A global field guide to design, (life)style and secret finds
est. 2007

Archive: Mar 2009

  1. Wee Easter finds: Hand-painted Rococo chocolate

    7 Comments

    Rococo collage

    Clockwise from left: hand-painted gentleman hare, made with dark and white chocolate, £30; hand-painted dark chocolate egg with Japanese bird design, filled with a mixture of Grand Cru ganache-filled mini eggs and truffles, £25; and hand-painted egg with leaping hare, filled with Grand Cru ganache-filled mini-eggs, £18.95, all by Rococo chocolates.

    Rococo shops in London:
    321 Kings Road
    London SW3 5EP
    Tel: 020 7352 5857
    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
    Opening hours:
    Monday 12pm - 5pm
    Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 6:30pm
    Sunday 12pm - 5pm

    5 Motcomb Street
    London SW1X 8JU
    Tel: 020 7245 0993
    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
    Opening hours:
    Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 6:30pm

    45 Marylebone High Street
    London W1U 5HG
    Tel: 020 7935 778
    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
    Opening hours:
    Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 6:30pm
    Sunday 12pm - 5pm

  2. Wee Easter finds

    5 Comments

    COLLAGE1

    What do you think of my first collage-y Easter thing-y? I've got a folder full of Easter finds and was thinking of palatable ways of serving it up. There's more to come, but I thought I'd have a play with these ones first.

    1. Egg trinket box, £5, from Paperchase.

    2. Tin of glitter vintage-style Easter postcards, £10, from Willow and Stone.

    3. Painted egg decorations, £3 for a pack of six, from Paperchase.

    4. Mini feltidermy bunny brooch, US$25, from Girl Savage’s Etsy’s shop.

    5. Chick iced biscuit, £1.49, from Marks & Spencer.

    6. Alessi Cico egg cup, £9, from John Lewis.

    7. Easter crackers with confetti, £8 from a pack of six, from John Lewis.

  3. What to take home: Charlene Mullen cushions

    17 Comments

    Lace_07

    I first spied Charlene Mullen’s exquisite hand-embroidered work at the East London Design Show in December. And being the London-obsessed lass that I am, I made a beeline for her monochrome cushions featuring iconic London landscapes.

    Lace_08

    Transcending a purely functional role, each graphic “piece” is beautifully crafted with extraordinary attention to detail. And with Mullen drawing inspiration from Victorian Christening gowns to prison tattoos, it’s no wonder her work appears simultaneously both modern and vintage.

    Lace_09

    In London, you can find her cushions at Liberty, Sigmar and Linley. She is also stocked in Le Bon Marche in Paris and Scoop in the U.S. Otherwise, purchases can be made through enquiries to her website.

    Flock_03

  4. London must-eats: Raclette at Borough Market

    20 Comments

    DSC06601

    There’s much to love about living so close to London’s Borough Market. It’s become our little Saturday morning ritual, where we take it easy and wander around the stalls, check out the new produce, and make a beeline for Konditor & Cook for a “real” coffee (because Monmouth's always too busy). But sometimes? I’m not quite sure how living in such close proximity to cheesy heaven, aka Kappacasein’s raclette stand, is advantageous for my arteries.

    DSC06578

    The premise for a Swiss raclette is ridiculously simple: a white carb celebration of melted Ogleshield cheese, new potatoes, baby gherkins and pickled onions. But it’s also ridiculously delicious – and the long queues are a testament to this fact. The plus side of the waiting time is that you get to watch the whole mesmerising raclette-making process, which involves scraping hot, bubbling cheese onto your pile of potatoes and gherkins. Oh lordy!

    DSC06581 DSC06585

    I especially love the acidic, crunchy baby gherkins, which contrast beautifully with the creamy, cheesy potatoes.

    DSC06575 DSC06576

    They also make the most unbelievably good toasted cheese sandwiches with Montgomery cheddar, onions, leeks and garlic on Poilâne sourdough.

    Kappacasein is at Borough Market on Fridays 10am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-4pm, and can be found just opposite Southwark Cathedral.

    Borough Market
    8 Southwark Street
    London SE4
    Nearest tube: London Bridge
    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

  5. Wee finds: LBDs for A/W 2009

    9 Comments
    00530m
    Jil Sander's LBD for Autumn/Winter 2009

    Sifting through my favourites from the Autumn/Winter 2009 collections, I noticed a wee trend emerging: LBDs. OK, so LBDs aren't exactly "wee" or a "trend", since designers march out a new version of this modern classic every season. But LBDs seemed to be the flavour of the month this time around. Or maybe I just liked more black frocks than not. Anyway, here are my favourites:

    Lanvin1 Lanvin2

    Modern assymetrical '40s style with skinny belts at Lanvin.

    Bottega Veneta -Milan3 Bottega Veneta-Milan

    A modern take on the classic sheath at Bottega Veneta.

    00180m00310m

    Soft sculptural silhouettes at Jil Sander. 

    00170m 00290m

    Holey felted wool (!) and exquisite plissé detailing at Calvin Klein.

    Images from Style.com.

  6. Shopping in London: G Baldwin & Co

    10 Comments

    DSC09469
    Cross the threshold of this unassuming South-East London shop and you’ll catch a whiff of the old-fashioned herbal remedies that made it London’s leading apothecary in its Victorian heyday. 

    Old Shop 1965

    And whilst they no longer peddle bottles of the extremely popular Touch & Go (for “Warts, Corns and Hard Skin”), you can still purchase a refreshing pint of Sarsaparilla for 30p.

    DSC09486

    In 1969, G Baldwin and Co moved from 77 Walworth Road to its present location at number 171, but the shop retains much of its charm and original features including a long counter, apothecary wooden drawers and glass jars.

    Old Shop 77 Walworth Road 1964

    DSC09489

    DSC09477

    Today the family business is divided into two stores: an excellent health food shop on one side, and the traditional herbalist next door. I was given a sneak-peek behind the scenes, and discovered the fragrant oils room where all of the bottling is done on-site, as well as a thriving mail-order business.

    ROSE_100ML Part of the attraction of Baldwin’s these days is its affordable range of essential oils, natural products and aromatherapy products. I swear by their organic Rosehip Oil, a total steal at £7.99, which I use as an inexpensive glow-giving face serum at night. Rosehip oil can be found as an ingredient in many major beauty brands' more expensive anti-ageing products, due to its high levels of anti-oxidants and collagen-boosting Vitamin A. It's also excellent for healing blemishes and acne scars.

    I also love their range of old-fashioned amber bottles and jars, which come in a variety of sizes that would look gorgeous lined up on your bathroom shelf (in manner of Aesop chic). In fact, Baldwin’s is an excellent source for all sorts of crafty DIY beauty ingredients, including bulk packages of dead sea bath salts and silicone soap-making moulds.

    Each visit reveals interesting new finds (Stuff in a Tub icecream; English honey cappings; Dr Bronner's soap) and budget buys (luxury handmade soap for £2.89) – making Baldwin's one of London’s true hidden shopping gems.

    Oldshop_big

    G Baldwin & Co
    171/173 Walworth Road
    London SE17 1RW
    Tel. 020 7703 5550
    Nearest tube/rail: Elephant & Castle
    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Opening hours:
    Monday to Saturday 9am – 5.30pm

    For more shops in South East London, click here.

  7. Wee finds: Brit-themed games

    2 Comments
    Swatch.1121.sw_image

    Wooden counties jigsaw, featuring almost all the counties in England, Wales and Scotland, £37.50, from Pedlars.

    Swatch.1100.sw_image
    Touring England game, based on a 1930s board game. The object is to move around England, using the shortest possible route and without visiting the same place twice. £11.50 from Pedlars.

    Pedlars
    128 Talbot Road
    London W11 1JA
    Tel: 0207 727 7799
    Nearest tube: Ladbroke Grove
    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Opening hours:
    Monday to Friday 10am-6pm
    Saturday 9am-6pm
    Sunday 11am-5pm


    For more shops in Notting Hill, click here.
  8. Wee Etsy pick of the week

    6 Comments

    Il_fullxfull.59574007
    Bird bowl, US$58.

    Just look at these deliciously milky-glossy glazes and vintage-inspired pieces at Whitney Smith Pottery’s Etsy shop. At first I noticed the tiny hand-sculpted bird and flower details before discovering wonderful pops of cherry red on a bud vase and the most delicate petal pink on a gorgeously feminine cake stand.

    Il_fullxfull.56294339

    Il_fullxfull.60253938

    I actually found the San Francisco Bay-based ceramicist’s shop through Sarey Poppins’ Etsy favourites (always a good way to unearth new gems). According to her profile, Whitney is influenced by her “obsession with flowers and other forms in nature” and “tries to emulate the craftsmanship of an earlier time.

    Il_fullxfull.60245272 Il_fullxfull.60103373

    You can find all of her wares at her Etsy shop here.

  9. Sponsored post: Kitty and Polly

    1 Comment

    Il_fullxfull.58343707
    Vintage screen-printed purse, made using organic Fair Trade cotton, £8, from Kitty and Polly.

    I hate to nag but it’s Mother’s Day in the UK on March 22, so now is the time to make a considered purchase well in advance. Whatever you do, don’t leave it ‘til the last minute, or you’ll end up freaking out and buying a plastic-wrapped box of toiletries foulness.

    I may be predictable but handmade is best, and Wee Birdy’s newest sponsor, Kitty and Polly, is just the (online) place to find the perfect gift.

    Clarissa Viola

    Vintage “Clarissa” screen-printed shopping bag, left, and "Viola", right, hand-made using organic Fair Trade cotton, £10.

    Kitty and Polly specialise in gifts and accessories handmade in the UK, with a heavenly range of jewellery, bags, bath products and homewares. The prices are extremely reasonable, too. And they’ve just had a delivery of brand new products, just in time for Mother’s Day.

    Here are more of my favourite picks:
    Love_tea_cosy-cream
    Handmade tea cosy, £20.

    Il_fullxfull.40140905
    Wheat and lavender screen-printed hottie, made using organic Fair Trade cotton, £22.

    IMG_0882
    Handmade brooch, using recycled materials
    , £20.

    Sign up to their newsletter now, and get 15% off your next purchase.