Rabbit lamp

Our new pet - rabbit lamp, £34.99 in the sale at England at Home:


I'd been lusting after one of these for a while, having spotted a few different designs on the market, so snapped this up when this went in the sale.

The price points for 'novelty' homewares such as this are so varied, as these two items illustrate nicely:

Moooi rabbit lamp - £320 and Next rabbit lamp - £35

A confused closet

Unless it's pants and socks, I never buy clothes at full price, and I'll even hunt those essentials down on sale a three-for-two deal. Charity shops, car boot sales and second-hand boutiques are my bread and butter, topped with the occasional spreading of high-street sale and designer bargains.

The thrill of picking up wearable vintage or second-hand high street pieces for a few pounds will never leave me, or at least I hope it won't, but as I've started to become more knowledgable about high fashion, the investment potential of designer bargains has seen me break through my £30 one-item-spend ceiling on a more regular basis.

So, my wardrobe is now an odd mix of designer dame and charity shop chic, see exhibits A and B below:

Bottle green velvet beaded collar dress, £12 - Cardiff charity shop (taken up by my lovely friend Sarah) and Alice by Temperley black lace dress, £62 - Cocosa.com

Luella silk black and floral panel top, £45, The Rag Trade Sale and John Lewis floral silk top, £3.99, British Heart Foundation, Western Road

It's great to have a few really special pieces for occasions that warrant them, and to know that these are likely to hold or even increase in value over the years - I may even pass them on to my children if I have any, and they give a four-letter-word about pretty tops and dresses.

What type of pieces is your wardrobe made up of?

Through a child's eyes

Illustration is becoming an ever more desirable art form online as websites struggle to identify themselves as unique. As well as fashion illustration, such as that showcased at Amelia's Magazine and on blogs such as Canned Fashion, I've also come across some fabulous children's illustration that I thought worthy of a quick share session.


In September, H&M launched a range of children's clothing, All for Children, to raise money for UNICEF's initiative to help some of poorest cotton-growing communities in the world. As well as some super-cute ensembles, the collection includes a picture book telling the tale of Moritz the sheep and friends, created by H&M children's print designer Therese Bruckner and her sister Caroline Bruckner, who wrote the story.



On our summer jaunt to Amsterdam, a very affordable Woolworths-style shop called Hema also offered up charming illustrations in the form of products decorated by artist Fiep Westendorf. I'm sure Jip & Janneke, Westendorf's little boy and girl characters, and Pim & Pom, a pair of cats, are much-loved by Dutch children.


And finally, a children's illustrator a little closer to home - I recently visited Catherine Grimaldi's flat to do a shoot for the vintage interiors book I'm creating with Mat from Southern Retro, and not only marvelled at Catherine's impressive Snoopy collection, but her own art work. This piece is from her book 'It's Raining'.

Good night, sleep tight

Girl and Boy pillows by Jennie Desmond through The Poundshop. £10 each.

Reiss coat

It's going to be tough to top this charity shop find this month - a great little boxy Reiss coat, bartered down from £20 to £15 at British Heart Foundation, Western Road.

I love Spiral

If you read this blog regularly, you probably know that already, and to be honest I shouldn't really be talking about it so much, because I want to remain the little-known treasure trove that it is. But I can't help it - it's just too good not to share!


Yes, there's a lot of crap to sift through, but the gems make it worth putting in the time (and I admit I do pop in or at least have a gawp in the window most days on my way home from work).

Recent finds include a Fred Perry cobalt blue jumper dress for a fabulous fiver, this 1970s coffee set for £2.50 and a Midwinter side plate - just 50p!


So, keep it quiet, but listen up...The charity shop is located on Bedford Place, Brighton, just a few streets along from Waitrose if you're heading towards the sea, and sells an ever-changing variety of second-hand furniture, clothes, crockery, books and CDs. Look hard enough and you're bound to find some mid-century gems.