Work In Progress...

This week, Velvet Empire has been...

READING:
"Money" by Martin Amis - sped read in a week and rather enjoyed it once I got into it. It's many, many years since I last read some Amis but if you're going to read him, you might as well do it properly and make it "Money".

"The Colour of Memory" by Geoff Dyer - the antithesis of "Money". While Amis writes about the revolting extravagance of the '80s, living the jet set life fueled by coke, spirits and porn, Dyer writes about the council-estate life in Brixton of the '80s, traveling in beat up cars, barricading your home from theives, fueled by grass, beer and envy.

"The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff - the wisdom of Taoism as explained to a bear of very little brain. Consequently, the boyfriend informed me this morning that in my sleep last night I was telling him that I was an "unsculptured block", ie a Taoist symbol of purity and calm. He thinks the whole thing is a load of codswallop.

LISTENING TO:
"Beautiful World" by Take That - I don't care what you say, you can take away all my street cred if you like, but I love a bit of the That. Favourite moments? "Patience", "Shine" and "Wooden Boat" - who knew Jason Orange could sing like that?

WATCHING:
"Celebrity Big Brother" - it picked up a little after my initial slating (although the two are probably not connected), and then plummeted back down to earth when Donny jumped the fence. Thank God for Jade and her trumping Ma... fingers crossed that one-armed lesbian Jackie makes the play for Jermaine Jackson that she's already set in motion.

"Ugly Betty" - it's January and everyone stays in, so we're joining them and watching more telly in a week than we have in the previous year. But "Ugly Betty" wasn't too bad. Much better than "The Devil Wears Prada". Could be one to watch...

BUYING:
The most expensive dress ever - I had to, it was calling out to me. Apart from coats and shoes and handbags, it is the most expensive item of clothing I have ever bought. But it is a beautiful, new season Vivienne Westwood little black dress. Absolutely stunning. the trouble with such an expensive clothing purchase, is it sets a new benchmark for subsequent purchases and now that I've coughed up £XXX (I can't admit it) for a frock, it won't seem so bad the next time and I'll be able to reason my way out of even more. It's a slippery slope.

Treats for The Bed - it's our child substitute, we're nurturing it.