Product of the Week: Retro Vintage Style "Nutcracker" Christmas Stocking

Now that it's actually December, it's acceptable to get over-excited about Christmas. The tiny little gifts you can buy, the hideously sickly coffees you are permitted to drink, and the...giant socks you put the presents in!

Handmade by Court and Sparkle - the pseudonym of Philippa Harding - of Northampton, this gorgeous Christmas stocking is not just for the little 'uns. After all, why keep all the fun for them...? 

Hidden Gem: Bloomsbury Coffee House

This Gem is so hidden, it doesn't even have a website! That doesn't stop it being gorgeous; it's the only spot in London I've found which hand makes its Chai Lattes (i.e. not from an instant powder), and which has the frustrating - but rather endearing - closing time of 5 p.m.

Their homemade cakes are, as you can see, something to get excited about. Moist, fresh and choca full of ingredients, they're well worth the £2 price tag.

Two small rooms are always playing host to students or residents; some working (they're not antiquated enough to not have WiFi), some reading, some talking. The atmosphere is adorable. What's more, it's only 10 minutes from Kings Cross station.

(Rob Grieg, Time Out)

Bloomsbury Coffee House, 20 Tavistock Place WC1H 9RE

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!

Bear Framed Print, £45

Cassette coin purse, £12.99

Mug Cosy  £9.00

Cool Cognac Glasses, £33.50

Vintage Zip Purse £8.75

Vintage Map Journal £12.75

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

 http://www.frooly.com/christmas-gift-guide/

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

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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

020 7691 1457
info@fleetriverbakery.com

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! 

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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