City Spotlight: London

It's very easy to read a guide book or surf the web for inspiration as to what to do in London, and I would wager that a large number of you (my UK readers, at least) have been several times, have friends or family there, or have even lived in the Big Smoke yourselves at one time or another. With that in mind, this is by no means a travel guide to London; it won't tell you anything about St Paul's or Buckingham Palace. This post simply consists of a few magpie recommendations for what to do and where to eat if you fancy a relaxed, fun and food-filled day trip in our fabulous capital.

Can you spy the London Eye..?

Food

Wherever you go in London, there are places to eat on or around every corner. Whilst the reliability of a good chain may be convenient, one the whole I prefer one-offs, for a little culinary magic...

Breakfast: Le Pain Quotidien (various London locations, but I like the one on the South Bank, near Waterloo) - OK, so I've started with a chain, but you won't find one outside of London within the UK. Delicious continental offerings, not only for breakfast, but for my money, their breads and pastries are what they do best. Served with delicious praline spreads and fruit conserves. Personal favourite: the organic hazelnut flute, spread with Brunette.

Lunch: Mildreds (Soho) - I mentioned this little vegetarian restaurant early on in my blogging days, when I had just discovered it. I'm not a vegetarian, but I am a fan of vegetarian food. The atmosphere in Mildreds is great, and the food fresh and delicious. Obviously no good if you have a confirmed carnivore (i.e. most men!) in toe, but great for a healthy, organic lunch or dinner from a restaurant that supports local independent suppliers.

Tea & Cake: Paul (Another chain, but again, exclusive to London within the UK. We usually visit the branch in Covent Garden) - Order the Café Surprise. Order it every time, without hesitation or deliberation.

Don't mind if I do...

Dinner: The Cookbook Café @ The Intercontinental (Hyde Park) - 'Cookbook Cafe offers upscale market table fare that champions British seasonal and sustainable ingredients in an interactive culinary experience...' [Source: restaurant's own website] The food here is just delicious, and the staff are warm and attentive without making a nuisance of themselves. Worth looking out for on toptable, as their set menus and discount offers are often very generous.

Activities

My favourite things to do in any city are shopping (obviously!), visiting museums and going to the theatre (all interspersed with eating, of course - as above!). All three in one day makes for a perfect, if potentially expensive excursion, however, most exhibits within the big museums are free, you can haggle for a bargain at the markets and look out for last minute deals on theatre tickets.

Spot of shopping: Portobello Market (Notting Hill) - For clothes, I invariably head to Regent Street, but for fun, it has to be one of London's many markets. Covent Garden, Spitalfields, Camden, Greenwich, Portobello. To do these wonderful treasure troves justice, you need at least a couple of hours and some cash in your pocket. Just my cup of tea: wandering the streets of Notting Hill, scouring the stalls and windows for I know not what.

An abundance of vintage treasures.

A riot of glorious technicolour.

Culture vulture: The V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum) (South Kensington) - Any of the big four museums (British, Science, Natural History, V&A) is a great place to spend a day in London, and I love them all, but we have most recently visited the V&A. The building itself is astonishingly beautiful, inside and out. Take the weight off your feet after all that walking and soak up the atmosphere in the stunning café, and no museum trip would be complete without the obligatory visit to the gift shop! On our most recent visit, we saw a stunning exhibition of contemporary photography, Light from the Middle East, which you can find details and a video of here, even though it's no longer running. Well worth a look, along with the current David Bowie exhibition.

Troika's clockwork V&A sign.

A few highlights... Chihuly's Rotunda chandelier in the entrance hall; Fashion through the ages; Stained glass.

Catch a show: The National Theatre (South Bank) - I have yet to see an even mildly disappointing production at The National. You can guarantee that, irrespective of your taste in drama, you will always be impressed by the quality of the acting and the production. The auditorium is a great space, and you can often spot a famous face or two amongst the audience. I must acknowledge though, that much as I love drama, I also love the West End for musicals. Having said that, there are musicals and there are musicals... Musical of choice currently running (go and see it ASAP!): Book of Mormon. Avoid at all costs: Spamalot (truly dreadful; a heinous crime against Monty Python in my humble opinion).

Oh, and if you find yourself anywhere around the Leicester Square/Charing Cross/Covent Garden area, look out for this little fella... You know how I love a good rabbit.

"Find me in the window of Alice Through the Looking Glass."

pp x

Magpie Make & Do ~ Tom Binns Inspired Jewel Bright Necklace

Even if you're not aware of it, you know Tom Binns. His statement pieces have bejeweled many an A lister, from Amanda Seyfried to Julia Roberts, and his designs are even favoured by the First Lady herself.

Michelle Obama, Julia Roberts, Rihanna. Source.

"Binns has been designing, manufacturing and distributing jewellery for over twenty-five years. Beginning his revolutionary career in 1981, his creative inspiration was and remains the early twentieth century Dada movement, amongst whose themes were deliberate irrationality, anarchy, and the rejection of standard beauty and social organisation." [Source: Designer's own website, www.tombinnsdesign.com]

Amanda Seyfried, Kate Beckinsale, Britney Spears.

Recently, Binns' jewellery has become increasingly colourful, juxtaposing clashing shades of neon brights and featuring intense metallic splashes across delicate pastels. You can peruse his latest collections here; be sure to admire the Gilded Pleaure collection. I did. In the past two years or so, we have seen these designs filtering down ever more readily and swiftly from the uppermost echelons of designer society and into the high street...

His inspiration is ubiquitous, visible not only in the jewellery counters, but also gracing the rails, where kaleidoscopic rhinestone embellishments abound. However, whilst some of the high street price tags are not to pinch your purse at, the higher end stores (J.Crew, for example) are still charging more than I would spend on a piece of statement jewellery, that I am frankly unlikely to to wear for more than a couple of seasons at most. Having said that, I do love the look, so I decided to take matters into my own hands, quite literally: rather than purchasing a high street imitation, I would create my own interpretation of a Binns necklace, one that was perhaps a little more classic and therefore easier to wear on a day to day basis...

Tom Binns Inspired Jewel Bright Necklace

Budget: Under £10

Time to allow: Approx. 2 hours, although this will depend on the number of rhinestones in your necklace

Difficulty rating: Relatively straightforward, provided you have patience and a steady hand!

Materials required: A rhinestone necklace/s, one with clear or at least pale stones would be preferable in case you are using light/translucent varnishes, though mine was in fact dark purple and coverage wasn't an issue.

1) I bid for and won this necklace on eBay for £9.99. I had thought I would find one for around about the £5 mark, but I was impatient to get cracking so I settled on spending more to secure an item I liked the look of that was ending soon! I have no doubt that you could find things online/in charity shops more cheaply than this.

2) Clean the surface of your necklace. Ordinarily, I would recommend nail varnish remover, but I was concerned that might affect the finish on the stones, so I just used a (barely) damp cloth and left it to air dry for five minutes.

3) Choose your nail varnish colours and decide on any pattern you might like to follow when painting your stones. For the purpose of simplicity, in terms of both method and end product, I stuck to plain straight runs of colour, but with a more intricately designed necklace, I think a geometric pattern would work really well. I chose a combination of bright and pastel shades, but I'm still considering adding some gold accents...

4) Paint each stone carefully. Don't worry about painting over the claws, as the Tom Binns pieces themselves have these covered. I used two coats of varnish on each stone (apart from my mint Essie colour, which I only ended up using one coat of since the coverage was perfect), ensuring each layer was dry before applying the next. I decided against applying a third layer in case the varnish became too thick and obscured the facets of the stones - you still want to see the shape of them. It might be worthwhile having some good music/a film on in the background - this is rather time consuming!

One coat.

Two coats.

5) Finish with a coat of top coat to seal in your colours and prevent chipping.

6) Leave to dry for 24 hours before first use - enjoy!

I will try to post a better picture than this of the end result being worn - sorry, the light was not good and I find self portraits tricky enough at the best of times! I hope it gives you an idea at least...

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. More to come from the little magpie tomorrow and on Sunday, so do drop by!

pp x

Sunday Smörgåsbord

A concise selection this week, as most of my holiday highlights merit a whole post in their own right, so these images are just a taster! Coming soon... City Spotlights: posts on various wonderful British towns and recommendations for things to do/places to eat etc. during your visit, starting with London, Cambridge and Bristol.

From top to bottom, left to right:

1. We've had a lovely time this afternoon and evening, enjoying delicious food (at Branca in Jericho, Oxford) and the wonderful company of our wedding photographers (Ria Mishaal Photography), who have since become great friends. We were so excited to collect our signing board and wedding album from them, which are just so beautiful, we are thrilled! More info on these another time...

2. L'Oréal Color Riche in 'Ingenuous Rose'. Love the shade, love the name! If you are searching for it, some sites (including L'Oréal's own!) have mistyped it as 'ingenious'. My bottle says ingenuous, which makes far more sense when referring to a rose. Dream job: brainstorming nail varnish names for a living.

3. Bringing a little sunshine into our living room with this whimsical new Topsy Yellow Elephant Cushion by Habitat @ Homebase.

4. A sneak preview of my DIY Tom Binns inspired necklace!

5. Notting Hill. We really ought to play the Lottery...

6. Hubby's endearing first attempt at a pancake on the new Andrew James Crêpe Maker my parents bought him for his birthday. In spite of a valiant attempt to contain my giggles, I failed miserably and laughed in his face. We got the hang of it though, and consequently gorged ourselves on delicious pancakes full of strawberries and banana with lashings of Nutella!

Have a delightful week, everyone et faites de beaux rêves.

pp x

Magpie Make & Do ~ DIY Decorative Mason Jars

Hello, sunshine! What a beautiful spring day we've enjoyed today, at long last - the perfect inspiration to share my latest new feature with you all...

I'll be posting a series of tutorials on various things you can make and do at home on a budget; some for as little as £10.

The first of these tutorials is for decorative mason jars. These are so pretty in their simplicity and provide an attractive means of storing trinkets/knickknacks/stationery, a shabby chic alternative to vases for floral arrangements, or simply look great as ornaments in their own right. They are also popular for creating table centrepieces at weddings and other celebrations.

Just follow these simple instructions to create your own...

Distressed, Hand-painted Mason Jars

Budget: under £10 for three jars

Time to allow: approx. 1 hour for three jars (including drying time)

Difficulty rating: supremely easy - no skill required!

Materials required: mason jars, paints, a sponge, a fine emery board (nail file) or very fine grain sandpaper

Before I start, I should say that you could follow this project using any size or shape of glass jar, in fact, I think an assortment of different jars - which, if you're anything like me, you already have stashed away in a cupboard somewhere - would look great painted in this way. It would also make the project even cheaper!

My inspiration for these came from BeachBlues on Etsy. I love all her different colour schemes, and think the contrasting inside/outside jars are a great idea too (maybe next time...). The Kerr jars you'll see she has used are not easy or economical to find here in the UK, so I settled for Kilner jars, the British alternative, which are very similar. I used the 1L jars, which are widely available and can be purchased cheaply from Hobbycraft, Wilkinson's, Amazon and the like. I bought mine from Hobbycraft, where I paid £7.99 for three jars. I loved the first three so much in fact that I decided to buy three more!

The paints I used were all little tester pots, which can be bought very cheaply from any homeware store. Wilkinson's are currently selling three for £1, so I lucked out there... I picked up a free Farrow and Ball colour chart from Homebase, as I am a big fan of their muted shades, and played about with the colours I wanted to use. Once I'd chosen my shades, I set about finding cheaper brands of paint (Farrow & Ball tester pots are £3.99 each - eek!) that matched the F&B colours most closely. I did resort to mixing paint to achieve two of my colours, but this was simple enough to do. I tested all my colours on a spare glass bottle before I started, just to check how long they would take to dry, and also to see the result of the colour on the glass.

                    

Right, on to the instructions:

1. Ensure your jars are clean and dry. Rubbing over them with a clean tea towel should suffice.

2. Use a sponge to apply your first layer of paint. I swept down the jar in straight lines for this layer, to give underlying texture to the final finish of the paint. I left out the top of the jar, so that I could hold it securely, and the bottom, so that I could stand it upright to dry. Repeat for all your jars in each colour you have chosen.

After one coat of paint.

3. Leave to dry for 15 minutes.

4. Paint the second layer, this time dabbing with the sponge to leave a more even finish. This time, I painted the top and bottom, turning the jar upside down to dry. I didn't want two layers of paint on the top of the jar, in case this affected the thread so that the lids would go on, and I didn't think two layers necessary on the bottom.

Second coat (different colour to the previous image).

5. Leave to dry for at least 30 minutes this time. I ended up leaving mine overnight.

6. If you prefer a perfect, solid finish, then at this point you are all done! For the distressed look, use your nail file/sandpaper to slough off small areas of paint. NB Ensure the paint is completely dry before you undertake this, or you may take off rather more than intended.

7. Find a home for your latest objets d'art and enjoy!

(8. If you wanted to, you could paint the lids as well. I've chosen not to do that at this point, but may spray them gold/silver at a later date - I'll update the post if I do.)

If you wanted to seal the paint and have a glossier rather than a matt finish, you could carefully paint them with a thin layer of PVA glue. I prefer the matt finish, so I will leave mine as they are. Obviously this means they are not waterproof, so take care if you intend to use them as vases. The good thing about the paint washing off though, is that if you tire of your colour scheme, you can simply repaint them any time you fancy. The paint washes off easily with soap and water.

Let me know what you think. I hope some of you will have a go at these yourselves - they are so easy to create and the end result is very effective. I think they would make a lovely homemade gift, especially if you filled them with little treats, like flowers and chocolates.

I would really welcome and appreciate any feedback on this new DIY series! Look out in the next few days for: a cheap and easy Tom Binns inspired necklace, beautifully simple floral corsages & buttonholes and a showstopping ombre cake...

ttfn, pp x

Bookworm

I love to read. Sadly, I find very little time or energy to read during term time and rely on the holidays to catch up. This holiday, I finally made time for Khaled Hosseini's masterpieces, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

               

These books certainly merit all the hype that surrounds them. They are beautifully written, and conjure such striking images of the Middle East and its most vulnerable and disenfranchised people during times of war, that they will stay with me forever. They are incredibly emotive, shocking and thought-provoking, so that reading them is utterly compelling. If you are book shy, don't be put off by the content, they are not heavy going in the slightest - I raced through them - and ultimately, these desperately sad stories are uplifting and life-affirming.

My only criticism, and it's a small one since it doesn't detract from the power of the stories or the quality of the writing, is that these two books appear somewhat formulaic in their structure, so that you have a sense of déja vu as the tales unfold. This is, however, understandable considering their common settings and themes, and didn't in any way diminish my enjoyment of them.

I appreciate that these are not new releases, and that I am embarrassingly behind the times having only just read them myself, but I urge you to do the same if you haven't already, especially since Hosseini has recently published his third novel, And the Mountains Echoed.

Happy reading, and please post a comment with any of your recommended reads/thoughts on these books below!

pp x

Lust List ~ April, 2013

*New monthly feature!* Five current loves that I've been admiring...

Anthropologie - Jardim Lace Dress
I've tried this on. It is perfect in every way.

Oliver Bonas - Velvet Love Tub
Fabulous in any colour!

cakedecoratingsupplies.co.uk - Pink Milk Glass Cake Stand
I did in fact buy a pink cake stand this week, just not this beautiful expensive one.

Dune - Totton Over The Knee Riding Boot
I know it's hardly the season to be buying boots,
but my brown knee highs are on their last legs...

redbubble.com - "rabbit" by Alice Prior
Love pink. Love bunnies. Love this print.

Speaking of bunnies... Do check out my Bunny Love treasury over on Etsy for an overload of rabbity loveliness. I hope you are all enjoying suitably lovely weekends!

pp x

Magpie Must Haves: Carry On Packing

Holiday essentials when travelling light

The idea of going away for a week with only one piece of carry on luggage strikes fear into the hearts of many women. It is a breeze for some, whilst proving to be a logistical nightmare for others: What if it's cold in the evening? Which of these four new dresses should I take?! I cannot possibly choose between my three pairs of Havaianas - I'll have to take them all!

Here are my tips for travelling light. Follow these five simple steps and you will breeze past baggage reclaim, safe in the knowledge that you've saved yourself precious holiday time and stress, and still have the perfect capsule collection of clothing to cover every eventuality...

1 Order, order! 

When packing light, it's essential you have a vague idea of how you might create ensembles from the collection of clothes you'll be taking before you start cramming them into your case. Lay them out so that you can see what exactly you have to play with.

2 Colour me coordinated. 

Try to work around a vague colour scheme. I find navy and white work perfectly as foundation colours for a holiday wardrobe because they look great with a tan and look so beautiful against bold colours. Having coordinated basics will allow you to embellish with holiday brights (e.g. coral, yellow, hot pink) with ease. Good alternative staple colours are black (obviously!) and beige.

3 Love light layers.

Even in reliably hot countries, you may find yourself chilly of an evening having spent all day in the sun, or you may need to cover up in order to be culturally respectful in some destinations. Even if you hope very much not to need them, in my book it's always better safe than sorry.

4 Accessorize!

Take advantage of smaller items such as pashminas, belts and hair accessories that will inject outfits with colour and style. These are light to pack and easy to mix and match.

5 Under where?

This may sound like a no-brainer, but a) don't forget to pack some and b) consider your underwear carefully, don't just ram indiscriminate handfuls down the sides of your case at the last minute. Do you need to take a strapless bra, for example? NB Nobody wants to see your wash day grey granny pants through your white linen trousers!

Packing for six days in Portugal 

We knew the weather would be unpredictable, so I took more jumpers than would ordinarily be necessary, otherwise, I think this was just right! Everything listed and photographed below, along with my underwear, make up and toiletries, fit into my carry on case (dimensions: 56 x 40 x 25 cm) - universally accepted as cabin luggage.

Bottoms 1 pair jeans (wore travelling) 1 pair navy leggings 1 pair long beige shorts 1 pair navy/white striped shorts	Tops 3 vest tops - 2 white, 1 coral 2 pretty tops for evening wear – 1 navy sequinned vest, 1 button-backed embroidered blouse (not pictured*)
Jumpers 3 light jumpers for layering (wore one travelling) - navy, mint, red	Cover-ups 3 cardigans/shrugs - white, ivory, coral 1 light denim jacket
Dresses 2 day dresses – 1 sleeveless multicoloured, 1 Breton tunic (not pictured*) 1 special occasion dress - multicoloured in shades of red, fawn, nude and ivory	Accessories 2 pashminas/lightweight scarves - 1 pink/purple, 1 bright blue 2 belts - 1 brown leather, 1 patent canary yellow 1 canvas bag for beach - navy detail 1 small handbag - navy leather
Shoes 1 pair nude pumps (wore travelling) 3 pairs of flip flops - brown leather, gold plaited seagrass, coral Havaianas 1 pair of heels, if required (I didn’t pack any this time)	Swimwear 1 red floral bikini 1 navy/white striped swimming costume

* not pictured, as they were taking a last minute tumble in the dryer!

  

I hope this post may prove useful to some readers, and wish you all safe travels and happy holidays!

pp x

Easter Monday Montage

Hoping you've all had a wonderful long weekend and a very Happy Easter!

1 Too right! I just love the Wild & Wolf Mr Men and Little Miss mugs. We also have Mr Happy and Little Miss Sunshine, but I think this one best reflects my persona...

2 Rimmel Lasting Finish in 'Hot Shot'

3 Just before curtain up at Book of Mormon - such an incredible show! NB Not at all suitable for anyone easily offended by foul language or sensitive to politically incorrect material.

4 Southbank, ever-twinkling through the haze.

5 Beautiful view through a beautiful window, in the home of a beautiful friend. One of those perfect long afternoons spent drinking tea and putting the world to rights.

6 Super tasty and virtuously healthy salad for dinner - spinach, rocket, watercress, chicory, tomato, avocado, beetroot, basil, mozzarella and walnuts.

7 Work attire of the week - can you tell I'm going through a pink/purple phase..?

8 Approaching the Algarve...

9 Beautiful. Shame about the clouds!

10 Fernando's - serves the best steak and red wine in the Algarve!

11 Beautiful Art Deco glassware.

12 Beer. Book. Bliss.

13 & 14 TK Maxx score - Jane Shilton handbag at a bargain price!

15 My two and a half year old niece's Easter haul!

pp x