Author Archives: topbird

1. Shopping in London: Lazy Oaf

   October 28, 2009 7:00 am 6 Comments

   

   I do love popping into Lazy Oaf on the ground floor of Kingly Court (just off Carnaby Street) for a kooky dose of sausage dog print tees (my all-time favourite), banana Perspex brooches and hamburger sweaters.

   

   

   Lazy Oaf are the crew behind the Michael Jackson tee I posted about recently, and they seem to have a never-ending supply of slightly mad graphic concepts for men’s and womens’s tees and sweaters, as well as toys, pins, stationery and plush toys.

   

   New this season is the fabulous Foxy tee, which features a print collar, as well as a super-sweet ‘I Make Things’ tee – perfect for crafty make-and-do chicks.

   
   

   They've also got an amazing range of Japanese stationery and decorative items. Take a look at these  Pinocchio plates, notebooks and decorative tape by designer Shinzi Katoh. How much fun is the 'Happy Friends' tape?

   
    

   

   Their website is also well worth a look, with all their products available to purchase, along with a particularly good shop blog.

   Lazy Oaf
   Kingly Court, Carnaby Street
   London W1B 5PW
   Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

   Opening hours:
   Monday to Saturday 11am-7pm
   Sunday 12 noon-6pm

   Click here for more shops in Soho.

2. What to take home: Fortnum’s Honey

   October 27, 2009 7:00 am 12 Comments

   

   Fortnum & Mason is one of my first stops if I’m looking for something quintessentially London to send to family and friends in Australia – whether it’s a canister of their iconic tea or a jar of Rose Petal Jelly.

    

   Now I can add Fortnum’s honey to the list, which is actually harvested from the hives on top of the building in Piccadilly. I love the idea of bees getting busy high above the bustle of Piccadilly. The bees feast on pollen in the nearby gardens of Green Park, Hyde Park, and Buckingham Palace, and the honey is limited to just 400 jars. But apparently there has been a rush on pre-orders, so there are just 60 precious jars left.* Available now for £10.

   Fortnum & Mason
   181 Piccadilly
   London W1A 1ER
   Tel. 020 7734 8040
   Nearest Tubes: Piccadilly and Green Park
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

   * NB. I've just been informed by Fortnum's PR that there's been such a buzz (sorry, couldn't resist) about the honey, that stocks may in fact be depleted. Best to call customer services on 0845 300 1707 first. If they're out of stock you can put your name on the waiting list for the next harvest. Can you imagine? The bees have a freakin' waiting list!

3. Wee find: Love Lane Caravans

   October 26, 2009 7:00 am 16 Comments

   

   I stumbled across Love Lane Caravans via the lovely @pipnstuff on Twitter, and was instantly charmed by the rustic romanticism of hiring a lovingly restored classic caravan in Cornwall.

   

   Each caravan has been fully kitted out to suit the period, and comes complete with linen, BBQ equipment and outdoor seating. The website also lists a number of excellent campsites around Cornwall.

   

   

   

   The ‘70s style caravan brings back some of my earliest childhood memories of camping around Europe with my family in the summer of 1977. I was only three at the time, but I do vaguely remember picking wildflowers with my sister at the side of the road, and scouting out each campsite for the nearest playground. In fact, my brother rated each campsite according to the pool/playground factor. Here are some of the photos I've dug out of the family album…

   

   

   

   Check out the groovy mustard curtains! But this was camping at its most basic – there were no mod-cons, toilet or shower on board – and my parents had to contend with three children under the age of 13. I’ve never been camping since then, but that trip has become the stuff of family legend and will stay with me forever…

   

   

   Love Lane Caravans
   Cartshed Cottage
   Retallack Farm
   Constantine
   Cornwall TR11 5PW
   Tel. +44 (0)1326 340406
   Email: holiday@lovelanecaravans.com

4. Birdy pick of the week

   October 25, 2009 10:51 pm 1 Comment

   

   

   Handmade owls by Lori Nichols for Night Owl Paper Goods. Each owl is made using thrifted sweaters, acorns, repurposed wood and letterpress bits. Thanks to @bezburman for the tip!

5. Wee find: Halloween cards

   October 24, 2009 7:00 am 8 Comments

   

   

   
    
   Loving Hello! Lucky's collection of ace letterpress Halloween cards and sets of boxed party invitations this year. Prices start at £2.50 for an individual letterpress card.

   Hello!Lucky is a Wee Birdy sponsor, and a darn good-looking one, too.
   

6. Birdy picks of the week: the Anthropologie edition

   October 23, 2009 7:00 am 17 Comments

   

   Today's the day! I've been saving up this week's birdy pick to coincide with Anthropologie's grand opening today in London. And really, no other store does birds quite as well as Anthropologie.

   Here are my top Anthro birdy picks from the London store (note that each Anthropologie store stocks slightly different stuff):
   1. Gladiator bird, finch with key, £258.
   2. Hasty hatchling necklace, £258.
   3. Flight-Of-Swans dress, £258.
   4. Bird hook, £20.
   5. Gladiator bird, Quail, £218.
   6. Tweeting tea party dishtowel, £22.
   7. Birder dishtowel in blue, £16.

   Click here to read my sneak peek inside London's Anthropologie earlier this week. 

   Anthropologie
   158 Regent Street
   London, W1B 5SW
   Tel. 7529 9800
   Nearest tube: Piccadilly
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
   

   Opening hours:
   Monday to Wednesday 10am-7pm
   Thursday 10am-8pm
   Friday to Saturday 10am-7pm
   Sunday 12 noon-6pm

7. What to take home: Pedlars British cushions

   October 22, 2009 8:22 am 4 Comments

    

   

   These new 'I love London' and UK map cushions have just arrived in-store at Pedlars. I'd love to scatter a great big clump of them on my sofa! Featuring felt appliqued designs and super-lovely blanket-stitched edges, they're priced from £94.95. 

   Click here to read about my Pedlars shop tour.

   Pedlars
   128 Talbot Road
   London W11 1JA
   Tel. 7727 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
   

8. Sneak Peek: Anthropologie London

   October 21, 2009 10:21 pm 25 Comments

   

   Terribly exciting: I just had a sneak peek inside the new Anthropologie store, which opens its Regent Street doors to London on Friday. For the full story, see this week's Time Out magazine. In the meantime, enjoy some of my snaps…

   

   

   

   This hanging teabag installation in the window (above) reminds me of the Rockefeller store Christmas windows I blogged about when I was in New York last year.

   

   

   

   Birdy door-knobs, above, and beautifully-bound Penguin classics, below.

   

   The enormous dressing rooms are surely the most spacious in London. The end cubicle (if you could even call it that) resembles a small office. You could seriously throw a party in there.

   

   And finally, the magnificent afternoon tea spread complete with a never-ending supply of cakes, tarts and biscuits. I mastered the fine art of hovering over the strawberry tarts…

   

   

   Creature candles…

   

   And the hand-stitched grand opening sign…

   

   Anthropologie
   158 Regent Street
   London, W1B 5SW
   Tel. 7529 9800
   Nearest tube: Piccadilly
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
   

   Opening hours:
   Monday to Wednesday 10am-7pm
   Thursday 10am-8pm
   Friday to Saturday 10am-7pm
   Sunday 12 noon-6pm

9. Wee find: 2010 diaries at Shelf

   7:00 am 4 Comments

   

   Those clever people over at Shelf in East London seek out the best stuff from around the world, and I've always been particularly enthusiastic about their range of stationery. Their 2010 Japanese and Korean diaries have just arrived in store, so now is a good time to pay their Cheshire Street shop a visit. Prices start at £7.
   

   Shelf
   40 Cheshire Street
   London E2 6EH
   Tel. 020 7739 9444
   Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

   Opening hours:
   Friday afternoon by appointment only
   Saturday 1pm-6pm
   Sunday 11am-6pm

10. Welcome new Wee Birdy sponsors

    October 20, 2009 7:00 am 5 Comments

    
    A big warm welcome to Wee Birdy’s newest sponsors, Cerise and Made With Love by Mrs Booth.

    Cerise is a jewellery and accessories store on Columbia Road which specialises in independent designers from the UK. Those outside of London can peruse the excellent online shop, which is packed with the most curious and covetable gems. I'm loving Tina Lilienthel's rabbit pendant (see above) as well as Karin Andreasson's Moonlight Shimmer Headpiece and Alex Monroe's Bumble Bee necklace.

    

    Made with Love by Mrs Booth, meanwhile, stocks a delightful range of beautifully-designed colouring and counting books for children, as well as alphabet friezes, prints and cards. I adore the simplicity of the penguin print (see above) as well as the birth announcements and baby cards. If you’ve got kids, have a look at her ‘free stuff’ page, which features colouring-in pages and samples to download. And keep an eye on her blog with news about upcoming products and gift fairs.

11. Craft Capital: Bust Christmas Craftacular

    October 19, 2009 2:22 pm 6 Comments

    

    Thanks to India Knight and her wonderful new Posterous blog for reminding me that the Bust Christmas Craftacular is coming up. The Bust crew are heading back to The York Hall in Bethnal Green on December 12, so pop it in your diary. Those looking to book a stall should apply now.

    But back to India and her brilliant must-read blog. My Glaswegian best mate sent me her book, The Shops, just before I moved from Sydney to London, and it was an absolute lifesaver.  I was educated on everything from Argos and their mysterious catalogue system to the joys of Neuhaus chocolate, and everything in between. Similarly, her blog is packed with glorious magpie's picks of the most beautiful finds, like this amazing M&S handbag, and these astonishingly-beautiful Sophie Cuvelier garlands. Bookmark, read it and sigh.

    

    p.s. If you love Nathalie Lete as much as I do, check out India's post about the new Bourjois limited edition blushers and eyeshadows.

12. Wee find: Mine

    October 18, 2009 5:01 pm 5 Comments

    

    

    

    This is MINE's spring/summer 2010 collection by Katherine Pont, one of the up-and-coming designers at Swanfield (see my post about the pop-up shop below). Featuring exquisite hand-drawn prints and embroidery, it's her most accomplished and cohesive collection to date. Entitled 'Tick Tock Order', it's all very quirky and whimsical, with fantastic attention to detail. Love the very sweet harlequin-bunting trim on the collars and cuffs, as well as the art-deco influence on the hand-drawn prints. 

    EDIT: This collection will be out in early 2010 for spring, but you will find Mine's current autumn/winter collection at Swanfield now.

    Swanfield (until the end of Oct)
    1.2 Kingly Court
    London, W1
    Tel. 07595640403
    Nearest tube: Oxford Circus.
    Opening hours:
    Monday to Saturday 11am-7pm

13. Wee find: Cecilia Hammarborg

    October 15, 2009 11:15 pm 2 Comments

    
     

    Cecilia Hammarborg is one of the core designers of the London-based Swanfield collective (see my post about the pop-up shop below), and her current winter coat collection, Black River Falls, has just been picked up by Topshop. I do love the feminine swishiness of the Riding Hood and Petrel coats, and they're extremely flattering to wear. Apparently the voluminous Petrel coat is very popular with pregnant women.

    
     
    Blue Riding Hood Coat, £250 and Noir Storm Petrel Coat, £295 by Cecilia Hammarborg.

     Swanfield (until the end of Oct)
    1.2 Kingly Court
    London, W1
    Tel. 07595 64040
    Nearest tube: Oxford Circus.
    Opening hours:
    Monday to Saturday 11am-7pm