Tagged: Sam says enjoy life

Weekend Wanderings..

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On Saturday Fairy, Bella and I headed to Shoreditch to the Jumble and Pearls vintage and more sale at the Book Club. (A fab cafe in it’s own right with loads going on…and it’s own table tennis table..)

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Shoreditch is an eclectic, buzzing, creative, urban area with stories and something different round every corner.  Looking with eyes wide open is a must.

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(I was thinking of you, Su..loved the retro letters..)

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Opposite the light shop was this fairytale-like Reclamation Yard…we were immediately sidetracked (it doesn’t take much..).  Set in an old church it was like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia…..

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 I didn’t think so much space existed in central London…

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In my dreams this old French haberdashery unit is pride of place in my kitchen holding bowls and plates..and anything else..

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 We were at Jumble and Pearl to see my wonderful cousin Nathalie (her story here) and see her new merchandise for Sam Says Enjoy Life.

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(My sister swears by these bibs and is always being asked where she got them from)

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I also had Bella’s portrait drawn by the lovely Jenny Robins.

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I’ve always fancied having a wall of framed ‘street art’ portraits of the kids, drawn across the years, seen with different eyes and marking their growth into adults.

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Jenny has said she’ll help, so this is the first one…I like to think the finished collection will be like an Installation in it’s own right..

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We headed home, very happy with my purchase from Nathalie – one of her new up-cycled denim bags, perfect to hold in style the daily detritus I manage to accumulate and lug around.

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 I particularly like the pockets..that little bit of embroidery is heaven.

Laters, Kate x

La vie en rose x

IMG_2473Proud mummy/cousin moment: My lovely daughter, Bella modelling t-shirts designed by my beautiful-inside-and-out cousin Nathalie.  I’ll write a longer post when Naths has her full e-commerce site up and running but until then check out her Facebook page because Naths is one of the amazing people of this world –  I think all the products (not just t-shirts) she designs and sells are super cool..and this is doubled when you know her story, and the story behind the story.

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Nathalie lost her sister, Sam and Sam’s baby daughter, Ruby Rose in the horror of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.  As a way of grieving and celebrating her sister’s vibrant life, she started creating and commissioning art works based on the phrase ‘Sam says enjoy life’ to capture and treasure Sam’s spirit. These were then sold on behalf of the charity set up in their names.

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Not only does this send a powerful message of joy over adversity, but many of Nathalie’s products are made by women’s charities, one of which is based in Barcelona and helps women recently released from prison by teaching them seamstress skills whilst earning a fair wage.

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Love can be so many things.

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So if the day is a downer, the suppers in the dog..or the dogs in the supper, just know that worse things can happen and take a step back..and enjoy life..because a certain person says so…

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And believe me, she knows.

Laters, Kate x