Welcome to yet another Friday Fry-Up, where we tell you exactly what’s been making Desirable HQ rock ‘n roll over the last week.

The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History in the White House: Having heard this book reviewed on the radio earlier this week and seen some of the excerpts (including a great bit about Boris Yeltsin drunk outside the White House trying to flag down a cab so that he could find some pizza… at 2am) our interest has been well and truly piqued!  We’re adding this to our Christmas wishlist!  By Taylor Branch, available from Amazon, £11.50 GBP (Pictured above, A.).

Rosanna Crockery: If you haven’t come across Rosanna crockery before, where the hell have you been?!  After falling in love with the pale blue and chocolate brown ‘Hot Chocolate’ range a few years ago and purchasing several pieces, we can verify that not only are the designs fantastic but the crockery itself is great – solid and big enough to hold a decent serving.  We’re loving the J’adore Shoes espresso set (at Amazon, £24.95 GBP, pictured above, B) and the Roses are Blue tea pot (from Amazon, £19.95 GBP, pictured above E).

The Debenhams Christmas TV Ad: Evocative of those glamorous parties you wish you could get an invite to, the Debenhams Christmas TV spot is smooth, sophisticated, and perfectly demonstrates their party season ranges.  We love the Crystal Peardrop Earrings by Mood (£10.00 GBP, pictured above, C), the Metallic Grey Lazer Cut Out Shoes by Jasper Conran (£40.00 GBP, pictured above, F) and the Gold Glittery Minaudiere Clutch by Star by Julien MacDonald (£30.00 GBP, pictured above, H).

Spooks: Hooray!  The new season of Spooks has started, with Ros, Harry and Lucas keeping the world safe from bad guys with nuclear weapons (for some reason it always seems to be the Russians? I thought the Cold War was over…?!).  We love the fast pace, the clever plot lines and the fact that there’s something for everyone (and by everyone we mean the lovely Richard Armitage for the ladies and the gorgeous Hermione Norris for the guys, pictured above, G).  On BBC, Wednesdays at 9pm.

Cocktail Rings at Miss Selfridge: See the Christmas season out in style with the gorgeous cocktail rings available at Miss Selfridge at the moment.  We couldn’t go past the Flower with Black Beads Ring (pictured above, D, £6.00 GBP), we’re suckers for a nice flower!

Welcome to yet another Friday Fry-Up, where we tell you exactly what’s been making Desirable HQ rock ‘n roll over the last week.

The Big Pink – ‘Dominoes’: This song has been stuck in my head for two weeks, and no amount of Cheryl Cole/Alexandra Burke/ABBA/Air will budge it.  Catchy, twangy and completely infectious, ‘Dominoes’ is bound to be massive in the run up to Christmas at all the staff parties!  Pictured above, A, available from Amazon, £0.79 GBP
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Kate Moss for TopShop Sleepwear: Perfect for a Christmas present, a treat for yourself (or perhaps your loved one!), these Kate Moss for Top Shop nighties, pyjamas and bed jackets are absolutely gorgeous.  My favourites? The Vintage Rose Teddy (pictured above, B, £50.00 GBP), the Lace Bed Shorts (pictured above, E, £30.00 GBP), the Oriental Print Slip, (pictured above, F, £50.00 GBP) and the Butterfly Teddy (pictured above, G, £50.00 GBP).

True Blood: I caught the first season of this when it was getting big in the U.S., and now the series is airing over here in the UK and is also available on DVD.  I wouldn’t know how to explain it other than it being kitschy, soapy and incredibly addictive – plus it features Alexander Skarsgard, which is never a bad thing.  Pictured above, C, available on DVD from Borders, £27.97 GBP.

Square Minaudiere Bag in Gold at ASOS: Having spotted this earlier in the week, I’ve had time to consider its merits and potential bad points and I can tell you – there are no negatives.  Awesome metallic colour? Check.  Cross-shoulder chain? Check. Vintage inspired pattern? Check.  Boxy, stiff shape? Check.  Hold me back folks, I’m in love!  Pictured above, D, available from ASOS, £25.00 GBP.

Welcome to yet another Friday Fry-Up, where we tell you exactly what’s been making Desirable HQ rock ‘n roll over the last week.

New BBC Adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma: We caught the replay of the first episode of BBC’s newest Austen adaptation, ‘Emma’, and found ourselves enthralled – not just by the fantastic costumes and set design, but by the luminous Romola Garai (as Emma Woodhouse, pictured above A) and the dashing Jonny Lee Miller (as Mr Knightley).  If you want to catch up you can watch online (iPlayer), or you can read the book – available from Borders, £4.49 GBP (pictured above, B).

Jay Z’s new album ‘The Blueprint 3′: We’ve been rocking out all week to Jay-Z’s newest release, entitled Blueprint 3 (pictured above, C).  Featuring tracks such as ‘Empire State of Mind’ (with Alicia Keys) and ‘Run This Town’ (with Kanye and Rihanna), it’s like Jay Z never left us… All that’s missing is a duet with his wife, the glorious Beyonce.  Otherwise this is the perfect album for revving up for a night out.  Available from Borders, £8.97 GBP.

Alexandra Burke’s Makeover: Dayum girl!  Not only does your new single, ‘Bad Boys’, absolutely rock, but you are looking mighty fine!  Love the hair, the sequins and the footwear in the new vid and we can’t wait for the album (pictured above, D), entitled ‘Overcome’, out on the 19th of October.  Available from Borders, £8.97 GBP.

Reiss Autumn/Winter Footwear: Studs? Check. Quilting? Check.  Sky-high heels? Check.  We love Reiss regardless, but their A/W 2009 footwear is absolutely lush.  Our faves are the Chrissie Shoes, £149.00 GBP (pictured above, F), the Denning Shoes, £149.00 GBP (pictured above, E), and the Hart Ankle Boots, £179.00 GBP (pictured above, G).  Can you pick the runway influence?

Uggs for A/W Season: We’re sick of uncomfortable boots, towering heels and cold toes.  We know they can be seen as a bit of a fashion faux pas, but for shuffling around the house and up to the corner shop for milk and a newspaper, you can’t go past Uggs.  Our faves, available from Office, are the Bailey Button Boot in Chestnut, £160.00 GBP (pictured above, H) and the Cardy Knitted Boot in Cream, £125.00 GBP (pictured above, I).

Welcome to yet another Friday Fry-Up, where we tell you exactly what’s been making Desirable HQ rock ‘n roll over the last week.

Generation Kill: Based on the best-selling novel by the same title (written by Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright, pictured above, B), the Generation Kill tv series premiered last night on Channel 4 and we couldn’t drag our eyes from the screen!  This may partially have been because of the several nice-looking men in uniform (Alexander Skarsgard pictured above, A), partially because of all the impressive sounding military speak, and partially because it was well-written, insightful and entertaining.  What made the whole experience even better was the accompanying Twitter account for the show, which explained technical terms as they were mentioned on tv.  Brilliant!

Estee Lauder Tender Lip Balm with SPF 15: We worship Estee Lauder, and our absolute number one favourite product of theirs is their lip gloss.  We were very excited to find these Tender Lip Balms, which combine the colours we love in the gloss range, with lovely moisturizing softness and a wee bit of shine.  Available from Garden Pharmacy, £10.77 GBP each (Pictured above, C).

Air’s new album, ‘Love 2′: Super French music maestros Air released their new album at the start of this week and we were absolutely stoked to hear that it’s a return to the more cohesive melodies of ‘Moon Safari’.  The album, entitled ‘Love 2′ (available from Borders, £8.97 GBP pictured above, D), is a more mature, complex sound for the duo but still manages to squeeze in some of those typically Air-esque synth sounds.  We can’t recommend it enough!

Lemon Butter Cream Cupcakes: Following a recipe found on the Daily Mail website (don’t worry, we don’t read the Daily Fail, we googled for the recipe and this was the best one!), we baked some Lemon Butter Cream cupcakes (pictured above, E) yesterday that by all accounts were absolutely lush.  With lemon zest mixed in to the cupcake batter AND the icing, it was a very fresh and citrusy affair!

Snoods: The perfect cool-weather accompaniment, snoods have been keeping us warm and snug every day this week.  Never mind the old fashioned scarves and beanies, who needs them when you have such a luxe, cuddly accessory like the one we found at Dorothy Perkins (pictured above, F) for £12.00 GBP!

White Stuff’s A/W 2009 Range: We’ve posted about it already but it continues to astound – we love the kitschy patterns, the quality of the fabrics and the tailoring!  Our faves this week?  The Victorian Rose Long Socks (Pictured above, G, £8.00 GBP), the McBridie Jacket (Pictured above, H, £69.95 GBP) and the Shepherds Delight Gilet (Pictured above, I, £59.95 GBP).

Welcome to yet another Friday Fry-Up, where we tell you exactly what’s been making Desirable HQ rock ‘n roll over the last week.

Leeds Shopping Week Festival: The town of Leeds has announced it will be going all shopaholic for a week starting 15th of October (pictured above, A), offering shoppers all sorts of fun and fashionable events to get their hearts racing.  Top on our list?  A trip to Hotel Chocolat for samples, a stop off at the Harvey Nichols Beauty Evening, followed by a browse through The Stalls Arts & Crafts fair.  Ready your bank balances ladies!

Mathmos Fireflow Lamps at Prezzy Box: I adore Prezzy Box regardless of their newest addition but I have to confess, a lava-lamp powered solely by a tea-light?  It did make me love the Prezzy Box crew just a wee bit more.  The Mathmos Fireflow Lamps come in a range of colours (including glitter and purple, pictured above, B) and are a snip at £29.95 GBP.  Remember, they’re powered by candle – that means no electricity bills!  Genius!

Autumn: The chilly, crisp air.  The dappled sun-light through amber leaves (above, C).  The smell of wood fires.  Ah, who am I kidding?  I love autumn because it means I can get away with wearing ugg boots and snoods.  As long as it doesn’t rain, this season is fine by me.  Bring on the mulled wine!

Noir Rings at Kabiri: These gorgeous pyramid inspired rings make me want to hold them close to my chest, stroke them and murmur the words ‘my precious’.  Thankfully, they’re just out of my price range at present, meaning I won’t have to scare my nearest and dearest by turning into Gollum.  Still… they’re so pretty!  The Four Point Ring (above, D) retails at £65.00 GBP, the Cone Pyramid Ring (above, E) retails at £70.00 GBP, and the Pave Trim Pyramid Ring (above, F), at £71.00 GBP – all from my favourite jewellers, Kabiri.

The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser: I love Antonia Fraser’s books because she makes history interesting. Remember the movie Marie Antoinette (starring Kirsten Dunst and a massive wig)?  That was based on the biography of the French Queen written by Fraser.  I’m currently delving into the lives of warrior queens throughout history (pictured above, G) – Cleopatra, Boudicca, even Elizabeth I – and loving every second.  Ms Fraser, I salute you and your slightly scary warrior ladies.  Available from Borders on sale for £7.99 GBP.

Debenhams Half Price Sale: Er, I shouldn’t think I should have to remind you all, but Debenhams happen to have a pretty massive sale on right now and it’s epic proportions have shocked even the hardiest of bargain-hunters (ie. me).  Top of my list?  A gorgeous Dark Turquoise Panel Detail Purse by Fiorelli (was £32.00 and is now £22.40, pictured above, H), and a beautiful pair of Blue Aztec High Heel Shoes by Carvela (were £120.00, now £59.00, pictured above, I).

Welcome to our regular Friday Fry-Up, where we sum up what we’ve loved (and perhaps hated) over the past week.

Accessorize Autumn/Winter Jewellery: Someone at Accessorize has done a deal with the devil.  I honestly can’t see any other way they possibly could keep achieving such fantastic ranges in the way that they seem to have over the last year and a half.  The current range, for Autumn/Winter 2009-10, is all about glam sequins, shades of pinks, purples and greeny-blues, and animal print.  Meow!  Pictured above: (A) Discotheque Mega-Bow Alice Band, £8.00 GBP; (B) Gemini Catwalk Statement Necklace, £18.00 GBP.

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour: The Chanel Jade Nail Collection (featuring a green varnish, ‘Jade’, and a pink varnish, ‘Jade Rose’) hit the stores last week but it’s taken us until now to really come to terms with whether we like the green tinge or not.  We’ve decided we love it (both pictured above, C).  Sadly you can only purchase from Chanel.com and from Chanel boutiques, and there is of course a waitlist.  Other Chanel nail varnish colours are available from Garden Pharmacy online.

Cheryl Cole’s new album cover: I am one of Cheryl Cole’s biggest fans – she’s a horrible singer and she verges on being too sweet at times, but I still love her.  I was astounded at the album cover for ‘3 Words’, Cheryl’s new solo effort, which is absolutely stunning (pictured above, D).  It can be pre-ordered on Amazon.

Season Three of Gossip Girl: Only two episodes have aired in the US of season three of Gossip Girl (pictured above, E), but I can already sense this is going to be an absolutely amazing season.  Blair and Chuck are together (but for how long?), everyone is off to university, and Dan and Serena’s long-lost half-brother is stalking the whole gang!  Huzzah!

North Wales: You might have wondered why we’ve only been updating once a day over the past week instead of twice daily, and why our Shop Local Sunday feature wasn’t published this week.  For the last few days we’ve been away from our Edinburgh HQ, visiting friends and family in North Wales, and therefore don’t have the time to spare.  Besides, it’s LFW so everyone’s busy anyway!  I was particularly taken with Chirk Castle, pictured above (F, ‘Chirk Castle From the North’ by Peter Tillemans, 1725), which looked like the ultimate setting for a nice garden party.

Welcome to the first of many Friday Fry-Ups, where we sum up what we’ve loved (and perhaps hated) over the past week.

Keith Meets Keith: Keith Allen travelled to France to make this documentary which saw him interviewing one of his personal heroes, Keith Floyd.  The doco was absolutely enthralling for anyone who’s admired Floyd’s cooking (or drinking) style in the past, though sad too as the deteriorating state of Keith’s health became clear.  It was announced the morning after the documentary aired (Monday night, Channel 4) that Keith Floyd had passed away from a heart attack just before the documentary had been shown.  Rest in peace, Sir Floyd, you were a gentleman to the end.  (Keith Floyd’s autobiography, ‘Out of the Frying Pan’, shown above (A), is available for pre-order through Waterstones by clicking this link).

Graham & Green’s New Finds Section: We’re obsessed with Graham & Green at the best of times, but have you SEEN their New Finds section lately?  We were ready to pack up all our old things and replace them with Graham & Green finds right there and then.  Our faves? The Top Hat Ice Bucket (B),  the Egg Cup & Saucer (C) and the Large Aluminium Key Coatrack (D)(all shown above).

Sweet Potato Mash: A good friend of ours made us a tasty dinner the other night which included a side dish of sweet potato mash.  Slightly sweeter than normal potato mash and with lots more colour, we will be adding this to our own kitchen repertoires!  Waitrose have a similiar recipe which incorporates carrot as well as sweet potato which we’ll be trying soon (picture shown above, E).

Shakira’s New Single, ‘She Wolf’: Two words: utterly amazing.  If you haven’t seen the video for the single yet get yourself to a music channel or YouTube pronto, she does things with her body which made my jaw drop.  She also looks absolutely gorgeous and the song isn’t bad either.  The new album (above, F) is out soon and can be pre-ordered from Borders by clicking this link.

Urban Spark Jewellery:  Fresh, original and absolutely gorgeous, we’re loving the current range at Urban Spark.  Available for purchase through their own website (www.urbanspark.co.uk) or through Catwalk Genius, we’re fans of the sea-urchin-esque pieces (pictured above, G).  Prickly and glamourous all in one (sounds like a description Anna Wintour could own).

British Style Bloggers: This awesome community is only new but already has a great number of British style blogging members (including us, yipee).  Head on over to the BSB website (banner above, H) to visit other fashion forward Brits – we’re a pretty awesome bunch, after all!

Archie Grand Notebooks: These notebooks are hilarious and beautifully designed.  Each notebook is entitled ‘– I met and liked’, with the blank being filled with descriptions such as ‘Bosses’, ‘Etonians’, ‘Academics’, ‘Footballers’, ‘Londoners’ and so on.  Our favourite? The ‘Fashionistas I Met and Liked’ notebook, of course (shown above, I)!  Visit the Archie Grand website to check out the full range.