God Save The Queen

It's self-present time! Every now and then I get to have something too. I want a Diamond Jubilee souvenir  tea towel that I can frame and display in my kitchen to commemorate what I suspect will be the only 60th ascension anniversary celebration I am ever going to get to be a part of. I'm not into fine china and original art is beyond the budget currently so a tea towel in a simple box frame is the inexpensive, yet devastatingly effective, solution to my needs. That said, I have prepared a wishlist and  here are my top five designs:

1.  The Design Mould at Hirst & Hirst Living £10.00

Superb colour palette, the feel of a fine art print, a lovely rendering of St Edward's crown and makes appropriate and clever use of the wartime propaganda style without looking like yet another clone of the "that poster". Love. Love. Love.

2. Have A Gander on Folksy £9.00

Playful and eyecatching; I love the corgis and the monotone and distinctly patriotic feel. Incidentally, there are four other unrelated tea towel designs in their Folksy shop that are also little magic works of art and would also look fabulous in my kitchen. I particularly love the Bacon and Champagne ones. 

3. Sophie Allport £5.00

Exquisite illustration and I particularly love the little splashes of red and the subtle understatement of the handwritten script. Beautiful!

4. Victoria Eggs in collaboration with The Tea Shed £12.50

Here we have a beautiful landscape design available in a range of colours. I love the explosion of vintage fonts and the fact that they have the feel of old bank notes. Something a bit royal to read while waiting for the tea and cucumber sandwiches. 

5. Rachel K Designs £tbc

Finally, this design for a commemorative tea towel and four others like it we're featured in the blog of Birmingham-based designer Rachel Khor on 15th April. They are not currently available in her Etsy shop (at the time of writing) but the originality of the design and the pretty simplicity of it makes them well worthy of this list. Have a meander. This design is available as a set of four A4 poster prints for £17.99

God Bless You Ma'am!

Come Back Soon!

Next weekend we are going to stay with some old friends who have just finished renovating their London flat. It's been quite an enterprise spreading out over some eighteen months and it is, by all accounts, absolutely beautiful. I want to find something for the hostess to say thank you that they can keep as a house-warming gift and it's a bit of a tricky one because someone who pays this much attention to her habitat isn't going to want just any old trinkets on display. It can't be too big or over-styled. It doesn't have to match but it mustn't stand out a mile either. When William Morris (respectful pause) said: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful", he might as well have had this lady in mind. So I've gone window shopping and found a few lovely ideas for gifts that I hope will ensure we will be invited back....well, that and my toddler not breaking anything! 

1. Multi-coloured Cupcakes Art Print by Showler & Showler from £12.99 (unframed)

OK! I know I said not too stand out but what stylish kitchen wouldn't benefit from this classic little splash of colour. It's quite small anyway at 18cm x 24cm (which is not even as big as an A4 sheet) but there are larger versions available and the prints are designed to fit standard frame sizes. Pop it in a clean white contemporary one and wait for the gasp.  

1. Tray of Asparagus Candles from GiftIdeas.co.uk £9.95

A few years ago, a good friend gave me a single, taller version of one of these for my birthday because we had spent some considerable time together working setting up a fruit and vegetable co-op and had legumes coming out of our pores as a result. I may light it one day but I prefer to keep it on the windowsill of my kitchen along with a bit of Sophie Conran and an enamel bucket with herbs in it. I've never seen the like of it until now. In my view, this tray of miniature versions is a domestic goddesses dream. Devine as a shelf display and so perfect for your summer evening table spread. Tealights. Schmeelights! 

3. Personalised Address Stamp by English Stamp at NotOnTheHighStreet.com £16.00

This is a bit of an old favourite of mine because it pretty much covers all bases for a house-warming gift. Elegant and personal, it can top hand-written notes, stamp labels and finish off envelopes and never once fail to impress.

4. Fireside Gift Box from RE £26.00

I'm not generally one for gift baskets...unless they look like this! A simply charming box of delights from Northumberland-based home and vintage emporium RE. Each box contains an extending toasting fork, long matches in a galvanised metal container and a bag of marshmallows for toasting. Original for those blessed with a good old-fashioned open fire, I think this would also make a thoughtful engagement or wedding pressie too. 

4. London Landmark Book End from Rockett St George £18.00

I recently bought one of these as a birthday gift for my "present desert" of a brother and he actually uses and rather likes it. Choose from several designs also including The Gherkin and The Trellick Tower in a number of different colours. They are un-fussy and look really cool. Be careful though! The cost is for a single bookend which, to be fair, was made perfectly clear in the blurb, but which I completely missed. Maybe I'll get him the pair for Christmas...eek out the value of my find before the whole frustrating process starts up again. 

5. Beach Stone Doorstop by Fields of Blue at Bouf £54.00

Yes. I know. It's a giant pebble with a ring in it but you've got to admit it's a bloody magnificent thing. There are a couple of other splendid looking ones such as a bowling ball and an oak block on the site but this one has sunday lunch at The Ship in Newton Ferrers written all over it taking me back to whole wealth of happy childhood memories. It would look amazing holding open any door and my guess is, it's probably quite good at its job.

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Showcase: Roost Living

I've found a lovely online boutique called Roost Living selling an absolutely mouth-watering range of beautiful gifts and homewares. It's been ages since I've done a showcase and it usually follows that I post one when I can't choose between my finds on a single website. Here are a few of my favourite things from their very stylish site:

1. Upcycled lightshade made from vintage wooden rulers - from £320.00

2. Wobbly Bowls from £12.00

3. "Jelly" Teatowel £6.00

4. Blackwork Cushion, Square £110.00

5. Set of Three Artichoke Handkerchiefs £15.00

6. Flight of Fancy Cakestand £90.00

7. Silverleaf Bowls from £15.00

Showcase: The Doorstop Company

Phew! I had to take a little break there.  A lot of stuff going on that temporarily took my eye off the high street. How are we? Well. Good! I've got a lovely showcase to get us back into the swing of things from a lovely little gift emporium called The Doorstop Company. Doorstops make great gifts. Everyone has doors and floor level decor can be tricky. Beautiful doorstops are the answer.  Here are my favourites (all currently on sale I might add). Get draft excluding people! :

Sales Talk: Wood & Willow

Just a quickie this evening as I have arrived at the wrong side of ten o'clock and still have way to much to do. I received a tweet about the January sale Wood & Willow that is on until the 31st offering 20% off many of their beautiful range. The boutique features french, french-style and shabby chic home and garden-wares and gifts one of which I featured in my Advent Calendar on the 14th December. They also offer free P&P to the UK mainland which is an overwhelming positive for online buyers. I've had a nosey and it gets a great big 'formidable' from me. These Ceramic Coat Hooks are my favourite now down to £18.99 from £21.99 and there are also some very lovely heart-shaped keepsakes to have a look at if you're already revving up for Valentine's Day now only six short weeks away. Bon nuit a tous! 

Happy New Year! Let's Go Shopping

Hellooo! I hope that everyone had a peaceful and happy Christmas. It's taken me a few more days than I envisaged to get back into my stride for reasons that are not important but I'm back and I'm into the sales (as well as a pretty dramatic detox - damn those mince pies!). My first stop is the sale at Cox & Cox that they were kind enough to notify me about via e-mail a few days back. Cox & Cox is a one-stop shop for lovely gifts at any time but a perusal of this sale is highly recommended and with up to 50% off,  I'm thinking of starting my Christmas shopping now. Here are my favourite finds:

1. Set of 3 Numbered Glass Votives Was £16.50 Now £8.25

2. 20 Monogrammed Correspondence Cards Was £15.50 Now £7.75

3. "This Book Belongs To" Stamp Was £8.50 Now £4.25

4. Set of 2 Photo Hooks  Was £14.50 Now £7.25

5. Photo Cube Was £4.50 Now £2.70

6. Glass String Cover Was £12.50 Now £6.25

7. Seedling Paper Pot Press Was £10.50 Now £5.25

8. Shadow Box Large Was £62.00 Now £31.00

9. Animal Sticky Notes Was £11.50 Now £8.05

10. Large Log Basket  Was £45.00 Now £31.50

On the 21st Day of Christmas...

I'm trying to find things that you can also find on the high street now since most of the Christmas postage deadlines are now either upon us or past. How about this Set of 4 Mini Dishes £16.80 by Sophie Conran for Portmeirion. My love affair with this range of crockery and glassware began four years ago when I chose it as my wedding china and I use every piece of it. My mother gave me these bowls last year to further the collection. They are so diddy measuring 3.5cm x 9cm and yet so versatile. I use them when cooking to house prepared ingredients. I have one by the range with rock salt and pepper in it for seasoning cooking. They've been out a parties with snacks in and used at dinner parties for condiments. Made in a style that makes them appear hand thrown they come packaged in Christmas green paper and Sophie Conran's distinctive mint green, spotty boxes, they are a lovely present. In fact, unlike a lot of crockery ranges, most of the items in the range stand by themselves as things of beauty.  I found them on County China & Glass the but range is also available at John Lewis and stockists countrywide. 

On the 20th Day of Christmas...

Here's a nice surprise! I found this Mrs. Beeton Jelly Mould £15.00 in Tesco this afternoon. It's a very decent reproduction of the ceramic traditional Victorian types and comes really nicely packaged. Normally I get a bit fed up with all the big stores doing mass produced wash bags, manicure kits and novelty mug sets for the present desperate at Christmas-time so this was a really refreshing find. I never make jelly but I would love to put this on a shelf in my kitchen along with my collection of traditional stoneware kitchen crocks. I think it would look right at home. Perhaps you know someone similar.

On the 18th Day of Christmas...

Only seven more sleeps until the big day now. How exciting! Here is another great man-gift solution though that is not to say that this wouldn't make a fantastic Christmas present for culinary enthusiasts of either gender. This Set of 5 Kitchen Knives & Block £49.00 from Oliver Bonas is a refreshing departure from the traditional wooden job lurking at the back of the counter top bringing 'cutting' edge, almost sculptural design to the fore. Or, alternatively, it just looks damn smart and the perspex block puts pay to that irritating game of hunt the right knife. Particularly when you've got a massive Christmas dinner to prepare. 

On the 16th Day of Christmas...

Yesterday, I took my mum Christmas shopping at one of my favourite places: the craft centre at Heskin Hall near Chorley. We always go visit when she comes to stay with us because it is a treasure trove of gorgeous shops selling gifts, local produce, antiques and gardening stuff and has a fabulous tea room selling very naughty homemade cakes. It is also the home of The Gift Barn and Mulberry Moon where I can always find something perfect if I'm stuck for a gift. I love this Birdcage Wall Hook £10.99 from Mulberry Moon. A lovely Christmas or housewarming gift, it could make itself useful almost anywhere inside or outside the home. It struck me that it would also make a perfect key piece for my latest Personal Project that I posted a few weeks ago because it really makes a statement measuring almost a foot in length and the caged bird feature is so pretty and unusual. Well worth tweeting about. 

On the 13th Day of Christmas...

God Bless You Ma'am! Perfect for that patriot in your life, this Queen Clock £45.00 from HunkyDoryHome would look absolutely gorgeous in any house as the style ticks both the contemporary and retro boxes. A very chic and enviable gift for almost any occasion as the iconic postage stamp cameo is an unmistakeable emblem of all things Cool Britiannia. 

On the 10th Day of Christmas...

It's definitely time to update the kitchen utensils. Most of ours are from my husband's first flat in London and have definitely seen better days. Also, because we have a lot of display space in our kitchen, it's nice if the things we put in it are functional but attractive too. For a while now, I've been collecting vintage stoneware mixing bowls and pudding basins for cooking. You pick them up at fairs and car boot sales for next to nothing and they are so much more attractive than modern crocks. My favourite is a giant cream T.G. Green & Co stoneware mixing bowl that has a duck-egg blue glaze inside. Smashing! It's for this reason, that I love these Milk Bottle Measuring Cups £22.00 from Anthropologie. The design is both classic vintage and novel and I love the raised lettering that denotes the measurements as it reminds me of my lovely stoneware collection and would look amazing on display in any kitchen. Anthropologie is a real Aladdin's Cave of inspiration. When I worked on the King's Road in London, I could happily while away a whole lunch hour in its Chelsea store and have always been able to find great presents there. An original and thoughful gift for someone who sees the kitchen as the focal point of their home. 

On the 9th Day of Christmas...

I die! Seriously! What a gorgeous gift! Both a candlestick AND a vase and there are FOUR of them. This is what present-giving is all about. Set of 4 Numbered Bottles £59.00 from gorgeous online boutique Pale & Interesting. You could dot them about your window sills or line them up on the mantlepiece or fill them full of ketchup and they would still look completely amazing in any home. The philosophy of the site owners, Atlanta Bartlett and Dave Coote are that their products be "functional, beautiful and out-of-the-ordinary" and it doesn't disappoint. These will be hard to wrap effectively, so I suggest packing them with some shredded brown paper in a small basket or wooden crate and including some pretty red candles, a couple of Christmas keepsakes and...oh go on then...some cream satin ribbon. De-vine! 

Personal Project: Provence-style Hand Towels on a Hook

I really like making stuff for my family, friends and for my home. A lot of people gulp at the idea of a homemade gift but it doesn't have to be a sticky-back plastic job. You can add that personal touch to your presents to make them extra special without a degree in design. And for the right recipient, it will make the pressie that much more special. We were in Provence for our holiday this year and bought this hook from a local artisan shop in Roussillon. I like it because my kitchen has a lot of dark and light contrast in it: a canvas of white picked out with strong fire-engine reds, dark wood, enamelware and wrought iron details. I like the novelty of it too with its strong shape and bold type. Pretty hooks are lovely gifts to buy for friends because they are so useful and can go anywhere. I needed somewhere to hang a hand towel near the kitchen sink and as there was nowhere convenient at waist level to do this, I mounted my feature hook on the wall above the basin. I then made up some hand towels based on the traditional provencale style of sewing a loop of pretty ribbon to the centre of the towel so that it hangs in a nice big clump your can get your hands on easily. Here, I've used a plain white towel and added a loop of dark red gingham ribbon to complement the colour on the hook but you can decorate the towel as elaborately as you wish so long as what you end up with can still absorb water and go in the washing machine. Perfect as a house warming gift and an easy and thoughtful present to make with little ones. 

Hook: Find a good range at Denbee Country Crafts. Guest towels: 19p each from IKEA, Gingham ribbon: From a selection at Gisela Graham available at John Lewis and trendy gift shops. 

On the 8th Day of Christmas...

Hampers. Generally, they are a nice idea but unless you go super luxe they can work out very expensive for what you get. There's often a couple of bum gifts and the whole thing is padded out with pretty packaging that's good for nothing but the recycling bin. It also lacks the personal touch. But, if you're stuck for a gift idea for someone truly tricky then they do make a nice gesture particularly if the contents are carefully selected. So I would suggest making your own. Your starting point should be the hamper itself. I doesn't need to be a wicker basket, although there are some lovely ones around at the moment. I love this Wooden Divided Trug £18.99 from Wood & Willow because it has a lovely classic shape and is a gift in itself. After use, it can be used to store anything from condiments to cutlery on a work surface. Line it with some pretty fabric or shredded brown paper and then let your imagination run wild. Cheese, spreads, chocolates, booze and little treats. A great present for a family or your host at Christmas.

On the 4th Day of Christmas...

I've just finished re-organising my studio. It's been a mammoth job involving many hours of sorting, boxing and labelling. Being a designer and a notorious hoarder, it has been very satisfying to survey my domain in an orderly state as I had almost completely forgotten what colour the carpet was. On the downside, I had to resort to the use of a lot of big plastic crates which aren't that aesthetically exciting but have the benefit  of being see-through for future use. For this reason, I love these Ella Storage Boxes (Set of 2) £27.00 from Ruby Roost because they have a little window in them so you know instantly what you've stashed away inside. They are square, covered with pretty fabric and have a cute button enclosure. A beautiful storage feature that is also immensely practical. Ideal in fact for any hoarder that you might know and not a hint of toughened plastic to boot.

On the Third Day of Christmas...

I love this Memo Board £59.00 from Primrose & Plum because it could serve so many useful purposes. I would be seriously torn between actually using it as a memo board and composing a 2-D work of art out of all the postcards, tickets, photos and other paper keepsakes that are currently cluttering up the drawers in my studio. Also, at Christmas, with a sprig or two of holly, it would make a lovely display for my Christmas cards. The design is ingenious and unusual. No pins here. The display is made from soft cotton folds that create pockets for tucking in your treasures. Its a really good size too at 53cm x 64cm and the neutral colour would make it the perfect fit for any home. A fantastic gift.

Stocking Fillers 1

Presenting a new idea for filling those stockings every day until Christmas Eve. Santa take note - Go easy on the satsumas, walnuts, flannels and mini-soaps please! My first is this: French dried lavender bags £6.00 by Charlotte Macey Textiles. Perfect for fragrancing drawers and bedrooms (and fending off moths too apparently) and so pretty in their french red stripe linen. They can be refilled year after year and also come in two other designs. For a more festive lavender surprise, Charlotte Macey also make festive Lavender Trees £5.00 that have a ribbon string so they can be hung up and maybe used as a tree decoration. Provencale perfection!

On the 1st Day of Christmas...

Seasons greetings! This is the first day of my wishlist advent calendar. Every day until Christmas Eve I will be showcasing different gift ideas to help keep your santa sack rubbish present-free. This White Metal Magazine Rack £12.00 from new follower Munchie & Millie would make a lovely addition to any kitchen, living room or home office. It is quite compact (roughly A4 size) and could be used to tidy or display all sorts of magazines, leaflets and important papers. The pretty but clean design and the neutral colour would allow it to fit seamlessly into almost any home and I think it might even make a rather attractive doorstop. As an added extra, you could also purchase a magazine subscription (like one of these) for the recipients favourite read,  tie the pack on with pretty ribbon and give someone a whole year's worth of happiness.    

Showcase: Patchwork Harmony

Last Christmas I ordered this Storage Jar £18.95 from Patchwork Harmony for an old friend and she loved it. In fact, it was so nice that she very nearly got something else instead. Let's see what else they have in their Aladdin's cave this Christmas.

1. Handmade Porcelain Candleholders £18.00 (3 for £50.00)

I have some similar to this in glass that I use to decorate the garden in summer but I think I prefer this teardrop shape to the round ones I have. They seem more stable and are a better shape for hanging. There's also something very romantic about the way that firelight makes porcelain glow.

2. Mini Trays £7.50

My mum has a collection of these that she likes to ferry rounds of tea and coffee around on. They are less cumbersome than full size trays if you're just having a drink or a snack and they look lovely. I've also seen them used to decorate console and bedside tables. I avoid this however because if I leave anything shallow and flat lying around, it won't be long before my husband comes along and fills it with the contents of his pockets.

3. Cotton Drawstring Laundry Bags from £7.50

I love, love, love the typography on these simple bags and the cotton ticking-style fabric they are made from. It makes them look really clean and classic. I always fold a bag like this into my luggage when I go away but this one would also look gorgeous hanging on a pretty hook in the bathroom when not in use. 

4. Vintage Style Hooks from £4.50

Speaking of pretty hooks, they always make a nice present in their own right. Who doesn't need to hang stuff up? Ones like this that are based on vintage designs and have ceramic embellishments look really smart almost anywhere in your house. I like to put different ones on the small return of a wall in my kitchen where they have enough drop to hang aprons, shopping bags and baby bits and I have a similar one to these above the sink where I keep a hand towel. 

5. Wooden Bird Doorstop from £12.50

Even if you don't actually need to weight or wedge a door, interesting and unusual doorstops always add another layer to a room at a level that's hard to cater for. Lots of things can go on surfaces and walls but it's not so easy to find ornaments that look perfectly at home on the floor. They make quite good non-threatening presents for men too. My brother is notoriously difficult to find gifts for and our mum got him a little fabric owl doorstop a couple of Christmases ago that he was a bit confused by at first but cannot now deny has come in very useful in his flat.