I first introduced Vanessa Fristedt here, with one of her fabulous necklaces. Just like her design pieces, Vanessa is inspiring and unique and down below, are all the reasons why!

Vanessa, tell us more about yourself and what you do?
I’m born in Stockholm, Sweden. I came to London to do a foundation course and stayed here ever since.
I’m a freelance graphic designer. I specialise in branding but design all sorts of printed material and websites too.
Along with my partner, Karen Ashton, I run Pretty Taxing. We produce limited edition tax disc holders by top artists including Sir Peter Blake, Gary Hume, Sarah Lucas, Abigail Lane and Mat Collishaw. They are circular artworks which you display on the inside of your car’s windscreen.

I also make my “Old Broad Bean” jewellery (cufflinks and necklaces) which is based on Cockney Rhyming slang. Since I live in East London and have an obsession and admiration for Her Majesty The Queen (and The Queen Mother), I decided to put her onto a bean. In Cockney, Bean means Queen.
http://www.swedishblondedesign.com/

Who/what inspires you and why?
Art is important to me. I studied art before getting into commercial art, but both feed/need each other. Conceptual art and advertising are close together. But I also get inspiration by just sitting and watching people. When I start a new project and need to come up with ideas quickly, I usually go and sit outdoors at a café, drink tons of coffee and watch people and feel the buzz.

What do you love about being a woman in the world?
I am happy to be woman but what is tricky with being a woman in London, is that I find men are afraid of strong women. Beeing Swedish, I find British men still have an old fashioned way with communicating with us strong girls. Girls are not so afraid of failure and this in itself helps to push our boundaries.

Where are your five must-go destinations for inspiration, life..?
I love water and sea. I love going to Venice, especially for the Art Biennale. Amazing place where you get around by boat.
The archipelago of Stockholm has over 40 000 islands and is still untouched. It’s a paradise on earth.
New York is a brilliant place too.
And Rio de Janeiro – a mad vibrant place where people are wonderful!
I wish London based more things around the Thames. Where are all the cafes and bars on the Embankment? Tracey Emin had a brilliant idea about making a beach along the Thames where you could swim within an enclosed area. Boris: Wake up! I’d love to become the Mayor of London!

What has been your proudest moment so far?
Proud? God knows. When I dressed up as the Queen Mother walking around Trafalgar Square during the Old Broad Bean’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.

Which five tracks make Vanessa’s day?
“What’s going on” by Marvin Gaye
“Forever Young” + “The Liberty of Norton Folgate” by Madness
“Wild by the wind” by David Bowie
All songs by Barry White

What are your five must-have, can’t live without fashion and beauty items?
Brogues, shorts, colourful knee-high socks, tartan, camomille hair spray, water proof mascara.
I am not so interested in fashion as such. My dress style hasn’t changed during the years. I prefer second hand shops and men’s clothing as I love brogues and suits.
A great shop for men is SirTom Baker’s shop on d’Arblay street. www.tombakerlondon.com

What makes you jump-in-the-air happy?
Many things, but one that makes me jump of happines is driving Casanova, my Venetian taxi boat. She’s a beauty, all in wood. She takes the wawes perfectly and is a joy to drive.
I also love American cars and the sound from a loud V8 engines. When I go to car shows, I get over excited by the sound of a good rev.
And last, I truly jumped high up in the air when Ken the Cxxt Livingstone lost the last elections.

What is your life Motto?.
Y E S.
(However, only if it’s a true yes. A sincere NO is better than a false YES.)

What is next for you creatively?
Apart from getting new design work, I want to make a book about old ladies and the way they dress. Ladies from the older generation. The ones with blue rinse hair, who have attitude and their own style. I have to hurry up before they’re gone. Does anyone know of any ladies who want to be photographed? Or grandmothers? Please contact me if you do. They have to look their best and bring their favorite object.

Quick fire round: What is your favourite?
Shop: Tom Baker, Hennes
Book: Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Website/blog: www.culturelabel.com and http://www.myspace.com/therubbishmen
Hang-out: Shoreditch and Soho, and everything in between
City: Rio de Janeiro, Venice, London
Must-have beauty item: LdB (Swedish cream) and Benefit’s “ You Rebel” moisturiser
TV prog: Current Affairs, The Apprentice,
Food: A good English Breakfast, Swedish Crayfish, Fjällfil, Haggis

What does the term Sassy Minx mean to you, Vanessa?
The first thing that comes to my mind is Pam Hogg. Sassy sounds sexy and Scottish and she’s definitely a Scottish Sassy Minx.

Where do I go to get my fix of all things swoonsville?

http://perfectlyswell.blogspot.com

This is the blogginz of my gorgeously glam, snail mail gal-pal, Miss Twist. Not only does she send the BEST mailage – thanks g-friend – she’s the Queen of cute de-voom ensembles, cupcake baking and her ability to create a half moon manicure will make you wish you had her on speed dial as your BFF.

Her Sassy List is suitably swoony too, Miss Twist – I heart you!

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I have been awaiting the arrival of this book for the longest time, because really, there is no one more fabulous to talk about fabulosity than a Jewish Princess, this is a fact. I like to think of myself as a Jewish Princess – I’m not one, but I really, really want to be one – I use the term ‘oyy oy oy’ and ’schmuck’ as part of my daily vocab and think I’m pretty darn fabulous which, as you’ll find out in the book, are prerequisites to being a Jewish princess – wohhooo, I’m well on my way!

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Hola!

So, Ms L and I have taken a little time out to get inspired and drop some fun times, so I thought that it’s only fair to pass the feel-good feeling on, let you know what we’ve been doing (and buying, because c’mon, no one needs a break from shopping, right?!)

The bank holiday weekend was spent retro-stylee. We lunched at a BBQ and then went to the travelling fair with some tins of Strongbow – I know, I know, but I did pretty much co-ordinated my outfit to the can, that’s got to be a good thing hasn’t it? – and sang and danced to Lady Gaga’s new tune. Love her, or hate her we just can’t resist wanting to take a ride on her “Disco Stick”.

Our new thing du jour, is to only snog on dates as opposed to offering a full menu of service. We don ‘t know if its to do with the recession, but later on in the pub, we were speaking to lots of girls and boys who said they too are relishing a good pash-up over a drunken smash-up. It seems fitting then, that last week I was sent a gift of Urban Retreat’s Lip Service. An exfoliator, base to keep colour in, primer to moisturise and gloss to make your lips zing and I feel like I got some of the best bee-stung, kissable lips in town.

£19.50 www.beautique.com

To chill, I read the hilarious “Its Not Me, Its You” by Charlotte Ward. Punchy, straight-to the point and plenty of moments we can all relate to, although there are also a LOT of moments that made me realise my break-ups have been a walk-in-the-park in comparison – I just couldnt put it down. Break up stories don’t usually appeal to me, but hey, we’ve all been there with the Kleenex and the ice cream tub, haven’t we? Whether you’ve been scorned or not, this is a must-read.

£5.99 www.amazon.co.uk

Im off to the white isle of Ibiza next week, so I treated myself to a treat in the form of a screenstar-esque bikini from Pistol Panties. Its not often I get to feel like Brigitte Bardot in St Tropez, but this well cut bikini not only covers my derriere the way it should, its so very, very pretty that I could forgive the price tag.

www.pistolpanties.com

Finally, what with the amazing bank holiday weekend I’ve had, and the fantastic things I’ve been doing and looking forward to, this ring seems to sum it all up – I know I’ll be glancing down at it and twirling it round my finger when I’m feeling glum at work. ‘Think Of Wonderful Thoughts’ by Disney Couture. Walt might have misled us with his fairytale endings, but it’s the moments of joy, that spring from thoughts that make a girl feel the real magic.
£25.00 www.asos.com

Shield your eyes ladies, because you are about to experience a whole lot o’ pretty. Bedcrumb is home to self-indulgent lovliness, and if you ask me, there’s nothing more fabulous than that.

Let me tell you a li’l bit about Miss Heidi, the lady behind the label – she loves colour, illustration and the mixture of old and new materials and techniques. All prints are from Heidi’s original illustrations – ohmystars, they’re pretty – and are usually of elegant and charmingly random ladies, birds & creatures. Oh, and one more thing, each Bedcrumb piece is made in the UK in Heidi’s small, busy, tune-filled studio, far away from mass production – I am in a pool of drool just looking at all the prettification, you will be too, I guarantee it.

Miss Heidi has put together my most favourite Sassy List yet – read it, love it, share the love.

It’s official, I am a Bedcrumb girl and I plan to live by the Bedcrumb motto: be self indulgent, eat cake in bed & forget about the crumbs!

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I love getting my butt kicked by girls doing awesome things, so when I heard that Sarah Prout, creatrix of the crazy-sucessful Sprout publishing empire, had released The Millionairess League, an inspiring and empowering eBook that is essential for any Sassy Minx who wants to rock and rule, I was excited.

Basically, it’s a snapshot into the minds of successful online businesswomen and is filled with secrets, hints and tips to online success from the girls that are actually doing it – check out this vid for more info…

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Not only does Calypso have the coolest name in the whole wide world, she’s created quite possibly the coolest prod in the whole wide world too – the Clippy bag.

This is the super-cute pink, pimped up version that I absolutely WANT. NEED. MUST HAVE.

Isn’t it awesome? Calypso designed the original so she could display her collection of Polaroid photographs in bag-form, except lots and lots of people stopped her in the street wanting to know where it was from. So, she put 250 bags into production. She customised a large bag with a sign saying ‘stop me and buy one’ and hired a stall on the Portobello Road, London. She sold all the bags in the first month – that minxes, makes her a rockstar. Fact.

While I continue to drool over my new favourite thing – seriously, look at it, it’s pretty x 100, isn’t it? – meet the lady behind the label and get totally inspired by her Sassy List – it’s a good one, minxes!

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Gala Darling is a New Zealand girl with candy-coloured hair.

She’s also much, much more than that.

Queen of the blogginz, epic stylista and International Playgirl, her world is a whirlwind of magic, love and sequins and she’s sprinkling a li’l bit of that glitter and sparkle our way by sharing her GD Sassy List – the must-have people, places and things she just cannot live without…

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Minxes – are you ready to rock?

G-friend, you better be as I’m about to hook you up with quite possibly the most kick-ass chick you’ll ever meet – the fur-reakin’ awesome Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna.

Carrie is the author of one of my all time, top 5 favourite books: Cherry Bomb: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Better Flirt, a Tougher Chick, a Hotter Girlfriend, and to Living Life Like a Rock Star – Minxes, you’ll love it – it’s total sassy-fication. Carrie is currently writing the autobiography of adult film star Tera Patrick. It’s titled Sinner Takes All: A Memoir of Love, Lust, Marriage, & Porn and is due out in January 2010 via Gotham/Penguin books.

You can read an interview with the lady o’ fabulousness here, but before you do that,  share in the dee-lights of Carrie’s sensational Sassy List filled-to-the-brim with sweet, sweet treats – she might be married to a rock star-type, but personally, I think she’s the real rockstar – Carrie, you rule. Fact.

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At first I was unsure how on earth I was supposed to review In Bed With, a book of lightly erotic, yet ‘unashamedly sexy stories’ by some of the best female authors around, but that was just me being slightly immature and overtly aware of my prudishness. Because, lingerie designer or not, I find it a little difficult to talk the dirty talk whereas I’m old hand at walking the dirty walk – lingerie and heels, sil ‘vous plait. And, as a girl that reads on-the-go, it wasn’t exactly the kind of book that you would whip out on the bus when the front and back cover, ‘guarantee satisfaction.’

However to put it in the politest way possible; the book WILL deliver satisfaction through a trousseau of quirky tales that will take you to my beloved London, romantic Paris, the farthest of American deserts where tumbleweeds roll, and beyond.

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