The Man's Bag

The man bag has long been a topic of debate and very few can pull it off to give it full justice. Mr. S&S tends to opt for a rucksack to and from work, I mean it's ok, not horrendous or anything, but it's still a rucksack - in London - possibly one of the most annoying and inconvenient accessories to have in such a busy city as any tube-traveller will tell you. Now don't get me wrong, he's not generally the rucksack type, he still has a Mulberry weekend bag to balance it out, but I just don't think he's found the right bag - until now!

Next month we will have been together for a whopping 7 years, yikes, so to celebrate I thought I'd get him a smart, sophisticated, work-suitable bag; at last week's launch of the new Dover Street Wolf & Badger store I found it. This chic Baartmans and Siegel satchel is ideal - not too 'loud', not feminine in anyway whatsoever, and a faux-anaconda effect to boot - just right. 

Baartmans and Siegel satchel - £230, Wolf & Badger

There's just one issue - it's £230. This isn't necessarily a problem but what if he hates it? There is quite the possibilty that he just won't want to use the bag, after all it's a big step from a rucksack!! 

So I've hunted around for a cheaper alternative - enter Dr. Martens. Whether you opt for the smaller option (£90) or the larger (£120) it's still a huge chunk less to gamble with, I'm sold.

11" Leather Satchel - £90, Dr Martens

15" Leather Satchel - £125, Dr Martens

All fingers crossed it's a success!

We Heart the 80s!

This weekend I'm heading down south to Bournemouth to spend the weekend in fancy dress celebrating the upcoming wedding of one of my very best friends, that's right, it's a hen do. This will be the first of my close friends tying the knot and, I have to say, it's really quite scary that I seem to be at 'that age' already, eek. Luckily for me, we'll have the 80s theme and, I'm assuming, a far bit of dutch courage to get us through - heading back to the decade we were all born seems pretty fitting, now just to find the outfit. 

I'd love to say we're going for the ultra cool Madonna-from-the-80s vibe, as below...

I was hoping to have a reason to buy this little one - LOVE IT!!

Lace Crop Top - £14, Topshop

But alas no, we're heading straight into neon-fluoro-garish-clashville. As in typical hen-do tradition, we thought it a brilliant idea to look as ridiculoous as possible, which is why instead of ultra-cool Madge, we're opting for this:

That's right - the 80s work out look. Not the most flattering look in the world and, apparently you also need to be able to pose with a smile while hoisting your legs vertically into the air...we'll see!

Luckily, the neon and fluro trend is absolutely everywhere so I'm hoping to find something to act as much as damage-limitation as possible. So far I've found these...any more recommendations greatly appreciated!

Parrot Tank - £20, Topshop

MOTO Neon Denim Biker Jacket - £58, Topshop

Pink Ombre Denim Leggings - £20, River Island

Shorts - £7.99, H&M

and for the brave:

Nylon Tricot Cycle Shorts - £24, American Apparel

At least I already have my trusty Fluoro Cambridge Satchel Company bag - that's one thing off the shopping list.

Happy St. George's Day!

Morris dancing on Newburgh Street...

The comings and goings of S&S

This week has been a hectic one work-wise but I've still found time to get out and about. 

Wednesday night I went along to Dover Street to check out the new Wolf & Badger store. The store itself is stunning, with a moody vibe tastefully complimenting the beautiful fashion and accessories on offer. My weakness for quirky interior bits and bobs was completely thrilled to see these though - I want!!

Thursday night saw the launch of the 3rd issue of USED magazine - you may have seen my post on the mag earlier this week. The party took place in a studio just off Curtain Road and, as usual, had the cool East London vibe, amazing cocktails from The Shop NW10 and music to actually dance to, which everyone did, a lot! Feeling surprisingly sprightly today I'll let pictures do the rest of the talking...

The USED cocktail by The Shop NW10 - gingery deliciousness

He's got the power!

No chance of making to the bar then?!

Bring on the weekend for some relaxation and, finally, more Project Bathroom action!!

Brighten up a rainy day the British way

The weather's rubbish, the winter clothes are back out and it's generally all-round a bit dull - what better way to brighten up the day than with an ultra cute scarf!? Enter Moska.co.uk.

New website Moska celebrates everything British from Homeware, Gifts and Lifestyle accessories including this adorable Boston Terrier Scarf from the graduate collection by Lisa Bliss.

Boston Terrier Scarf - £90, Moska

Moska is a fab new website that hunts down the best emerging British designers and brands, bringing a wide mix of product and styles to one place. The ideal pitstop for any home updates, accessories and gifts and all with the brilliant selling point that they were made right here in the UK, Moska is definitely a new favourite!

USED - Issue #3

The much-anticipated 3rd issue of USED mag has hit shelves and it certainly doesn't disappoint!

With two covers to choose from, including a limited edition Marilyn Monroe, the whole issue is dedicated to celebrating the Unreal; a full shoot with Marilyn herself (well, sort of), Made in Chelsea's Amber Atherton undergoing a fully unrecognisable transition and a whole host of utterly mind-blowing features you really do just have to see for yourself - here's a peek...

Chelsea Girl

The Drowned World

Boo Boo De Doo

The Hyperreality of Petrina Hicks

 See more and check stockist details on the website

Time in words

The watch says it all - literally...

 

Say hello to the World's first written watch from Biegert & Funk - Available from Autumn 2012, approx. 550 Euros. 

 

Ideal gift for the watch-fanatic, otherwise known as my boyfriend!

Breadbox Me

Working in interiors PR I come across a lot of brilliant and inspiring blogs (some of which are in the Blog roll to the right), today however I stumbled across a lovely new blog that I really think is worth a mention all of it's own - Breadbox.

Logically named (it keeps things fresh!) Breadbox is the work of a graphic designer and interiors stylist who clearly has a passion for her work, bringing beautiful, stunning interiors inspiration to one place. An image that immediately caught my attention is below - Pencil Sculptures by Dalton M Ghetti - how? 

Having a nose around further I came across Daniela's (the brain behind the blog) own portfolio which included these delightful Upcycled shoe storage boxes...

... further feeding my need to make something myself - one day!  Further talents include website design, logo design and styling.

Overall this brilliant blog has inspired me to get my hands dirty with a bit of DIY and  allowed me to drool over amazing interiors that I'll now dream about forever - I'm almost certain it'll do the same to anyone that takes a peek; go on, give it a go - http://breadboxme.blogspot.co.uk/

Pasotti Ombrelli - the must-have accessory

It's April and, surprise surprise, it's raining. 

The bank holiday has been somewhat of a washout as far as the weather's concerned and I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of April is wet and grey too, which is why it's the perfect time to invest in a beautiful umbrella. 

Pasotti Ombrelli, an Italian umbrella brand, started out in 1956 and has since mastered the art of creating luxurious, fun, sleek, beautiful and elegant umbrellas in a huge range of designs - with attention paid to the smallest of details.

Whether you're in need of some shelter from the rain...

Want to buy a beautiful gift...

Or you're a man and want something other than the standard black...

and should the sun finally decide to make an appearance shade yourself in style with a stunning parasol...

Today I'll be found donning my EWE Boots (below) and dreaming of the nautical striped Ombrelli (above), ideal to make the most of the rain while avoiding the still-continuing work on the bathroom *sigh*.

 

Pasottiombrelli.com

EWE Boots - £160 from EWE Style

Wallpaper Galore from Wallpaper Republic

It's a bank holiday, the end of Project Bathroom is in sight and the sun is shining - what better way to start the long weekend?!

The tiling for the bathroom has finally begun and all of the DIY shenanigans has got me dreaming of what else I can get my hands on and update. When we moved in around 3 years ago we wanted to get everything done quickly so we turned to paint - it's easy, I could do it on my own and it's relatively cheap; now I'm wanting pattern.

I've come across an amazing website with wallpaper designs for every mood - from cool and calm, fun and pretty to all-out wacky and full of attitude. Wallpaper Republic has wallpaper designs from over 20 artists and, best of all, it's not mass produced 'I've seen that somewhere before' tat.

I'm not sure where to start and which option I want to go for but here are some designs on my shortlist...

Timbuctu - £75 by Jonathan Calugi

Bikes by Luke James

Burter Wall Mural - £205.40 by Marconi

3pm by Ximena Escobar

And one that I'm dying to find the right space for...

Back Yello- £75 by eBoy

There are currently only showroom's in Australia and Japan but fret not, you can buy in the UK from Bouf.com - phew!

To choose from dozens of designs, at a variety of prices to suit all budgets, click here.

Minusey - We want it all!

I've just stumbled upon a brand that I slightly fear may be the death of my overdraft this month - Minusey - a Korean website selling a whole host of beautiful, chic, fun and just generally all-round awesome clothing, shoes, bags and jewellery.

The prices are completely reasonable and, the best part is, shipping is free worldwide on orders over $100...very easily done, you have been warned!

These little lovelies are in my shopping cart already:

Fringe Knit Tunic - $54

Pleated Asymmetric Top - $48

Oversized Leather Panel Coat - $114

Oversized Crochet Sweater - $56

www.minusey.com

Laura Bailey loves a good satchel

Brand Ambassador for Radley, Laura Bailey knows the importance of a satchel - we couldn't agree more...

Red Magazine - May 2012 issue