February 29, 2016

The Quiz..

Our school quiz is a major fixture in the yearly calendar – it’s a good life in a bonker’s world, where winning the costume prize is the greatest accolade: It’s go large or go home…

So amongst the paint pots and drill bits the costumes were all handcrafted with love and terror and pinned, primed and pimped for the big night.

This year our theme was horror and freaks (who needs costumes some would say?)..

I was a killer-mer-maggot…carried by a zombie

Su was Freak girl carried by a scary friend..

The Husband was a head..being eaten by Hannibal Lecter..

We had Sweeney Todd complete with pies (how often as he been photo-bombed by Donald Trump?)

And we had a vampire baby with a taste for the heavy stuff..

I didn’t get a good pic of Sandeep – he was the body in the bodysnatcher’s sack..

And this is my best one of Steff..

It was interesting dealing with such characters..Hannibal was permanently hungry..

Death was having a love-in with David..

Even though David kept telling him to f-off…

And guess what..we won!!!

It was a huge hurrah for the mad and happily twisted..

Laters, Kate x

February 25, 2016

Happy birthday..

It’s Finery’s first birthday – it seems hardly believable they’ve been around for such a short time.

It’s such a great label that fills a gap in the market you never thought was there. Until they started.

On the one side it’s reflective, mild mannered and be-spectacled.

On the other, clever, en pointe, different.

This is a label that joins all the dots.

And does the best trousers. Stalk them.

Laters, Kate x

February 24, 2016

The Hall x

The kitchen still hasn’t arrived – some hold up at the spray painters. I wait for it with baited breath because I’m desperate to know the colour as it will have such an impact on what happens next both in the hall and in the sitting room.

I have the empty pot sitting on the fireplace as a colour guide..and it looks a greeny grey.

And the colour samples on the wall…which look grey.

But I swear when it was painted it was a seventies brown.

The stairs up to the first floor are already painted this colour (not a picture of them – too covered in dust (another ceiling went this week..the last one) (over our temporary kitchen mind you!)…but does it stay? I’ve also noticed that all the staircases that tick the box have no runners….not an option for us. And if a staircase is dark, the walls are white. Not great with kids. And what runner works on a dark staircase?

There’s always the option to go lighter..

I was going to use a kilim runner as a stair carpet down to the cellar/underworld. Maybe I’ll move that idea and use it in the entrance hall instead..add a bit of much wanted colour and texture..

I think I’m going to run with it (hoho)..and see what happens…

Nothing ventured, nothing gained…

Laters, Kate x

February 23, 2016

Procrastinating aloud..

No more this. Begone..

Or this. All dark thoughts to be obliterated (or possibly left to the cellar underworld to (hopefully) fulfil..we’ll see..)

Welcoming this.

And this.

Clean, calm, tranquil. Spilt tea, homework, functional, practical..

And this.

No. Not this. (Must learn..)

This. Which could be approximately the colour the units will be (despite having painted the whole room – I still have no idea what colour it is – officially it’s called Umbra grey)..But it’s what it’ll look like in photos..the actual colour is more earthy? (How could I have chosen such a non-colour??)..

This picture has made the cut because of it’s contrasting pale colour – I think I’ll need one..(will it be a green, grey or cream?? Depends on the colour of the units…)

Contrast colours..

Subtle contrast colours.

Not sure I’m very good at subtle.

Laters, Kate x

February 22, 2016

Disaster..

So here’s the thing: This weekend I finally started to paint the kitchen..

I pulled out the big drums and polyrhythms and went with what my heart said..dark. On the sample it looked grey – in my tin – grey. On the wall – brown. In pictures – black. My mother (who saw it) is still convinced it was green. To be honest..once it was on, it just looked promisingly awful. Not at all what I had imagined.

If you’re an uber cool couple with no children..then it certainly makes a statement. Sadly our space is less flickering candlelight more spilt tea and homework. I even unwrapped the mirror to see if stuff on the walls made a difference – and like the skidmarks of a bad crash, that’s when I discovered the next tragedy – the mirror had woodworm…great with a brand new oak parquet floor..

I know I’m not the only one to be suffering colour sample polymorphing..the truth is – the only way to know if you really like a colour is to paint a whole wall..or if you’re mad like me, a whole room. Sigh. And then be prepared to stand back and admit you’ve made a mistake: I like to believe I have adventurous taste but to have kept this just to prove a point would’ve made it the worst fake since…well, Madonna. So whilst I lament that it’s the wrong story…and it breaks my heart – the salient fact is it’s only paint and we all make mistakes: Nobody has died. It’s just my very own, very sad bad….that will be paid for in blood and sweat..

There was no time to faff with new samples – it needed to be finished by this morning (Monday) as the kitchen was due to arrive back for fitting. The only option was to go big and go white..

Have you ever painted over black before?

I gave up at one o’clock this morning..

The whole design now needs a new re-think…and I’m suspecting that only way to make this work is to embrace everything Scandi.

Never thought I’d write that..

Laters, Kate x

February 19, 2016

Just Because..

(All pictures Pinterest)

Laters, Kate x

February 18, 2016

Rosie x

There’s something rumbling in the air: Apparently Isabel Marant opted out of sharing her pre-season pictures with anyone until as late as possible. She said it was less to do with the threat of copying than over exposure – ‘There’s just too much stuff’. A notion that is starting to infiltrate and seep through the runway shows at New York fashion week…It’s becoming too obvious, too controlled..and the designers – crowned icons of creativity – are starting to rebel and explore other avenues to present their collections. It’s about time.

Rosie Assoulin presented her collection at the Meatpacking District (I like her thinking) with her usual chutzpah and personal style.

She sees a hemline and moves it up further… a gather becomes a statement.

A simple stripe is now a conversation of pattern and geometrical possibilities.

Exposure is about dreams, not exploitation.

Extravagance, strength and femininity all simply and elegantly pulled together with beautiful tailoring.

(All pics Vogue and Pinterest)

Now a stalwart of fashion week, she’s still a breath of fresh air.

And I love her candles.

Laters, Kate x

February 17, 2016

Projects x

I read an article once that said it was only ever possible to have two out of the three of the holy grails of building works: Cost, quality, time. I think the similar principals apply to children at halfterm…happy children, messy house, cost…only ever two at one time..but at least acknowledging these salient truths makes wading through the detritus of my present house so much easier. Which is a good thing, because added to our layer of general chaos is the fact we have the school quiz next week – this was last year – so why should this year be any different? We’ve started working on the costumes..and discovered a new creative product – ever come across thermomorph moldable plastic before??

It’s amazing stuff. You add these little plastic balls to boiling water.

And wait 2 minutes till they go clear.

Then you take it out and wait just long enough so no-one will get scalded.

And start molding…into anything you want.

It’s amazing stuff – the time line between being soft and hard is quite short – but you can just drop it back in the boiling water to soften again. And they dry totally opaque and white. What we were making I can’t say…except all will be revealed next week…

Laters, Kate x

February 16, 2016

Tracy Reese x

Tracy Reese is an older soul with youthful eyes who has the magic to make retro content spring to life.

She’s not a label I know – after spotting her 2016 Fall collection I went to her website to learn more expecting a continuation of this subdued, edgy elegance – and was greeted with bright, hot pink and a style more reminiscent of a catalogue shop: The site needs a makeover, because this is a rich, deep vein she’s uncovered.

She makes large shapes and floaty lines look feminine and easy.

All beautifully composed and perfectly remembered.

And I want more.

Laters, Kate x

February 15, 2016

Ceilings x

Probably the coldest morning of the winter today – the perfect conditions for clearing the garden of Molly’s now solid brown presents. Makes me wonder if someone has invented a poo-freezer yet…no! not somewhere to store her daily offerings! but something Ghostbuster-like to make the job even slightly more fun..a bit like the paint I tried on the ceiling this weekend. I hate painting ceilings..but there’s more of a twinkle if it’s an ever-so subtle shade of bubble gum pink..