Bank Holiday FUN

Bank holidays are so great!  Most people have time off, so it's a perfect time to catch up with friends. Originally I had plans for the full weekend, but they fell through, so I was worried because I had no other plans! Silly me. I have had such a fun weekend!

Saturday day: Trafford Centre, Manchester

I'm not a massive fan of shopping centres (malls).  I prefer to go to cities where there's a good mix of high street chains and independents. There's little independence in shopping centres, including food on offer.  Anyway. A friend of mine needed her iPhone fixing and it was the nearest place with an Apple Store. So off we popped!

I think it goes without saying that if there's big glasses to try on, you try them on and take a picture looking a bit stupid?

We went to Selfridges and treat ourselves to smoothies from Energy Kitchen.  I am so in love with this 'Green Magic'. It's apple, mango, spinach and pineapple. you can't taste the spinach at all, and it actually tastes like Jolly Rancher sweets! Again, I look a bit stupid (I notice a theme...)

I bought a few nice things. I will show you those another time!  Then we went to eat at Tampopo. I like stupid again.

Tampopo is a small chain of restaurants, and it's very similar to Wagamama. Natalie was desperate for noodles and I do love spicy foods! 

Saturday evening: A birthday at the Sky Lounge, Leeds

I made my Sky Lounge debut on Saturday.  Sky Lounge is a rather exclusive bar on the top floor of a posh hotel in Leeds city centre. The views from there are spectacular.

Photo: Paul Spencer on Flickr

Sunday: Laying down

Ouch! My head! Always drink mojitos in moderation.

Monday: Spring clean and visiting friends

Today I spent most of the day cleaning my flat. It feels lovely now! I even cleaned the oven.  It was a friends little girl's 3rd birthday yesterday so I went to their house to give her her gift - a Peppa Pig gardening set!

She's got the most awesome playhouse with plant boxes on the windows! So cute! So she promptly went to water them with her new watering can.

It was an extra special time because her little sister took her first steps with a (toy) shopping trolly whilst I was there :')

I'm not at work tomorrow, so I will be mainly doing this! This was a birthday present I got late because a colleague of mine was in labour just before my birthday. Can't wait to try them on after i have sewed them!

So that's it for bank holidays for 2011. What did you do?

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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The End of an Era

Today was the last day in my current job. You may or may not be aware but Kitschen Sink isn't my full time job.  Lots of people think it is, because it is where most of my energy and passions go.  But the truth is, I'm pretty old school, and although I love Kitschen Sink, I also value the structure and security my job gives me.

For the last four years my role has involved supporting people who develop the careers of new lecturers within a top university.  It's the longest I have ever been in a job! I really love working on campus.  I sat in a lovely little office that overlooked a courtyard, with lots of windows and my name on the door.

I arrived to my office yesterday and my lovely colleague Claire had decorated it with balloons and signs that said 'good luck'.  I laughed out loud at what I found stuck to my computer!

I also got lots of lovely gifts including a couple of bottles of champagne, a cute cup to take to my new office, a finger monster (you can see him on the bow on the bottle), a lovely handmade glass rainbow for my new desk, and a collection from the unit, which I will buy a remote for my camera from, and some Wesc Bing Bang headphones for my iPhone.  I cried when I left, I'll miss them lots!

So what's next? I'll be heading over to a department that supports medical engineers turn their inventions and potions into a proper business (I think!).  I can't wait!

Isn't it the law that you have to get a new wardrobe before you start a new job? I got myself a couple of new dresses... I'm afraid I am waiting to borrow a tripod so I can show you them, but here's a sneak peek...

Very cute. I am going to the Trafford Centre tomorrow... there could be more for the collection. I'm thinking knitwear and T-bar shoes.

What's your autumn winter staple?

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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Cherries, berries and a Royal Plum treat

I got an overwhelming craving today, for lip stain.  I quit like the idea of a long lasting colour without the stickiness.  I've never bought any before so I put it out there:

The result was unanimous. Benefit Benetint.  Sadly, my bank balance wouldn't thank me for a Benefit splurge this month.  So off I popped to my dentist who advised me to get a better quality of dental floss. Off I popped to ASDA to pick some up, and whilst I was there I temporarily fixed my stain urge with Max Factor Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint.

I'm so pleased with the result! I think I'll finally be able to wear my beloved lip colours during the day without worrying it's on my teeth, has come off, smudged, all over my tea cup, etc.  And the colour is great - I went for Royal Plum which sounds purplish, but it's a lovely red, on the blue-tone side. Perfect for a ginner like me! It's applied with a big, fat, marker pen tip. Simples.

The sun was shining bright and it seemed the perfect time for a final summer indulgence: cherries and strawberries!

Yums! It's all about berry reds!  I can't wait to try Benetint too!

So what lipsticks, stains and glosses do you love? Share!

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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Saltaire Arts Trail - Festival Special

I am so pleased to announce I have been accepted to sell at Saltaire Arts Trail Festival Special on Saturday 10th September.  It's always the cream of the handmade crop so I'm super proud. See you there!

It's that season where I want to be outdoors meeting my people! Yes, autumn/winter is almost here!

I have lots planned for the remainder of the year, but here's September:

9th - University of Leeds Staff Festival

10th - Saltaire Arts Trail Festival Special

I'll also be going to photography club, seeing The Cribs at Kirkstall Abbey, going to Bingley Music Live, a 30th Birthday with 80s themed fancy dress, for a meal at Carluccios, drinking with my crafty friends, and wishing I was in California for Kate's wedding...


xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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It's here! Our new sister brand!

This is what I have been so busy working on! Definitely worth waiting for!!

www.palsatplay.com

www.facebook.com/palsatplay

What are you waiting for? Come join the fun! More new Kitschen Sink goodies to follow soon...

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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KS in the press: LeLook.eu!

Thrilled to see LeLook.eu, the very cool Barcelona based trend-watch blog, have featured Kitschen Sink in their 'news' section!

LeLook.eu style blog

Loving the style the model is rocking for these shots! I find it fascinating how other people dress up my work.

Photo credit: LeLook.eu

Massive thanks and love to Hebe Media for involving me in the Leeds in Barcelona project, and for believing in Kitschen Sink! I'm really, really pleased to have been part of a project that puts Leeds on the world map of cool. Regular readers of my blog know it's something I am passionate about - and to be part of what's selling it? Wow!


xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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Sunday rediscovery

Wow... completely forgot what Sundays to myself are like!  If you didn't already know, I closed Indie Cindy (in its current format) a couple of weeks ago.  My intention in the first place was to pilot it, I always wanted to have a go at being the retailer and was given a perfect opportunity to give it a shot with a short rental term. The project was exactly what I wanted, I learnt what I would and wouldn't do if I did it 'for real'.  I have made some bloody awesome mates and learnt some real business and life lessons from it.  I have some pretty exciting plans in the pipeline for what happens next retail-wise, but it's all under wraps and up in the air all at the same time!

So today it was kinda strange waking up at 10am and thinking 'my alarm isn't actually going to go off... so when do I get up?'. I have worked 7 days a week for the past five months!

I invited friends around for fish and chips at The Penthouse. It was lovely to lounge around, make bracelets, gossip and eat junky food!! For now, it also means I can go back to crafting Sundays... yippeee!

Fish And Chips cushion by Liz Foster on Folksy

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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I'll look so frickin cute in this beaut

I just won this from the Hawaii Kawaii blog. One of my favourite blogs to read!

I promise I will do a video blog in it, like my friend Peach suggested :)

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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