Rose Bud

Lambs Conduit Street - Persephone Books

2010-10-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

Persephone Books reprints neglected classics by C20th (mostly women) writers. They are all carefully designed with a clear typeface, a dove-grey jacket, a 'fabric' endpaper and bookmark, and a preface by writers such as Julian Barnes, Eva Ibbotson and Polly Toynbee.

© David Gentleman

The shop is full of beautiful grey books, scented candles, classical music and easy chairs.

'The Winds of Heaven is a 1955 novel about 'a widow, rising sixty, with no particular gifts or skills, shunted from one to the other of her more or less unwilling daughters on perpetual uneasy visits, with no prospect of her life getting anything but worse’ (Afterword). One daughter is the socially ambitious Miriam living in commuter belt with her barrister husband and children; one is Eva, an aspiring actress in love with a married man; and the third is Anne, married to a rough but kindly Bedfordshire smallholder who is the only one who treats Louise with more than merely dutiful sympathy. The one relation with whom she has any empathy is her grandchild.'

Recommended for a few peaceful hours in genteel surroundings

Lambs Conduit Street - Cosmo China

2010-10-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

Cosmo China is based just off of Russell Square.

What a beautiful shop, packed full of lovely hand-painted bone china. Of special interest to me were these lovely children's plates, which would make lovely christening gifts.

They also have in their discontinued section a plate painted by Polly Dunbar

Not cheap, but if you need a special gift this is the place to come.

London Birthday recommendations

2010-09-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

It was my daughters birthday over the weekend and i thought you might like to know some of my recommendations.

Party entertainer
www.diddidance.com/
Anne Marie is the founder of the company and full of energy and fun. She is really funny too, making parents and children laugh and get involved. A very good judge of children she can work out which children need encouraging and which need calming down.

Party decorations
http://www.nonstopparty.co.uk/
Based on Kensington High Street the shop is on two floors and stocks a huge variety of decorations, balloons, party plates etc. The staff are very helpful and it's great to see everything before you buy it. Can be reached easily by tube, so no need to hire a car and go to an industrial estate.

Party food
Mostly crisps

Party clothes
http://www.thelittlelegscompany.com/
One of the biggest stockists of Zutano clothes in UK, I emailed them to find out when their Autumn stock was coming in. Because the stock hadn't arrived yet, the owner Helen, emailed me a suggested dress, and couriered it to me for free! Fantastic service, a £5 voucher for my next purchase, and a gorgeous dress.

It was a lovely weekend and if I think of anything else, I'll let you know!

Night-lights

2010-04-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

Not one of my more lyrical of posts but I wanted to share these lovely items with you...

I've been looking for a nightlight to stop Rose waking during the night and saw these beauties.

merkled light cubes / 2004 - 2008

Lovely pub by Smithfield - Fox and Anchor

2010-01-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

I have often yearned for the perfect pub, nice selection of drinks, and lovely simple food that is better than you make at home. The Anchor and Hope on the Cut by Southwark tube station is one of my faves for rib-sticking slow cooked sharing dishes, but not really suitable just for drinks. The Fox and Anchor on the other hand is perfect for either. Bar snack include homemade pork pies and scotch eggs (and they were really home-made too) which were delicious, goose fat fried chips, homemade pork scratchings, pint of prawns, fresh oysters on ice. They also had a roasted piece of pork belly to be sliced for sandwiches with apple sauce. mmm. I was spoilt for choice and will be going back as often as I can without having a heart attack!
Nothing very low cal/cholesterol though, so not for the abstemious but Mylene Klass was there at lunch today if you're interested in celebrity spots

snuggle

2010-01-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

Some tragic news has made me spend more time cuddling Rose and spending time on the sofa wrapped up in blankets. Pyjamas and blankets and towels have always been an important part of the snuggling process for us, so here are my favourites. Some are currently in the sales....

Pyjamas:

1. The White Company flannel pyjamas. Beautifully soft and cosy, I buy them 2 sizes too big and roll up the sleeves.

2. Hatley pyjamas - good quality, with lovely prints. Hatley also do nice adult PJ's too, just haven't found a stockist for them yet...

Blanket:

Brora lambswool stripey blanket, thick and soft, with a vintage feel. Really good quality too.

Bathtime:

Towels: The White Company again, soft and fluffy and stays that way after numerous washes. It is also plenty big enough for a toddler...

Flannels:

Cath Kidston shooting stars is my favourite print, their flannels and wash mitts are nice and thick and pretty reasonably priced.

Foundation for Pediatric Osteopaths - Clerkenwell

2009-12-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

The Foundation is in Clerkenwell just round the back of Exmouth market. It's a lovely light and airy building where children and their mothers (up to a year after giving birth) can be seen by fully trained osteopaths training so specialise in treating children. Rather than the manipulations and 'clicking' adults get at a visit to the osteopath, newborns and young children are just held in gentle and soothing way.
Treatments last for up to half an hour and take place in a communal treatment room. Rose (2yrs) sat on a bed playing with puzzles while our osteopath placed her hand on her head and chest. I couldn't really see that much was happening, but I have had this treatment myself and it is amazing. You feel a kind of fizzing in your solar plexus while the treatment is going on and fully relaxed for days afterwards.
You pay for your treatment by donation, they suggest £35 but have never quibbled when I pay £10.
contact details
video of treatments at the centre

Merry MUJI and Masala majesty

2009-11-20T15:12:00.000-08:00

Even though I have been working this week I have still made the time to find some nice things to tell you about. What a trouper eh. So here is my recommendation for Christmas 2009 MUJI toys. An amazing array of very nice plain wooden toys and all very reasonably priced. Check out the wooden fruit you can 'cut' in half for £7.95. The website isn't very good unfortunately but you can see enough to get an idea.

After conducting my investigation we went into Masala Zone in Covent Garden for a very good curry. I had never realised that the puppets hanging from the ceiling were all part of a puppet royal wedding procession. Definitely worth going in to have a look if you are passing, they are stunning.

Decent basics

2009-11-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

The credit crunch and loss of a permanent job has meant that certain economies have had to be made at Casa RB. Being a rather fussy eater I have managed to find a selection of really good quality food relatively cheaply that I thought I would share:

Meat
I buy most of our meat at The Ginger Pig in Borough Market but I stick to the cheapest cuts now. No more rib-eye steak for me . I usually get mince for meat balls/bolognaise, Toulouse sausages for a Nigel Slater recipe with lentils, pork belly, shoulder of pork for a delicious slow cooked recipe with milk and lemon, and more often than not some really good inspiration from the butchers there. Charlie the manager is marvellous as are the other blokes too. Nathan once boned out a whole leg of cow (?) to get me some shin of beef and then cut up the bone for me to use the marrow. That wasn't on a Saturday though. They are friendly and extremely helpful. Charlie has his own website if you fancy finding out how to skin a rabbit.

Poultry & Dairy
I get chicken from Abel and Cole as it is rather cheap and ethically reared. I get the drumsticks for the LO's dinner and the legs for us, they are really big and you really get the feeling they have had a long(ish) outdoor life.
Their milk is also very good quality and organic and they deliver it to your door which saves on carrying.

Other stuff
Maldon sea salt - so lovely I like to eat it from the dish

Children's books

2009-11-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

Current faves in the RB house:
Down the back of the chair by Margaret Mahy and

Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar.

Both illustrated by the wonderful Polly Dunbar, see her cool website here and her blog here. You can even buy some of her work here

Cool book covers part 1

2009-11-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

David Pearson designer for Penguin books

Lovely things at the Tate Britain

2009-11-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Looking round the Tate shop with a sleeping child meant that I got to have a good look at the stock today. Lovely things. Here are my favourites...

Here are a few favourites of ours if you are trying to avoid the usual children's cups and plates that are on the market:

Tate is also a lovely place for cards and wrapping paper, and I saw Rose Hip designs at the Tate today which I really liked. Couldn't see a price tag though so maybe a bit dear... check out their (trade only) website though for other lovely things:

That's it for today, hope you've enjoyed looking!
RB

My current two obsessions

2009-11-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Angulus red heart shoe - I love the colour and the shape, but not the £70 price tag!

ETS we tried these on last weekend and i am thrilled to say that they don't fit Rose. They were absolutely gorgeous but too narrow for her ~~fat little foot~~ high instep! Phew. No more scheming and searching for them.

And a beautiful Bobbi Brown lip sheer in Black Raspberry which I love but is unfortunately now discontinued - arrrgh!

Hello bloggreaders

2009-11-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Hi there,
just a short para of introduction, I am a forty-something mother to a two-year old living in London. My interests are children's clothes, shopping, exploring London, art, gardening, food and drink. I am going to use this as a place to post things I have seen that I love, feel free to post similar things you have seen and that you love too.
Will add more later