Even though I have been in magazine curmudgeon mode for some time now...where I alternate between bitching about the price of European imports and the lack of content therein...I found myself standing by the magazine rack in Borders (mainly, I'll admit because Mr. Heb had dragged me in to look at the sale tables). I had a cursory flip through Lula #9 (Fall/Winter 2009...ridiculously late, I know, but the November issue of l'Officiel was close by...time, for mags crossing the Atlantic, is relative)...and was bludgeoned into magazine buying submission by the quality of the editorials inside.

The only downside? Of the two available issues, one was (quite literally) falling to pieces...and the cover on the second looked like it had been used to fend off attackers. In days gone by I would have left them both on the shelf and gone to another bookstore...but so many stores have closed recently there's no certainty of getting your hands on anything more exotic than US Vogue. Feeling like I should know better I ended up at the counter, wallet in hand...and jokingly asked the (very nice) man behind the counter if there were any slightly less abused issues in the back of the store..."No", he said, "but I'll take 20% off this one". Faith in mankind restored and eye candy to enjoy while I sit next to the hissing radiator...the year is going on a (admittedly rather low) high spot.