Liberty of London

{Liberty of London, Brit chic}

My first trip to iconic Liberty of London was right at closing time & I'm glad there wasn't time to shop - it would've been too tempting! For starters, the place is dramatically designed to look like an old ship...it's almost like stepping into a soaring film set...

{Carriage bag, with "Hera" print created 1876}

The nice security guard let us in after some cajoling & even played tour-guide. And, oh, the fun of Liberty's signature, vivid prints & print-suffused goodies...

{Louis Vuitton Liberty print fabric necklace...}

{MAC Liberty of London cosmetics packaging...}

{Liberty "Ianthe" print embossed clutch...}

What's not to love?

And I couldn't resist...Liberty for all! This Liberty for Target bike (seen stateside at Target, of course) is design for the masses, in the best sense. Riding this would make me smile goofily. :)

For a great intro to a great shop way back when, I owe it to my lovely significant other for sweetly talking his way past the guard, and to the guard for being kind - pointing out details, letting us browse - even though we weren't supposed to be there.

(Images via DesignSquared, BagExchange, poetic & chic, Makeup & Beauty Blog, Vogue UK, and the bicyclette).

Strida folding bikes

Sigh, Strida folding bikes look so beautiful & cleverly-designed. (I love the funny black and white photo!)

(Images via Strida).

Bicycle maps

Such a great idea - Ride the City online maps help you avoid main roads not meant for bikes & maximize use of bike-friendly routes.

(Image of Hudson River Park light via Flickr).