This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

It's F... F... F...

And thank goodness for that. 

I think we definitely all deserve a lie-in or two and a couple of days of hardcore hibernation. I don't know if it's the plummeting temperatures, the vast expanse of time that seems to have dragged by since my last pay cheque, or just general January malaise, but right now there's nowhere I'd rather spend the weekend than sprawled out on the sofa. So you know what? That's exactly where I'm going to spend it! 

If you're feeling similarly languid, let us run you through what's served as our lounging entertainment in the past seven days - this week the Mice have mostly been...

Neglecting work, household chores and husbands because I can't get my nose out of my Kindle thanks to Rebecca Thornton's brilliantly unputdownable debut novel, The Exclusives.

I was tipped off about this little gem when Esther Coren blogged about it last Friday (if you haven't discovered her new blog, The Spike, yet, say hello to an amazing weekend treat...). By Monday morning I'd been dragged back a couple of decades and immersed in a world Mallory Towers meets Gone Girl. Download it now and be prepared to do nothing you meant to do until you reach the last page...

Beginning to work my way through the Oscar nominations list and kicking off with what has to be the favourite for this year's best picture - the Revenant. This epic survival-adventure film is made even more exceptional when you read about the lengths that director, Alejandro González Iñárritu (21 Grams, Babel, Birdman), and his long-suffering cast went to in order to make this stunning piece of cinema. Insisting on shooting using only natural light, in the remotest of locations where at times temperatures reached as low as minus 27 - it's hardly surprising that this project took an arduous nine months to shoot. Beautiful, heart-wrenching and without a doubt the performance of Di Caprio's career.

Next up - Steve Jobs, Joy and Carol... Pass the popcorn.

Getting max use out of my brand new Frends Laylas with an iPod full of Podcasts. I recognise I'm monumentally late to the Podcast party, but having heard a zillion people raving on about Serial last year, I finally decided to download a couple of Podcast episodes, and within a couple of listens, I was well and truly obsessed. Swapping my usual morning Spotify session for half an hour's Podcasting makes me feel like I'm using my commute for something constructive and now I finally feel like I have a bit more of substance to discuss at the coffee machine with my colleagues.

(Hyper intelligent earphone face clearly illustrating the point).

A few of my current favs:

Answer Me This - fortnightly Podcast during which Helen and Olly answer a set of random questions sent in by listeners which run across a range of ridiculous subjects from the proper name for the insert in a box of chocolates that tells you what flavour each chocolate is to why there are so few paintings of the pregnant Virgin Mary. This makes me laugh out loud on the train - you've been warned.

Stuff Mom Never Told You - Like a night in with your wittiest older sister and her super cool best mate, Stuff Mom Never Told You tackles any and all girl-related topics from the skinny on the science behind juice cleanses to knitting and the history of abortion to feminist witchcraft...

Jeremy Vine's Being Human - brilliant BBC 2 radio show which each week asks a celebrity guest what defining feature makes us human. With guests ranging from Caitlin Moran to Ruby Wax and Terry Waite to the Archbishop of Canterbury, each episode starts with the week's subject reading an essay on their defining feature and finishes up with the guest's lifestory. 

Planet Money - great commute-friendly, sub-20 minute bubbles of really clever but genuinely interesting stuff that's loosely economics-related. Think everything from the marketing strategy behind keeping the Hermes Birkin the number one "it" bag to why the price of Coca Cola didn't change for 70 years.

5 Live Hit List - a great source of coffee machine chatter - this 5 Live show counts down through the most shared stories on social media during the previous week which makes for a guaranteed mix of crazy weirdness, key current affairs stories and odd celeb titbits. 

And now we think it's time to leave you to crack on with the weekend's adventures. 

x

The Mice

Sofa Sundays...

If, like me, you're still in Sunday hibernation mode, then you'll appreciate the feeling of finishing a really awesome box set and the gaping hole it leaves in your life!! I get so engrossed in the characters and story-lines that I genuinely feel as if I know them / am part of their world!!!

I'm up to date on all episodes of Greys Anatomy, Suits, Scandal, Girls, Orange is The New Black, True Blood, Entourage and even Nashville... so now it's time to start a newbie! 

Decision made. Making A Murderer it is... we started watching and were finding it all very confusing keeping track of who was who and what they were referring to, only to find out when the episode finished that Middle Mouse had started us on the last episode by mistake?! So another one bites the dust!!

There's so many recommended, it's just where to start... Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Game of Thrones... all constantly raved about but just not what I'm after! I want suspense, tears, lovable characters and a few beautiful people to become obsessed with... Avery, Harvey, McSteamy... I'm not picky!  

Completely confused and daunted by the prospect of getting to grips with a whole new cast and story, I've decided instead to catch up on trillions of films I've never got round to watching whilst nursing my unenviable Sunday hangover! 

So far my favourites and perfect for your next day of lounging are... 

The Next Three Days - Russell Crowe plays the lead character who becomes obsessed with the idea of breaking his wrongly convicted wife out of prison. You'll be kept on the edge on your sofa from start to finish!

The Departed - a stellar cast and an amazing watch! Leonardo, Matt and Jack have you immediately engrossed in the corrupt and darn right stressful story of gangsters and police moles! 

Law Abiding Citizen - another one to keep you gripped and guessing, Gerard Butler calls the shots like the boss that he is, along with Jamie Foxx in the plot of ultimate revenge. 

Whiplash - the story of a drummer and (scary!) jazz conductor, slightly dark and intense in places but pretty amazing, compelling and beautifully shot. 

Soooooooo Grab a duvet, hot water bottle, hop into your PJs and get watching my friends...more to come soon! 

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

It's F...F…F…Frrriday!

And we have good news - we're over halfway through the dowdiest, dullest month of the year! If January was a shoe, it would be a scuffed, brown pair of lace-up brogues. It would be flat and ugly and not even particularly comfortable. 

And to make matters even worse, in January everyone's beyond boring. If we had a martini for every minutely detailed story we've been told this month about new year's fitness regimes/ diets/ months off the booze, we'd be incredibly, incredibly drunk by now… But even if we were 272 martinis down, we'd be dancing on tables all by ourselves because everyone else is at home hibernating, drinking green juices and doing sit-ups… roll on February, pay day and a return to bad behaviour!

Until then, a quick canter through what us Mice have been up to over the last seven days, this week the Mice have mostly been...

Getting into the spirit of Awards Season and pepping up nights curled up on the sofa at home by working our way through the nominated films. We loved the fashion fest that was the Golden Globes red carpet last Sunday, but we've decided that this year we should stop switching off once we've goggled at the diamonds and Couture and take a real interest in who wins what what… 

We've still got a few lined up for this weekend but our pick of the bunch so far are...

The Wolf of Wall Street



American Hustle



Her



If so far this month you've been mainly jogging and munching on kale, might we suggest that this Saturday is the perfect time to drown yourself in a ginourmous bucket of popcorn while catching one of these fab flicks…

Getting seriously dizzy at the prospect of the impending Peter Pilotto for Target collaboration! It's no secret that us Mice are more than a little partial to a bit of high fashion on the highstreet. Just a couple of months ago we gleefully bagged a delicious haul of Isabel Marant pour H&M amazingness and now the king of print, Peter Pilotto is teaming up with American discount superstore, Target… This week the lookbook was unveiled and let's just say this promises to be a good 'un. But what about those of us that don't live in the US we hear you cry… well, good news on that front blog buds, our pals at Net-a-Porter have us covered… yes, that's right our fav fashion e-tailer will be stocking the range and shipping it worldwide! So you can snap your slice of bargainous Pilotto from the comfort of your sofa on February 9th - could we BE anymore excited?!

And on that fashion fabulous note, that's it for another week! I'm not sure about you but...

Have an awesome one!

x

The Mice

Fashion on Film

I've just started reading Grace Coddington's Memoir and am already loving every second. Quite aside from giving an insight into the heady heights of American Vogue, it's beautifully illustrated, packed full of gorgeous photos and so readable that I've already whizzed through several chapters.

Grace shot to fame after starring in the fashion fabulous film, The September Issue, a documentary following the Vogue team as they put together the 2007 fall fashion issue. 

 

 

Reading the book and Grace's take on the film got me to thinking about my other favourite fashion films. So, here are the nine other films which complete my fashion film top ten...

 

The Eye Has To Travel 
She famously commented that the bikini was the most important thing since the atom bomb, and this documentary about the Empress of Fashion is stuffed full of deliciously similar Vreeland soundbites. The beautiful retrospective of the fashion tour de force who edited Harpers Bazaar and Vogue, really shows how the fashion magazine has become the all-powerful force that it is today. 



The Devil Wears Prada
The film adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's bestselling novel which is speculated to have been based on her real life experience working for Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. Fashion world insight aside, the film also showcases some heart-stopping style and Meryl Streep's turn as icy editor, Miranda Priestly is fantastic. 



Valentino - The Last Emperor
This documentary chronicles the life and career of Valentino Garavani - master of couture, father to a pack of pugs and king of the tantrum. We see everything from dress fittings to star studded parties along with a bit of hilariously bitchy bickering between Valentino and his partner and business associate, Giancarlo Giammetti.



Marie Antoinette
Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is a complete riot of decadent, frothy, over-the-top costumes finished off with a high-top trainer. Fun and aesthetically dazzling, you'll want to eat cake while wearing a ball gown after watching this film.



Sex & The City Movie
After loving every single episode of the TV show and re-watching it all over and over again, the Sex & The City film wasn't quite all that we'd hoped it would be but no one can deny that the fashion is fabulous. No top ten of fashion films would be complete without a nod to Carrie & Co. Special mention has to go to that wedding dress scene...  



Lagerfeld Confidential
A peek into the bonkers world of a fashion genius, Karl Lagerfeld. This extended interview attempts to lift the curtain surrounding the elusive Chanel designer and is worth watching for the Karlisms alone... "When I took on Chanel, it was a sleeping beauty - not even a beautiful one; she snored".



Breakfast at Tiffany's
One of my all time favourite films, I absolutely adore Breakfast at Tiffany's and it's undoubtedly one of the most glamorous films ever made. Audrey Hepburn in that black Givenchy dress and pearls has to be one of fashion's most iconic images.



Bill Cunningham New York 
Documentary following The New York Times' fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham, as he goes about his street style snapping on his beaten up old bicycle. Funny and at times poignant, the film peels back the glitz and glamour and paints a moving portrait of the man behind the lens whose sole, all-consuming passion is fashion.



A Single Man
Fashion designer, Tom Ford's, film directorial debut, A Single Man is as startlingly beautiful as you'd expect it to be. Based on a novel by Christian Isherwood, the film centres around Colin Firth who plays a gay British college professor living in California in the 60s. With incredible performances from Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Nicholas Hoult, the film also provides a very stylish snapshot of sixties suburbia. 

Cosy Christmas Cinemas...

Two weeks ago we blogged about the best Christmas films for this years festive run-up, and I thought what better post to follow with than where in London you can go to watch 3BM's top ten choices! Every day there seems to be another venue popping up or an original Christmas concept but I can't think of anything nicer than cosily watching a Christmas film with your girls / boyfriend whilst sipping on a glass of Pinot Noir and getting snug under a blanket! 

There is something seriously exciting about Christmas films. Us Mice even get excited about the Christmas TV Listings and particularly the release of the Christmas Radio Times! Each year when we were little we patiently spent December waiting for the Christmas Radio Times to appear in our newsagents and when it finally landed, we'd each uncap a crayola felt tip pen to circle all the films and seasonal specials that we wanted to stay up for! This tradition hasn't stopped in our household, only now we do it with a Sharpie instead but the same squeals of excitement can still be heard as we see all our Christmas favourites! 

This year we'll definitely still be snuggling on the sofa at home for our Christmas viewing but there are so many fab Christmas screenings around town that we may just have to get our Christmas film fix at one of the lovely festive cinemas in London too. So without further ado here are my favourite London Christmas Screenings, to help you plan at least a couple of hours in your packed Christmas schedule for a bit of Chrimbo cinema! 

Get cosy in a courtyard at Hush and kick back with your own blanket, gourmet popcorn, winter warmer cocktails and even a full A La Carte meal if you want! There's a £10 cover charge per table and our top film picks this December are...

8th December - Love Actually

15th December - Elf

22nd December - It's a Wonderful Life

29th December - When Harry met Sally

Image via www.londonpopups.com

Winter Wonderland Film Club at Firmdale Hotels...known more commonly to us as Charlotte Street Hotel, The Soho Hotel and The Covent Garden Hotel! Over the weekend each hotel takes a different day and the deal is you pay £35 and get a three course Lunch/Dinner/Afternoon Tea in the hotel restaurant and then move on to the watch the film in the hotel's cinema. 

Sundays are 3pm screenings at the Soho branch...

Image via www.firmdalehotels.com

Then there's the Sunday screening at the Charlotte Street Hotel from 5pm...

Image via www.firmdalehotels.com

Or finally a Saturday screening at the Covent Garden branch...

Image via www.firmdalehotels.com

Check out the sample menus and film listings on the website, to give you a little taster, they're showing all the goodies like The Holiday, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street and Polar Express!

One wardrobe, one film and a whole lot of snow....head down to Brick Lane and get involved in a brand new Pop Up Screens this December at Drays Walk Gallery. You enter through a big wardrobe door and on the other side is a Christmas cinema filled with snow and lots of festive delights! The film line up is immense with the likes of Home Alone, Elf, Nightmare before Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street, plus there is a bar full of cakes, popcorn, thick hot chocolate and alcoholic beverages to keep you cosy in all that fake snow! 

The film line up is...

Tuesday 18th - Nightmare Before Christmas (7:45pm)

Wednesday 19th - Bad Santa (5pm)

Wednesday 19th - Home Alone (7:45pm)

Thursday 20th - Home Alone (1pm)

Thursday 20th - The Grinch (5pm)

Thursday 20th - The Muppets Christmas Carol (7:45)

Friday 21st - Elf (1pm)

Friday 21st - Edward Scissorhands (5pm)

Saturday 22nd - The Muppets Christmas Carol (1pm)

Saturday 22nd - Scrooged (5pm)

Saturday 22nd - Gremlins (7:45pm)

Sunday 23rd - Nightmare Before Christmas (1pm)

Sunday 23rd - Miracle on 34th Street (5pm)

Sunday 23rd - Elf (7:45pm)

Image via www.popupscreens.co.uk

Tickets are £14, check out the website for more details. 

A rooftop pine forest cinema at The Berkeley Hotel...I read about this wonderful concept last year and desperately wanted to go and I still do! Who wouldn't want to be a part of a luxury hotel's rooftop transformed into a pine forest with heated lamps, blankets, fluffy cushions and hot water bottles hey?! For £55.00 you get access to the rooftop, a seat (of course with your own hot water bottle and blanket!) along with home made hot chocolate, marshmallows and mince pies whilst you watch your film! 

They show old classics such as 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'Miracle on 34th Street' but to get full details call up The Berkeley on 0207 201 1618.

Image via www.itsrudetostare.com

Happy Festive Film watching!