Blog
Taking Time to Live Well
Oh, it's been a bit of a drizzly summer, hasn't it? Luckily, Christine Wisnieski from Design for Mankind is here to save us from the rainy-day blues with her printed umbrella DIY.
You can use whatever colours and shapes you fancy, put personally we're big fans of Christine's day-glo orange / on-trend geometrics combo! After all, if the skies are grey, what's better than a little shocking neon to brighten things up? Check out Design for Mankind to see how she did it!
Today, we thought we'd take a little break from our Simple Things magazine excitement to let you know about another fab launch.
Cupcakes and Cashmere is now not only the title of one of our favourite blogs, but it's also the title of a fabulous book! Creator Emily Schuman's first book promises more of what she does best on her blog - cute and quirky fashion, unique interiors ideas and chilled out entertaining.
Have a rifle inside and hear what Emily's thoughts on the Cupcakes and Cashmere blog. Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to see her simple ideas for home-made cards, too - we love.
Nosing into people's creative spaces is like having a tiny window into their minds, and Jo Packham has provided us with just that in her new book, Where Women Create: Book of Organisation.
Jo has charmed her way into the studios of artists of all types, from fashion designers to doll makers (including, confusingly, men) and invited them to share their thoughts and tips on the spaces that get their creative juices flowing.
Not so much a how-to guide as an inspirational scrapbook, Book of Organisation may not help you transform your messy workspace into a haven of tranquillity, but it's fascinating nonetheless. Click over toWWC Press for a sneak peek inside, or check out Jo's Where Women Create site for more arty loveliness.
Home Sewn Home is making us all nostalgic. Sally Walton has gathered together 20 craft projects that will give our homes a lovely, home-made, vintagey feel.
Tutorials are aimed at beginner to intermediate sewers, but there's also a section of tricks and techniques that make up the basics of sewing. The kind of useful things our our mums tried to teach us as kids before our attention spans were up to it!
Psst ... See those beautiful totes below? They're from Home Sewn Home author Sally Walton's ethical bag company Carry-a-bag, and they're all made from vintage fabrics and printed by hand. Definitely worth a peek!
Okay, confession time. We have a whole pile of 'bag for life' bags tucked at the bottom of our cupboards. We buy them thinking 'what a great idea, I can use this forever'. Next time we go shopping, where's the bag? At home. So we buy a new one. Which isn't planet-friendly at all.
We've decided to take the matter in hand and fashion a new shopping bag that we love so much that there's no way we can forget about it, and this colour block fabric tote from Fellow Fellow (guest posted on Say Yes to Hoboken) will do the trick nicely.
It's not simple, but blogger Claire has provided a really thorough tutorial with so many photos it must be foolproof (right?). The best bit? It's lovely enough to use as a day bag all summer long!
Shopping vintage and secondhand can be hit-and-miss at the best of times. Add an unknown city into the mix and you'll need a whole lot of stamina and more than a little luck to track down something worthwhile.
We're keeping our fingers crossed that these new secondhand and vintage city guides from Vivays are going to change all that. Like a textbook for the vintage-hunter, these guides cover everything from clothing to furniture to books, all organised by type and area.
The London and Berlin vintage guidebooks are already available, and we're already excited about the Paris and New York versions coming out in 2013.
Anyone who’s anyone is dipping things in paint at the moment. From furniture to jewellery to clothing, it seems there is nothing that is safe from this trend. Here’s our round up of the best dip-dyed DIY projects.
First up is Martha Stewart’s dip-dyed baskets, which we think may have been responsible for kicking off the whole craze off. Turns out, woven straw plus bright white matt paint equals summery design heaven - who’d have thought?
Second to make our lust-list is House of Earnest blogger Erin, who’s brought the trend to the kitchen with her dip-dyed wooden utensils. For this how-to, make sure you use non-toxic paint (Erin’s chosen high gloss food safe shellac) and only dip the handle end to minimise chipping.
Last but not least is this dipped wooden bead necklace tutorial from Laura Parke. Okay, technically these are painted, not dipped, but the effect is the same. We’re torn between neon shades (so cool as a contrast to the wood) and summery pastels. We may just have to make two.
What do you have tucked away in your shed? Apparently, sheds can be much more than hidey-holes for lawn mowers and cracked plant pots, as Jane Field-Lewis proves in her new book, My Cool Shed.
Following on from the success of My Cool Caravan and My Cool Campervan, this latest offering delves into the nation's hippest sheds, cabins and beach huts and invites you to meet their creative / reclusive / crafty owners.
Check out Jane's My Cool... blog for a little taster of what's in store.
Have you read any of Jane's books? What do you think? Let us know below!
It is not easy to look good in the rain. Damp clothes, frizzy hair … let's not get started on the see-through shirt issue. If you’re not planning on embracing pac-a-mac chic, we’ve found another way to guard against unseasonable drizzle. Etsy is an online treasure trove of vintage umbrellas and parasols.
Miss Salty Vintage has found this vintage floral print umbrella. We adore the bottle green and rose pink combo on the fabric.
For a 50s vibe, check out this Vintage Pagoda umbrella from Archivia. Its listed as a ‘dress umbrella’, so we’re not sure how good it’ll be at keeping you dry, but we couldn’t resist its retro charm.
Or, if you’re really planning on splashing out (sorry, that was unintentional… honest), Aesthetikara has managed to get her hands on a vintage Dior umbrella with wooden fittings and a suede handle for true rainy-day glam.
Born and bred Londoner Saska Graville has decided to divulge her insider secrets in her London Style Guide.
As we all suspected, true London style doesn’t reside in Big Ben or the London Eye, but tucked away in backstreet bars and pubs, cool boutiques and hidden markets. London Style Guide also gives us a little window into the lives of those who have shaped our capital, with interviews with the likes of boutique owner Brix Smith-Start and hotelier Kit Kemp.
If you’re as curious as we are, keep an eye out in your local bookshop from 7th June.
We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.
