Category: 2015

August 25, 2015

Subversive Snigerings..

Far, far away from London, inside the walls of a derelict seaside swimming resort in Weston-Super-Mare, Banksy has waved his magic, irreverent wand, and with the help of various artistic friends, transformed the once decaying ruin into a decaying, satirical parody of twentieth first century subculture. Welcome to Dismaland…

The enticing brochure reads:

Are you looking for an alternative to the soulless sugar-coated banality of the average family day out? Or just somewhere cheaper. Then this is the place for you—a chaotic new world where you can escape from mindless escapism. Instead of a burger stall, we have a museum. In place of a gift shop we have a library, well, we have a gift shop as well.

Bring the whole family to come and enjoy the latest addition to our chronic leisure surplus—a bemusement park. A theme park who’s big theme is: theme parks should have bigger themes…

This event contains adult themes, distressing imagery, extended use of strobe lighting, smoke effects and swearing. The following items are strictly prohibited: knives, spraycans, illegal drugs, and lawyers from the Walt Disney corporation.

Witty, provocative, erudite, it’s Willy Wonka on speed…and how I would love to go..no doubt to see a Hall of Mirrors without the distortions because we’re all being made to laugh at ourselves. Except buying a ticket is apparently a lesson in frustration…..one can’t help smirking at the irony…and wondering if it’s all part of the explosive satire…

Laters, Kate x

August 24, 2015

Greece Part 4

It’s pouring with rain here..time to return to summer memories of the sun.

This was the evening of our fifteenth wedding anniversary with an obligatory, if rare selfie.

My parent’s had decided to stay an extra day and had moved to this beautiful hotel in the middle of Leonidio town.

Full of antiques and curiosities, beautifully done…a real gem.

We sat around their pool for an aperitif and watched as 20 or more bats from the red mountains dipped into the pool for a cooling evening drink.

Bella was none to pleased at being ‘forced’ to wear a dress for the occasion.

Not even a cuddle from Daddy helped. It was a lovely evening though..we went into the town..

And found this incredible shop run by a mother and daughter who, in amongst the washing up liquid and Ajax sold all their own homemade produce including jams, honey, capers..and a spirit made from Aubergine! They’d just bake a whole tray of almond biscuits which they proceeded to hypnotise us with..honestly some of the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten. We stocked up on all sorts. Our meal was equally memorable..in a little square, with one long table full of local friends who were musicians, happily playing, singing and dancing. Pure magic.

The next day we waved good bye to my parents who were off to meet their Greek son-in-law for a trip to the theatre at Epidauvros, and returned to our favourite beach/taverna. On the way there Bella said she didn’t want to go as she wanted a sandy beach..the Gods heard her for when we got there, it was! Large waves had rolled in and taken all the round pebbles away..

Then the waves rose up again..which the children loved.

During this time, we’d spend the mornings at the pool whilst the husband was on the phone/internet, going through a nightmare with work. And then we’d head out for somewhere for lunch, dragging him with us. The problem was there were no facilities at the villa complex – nowhere to get an ice cream or drink and no taverna within walking distance. We were reliant on the apartment, the internet, the car and on him.

Having lunch at Plaka..Charlie decided he was going to jump off the pier..

Which he did!

But then he got really upset that Bella didn’t jump in with him and started throwing a paddy, screaming and hitting the water – all the locals thought he was drowning..and were wondering why his parents weren’t jumping in after him..we stayed a safe distance away.

The screams got even louder when we saw there were ducks in the water with him!

And then we lost the internet. The husband really thought he’d have to return home..he needed the car to back to Athens..but we couldn’t manage without a car.

So we re-packed the cases, in case he had to fly back..

Rang my parents who were now back at Spetses and explained we needed refuge..we could return to Athens under our own steam from there..and it had internet.

And made our way back to Spetses!

It wasn’t exactly a hardship.

Laters, Kate x

August 21, 2015

Curtain Call x

If I wasn’t part of the Curvy Chick’s Club, this is where I would buy my lingerie.

At Rose Fulbright. Because I love the sense of an iron fist in a satin glove – that nostalgic, firm silhouette and structure that begs to be paired with soft, pink maribou feathers, Parisian boudoirs and exotic perfumes.

The fact that the Company is run by a 26 year old woman, Rose Fulbright-Vickers, and is manufactured in the UK with a strong ethical conscience is a further Brucie bonus.

But it’s the up-front bra-fastenings that ‘ve really caught my eye.

I wrote a blog post back in Dec. 2013, a cry from the heart about the need for decent nightwear for big-busted beauties. In a nutshell, I wanted to find a company that sold bra-sized nightwear that would halt my girls from rolling under my armpits at night, which didn’t involve primary coloured cotton elastane but instead celebrated a girl’s primal desire for satin, silk, bows and just a little bit of frou frou. All these years later, these bra’s are the closest lingerie I’ve seen to that dream..all they need are the appropriate sizing and a skirt on the bra to transform them into a camisole top..(and then the addition of some slinky french knickers/matching pajamas) (and a monogram please)(and all in pleasing pastels) and we’d be there..

It does seem incredible that all this time later, fashion is still ignoring boobs, despite the average UK size being 36D. That’s a huge market waiting to be tapped. Until things change, I’ll just have to admire the aesthetic of Rose Fulbright from afar, my nose pressed up against the candle-lit, handblown, lust-loving glass.

Laters, Kate x

August 19, 2015

Patia Davis x

There’s a cultural disease that’s particularly prevalent in cities..we zone into something good and look to exploit it commercially, turning into something far removed from it’s roots, cheapened with an air of pretentiousness. Take the rapidly breeding multitude of coffee shops springing up like weeds, churning out reproduction vintage – what once was a necessity – bought from jumble sales because the owners couldn’t afford anything else, is now a ‘look’ for which a premium can be charged. It just doesn’t smell right.

Patia Davis, potter extraordinaire and her colleagues at Wobage Farm Craft Workshop, Ross on Wye are the polar opposite, their knowledge and understanding comes from the timeless depth of landscape which is then, like rare treasure, translated into Art; Deep, craggy, dreamy, sensuous, glorious and gutsy, the perfect marriage of beauty and practicality.

Going through the seismic shift of clearing out anything superfluous in the house (the children where lucky to survive..) I only want things that I can use and love. How I would love to own one of Patia Davis’ bowls..particularly her slipware..there’s a richness of colour, a deftness. The trails, featherings and brushmarks sing of skill yet freedom.

Wobage also offers workshops and courses with a recommended range of accommodation: Come learn to pot whilst staying in an authentic Mongolian Yurt? I think that could be my idea of heaven.

Laters, Kate x

August 18, 2015

Wallpaper x

I did a Swedish embroidery class with a friend last week – everything was bright, breezy and scandi. It’s summer..everything is still bright and breezy..so why am I drawn to the dark side?

I imagine what it’s like to look at bright, green leaves through black window frames, the light pulling you out, the garden dancing.

Or a hall, where mysterious corridors can lead anywhere, the walls glowing with a real log fire.

(All pictures Pinterest)

There’s a substance, a peace, a sense of history..and I want it.

Laters, Kate x

August 17, 2015

Bling and Bottle tops x

There’s just over two weeks left of the summer hols and surprisingly this is our first full weekday at home just to be and make. I’ve been itching for it – doing crafts in the garden with the kids is the summer dress I look forward to all winter. This year the bar has been raised (with the Husband’s help) by transforming the shed into a mini-studio with a lean-to on the side for all the real sheddy bits (priorities, priorities..) It’s been lovingly painted, bunting hung, baskets gathered and projects planned..

Not that crafting with kids is straightforward…the main ingredient of creativity is not spontaneity but planning..having the right ingredients to hand to let things flow, which then includes ignoring the adult need for perfection – it’s when everything’s been mixed together – the splashes, the bits over the line, the gusto and exuberance that the magic really happens.

Today the sun is shining and we’re finally turning our felt pictures into cushions avec pom-poms, (then we might tackle some of the projects above) (all from Pinterest)..but before anything happens, I need to write this post..so I’ve set Bella and Charlie up with some painting in the shed. How cool?

It lasted all of five minutes before they came running out shouting ‘Spider, spider!’

I can see it’s going to be a longgggggggg summer.

Laters, Kate x

August 14, 2015

Hot to trot..

If I had the bucks to blow on a bonny beach bag, Sophie Anderson would be my label of lust.

Full of easy wear, just don’t care boho charm.

Just enough space for the Missoni towel, ray bans and that little bit of x factor…So good..why just limit it to the beach?

Laters, Kate x

August 13, 2015

Greece Part 3

Our first stop after Spetses was less discovery, more nostalgia – a little taverna for lunch situated on the edge of the ancient city of Asini that we used to visit with my Grandmother. I remember as a child being told a story about ancient jewellery discovered in the bay by snorkelers…as a consequence, we were obsessed with finding more treasure, despite it having the largest sea-slug population we’d ever seen. Of course we never found any..but it meant the adults always managed a very quiet, happy lunch..hmmmmmmmmm.

And then, with a twist and a wink of the fickle finger of fate the sleepy atmosphere suddenly changed. People moving, fingers pointing to the sky, telephone calls and noticeable agitation. We looked behind us and saw an ever growing column of smoke, the cloying smell of burning layering the air.

We jumped in the car and thought our route would take us quickly away in the other direction..but instead we seemed to be heading straight into the thick of it.

And then we were clear..having experienced forest fires before, it was good to see the professionals were onto it. I hope no-one suffered.

Our destination, the very beautiful Apelon Triton villas on the outskirts of Leonidion on the Peloponnese.

We went down for our very first swim in the pool..and met a family…from Clapham South! Oh what a small, small world..

Down at Plaka at sunset, the main harbour/beach of Leonidion.

We were all blown away by the quality of the food. Little did was know Leonidion is the European centre for aubergines! There’s a Festival every year and chefs come from all around to prove their aubergine recipe is the best!

The kids were just happy to play on the beach. This was a lovely spot where an ice cold mountain stream met the sea.

This was a new area for all of us – I hadn’t come here in my backpacking days as it’s pretty inaccessible without a car, the mountains are high and the beaches are on little winding roads all the way down. But it’s so very beautiful and unspoilt.

All the beaches had different coloured stones, here at Poulithra they were shades of grey and perfectly round.

The view from our favourite taverna..a foodies delight: grilled sardines, goat with aubergine and saganiki mussels. All utterly delicious.

The husband trying to have his photo taken without a double chin!

SOOO good. If you’re ever here, these are the details!

Sadly, this was quite a common occurrence..

Oh no he’s on the phone AGAIN!

Another little bay – Sampatico – this time the stones were green..

As the sun went down we could look back to Spetses..it was very strange being on the other side.

Laters, Kate x

August 12, 2015

Comedy Stitches x

The brain is a strikingly stretched muscle that sometimes doesn’t want to…hence the gut appeal no-brainer of these back to school beauties from Skinny Dip London: Nostalgic for some, hip for others and pleasantly pleasing on the pocket for all.

Yep. They’re Anya Hindmarch rip offs.

Yep. The bags aren’t leather.

But this is flash-in-the-pan fashion, best bought before it’s sell by date at a discount rate. When it goes..it goes…

Laters, Kate x

August 11, 2015

For Kirsty With Love x

Because caring is sharing: This is the stunning work of New Zealand artist, illustrator and overall creative, Kirsty Warman who I’ve been a fan of since I first saw and followed her Blog. I’ve been dying to do a Blog post on her..but I didn’t think it would take this direction…

Just recently, Kirsty was approached by VIDA, the Google venture backed ecommerce platform that brings together designers and makers from around the world to create original and inspiring fashion in a socially conscious way. They wanted Kirsty to collaborate with them to turn her Art into clothes – and it’s happening..right now!