FLY!

Little Brass Fly Figurine from sarakatehuff.

Oh my God. This is so cool I think I just bought it ... with my mind. Don't click on the link ... cus you can't have it!!!

You can have him though

Happy Sunday!

Emma H x

Peacebomb

Peacebomb bracelets from Article 22...what an amazing idea.
Reclaimed bombs from Laos handcrafted into bracelets.

'Buy back the bomb'.

So simple, so filled with meaning.
Love the pictures too..

You can read the whole story and buy the bracelets at Article 22.

THE ST

Giddy Spinster Stiletto Planters

"The concept is about hard-working women, the increasingly artificial

nature of American femininity, and the impossible images that women

face in our society. It's a prickly, spiky, sticky situation..."

Indeed.
Love em or hate em. I think these upcycled stilettos are cool.

If you want one in your house but sadly not on your foot, get one here.

Read more about cringingly cool shoe planter mastermind Rachel Mahlke here. She's cool too.

A home in Uraguay

The most perfect home. I'd just have lighter walls because I'm obsessed with light. but completely perfect. other than that.

From DTI

Naughty Shorts Tea Dress for Em (J)

Just cus we're apart doesn't mean that I can't go virtual ethical shopping for you Em. Just so you know you're still in my thoughts here are two oh so pretty upcycled tea dresses I can totally see on you and your beautiful self.

Buy them here from NaughtyShorts on etsy, found via Blossomnbirds.

Em H xx

Happy Friday

Even though I'm in Trinidad and I'm not meant to be lifting a finger I had to re-post this image via Desire to Inspire.
Oh those chairs, and that table, and the artwork, and the mirror.

Fold Away Desk

I know this is inappropriately non-Christmassy but I am still looking for a desk!! Plus, it's not like you can't add last year's tinsel.

(Source: unknown ... I saved it as 'nice room table' which is of absolutely no help)

Knocked Up

Yeah, so the paint job leaves a LOT to be desired but the rest of this room fascinates me. Every time I look at this picture I clock just how makeshift everything is, literally thrown together from scraps, and yet I still love it. It works somehow and prob cost 5 bucks. Love.

(Source: unknown again! Before the days of cataloguing my inspiration pictures)

I Died and so did the couch

Ok, so it's a little battered but this couch is the reason I LOVE OLD STUFF so much. It's so perfectly worn and brought to life again by embroidered cushions and a throw. See, why buy new, when you could have that in your life??

(Source: An Indian Summer)

Shoe Dilemma: El Naturalista vs the Highstreet

Since taking this vow of abstinence from the highstreet I feel like I am constantly in a state of searching. Searching for that battered desk, for a snug black winter coat, for that perfectly printed leopard jumper, searching for those flawlessly formed ankle boots that will carry me from outfit to outfit through the darkest, snowiest of winter days.

With shoes, this whole not buying from the highstreet thing poses a bit of a conundrum. I need shoes I can stand all day in, they need to keep me warm, match most of my wardrobe and magically elongate my stumpy legs, all for the smallest price possible. And I have to like 'em too.

Ethical shoes, in any capacity of the word, that meet the above criteria are hard to find and so I set about creating new parameters that allowed shoe purchasing from the highstreet. This involved discerning the place of origin, Portugal, Italy and Spain being preferable due to dying culture of shoemaking, and noting the materials used.

After dragging round the shops for five hours, mother in tow, I came home with two candidates.

Candidate 1: El Naturalista Ambar Boots in Ebano featuring vegetable dyed leather, recycled rubber (and porridge) soles and a whole lot of heart
&

Candidate 2: Jones Bootmakers Ollie in Black Suede, origin unknown (most Jones' boots are made in Spain and I went with it mostly cus I was desperate, freezing and hungry)

After much in-house wearing ... and a whole lot of soul searching (no pun intended) El Naturalista won hands down (the Ollies have been returned).

There's so much to say about my new boots that I'm going to have to give them a post of their own but it was satisfying to know that I didn't have to abandon my values to find the winter shoes I'd been searching for.

My endless search for that perfect desk.

I am desperately seeking a beautifully battered desk from which to blog. My apple crate shelves are screwed firmly to the wall with nothing to sit underneath them. Sometimes I curse my relentless pursuit of old home furnishings, especially as I never make the time to go to one of the big antiques fairs to get what I need. I rely instead on other people doing so and bringing their goods home to Brighton for me to pick from (at a jacked up price of course). One year later and I'm still deskless ... and chest of drawers less ... and dining table less - you get the picture.

(Source: An Indian Summer)

Eco-Optics- Winter Sunglasses!

Look Em! Perfect winter sunglasses! Em H. is the master at rocking sunglasses all year round. I found these by following your link to Ecouterre.com, where I saw a big giveaway with eco-prizes selected by eco-model (that's a lot of eco!) Summer Rayne Oakes (could she ever have been anything but an eco-model?! Summer Rayne- hedge fund manager?! Love her name though) where I found....Eco-Optics! Super cool sunglasses made from recycled metal and plastic and plants a tree for every pair sold. And that folks is how I spend my evenings..falling down one web link into Wonderland. Check out the cool sunglasses I found down there (all for $129): 

Glitter Ball Graveyard

Personally, I couldn't think of a better use for a danced-out disco ball (or ten). I've had my eye on several in my local antique market but unfortunately don't have any stairs to stick 'em too. God help me when I have a house.

(Source: unknown ... again)

Chance Recycled Denim Handbag

This is the bag that won the Ecouterre Recycled Denim Challenge and, for those of you who appreciate a London accent, it is WELL nice. Designed by Miranda Chance, each bag is hand woven from strips of recycled* denim and trimmed with material from old leather coats. Even better news, it is now available for purchase from the inhabitat shop for a mere $200.
But, if $200 isn't in your budget, this coming Cyber Monday** the Inhabitat Shop is offering an exclusive 2 DAY FLASH HALF PRICE SALE on this la-la-la-lovely bag! Sale starts at 9am on Monday November 29. If you want to reserve one of these and are interested in pre-ordering email the inhabitat peeps at inhabitat@gmail.com.

* I think it's actually upcycled rather than recycled

** To be honest didn't have a bloody clue what cyber monday is but apparently it "is a marketing term for the Monday immediately following Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States." Thanks wikipedia!!

PS Chance also entered this bag into the competition - which i LOVE and voted for. It also stirred up a pretty interesting debate in the comments which I couldn't resist taking part in ... read it here.

Emma H xx

Thank you Sfgirlbybay for Pure Green

I have been a dedicated daily reader of Sfgirlbybay's blog for well over a year. It was one of the first blogs that really had me hooked and showed me the what blogs are capable of. I always discover great things on Victoria's blog and wanted to share this particular find with you- Pure Green Living Magazine.

Sfgirlbybay posted about this online magazine yesterday and I spent the rest of the evening reading through Pure Green- I found loads of good Christmas ideas, new Etsy sellers, ethical businesses and fantastic interiors images. I enjoyed it and I think you might too...

Etsy Thursday

I love the blog Sweet Paul by the stylist Paul Lowe, I have already swooned over Paul's recycling and decorating ideas here. I also happen to be in LOVE with Etsy and all the handmade, recycled, vintage goodness that it brings to my life and hopefully to yours. So I was quite excited to see that Mr Lowe had written a feature on the Etsy blog about book art, now as someone who shares her living space with LOTS of books and doesn't even like to fold the corner of one page of a book, I find the idea of ripping, cutting and gluing books both liberating and terrifying. 

I guess I should let go once in a while and break some rules...I'd better find me some second hand books...

Here is some inspiration from Etsy and Paul Lowe:

Reclaimed Art

Love the whole junk as art thang going on in this photo. Now I just need some old radiators ... and a new flat big enough to house all my junk as art.

(Source: eeek unknown again)

Sunday Swishing

Swishtini! It was pink and tasted of pineapple...what's not to like?!

Preparing the swishing rails ready for us to devour them like locusts. Thrifty locusts...

Swishtinis and afternoon tea before the hunt begins.

The Landsdowne Place Hotel bar, where the event was held.

A glamorous browser

Em H. in action!

The 'I found treasure!' face

This is the face both of us were making when we had to outrace someone to an item- Swishing Anxiety!

Em H. looking fab in her new swished blue silk romper- is romper the right word?! She looked FAB in it whatever it's called....

Me with my swishing hoard...I left with more than I brought! good swishing but not so good for my our overflowing flat.. Can I also just mention my current favorite scarf as worn in this picture- an amazing alpaca one from People Tree's last winter collection...wonder if they have a version this year...?

The crazy lime yellow 80's mac that I love and probably completely falsely believe I can get away with!

Oh yeah! I can totally rock this bright yellow coat thing! I am THAT cool! hmmmm....