sob.

BOLLYWOOD KITSCH

The riotous colours of Bollywood are inherently kitsch, but mixing the two requires serious skillz. The mad colours, dazzling sequins, and general over-the-topness of Indian movies mean that if you get it wrong, the results will be so heinously tacky that you'll want to chuck it on the bonfire faster than you can scream "my eyes! my eyes!".

Item Number is a label that definitely gets it right, and though I only own a little clutch bag so far, I covet their entire range of accessories including clutch and tote bags, cushion covers, mugs, and notebooks. They've just brought out this new cotton and faux leather cummerband that would look pretty kickass on a white shirt.

Check out these babies...

Oscar-winning dialogue right here. On the left, the angry dude's saying "Bitch! Bastard! I'm going to drink your blood!!! She replies, "Listen, today don't drink blood, drink tea!" Make sense? It doesn't have to! It's Bollywood!

This is my one. Snazzy no? She lives on my bedroom shelf.

This smouldering lady is Rekha, legendary Bollywood goddess