Blinded by the lights, dizzy new heights

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Carrie Graham-Clarke

I’ve previously waxed lyrical about my obsession for bare light bulbs, a trend that’s really taken off. I’ve recently realized there are two fantastic bulb I’ve yet to talk about, that deserve their moment in the spotlight! First up is the Crystal Bulb by Lee Broom, which transforms the industrial bulb in to a delicate ornamental fitting. A modern piece, yet it quickly has my mind glancing back to my granddads crystal cut whisky tumblers, adding a sort of aged effect – maybe it’s the brass fitting! The Crystal Bulb retails for a pretty penny at £109 for just the bulb, and with pendant fittings it’s £189! Moving on..

The second bulb I wanted to share is the Diamond Light by Eric Therner, a sculptural bulb with a geometric edge. I must say I way prefer this bulb over the Crystal Bulb; it’s sleek, sharp and modern. After all diamonds are a girls best friend and why shouldn’t your light fittings sparkle too! These little gems retail for €40 each, which is currently a little over £32 – a little easier on the purse strings than the Crystal Bulb..

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Gardening & Wine Crate Veggie Boxes

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Carrie Graham-Clarke

Yesterday my Dad, with dog Ted in tow, drove up to my flat to help with a bit of gardening and DIY issues. There were hedges that needed the Edward Scissorhand’s topiary treatment, dead plants begging to be removed and flower beds that well, just screamed out help! We also chatted about future plans and ideas for the garden – including what to do with the one dilapidated shed which is named the ‘crack fox den’! It is a genuinely horrible place to go into and I avoid it at all costs due to spiders – it looks like a little shanty town hovel [pictured below].

With various hedge trimmers and tools, my Dad had also brought along a few plants and flowers from my Mom. She had sent me a few little pots with colourful flowers – god knows what varieties they are, all I know is that they look pretty. The best bit however had to be the wine crate veggie box which is perfect for me as I don’t have a greenhouse, veggie patch or much vegetable growing experience! To make all you need is a simple wine crate, with holes drilled in the bottom, a few broken bits of terracotta pots in the bottom to aid with drainage, topped with soil and finally your vegetables of choice. I’m a huge vegetable fan and love salad, so my Mom planted onions, beats and two types of lettuce. YUM!

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Banksy vs Jubilee

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Carrie Graham-Clarke

I’m really loving the new Banksy piece that cropped up in North London in the early hours of Monday 14th morning. The new street art is positioned on the side of a Poundland store on the corner of Whymark Avenue in Turnpike Lane.. a true jibe towards the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee! I especially love how the piece is made 3D and lifted with the use of the fabric bunting. The piece hasn’t yet been confirmed as a Banksy but all the signs suggest it’s genuine, from the style of the stencil, to the location of the art and the message intended.

Images sourced from HookedBlog.

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Art Car Boot Fair 2012

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Carrie Graham-Clarke

It’s a busy time of year with one thing and another, especially in the world of design events with the likes of the Chelsea Flower Show, Clerkenwell Design Week, the Spirit of Summer Fair and New Designers coming up soon. However, the event I’m most excited about has to be the Art Car Boot Fair on Sunday May 27th from 12 – 6pm, which promises to delight with it’s 70 strong line-up of amazing artists. You can view the full line up of artists by clicking here, which includes Sir Peter Blake, Mat Collishaw, Polly Morgan, Emin International, Harland Miller, Keith Tyson, Chantal Joffe and Ian Monroe. Apart from amazing art bargains there will be delicious food & drink, plus bizarre entertainment in the shape of on-the-bonnet snail racing, handbag disco, in-car Scalextrix and back-of-the-van Escalado Stakes! It’s sure to be an exciting afternoon and I’m really looking forward to it. Hopefully see you there!

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Weekend round-up…

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Carrie Graham-Clarke

This weekend was a chilled one; a lovely, sunny, funny weekend, & I took a few snaps along the way..First off foxy woxy decided to stop by on Saturday and stake out my overgrown, somewhat jungle garden. Stopping me from being able to mow the lawn. However sleepy he was, he looked a bit wiry so I left him be and went out for a mooch around Northecote Road, buying some mussels, wine and yummy treats for dinner with my housemate and a friend.
I had a very lazy Sundaze morning eating bagels, scrambled eggs and bacon in bed, with a lovely cup of tea. After a few hours pottering about and inspired by the beautiful sun *praise the lord* I painted my nails Mr Happy yellow, got changed and made my way to Richmond. I met up with mates along the way and we went to watch our friend Nick play rugby in the Surveyors Sevens.
They got to the finals, however my friend Venetia and I had to leave halfway through the last match to make our way over to the Hammersmith Lyric for what was the highlight of my weekend! We went to see the fabulous Russell Brand perform an intamate one-off night of Spontaneous Comedy, that was simply amazing. I had never seen him live before, but had been a long time listener of his radio show, so as you can image I was fairly excited. Anyway, the gig was hilarious with some extremely cutting jokes, teeming with salacious content. After the gig everyone went to the foyer for what was to be a manic meet & greet, it was literally like a mob scene! I witnessed some truly scary fans – lots of screaming, hyperventilating and even crying – I had never seen anything like it before!
So all in all.. a top weekend :)

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