Category: summer
Summer DIY
The rollercoaster ride of summer is gathering speed..today will be the first day of wearing a summer dress all day long without a coat. Bliss. I would happily wear summer dresses all summer long – they are without doubt the ultimate capsule wardrobe. I did my Atlantique Ascoli check and I have 5 cotton ones…so I’m on the hunt for 2 more to make 7 outfits for the sun ticked off. They’re all I take on holiday now – simply blinged and pimped with jewellery and different shoes for the evening.
I’m also collecting together my summer craft box – a tupperware container with enough bits to while away the magic hours that only appear on holidays, when time seems to get stretched by the sun. Last year we made macrame and friendship bracelets (even Charlie can rustle up a mean macrame)..and I’m sure we’ll make more this year..we got pretty proficient at sewing in chains and all sorts..
This year I’ve found this to add in..all we’ll need to add are a crochet hook, some buttons….
Maybe we’ll finally do a take on this…all I need is time..(and that little bit of child labour)……….
Laters, Kate x
Decisions, decisions…
Bitch beach shoes……when holiday sings it’s siren song, space is limited and choices are painful…
Hunter slides? because the writing across the front has me in it’s grasp, as does the sheer brilliant simplicity..and the joys of easy access are always appreciated: Sea and sand don’t always make happy bed fellows..
Or Ancient Greek jellies? Witty, fun…but a buckle?? (But what a buckle it is…)
Laters, Kate x
Trial 1..
The inspiration..
The recipe.
The attempt.
That never progressed beyond this.
The aftermath.
The rain.
(Trial 2…soon….I will not be beaten. My garden might…)
Laters, Kate x
A sense of summer ..
Summer…lazy days, turquoise skies, a sense of freedom so good it can’t be legal…and all this captured in a ring…
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.
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..
I’ll take the sunkissed hair option every time..
Laters, Kate x
Corking!
Do you remember this post? An up-cycle of a well-loved pair of shoes with a row of brass thumb tacks..well, they’ve proved their worth and survived for another year (just – too comfortable to consign till the very, very end) and remarkably most of the pins stayed in..there are a few gaps..
Which have now been filled by these babies..push pins with personality!
I can see hours of fun ahead…
Laters, Kate x
In England’s green and pleasant land..
We spent the Bank Holiday weekend with family in the light, clean air of the country, marvelling at the fresh greens and bright colours of early summer, whiling away happy hours reading papers that got read, drinking wine and watching dogs happily snoring in the sun.
Their’s is a garden that represents all that is good about England; It’s a place were time stands still yet life buzzes around.
It’s a joy just to walk around and breathe in.
And the children love the freedom of space..
(Taken just for Lauren..)
They have the most amazing tree..
Like something straight out of Doctor Seuss and The Lorax..
I loved it..made me giggle and sigh.
There was much playing of football with cousins and dogs till the sun went down. Gentle, simple..heavenly.
Laters, Kate x
Bags of room..
Another summer 2015 obsession..finding a large, bright yellow shopping tote in soft, malleable leather..the type of bag you fill with all the detritus the sweet summer heralds..sun tan lotion, cotton scarves, umbrellas, sunnies, flip-flops..a picnic to feed the 5,000…a vat of gin..
This one by is top of the picks so far..by Modalu, hand cut and stitched in Somerset by highly skilled artisans it justifies it’s over three hundred pound price tag..but….it’s hard leather..and I can’t justify the expense as I want to change it..but that deep blue interior..mwhahaa!
The inspiration is Anya Hindmarch’s new 2015 sticker bag which is pure giggle and wink.
In homage, I’ve been collecting various patches (do you call them patches??) to make my own.
I just need the bag in a sensible price bracket – why’s it so hard to find a very simple leather bag like this..but in yellow?..you wait..next year the shops will be full of the buggers..until then, the hunt continues..
Laters, Kate x
Me & Em..
I know I have friends for a reason! This site – Me & Em – with it’s tantalising array of lustful towelling, was pointed out to me by the wonderful Galliana D’ovey, High Priestess of Retail Therapy..
The navy one!..hides the stains..and a snip at £58!
The pockets are top banana..
For those with legs like a supple silver birch, they also have retro-inspired shorts and hoody sets..
And most nostalgic of all..a towelling playsuit!
Spoilt..
Laters, Kate x
Self-Portrait x
I’m in the running for a posh frock because sometimes you need an outfit that ramps it up a little for life’s big events. The skill is finding that special something that won’t then die and lie discarded like an unwanted snake skin in the dark recesses of a wardrobe, festering with the pungent smell of a wasted fortune.
Self-Portrait, based in London and led by designer Han Chong lives and breathes those type of slightly exotic pieces..the ones that turn heads but can then be bundled into a suitcase and worn with a pair of battered (as in old, not fried…) flip-flops in the summer sunshine on a sandy beach..
He’s also keen to marry contemporary design with affordable prices, which floats my boat..and his attention to detail is impressive.
(All pics Self-Portrait and Pinterest)
Modern with a fit-for-combat edge, it’s a label that still manages to be feminine, graceful..and most importantly..very desirable..
Laters, Kate x
Indoors Out..
Baby, it’s hot outside (well..almost..) so let me grab some large, plump cushions and the Saturday papers (pretty please kids..) and lounge lady-like on my eco-friendly outdoor rug by Green-Decore..a company I discovered at the Grand Designs exhibition in London last week.
They’re seriously worth checking out – fabulous classic eye-catching heart-stopping designs that include outdoor benches, cushions as well as the more traditional cotton rugs.
There’s a great range of colours..from sea blues to neon pink and lemon yellow…
And a sensible price point to boot – the outdoor rugs range from £29 to £90 
And they even have rugs made from re-cycled sari’s.
I’m sold.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 