{Early} weekend links

Another week almost gone, it seems quiet in London with school holidays and that's how I like it! Is there anybody out there, or is everyone on a summer hiatus? I will be taking it easy this weekend, going to see this play and looking around the stalls and free bits of the South Bank's Vintage Festival.

Some links {some are quite old, I found them in a saved draft I thought I had shared.}

*Popcorn cupcakes {cupcake camp sounds fun too}!

*Love this birthday idea

*An interview with a prop stylist

*Pimped-up cottage cheese

*Super-cool fruit stationery

*Stunning in a gold dress

*Love this summer entertaining shoot

Have a lovely weekend!

A touch of blue...

I'm adamant that my favourite colour is yellow, or maybe red, or even green, so not quite sure why so many things I own or am drawn to are blue {almost everything in my wardrobe is navy}... 1. Shoes, {£78}, 2. Dress {£94}, 3. Japanese masking tape {£6.50}, 4. Pie set {£44.99}.

Love these...

...cardboard pots {£4.95} from Patchwork Harmony.

Post-photo shoot and procrastinating..

Some photos after a Papermash photo shoot last week...

There it is! I searched everywhere, to no avail, looking for this book to take on holiday. I bought the ingredients months ago, to make Alice's raspberry barley water, but I'm waiting to find a pretty bottle to decant it into + inspiration for how to label it... Bunting made from this tape, thanks Bethan for the idea.

Unpacked, and unused props. In the background, just seen, is an painted vintage bucket from Quirky Dovetail, which was supposed to be the start of my summer container gardening. It's still in my hall...
I'm not going to run out of tape, or string, for a very long time... I bought green gingham fabric last summer to line this basket, also from Quirky Dovetail, a project still not started...

Happy weekend + links

A blissful day off work today, adding lots of new products to my shop, writing a few blog posts for the first time in ages, crashing out mid-afternoon, and still waiting for a parcel to arrive at 4pm {Parcelforce, I thought you were better than that}.

A few links:

*Love this Australian holiday home + this North Devon cabin {with an installation from Pacha Design, open this weekend}

*Retro pencils

*Such pretty beach debris

Hope you have a lovely weekend! I will be at another hen party; the second in a month where we are going to one of those paint-your-own ceramics places, but I am excited as I have a foolproof strategy, devised in my later years - watch this space for something simple + striped...

{Photo, mine.}

Popping up...

...in quite a few magazines this month, these lolly soaps {£4.50 each, I quite fancy the watermelon.}

PS Did you see this video for making yummy homemade lollies?

The Groundhouse, Brittany

I am just returning from a short holiday in Brittany, where it rained for five days straight. Still, I spent much of the time reading a photography book, and trying out a new lens. I was able to visit the Groundhouse, which was featured on Grand Designs, and was built with sustainable principles {including a composting toilet.} Below are a few of the small details in the house which I liked {I also loved the barewood plaster walls and plywood kitchen.}

The walls in the background are made from recycled glass bottles.

I'm writing this on the ferry - hoping to head back to the UK for sunshine!

Blognic revisited

So, I'm sure lots of you have read the Blognic posts which have sprung up on lots of blogs, my strategy was not to bother taking photos as I knew others would take much better.

We had so much fun! I heard the word 'vintage' so many times, and we had a whole discussion about the merits/or lack thereof of the Dormy stamp kit, PR and small businesses, the Shoreditch Sisters, homemade cleaning products, stalking other bloggers {one person had spotted an inspiring blogger on the Tube} and all kinds of things which would not interest my real life friends!

It was so easy to organise {I just set up an event on Eventbrite, and didn't do much else}, so if you don't live nearby, you should just organise your own..!

Some Blognic posts here: Wellies and Vogue {you must see the photo of little Coco - more children required next time}, Fabric of my Life, What Katie Does, Me Old China, Rosalilium, Seeds and Stitches {love the skirt photo!}

Photo, Wellies and Vogue. Blognic biscuits made by Andrea and Rob of Lotus Events, using this Message in a Cookie cutter.

Blognic, this Sunday 10th July

I can't promise the weather will be good, or our picnic as pretty, but I'm looking forward to meeting lots of bloggers at Blognic this Sunday. We have 60/70 people registered already {you can sneak a look here}, and it's not too late to sign up. Don't be shy - lots of people are coming on their own, and I suspect there are lots of shared interests!

We have a bottle of champagne as a prize for the prettiest picnic spread {judged by Will of Bright Bazaar.} If it rains, we will postpone the event, but check out #blognic on Sunday morning on Twitter, or the event page. Hope to see some of you there!

{Photo, H&M Home.}

Pearl & Ivy

Love these feather headbands from Pearl & Ivy, and considering what the upper age limit should be for wearing such a thing...what do you think?

Jamie Oliver's Big Feastival

Some photos from Jamie Oliver's Big Feastival this weekend.

{Lovely Becky, president of the Shoreditch Sisters, fellow Blognic-er, and of blog Teacups, Cupcakes, outside the WI tent.}

{Her homemade jam}

{From the Lucy in Disguise stall}

Lots of crochet, bunting and vintage styling - and good food, too, as expected {highlights were sweetheart cherries from Franklins and juicy watermelon from The People's Supermarket.}

{PS Having Blogger formatting issues, have had to give up on trying to fix it for now!}

What to bring to Wimbledon

Another year, another Wimbledon; almost over but this is a handy list of things to bring, if you are planning a trip next year.

1. Binoculars £5.75 {for spotting who is in the royal box if you are in row ZF, as I always seem to be}, 2. sunscreen {£15.50}, and if you are fair-skinned, 6. something with long sleeves {£28.50} in case you have front row seats in the blazing sun. 3. A water bottle {£9} which you can fill up at on-site taps, 4. a picnic blanket {£36} {and even a small pillow as I always need an afternoon nap on the grassy area behind Murray Mount - being in centre court is strangely exhausting.} 5. A small-brimmed hat {£22}, so you don't block the view, 7. an umbrella {£20} because this is England, 8. A good book, {£4.50} in case you are stuck in a queue for hours - people were queuing for 3 hours for resale tickets when I went on Monday. Finally, 9. your own picnic, {plates from £3.50} unless you want to eat very average catering fare and pay £7 for a glass of Pimms.

Who do you think will win tomorrow?