A Bucking Good Hen Do

   

Last Saturday was my best London-friend Katie's hen party, at her parent's house just outside Oxford.  

On the Friday afternoon it was all hands on deck to get everything ready. Luckily, Katie's sister Polly happens to be an illustrator and freelance designer, probably the best possible kind of hen party organiser you could wish for! Everything down to the most minute of detail had been considered, so it was just a case of putting all the pieces together. 

Along with a few friends, we gathered 3 huge tables to construct and dress a 26 seater table, wrapped a 26 layer pass the parcel, dressed the photobooth area, chopped crudites, and hung decorations amongst lots of other extra details. Phew! 

Everyone arrived the following afternoon and we had the most brilliant day drinking processo, eating all the cakes everyone had brought as part of the 'bake off' and customising eyelashes with feathers, glitter and lace with beauty brand In Your Dreams. 

The wedding itself is three short weeks away and we are so excited for Katie and Joe, soon to be The Buckinghams!  

Here's to a #buckinggoodwedding!

Currently Coveting - Garance Doré x Rifle Paper Co

Garance Doré is one of those impossibly chic women whose witty and conversational blog posts make you feel like you're reading an email from a close friend. She's also an incredible illustrator to boot, and the queen of cool collaborations.

This week she released the film she made for Whistles for their US launch which had me spending more than a reasonable amount of time browsing around on her blog, where she had also posted that her beautiful stationery and accessories range is now available in stores, not just online. 

Selfridges and Paperchase are due to stock the range, and I can't wait to get my hands on all of it. 

Brighton Open Houses

Every May during Brighton festival, artists will open their houses to the public each weekend to show and sell their work. 

The Brighton Open Houses are always something I greatly look forward to as it not only means spring is here, but also that I can happily spend my weekends having a good old nose around some of the most stunning houses in the city, admiring the artwork and enjoying a slice of homemade cake. 

Over the past 10 years that I've been going to the open houses the standard of works on offer has gone from strength to strength, and as well as being incredibly varied and of a very high calibre, you're always guaranteed to get a lot of bang for your buck.

This year there are 200 houses showcasing the work of over 1000 artists and makers, so the hardest part is choosing which ones to visit. Last weekend I headed to the houses grouped Beyond the Level along with some stops off within the Fiveways area, dropping into some favourite houses along with some new additions to the trail.

My must-visits are listed below, and if you're heading down to Brighton in the next few weeks I'd highly recommend stopping by a house or two, where you'll be met with a warm welcome and if you're lucky, a sunny back garden to sip a cuppa in. All the houses listed below are open on the following two weekends from 11am - 5pm.

'31' - 31 Preston park avenue, BN1 6HG
'Teresa Winchester and Friends' - 45 Preston Drove BN1 6LA
'2 Knoyle' - 2 Knoyle Road BN1 6RB 
'Aymer Arts' 1 Aymer Road BN3 4GB

www.aoh.org.uk

Head Over Heels - Sophia Webster for J Crew

Last Wednesday night I battled the tube strike to make it down to the beautiful Brompton Cross branch of J Crew for the launch of the US brands' collaboration with British shoe designer Sophia Webster, and oh my, was it worth the journey!

Not only did I have a total fan girl moment on seeing one of the two guests of honour, the one and only Jenna Lyons (Sophia herself of course being the other) but the shoes were totally swoon-worthy too.

I've been a huge fan of J Crew for years and their collaborations are always so true to their brand aesthetic. In-keeping with the colour palette and styling of their SS14 collection, this capsule range is a real party for your tootsies, and it's hard to believe that Sophia launched her first line only two years ago.

My favourites have to be the 'Finn' pumps, rainbow checked heels finished off with three gold-trimmed bows.

Sophia Webster for J Crew 'Finn' Pumps - £460

Main image from here.

Exploring Amsterdam - Jordaan and Haarlemmerbuurt

Firstly, let me talk about the boat. 

The Tasmania was our home for five days, and it was so much more than just a place to rest our weary heads at the end of a long day. I found it by chance while trawling Airbnb and what a find it was. 

Much to our delight, on arrival, we found that our lovely host Sonja had left out not only an array of drinks and snacks for us (hello champers and dutch caramel waffles!) but also a map of the area, a guide to where to catch the nearest buses and trams, and a selection of well-thumbed guide books, ensuring we got the most out of our visit. 

It was a magical experience waking up each day to the reflection of the sun on the water rippling across the ceiling, along with the sound of the odd duck or two quacking good morning to us!

If you've ever fancied yourself as a bit of a sailor, I highly recommend it. Find it here.

So, onto the local area. Even though the boat wasn't quite in the Haarlemmerbuurt / Jordaan area officially, it was no more than a ten minute walk away, and so this was where we spent a lot of time. 

If you're like me, and your better half appreciates the finer things in life, head straight down Haarlemmerdijk, home to the best selection of independent 'man shops' I have ever seen. Notable stops along the way include Six & Sons and Concrete Matter, both purveyors of beautiful things such as copper bicycles, Opinel knives, Kaweko pens and a smattering of artfully chosen vintage thrown in for good measure. 

Further down the road is Dille & Kamille, which has branches across Belgium and the Netherlands, and offers an incredible selection of cookware, all loosely displayed according to colour, a detail I will never fail to appreciate! I couldn't leave without buying a beautiful glazed terracotta fondue set, something I never knew I needed until we had the best fondue I've ever eaten at Cafe de Prins the night before.

The thing about the food in Amsterdam is that it is just so deliciously simple, and apparently, cheese is one of the main food groups. Which is always a winner in my book. More about the culinary delights of the city in my next post. 

Jordaan and Haarlemmerbuurt address book

Shopping

Six & Sons - Haarlemmerdijk 31

Concrete Matter - Haarlemmerdijk 127

HutSpot - Rozengracht 204 - 210 

Dille & Kamille  - Nieuwendijk 16-18

Typique - Haarlemmerdijk 123

Eating

Cafe de Prins  - Prinsengracht 124

Cafe P96 - Prinsengracht 96

Drinking

Cafe 't Smalle - Egelantiersgracht 12

De Twee Zwaantjes - Prinsengracht 114