Tagged: presents
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
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
Hands up x
I’ve mixed up the pics of mens and women gloves, mainly because I don’t like segregation of any form; I think it leads to the worst kind of fomo. And because it generally leads to the men getting the cleaner, stronger designs. Which is not to say these gloves by Mabel Shepherd aren’t fab and certainly deserve a place on both ‘presents to give’ and the lust list. Can you tell which one is which?
(All pics Pinterest and Mabel Shepherd)
Except the computer had other dividing ideas – still, do you mind your designs conforming?
Laters, Kate x
Light my way x
I’m not here. I’m in a car, driving to Bristol, genuinely quite excited about experiencing a motorway again and moving wider than a 2 mile circle from the house. We’re emptying The Husband’s work flat as he’s going to be in London till at least Christmas; Every cloud. The plan is to make a round trip in a day – normally a ticket to hell, but all of that has been subtly reframed by the thought of travelling at speed, the prospect of a horizon and the promise of new vistas. Aren’t I the lucky one? These pictures were taken today – Sunday afternoon has become a potter time for me – projects to plan, things to do. And this represents the first time I’ve tried to re-make candles.
The first thing was to get rid of the bits of wax left at the end of all the finished candles. I found the best way was to pour in boiling water, which melted the wax, making it rise to the surface to create a wax plug that was then easy to remove.
My eclectic collection of containers, from tins to pots to old candle jars.
The wicks I ordered very cheaply from Ebay.
And stuck down with a dab of glue from a handy glue gun.
This was the super candle that inspired the re-make – a winter candle from the White Company with it’s gorgeous smell that died leaving lots of wax. I melted down in a pyrex bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Once the lump of it became soft, I cut it up into smaller bits to speed up the melt. I also added all the remnants of the other candles, because why not? Once everythings melted it’s possible to add various essential oils. As the kitchen already smelt like a tart’s boudoir, I refrained.
Pouring in the liquid wax is not the easiest thing. I recommend a funnel. Then I improvised with tin foil to keep the wicks upright and central.
Highly satisfying and highly recommended.
Laters, Kate x
Burn baby burn!
Saw this on a Pinterest board and loved it: Well crafted, obvious quality with a quirky sense of humour. Shame the price point was in the couple of hundreds. But it did remind me, there is an alternative to burning candles and that the plus point with incense is the choice of burners.
(I did have a quick google dive to see if I could find a similar cat. This one from Etsy was a tenth of the price. But I suspect you know that already…)
And then there’s this type, with backflow incense, which turns the whole thing into a living, moving sculpture. (From what I have read though, you have to be careful about the quality of the incense, otherwise you get mucho smoke, bad smell and residue. Another alternative is to make your own backflow cones – you tube has some videos…)
(All pics Pinterest)
Too much? The tacky side of tacky?? I just can’t decide!…
Laters, Kate x
Merry Mad-mas..
(Knit your own golden retriever)
I was reminded of this post today (along with the feeling that the madness seems to strike earlier each yea)…..it sums up such a interesting feeling that I believe it deserves another viewing, along with the proviso that whilst the spirit is there, the links probably aren’t…
When looking for presents, I start every Christmas with a simple shopping list of good intentions..
..But somewhere along the line something happens.
I can’t decide whether it’s because I’ve been beaten down and seduced into embracing the madness of the season..or it’s a bizarre reaction to the obscene commercialism that’s always lurking round the corner..
But it always reaches a point when suddenly giving a gift of earwax seems the most natural thing in the world..
(Plush Roadkill)
And why shouldn’t a stuffed toy include the inner bits as well?
Mouse taxidermy? It could be the new baking…
As The final finishing touch, Firebox – the source of all this wonder (and recommended to me by the wonderfully talented Beth, through her Blog The linen Cat Blog ) add their own distinct wrapping service. Pure genius.
Now if I could have an unlimited supply of ‘crap wrap’ stickers, I think I would be happy for life…grunge wrapping is the new black…
Laters, Kate x
Magpie x
There’s a new style of earring on the block: A marbled resin reminiscent of murano glass with hints of a bygone era. Some of the best examples can be seen in the work of Ejing Zhang, a Chinese jewellery now living in London who looks to her love of traditional calligraphy and ink painting for her inspiration. Combine the ever changing powers of resin with gold and a touch of whimsy and you have a magical combination.
(All pics Ejing Zhang and Pinterest)
Her pieces come under the title ‘fashion jewellery’ which means not stupid silly prices – think £150 and up. But if you want to try without breaking the bank, Primark have some surprisingly good pieces – but there’s definitely no gold…
Laters, Kate x
Linen
It was our anniversary a few days ago, in fact it was the first one in eighteen years we’ve ever spent apart – here’s to the next 18 being similarly fortunate. But how to mark it? The best idea seemed to be something that could stand the test of time, age gracefully, be enjoyed by both of us….and was suitably low maintenance: A complete linen bed set is an investment, but for me, it ticks all the special boxes….a bit like my husband…
Laters, Kate x
Gold Rush x
I had a pair of earrings just like this and lived in them: A true classic.
(All pics Net-a-porter)
And at £50 from I+I, a bit of a classy bargain too…
Laters, Kate x
Write out x
If approaching September means anything it means stocking up on stationary. Which underlines the enigma…why do we need to buy it every September? There’s the normal losses down the back of the sofa, chewed by the children, eaten by the dog. But the real reason is usually simply the lack of quality and that stationary belongs to the class of products blighted by the modern disease of built in obsolescence. They just want you to buy it again. So why not think outside the pencil box?
Tools to Liveby is a dreamy online shop that has done the hardwork upfront, sourcing beautiful stationary products from around the world that have stood the test of time.
The emphasis is on quality and the joy is in the detail, from products like these – brass pencil protectors from Germany.
To memorable packaging.
(All pics Tools to Liveby)
It puts the quality back into quantity.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 