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
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
We were at my sister’s being fed like royalty last week and these were being passed around: pics of the crafts that you’re inspired to do via sites like Pinterest..that don’t always turn out as intended. I can relate – it happened to me yesterday..four excited children and all the ingredients (even the glycerin) to make giant bubbles – you know, the bigger than a person ones? – we measured, we mixed, we made…it squelched. Not so much as a single sphere…
It’s a turkey ok?
(Pictures from all sorts including Google and Pinterest)
Next time it rains, mine will be the garden that foams..
Laters, Kate x
The AW15 lookbook for MiH fell into my inbox yesterday. WHAT??
…Does that mean summer’s been and gone??
And nobody told me?
If so I’m perilously close to tears..
There’s enough time slipping away without anyone else turning the speed-up dial.
Honestly, halt with the Christmas lists already.
I just want to enjoy my pina colada on the beach.
Laters, Kate x
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
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
Grayson Perry
When was the last time you were touched by someone so brilliant they made your head start sub-dividing?
Stand back and welcome previous Turner Prize winner and national gem, Grayson Perry and his new project, a House for Essex: a collaboration with Charles Holland and the architecture studio FAT. Built in Wrabness this huge marmite piece of art is a monumental shrine to a completely fictional character, a lady called Julie May Cope and is dedicated to the ‘Single mums of Dagenham, hairdressers in Colchester and the landscape and history of Essex’. The house holds testament to Perry’s visions of Julie’s life, through her birth in Canvey Island in 1953 to her two marriages, her children, her work all the way to her sudden death at the hands of a pizza delivery moped on Colchester High Street at the premature age of 61.
On the outside there’s a shining copper roof and 1924 glazed terracotta sigils of St jules.
Inside, the main room is in the style of a chapel to pay homage to the life of an ordinary woman.
There are biographical tapestries and pictures over the ceilings with snap shots of her history.
In pride of place and hanging as a chandelier is the very moped that killed her.
Upstairs, the two bedrooms are dedicated to her two marriages..the second of which was a story of true, tender love which permeates through the whole building and draws it together.
Kitsch, ebullient and eccentric it may be, but the joy of Perry is that in his work, as in his life, he describes the truth as he sees it. Underneath the undeniable humour, there’s a deeper, thicker message running through. This is a celebration of a modesty of aspiration and acquisitions that uses high art to pay homage to the notion of hard work and normality. It’s one mans couture shrine to the silver linings and special moments that bless every single life, no matter how hard or down trodden. Which ties up nicely with why it was commissioned in the first place: It’s part of philosopher and critic Alain de bottom’s (great name hashtag-childish-sense-of-humour) Living Architecture programme to allow members of the public – that’s you and me – to stay in buildings by world class contemporary designers. Click here for more details for your own personal taste of Julie’s life.
Imagine…a weekend away…here??
Laters, Kate 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
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
The plan this sumer is to find the perfect beach dress within a reasonable budget, made with the ravishing timbre of towelling. Apart from the lux offering of Lisa Marie (sigh), this picture above represents the biggest research success so far – it’s called a surf dress – which makes total sense: practical and for a purpose. The downside is that it’s not symmetrical (sadly I’m a sucker for 2 patch pockets or one large, central kangaroo pouch), it’s from Australia and personally, I’d like a longer version. But the price is good: £47.43 plus postage, so if anyone’s interested it comes from here. Now I know these dresses are a genre I’ve looked at other surf dresses, but infuriatingly, they’re either made from fleece, covered in logos or they don’t have the v-neck..and that v-neck is crucial…it’s what stops it from being a sack.
Then I thought: just concentrate on the utilitarian shape – what’s appealing is the boxy shape with the neck-line and the pockets..which is just like a painters or fisherman’s smock…then elongate for a dress.
And they’re pretty totes-amaze just as a summer top..imagine with a pair of cut off denim shorts?..this one is from..wait for it..Amazon! at £27.48..bargain..! The lacing is divine..as is the pocket.
I think they would work..except I can’t find a pattern..
These are my top pattern picks so far..a possibility..
Liking the pouch..worried the shapes not square enough..and it’s a vintage 6-8.
Would ‘A’ work in towelling??
Slowly it’s starting to make sense – it’s good to highlight what you love and want..but it’s still a work in progress..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 