On a trip to Whitstable at the weekend (more on this later in the week), I spotted this brilliant doormat, above. Granted, it’s not understated or classy, but it is funny and unusual, and it’d definitely raise a smile when people came to visit.
You don’t have to travel to the south coast to buy one though – you can get it for just £12 (plus £3.95 P&P) from http://www.jadoremavie.com; or £12.99 from http://www.beautifulcountryhomes.co.uk.
If I were you, I’d put your name down for one quick!
In my book, stationery shouldn’t just be useful – it should also be fun, brightly-coloured and look good on your desk. So, these little beauties tick all the boxes (or should I say, highlight all the boxes?!)
Yep, these are no ordinary highlighter pens; they’re highlighter pens disguised as pots of nail varnish. Granted, they won’t give you cutting-edge neon nails, but they will look good on your desk (and come in handy when you’re working/studying).
A set of four ‘High Stylers’ costs a reasonable £7 from new webshop http://www.Frology.co.uk.
Believe it or not, the shop is run by Harry Frohlich, a 14-year-old from Pinner. Frohlich means ‘happy’ in German, and so Harry should be – he’s obviously got a good eye for great products. I fully expect to see him pop up on The Junior Apprentice any day now…!
(All pix courtesy of http://www.frology.co.uk)
Now, normally I’m all about the bargains, but when I saw these brilliant deer earrings (kindly being modeled here by their owner, my lovely friend Emma), I had to draw them to your attention.
They’re very cool, but cute too – a winning combination in my book. Designed by Brighton-based jeweller Jeremy Hoye, silver versions cost £60 while gold-plated silver versions, like the one above, are £75 per pair. His website, http://www.jeremy-hoye.com, is well worth checking out – he has loads of similar studs, including squirrels, two-tone pineapples and lifelike mini pansies.
They’d make an amazing present for someone special – or you could pop them on your Christmas wishlist (it’s never too early to start!)
If your budget won’t stretch to these kinds of prices, as always, I have found an alternative. These cute hypoallergenic silver metal fawn earrings from Oliver Bonas (below, http://www.oliverbonas.com) are just £8 and come in a little gift box. Oliver Bonas also sell a gold ‘Bambie ‘ necklace, very similar to the Jeremy Hoye studs, for £9, also below.
Remember these amazing cushions from Habitat I mentioned on the blog a while back – the ones that cost just £12 each? Well, tomorrow, you can get them even cheaper…
For £9 each, to be exact, as Habitat are giving all shoppers 25% off everything all day during trading hours instore (tomorrow, 6th June); or from 7pm tonight until midnight tomorrow if you buy online at http://www.habitat.co.uk.
All you need is code JE25EM at the instore/online checkout.
While you’re snapping up those cushions, you might also want to load your basket with some other lovely items at knock-down prices…
My favourites? The stylish Kilo side tables in a range of colours which will be just £18.75 (instead of the usual £25) each, or £57.50 (instead of £70) for a nest of three; the super cool graphic Mell melamine picnicware, which will cost from just £1.87 for a plate (instead of £2.50); or a set of four water tumblers (three different coloured sets available), for £6 (instead of £8).
See you at the tills!
I hardly dare write this in case I’m tempting fate, but it seems as if summer if FINALLY here.
And with all this perfect picnic weather we’re having, what you need is some picnic tableware. I’m currently lusting after these retro-ish Wall’s Ice Cream melamine plates, above, £5 each from John Lewis (www.johnlews.com), decorated with old skool favourites – Strawberry Split, Funny Feet, Twister and Starship 4.
The plates are part of a much larger picnic range in the same design, with cool bags, from £17; beakers and mugs, £4.50 each; water bottles, £10; and a roll-up picnic rug, £25.
Personally, I think they’re all Fab (oh, that’s another type of ice cream altogether!)
PS: Love these designs but want something other than picnicware? Snap up this brilliant storage tin, £7.99 (below), from http://www.safariisland.co.uk.
If you live in London, you can also buy the tin in person at Ed in East Dulwich (41 Northcross Road, SE22), for £9.95. Most of their gorgeous stuff is online at http://www.rigbyandmac.com but sadly this is an in-store item only. Shame!
Graphic designer Stuart Gardiner makes some lovely tea towels – you might have seen them – with colourful tables showing which fruit and vegetables are in season; handy guides to pairing wine with food; and a cute design covered in flowers that attract bees (you can see some of them at the bottom of this post).
Not only are they incredibly cool, but they’re made of really good quality cotton that wears really well and feels soft and absorbent even after dozens of washes.
Now he’s launched two fab new tea towels, one with tips, recipes and sayings all about coffee, and one all about tea, above. They’d make brilliant, easily-postable gifts (you could even pair one with a box of tea/coffee or a nice mug?).
All his tea towels cost £10 each (plus just £1 P&P) from http://www.stuartgardiner.co.uk.
Like his style? His site sells oven mitts, bags, mugs, prints and even chopping boards too.
Time to ask a favour…
I LOVE writing this blog, and I hope you love reading it.
If so, I’d be eternally grateful if you’d consider nominating me for a Cosmopolitan Blogger’s Award. It takes under a minute, promise.
The two categories I’m eligible for are either ‘Interiors blog’ or ‘Lifestyle blog’, and the URL for my blog is http://www.thetreasurehunteruk.com (don’t forget the ‘uk’ bit in the address!)
You can fill in the nomination form here. You need to click through to the second page to get to the form – there’s a little ‘next page’ button on the bottom left:
Better be quick though – nominations close at midnight on 3rd June.
Thank you!
What’s almost as good as Cadbury’s Mini Eggs? Mini Egg-inspired nails!
Pastels continue to be a big trend, but if they’re a bit wishy-washy for your liking, why not add a twist with one of these quite frankly genius speckled egg-like nail varnishes from posh beauty brand Illamasqua.
There are five colours to choose from: Scarce (pink), Fragile (blue), Freckle (nude), Mottle (green) and Speckle (lilac).
Okay, so at £14.50 per bottle (from http://www.illamasqua.com) they’re not a bargain, but if you’re anything like me, a bottle will last a lot longer than a packet of Mini Eggs will!
Want to update your garden, but short on space and cash? Forget huge clunky brown wooden garden furniture and invest in a compact bright bistro set instead.
Smaller and less expensive than ‘proper’ tables and chairs, it’ll fold away tidily when not in use and add a stylish flash of colour. What’s more, you can pick up some very nice ones indeed for under £90. Not bad eh?
My picks: the hot pink Blooma set from B&Q (www.diy.com), £89 (table, £59 + chairs £15 each), above; or the Courtado set in tomato red or mint green, £79 from Marks and Spencer (www.marksandspencer.com); the pale blue set from Homebase, £69.99 (www.homebase.co.uk); or the great quality wooden set in either retro orange or olive green, £80 from Wilkinson (www.wilko.com), all below.
Have you seen how expensive flowers are these days? I love the idea of having fresh blooms all over the place Elton John-stylee, but until I win the lottery and have a bank account to match his, I have to settle for the odd bouquet on my birthday or bunch of daffs from the local market.
This incredibly cunning vase by designer Charlie Guda may change all that. It’s a glass test tube, attached to a stand made of magnifying glass. You pop a stem in the tube (with some water of course) and then fix the glass in front, like so…
The glass magnifies the flower so that not only does it appear supersized, but you can see every little line and detail of the petals. Clever eh?
It means you can spend just one or two quid on a particularly lovely single flower (or choose one you’ve picked from your garden or on a walk) and turn it into a really eyecatching work of art.
It’s not exactly a bargain at £29 (from The Conran Shop, http://www.conranshop.co.uk) but after you’ve made that initial outlay, think how much you’ll save on flowers thereafter!
As we stared wistfully through a shop window at a set of cake tins the other day, my friend said to me, “The two things you can never have enough of in a house are jugs and tins”. I agreed (but also added cushions to that list).
So, when my mother-in-law visited me the other day and bought the above gift, I was delighted. It’s a re-usable, retro-ish tin in the shape of an ice cream van, which looks great on a kitchen shelf. As a bonus, it’s full of slightly strange strawberry cookies that taste eerily like ice cream in crunchy biscuit form.
The next time you’re popping round to someone’s house for tea, I thoroughly recommend picking one up from Marks & Spencers for just £6. It’d make a very welcome gift, no matter how many tins your host already has (you can also never have too many biscuits – yet another thing to add to that list!)
PS: Live outside the UK? You can buy one of these tins for £7.50 from fab website BritStore, who ship all kinds of British goodies anywhere in the world. Visit http://www.britstore.co.uk)
On a recent visit to friends in Norfolk the other week (more on their AMAZING house in a later post…) I found these mega cute 1950s/60s playing cards in a junk shop for £4. I love the old school illustrations – kitsch but not too twee.
Back home, I’ve paired them up with squares of wrapping or origami paper and stuck them on blank greetings cards. I plan to use them for birthdays and thank yous, with the idea that the recipients can remove the card and recycle it again in a different way. I reckon they’d look great as a freize around a child’s bedroom wall; framed as little artworks, or even used as gift tags.
Fancy making some yourself? You can pick up all kinds of similar packs in different retro designs for around a fiver each on eBay (search under ‘vintage playing cards’ or ‘animal rummy’ or other card games like ‘old maid’ or ‘hearts’ or ‘happy families’).
A workmate of mine used to have a gorgeous gold-plated ‘Baby Bee’ necklace (above) that she bought for her wedding day – and then wore every day since. It was small, simple, and went with everything from summer dresses to cable-knit jumpers. The necklace in question is by designer Alex Monroe, and costs £130 from Liberty (www.liberty.co.uk). Ah. That’s why I never bought one for myself.
Until yesterday. Idling away ten minutes in Accessorize in Kings Cross station, I spotted the perfect homage – okay, it’s almost a copy – a little gold ‘Bella Bee’ on a chain for just £6:
Well, it would have been rude not to get it, don’t you think?!
Want one for yourself (or as a great gift for someone)? It’s available now in Accessorize stores and online at uk.accessorize.com
Don’t like necklaces? You can also buy ‘Bella Bee’ stud earrings from Accessorize for the unbelievably bargainous price of £2 a pair:
In the second of my summery posts this week (and the first of many on the subject of sprucing up your garden), I had to share these cool chairs with you. Modern, bright garden furniture is usually so expensive – in the hundreds of pounds – so I was pleasantly surprised to spot this retro-style acid green and hot pink Moretta seating from B&Q (instore and online at http://www.diy.com).
A chair costs £60 and the bench, £99 – not bad for a real statement piece that’ll instantly pimp up your patio.
And if you like these, there are matching rocking chairs, £69 each and a cute egg-shaped charcoal grey table, £40, too (below).
Last week’s glimpse of the sun has got me feeling all summery, so I had to be physically restrained this weekend when I went to my local Sainsbury’s and saw their new range of AMAZING plastic picnicware (above).
In candy colours and printed with gorgeous graphic ice creams and lollies, I wanted to buy the whole lot.
My top picks? The gorgeous large tray platters, £4 (below right)…
…the cute bowls (perfect for everything from sweets to salads), £5 for the large or £2.50 for the small…
…and the reusable double-walled plastic drink cups with straws, £2.50 each…
Someone in the Sainsbury’s design team obviously loves their lollies, as they also feature on mega cute notelets, £3.99 for 12; a range of stationery (£2.99 for a notebook); and on disposable paper plates and napkins, £1.50 a pack, all below. Yum!
Apologies if you don’t recognise ‘em, but these cheeky chappies, Morph and Chas, will only mean something if you grew up in the late Seventies or Eighties. Artist and presenter Tony Hart’s plasticine sidekicks on the cult TV series Take Hart and later, Hartbeat; they were created by Aardman Animations, long before Wallace and Gromit came along.
I think what I like about Morph is that he’s not been over-exposed, unlike some other characters from my childhood (The Magic Roundabout to name just one). He’s quite low-key, and that makes things like these bookends cool rather than childish – in my, erm, book, anyhow.
They cost £20 for the pair (fairly reasonable for decent bookends these days) from http://www.culturelabel.com
Looking for a present for a friend the other day, I stumbled upon this brilliant cushion, above, £15 from Marks & Spencer (www.marksandspencer.com). It’s perfect because she’s attempting to write a book, so spends a lot of time at her desk. Okay, so she’s hunched over a computer rather than a typewriter, but I reckoned it’d look sweet on her chair, and help keep her spirits up when she’s got writer’s block.
Once I’d seen that though, I realised how many other typewriter-themed goodies are out there. All of them would make great gifts for aspiring (or accomplished) writers, bloggers, journalists or general wordsmiths. Here’s my pick of the best:
Personalised notebook, £9 http://www.notonthehighstreet.com :
Typewriter ink stamps, £6.99, http://www.culturevulturedirect.co.uk :
Typewriter tablet sleeve, £14.99, http://www.culturevulturedirect.co.uk :
Typewriter keys magnets, £8.99, http://www.amazon.co.uk :
Personalised typewriter bag (up to six lines of text), £15, http://www.snapdragononline.co.uk :
Back when I was a student, the only nail polish colours you could buy in Boots and Superdrug were boring pinks and reds. However, there was one brand, Spectacular, sold in independent chemists and clothes shops, that bucked the trend. It came in a rainbow of colours and everything cost just £1, so my friends and I would change our polish every few days, trying out everything from metallic royal blue (which became my signature colour) to neon yellow.
Sadly, Spectacular is no more, but thankfully its legacy lives on – you can buy nail varnish in every colour and finish under the sun. It just costs a bit more than £1. My favourite brand is Mavala – their on-trend polishes come in cute 5ml bottles that never seem to dry up, look great on your dressing table, and cost a reasonable £4.50 each.
So, I was very excited to hear about their new competition – to create your very own bespoke nail colour. They’re challenging the public to take a photo of something – anything from a handbag to car paintwork – in a colour they’d love to be able to wear on their nails. Three lucky winners will have their suggestions turned into nail varnishes and sold across the UK later this year.
My entry? Saturday’s gorgeous blue cloudless sky, below – it’d be like having the essence of summer on your fingertips (and besides, I think it’s time I upgraded my signature blue to a slightly classier shade).
Want to have a go? Simply take a photo of anything you’d love to see recreated as a nail varnish and post it on Twitter with the hashtag #thatsmycolour (copying in @MavalaUK) or visit Mavala’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MavalaUK and post it there. Be quick though – the competition closes on 5th May.
Good luck!
I’m a huge fan of bright colours, and I love it when designers take run-of-the-mill objects and jazz them up by making them in eye-popping shades.
So I definitely approve of Asda”s new range of cheap and cheerful Parasene boxer wheelbarrows, which come in purple, pink, red, yellow, green or stylish galvanised silver.
Okay, so I don’t really need a wheelbarrow - it only takes about five steps to go from my shed to my back door – but never mind. I think the yellow one would look very fetching indeed parked on my patio, with a bit of soil and a trowel artistically placed inside, as if I might pop out and do some heavy duty weeding at any moment.
I might be getting a bit carried away there (ho ho), but seriously, they’d make a great present for anyone with a bit of style who loves gardening. They cost a wheely (sorry!) reasonable £28 each – or £30 for the silver version – from direct.asda.com
Better be quick though – the purple one (why does everyone love purple so much?!) has already sold out once, after being featured in Living Etc magazine. Wheelbarrow race to the tills anyone?!
My friend James wears the loudest trainers going. Neon pink, metallics… you name it, he’ll wear it. So, I’ve found the perfect present for him – Shwings shoe wings. These quite frankly AMAZING shoe accessories come in a range of fantastic metallic shades and fit onto any trainer or shoe with lace holes like so:
You can even double them up and wear two colours at once (see below). Okay, so this is not a look for the shy and retiring, but it’s brilliant fun, and it’ll turn a so-so shoe into a ‘Woah!’ shoe in seconds. On-trend celebrity offspring such as the Beckham boys and Gwen Stefani’s kids have already been spotted in them, but I say you don’t have to be under twelve years old to appreciate their general awesomeness.
I’m after the metallic purple set to go on my fluoro green Converse.
How about you?
Shwings cost £10 for red, gold or blue at the V&A shop (www.vandashop.com); £9.99 for white, pink, red, green, turquoise or purple at http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk; and £6.90 – £12.95 for a huge range of colours including neons and silver foil at http://www.amazon.co.uk.
PS: Live in the USA? You can buy Shwings at http://www.shwingsonline.com
Now, I know it’s not big or clever to swear, but there are times (like when Roger Cocks from the local garden centre sends out a letter saying it’s apple season again) when it’s amusing.
So, I’m all for the name of this fun new beauty range that’s just gone on sale at http://www.firebox.com. There are two products to choose from – Hand Sh*t hand cream, £7.99; and Lip Sh*t lip balm, £4.99 (I’m not asterix-ing the “i” out because the packaging does by the way – I’m doing it because if a swear word appears in this blog, loads of subscriber’s firewalls will block it, the meanies).
Anyhow, those in the know say it’s actually a really nice product; there are lots of delicious sounding scents to choose from – including Asian Pear, Jasmine Fig and Grapefruit Rosehip – and it’s all packaged in quirky little tins and jars that’d make great presents.
For these reasons, I’m going to log on to Firebox and get my hands on some of that sh*t right now.
Nothing says ‘fancy’ like a paper napkin.
Oh okay, lots and lots of things say ‘fancy’ better than a paper napkin, but they do make you look thoughtful. If you’ve got friends round, and you serve them some cake on a plate with a napkin, it looks so much more special than if you just fling a half-opened packet of biscuits in their general direction.
Anyhow, while I’ve got a real soft spot for napkins, I’ve always thought that napkin holders were a bit naff. They’re usually hideous stained wood affairs that look like holiday souvenirs; or very functional see-thru perspex ones that wouldn’t look out of place in a greasy spoon cafe.
Until now, that is. The clever people at hip San Francisco design company Gama-Go have turned their attention to the humble serviette holder and come up with these fun little Anchor’s Away sailboats. They suit any size, colour or pattern of napkin, and would look brilliant ‘sailing’ on your kitchen or dining room table. Who knows, they’re so fun they might even encourage visiting children to wipe their sticky fingers more (note I only said ‘might’!).
They cost £9.95 each from http://www.cubicuk.com. While you’re there, check out the other great Gama-Go items for sale – I defy you not to (ahem) push the boat out and leave the site empty-handed!
PS: Live in the US? You can buy the Sailboat napkin holder from store.gama-go.com for $14
I’ve written about Matalan’s (www.matalan.co.uk) fab homeware design team before, and quite frankly, someone needs to ban me from their stores as their new Spring Summer range is so lovely – and so bargainous – that I’m in danger of buying the whole lot.
My top pick is their multicoloured bamboo mug tree, just £3.50, above. It’s very similar to one John Lewis had last year (inset, above), but which cost about £20. There are matching chopping boards (bamboo wards off bacteria), £4 each, too, edged in either coral, blue or lime – at that price, you could get all three!
Then there are the designer-look storage jars, with either a coral, lime or sky blue lid, £5 each, below. The black panel on the front is made of blackboard paint, so you can write the name of the contents on in chalk. Classy!
I’m also loving the latest addition to Matalan’s china storage jar range, £5, also below. With a retro/Japanese blue wave design, it’d look cool in any kitchen.
Worth a mention too is the owl mug. I cannot believe he’s just £3.50 – again, he looks as if he ought to come from a swanky boutique. He’d make a great gift teamed with a box of fancy teabags.
Finally, I’m tempted by the bright doormat, just £5 (I LOVE that it has ‘Yo’ as a greeting); the decal planters, £3 each; the set of six metal hangers, £3.50; the Tasty Tomatoes tea towel, £1.50 and the set of two velour kitchen hand towels, in either the green asparagus or silver spoon print. I really can’t believe they only cost £3.50 for a pair.
It was my birthday the other week, and some of my lovely friends clubbed together and got me John Lewis vouchers, as they know I’m slightly obsessed with pretty much everything they sell.
So, what did I spend them on? Well, I’ve been coveting this set of gorgeous cake and biscuit tins by Orla Kiely for some time, so I treated myself!
There are five tins in total, each in one of Orla’s signature retro-style prints, including a really large tin that’s great for Christmas cakes and other huge items. They look fantastic in my kitchen and match the colours on my blinds brilliantly (not that this matters, but it makes me love them even more). You can stack them inside each other when not in use, but quite frankly, they look far to pretty to hide away.
The whole set of five costs £35, which is actually fairly reasonable considering there are so many of them and they’re a bona fide designer item.
In fact, they’ve already had so many admiring comments, that the next time someone who loves baking (or just eating) cakes gets married, I’ll invest in a set for them too – I reckon they’d make a fantastic and unusual wedding gift.
The clocks go forward in the UK by an hour this weekend – midnight on Sunday 31st. Whilst this is a good thing in that it heralds the start of British Summer Time (not that you’d know it with the murky weather we’ve been having recently), it’s not so great in that everyone loses a precious hour in bed.
My solution? Celebrate the time change and cheer yourself up with a new clock. You don’t have to spend a fortune – the one I have my eye on, above, the futuristic-looking Lexon Around clock, is a reasonable £21.65 from http://www.fredaldous.co.uk
Want some other suggestions? How about the Normann Copenhagen Watch Me clock, £35 from Heal’s (www.heals.co.uk); the Cuckoo canvas clock, £14.99, Dunelm Mill (www.dunelm-mill.com); the fabulously retro Jones Strike Mantle clock, £10 from Asda (direct.asda.com); the Nextime Disco clock, £29, http://www.redcandy.co.uk; or the Ice Cream Cone clock, £35, John Lewis (www.johnlewis.com), all below.
Better be quick though if you want to buy one before Sunday – time’s a ticking!
It’s nearly that time of year – Easter – when you actually look weird if you don’t eat some chocolate.
However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve realised it’s about quality, not quantity. Cheap’n'cheerful eggs might be okay when you’re a kid, but when you’re an adult, and you’re probably only going to eat one or possibly two Easter items, you want the really good stuff.
So, this year (all in the name of research you understand), I’ve been perusing the shelves, looking for my top five chocolate Easter gifts – and one non-chocolate gift too – to share with you. And here they are…
1) The Lindt Easter Bunny, from 69p, supermarkets. The original and best, “with ze leetle golden bell”. Lindt chocolate is, in my opinion, simply the scrummiest money can buy. And this year, you can buy bunnies in every size and shape imaginable. Check out the overwhelming display in my local Sainsbury’s, below. A-mazing.
2) The Lindt Easter Hen. Bunnies not your thing? This year, you can buy a chocolate hen in v.fashionable neon(ish) green, pink or yellow foil, £1.29 each, Waitrose, Budgens and selected supermarkets.
3) Luxury Top-Loaded Eggs with Edible Straw, £10 for 5, Marks and Spencer (www.marksandspencer.com). How pretty do these eggs look? And you can eat the straw too! They’d make a beautiful table piece – if you can resist gobbling them up until after Sunday lunch.
4) Cadbury’s Egg ‘n’ Spoons, £3 for a box of four, from supermarkets. More substantial and a better-looking gift than ordinary Creme Eggs, these have a fluffy white middle and a little spoon to eat it with. How thoughtful. I also like the authentic ‘egg box’ style packaging.
5) Itsy Bitsy Eggs, £4.99 for a bag, Hope & Greenwood (www.hopeandgreenwood.co.uk). A smaller, slightly classier take on the traditional speckled mini egg, these make a thoughtful-looking gift. They make me want to cook those chocolate cornflake nests you used to make as a child, just so that I can scatter a few on top!
6) Bunny money boxes, £3 each, Tiger (www.tigerstores.co.uk). Believe it or not, there are some people in the world who don’t like or can’t eat Easter eggs. Why should they miss out on the fun? Give them one of these kitsch flock money boxes instead – it’ll look cool all year round (and last a darn sight longer than a chocolate version).
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Wilkinsons’ new homes range – well, it’s instore and online now (at http://www.wilko.com) and there are some amazing bits and bobs at very reasonable prices.
The best stuff though by far is the huge selection of bedlinen. There’s around 20 to choose from and pretty much something for everyone. My absolute favourite is the designer-look Pixel design, above, which starts at just £14 for a double duvet cover and pillow case set (what a bargain!). Too hectic for you? Jazz up your existing plain duvet set with a matching cushion, £6.50, also above.
The Japanese-inspired Wave design, immediately below (from £12 for a double set) is a close second favourite.
Also worth a look are designs with retro flowers (£30), numbers (£12), bicycles design (£14), feathers (£30), birds and flowers (£19), cute patchwork (£19) and monochrome zig zags (£12), which would look amazing mixed in with hot pink, bright yellow or grass green sheets and extra pillowcases.
As for the rest of the homewares? I love the wooden clock, bottom, just £8.
When it comes to homewares, BHS have really stepped up their game. Years ago, the store was quite mumsy and safe, but recently they’ve been coming out with some lovely stuff to rival other high street big hitters like Next and Matalan.
When I did up my kitchen recently, I got a bit obsessed with storage. And one of the things that has particularly revolutionised my life has been putting my washing powder into a special tin (I know, I know – I don’t get out much).
Before I got the tin, I kept my powder in it’s original cardboard box, under the sink or by the washing machine. Aside from the fact it didn’t look that attractive, it always managed to get soggy on the bottom, and the powder inside would get stuck together in big clumps that I’d have to whack the box hard to get out.
Now I have a tin with a scoop inside, I use every last bit of powder as it all stays dry and never goes solid. Plus, the tin sits proudly on my worktop, looking classy. It’s the little things that make a difference, see?!
If you want to be as anal as me, there are some fab tins around at the moment. Designer Ben de Lisi has created a lovely retro one, £18, above, as part of his new range for Debenhams (which also includes a matching ironing board cover and a laundry organiser tin) out at the end of this month.
On a similar retro theme are these vintage-style tins (the OMO one is my favourite), just £11.50 each, from Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk):
Want something in a calmer colour? These lovely tins are also from Amazon and include a handy scoop (grey, £14.95; cream £13.95):
This one’s a good present for anyone who’s laundry-phobic (£22.46, http://www.temptationgifts.com):
And if you fancy splashing out, this gorgeous white tin and scoop costs £32 from Cox & Cox (www.coxandcox.co.uk):
Finally, if you like the idea of a laundry powder tin but want to spend less than a tenner, this fun washing machine-shaped one is just £6.99, again from Amazon:
I’m looking for a new bedroom light. At present, I’ve got a round paper lantern-style one from Ikea, that has a hole in it where I bashed it, trying to kill a mosquito. Classy.
Top of my wishlist is this AMAZING new Zaira pendant. It’s already been featured in Living Etc magazine (the official stamp of coolness) and it looks like it ought to cost hundreds of pounds. In fact, it’s £49.98 from B&Q (www.diy.com). It looks stunning in the daylight, but I particularly love the delicate pattern it makes on the walls and ceiling when it’s all lit up at night.
However, anything I buy has to get past my other half, and he hates things that make ‘weird shapes’ on the ceiling, so the hunt continues!
In the meantime though, while we’re on the subject of lights, I can’t wait for summer when I can string up these fun solar bottle lights, £16 for three, from Next (www.next.co.uk), in my garden. They’re part of their new range of outdoor lighting, below, which includes fun light-up words and even a solar seagull. Brilliant!
It’s that time of year again, when it’s too cold not to wear something round your neck, and too warm for a full-on woolly number. One of my very first posts on this blog was about the usefulness of the Transitional Scarf (a fancy way of describing a cotton-ish scarf you can wear in spring!) and I still think they’re a brilliant solution.
And my absolute favourite place to buy them is a little market-type stall in London, situated outside Oasis on Argyle Street, just opposite Oxford Circus tube station. It’s open every day and there’s always an amazing selection. There are brightly-coloured scarves and ones in muted tones; ones with birds, horses, zebras or deers on; ones with animal print and ones with flower patterns.
They’re all £6 each or two for a tenner. I’ve bought several over the years from there, both for myself and presents, and they always get a lot of positive comments.
My latest purchase, above, is particularly awesome – it’s grey and neon pink leopard print, a new design the little man who runs the stall says he’s trying out for the summer. He’s planning to sell more in other fluoro colours too.
So, if you live in London or are planning a shopping trip there, I thoroughly recommend a visit. If not, Primark also have a good, cheap selection, or you could try Oliver Bonas stores or http://www.oliverbonas.com (immediately below: Finches and Geese prints, £18; colour block, £26), or M&S (bottom: fish scale print, £15; grey Ikat print, £15.60).
In the past, Habitat hasn’t been particularly known for being a place to pick up bargains, but recently it’s been selling some lovely things at some very un-Habitat-like prices.
Take these quirky cushions, for example. They’re just £12 each, and the sort of thing people go out of their way to comment on when they pop round for coffee.
I’d casually throw a couple on an armchair and pretend you made them yourself from scraps of vintage fabric, if I were you!
One of the things I love most about writing this blog is finding bits and bobs that would make great presents. And to me, a great present is fun, unusual, and not the kind of thing people would be able to justify buying for themselves. It also helps in a lot of cases if it’s easy to post.
So I was very happy to stumble upon Lollipop Designs (www.lollipopdesigns.co.uk and also on http://www.notonthehighstreet.com). They sell some lovely things that tick all those boxes.
My absolute favourites are the brilliant Origami Animal Note Sets, £8.75 each (above and below) – ten sheets of printed paper that you fold to make a friendly little cat, mouse or fox face that you can then pop into the little square envelope provided and send as a thank you note or birthday card.
I also love the squirrel DIY gift tag ink stamp kit (which comes with 10 blank tags to get you started), £12; the classy Weekly Planner Pad, £9, which would look very smart either at work or at home; and the eco parcel tape, £9.50 per roll, which is decorated with little stars or animals, birds and speech bubbles (it’d be great for gift-wrapping), all below.
I’m off to place my order now!
While researching a magazine feature on ‘outdoor living inspiration’ the other day, I was asked if I would like to experience for myself Asda’s biggest-selling new garden accessory. Was it a fancy lounger, stylish oversized pot, shiny new BBQ..? Nope, it was a 3ft high ginormous garden gnome nicknamed Gnorman.
Of course, I said yes. Who wouldn’t?
So, now our garden has a new resident. And while he may not be particularly classy or subtle, he’s brilliant. He’s so jolly and OTT that even my other half, who is usually so minimalist and fussy about anything home-sy, absolutely loves him, while my dad wants him for his allotment (where the local ‘youths’ would kidnap him in seconds, no doubt!).
Only the local cat -see the top right of my photos, below – is unsure.
If you want to give a home to a gnome, or want to buy one for a friend (he’d make a great gift – just imagine people trying to guess what he was before they unwrapped him!), he costs a very reasonable £24.99 from Asda Direct, direct.asda.com
Something very exciting is happening in one of my favourite shops, Wilkinsons, from the beginning of March. They’ve had a major overhaul of their homes department and will be selling tons of gorgeous new designs in everything from cushions and bedding to lighting and rugs. What’s more, if you don’t live near a store, you’ll be able to buy it all at their new website address http://www.wilko.com from the beginning of March.
Don’t worry, I’ll be writing about it all the minute it goes on sale!
In the meantime, they’ve just released their new range of stuff for your garden. In a stylish palette of stone, olive and retro burnt orange, it’s fresh, fun… and a total bargain.
Here’s my picks of the best bits. I particularly love the watering cans and birdhouse – they’d make great presents for any green-fingered friends.
ABOVE:
Olive Bistro Set, £80 (two chairs and a table)
BELOW:
Watering cans, £12 each…
Bird box, £8…
Grow Your Own set of three pots on a tray, £7…
My Garden Things utility box, £15…
I’ve been looking for just the right kind of noticeboard for the wall of my home office for a while. It needs to be useful, yet look stylish too, as my office is really just a grand name for our spare room.
And I think I’ve found just the thing.
This Zinc Memo Board, £20, from Rose and Grey (www.roseandgrey.co.uk), looks like a chi-chi zinc tray – the kind you’d get drinks served on in a backstreet Parisian bar – and comes with a hanging rope loop and ten little magnets to hold all those important notes, cards and reciepts in check.
Don’t like the rectangular one? They’ve got round ones too, for the same, very reasonable price.
It had sold out completely, but the nice people at Rose and Grey tell me they’ve just received a new delivery – so they’re all stocked up and ready to go.
There are some people in this world who wear wellies everyday as a fashion statement instead of shoes. I’m not talking about country squires or farmers, but people who live in cities and wear them to work and the like. That’s not me (although sometimes I wish I were when I’m miles from home, wearing my old hole-y Converse and the heavens randomly open), however I do love a good pair of wellingtons – for muddy festivals, snow, and torrential downpours – and I do believe it’s worth getting a funky pair.
And for me, a W.I.P (Welly Important Purchase) means a stripy welly.
I’ve currently got my heart set on these totally OTT boots (above) from Board Angels at http://www.mandmdirect.com. Not only are they like walking rainbows, but they’re only £16.99.
A close second is this snazzy navy pair, £37.95 (or £32.27 with the offer below) from Joules, http://www.joules.com. I love the racy – if wellies can be racy – red stripe up the back:
Joules is in fact the best place to go for cool patterned wellies – as well as stripes (my other two faves, £31.95 and £37.95 are below), they also sell fox print, spotty and traditional yellow fisherman-style boots (with natty striped linings) and even wellies with ribbons on… and what’s more, if you enter code NWHD97 at the online checkout before 2nd March, you’ll get 15% off and free P&P!
As for the best of the rest, if you’re planning on trudging through fields of mud, Goldigga’s Festival Wellies (below left) are specially designed for the purpose. They’re currently £17.99 (usually £39.99) at http://www.amazon.co.uk. And if you can’t decide between stripes and something a bit more girly, then the Multi Floral Stripe Wellingtons, £20 from Barratts, http://www.barratts.co.uk (below right), combine both zebra-style monochrome bands and flowers.
And that’s a welly good thing indeed.
I’ve recently started working from home*, and to get myself in the right frame of mind, I’m trying to make my office space (erm, a desk in the spare room!) as welcoming, fun and lovely as possible.
While searching for nice stationery – a favourite pastime of mine – I discovered a new mini trend: clouds. I love their jolly rounded shape, and the fact they’ll bring a bit of the outside in for those times when I’m chained to my computer.
So, here’s my pick of the best cloud-shaped accessories around at the moment. Maybe best to stick to just one or two in a room though – you don’t want things to get too over-cloud-ed, do you?!
TOP:
Cloud Pencil Eraser Set, £10, http://www.suck.uk.com - I LOVE this as it includes a rainbow too. The only problem is that the giant cloud-shaped eraser is too pretty to use!
BELOW:
Magnetic keyholder, £20, http://www.suck.uk.com - keys stick ‘magically’ to this handy keyholder, and look like rain. Genius! It’s stylish and unassuming even when not in use, and would go well in any room in the house.
Design Ideas Cloud Magnet Memo, £24.95 John Lewis, http://www.johnlewis.com
This clever write-on/wipe-off memo board is also magnetic and would look particularly lovely on a coloured wall.
Luckies Sunnyside Egg Shaper, £7.95, http://www.luckies.co.uk or http://www.suck.uk.com
Place in your frying pan, then pop a yolk into the ‘sun’ section and the white into the ‘cloud’ – voila! (NB: want a quick way to separate egg whites and yolks? Crack an egg onto a plate, then gently lower the open neck of an empty water bottle over the yolk – it creates a vacuum and sucks it up! Then you can transfer it easily in the bottle to your pan).
Cloud necklaces, from £6, http://www.Etsy.com and http://www.notonthehighstreet.com
Ok, so these won’t decorate your home, but they’re so sweet I thought I’d include them anyhow! Just seach for ‘cloud necklace’ on Etsy or Notonthehighstreet.com and there’s a huge range to choose from. Lovely! (on the left is an antique silver finish cloud by thewoodlandburrow on Etsy for £6.64/$10; on the right is Blue Raindrop Silver Cloud necklace by SUNnMOONcafe on Etsy, £21.58/$32.50)
*If you’re interested, you can check out my new ‘professional’ website here: http://www.jennywood.co.uk
A week or two ago I wrote a post about what to buy a one-year old for their birthday for under a tenner.
And a tenner is all you really need to spend. However, if you really want to push the boat out for a very special baby, I now have another suggestion. Yesterday, my little boy was given this gorgeous wooden bus as a late birthday present. And he LOVES it:
I’ve always poo-pooed wooden toys to a certain extent – while they look lovely on a shelf, and adults go loopy over them, many of them simply aren’t interesting enough to hold babies’ attention. However, this bus (called Bernie’s Bus, £29.99 from http://www.jammtoys.com) has changed my mind.
It’s designed to be suitable from 12 months old, yet at first glance, it looks too complicated for a one-year old – but my little boy had it sussed immediately. You can take the roof off and the top deck, and there are six different coloured little passengers to arrange in the seats – or just chew. It’s well made, rolls along beautifully and can withstand even the most exuberant toddler.
Add to that the fact it does indeed look lovely on a shelf, and it’s the kind of thing both big and little kids will enjoy for several years to come.
One of the biggest downsides to taking photos on your phone is that that’s where they usually stay – on your phone – until you get another one, drop it down the loo, or it breaks and you lose everything.
So, I’m a huge fan of anything that sets your photos free and turns them into actual, physical things you can keep.
I’m addicted to the Stannp app on my iphone (search for ‘Stannp’ in the App Store) which makes postcards from your photos and sends them anywhere in the UK or abroad for 99p. You can even do clever things such as add text, superimpose speech bubbles and remove spots and red eye (always a bonus). I’ve made and sent cards as a thank you, for birthdays, for Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day…
Even cooler are two new services I’ve discovered which make objects from your Instagram pics.
The first is a personalised set of Instagram coasters from Firebox.com (top). For just £14.99, they’ll make good quality drinks coasters from four of your favourite pix- a brilliant present idea.
I’m also loving the new ‘Instagram necklace’ (below) from fun jewellery website Punky Pins (www.punkypins.co.uk). They’ll take any Instagram pic, print it onto acrylic plastic and attach it to a chain for a unique pendant that also makes a great present. It costs just £13 and if you order before the 15th February, they’ll even throw in an Instagram camera logo ring for free.
If you’re anything like me (with over 2,000 photos on my phone – eek!), your only problem will be deciding which ones to choose…
V-Day falls on a Thursday this year, which means lie-ins and leisurely romantic breakfasts-in-bed are out the window. Still, you can still show your loved one you care (at least a little bit) by bringing them a nice cup of tea first thing in the morning.
And what better to bring it to them in than a nice new mug? A mug makes a good Valentine’s Day present as it’s not as fattening as chocolates, predictable as red roses or bleurgggggh as a teddy holding a satin heart.
You’ve only got three days to buy one though, so I’d head to trusty Marks and Spencer (www.marksandspencer.com), who have some lovely, non-cheesy mugs in at the moment. My picks? The simple ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’ script mugs, £6 each, below, that’ll look classy way past the 14th; or the fun ‘hot lips’ mug (top) or ‘love birds’ mug *(below) that both look a lot more expensive than their £5 price tags.
Single? Soften the blow of having to make your own cuppa by treating yourself to a new mug anyway. M&S has a mega cute fondant fancy mug, £6, available in pink or yellow (bottom). If I were you, I’d use it as an excuse to splash out on some real fondant fancies to go with it, too!
Next Tuesday is Pancake Day. It’s one of my favourite days of the year, because it means I have a legitimate reason to pig out!
I love experimenting with different pancake toppings – everything from cherry jam and Nutella to cheese’n'Marmite. But when it comes down to it, you can’t go far wrong with good old traditional lemon and sugar.
And that brings me onto the subject of lemon juicers/squeezers. The picture above is of my lemon juicer, which I’ve owned for 14 (count ‘em) years. I bought it on a whim for 99p in a bargain homes shop in Bath. I wish I’d bought a whole box of them, as not only does it look like a friendly cactus on your kitchen shelf, but it’s absolutely brilliant. The pips and pith catch in the rim while the juice filters down into the pot, ready for pouring. It takes very little effort to get every last drop from a lemon or orange, and you simply run it under the tap to clean it.
Being such a simple but effective design, you’d think it’d be sold everywhere, but nope, I’ve never seen in anywhere since. All the other juicer models I’ve tried either lack a pot, result in sticky hands, or involve knuckle-breaking handles.
So, as my aim with this blog is to bring you the best, I’ve done some detective work. An extensive search has unearthed just one similar squeezer to mine, below – the Citrus Fruit Squeezer Juicer £7.49. from http://www.amazon.co.uk (sold through Amazon by The Italian Touch).
It’s by an Italian kitchen ware company (well, they do know a thing or two about cooking after all), and if you want an easy, squeezy gadget for your kitchen, I reckon you can’t go far wrong with this one.
Let me know how you get on!
Say hello to Mr Tea, the cutest tea infuser ever created.
Simply load up his food-safe silicone trousers with loose tea leaves, pull them back on, then pop him in a cup of hot water with his arms over the side, and let him make you a tasty brew.
Genius!
He costs £7.95 from http://www.cubicuk.com and comes in a handy presentation box.
Last week, I revealed the top ten shades of 2013, as predicted by colour boffins the Pantone Colour Institute.
Today, in my last post on this subject, I’m picking out some great accessories from the high street in the final three shades – Poppy Red (bright pillar box red); Linen (classy cream) and Monaco Blue (deeper-than-royal blue):
MONACO BLUE
From left to right: Swallow bird cushion £9 Asda Direct (direct.asda.com); Jolie table lamp £35 John Lewis (www.johnlewis.com); Linea Nautical Blue glass bathshop pot £8 House of Fraser (www.houseoffraser.co.uk); Japanese wave bowl £4.95 Dotcomgiftshop (www.dotcomgiftshop.com); Chunky knitted cushion £15 TU at Sainsburys (in store).
LINEN
From left to right: Owl lamp £10 (bargain!) Asda Direct (direct.asda.com); Coin storage box £3.49 Dunelm Mill (www.dunelm-mill.co.uk); Knitted pouffe Littlewoods £85 (www.littlewoods.com); Jam jar vase £10 Next (www.next.co.uk).
POPPY RED
From left to right: House by John Lewis Tony task lamp £25 John Lewis (www.johnlewis.com); Linea tealight holder £12 House of Fraser (www.houseoffraser.co.uk); Retro Skittles alarm clock £20 John Lewis (as before); Large red tagine £35 House of Fraser (as before); Medium traditional lantern £12 John Lewis (as before).
On Wednesday I introduced you to the hottest ‘it’ hues of the year, as predicted by the experts at the Pantone Color Institute (they’ve got a cool job, haven’t they?!).
Today, I’ve picked out some fab new homes bits in three of my favourite shades – Lemon Zest (fun, sunshine yellow); African Violet (stronger-than-pastel lilac) and Grayed Jade (a lovely minty teal-y green):
LEMON ZEST
From left to right: Bone china scallop mug £10 The Richard Bramble Collection (www.richardbramble.co.uk); Bubble knit throw £40 Next (www.Next.co.uk); Linea Tropical Pineapple lamp £40 House of Fraser (www.houseoffraser.co.uk); Vintage by Wayne Hemingway coffee storage tin £7 John Lewis (www.johnlewis.com); Linea Urban Tribe Stripe Vase £25 House of Fraser (as before).
AFRICAN VIOLET
From left to right: Gertrude cushion £36 Home and Kids (www.homeandkids.co.uk); Multi photo frame £7.99 Dunelm Mill (www.dunelm-mill.com); Optic tea light holders £15 for a set of 3 Marks and Spencer (www.marksandspencer.com).
GRAYED JADE
From left to right: Chunky knit cushion £14.99 Dunelm Mill (www.dunelm-mill.com); Personalised vintage apple crate £34.99 Getting Personal (www.gettingpersonal.co.uk); Terracotta jug £15 House of Fraser (www.houseoffraser.co.uk); Wooden bird cage £8.99 Dunelm Mill (www.dunelm-mill.com); Linea Curiosity teacup and saucer set £10 House of Fraser (as before); Big Ben cushion £7 Asda (direct.asda.com); LSA Firo carafe and tumbler £16.99 Beautiful Homes Direct (www.beautifulhomesdirect.com).
Every year, colour experts, The Pantone Color Institute, visit all the fashion shows and observe global trends. They use this information to collate their predictions for the next year’s hottest hues. These are the colours that’ll be everywhere – from clothes to homes accessories in the coming months.
For 2013, they’ve predicted a rainbow of stronger-than-pastel shades, above. Aren’t they pretty?!
The high street has already started to catch on, and there are some fab new colourful bits and bobs in the shops. To celebrate, I’m going to show you my picks of the best over the next week or so, starting today with Emerald (the overall ‘it’ colour of the season), Tender Shoots (a lovely fresh green), Nectarine (a peachy orange shade) and Dusk Blue (sky blue)…
EMERALD
From left to right: Apothecary bottle £19.50 Conran for M&S (www.marksandspencer.com); Non-slip chopping board £8 M&S (as before); Small glass vase £9 TU at Sainsburys (in store).
TENDER SHOOTS
From left to right: Ingrid pendant shade £15 Littlewoods (www.littlewoods.com); Hourglass £8.99 Dunelm Mill (www.dunelm-mill.com); John Lewis Summer Brights tableware £4 – £5 (www.johnlewis.com); Personalised mug £9.99 Getting Personal (www.gettingpersonal.co.uk); Loop cushion £27 Littlewoods (as before).
NECTARINE
From left to right: Orange rustic knit cushion £22 Next (www.next.co.uk); Ross Lovegrove style Supernatural chair £39 Cult Furniture (www.cultfurniture.com); Hummingbird votive candle holder £3 Asda (www.asda.com/direct).
DUSK BLUE
From left to right: Basis jug by LSA £20.50 Beautiful Homes Direct (www.beautifulhomesdirect.com); Bookend
I’ve discussed many times on this blog the fact that cool wall art needn’t be costly if you know where to look.
And one of the best places to go picture shopping is http://www.art.co.uk. They have literally thousands of prints of famous paintings to photos and iconic posters – simply type in what you’re looking for (from specific names/artists to vague searches such as ‘Paris’) and away you go.
I’ve used the site to buy illustrations for a child’s nursery (The Elephant and the Frog by French artist Nathalie Choux,£9.99, below) and prints by famous Japanese artist Ando Hiroshige for my bedroom (such as View from Satta Suruga, £5.99, also below).
Most prints come in a variety of sizes and prices, and you can order them unframed, framed, laminated or on canvas. Framing is cheaper (and less hassle) than at a bespoke framer, but you can always just buy a print and display them in your own Ikea frame; with some chunky bulldog clips at the corners; or by pasting them onto blank canvases bought from an art supplies shop.
What’s more, but the guys who work there are incredibly helpful. This week, I was in touch with them while researching a magazine feature, and they’ve kindly offered to give one lucky (UK-based) blog reader a stylish large yellow butterfly print by graphic designer Avalisa, above. It’s 36 x 46cm, comes in a black ‘Soho’ frame, and framed like this would cost £44.99.
I reckon it’d look lovely anywhere from a kitchen to a sunny living room to a fun kids’ room.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email me at thetreasurehunteruk@gmail.com with the address you’d like the print sent to should you win, and a line saying what you like most about this blog. The closing date is 6pm next Friday 1st February. I’ll announce the winner the following Monday!
Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been slightly obsessed with stationery. My favourite thing about going back to school each September was buying a new pencil case; and whenever we went on family holidays to France, I’d drag my parents round a hypermarket so that I could stock up on their bargainous and exotic-looking notepads, pencils and folders.
So, it’s not surprising that Paperchase (www.paperchase.co.uk) is one of my all-time favourite shops . It’s almost impossible for me to go in and come out empty-handed.
Anyhow, their new themed collections have just arrived and I felt it was my duty to check them out for you all!
The two stand out designs are the Japanese-inspired Sky Lanterns (above left) and the brilliantly-named Budgerigaga (pretty pastel budgies, above right).
On my wishlist? From the Sky Lanterns collection, I love the List Book £5; the Shopper bag £12.50; the Notelets £7.50; the washi paper tape £3.50 for four rolls; the Wash Bag £10, the fabric-covered Push Pins £3 and the mechanical pencil £3 (all below):
And from the Budgerigaga collection, I love the A4 Scrapbook £10; the Bird House storage box £8; the Foldaway Bag £4, the Magnetic List Pad £5 and the Sticky Notes £4 (all below):
PS: Live outside the UK? No problem – Paperchase will ship internationally! Visit http://www.paperchase.co.uk for details.
I was going to write about this fun little fella before Christmas, but then he sold out, and one of the promises I made when I first set up this blog was only ever to mention things you could actually buy.
Anyhow, I’ve just received an email saying he’s back in stock, so let me introduce you!
Called the Grey Felt Owl Wall Clock, from the lovely Rigby & Mac (www.rigbyandmac.com), he looks like a trendy uber expensive Scandi-style timepiece you’d get somewhere like Heal’s. But actually he’s a very reasonable £16.95.
I love his little winking eye, his soft felt-y body, and the little baby owl on his pendulum. I think he’d look very smart in a hallway, living room or kid’s bedroom.
What a hoot!
Read more: http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/blogs/cosmo-blog-awards-2013/enter-the-2013-cosmopolitan-blog-awards-nominate-now#ixzz2U1rHFP9G
