Mooching

CK window

Our little trip to London was a pre-birthday treat (for me!) and I reckon there was no better time to visit our capital.

The Jubilee has yet to happen, everywhere is decorated (with great imagination in places) but the crowds haven't yet arrived.

There was bunting literally everywhere- and beautiful blue skies....

This time we stayed in a little apartment recommended by Alistair Sawday (Special Places To Stay) which is above The Troubadour, a 50's cafe and club in Earls Court. Many of the greats have payed here - Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchel, Bob Dylan and earlier this year Morrissey! It feels like it hasn't changed since the 60's!

 The staff were really friendly and helpful and the food was good. It was such a treat to sit in the sun in the ramshackle garden with a delicious breakfast (amaretto french toast with walnut butter and maple syrup) and good coffee.

The accommodation above  is called The Garret and is a little self catering apartment up a good few flights of stairs. There we found bread, french butter, milk, fresh coffee and a fridge full of drinks in a well stocked mini bar style. 

roses in every room!

The bed was HUGE (and so high I had to climb on like a toddler...no dignity!) and v comfy - I can recommend as an alternative to a hotel. It sleeps 4 if you use the sofa bed so great value for a future family trip.

Really annoyingly we forgot our well packed toilet bag - but luckily there was pretty much everything we needed (just had to purchase a toothbrush!)

yep - that's Durex Play!!! they thought of everything...

We spent the couple of days happily mooching - and since we were at that end of town we perused The Conran shop

Beautiful glass plates. Wish I'd bought one - some were less than £10
[edit: Cleggy has just informed me the prices I saw were for the plate holders...the plates themselves were considerably more!!! Doh]

I DO love clocks. That turquoise one is knitted.

...and walked The Kings Road (so called because it used to be a private road only used by King Chares II to travel to Kew!)

Of course my main intention was to visit Anthropologie - apologies for the sheer amount of photos, but it IS merchandising heaven...

a rail of pinnies....so gorgeous

After all that excitement we enjoyed a jug of Pimms in the Bluebird Cafe (No rash for Cleggy this time Cuckoo! seems it wasn't the pimms he was allergic to!) 

It was just lovely to wander with Cleggy - and that part of London is so beautiful. Apart from the obvious there are some wonderful little gems hidden from view - my favourite find was this road (Cranley Mews, Kensington)

..where the teeny tiny houses are beautiful colours, along a cobbled street. Yours for almost 2 million! (unbelieeeevable)

I never tire of looking at the front doors of streets like this:

and wondering about a little house like this right in the middle:

When I worked for Monsoon/Accessorize (in my other life) I used to stay in an apartment in Sloane Gardens - and we had to visit Kings Road stores for the 'walk around' at the start of each season. It feels a million miles away now - but makes me smile to revisit it with some comfy shoes on!!!

Our main reason for visiting was to see Sweeney Todd. It was BRILLIANT, dark and funny. Highly recommend.

Apart from the obvious sunshine - here are the other things making me smile this week:

1) Ned the tortoise coming home after his travels. he disappeared about a month ago - but was found by the kindly neighbour three doors down. Phew.

2) Cleggy's first book having a super first week of pre-order sales! (not boasting Cleggy FYI, just proud.)

3) GB celebrating the Jubilee at school with a day of fancy dress. His year were doing the 80's. I give you Axl Rose:

and 4) loving all the Jubilee styled packaging around at the moment. My favourite purchases are

M+S biscuit tins (natch)

Ma'amite (genius)

and fairy liquid (so nostalgic)

Since our dishwasher packed in this week there's no better time for hands that do dishes!

fee x

(200 followers celebratory giveaway to follow...I've got my thinking cap on!)

New Blocks

It's been another busy week here - as I try to do at least 3 full time jobs! Obviously the one that suffers most is the role of 'housewife'...so, while I can confirm that everyone got fed and clean pants were provided, our house looks like we've been burgled. Again.

On the upside some new plants plus large heart have made the front door look pretty (you can tell where my priorities lie!)

I'm supposed to be scaling down my little shop in order to concentrate on Cleggy's business - which I did manage... for all of....hmmmm, 2 weeks.

Much as I love education, I simply prefer to make things!

I also said I wasn't going to make any Father's Day products this year, but couldn't resist just one:

available here

 The baby boy block is my all time biggest seller so I decided I needed a new option:

Available here

I've also had some lovely commissions - these are for Catherine's wedding anniversary

(hope R likes them too!)

And these seaside ones are for lovely Helen 

 I can't wait to see how she uses them to display her work (loving our trading Helen!)

                    

These ones are for a NOTHS customer Lorraine who wanted something slightly different from the regular baby girl block. 

We've had a lovely couple of days with my little sister Nelly and wee Mabel. The boys just love playing with her. Kenzie made us all some cookies - and we've had a good catch up.

LO♥E this photo...

Inspired by my little niece I've started working on a new line of products (yep, scaling down again!) which have been really nice to make...

This one is a canvas, but staying true to my Chipper roots the ones on the shop will be on wood.

       

The paper and bits and pieces are ready to start on a boy version...which is what I'll be working on this week, 

when I should be cleaning!!!

fee

(I know a fair few of my blogging friends are going through hard times at the moment - you know who you are...and I'm thinking of you x)

I Love Tracy Gallup....

Actually I've never met her...but I LOVE her work!

Cleggy once bought a little book he got for the boys when they were younger called 'Stone Crazy'

It was one of a series - all featuring Tracy's work and words - just gorgeous. 

Cleggy bought all four books in the series and we all loved the little people in them. 

I did a bit of research a couple of years ago and discovered that Tracy sells some of the figures in the illustrations. I was BEYOND excited, not least because, like most men, Cleggy is near impossible to buy presents for, and I knew he would LOVE to own one.

I contacted her - and she found the perfect one for me - this little guy looking through his heart stone. 

I had to keep him secret for a few months so he stayed wrapped up in the workshop...although I got him out now and again for a sneaky look!

Tracy also really kindly sent me some photos of the place where she found the heart stone which I had enlarged and blocked.

(on a bizarre aside, the gallivanting Granny saw the photos and said 'I've been there'. I scoffed slightly - but she named the exact place - Washington National Park! Nuff respect!)

Anyway - we treasured the little man, but thought it would be nice to have two more, to represent our three boys.

Most of the figures are within natural things like stone, bark, shell etc. I specifically wanted a boy in a box as it links perfectly with Cleggy's pedagogy. 

It was really hard to choose (I wanted them ALL!) but plumped for a shell for the third figure

We adore them - and I find myself photographing them regularly.

We don't own many 'precious' breakable things (for obvious reasons!) so these little people live on the fireplace in the lounge...where there is a strict NO WRESTLING rule!!!

(don't worry Tracy - they are all safe)

I like to wonder who will treasure them in years to come....

Here's some more beautiful examples...a feast for the eyes:

Tracy lives in Michigan and is also a wonderful 

writer and illustrator

Here's the link if you want to see more.

fee x 

ps 4 5 more followers til the big 200...nearly giveaway time!!! 

[you win some you lose some!]

Mirror Monday (for one day only!)

I've stood in front of the mirror and taken a photo of my big cheesy grin for my friend Roos, who is 'celebrating' a years worth of Mirror Monday posts! I say celebrating...she should be celebrating the fact she's still sane, and has (for the most part) retained her sense of humour!

It's actually harder than you think to take a photo of yourself  - most of mine looked like this 

where I'm trying to see if I'm 'in it' while taking the picture. Doh!

Anyway - that's it for today. 

Apart from to say:

"Roos, you are an inspiration. I hope the next 12 months are much MUCH easier and I'm sending virtual love your way today 

more than ever!"

fee x

(and to add that I'm wearing my work pinny...not some sort of pinnafore dress of of the 80's!)