Seeing The Light

I always find it staggeringly clever when an artist captures light. Here is a prime example of that sort of talent. From Blackeri

I've Been Cocooned by O2

O2 asked if I would review their new Cocoon Music Phone before its release in August. This is in competition with the iPhone and I of course said yes. Being a big Apple fan I thought I may be a bit dissapointed - BUT NO! This is a seriously well thought out, sexy and functional piece of kit. Living in an area where people standing on dry stone walls, holding their phone in the air to get a signal, is a common sight tells you how difficult it is for me to get a signal. This does not matter as I have found lots of other things to do with this phone other than make calls.


When someone calls their name comes up in lights on the cover as does the low battery warning and a myriad of other little messages.


When charging it sits in a nest and is an alarm clock


It even has a dual port for headphones - I can just iamgine Harvey and I out for a walk with a shared MP3 player (as if).


It has a 2 mega pixel camera that is even better than my digital camera. The post I did yesterday on my visit to the walled garden was photographed using the O2 Cocoon.


It links to my computer via a USB or Bluetooth with PC Suite with which I can manage all files and work on images.


It has the cleverest foreign adaptor which just slides into a slot.


You can play background music whilst taking calls and turn the volume up or down via a wheel on the hinge.


You can change the wallpaper every hour (if you want to).


It all came in a white embossed package that looked like a box of luxury chocolates.


I will never use some of the functions but the one's I will use have already become invaluable. I have not given this a great review because I got it Free I was asked to be honest and I have been.


It is all in all a magical little accessory which after only one week I would hate to be without.



Taken with the O2 Cocoon.

Totally Novel as Always - 5.5 Designers

5.5 Designers - my favourite French designers have gone and done it again. They always come up with the most novel but saleable products. I love those cups with the handles in different positions and the DIY CD Holder is just amazing. Imagine this in a music room. There is some seriously gorgeous CD graphics out there so why not show them off. You design the layout yourself - I love it.

Design Milk's New Shop - Vitamin D(esign)

Jamie from Design Milk sent me an email yesterday leading me to her new online shop Vitamin D(esign) and I love it. She has put together an eclectic mix of products from all over the world and these are just 3 of my favourites.
Good luck Jamie.

Alannah Hill Fashion from Down Under

Beautiful fashion and beautiful photography from Alannah Hill in Australia.
I am so impressed by some of the things that are coming out of Australia and I do believe the internet has helped give them the recognition they so rightly deserve.
Via the lovely Paris Apartment

Lampe Berger from Chantal Thomass

A Lampe Berger is something that makes your room smell nice. I think this is a nice way to do it. Chantal Thomass that Parisian lady with the most wonderful website has created these gorgeous containers.

Zara Home Catalogue

At the beginning of the Spring/Summer season all the design blogs were showing Zara Home's images. I didn't show them at the time but I have decided to post them simply because they are totally stunning. Can't wait for the Autumn/Winter catalogue.

A Very English Afternoon at Chesters Walled Garden

The sun shone today for the 3rd day in a row and we set off for our local walled garden in the grounds of Chesters a fabulous stately home. We buy all our herbs there as they are THE best in Northumberland which is why the rabbits keep eating them.
Come on a tour with me and I'll show you a very English Garden (oh yes grapes in abundance in the greenhouse)

A very eccentric English thing to do is to put a door that leads nowhere into a hedge.

A secret house tucked in amongst the trees in the grounds. No one lives there but it looks beautiful in it's neglected state.

The shop in Chesters Walled Garden sells flowers that have fallen over for next to nothing. These fabulous Amaryllis were £1. Look at the fire extinguisher placed there by a health and safety person (YUK) it has to be so visible you could fall over it.

Fabulous vintage garden implements and accessories abound in the shop.

Beautiful handmade wax candles in a myriad of colours hung over even more vintage pieces. The garden itself is full of old chimney pots, milk buckets, pots and furniture all for sale.

Outlined Art from Calirezo

Calirezo's art is just mind blowing. Notice how the artist highlights with outlines and makes the subject leap out from the canvas. I absolutley Llove it!

Onion Rouge Dinnerware

If you on holiday in France, Spain or Italy and go to any restaurant or cafe you are almost always presented your meal on the most wonderful dinnerware. Rustic, classic, modern or whatever it's so often fabulous. Well here's a UK site that sells all that sort of stuff. Go and take a look at their vast range at Onion Rouge

Sunday Fashion in Saint Tropez

I love these casual and easy to wear clothes for women and girls from Sunday in Saint Tropez, France. Even though their photographer seems to have a thing about pinning females to walls.

Knitting That's Good Enough To Eat

I saw this on Andrea Tung's blog the other day. It was taken at the Pitti Filati Yarn Show in Florence. Wonderful stuff!

A Chair To Die For

Christopher Wray - famous for its wonderful lighting is now selling furniture. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this chair.

Shooting Clay Pigeons or Rather Missing

The press even turned out to photograph the event. I'm sure he thought we would shoot each other and would land a scoop.
This is the landlady of our local pub taking her first ever shot. She's so tiny I was afraid she would be blown away.

Cheryl - one of the lucky winners. I hit 13 out of 40 clays which was pretty dismal and all I got to show for it was a bloody great bruise on my right arm.
Note we celebrated with the biggest glasses of Pimms I've ever seen.

The Clubhouse right in the middle of the forest. The sun shone on us though and we ate and drank ourselves silly.

The terrace was even warm enough for us to sit on. After months of rain someone, somewhere decided to give us a break.

The all important breakfast. Big steaming cups of coffee or tea, giant buns full of gorgeous fillings and the best chocolate crispies in the world. I think these are put there to make you stay and not bottle out (English for being a coward).

And So To Bed - I'm Shooting Tomorrow

Yes I am going shooting in the morning (before the animal rights people start leaving comments it's only clay pigeons) so I am going to have an early night. It will be a long day but great fun. It's Ladies Day so we get to show the men just how good we are. We all jump a lot when the guns go off too loud (it's a woman thing) and we walk on our tip toes whenever we get near some cow muck but we have a great time. The best part of the day is when we all go into the big clubhouse and eat and drink until we fall over.
If I were going to bed in one of these I may have a problem getting up in the morning. From the UK's best bed shop - And So To Bed. Gorgeous aren't they?
I will report back on Monday with pictures and stories from the Shoot. I wear a Barbour Coat and Barbour Wellies by the way!

Polly George Does Birds

I used to sell Polly George products when I owned wheredidyoubuythat.com and I love the stuff. I would like to think that if I could make pottery that I would do designs as good as this. I can't throw a ball let alone a pot.
I visited Polly's site yesterday and saw these lovely new items she has added to her already vast range. Look little birds perched all over the place. Delightful.

Wonderful Wood - Blue Canoe

Even though I live in the middle of The National Park and am surrounded by forests I still LOVE wood. I found Blue Canoe the other day and their work just blew me away.
This is seriously great carpentry. Just look at the size of those dovetail joints on the corner of the bath surround.