Christmas greetings!

This is a little token of my appreciation to you guys for not forgetting all about this old blogger who hasn't updated in 3 months! Thanks so much for your support and encouraging tweets. I wish you all the best this Christmas, may your day be filled with love and laughter!

A billion kisses,
xoxo

Filming of Pirates of the Caribbean at my university!

Oh my dears I've missed you so, so much. I would have completely understood if you had deserted me during this re-adjustment days of my life, but instead you've stuck by me, and not a day goes by without me receiving messages of love and encouragement, so I send a million kisses to each and everyone of you. I promised you London adventures and delivered nothing, zero, not even fish n' chips (which I'm craving right now by the way).
So no more of this I say, I bring you some gossip, and boy is it juicy. Yep they are currently filming Pirates of the Caribbean 4 at my university. That's right people!
Johnny Depp, Kiera Knightly, the whole "shi-bang", at my uni. Wanna know something else? I have some backstage pictures and videos too. Not of the main stars, but their body doubles, the horse carriages, the beautiful sets....need I say more. Here's the thing, I feel kinda bad just releasing these material, I've been advised to sell it to the papers, but my conscience just won't allow it (stupid right?). I'm not a paparazzi, and people have worked real hard on this for me to just swoon in and prematurely expose it all. Am I overreacting guys?

I would love to get your opinion on it. Should I release the materials or not?

You decide....

Off to bed now, had v. long lectures day.
xoxo

Picture via Google image

Honizukle Monday

Happy Honizukle Monday my darlings! Thanks so much for all of your words of kindness and encouragement in my last post. I hope you had a wonderful weekend, I managed to catch up on some much needed sleep so that was really cool.

Today being a Monday, and a grey one too, I wanted to start the week with something beautiful, colourful and very uplifting! About a couple weeks a ago Kimberly Costa of Honizukle Press, left a lovely comment on one of my posts, and being the ever so nosey girl that I am, I couldn't help but to click on her link. Well, lets just say I discovered a little treasure chest. She has the most whimsical sense of humour you can ever imagine, which are all evident in her illustrations.

After looking through her website, blog and Etsy shop, I knew I had to share some of this good stuff. So I made a comment on one of her posts, asking if I could feature her work over here, and she said yes! So the next thing I knew, we where exchanging emails like we were ol friends (ahh the beauty of blogging), and she happily answered the questions I asked her (told you I was nosey).

ME: I love the name Honizukle, how did you come up with it?

KC: Honizukle was a name a friend of mine started calling me in highschool. It was actually Honeysuckle, like the flower, but back then, as I do now, I always had to change it to make it my own. It became such a big part of my identity that it seemed natural to call my stationery Honizukle Press. I identify a lot with the name as it is a very delicate yet modest flower not lacking in beauty, which is what I'd like all my creations to be.

 ME: What inspires you?

 KC: Lately, I'm inspired by everything. From fashion to photography to nature, there isn't anything that I see that won't spark some sort of idea. I'm also now inspired by my son, who amazes me every day and my husband, who challenges me all the time and whose artwork blows my mind. I also find a lot of inspiration in seeing other people's work and specifically their process. The internet has made it possible to see what everyone is doing and it's so exciting to see people creating all over the world. My only problem is I want to do it all. Creating is just something that's so hard wired inside of me that I get excited about a lot of different mediums. I think that's why a lot of different things inspire me to work.

 

ME: What are you currently working on?

KC: I'm currently working on a very special project with my husband. It's something very different from what I normally do but I'm very excited about it. My husband loves to draw and I happen to love his drawings, so it makes for a great collaboration. I don't want to say too much about it as I want it to be a surprise but I will say is that it's going to be a project in which I step out of my comfort zone a little in terms of content and it will hopefully be available before December as it is going to be a calendar.

I've got other things in the works. One design set in particular is inspired by my husband's fashion, he's very dapper, and another by my son and my relationship with him. This last one will be an illustrated project in which I'm trying to put on paper what I'm experiencing as a first time mother. It's been amazing and I just have to share it somehow.

Aww such sweet words, I can't wait till it comes out. Apart from her obvious talent, she really, really, is a nice person. Even sent me a pic of her new baby boy, unfortunately the link was broken and couldn't open (still waiting for another one darling).

As a final touch, she shares her workspace with us. I love looking at where creative people work. The desk and the typewriter are simply fabulous.

I've only featured a tiny bit of her work here, I urge you to check out her website, from greeting cards to wedding invitations, she does it all.

All images are courtesy of Honizukle Press.

Two year ban on blogging!

Those of you following this blog for some time now would have known that today was rather a special day for me. It was my return to the "education system" (so to speak), first day of my masters program. Since graduating from undergrad school, I've always felt that I wanted to further my studies, but wasn't quite sure I wanted do it in architecture. I worked for two years in two London practices, one large and the other very small, it was important for me to experience what it felt like to be a practicing architect. Lets just say it had it's highs and lows, I wasn't a big fan of a certain council's planning policy. So when the opportunity came to spend a year in Italy, working in fashion, I said HELL YES!

Boy or boy was that the most ADVENTUROUS year of my life! Like in every good story there is always a "but", and this was a big ol "but"! I had a good time living in Venice, working in fashion, and partying like a Sex and the City gal, "but" I missed architecture like crazy. Who could blame me? Surrounded by the most exquisite examples of art, architecture and great beauty, it was hard not to be inspired. So eventually the good times had to come to a bittersweet end. My mind was made up, I was coming home to London, to finish what I started years ago.

Today finally arrived after weeks of excitement turned anticipation, and it was time to make that decision, the one that will ultimately (ok slight exaggeration here) determine the path of my working life. It was time to choose which architecture discipline I wanted to develop further. "But" (and here's that word again) not before the head of department gives his traditional speech. Which went something like this.

"Over the next two years, you must all say good bye to everything, no social life, no reading of materials unrelated to the course, no going to the pub, no sleep, and no sex. This course will kill you".

What about blogging? My little heart gets to racing. I can't possibly give this up, I love it too much. What about the friends I've made, and my ever so loyal readers, who continue to grow in rapid rates. I love you darlings!

So here's the plan beautiful people, posting might be a bit irregular over the next couple of weeks whilst I adjust to my new life, but THERE WILL BE BLOGGING! Please bare with me my lovelies, there will initially be a few teething problems, but all will be straightened out as soon as possible. The ride might get a little bumpy in the beginning, but have some patience, because there will be plenty of good stuff to come out of it. I will be taking you guys with me on this journey, through the good, bad, funny and embarrassing moments. As the Italian adventures ends, so must the London one begin.

Night, night and
a million kisses
                     xoxo


Image by me

Glamourous canopy bed

Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the Enignum bed, the worlds most glamourous canopy bed.

This beautiful example of exquisite craftsmanship, is the brainchild of Irish designer Joseph Walsh. Designed to give the user sensations of being sheltered by natural elements whilst asleep indoors.

Totally breathtaking isn't it?

Anyone else feeling it as much as I am? Come on people, it even has silk curtains, SILK!


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Autumn hair accessories

New seasons always gives new reasons for wardrobe updating, or in this case accessories. I'm never the type to go out and buy tons and tons of stuff, instead I prefer to pick a few key items, which compliments what I already have. This autumn, I'm loving these knitted bow headbands by Emma. They are so gorgeous and feminine, and comes in a variety of colours to spice up any outfit. Just the perfect thing to wear before it's time for the woolly hats.

The London Design Festival

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Happy Monday my lovelies, it's actually quite sunny and bright outside, so a beautiful start for the week ahead. I'm also happy to report that the city of London is alive with chaos right now, as Saturday saw the beginning of The London Design Festival. I'm super excited about all the exhibitions and installation, and as usual it's hard to decided where to start, what to see and (importantly) which parties to attend. So to give me the low down of what's what, I caught up with one of the LDF team, Ailie Marks.

What can visitors expect to see this year?

 

We expect this Festival to be the biggest and best yet! There are over 200 events and exhibitions that make up the Festival covering 25 design disciplines - every one has something slightly different to offer.

You have a pretty good overview of what's on offer. Have you got any favourites?

One exhibition that I really do think people should check out is Kate Maestri's showcase for CAA. She produces really beautiful glass pieces inspired by brutalist architecture, and they're really very striking.

What criteria do you use to choose which exhibition makes it into the festival and which doesn't?

As an event, the Festival is very inclusive. We love people to be involved, and all that we ask is that exhibitions are of a high quality.

Are there any surprises in store for us this year? Anything weird, or unusual?

Loads! We thrive on the unexpected! Have a look at the Anti-Design Festival for example, who aim to turn the London Design Festival on its head...

It all kicks off this Saturday, will there be a swanky opening party?

The nine days of the Festival are full of parties all across London. We held our opening launch last night on the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre. It was a great occasion and lovely to have everyone together to toast the success of the Festival ahead. 

Weekend greetings

Hello darlings!

 As the summer draws to an official close, so will the British strawberry season. 

Eat up folks before it's all gone :)

Have a wonderful weekend.

Kisses

Image by me

Photographs by Simon Upton

I thought I might wrap this week up nicely by sharing the works of one of my favourite photographers, Simon Upton. Some of you might recogise the name, as his images often appear in publications such as Vogue, The world of Interiors, Harpers Bazaar and the like.
I love his style of compositions, and I enjoy spending time absorbing all the little details contained in each photograph. 

I hope you enjoy looking at his work as much as I do.

Well, what do you think? I encourage you to go to his website, there are more where those came from.

Cupcake week

I wonder what goes through your mind when you hear the words cosmopolitan, or sweet and wicked mojito. I'm guessing it wouldn't be cupcakes, right? Well think again.
In celebration of the National cupcake week, bakers all over England are turning up the heat in the kitchen to bring us some pretty usual and intense flavours.

As a cupcake lover (of the blueberry kind) myself, I say bring it on. The more richer and decadent, the better. If I can make my way round the multitude flavours of Italian ice cream, then I can pretty much do the same for cupcakes of Britain.

Shame? Don't know the meaning of the word.

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