The miniature knit shop, and babies

I sway back and forth between aching broodiness and sheer unadulterated horror at the thought of babies. You can read more about the things I am looking forward too and the things that fill me with horror from past blog posts. But right now? These outfits sway me firmly toward the broody- impregnate- me- now- camp. This is perhaps one of my shallower reasons for wanting babies- but, um STRAWBERRY BABIES?! Come. On!

So so cute. Go check out the shop!

x

Dream house number 14...

Below are pictures of one of my dream houses. Just cause. I have quite a few dream houses. My imagination doesn't seem to be satisfied with just one. This one is in Mexico and it is my dream holiday party pad, full of colour. I have another dream house too, a rustic log cabin in the mountains, filled with sheep skin throws and rusty sheperding tools. Oh there are others too; in London, for example. It is one whole glorious floor of an ex industrial space, with huge windows and original pieces of machinery sticking up through the old floor boards and piping lining the Walls. It also has a killer roof top terrace with views over London to die for. You should just see the light! I'll invite you over some day. That's unless you'd rather come aboard my dream house boat which is original 50's and covered in flowers, and join me for tea on the water?

Whaddaya say? Which would be your favourite?


(The images are from an interiors magazine a few years ago, can't remember which one I'm afraid!)












(from my dream house book- yes a whole book) 

(last three images Via Design Wonderland)

Bang goes my heart! The house belongs to Betsey Johnson, one of my hero's.

Do you dream of such things too, on overcast Tuesday afternoons such as this one?

New necklace...

Happy monday to you. It is indeed a happy monday for me because I'm feeling better, its a short week and my Dad bought be a present. Just to cheer me up. He's nice like that. He asked me if there was anything I had my eye on. And it just so happened that Id recently come across a Guardian feature by Perri Lewis on handmade valentines presents. And I clocked this...

Its from Uncommonly Beautiful, a London based company which uses found furniture, recycled materials, clock parts, suitcases, scrap leather, broken jewelry and gift wrapping to make gorgeous one off necklaces, just like the one that is now hanging from my jewellry stand at home.

Go check em out. Very reasonably priced, don'tcha know.

Nice weekend? I have been busy making things, I will try and show you my wares this week if I have a mo.



P.S Who else is having a little photgraphy party right now, because of the lighter days? More time to take decent photo's - oh the joy!

Playing around

Sorry if you've visited and its been a little messy round here, i've been doing a little spring clean. 

These are a couple that didn't quite make the cut. I like doodling. 

Hope your having a lovely Saturday! 

(Edit- Um, Im glad that this didn't make the cut- what are 'stithes'?!Oh dear!)

Me + Amelias magazine...

I have kept a little secret goal since january, which I never really thought would come to fruition. It was to generally write more, for more places about more things, and to specifically write for  Amelia's Magazine. I mentioned this in passing to a friend of mine, and she encouraged me to go for it, and not give up. So I chickened out for a good long while, and then I did it; I sent off an email. And Amelia emailed right back and asked me to write a series of articles for them. Just like that.  The first one is up today, and I am super excited. (The bullet point and paragraph spacing hasn't come up quite like I thought it would but we'll just turn a blind eye to that, kay?) 


Each article for  Amelia's is custom illustrated. Which means I got the trawl through a  list of incredible illustrators, and choose somebody to illustrate my piece. I mean, come on; this is radalicious, no?  My first pick was Andrea Kearney, (go check out her blog, her work is brilliant). She  was available and she drew up three illustrations, that went perfectly with my piece, in three days. Awesome. 
(Click here to read my article)

Andrea's  illustrations: 

Nice, huh? 

So, what you waiting for? hmm? Go click through (pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?) and let me know what you think! Eap! 

Hannah x

Edit:

The article also left out a list of helpful links to get you started so I will stick them here instead;

•  Ethical Consumer for an analysis of the chemicals used in most household cleaning items- and their impact on our health and Mama Planet: 
•   Summer Naturals: An online shop which sells all you'll need to make your own supplies. 
• Simple Summer Naturals cleaning recipes 
•   A discussion about associated  savings, plus more  links.

A very exciting engagement...

I'm still sick. Sob. I'm a big baby when I'm sick. Moan. I'm off work (sniff) but its given me a chance to catch up on some blogging, which is nice. 

In February, we hosted a pancake dinner party, do you remember? The one with pancakes and babies, that was so cute you could have just killed me dead right then and there, that one?  It was truly marvelous. 

Classic Nutella and whipped cream pancake with sleeping baby 

Well, that wasn't the whole story. Oh no. It got even better than Nutella and whipped cream pancakes with sleepy babies. Oh yes. 

A few days before the party, I was called upon by my one day future brother in law (the one who wants to one day maybe be a butcher, remember? ) to go on a top secret mission involving sneaky days off and antique markets and small sparkly things. Yes. It was THAT shopping trip. I nearly fell over with excitement.

After intense traipsing and a fair bit of indecision, and after a lot of 'oooh 'ing and  'eeerrr' ing and 'aaah' ing, and after some very detailed inspection and deep deliberation...

hee hee!

...he decided on a very perfect sparkly thing, one that he knew, somewhere deep down in the pit of his stomach, was the one. The anticipation and the nervousness and the excitement was nearly too much to bear, but only nearly. That day a certain man left a certain place with a very precious little sparkly package in his pocket.

Upon leaving, I couldnt help but notice that he was a little green about the gills. I tried to play the role of supportive future sister in law and asked him how he was doing, having made one of the biggest and most precious (and most expensive!) purchases of his whole life. 'Beer' was the one worded response I received. So beer is what he got (well deserved, no?)  and off we marched to the nearest pub and enjoyed a celebratory pint, hurrah!

Looking a little disheveled!

After his nerves had calmed, we started to scheme. The following Friday was scheduled to be our Pancake party. It also happened to be the day when he was going to ask a certain someone a Very Important Question. And so it came to be that the pancake party  turned in to a surprise celebration party. I could hardly contain my excitement by this point, and a little yelp escaped the corner of my mouth, in a crowded pub in London Town. But I don't think he minded. 

I quickly drafted the help of a crafty friend to get started on some appropriately celebratory decorations. As a brief aside my dears, this crafty friend also goes by the name of Mama Wolf.  She is new to the  world of the blog so maybe you could pop over and say hello? 

After some very late night crafting on Thursday, Mama Wolf and I set about decorating the hall on Friday with personalised banners and home made bunting...

 And we crafted R and P's  and love hearts and covered my flat with them. 

The mantlepiece...

 Mama Wolf made lots of fabric R and P's too....

And there were also cupcakes and champagne and of course, lots of pancakes too!

You can read more about their perfect proposal here, it  involving sneaking off to the seaside and eating sandwiches on the train, and getting drunk on fresh air (sigh..)  Afterwards they came to our house for our pancake party, where a surprise engagement party awaited them! (Well, sort of a surprise, Ray had cottoned on, its quite hard to surprise Ray, I tell you!)

And we drank champagne, and ate pancakes and passed the baby and dragged every detail of the proposal from the two of them. So, even though this blog post  been a long time in coming, would you join me in a hearty 'hip hip Hurray' to the happy couple?!

Now, on to the wedding planning! I am very excited about this. Very very excited indeedio. 

Hip, hip....

Spring garland

I have been poorly this weekend. I thought I was getting better today but I think i've caught my misters cold now. Urg. I haven't really left the house. Apart from trying to visit the Stitch and Craft show at the Olympia, and nearly vomming on the Crochet guild stall. And then nearly vomming on the tube on the way home, having only lasted about an hour. Apart from that Ive been tucked up on the sofa with my crochet watching back to back episodes of Relocation Relocation. And being fed home made goodies by my mister (smoothies, soups and home made bread.  A thank you to my mister!)

Cabin fever threatened on Sunday, so I took a little walk. The air smelt sweet and the temperature was mild and there were all sorts of little explosions of growth happening everywhere I looked. I picked up one or two little treasures on the way, and put them carefully in my pockets. When I laid them out when I got home, they looked so gorgeous! I had to take a few snaps to show you. 

Whilst taking photo's, I concocted a craft project. 

I got some pink thread and a needle...

And threaded the spring flowers and greens carefully...

And laid it out to check it was just right...

And then strung it up at my kitchen window. 

Little spring projects like this make my heart skip a beat. So simple and satisfying. It has brought a touch a spring into my kitchen. 

Maybe a Spring garland would brighten up your kitchen too?

Hope you had a sweet weekend cherries. 

Hannah x

Have you seen the Mooncup adverts?

I know i'm supposed to be very busy right now doing lots of Important Things but I had to pop in briefly and say I love the new Mooncup adverts! Have you seen them? I heartily recomend the Mooncup, having been converted a few years ago, and was very pleased to see them break in to the mainstream with this ad campaign.   A similar advert in the states was unfortunately banned recently.

This is marvellous, dont you think?

These posters are currently adorning the walls of the London underground. They encourage women to love their vagina's, and direct them to a webiste. I admit that I was a little hesitant typing the url in to my work computer, and am half expecting to be called in to the IT office for some questioning!

  The website explains the campaign and asks women what they call thiers. Some of the answers are hilarious! Brilliant lunch time browsing if you get a minute. My current favourites are Bajingo, Fangina and Lady Gaga!

(All images courtesy of St Lukes)

Ok. Back to Very Important Things....

x

Aaarg!

Hello, the briefest of notes my dearies, to say sorry I've been a bit absent this week. I am very very busy with work and friends and an exciting new project too, will post about it soon!

In the mean time I shall leave you with my 2 of my recent, most favourite, hipstamatic pics. I took them in Brighton.










I love the light and the sun and the sails...

Keep well cherries.

X

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Morning floral part 2

Yesterday the sunshine on the crocus in the park made me happy.

I think sunshine makes me a little drunk.




Today I went to say hello to the daffodils, just emerging from their winter slumber.



They looked glorious in the morning sun.




Soon they will carpet the park with gold.






Hello spring. I like you very much.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone