day trip

A recent trip to London involved plenty of sparkly trims, vintage lace, silk ribbons, braids, velvet and raffia. I bought my stash from Liberty, VV Rouleaux and The Cloth House, should keep me going for while.

 

escape to the city

Last week my boyfriend and I went to the National Portrait Gallery in London.
I hadn't been there for years and there was something amazing about walking through room after room full of grand portraits, all these famous men and women throughout history looking down on you. Some of the paintings were enormous, the size of the room, with elaborate gilt frames. I came away with a few postcards, the lady in black 'Lady Colin Campbell' was one of my favourites, painted in 1897.

We thought we'd check out Mishkins for lunch, after reading about it on 'Miss Pickerings' lovely blog. It was exactly as she had described it. I recommend the Brick Lane salt beef with Colin's and pickles, with a Gin Rickey served in a jam jar.

I always make a quick stop at the Cloth House haberdashery on Berwick Street. I love their displays and they have a great selection of trims and buttons.

I also saw some beautiful furniture in Liberty's, but completely out of my price range, so now I'm on a mission to find something similar....

cupcakes & milkshakes

After a busy week with the exhibition I felt like I deserved a bit of a treat. So my boyfriend and I headed down to London for the day. We wandered through Notting Hill, stopping at the Hummingbird Bakery for one their delicious cupcakes. Looking through the antique shops at all the lovely old Christmas decorations, but somehow managing to resist, we walked over to 'Lucky Seven' a classic American diner that serves the best milkshakes and fries.

No visit to London would be complete without a trip to Liberty's department store. I fell in love with their Christmas windows displays, is it wrong to want a stuffed swan for Christmas? Perhaps I should ask the queen!

My final and best treats of the day were the Liberty book of sewing, which I have wanted for ages, a mouse pin cushion and Nars nail varnish in 'endless night' for those winter parties.

What a lucky girl I am!

fade interiors

I sell my handmade cards in this lovely shop called 'fade' in Woodstock. (click on the link as they have some great images.)

It's a shop I love to visit, as there are so many beautiful things inside, an eclectic mix of furniture, vintage finds, and beautiful accessories.

I dropped off a new selection of my cards which look so nice displayed amongst all the pretty treasures.

I fell in love with the table and chair set outside the shop..if only I had a garden.

rosie b home & interiors

A few days ago I dropped off a selection of my handmade purses, corsages and cards to this lovely shop called Rosie B Home & Interiors in Chipping Norton.

The owner has a collection of vintage and new pieces for sale, from beautiful bed linens and cushions to handmade soaps and candles.  I love the two old watering cans that are on display outside the shop.

On my travels I spotted a few other lovely things. ......

I wish this was mine 

 Driving home we passed fields and fields of Moon Daisies.

found and sewn

I've been...... looking at interior magazines for inspiration. I love this flower print.

...stitching beads and buttons that shimmer and glimmer to corsages and purses....

....I found this beautiful antique 'V' (which is my initial) at a lovely new haberdashery shop in Oxford called Darn It & Stitch. It's perfect for me, so many cottons and buttons displayed in glass jars, reels of ribbons and trims, the shop counter is full of vintage sewing patterns.

trip to brighton

Just got back from a trip to Brighton with my boyfriend. It was lovely to get away to the sea!

We have been to Brighton a few times, but there is always something new to see and do....

We walked along the seafront, stopping to look in the art galleries, shops and studios which are under the arches.

...and of course we ate lots of seafood...