hello friends

Sorry I have been away. We been busy the last two weekends enjoying the Great British Summer. First up was Lovebox, a great local festival at Victoria Park where we saw Metronomy, Santigold, De La Soul, Blondie, Scissor Sister and Snoop Dogg. Even the monsoon like rain didn't dampen our spirits.

Last weekend was Secret Garden Party, by far my most favourite festival. We spent our days exploring the gorgeous grounds and the nights running amok in the music tents. It took the better part of last week to get caught up on work, life and laundry (it's amazing how many clothes you get through at a muddy festival!) but I'm back on track now and thought I'd get this week started with some pictures of our latest escapades...

Happy days kids, happy days!

And Secret Garden Party pics after the jump...

naughty shakers

There is something about the weekend that always makes me feel a bit naughty. And these salt and pepper shakers do the exact same thing! I'm not sure I am brave enough to buy them...but wouldn't they be crazy on your kitchen table?!

David Shrigley Salt & Pepper Shakers found here.

girl scout cookies

Be still my heart. Whilst London has a lot on offer, one thing it doesn't have are the (world famous?) and most delicious Girl Scout cookies. I am not ashamed to say I've stolen packets of frozen thin mints from my dad's fridge at Christmas and hidden tagalongs in my luggage on my way back home. Amazingly, thanks to this brilliant lady, I will no longer have to wait for trips to the US for my cookie (or biscuit) fix...check out here super tasty reciepe for homemade tagalongs here. Happy baking!

another one for the boys

We are still struggling with the four (yes, four!) bikes we keep in our flat. I think this gorgeous shelf could be a great solution. What do you think about hanging bikes from the wall?

Knife & Saw Bike Shelf 

allotinabox

How adorable is this! Everything you need to grow your own miniature garden, sweetly packaged in a small (100% biodegradable) box. It's stuffed full of carrot, spring onion, leek, spinach and chive seeds and includes a handy grow wheel that tells who exactly when to sow and harvest. The Allotinabox website is full of handy growing tips and if you're serious about gardening, they offer 4 different seasonal boxes. Such a wonderful gift idea, especially for anyone living in London without a garden!

Available here

finally!

We have finally decided on and ordered our new kitchen table! Isn't it gorgeous? 

Our table was suggested by a friend of mine who recently launched online furniture company Imagine Living. Her concept is simple! By working directly with small European producers, she is able to reduce costs by cutting out the traditional supply chain. In addition, the ladies at Imagine Living really pride themselves working only with local businesses. These are companies who have a long history of making beautiful pieces and who produce only small batches of their furniture.

The relationships they develop are so helpful as well. When the husband wanted to know where the teak wood was sourced, it took only a quick email before we found it was recycled wood from India. It probably sounds silly, but it's the details that made us happy with this purchase  I'll post some pictures when it arrives...can't wait!

knuckle duster

One word: BOOM

Love this knuckle duster. How can you not? Perfect festival fashion of Lovebox this weekend. See you there!

V Double Knuckle Ring

brunch review: st. ali

Friends, meet Christian. He is the super friendly and incredibly knowledgeable barista at St Ali. 

Originally from Australia, St Ali has is one of the newest coffee shops in London. Here you will get freshly roasted coffee beans, hot and cold presses and amazing brunch. These are just some of the beautiful cold presses they have on display. Aren't the gorgeous?

I went with a sizeable group of girls and was therefore able to taste a large amount of the dishes available. I am happy to report that all were stupendous! Highlights included crispy corn fritters served with grilled haloumi as well as a healthy portion of banana bread topped with coffee mascarpone and crunchy cinnamon twirls. A perfectly poached egg with oak-smoked salmon and a pumpkin scone was delicious and kippers served with amazing baked beans sprinkled with feta cheese just perfect.

The space is lovely to look at too. Open brick work, a vibrant green living wall of plants and a clear glass wall that lets you see what both the kitchen and coffee roasters are up too. St Ali is definitely worth a visit!

St Ali, 27 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1

crazy shoes

Question people. Are these shoes crazy cool? Or just crazy crazy. Cause I kind of love them.

From my favourite Need Supply

the floating cinema

Another cinema has come to the East End. And this one is on a boat!

The narrow boats dotting the canals of East London are famous in their own right. But this summer, the Floating Cinema will make one particular narrow boat more interesting than the rest. Created by Hackney based architects Studio Weave and artist duo Somewhere as part of the CREATE11 summer festival, the Floating Cinema will host on-board film screenings, canal tours and workshops. Additionally, (and what I’m most excited about), they will also host film nights under the stars. Movies will be projected from the boat onto canal-side architecture allowing audiences to watch them from the banks of the canal. I can just imagine watching a film, projected onto a beautiful old brick warehouse, as the moonlight glitters across the water. Absolutely delightful!

For events and film dates, check out the Floating Cinema.

skulls

Happy Monday kids! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I thought I'd start the week with this georgous ring. I'm really obsessed with skulls right now and this delicate silver ring is at the top of my wish list. What do you think about wearing skulls?

Ring by Daisy Knight

tattoos

I've been thinking for awhile now about getting another tattoo. In fact, I've been thinking about for the past two years! It has taken that long to decide what I want and now that it is settled in my head, I've been looking around for inspiration. I love the idea of simple tree and think these tattoos are so pretty. Would you get a tattoo?

richard III

Yet another perk of living in London? Seeing the one and only Kevin Spacey perform live at the Old Vic theatre in Richard III. The husband has just been outdoing himself lately and organised another(!) date night. We met at Jubilee Gardens in front of the London Eye for a delicious picnic (many thanks Melrose & Morgan). Then walked our bikes to the Old Vic where we watched (in the most amazing seats EVER) the 3.5hour production.

Sam Mendes (of American Beauty fame) directed and I have to say, it really was one of the best performances I've seen. Shakespeare is sometimes hard to follow on stage but this production really came to life with the set design, an interesting use of new media and incredibly dramatic live music. It was almost like being in a cinema!

If you can get tickets, I would definitely recommend seeing this. But be quick as they are almost totally sold out!

Richard III, playing at the Old Vic, The Cut, London SE1 8NB

london in black & white

I'm not sure what the weather is like where you are, but in London, we are experiencing torrential rain showers. The weather makes lunch outside impossible, so today I decided to check out London in Black & White, a photographic exhibition at Tower Bridge.

The exhibition is shown across the two pedestrian walkways at the top of the bridge. Suspended 42meters in the air, the views you get of  looking east and west over London are amazing. The photos are mostly from the early 1900s and show life on the river as well as a history of the Tower Bridge.

I forget sometimes how spoiled I am to have so much rich history on my doorstep. To be able to pop out at lunch and take a tour of this amazing bridge is really quite spectacular.

It almost makes the rain worth it!

Tower Bridge Exhibition, tickets are £8

folly for a flyover

If you live in East London, you’ll know about the vast amount of regeneration we’re experiencing in the run up to the Olympics. Various projects have taken over our streets and for the most part, they have made East London a better and more interesting place to live.

One such project is recently opened Folly for a Flyover. Created by Assemble, this not for profit collective made up of East London artists, architects and designers won £40,000 in March to create a cultural and artistic space in the gap between the east and westbound traffic of the A12.

Working with local volunteers, they spent more than a month building a cinema by hand. Materials were sourced locally in Hackney in addition to using refuse from the nearby Olympic Park. Now complete, the Folly will host a café and workshops during the day with (the most exciting part!) being films, light shows and performances shown at their cinema at night.

The project runs until the 24^th of July after which the cinema will be broken down and the supplies will be reused again elsewhere in the community. Information about what’s showing when can be found here. I’d make an effort to get East quick as many shows are already sold out.

Folly For a Flyover

happy fourth of july!

For all the Americans out there - Happy 4th of July! I saw this super cute cake on one of my favourite blogs and thought it was perfect for today. Hope everyone is enjoying BBQs, eating hot dogs and burgers and spending time with friends and loved ones. Now if I could only find somewhere to watch the fireworks...

Via Cup of Jo from Glorious Treats

the secret consul

The husband has been busy. He has been busy organising a date night for tonight! I am probably more excited than I should be, but it's not often I get to spend a whole Friday night alone with him. And that's not even all. The husband has managed to find something I'd not yet heard about. Hidden somewhere in deepest Limehouse, we will be seeing The Secret Consul. This site-specific, guerilla opera will be performed by theatre group The Wedding Collective and features a cast of up and coming opera stars from around the world. I can't wait.

Tickets available here.