Christmas is coming...

Ooooh! I'm back. It's been (I'm scared to look) too long since I went virtual shopping. Where have I been? Well, for want of a better word, working. That and I've had a complete dearth of occasions to buy presents for but there's now only about 9 weeks until Christmas and I'm raring to go. Plus I've found some lovely places to go for a wander. The list starts here!

1. Personalised Branding Iron for Steak from Hunter Gatherer £24.95 

I would file this magnificent idea under a) what to get for a man, subsection i)...who has everything and ii)...who doesn't particularly like golf. I can see it hanging proudly in the shed with all our barbeque tools just waiting for the summer.

2. Bearded Man Tote Bag by Depeapa at &Vintage £14.00

This is wonderful and would make a great addition to anyone's kit from groceries to the beach particularly since we're all trying to avoid the dreaded carrier bag these days. I remember being deeply covetous of a friend's shopping tote that had an unusual line drawing printed on it and I've never found anything comparable... until now. 

3. Find a Penny - Glicee Print from Biro Robot (unframed) £35.00

The only dilemma with this stunning print is deciding what lucky room in the house is going to get it: A splash of colour in the kitchen, a thought for the day in the bathroom or maybe a cheerful addition to a nursery or child's bedroom. Beautiful.

4. Knitted Dotted Garland by Maileg from Sister's Guild £19.50

Got a little one in mind with a nursery to beautify? Try this beautiful jersey string with colourful dots from one of my favourite design houses at one of my favourite children's boutiques. Danish company Maileg are not that well known on these shores but Sister's Guild stock their classic and unique creations in abundance.

5. Leather Satchel from Lorton & Horn £62.00

A thing of beauty and suitable for just about anyone with taste. It will last for years and the more battered they get, the more charm they retain. I can remember when my school satchel finally fell apart after years of being dumped and stuffed and dragged about in corridors. It took some defeating. It wasn't as nice as this one though. 

Happy Christmas Shopping All!

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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Special Event. Special Baby

In two weeks we're off to the smoke again for the Christening of my oldest friend's daughter; the gorgeous Georgina.  Little G (as she is affectionately known) is almost two years old and I now find myself charged with the task of finding an original and meaningful gift for this very special little girl on this most special of events. Practical is (almost) totally out of the window on this one but I must confess that 'keepsakes' in the traditional sense of the word does leave me a little cold. Somewhere in between is the answer. Here are my findings...

1. Hunter First Wellies in Yellow £25.00

I recently bought a pair of these for my own daughter (now 16 months). They appeal to me not just because they are insanely cool but also because they have a timelessness about them that means that at some stage in the future they will no doubt end up in some keepsake frame of her early clothing that I will feel obliged to create for her bedroom. 

2. Cooking Play Set by Weaving Hope Fair Trade Gifts £39.50

It's not just because she's a girl! The fun kids get out of mimicry would make this lovely set of toys appeal to any child and I particularly love the fact that you can spread it out on a table top for extra authenticity.

3. Extending Ivory Pearl Bracelet by Highland Angel £22.00

I can't tell you how much I love this company's stuff. It's just out of this this world and what I particularly love about this bracelet is that it is suitable for a little girl but can become a piece of jewellery for a young lady too. Timeless genius! 

4. Dorcas The Duck Wooden Chair from The Little Ark £79.00

There are a number of different styles of this chair from The Little Ark but I've have a real obsession for egg yolk yellow at the moment. It maybe a bit of rebellion against girly pink. Choose from labradors, chickens, elephants and rabbits in a rainbow of colours and the parents will thank you because it will look classic and chic in the nursery amongst the forest of plastic. 

5. Personalised Framed Papercut by Kayleigh's Papercuts at FromTheWilde.com £45.00  

Girls names are so pretty. What better way to celebrate a new life than something that simply records the important facts. Intricate and elegant. Say no more! 

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

Mum's The Word

Now here's a subject I'm something of an expert on. Mums. I have one. I am one. I know loads. And while, although like Valentine's Day, I think it is a celebration for everyday, this year the appointed date is 18th March not three weeks from now. A mother's day gift will naturally be personal to the sender but there are themes that can give us some ideas. Like saying Thank You, I love you and I appreciate everything that you do for me. In my case, I have such a lot to be grateful for and it truly will be the thought that counts because no gift of any value could possibly do it justice. With that in mind, here is some last-ish minute inspiration from some of my favourite shops to help keep your Mother's Day both original and meaningful this year. 

1. Mug cosy by Bridget Wilkinson from £12.00 

2. Personalised Cotton Beach Bag from 3 Blonde Bears £12.00

3. Turn a work of art into a work of art - Lucy Made This at NotOnTheHighStreet.com - from £65.00

4. Silver Star Pearl Earrings by Highland Angel £22.00

5. Original Watercolour Landscape Painting - Steep Approach (unframed) - by Paul Bailey £75.00

6. Handmade Liberty Print iPhone Case from Wood & Willow £16.25

7. Parisienne Sewing Box from The Dot Com Gift Shop £29.95

8. Large Decorative Ceramic Plate by Rob Ryan at The Gifted Penguin £19.99

Stocking Fillers 21

Here is something that parents either love or hate. It's up to you but I know for a fact that kids absolutely love them. Bath Crayons £4.00 from Hawkins Bazaar is the perfect way to encourage creativity even whilst bathing (we should all be so lucky). I have given these before and received withering looks as a consequence so choose your audience. They do wash easily off all surfaces and have a clever retractable mechanism for storage between use. Hours of splashy fun! If you are too late for the post, find similar at The Early Learning Centre. 

On the 12th Day of Christmas...

 

Depending on your point of view, this Doodle Table Cloth £30.00 from Sophie Likes is either a Godsend or the worst idea ever conceived. My guess though is that the idea of encouraging creativity and keeping the little darlings at the table for the duration of a meal will drop most in the former camp. And it's a wicked present for an auntie, uncle, grand- or godparent who doesn't have to deal with the washing machine anyway ; ). I once got a mildly withering look from a friend after I gave her kids bath crayons but they were ecstatic and I'm sorry, but it is the recipient's joy that counts. It comes complete with 8 different colour felt tips and the colours wash out at 40 degrees in the machine so the fun can just go on and on and on. Have a look because Sophie Likes also has a pillow case, and single and double duvet options but even I am not brave enough to recommend drawing on bedding. It could result in some pretty embarrassing conversations after sleepovers. Still a brilliant idea though and could be an original present for those older 'children' that you know.

Stocking Fillers 7

I was so excited when I found these. Can you guess what they are? Legomen! Yes. Obviously. But there's a difference because they are also Legomen Crayons £4.00. Small pleasures. I found them on a website called Colour Me Fun and they come in 8 colours in a free cloth bag. A sensational stocking filler  that would also make a great children's party bag. The site is stuffed with different designs from stars to dinosaurs. There is even a pick'n'mix option. I like the space invaders myself but then I am the wrong side of thirty. Legomen are timeless and great for unleashing the creativity in any young artist. 

On the 7th Day of Christmas...

Perhaps not for vegetarians this one. I was really sorry not to get to the V&A Museum on a recent visit to London. It is one of my favourite places in the Capital and I had arranged to have tea there with my godmother before London Transport intervened and I got stuck in a tunnel. Grumble. Grumble. So, instead, I've done the next best thing and had a little wander around their online shop over a nice cup of Earl Grey. Mounted game heads seem to be all over the place at the moment but I think this Floral Stag Head £45.00 is the prettiest one I've seen. It is the perfect gift for someone who (like me) likes to cover the walls of their home with interesting stuff as well as paintings and photographs. It would look great in a recess, above a door or over a mantle mirror or guest bed.  It would also look fabulous mounted above an ornate hook in a hallway or cloakroom. Made of lightweight wooden board, the surface design is derived from 18th and 19th century Italian textiles and it comes in a self assembly pack so there's fun to be had putting it together too. All proceeds from the shop go back into helping keep this great British institution accessible to all as a free resource which is  more than enough reason to go for a littlegift shopping there. 

On the 6th Day of Christmas...

Stunning and the perfect gift for a serious traveller and lover of art. This is a detail of a Typographic Map of Rome £125.00 (unframed) by Swiss artist Ursula Hitz. There are many stupefyingly intricate citiscapes represented on her website but I chose this one because Rome is the most amazing city in the world to me and I think that every element of the print, which includes the seven hills, parks, noted places and The Vatican is simply exquisite. Each print is a limited edition signed and numbered by the artist. Framed or unframed, rest assured that you will be very, very popular.

Bear Necessities

Yummy! I just found this "What Cake" Side Plate £22.50 on online boutique FromTheWilde.com. It's a lovely piece of illustration by JimBobArt. The bold red, white and black design is very striking and the humour unmistakeable. There are quite a few examples on the site but this one is my favourite because it reminds me of someone very close (and I'm not saying who). It would make a great gift for an art lover as an alternative feature piece for the kitchen wall. Or maybe for a nursery. I venture to say that it is far too nice to actually eat cake off but that's just me. I'm the same about tea towels. 

Little Foldable Works of Art

A couple of Valentine's ago, I bought a set of two tea towels for my culinary lovin' husband in a bit of a rush. We never buy each other extravangant gifts on this occasion because we like to spend the money on a good steak instead but a gesture must be made...and this was mine. They were ribbon-wrapped, brilliant white, crisp and thick with a great red type printed onto them which, in my rush, I thought said: LOVE. So I was a bit non-plussed when he unwrapped them and the beautiful scrolling script revealed the legend: TEA TOWEL. Still to this day, we can't quite bring ourselves to use them much because they are  so pretty but I still think the artist missed an opportunity with the wording there.  

I love illustrated tea towels like this though. They're little foldable works of art. This beautiful design The Great British Biscuit £10.00 is by British artist and illustrator Jill Tytherleigh. Check out her very lovely website too. Now, personally I would NEVER use something as gorgeous as this to wipe the crocks. Most likely, I would pin it onto thin foam core in a nice simple boxframe (like this one) and hang it in my kitchen (though very little wall space left in there now) or give it to someone framed as a housewarming gift or as the perfect pressie for an enthusiastic chef.

Haunting & Atmospheric

I was perusing Folksy's new look website and came across this beautiful and haunting painting by British artist Paul Bailey. Art is subjective which makes it a bit of a minefield for present giving but I challenge anyone not to be struck by the etherial and atmospheric tone of his watercolour rural scenes. It takes me right back to the long houses on Dartmoor that I knew from my childhood. This one is my favourite: White Barn on Fox Earth £80.00 measures 6 x 9 inches making it a lovely investment for you or as a gift for a lover of the country life.