Wednesday 19 November 2014

All the pretty things: Datter Industries



This post is linked to the last All the pretty things because I found this subject through the personal blog of Sophie who runs Oh My Clumsy Heart.
It was the moonstone deco ring above that originally caught my eye, but on looking at the Datter Industries online shop, I'm really really tempted by these instead:


The perfect 'watchful eye' rings,


The perfect grumpy cat earrings,


And the 'would be perfect if it were rose gold' starry ring. There's a lovely roughness to all of these, you can see that craft that's gone into them. I'm going to step up the All the pretty things posts over the next couple of weeks, as I don't want you all to have empty Christmas wish lists...

Tuesday 28 October 2014

The point of university

instagram.com/emmadb

I just read an interview with Lena Dunham in Rookie, and it had this perfect quote about college (university) in it:
Your job is to learn and to become a better version of yourself
It's not original, but it sums up for me the advantage and luxury you have when going to university. You get to learn to be yourself, but with a whole load of safety structures built around you. My brother is currently stressing about where he should apply for, and I keep trying to say that it doesn’t really matter. It’s going to make a massive difference to the rest of your life, but it ways you can’t possibly fathom right now. Choose somewhere and make the most of the opportunities (or don’t). You have SO MUCH TIME at university.

I wanted to write something about how much of a luxury university is. How appalling it is that not everyone gets to go, and how unfair the whole thing is but I can’t because it gets me into a well of despair and I want to go and curl up in a duvet. I can’t do that because I’m not at university and I don’t have the time.

Monday 20 October 2014

All the pretty things: Oh My Clumsy Heart


Oh My Clumsy Heart is an independent online jewellery shop that first caught my eye when someone posted the Bertha (above) on instagram.

I bought the Baby Bertha and absolutely love it. It 'jazzes up' the most boring of outfits, and you know when you're talking about 'jazzing up' you're on to a good thing.

The rest of the collection is a mixture of similar quartz necklaces in different colours and effects, and elegant geometric designs. I tend to steer clear of the latter, as I think they've got a bit overdone and in all the high street shops. But the ones here are lovely, and having seen them at the Crafty Fox market recently, I can vouch that they're done to a very high quality.

OMCH also offers a subscription box, which is a lovely idea for a (generous!) gift. Called Little Gems, you can buy a one, three or six month subscription, giving you a 20% discount on RRP. I'd also recommend signing up to the mailing list, as you get a discount and exclusive sale options. My challenge is not going on and buying everything.

Monday 13 October 2014

designjunction



Part of the London Design Festival, designjunction is about the most glamorous trade show I've ever been to.

Sort of trade show, sort of public show, it's intended to showcase the best contemporary furniure, lighting and product design. Mainly, you wander around thinking 'oooh pretty'.

The bottom floor was by far my favourite. The top two floors had lots of lovely furniture, but it was far too expensive to ever be a serious consideration. The bottom floor had lots of smaller stands selling accesories and gift type bits. They also had a couple of live demonstrations happening, which meant that I got to cut crystal using a diamond. It was strangely soothing.


My friend and I got most excited about the Minalima design stand. We spotted the Harry Potter posters first, and got immensely excited when we realised they'd done all the paper props for the films. We then spotted the 'Collective Nouns' posters, which I'd previously seen at the Southbank Centre design shop. Both Miraphora Mina (she sounds like a Potter character!) and Eduardo Lima were there, which meant my friend was able to get the book she bought signed by both of them. I ended up buying a box of flash cards, which I plan to use as gifts and posters. My favourite is the 'E' of course (above). An embarrassment of pandas is just too cute.

The other interesting part was a 'year of the bus' Transport for London pop up restaurant. It looked lovely, but the menu wasn't particularly appealing so we gave it a miss. Of course, I couldn't resist the limited edition gin from the East London Liquor Company. We haven't cracked it open yet, but the bottle is lovely. I'll report back.


All in all, it was a very pleasant evening. The one regret I had was not buying one of these beautiful Storytiles, from a dutch designer. They were so pretty, but I just couldn't justify buying yet more prettiness, when there are about six prints I haven't managed to get up in the house yet! Next time...

Monday 29 September 2014

Eleanor and Park



Eleanor & Park is, I’m pretty sure, one of the perfect YA reads. Not being YA myself I can’t confirm this, but I was a teenager in the distant past, Rainbow Rowell does a fabulous job of documenting the sheer pain, desperation and incredible excitement of being that age. When everything is so important you can’t possibly imagine how you’re going to get over the smallest slight or day that doesn’t go your way. Eleanor is a fantastic character. Angry, troubled, so so so lacking in confidence. Here’s a great quote that summarises that desperate love and emotion that I think you can only feel when you’re a little young and naive.

"I don’t think I even breathe when we’re not together… That’s probably why I’m so crabby, and why I snap at you. All I do when we’re apart is think about you, and all I do when we’re together is panic. Because every second feels so important. And because I’m so out of control, I can’t help myself. I’m not even mine anymore, I’m yours, and what if you decide that you don’t want me? How could you want me like I want you?"

After Eleanor & Park I read Fangirl, by the same author. It’s a nice fun read, but with none of the emotional resonance that hit me so hard. If you fancy a book to devour and transport you back to being an overly emotional desperate for love teenager (surely not just me) then do read it. And then come back so we can talk about the ending.

Disastrous baking

Pinterest is bad for me. Very very bad for me. All those effortlessly easy recipes, beautifully styled and supposedly created by a busy working mum of three. Hah.

I'm posting this to point out that the best of intentions can create hilarious results.

As a result of this post from the great Hip Hop Sideproject, I decided rainbow cupcakes were the perfect accompaniment to the Bowie cake toppers I bought on a whim.

It started off excitingly:
 Reached a slight problem - forgot I don't have a muffin tray. Ah well, shove them all together, sure it will be fine:

 Ah. Not fine. Very much not fine. Very much like a small child has been in control of the kitchen:




Shove a bit of icing on it, and Bowie. Bowie fixes everything:


Wow, Bowie doesn't fix everything. Who knew?!
My cakes have not been very popular at work today. Philistines.