Category: 2016
For Abbie x
This post isn’t symbolic of anything but it’s a look back at the year: It’s been a rollercoaster with a little too much chasing of tails, not helped with building works, the decorating of building works and a third project that’s been slowly ticking over in the background. It’s all led to less time for this place – but it’s been a point of pride to try and get something out each day and a big thank you to all those who have stuck through the chaos! This is definitely my outlet – a place to pin down thoughts and make ideas real and remains one of my favourite parts of the day.
But once again time has a life of it’s own: I’m leaving for Greece shortly – a whole week earlier than expected which means crushing everything into an ever smaller time frame. So I’m very grateful to Abbie and her blog Twenty, Trendy and Thriving for nominating me for a blog award and presenting me with a list of questions to answer. I’m going to be cheeky and use each question as individual Blog posts to give me something to hang my brain cells on.
Her first question is ‘Who is your biggest fashion inspiration?’ It’s a toughie and could be the continuing story of this whole blog, but if you distill it down, the grains of truth could be older ladies, like the Advanced Style girls who’ve learnt the lessons of life, know what suits them and unashamedly flaunt their own type of beauty.
Happy to be so relentlessly wrong, they’re right.
Pulling together looks with nothing more than one hundred percent pure style.
They encapsulate the knowledge that when you don’t dress like everyone else, you don’t have to think like anyone else. Food for thought.
Laters, Kate x
Holly go brightly..
Today marks the last Monday of term and school prize day – a day to avoid if ever there is one. I swore last year, after three hours of clapping in heavy, muggy heat that I would never go again – and that was after the mornings two hour session. But, there’s no emotional escape from the kids need to know you’re there..in world economics it’s a price too high to pay not to go, so it’s time to slap on the smile and don the nonchalance for one more time. I’ll be sitting there, checking out the colour combinations and trying to work out why some things work that really shouldn’t..and the reverse.
Think of me.
Laters, Kate x
Temptation..
Ahhhh the summer sales..that obstacle course of want versus need against lust. Thankfully there are some good places to plunder – MiH being one of them. Offering reductions up to 60% at the moment and they don’t just flog off crap stuff. Hold out if you dare and it eventually drops to 75%.
Practical, effortless and the right side of quirky.
Laters, Kate x
Through the Looking glass..
Sometimes you walk into a room and you know exactly what it needs to up the anti. Other times, the space has to settle before it can speak. I’m in that dilemma with one of my rooms, hence a bit of visual inspiration.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm….
Laters, Kate x
Nicely Niche..
I was speaking to a friend yesterday about the appeal of embroidered patches and we were discussing where to buy them. I don’t know the cheapest place to find them (any suggestions gratefully received – I’ll pass them on) but I do know the best:
Hand and Lock has provided the finest hand embroidery since 1767, offering everything from civilian to military regalia to ecclesiastical to couture.
They have the skill to produce intricate delights such as this.
Which can then with their bespoke service and be translated, if you so wish, into…well..the imagination is your limit.
They also offer a range of machine embroidered badges, perfect for every day. You know they know their stuff because the sizes are perfect.
This place is a little slice of living history – it’s even possible to take part in workshops or tour the atelier. This is Britain at it’s best.
Laters, Kate x
The secret is out..
Now for something totally different: This was something that we did with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and few months ago..except I couldn’t write about it then as we were all sworn to secrecy but now this particular experience has finished the secrecy is no longer needed and to be honest, somehow it feels appropriate to think back on something we brits are good at: obscure, ironic brilliance. This was a whacky, immersive dining experience set up by a Company called the Gingerliners in a warehouse in the Hoxton area of London where every course was in a different room, with a contrasting theme/story/setting..each more crazy than the last. (See the video above for the best interactive experience..or just enjoy the pictures)
It was a bit like being in a Harry Potter movie..you entered the first room on a sledge with four other people through a low tunnel to find your self in a rainforest complete with bird-girl on a swing and our starters in the trees…
The next room was run by a robot and her baby and our soup came from a suspended engine..
The main course was held in a haunted banqueting hall complete with dracular-like waiters.
Have you ever been in one of these as an adult, drunk and drinking from a urine pouch??
Dessert was sorted by a dolly with a trolly on a plane, with accompanying dance and song. We left via a giant slide..convinced the whole thing had been some fantastical dream. It’s opening again in September (go to Gingerliners to get on their mailing list) with whole new rooms of experience – tickets are hard to get – they sell out FAST. But if you like your reality hot-wired, this is the place for you.
Laters, Kate x
Today..
On Wednesday night we had a huge storm over London, well, I say a storm – it just kept on rolling in on waves of ear splitting thunder and torrential rain..locally we lost transport, various shops flooded and the internet…I’ve never known anything like it.
Except maybe this morning and the news of Brexit. Astounded, ashamed, depressed. It wasn’t that Europe didn’t have it’s problems, but we’ve now thrown the baby out with the bathwater because we asked people to vote on the EU…and they voted on something else entirely. As an act of rebellion my country has given a thumbs up to xenophobia, racism and bigotry. I thought the Americans had it bad with Trump..the laugh was on me.
Will the last person to leave the country please turn out the lights.
Laters, Kate x
Soak and Sleep x
I’ve never met a cotton pillow case I didn’t like and ever since The White Company ate up the homewares market there’s been a focaccia bunfight for aspirational linen shops. Soak and Sleep is one such company, offering fabulous bed and bath products for a lot less than on the high street.
Like these linen bedspreads from £20.90. Which means they’re both easy on the eye and there are bargains to be had…except check details…the sandstone is available at £20.90 but want the navy? and the price rises to a steep £129.
Even so, with the range on offer they’ve got something: Classic designs with an artisan edge combined with lux textures and products you genuinely feel will age with you (..I think that’s a compliment..)
If you need to buy for a special present/wedding/birthday they’re worth checking out. If you need to buy for yourself…I’m jealous.
Laters, Kate x
A Girl Called Jack x
Jack Monroe is my latest hero. I discovered her whilst painting the hall..the joy of decorating is having an ipad close to hand listening to iplayer doing it’s thing. Radio 4 made a drama from her life, basing it around her love of cooking and her relationship with her Grandmother: Two things that float my boat – it inspired me to seek out her cook book.
Jack started by writing, in her own time, a local political commentary blog. Then she had to give up her career when she became a single mum and her wage couldn’t extend to childcare. The only solution was benefits and a mere £10 a week for food for the two of them. Her blog ‘Cooking on a Bootstrap’ was a consequence of that constraint, written to share the recipes she magically managed to produce…which then turned into her own cookbook.
Being a single parent meant lack of time as well as a lack of resources translates into recipes that are both speedy and simple. There’s no frills or extravagant ingredients, instead she’s re-connected the umbilical cord highlighting that fantastic, nutritious food doesn’t need an overflowing handmade Devol larder and a certificate in corden bleu cookery.
(The vegetarian meals are awesome)
Jack believes that in order to tackle food poverty and a culture of convenience/microwave meals with dubious ingredients then cooking at home needs to be present on a less glossy, less sexy, less intimidating and more accessible way, which then has the rollover benefit of both spending less and reducing waste. Win win.
She makes you think about how you cook, why you cook..and how careless we are. The bottom line is we all need to care more.
I love her and I love her book.
Laters, Kate x
The sitting Room x
The advantage of doing all the decorating from our building works myself is there’s been something in the pot to buy a few treats like this Hans Wegner wishbone chair.
A pair of them now sit in pride of places at either end of our dining room table. What love.
The extra bonus were the large boxes the chairs arrived in which were quickly commandeered by the children. Who needs toys?
But it hasn’t all been treats and joy. This was the sitting room on Sunday..
A much needed bookcase went up meaning the final boxes could be unpacked. These are original midcentury tomado shelves – the choice surprised me as well.
Probably a good thing as we have guests for the next two weeks and at last the spare room is liveable in.
The sitting room isn’t finished (check out the plastic storage tub by the yellow chair, part of our sad tv storage) – it still has some organic growth to go – but it’s a huge improvement.
And lots of pictures have finally gone up.
The footstool still doesn’t have it’s cover on – it’s meant to be white, but I’ve got some lavender coloured dye waiting in the wings…
Slowly. But surely.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 