Monday 28 November 2011

Christmas Gift Guide

Christmas is creeping up on us, and with only 23 shopping days left it can be hard to be creative with your shopping!

We all have that one person that we leave until the last possible second because its just too difficult to think about what to get them; they have everything, need nothing, and are the bane of the Christmas shop. Not any more!

Kick back and relax, mulled wine in hand. Forget that last minute headache, we've sorted it!















Still struggling? Take a look here for a little more inspiration:

Friday 25 November 2011

Product of the Week: Grey Wool Beret with Purple Tartan Bow

It started to get cold recently. It started to get very, very cold. Rather than bemoan the change of seasons (who doesn't love a crisp winter morning?) I think it might be time to invest in some snuggly accessories.

This beautiful beret from Imogen's Imagination will do the trick rather splendidly!

This beauty is warm enough to keep the chill out and chic enough to keep the excitement in, it's rather a winner.

The proverbial cherry on the cake, the adorable bow harks back to the childhood love of all things festive without being saccharine sweet.


Bring on the Big Chill!

Emma
x

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Hidden Gem: Fleet River Bakery

The legal hub of London is not where you'd necessarily expect to find one of the city's most adorable bijou cafés: Fleet River Bakery


Their coffee is the best I've tasted in London - exclusively using beans from the Monmouth Coffee Company - and their baked goods are to die for.  A daily selection of soups, quiches, frittatas, salads and seasonal sandwiches account for lunch, but they cater for many a breakfast requirement too.


Not content with serving the best coffee in the country (a sweeping statement, I know, but I'm willing to put my neck out for this) they also glass up a selection of wines and craft beers with which to wash down your home-made lunch.





71 Lincolns Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3JF

Friday 18 November 2011

Product of the Week: Reindeer and Trees Christmas Cards

There comes a time, round mid-November, when thinking about Christmas cards becomes wise and not just a festive fetish. That time, ladies and gents, has arrived. We all know Christmas is stressful enough without the need for last-minute dashes to Paperchase to get the dud packet of cards that no-one else wanted, so buying now is a wise move.

Another ire on the Christmas Card front is realising you've sent out the same cards to your friends as someone else you know. Having made what you think is an individual choice, you receive a card from 'Sandra' & 'Jimmy' that's the exact copy of the one you sent to 'Jeremy' & 'Sue'. Feeling a disorganised, unindividual citizen is never fun.

Funkestuff of Sheffield have designed some beautiful cards which will solve the above niggles.

The pack of four cards includes cute little reindeer:
and also Christmas Tree designs:

They're adorable, chic and individual. Now you've got that sorted you can kick back and enjoy the good side of Christmas commercialism (Chai Latte anyone?)...or just start thinking about the other things you can start to tick off on the never-ending festive to-do list! 

x

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Hidden Gem: Drink, Shop & Do

Kings Cross Station is not the first place one would look for a quirky Sunday nest to work, eat, brainstorm, shop and drink. Even if it's the second, third, fourth or hundredth place you look, you won't be disappointed if you find Drink, Shop & Do at 9 Caledonian Road, just two minutes from the bustle of Kings Cross and St Pancras.

The coffee looks and smells scrumptious (but they didn't have decaf so I had to go for a hot chocolate) and is served in gorgeous little vintage teacups, similar ones of which can be bought around the store. Every day has a stew, soup, salad and tart to munch on (breakfast is served before noon each day as well) and you can have a number of other simple, but beautifully prepared, dishes to savour as you sip your Vita Coco and absorb the artistic surroundings. 

Housed in an old Victorian bathhouse the café turns into a bar by night, serving cocktails to the locals and visitors who travel to it.  That, alongside the afternoon teas, just about covers the 'Drink', so what about 'Shop'? Everything in the store is for sale; there's a little 'shop' at the entrance stocking mugs, cards and other elegant frivolities, but the lamps and other ornaments around the space are all for sale.

One of the unique aspects of the concept is the 'Do'. A number of workshops can be reserved (perfect for a birthday or hen party) like 'Knit Night' each Tuesday, 'Pin-Up' (Vintage Hair and Makeup), Wine Tasting, 'Cross Stitch Panties' and Cupcake decorating...

Endless hours of relaxation, retail therapy and creativity are to be had here. 


Drink, Shop & Do
9 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX
020 3343 9138
mail@drinkshopdo.com 

Friday 11 November 2011

Product of the Week: Seven Sinful Teas

It's tea time of year now, isn't it? We can't sun ourselves with a smoothie or a mojito in the setting sun any longer; we need to toast our freezing digits around a steaming cuppa.

Sometimes, though, it gets a bit dull just having the same old builders'.  The Seven Sinful Teas Sampler offers a perfect solution. Whether you're feeling  Lustful (ooh er), Wrathful, Gluttonous, Slothful, Greedy, Proud or Envious - whatever your emotional state - there's a blend for you somewhere in The Girl with the Golden Cup's sample sachet.

The delicate blends are sure to perk you up of an afternoon and get you ready to tackle whatever's next on your to-do list. Go on, you know you deserve it...!

Thursday 10 November 2011

Hidden Gem: Best Pubs to Snuggle Up In

The Commercial Tavern, nestled in über-cool Spitalfields just east of the 'City' proves that pubs don't have to be dusty and dotted around with cluttered displays of old equestrian 'bits' and bobs.

In the summer you can sip your tipple on the pavement under an indian-inspired parasol as the glittering lights of All Saints' flagship store flash in the distance. Now we're in winter you can settle down to a well-deserved pint in the main room. If you fancy more of a bar scene then climb the stairs to the specially-designed area. 
It's not quite a cocktail bar and nor is it ye olde tavern, but the Commercial does know what it is: 100% true to itself. For a laid back evening and a fantastic atmosphere, look no further.


142 Commercial St, London, E1 6NU
020 7377 8455

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Support Britain's Independent Sellers


Well, the competition is well underway, and boy, is it hotting up...

The leader board is ever changing but we have some very close contenders. So, I thought I’d just recap on why we’ve launched Britains Best Luxury and Unique Seller 2011, and also on what you could win!



As you know, being who we are...Frooly, we love to champion independent sellers.

Why shop with a huge chain, put our towns out of pocket, wear the same as everyone else, and not bare our identity? First of all it’s really boring. I don’t want to look like everyone else, not because I don’t like them (because I do), but because wearing, eating, doing and going everywhere with everyone else, just isn’t fun. And nobody wants a life of no fun.

Now secondly, I may be out of turn here; I as much as any of us understand that sometimes, on those awkward Sundays when you’re running out of time and the in-laws are coming for lunch, that yes, ok, you have to pop to Tesco’s. I’m not adverse to this, I know it’s not always possible to buy / shop locally. But if we want keep choice, be individual and support our local economy, we really need to try.



An astounding 41% of Britain’s towns are now classed as ‘clone’,  identikit stores line our high streets throughout the country making individual towns indistinguishable. Another 23% are under threat of becoming ‘clone’- Britain's losing what makes it great, it's diverse communities and maybe even its very own identity?

Ok, so rant over. But please, as you fill up your stockings with presents this year, see if you can support a cool, independent seller. Or vote for your favourite and win £500 to spend!


Friday 4 November 2011

Product of the Week: Union Jack Bunting

The sad truth about November is that it's no longer the season for Barbeques and a cheeky glass of wine in the garden. The obvious solution: bring the outside in!

This gorgeous bunting from Vintage Home Sheffield harks back to the 40s and to the balmy summer evenings we saw for so long this year. Just think how lovely it would be to have this in the kitchen as you eat the summery foods you love so much. OK, sometimes we need a Sticky Toffee Pudding to make the dark nights bearable, but there's nothing better than the scent of a Barbeque mid-November...try it!

To be honest, who needs an excuse! Reminders of youth, summer and the decade of true patriotism all in a few pretty flags...

Thursday 3 November 2011

Oh hello new seller :: Naturally Heartfelt


Tell us about yourself?
Hello! I’m Stephanie and I live in Falmouth in beautiful South West Cornwall where there’s a lively interest in all things vintage. I love working with vintage and reclaimed materials because of the history and story within them. If I can bring an echo of that to the jewellery I make then I feel that I’m adding a little bit of heart and soul. Using text in my work adds another element with the sound energy of the words carrying meaning beyond the immediate word.



Your chosen picture inspires you, tell us why?
I have one of these hanging in my room so I can remind myself every day to keep on making and creating as that is my dream, even when life gets in the way and discouragement sets in. The Lotus is also called a 'mudflower'; with roots in the pond soil, yet the beautiful plant floats and blossoms on the surface. It’s great that something so lovely can come from mud, and this inspires me as well when it feels like I’m bogged down in the mire.




What possession do you most cherish?
I cherish my copy of The Secret Garden that I had when I was eight – I loved the story then and love it now. ‘Being alive is the Magic – being strong is the Magic. The Magic is in me …. It’s in every one of us.’ Like most of us, at different times in my life I've had to be strong and I go back to this book to boost my self-belief through the joy and excitement of the re- discovered garden.

Tell us about the product you've chosen in the photograph, why is it your absolute favourite?
This product has to be among my favourites as it was a special commission for my daughter and as well as beads made from poetry it has sea-glass and other timeworn treasures from the shore that she collected herself.  I love making a special piece of jewellery from things found or discovered.



What should we expect to see from you in the coming years?
I always seem to have more ideas than I have time to work on so I hope to keep on bringing out new products. I’m enjoying finding new sources of reclaimed or recycled paper for my new lanterns and want to experiment with different shapes and sizes. I also hope to create more bespoke pieces with special meaning.

Visit Stephanie's beautiful online shop:  http://www.naturallyheartfelt.co.uk/ for a taste of the other treasures that shes lovingly hand made.


Wednesday 2 November 2011

Hidden Gem: Best Underrated Club in London

Soho has seen many guises; it was London's answer to La Pigalle all through the 1950s and is now a super-fashionable shopping and night spot for young Londoners.

Madame JoJo's is a gorgeous sparkler of a club tucked away on Brewer Street amongst the warren of streets of Soho. Everyone's heard of G-A-Y and the other legendary superclubs, but this one's a whole lot more fun...! It has transformed along with the district, having seen time as a Burlesque & Cabaret club in the 1980s, an 'Alternative' Cabaret venue through the 90s into the DJ-centric nightlife of today.

Every night of the week - except Monday - sees a different theme, ranging from White Heat (Independent Bands in an appropriately intimate setting), Tranny Shack (does what it says on the tin...free entry if you dress up accordingly!) and Kitsch Cabaret (every Saturday early evening) right through to Free Your Soul (a chilled Sunday evening of World Music). My personal favourite is Saturday's 'Lost and Found' which is a jiving night of 50s & 60s Jump Blues, Rockabilly and Northern Soul. It's got to be the least pretentious, least sleazy place to be on a Saturday night in London. It's £8 on the door, and well worth the entry.



Tuesday 1 November 2011

Britain's Best Luxury & Unique Seller 2011... The Contenders!


So, the race to find Britain’s Best Luxury and Unique Seller 2011 has been underway for just over a week, and wow, do we have some strong contenders.

We love this competition. It’s great to see so many people passionate about supporting our independent sellers, we've had hundreds of votes in just the first week! Britain’s small businesses really are the point of difference in our towns and cities, and sadly many are under threat. They give us choice and provide us with an identity as individuals.

Please support them; show your love, and vote!

So who’s in the running?
Aha! Now that would be telling. Currently we have four businesses that are almost neck and neck. Now, of course, I can’t divulge who that is, as I wouldn’t want to skew the figures.  But it is very exciting from where we’re sitting!

Win a £500 shopping spree!
This competition is all about promoting those secret finds in that we relish. Get voting and help promote the UK’s best small retailers, plus be in with the chance to get £500 in your pocket just before Christmas!

Recap on how to vote?
Go to www.frooly.com. Find a shop you like and click ‘Become a fan’ on the home page of the shop, like this:


Or on a when viewing a product on the description, like this:


Or ‘like’ the frooly facebook fan page, then comment on our wall and include a link to the frooly shop you are voting for, like this:



Happy voting!


Gemma 
x