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Tuesday 31 August 2010

Vintage notebook designs....


I love these notebooks from The Aviary, which can be bought HERE.

The exercise books are hand covered in 'educational' sheets of vintage paper from map books, children's encyclopedias, dictionaries, music and dance books then adorned with a carefully selected, hand-cut animal wildlife illustration.


Congratulations....

To the new Mr and Mrs Eyton!

Thank you to all for a wonderful weekend :-)

cure for the holiday blues....

I have just had the most wonderful weekend with friends celebrating the wedding of John and Asia in Poland and meeting lots of lovely new people too.

We stayed in an amazing hotel and had great food and company all weekend, it was all so good that I didn't want to come home and back to work, so I have been looking for things to cheer me up today and take my mind off the end of the holiday blues....

Found via : Creature Comforts

Found via : Ribbonesia.com

Found via : Diem Chau

Found via : i adore style

Wednesday 25 August 2010

aaah, finally....


The true British summer has finally arrived!

ridiculous baby


How ridiculous is this cat?! He has been outside in the pouring rain for hours, so we had to towel him off before anymore muddy footprints made their way onto my bedsheets!

I managed to snap this picture before he wriggled away....

spectacular angular...


Taken from my train this morning and given the multi-exposure treatment.

Barfleur Hydrangeas


These flowers remind me of summer beach holidays at my granny's house in Falmouth, Cornwall. It seemed like her garden was exploding with them...

Tuesday 24 August 2010

cliche kitty...


Playing with yarn, how obvious Murphy....

Crochet Hexagon cushion - finished.... (kind of)

This is the finished (front) of the Crochet Hexagon cushion that was inspired by the beautiful work of Lucy from Attic24, I will eventually get around to finishing the back as well, but for now I'm happy to curl it around another cushion on my sofa and pretend it is finished!

battersea power station

Sunday 22 August 2010

the lea stein foxes...


My best friend and I bought these Lea Stein fox brooches this weekend, I have wanted one for over a decade so I am really pleased to finally have one in my collection :-)

To learn more about her work look here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lea_Stein

xx Happy Weekend!

Saturday 21 August 2010

strawberries and cream (cheese)


Yum yum yum.

Perfectly ripe strawberries, low-fat cream cheese spread and a toasted bagel, the perfect Saturday morning breakfast :-)

Thursday 19 August 2010

the new vintage curtains...


I got impatient yesterday and devised a way to have my bedroom curtains sooner, these were so simple to make and eco friendly too!

I used a vintage double sheet, cut it in half, turned down the top to make a casing to go along the curtain rail, and then trimmed it with some lovely Cath Kidston cotton duck fabric that I have had in my stash for a couple of years.



I also made tie-backs using the same fabrics and made rouleaux loops to attach to the hooks that hold them in place.


They give a much brighter lighter feel to the room - the previous curtains were a cream colour that matched the walls and made the room feel dingy.

I am so pleased with them and will definitely be making more this way :)

You're My Favourite Hello....


You're My Favourite Hello Necklace by Joanna Rutter available HERE on Etsy

I love this necklace by Joanna Rutter - I might have to take some sage advice and flog a few things on ebay to save up some dollar and buy this.....

Wednesday 18 August 2010

something to smile about....


images found via likecool.com

dazed and confused

image found via Design Sponge

"That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age. "

Quite possibly the best film in the world. EVER.

Love it....

curtain inspiration....

I have decided to spruce the place up with some new curtains, which I will definitely be making myself, these are my favourite fabric choices so far....


Cath Kidston - Provence Rose

Cath Kidston - Rose Cotton

Tetford Fabrics - Pink Posy

Tetford Fabrics - Lulu red

Tetford Fabrics - Shabby Rose

Sweetie Pies Boutique Bakery....


Last weekend I spent the day wandering around Twickenham, and stumbled upon a lovely little teashop called Sweetie Pies Boutique Bakery - just in time to enjoy a delicious cupcake and a cappuccino and avoid a torrential downpour outside, lucky timing indeed!


I had a Vanilla cupcake with pink frosting and sprinkles with Tootie Frooties on top, and my friend had a chocolate cupcake with smarties on top - both were the perfect combination of moist and light and the flavours were delicious, the frosting was perfect too - just the right consistency and not too sweet!


The whole experience was delightful, the staff were friendly, and the shop is decorated in a very pretty vintage style, from floral wall paper and ornate mirrors to the mismatched vintage cups and saucers they served the drinks in.


Should you find yourself in the Twickenham area at any time - I highly recommend paying them a visit.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

bows and scallops....

image found via Vogue Germany

So much to love about this picture, now I just need to figure out how to incorporate pastels, wool felt, bows and scallops into my winter wardrobe....

Avoca - The Mill


One of the highlights of my visit to Ireland was a trip to the Avoca mill in County Wicklow, it is a working handweaving mill built on the banks of the river Avoca, and also the site of a large store selling their beautiful woven and knitted goods and an outstanding cafe that was by far the culinary highlight of our trip to Ireland!


The Mill itself dates from 1723, and is said to be the oldest existing manufacturer in Ireland, and the old buildings on the site were beautifully whitewashed and set amongst some of the prettiest blue Hydrangeas and Rose bushes.


On the day we went the weather was alternating between bright warm sunshine and torrential downpours, but luckily I managed to snap some pictures in between showers :)


I loved the bright colours they use in their designs, and this is how they describe their company ethos....


" What unifies our approach is to try to avoid the average or ordinary. Instead, we look for colour and life and happiness, and seek out the unusual and beautiful. Our mission is to create joy and have fun. In fact we're selfish, choosing things firstly because we love them and then hoping we're not alone in our taste. "


These bundles of yarn looked amazing in their cubby holes - waiting to be spun into soft and snuggly scarves and bankets.





It was fascinating to see the weaving process going on firsthand, from how they set up the colours above, to watching the work of one of the handweavers growing before our very eyes!


For anyone travelling to southern Ireland for a holiday - I definitely recommend checking out the Avoca mill - even if you aren't interested in weaving the shop and cafe were amazing, and the selection of cakes was mouthwatering!

Monday 16 August 2010

Lemon and Rosewater Cupcakes....


See Lemon And Rosewater Cupcakes and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

Sweet Furr.......

Guilty pleasure : THIS blog about some of the funniest looking kitties I have ever seen - this video is amazing, I am in love!



Check out their blog for more videos and cute pictures!

http://sweetfurr.blogspot.com/

Or their Youtube channel for all the videos

http://www.youtube.com/sweetfurx4

Ultimate DIY project....

How exciting - I have just seen that THIS competition launched yesterday - I'm going to have a go!

Check out the website below for the lowdown and rules.

http://www.ultimatediycompetition.com/

This is my inspiration for my project so far, I'll be entering the jewellery category.....

listening to....


Bill Withers : Live at Carnegie Hall.
This album is on repeat on my Ipod at the moment, the perfect summer album!

Sunday 15 August 2010

a desire to bake....

This morning I woke with a strong desire to bake cupcakes with a summery twist - and thus the following variations were born!







Lemon Zest and Rosewater Cupcakes
photographed on my homemade cake stand





Lavender Cream cupcakes

I shall follow up with the recipes (as I adapted them) in a post to follow, they are great little cakes for afternoon tea.... or just as an indulgent little treat!

In the meantime - I shall end with a picture of a thief as I caught him on camera about to strike!