picnic perfect

I could write almost exclusively about all the exquisite things stocked by Liberty, although I do try to restrain myself a little and allow other designers a mention. However, I simply couldn't resist telling you about their new enamel homeware items. I want them all!

sail away

These lovely little Jurianne Matter paper boats are made of eco-friendly paper, ready to fold. From the Selvedge shop:

superlovely

As well as managing to hold down their design day jobs, my brilliant friends Lynn and Dave have launched a new website called Superlovely, stocking Japanese washi tape, stationery and textiles. The title says it all. Everything they send is beautifully packaged and would make an absolutely lovely gift for anyone who likes crafting. They also have some awesome craft tutorials on their blog. My favourite is this delicate water activated tape:

the road not taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 

- Robert Frost 

baked to perfection

I took Friday afternoon off work and it felt wonderfully indulgent to leave the office at midday. I met up with my good friend Georgia at Exmouth Market for afternoon tea and a chat. We enjoyed some almost unbearably chocolatey treats at Gail's Bakery and marvelled at their amazing selection of breads:

spring scents

Mown grass, and other delicious scents, from Baileys Home and Garden:

a blade of grass

You ask for a poem.

I offer you a blade of grass.
You say it is not good enough.
You ask for a poem.

I say this blade of grass will do.
It has dressed itself in frost,
It is more immediate
Than any image of my making.

You say it is not a poem,
It is a blade of grass and grass
Is not quite good enough.
I offer you a blade of grass.

You are indignant.
You say it is too easy to offer grass.
It is absurd.
Anyone can offer a blade of grass.

You ask for a poem.
And so I write you a tragedy about
How a blade of grass
Becomes more and more difficult to offer,

And about how as you grow older
A blade of grass
Becomes more difficult to accept.

- Brian Patten

the grass is always greener

I don't know that there is anything nicer than the hum of a lawn mower and the smell of freshly cut grass to signal the arrival of spring. Photo by Penwren.

 

selvedge spring fair

Jolly good, the Selvedge Spring Fair is fast approaching:

all that is gold does not glitter

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

- J R R Tolkien

Solid gold band by my all time favourite jewellery designer/maker, the wonderful Shane at One Stone New York. What's not to love about a designer who lists Malcolm Gladwell and David Sedaris as his favourite writers and uses recycled and ethically sourced materials:

the bucket tree

I am in awe of the multi-talented Artemis Russell and take much delight in browsing her online vintage shop, The Bucket Tree. Today, I am most tempted to purchase these gorgeous vintage wooden nesting dolls:

fish supper

As a special treat, the boy cooked up an awesome tuna steak with rocket and bean salad from Jamie's iPhone app (who else?). 'I'm a genius!' he declared and, for once, he was right. It was the most tasty thing I've eaten in a long time:

orla kiely

I'm a huge Orla Kiely fan and this bowl from the SS11 collection makes me super happy:

daffodils

I wander'd lonely as a cloud 
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, 
When all at once I saw a crowd, 
A host, of golden daffodils; 
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, 
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

- William Wordsworth (1770-1850) 

The shops around town, and now too our flat, are filled with cheery, home-grown daffodils:

...and it was all yellow

Dreaming of summer, blue skies, ice creams and an opportunity to wear this cheery Anthropologie sun dress:

refreshing

Start saving now for these Toast tumblers, hand made from recycled glass in Damascus (£29.50 for a set of four). Perfect for picnics or al fresco dining! (Wildly optimistic at this time of year, I know).

thompsons deli

One rainy Saturday, after the boy and I had argued, we took a trip to Thompson's Deli in Streatham Hill and made up over their yummy homemade lemon tarts. 

valentine

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.

Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

- Carol Ann Duffy

'CARDIOmini' anatomical heart necklace from Missy Industry:

the orange

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all my jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.


- Wendy Cope

super soups

January has (mostly) been a month of restorative soups, courtesy of the boy (and Jamie). Top to bottom: a hearty minestrone in our treasured anthropologie bowls, chilli corn chowder and our favourite bread, pain aux six cereales from Paul bakery.

wickle

Nestled in my favourite corner of Sussex, Wickle is perhaps the loveliest shop in England and, let me tell you, I don't make that claim lightly. Top of today's wishlist is this Muskmallow eau de parfum, tied with a beautiful solid silver charm of a chicken by the jeweller Jude Kenny, which they describe as 'a sensual and rosey scent with a musky erotic note'.

a bottle and a friend

The boy and I attended a very jovial Burn's Night celebration, with many whisky fuelled toasts:

  

There's nane that's blest of human kind, 
But the cheerful and the gay, man, 
Fal, la, la, &c.

Here's a bottle and an honest friend! 
What wad ye wish for mair, man? 
Wha kens, before his life may end, 
What his share may be o' care, man?

Then catch the moments as they fly, 
And use them as ye ought, man: 
Believe me, happiness is shy, 
And comes not aye when sought, man.

- Robert Burns

liberty print

I absolutely adore Liberty's new fabrics, designed by Lauren Childs: 
 

and Emma Chichester Clark, amongst others:

bug

The Southbank is one of my all time favourite places and an awesome date location. The boy and I went to the BFI last week. We had cocktails in their swanky bar and then hung out with all the cool kids at 'bug', which is basically a trendy music video showcase. The evening is hosted by the delectable and delightfully funny Adam Buxton (of Adam and Joe fame), who I happen to have a major crush on.

thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird

V

I do not know which to prefer,

The beauty of inflections

Or the beauty of innuendos,

The blackbird whistling

Or just after.

- Wallace Stevens

Delightful black and white birds illustration from The Blackbird Sings.

studio mela

I just got this Studio Mela print back from the framers and am super pleased with it - now busy deciding where it should go:





These are some of their other limited edition prints (I like to think that the bottom one looks like me and the boy):

petite properties

January is accompanied by a long list of things to do around the flat - hanging pictures, clearing out my wardrobe, making curtain ties. When it's all done and I've created a little nook of space, I intend to fill it with one of these totally charming Shelf Cities, from The Oak Leaves:

Why is really small stuff always so appealing?

morning muffins

The Leon cookbook is much loved in our household and I use the recipes again and again. Made a batch of breakfast muffins - super easy, healthy and (most importantly) delicious:

breakfast in brockwell

On Saturday morning the boy and I ran the free Brockwell Park ‘Park Run’, with our friend Dominic. (I use run in the loosest possible sense! Everyone else shot off into the distance while I turned pink and struggled along). We rewarded our efforts at virtuous living with breakfast in the Brockwell Lido café, which is one of my favourite brunch spots in South London.

new year on dartmoor

This year, I'm introducing poetry Tuesdays. First up, a poem for the new year from Sylvia Plath:

This is newness: every little tawdry
Obstacle glass-wrapped and peculiar,
Glinting and clinking in a saint's falsetto. Only you
Don't know what to make of the sudden slippiness,
The blind, white, awful, inaccessible slant.
There's no getting up it by the words you know.
No getting up by elephant or wheel or shoe.
We have only come to look. You are too new
To want the world in a glass hat.

happy new year

I'm finally back, after a long and much needed festive break. Happy New Year to you all. May 2011 be filled with much love and laughter.