Tag: liberty’s (page 1 of 1)

It’s Beginning to Look…

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Here is just a little taste of some of my favourite London decorations. As always, Lina’s my favourite Italian deli has the most adorable window. And the nutcrackers at Liberty’s this year are gorgeous! I want him to come and live outside my door.

The Weekend

We got up bright and early on Saturday to make the most of the glorious day we had in front of us! Every art exhibition that I have wanted to see lately, we were never able to get tickets for. I love Roy Lichtenstein, I always have and Mr. Michie was not going to let this slip by without taking me.

So off we went to the Tate Modern and what a day it was! We loved the show. I still can’t believe that I got to see Whaam!, in person!!! And, one of my all time favorites, We Rose Up Slowly. It was beautiful, I stood in front of it for ages, just taking it all in. The colors, the scale, the beauty of it.

After the show we stood in the line buying a few postcards and Mr. Michie with his cheeky grin commented on how funny it was that Lichtenstein’s work made comment on mass production and the consumer’s need to buy into mass production and here we were buying massed produced postcards about work that was in part created to comment on mass production. That was his arty farty comment on the day! We still bought the postcards!

We had lunch at The Diner, I got a short stack of pancakes, that were deliciousi-oso! Mr. Michie got an order of chili cheese fries. We wandered into Liberty’s as there was some fabric I wanted to see in person. On the way out we walked through the jewellery department, and we spotted a stunning ring, but we clearly didn’t look like two people who could buy jewellery there as the two sales associates wouldn’t even speak to us. It is always amusing to be judged. Judged by someone who knows nothing about you and has already formed this opinion of you in their mind.

We left there, strolled into Convent Garden and ended up going to Wahaca for an early Cinco de Mayo feast and ate cactus tacos and chicken tinga and frijoles and spicy slaw, it was wonderful as always. It was the perfect day, out with my baby, just enjoying where the wind blew us.

Getting Crafty

As soon as we finish the mammoth task of organizing our pantry, I have a few projects up my sleeves for this half term. But, I have to clean up one mess before I make a new one.  If you are in the mood to do a little crafting this week, check out my “Getting Crafty” board on Pinterest.

Here are just a few things I have pinned {click the images for the tutorials}:

As always Molly’s Sketchbook on the Purl Bee site is filled with sweet ideas. A bunny just in time for Spring:

Liberty fabric lap blankets to keep you cozy in the still gray days of winter:

Send mail the old-fashioned way, but jazz up your envelopes with beautiful paper:

Any paper leftover? Use it to make these cute pinwheels:

Not Martha offers a cute and stylish brooch to brighten up your coat:

Have fun!

{all images copyright their respective blog}

Sunday

I’m afraid I have no images to share with you today, just words. I spent yesterday wandering around London and doing a little Christmas shopping. It is early to do that I know, but some things I have to get done dearly, so they can be mailed out in plenty of time to arrive at their destinations amongst all the other flurry of Christmas post the mailmen and mail-ladies are busily sorting, stacking, bundling and delivering.

I didn’t do my Christmas window walk yet, but I have heard tell that Harrod’s theme this year is Fairytales, so I can’t wait to see that.

I walked along Marylebone High Street, it is one of my favorite places to shop! I picked up a few things at Emma Bridgewater and Cath Kidston, popped into Daunt Books and the wonderful Oxfam Book Store. I stopped into Rococo to pick up a little chocolate for a friend and was very kindly given one of my favorites, a chili chocolate truffle by the lovely girl helping me!

As I walked out the brisk air, quickly took the scent of chocolate out of my nostrils, but it came back again the moment, I popped that chili truffle into my mouth, mmmm, heaven sent! I was greedy, I popped the whole thing in at once!

I didn’t make it to Liberty’s, so that is a trip for next time. I wanted to look at some fabric and to go to their Christmas floor, which is always a delight. I did make it to Anthropologie, always a store of happiness, their window was adorably, filled with owls.

I saw the most beautiful sunset yesterday. It was unreal. I wanted to snap a picture for you, but I didn’t bring my camera yesterday and my phone refused to cooperate with me, but I can tell you, if any of you who read me were walking around in London yesterday afternoon and happened to look up, you will know what I am talking about. The buildings were almost black, the sky was violet, pumpkin orange, watermelon pink, daisy yellow, it took my breath away.

Today, we are relaxing, as the next two weeks of school are going to be extremely hectic. I am going to make that butternut squash chili again, Mr. Michie will be working on creating his out of this world guacamole and grading papers in between.

I hope you are well and happy wherever you may be today.

A Birthday Trip Out

Well, I am ashamed to say that my Birthday Post has taken me so long to write. I did give you a hint of what was to come and that I did get the lovely turqouise shoes I wanted! But, I have yet to write any more and there is so much to say.

I have lived in London for a number years and I know some of its secrets, but not all. I love when I have gone somewhere that I have been a thousand times, but yet I discover a secret I did not know it held. Our secret discovery came in the form of a secret garden.

We went to the Natural History Museum in search of Phoolan, alas she was no longer there. In our hunt for her we wandered onto a side of the Museum that I have never wandered to. It is there that a wildlife garden exists behind an iron gate. Next to the entrance of the gate stood a majestic bronze fountain.

Inside those gates held a wild meadow, a little stream, an impressive bee hive in the hollow of a tree. It was a little oasis in the middle of London. You completely forget where you were, watching the little ducklings following there Mama, with reeds and lilies surrounding you.

From there we walked across the street to I think my most favorite Museum, The V&A. The Grace Kelly Exhibition was sold out for the day, so that will be a Birthday treat yet to come, but we did manage to get into the Quilt Exhibition.

The Quilt Exhibition was amazing. The quality and workmanship in the quilts was awe-inspiring. It was very interesting, to me, to walk through the gallery and see these pieces objectified and paid homage too. It is a fine line we walk with Art. I have two quilts in my possession, both from the 1800’s American Mid-West and I use them, they are lovingly looked after, but they are used. I stared at some of the quilts on “bed-frames” or hung on the wall, being revered, dated to around the same period of my own, never to be used again, which is against the reason they were created for in the first place. A little dichotomy that I find intriguing.

There is such a hidden story to tell with quilts: How many hands touched it? Who made it and who was it made for? How long did it take to create, to save the fabric scraps? This was a wonderfully put together show as far as the pices went, there were a few I would have loved to have seen in more detail, but the bed frames they lay upon made it impossible. There are a few quilts I would have gladly liked to have called my own as well, like this one:

The scalloped edges and the detail in her work was so intricately beauitul.  It was enough for me to have just seen seen the exhibition but a few surprises were put into my hands, and one of them was this:

Created by the artist who designed the quilt featured on the exhibition poster. We were able to see the real quilt piece this was made from and I think it is such a cool way to tie everything in. I love when you see thought has gone into something in the exhibition store. That a fabric “poster” was available to tie-in with the fabric in the show.

I was disappointed to not get to see Grace Kelly as well, but in retrospect, I think we were being very ambitious, we were in the Quilt Exhibition for over 3 hours and after that, we needed a visual break, I would have hated to go through Grace Kelly and not have enjoyed it because I wasn’t taking in and absorbing everything that I possibly could have.

After the V&A we wandered down to do a little shopping and thus a new pair of Birthday shoes jumped into my hands. For dinner we went to one of my favorite places. It is my own Luke’s Diner (if you watch the Gilmore Girls, you will know what I am talking about). It is not as bright and cozy as Luke’s, but is is a happening little dive.

After dinner, we strolled to Liberty’s and Snog had set up a mini store inside. I walked out with a delicious frozen yoghurt covered in chocolate and fresh summer berries. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

(Quilt Exhibition Fabric Banner created by: Natasha Kerr, Quilt images copyright the V&A)

A Shopping Weekend

This weekend, I never stopped. I must have walked 50 miles! I went into London on Saturday to run a few errands and pick-up some items for projects I am working on at the moment, as well as some other bits & bobs and a few gifts.

It was sooo cold and I headed out early arriving before any shops had opened. So I marched to Starbucks and five minutes later armed with a hot chocolate and my Ipod filling my ears with Django Reinhardt (it is really amusing to watch the world go by, to certain tunes playing in your head as you walk along!) I headed down to one of my favorite haunts: Marylebone High Street.

Daunt Books’ (always an early opener) door was cheerily propped open and I had a wander around. I love the smell of this store and their beautiful built in cases. It is such a pleasure to linger within those walls. Next, another early opener, V V Rouleaux to get some ribbon for a Valentine’s gift I am working on.

After that I headed to Cath Kidston for a new ironing board cover and a Birthday gift and to Rococo’s for some Valentine’s Chocolates (Shhh! they are a surprise!). After that, I cut through the Cabbages & Frocks Market and headed back into town.

I met a friend for lunch and after dining, I headed into Liberty’s on a haberdashery mission, alas, no luck! So, off to Anthropologie to pick up another little gift.

Next, it was off to Covent Garden to get my watch fixed, but Fossil had closed, hmmm! I was not happy! But, I went into Paperchase and got some adorable back to school surprises for someone special and a Valentine’s Card for my sweetie!

So my Shopping List was almost fulfilled, I still have a few things left to get:

Cath Kidston-birthday gift and ironing board cover
Anthropologie
Air-Erasable Fabric Pen
Chocolates
New watch battery

Valentine’s Card

Back to School surprise
Fabric-for new cushions

Turquoise thread

Yesterday, was spent at the NEC marching along the aisles of the Spring Fair on a buying trip. It was tiring, but a lot was accomplished! So, today I am just going to put my feet up and rest! I am pooped and you must be too after reading about my crazy adventures!

(Since I stupidly forgot to bring my lovely camera along, all images are copyright to : V V Rouleaux, Rococo Chocolates, Cath Kidston, Belle & Boo and Anthropologie)