Crowns, Corgis and.... Pigeons!

Keeping on the Jubilee theme, if you happen to be around in Central London this week, you should pop in to the Thornback and Peel Jubilee pop up shop!  There are 100s of jubilee related products around at the moment, but none more classy and stylish than Thornback and Peel's lovely range of teatowels, napkins, notebooks and aprons. They are not SO Jubilee that you couldn't continue using them within your home.  I love their pigeon design (in fact I have the wallpaper in my bedroom!) and here they have simply added a union jack to give it that patriotic feel.

Every purchase at the pop up shop will receive a free union jack flag napkin, and 10% off if you sign up to their mailing list.

Pop up shop is on Tuesday 29^th, Wednesday 30^th, Thursday 31^st May (11-6 and 11-9 on Thurs) at 7 Rugby Street, WC1N 3QT.

Decorate for the Jubilee!

I do love any excuse for a party! Especially one that will involve lots of bunting! :) If you are planning a little soiree to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee next weekend, then you won't go far wrong with this lovely selection of British related decorations....

Diamond Jubilee partyware - The Contemporary Home / NOTHS - £7.99

Tissue balls - Papermash - from £3.50

Chip cones - My Happy Nest - £4 for 8

Handmade party bags  - Red Berry Apple / NOTHS - 75p

Cardboard teapot vase, paper plates and cake toppers - My Happy Nest - from £3.25

Red white and blue cupcake case - Shop Sweet Lulu - $8.10 for 100

Tissue ball garland kit - Petra Boase / NOTHS - £32

Engagement Tea Party

If you follow me on Instagram (patchworkhrmy - come join!) you may have already seen some of these little snaps.  Last weekend, me and my fiancé (still feels a little weird to say that!) were over staying with my folks in N. Ireland, and they threw us a little engagement party! The theme, of course, was Vintage Tea Party...

 

my mum's preparation for this was pretty extensive, collecting china, cakestands, jam jars, doilies and decorations  - and the baking! Wow- the baking! I think there may have been enough cake to fill an olympic swimming pool!

and then there was the gigantic cupcake! oh yes! pretty spectacular!

We had a lovely day with family & friends, and decided my mum definitely missed her calling - she shoulda run a tearoom! :) thanks M & D! xx

Where to Stay: La Petite Bastide, Provence

 

Still on the French theme, if you fancy a little break to Provence, just imagine staying in this beautiful serene home called La Petite Bastide (translates as the small country house) 

The owners have decorated it with a real sense of calm, using only natural materials such as concrete, wood and linen.  And the little touches they've added such as flowers, candles and chandeliers give that homely feel...

I love the little details like the carving on this step....

With 5 bedrooms, you could share this with friends, and would also be lovely in winter as they have under floor heating and a big open fire.

No red wine on those sofas me thinks....!

 

LOVE this concrete sink....

  

and for the summer months, how could you resist this gorgeous pool and that view over the countryside!? 

its pricey enough in high season at just under £3000 for a week, but if you had 3 couples going it doesn't seem so bad... and low season is more reasonable at £1000 for the week.  

Find out more here - www.location-en-luberon.com

Simply French

So as some of you may know, I got engaged in March while on holiday in Thailand.  I won't blog a lot about my wedding plans, but one thing I can tell you is that we plan to have our big day next year in the South of France! We are going over in June to start making plans, and I'm trying my best to brush up on my French, and have downloaded an app on my iPhone! The French version of vintage style is definitely one of my faves, in the last issue of 91 Magazine we had a lovely piece on an Etsy shop selling vintage pieces from France (go to page 14 of the mag to see!)
And today I came across another lovely Etsy shop based in France, run by an English couple who scour the markets over there for lovely things... I assume their range changes depending on what they find, but at the moment, they have a mixture of these great French seed packets and magazines, as well as rustic grain sacks....

 

 

All these French graphics should help me out with my vocab as well as giving me ideas for wedding styling! ;) View more from Simple French Vintage's Etsy store here

Upcycled China

 Lou Rota

I think vintage china will always have a special place in my heart.  There are so many variations to be found, and of course we all know it looks great when mixed together for an eclectic tea party.  Not to mention you can pick it up at car boots sales across the country for next to nothing.  But if you find yourself getting a little bored of this look, there are lots of artists who are putting their spin on the vintage china trend, giving a slightly more edgy feel.  I think the first time I came across this idea was when I found Lou Rota's work; Lou adds a plethora of birds and bugs who scurry through the original floral patterns...

Esther Coombs goes for a more urban theme, illustrating buildings such as London's Gherkin on vintage plates and housing estates on teapots.

 Esther has also used broken pieces of china to create seedmarkers for the garden, which Patchwork Harmony stocks.... so she's the one that buys the broken china under the table at the car boot! :)





These are currently reduced to £6.50 each in our stock clearance sale. View here

Melanie Roseveare, creator of Melody Rose, has a slightly more macabre and surreal take on her upcycling, featuring skulls and anatomical drawings... although her Urban Nature range offers a classic selection of birds and butterflies....

Finally Ali Miller's work has been inspired by personal experience, family history, religion and identity, to create her quirky and surrealist collection....

Some of Ali's work has been featured on TV in Sherlock Holmes and a recent 'holidaying in Britain' advert! How great would it be to see Stephen Fry drinking out of one of your creations!

And if you fancy having a go at upcycling some china yourself, I spotted this great little DIY project over on Florence Finds last week.

 xxx