Category: Presents

‘Ear ear…

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Need that effortlessly cool present that also has to sit happily in the wallet? The answer could be an ear cuff…brilliant in so many ways: They work equally well on unpierced ears, the range of prices is immense (these are £12.46 plus shipping)..and you only actually need to buy one. Winner, winner chicken dinner.

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Some of them do resemble those metal puzzles that used to appear in crackers. But don’t let that put you off.

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Particularly when you can find them for only £4.90 plus shipping.

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These are the most expensive of the bunch at just over forty squids plus shipping from here.

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(£12.96 from here)

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(£16 plus shipping from here)

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(£8 plus shipping from here)

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(£7.50 plus shipping from here)

For a flash in the pan trend without the pain, it’s an easy no brainer.

Laters, Kate x

High light..

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Do you get the time to breathe these days? The air after rain – a crackling fire – or a newly delivered Christmas tree? If you’re a smell person, these things matter because they’re memories, the past and future colliding like smoke in the air.  I love the power of fragrance – how it can become the essence of a person left to linger long after they’ve gone….and these are three of my favourites.

Bal D’afrique by Byredo is described as a warm and romantic vetiver inspired by Paris in the late 20’s and its infatuation with African culture, art, music and dance.  It’s an evocative mix of neroli, African marigold and Moroccan cedarwood.

 

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Oi All In One Milk by Davines is a leave in, frizz controlling conditioning hair spray containing Roucou oil.  But why just use it on hair? It’s a beautifully fragranced, soft, light moisturiser for all over the body.

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Emulsified with extra soothing rose extract to help ease irritation and condition the skin, Rose Salve by C.O.Bigelow is the sort of product you need to always have in your bag.  Use on lips, face, cuticles, elbows, knees and any chapped skin because it’s a little winter wonder.

 

Fragrances: Dreams that live in reality. Enjoy.

Laters, Kate x

 

 

 

 

A Christmas Tale x

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Not into rubbish? How about re-cycled? – It’s the present that keeps on giving.

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All these joys are from Re-found Objects, the royalty of quirky finds.

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(All pics from Re-found Objects)

Just make sure you’re buying presents for others hey.

Laters, Kate x

It’s Started..

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Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat.  Except it isn’t..but the insidious creep is appearing on my peripheral vision like the ink from a frightened octopus.  I bought my first stocking fillers today…and faced head on the yearly mental anguish of the inner childs excitement for presents versus materialistic waste and the accumulation of useless stuff.  I still haven’t got a solution to square the circle – how to appear less Ebenezer, more Mathew Cuthbert?  Except possibly to buy less, buy better, buy clever.  With this in mind I found myself on this site – Life of Jay – which, though I didn’t realise it at the time, caters primarily for men which they don’t presume to be all sports mad. It genuinely has some interesting stuff..(though does it work if it’s still classed as ‘stuff?’ Sigh)a9e614fc97f4369d248d9a9fe0a7cb30 151684dfc88066f07bdd76147885af75

But who can say no to good stylish storage?2971590bd4592dbc6bf68d5ae9ba6efa 661c81ba4c29902d30360e452463ea63

Or a retro notebook for the jottings of the block buster you know they want to write.58ba4e53ebebe5e2c9e598bb31778ba4 But then I see a silly tin toy rabbit and want to pop it in my basket. Why??af42345a77900a88c2b15e28cd66a16b
 They have these which are clever – a retro tin..8d41d761792aab5ca906accdbb0ede27 Containing the bits you think you need.  Except I’d pay more if the interior wasn’t made of plastic..

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This appeals: A reusable teabag robot. Who doesn’t need that on a cold morning?

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And I love their lab style storage jars.

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(All pictures Life of Jay)

Then side tracked by a cunningly designed pizza cutter…

And I’m failing and falling already..

Laters, Kate x

A sense of summer ..

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Summer…lazy days, turquoise skies, a sense of freedom so good it can’t be legal…and all this captured in a ring…

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It’s the work of Ileana Makri, a native Greek who brings the lilt of a folk song and the suggestion of a mythical tale to her work..but who’s also not afraid to explore the modern symbols of life.

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There’s a wit and clarity to her work.  You want to wear it for a smokey night on the tiles..or with bare feet and sunkissed hair..

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I’ll take the sunkissed hair option every time..

Laters, Kate x

Made to Treasure..

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Remember Loquet? 0a8c93404072affbf0dc7149f89e35ff 914da0ca8f3592c66f7b74d0dc2903fa a7b289d5d8c35e44d53a55446b265410

Well it looks like they’re going to be doing bracelets..charm bracelets.

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(All pictures Loquet and Garance Dore)

And so the heavenly lust list gets longer..

Laters, Kate x

Marking Time..

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Do you remember Clothkits? They’re a huge dollop of nostalgia for me as the first clothes I truly coveted and lusted over at school.  They came in easy-sew kits to make up, including all sorts of wonderful, genius things like rag dolls as well..

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There was always an extra touch..like her matching bag to add the final flourish and make them utterly desirable..

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How cute?

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The padded coats were particularly memorable…if this came in my size now, I would have it..

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But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel..I googled them and Clothkits is still running, and many of these designs are still available plus a host more..

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From old originals…05e2361cdb8b4a16b1c79fa87b0e240e-1

To their modern equivalents..

If you want to give something crafty for Christmas..so crafty you can put a tail on it and call it a fox?..check them out..their range is incredible..

Laters, kate x

Dear Santa..

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Please could I have a left-handed calligraphy pen…(and possibly the Dummies Guide to go with it) so I can finally learn to write with heart swooning swirls…I think it would improve my quality of life considerably..

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(And then next year, you can ask me to write something beautiful for my very own lazer-cut bracelet from this incredible Shop..(I’m happy to give you the chance to save up to wait till then..)it’ll be worth it)

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  (Although, I might have to be very fussy and ask for the gold version..I know, high-high..but gold is my colour..)

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But until then..eye’d love to see these beauties in my ears stocking…

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And with all things nineties being the spice of the moment, these Doc Martens would remind me of penny loafers past.. 81K+e7MwKeL._SL1500_

 

And to make me smile? This ipad case complete with teeth..open it up and hear me roar..

P.S. I’ve been good.  (I think)

 

Laters, Kate x

Collar Worker..

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There’s something comforting about wrapping up in a scarf when the weather turns frosty.  We’ve been lucky in London so far – today was only the second frost of the season, but I suspect things are on a downward slide colder..

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J Crew have some good offerings – particularly their innovative take on fair Isle, but Paul Smith is the true king of the winter neck-tie..

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Clever modern twists smoothly integrated into stylish classics..

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It’s that subtle joy of being able to buy for the husband..and wear yourself..

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Or buy for yourself..and expect to see the other half in it..beautiful and functional equals design at it’s very best..

Laters, Kate x

Rapture x

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Once upon a time, a long time ago before the cult of celebrity was even a flash of a lightbulb, there were myths and fairy tales weaving complex ficitonalised versions of life with an extra sprinkle of magic.

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Move forward hundreds of years to the Viktor and Rolf Fairy Tales, fresh from the minds of the avant garde fashion greats..

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And beautifully illustrated by them as well..

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It’s like a dew-drop turned into a telescope with the lens pointed at a whole new world..how very delicious..and the perfect stocking present for Bella…as I get to read it too…

 

Laters, Kate x