May 9th, 2012
The Magazine
I have to admit something. I’ve been keeping a secret from you! Rather than revising for anything or producing something that you’d have never been able to see, my final few months at University have been spent creating something that I hope you’ll be just as excited about as I am. A magazine! With the help of my talented and hard-working best friend/housemate/life-organiser Lucy as my partner, and a whole host of my other talented friends getting involved, the 86-page Wish magazine has almost been born. The paper-baby of my blog, if you will. Only with a lot less me, and a lot more you!
A magazine full of talented young illustrators, photographers, writers, designers and more, working to share something they love. A little bit childlike and a big bit nostalgic, we were concerned with creating a magazine that wasn’t full of the latest trends, high-end price tags or unattainable features, but instead something that could be a timeless, light-hearted read to share with a friend over a cup of tea. I won’t divulge too much more on the contents until I have my labour of love to feel in my own hands, but I’m almost certain you’ll enjoy it. I got to try my hand at a little illustration, a bit of styling and a lot of design work, as I put together all of the pages after opening InDesign for the first time. And it won’t be long until it can be in your hands too – as it will be available to buy online from next week!
The Wish house, as it’s now called, has been a happy but hectic place, and we’re now preparing for our launch party this Sunday. I would love it if a few of you could come along too, and we have 5 spaces left on our list – so if you know you will be free this Sunday the 13th and able to get to central London for 4pm, then let me know in a comment! I’ll pick out 5 and drop you an email with all of the details. We’re planning on it being a lot of fun!
Look out for my excited/nervous/delirious Instagram pictures when the delivery arrives! In my next post I’ll be introducing you to our amazing sponsor, Penhaligon’s of London x
December 12th, 2011
Guerlain Shalimar Initial
You know when I posted my photos from Paris? A few of you jokingly mentioned how I should star in a perfume ad or something, so what a coincidence and honour to be chosen by Guerlain to interpret their fragrance through my own photos – I don’t often have such an excuse to play model like this.
Despite always wearing perfume, I tend to stick to what I know, and I hadn’t experienced Shalimar Initial before, so was the perfect candidate. When I opened the box the rather captivating scent was everywhere – I could understand why it had been described as ‘the fragrance of transformation’, it’s a girls first ‘grown-up’ perfume. Extremely feminine and sensual, yet youthful and innocent. It’s odd trying to describe a smell, isn’t it? Still, I tried my best to portray it in the images.
Now the grand pink and powder blue bottle sits proudly on my shelves, ready for special occasions when I want to feel that extra bit special. I don’t like to wear the same perfume all the time, as I want to be able to appreciate them all without getting used to them, so I’ve reserved this one for times when I’m feeling particularly empowered. The power of scent is such an interesting thing, how a whiff of something can conjure up vivid memories of things like my mum dressed up to go out, or the body spray I’d wear to school because I didn’t own a perfume of my own yet. Perhaps I’ll look back in a few years with fond memories of this scent too.
Thank you Miguel for helping me with the pictures and Guerlain for the opportunity x
November 28th, 2011
The Vintage Tea Party Book
Sundays; the perfect time for a bit of baking – something I’d been itching to do since I got my hands on the Vintage Tea Party book earlier in the year. With a few hours spare on a Sunday morning, I decided that I’d review the book properly by trying out a few of the recipes and sharing the results with you..and consequently gobbling them up. It’s a shame you couldn’t really come to tea, as the only guest I had was rather unwilling, but I turned him in to my “Mrs Nesbitt” anyway (Toy Story reference, anyone?).
I decided to try out the chocolate brioche hearts (or mini stars, in my case), classic scones, and a triple berry smoothie. Not exactly a balanced meal, but an extremely yummy one! Now, even these few things were a big enough task, and made a mess to match, so I dread to think what my kitchen would look like if I attempted a larger ‘tea party’, with actual guests. Still, Angel has included tips on everything from invites & decorating your house (including a nifty stencil of the Queen!) to vintage hair and make-up tutorials, which I thought were such great touches!
The images and illustrations in the book are my favourite thing – I’ve studied each page meticulously, as they are so beautiful! But on to reviewing the food. I chose a few of the easier recipes, as I’m not the most talented chef, but I even managed to mess them up a little! The brioche stars turned out a bit too salty as I went crazy with the butter when I was frying them, and the scones caught a little on top too, but still tasted perfect. Definitely okay for a first attempt!
If you have a space on your Christmas lists, or are looking for a present for a vintage loving lady, then I couldn’t recommend this book more. I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited by a cook book! It has such amazing ideas, including ways to present your food, too. There are some really creative party food ideas that look worth trying out.
Both Miguel and Oscar the cat enjoyed their afternoon treats in the end! x
August 15th, 2011
Typical!
So fate (..or my own forgetfulness) has it that I’m in the middle of the countryside with no camera charger, and an abundance of pretty things that I want to post about. I cleverly thought that I’d pop to Boots to get my Diana Mini film developed and post the prints, but alas – it takes a week to process them! They better be decent and not just pictures of my cat considering the time I’ve had to wait for them!
So, instead I thought I’d share some pretty things that other people have put online instead. Enjoy!
I saw the lovely Katie post this guide to London on Twitter earlier, and was enraptured, scrolling through the ridiculously long page of recommendations. Tommy has collected cafes, markets, shops, restaurants and other attractions in her guide to my favourite city, illustrated by some beautiful pictures. I’m yet to visit the majority of places on the list, despite living in London for the past two years. Definitely worth a look if you’re visiting, or even if you live in London!
There are also guides to other places across the world if you have a peek in the sidebar!
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Everybody loves a locket. There is something about their secrecy that’s very alluring. What’s better is this selection of lockets by Bonbi Forest are hand illustrated by designer Lee May. I have one with a cat on that you’ll see on here before long. There is just something different about these necklaces that I really love. Now to find a teeny tiny picture to fit inside…
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I’ve never tasted Beet Cake. But this video certainly makes it look good! My friend Daryl sent me the link, knowing that I’d like it, and he was right. Although, it’s not so much the cake-making that I’m bothered with, more the beautiful, creative video by tiger in a jar. Hands down the prettiest recipe I’ve ever seen!
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If you have the internet and are reading this blog, the chances are you will have come across Wayward Daughter, Cait’s new venture! Still, I thought it worth a plug anyway – how beautiful is the collar above?! If I had a spare bit of money I’d be jazzing up a t-shirt with that beauty in no time. She also has a selection of summer dresses for sale. I may be ahead of myself, but I’m already looking forward to future collections!
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5. 60′s Style
In my last post I mentioned a particularly inspiring Marie Claire editorial that I was planning on living by for the foreseeable future (cropped trousers and knits, please!). I decided to scan in a few pages for you so you can see what I was harping on about. Click the link below to see them and click the pictures to see a larger version.
Click here for more →
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