Blog & Buy Sale

Now it is summer and the Sun has finally got his hat on (hip, hip, hip hooray!) what better way to spend those "It's too HOT!" moments in the middle of the night than perusing the Summer wishlist on Blog & Buy?

With a plethora of unusual, quirky and design led goodies Blog & Buy is a curated list of some of the best stuff that money can buy. (Yes of course Mountain & Molehill is on it.) My favourites are:

Hokolo
In the interests of fairness I should say that Jen and I were opposite each other during Made In Clerkenwell so I had plenty of time to peruse her wares. Despite my determination to not buy anything I did give in and buy her Orb rattle.

I don't wear much jewellry as I am gob-smackingly picky about it. However I am really rather taken by Claire Gent's handsome fox:

Finally, Scout & Co's very cute Circus Puppet Set is hard to beat given that it is made of wood, hand painted and could not be more fun if it tried.

A few of my favorite things...and meeting new people.

I have spent the last week at the trade show Spring Fair in the company of a number of very lovely and talented designers. Towards the end of the show we all went on a bit of a shopping spree. I have to remind myself at these times that I do not have an unlimited budget but a few purchases may have been made.....

Tobyboo is a company I have known for a while. I first saw the Oranges and Lemons cushion in the Museum of London and thought it was fabulous! Then I met the designer Tina who is equally fabulous. But I still resisted. This time though I gave in. I've been looking for a new cushion anyway so why not? I ummed and aahed over the original design and the newer latte version before deciding that the original one was cheerier and so what if it clashes a bit with the other cushions. It can sit on it's own on the comfy chair.

I spotted these Dutch house cabinets from The Original Metal Box Company 18 months ago and nearly succumbed then. They are just too lovely and handy as well. The trouble is that I don't want one. I want all three....possibly more...in an splendid streets worth. A few pennies to save.

I should say that they may not a cheap purchase but they are worth every penny. Beautifully made and designed in Britain.

Finally my next door neighbour at the show, fabric designer Jorja Wilkinson. Standing next to a designers beautiful work for five days it is inevitable that something becomes a must have. Being a clever woman she also hand-makes a range of lampshades and cushions with her fabric so you can buy some of the look without having to get your sewing machine out.

I spent so long trying to decide which pattern I liked most and where would I put it I was in danger of buying her whole stand and redoing the whole house to work with it all. In the end sense prevailed and I plumped for ordering some of her fabric for a purpose I will reveal another day......

....oh and I should say that she is a jolly nice person to stand next to for five days as well. Somebody with a 1930's Cricket pavilion for an office/workshop can hardly fail to be fun to chat with! (Tiny bit envious there....)