Category: Christmas
Sparkle!
Gorgeous, no? And (I say this in a whisper) High street….£35 well spent from &OtherStories: Hitting the mark in pocket friendly presents that capture the jewellery zeitgeist with their power to elevate and add that Christmas luminosity.
(All pics Pinterest and &OtherStories)
And of course….there’s always the sales………
Laters, Kate x
Rejoice!
This shop has a piece of my heart and remains open for Christmas orders until 21 December. Ethically aware – everyone in the supply chain is respected and paid a fair wage – and beautifully produced, East End Press offers a unique line of paper garlands, wooden decorations and so much more.
(All pics Pinterest and East End Press)
The colours, the care, the backstory? This is what really sings Christmas!
Laters, Kate x
Christmas ug!
Which effectively stands for ugly – because, be still this beating heart – Swedish Hasbeens have come up with a winner: The perfect hybrid of never mixed with genius, a Frankensteins child where all the stars lined up and bowed down, a glorious fug of Dorothy meets nerd whilst waltzing to Lala Land.
(All pics Pinterest and Swedish Hasbeens)
Come to Mama.
Laters, Kate x
Baubles x
Boxing Day Plans x
Let’s be honest. This year Christmas is going to be different – so I think the only way is to go whole hog and make it more so. Partly due to the amount of box sets we’ve managed to inhale, but also just because I fancy it, it’s been decreed that in this hovel, Boxing Day will be a day of reading and minimal electricity (think candles and open fires. maybe the odd sheepskin. I read somewhere that a Scandi country (couldn’t tell you which one) gives books as presents on Christmas Eve, to be read on Christmas Day. This, for me, is a bit of an infringement on Christmas Day, a bit too holy on the national day of greed and gluttony. But the day after? Absolutely bloody perfect.
So each person has to buy one book for another person at the Christmas table. What joy!
(All pics and links Pinterest and Bookshop.org)
Which is not to say Christmas lunch will have this many people, more – how do you choose? This is quite frankly, a little slice of opt out heaven.
Laters, Kate x
Pressies 2
I spoke to my gut the other day and asked it what the theme for Christmas would be this year, it said cottagecore all the way: home made, simple, unfussy, thoughtful. I said thank you very much and felt our bond. The above is from a great little independent shop called Midgley Green – what could be more hands on and satisfying than artisan soap and a thrown soap dish? Maybe the price point – £5 for the soap, £15 for the dish. £20 all in? Bargain.
Midgley Green also have these beautiful tea towels – which are fab just as that – but….wouldn’t they make the most beautiful pair of cushions stitched onto an enveloped piece of linen? Guaranteed washable.
(All pics Midgley Green and Pinterest)
On my personal Wishlist this year is this Welsh throw. I’m thinking sofa, candles, fire. And a large glass of egg snog. Sigh.
Laters,
Kate x
Green is Go!
That time is fast approaching. The one where we all have to make big decisions about who to buy who what, knowing that both our personalities will be forever enshrined and defined by our choice. A veritable minefield. First best in show offering – the winter version of spring bulbs, in preferably a slightly rough, stood the test of time pot filled with lacey ferns, dark green moss and something sculptural. I can’t think of anything – apart from maybe candles (can always add) – I would like more at the centre of my dining room table as the nights draw in and food and conversation become a priority.
You can even make your own planters like these ones – go here for more details.
(All pics Pinterest and Artsyprettyplants)
My tip? For the larger bases, hot glue gun on some felt to protect vulnerable table tops. Delicious.
Laters, Kate x
Smile x
In the summer, in Greece, I hunt down the old fashioned souvenir shops that still sell the shell based surfer chokers of old for a few euros, then layer them up. A look akin to a mash up between a Masai warrior (is that cultural appropriation – or cultural celebration?) and a sun bleached beach bum. The jewellery of Roxanne Assoulin gives me the same joyful feeling – and for those still on the present hunt, the price point is a Christmas treat (£70 – £350) but not in the mortgage your left kidney and sell your soul to the devil bracket.
(All pics Roxanne Assoulin and Pinterest)
It also helps that her ‘story’ page makes me laugh. You can either read it as I don’t care, or you can see it as a pithy comment on the modern disease to manufacture and self promote.
For me it’s the later.
Laters, Kate x
Tasty Pampers x
Even I think I’m a conundrum – I love seeing boundaries pushed, to the extent I hate boundaries. But if something works, I’m loyal – it takes a great deal to convince me the grass is greener on the other side. Hence this post – the pampers that make the cut every time, because not only do they smell like heaven, they also work. Stuck for a Crimbo present? Look no further than Le Labo’s Jasmine 17 shower gel...even Bella has discovered it..I was hoping the plain packaging would put her off…it is pure joy in a bottle and I covet every drop.
This baby – OI all in one milk – works on fly away hair..and anything else. Rub into arms and legs just because it’s gorgeous – the type of scent that turns heads when you walk into a room.
An every day must – Ren Moroccan Rose body oil – for use on face – buy the body oil, ignore the body bit – 100ml versus 30. Bargain. (The only difference is in your mind, put there so you don’t do it. A wall that needs to come down)
This little wonder – Herbivore Orchid – packs a punch – small and powerful – as an extra layer and to extend the bottle, I mix 3 drops in my palm with my Ren rose oil for a mood boosting face cocktail. I’ve used face oils for years and won’t use anything else.
And finally, an old favourite – Elemis Frangipani monoi body oil – because now it smells of holidays, sunshine and smiles. Perfect for the summer. Perfect for the winter.
Laters, Kate x
Baubles x
Each year the aim is to hunt down and buy one new decoration that has the ability to tug heart and tummy in a warm, I must have that, embrace. This year, it’s a skating rabbit from Graham and Greene – there’s something about the retro tinsel, the nostalgic pose, the subtle colours that makes me smile. In fact, Graham and Green possibly richest vein of baubles this year….
(All pics Graham and Green and Pinterest)
Simple pleasures.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 