Australi-aaaah

Some ace new images on the Re:collection blog . . .

I’m also adoring these fresh looks from the new collection by Australian fashion label, Lover. The dresses are great, particularly that petrol coloured shirt dress! Niiiiiiiiice.

Animals Of Sweden

I spent Christmas in Sweden and saw many, MANY creatures. These were my favourites.

I hope you had a festive time! DIET STARTS NOW.

Ain’t No Party Like A KX Party!

Last Saturday I went down to photograph an event for a new energy drink called KX. The brand were creating a series of youth events across the country  – this one was in the Sacred Heart Church in Gorton, Manchester, where there is an excellent youth club with a thriving mentor programme.

The two mentors I met, Joy and Keith, have been encouraging the local kids to get involved with various music and dance projects, and the vitality was pretty inspiring. The event consisted of some showcases of the skills and then a series of short workshops to get everyone involved.

When I got there, Vicki Stavrinos from V Dance Studios in Chelmsford, Essex, was just warming up with some of her protegees from the Bam Bam Boogie crew!

She had four teens with her, ranging from 14 to 18 years old, and they were the nicest kids I’ve met in ages. So super positive and motivated. They explained that dancing with Vicki has increased their confidence, made them loads of ace mates, and set them on a path which they all feel that they want to pursue professionally.

They were getting ready for their street dancing showcase, and were pretty excited about performing – all of them wanted to perhaps get into backing dancing for a huge star . . . Janet Jackson seemed to be the top choice!

Next up, one of the group mentors, Keith, did a little DJ workshop with some of the local teens. Harder than it looks! Here he is with Nicole, who had the most incredible singing voice and was a sheer delight to be around.

Lovely youth club mentor Joy joins in with some of the singing . . . The kids had written a song called ‘Relationships’ which they performed for everyone. Nicole explained that without the support of Joy and the other mentors they probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to do this sort of thing. They had even been able to perform it in London at a workshop down there, and they were chuffed to bits about it.

The Bam Bam Boogie showcase starts with Fran (blonde hair) leading the way . . .

So great to see dedicated people doing something they love! Next, Vicki lead a dance workshop, making sure everyone was involved.

Learning the moonwalk! There’s a real science to it, so Vicki broke it down into manageable steps. Everyone was loving their new found skill. Including me. I’m terrible at it though. TERRIBLE.

Next up, capoeira! A Brazilian dance martial art, capoeira was created by slaves as a means of empowerment and is now widely practiced. This group, based in Manchester had a charismatic leader from Cape Verde, who despite his lofty height, was graceful and nimble.

After the quite frankly AWESOME demonstration,  everyone else joined in for a workshop. Needless to say, the ninja-style reflexes of the longstanding members couldn’t be matched, but everyone had a good go. Looked blimmin’ exhausting to me . . .

Capoeira makes you happy! Find out more about this group here.

Such a lovely day. And so nice to know that there are people out there providing these excellent services for young people in their communities. Please contact me if you wish to know anything more about any of the groups featured in this post.

Buds Of, er, May

I made a trip down to Bud Garden Centre the other day to pick up some plants and festive bits. Run by Brenda and Severine, who met whilst working for a community garden project, Bud is the teeniest but most lovingly created garden centre I’ve ever seen.

The focus is on sustainability and local suppliers, and many of the plants are grown peat-free by Brenda, Severine and a posse of brilliant local gardeners.  The centre can be reached by public transport (see the above link for all details) and is a real sight for sore eyes compared to the local B&Q behemoth nearby. As well as a wonderfully curated selection of plants, they also sell loads of ace extras. I bought some wooden Christmas tree decorations made locally from reclaimed wood, and some pretty potted winter daffodils for my kitchen!

Obviously, they have ACE, sustainably sourced Christmas trees too…

Check it out. Support your local businesses!

And remember, shop local this Christmas!

Secret Garden

REN-dered Speechless

For a while now, people have been asking me what I use on my skin that makes me so goddam beautiful *ahem*, and also requesting some beauty posts on TIMBER. I thought I’d start a series of monthly (or so) posts about skincare, make-up, etc. Not enough to scare away my rugged male readers (Luke Unabomber), but just to expand the theme a little. PEOPLE WHO LIKE FASHION ALSO LIKE MAKE-UP TOO, OK?

I definitely try to look after my skin, but I wouldn’t say I’m particularly obsessive about it. I use some really nice products, and I also happen to have excellent genes . . . right Mum? I’ll do a facial skincare thing soon for all you stalkers out there, but today I want to talk about something that handily combines the chosen theme AND looks really cool.

I got sent the most beeeeeeeyoooootiful gift set this week. Ultra-luxe, ethically sound skincare line REN has teamed up with de Gournay (purveyors of exquisite hand-painted wallpapers and wall coverings) to create the packaging for the REN Christmas gift collections. Truly, the boxes are a wonder. Sturdy and perfect to use again and again, they are delicately patterned with Japanese and Korean floral designs, which somehow work perfectly with the slick, minimalist packaging of the products within. My box contained the Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash and Body Cream, which previous users of REN will know to be the most amazing things ever created.

LOOK at that box!! What a beaut! Now, just to fill you in, REN products are almost as pure as the driven snow. I have been using them for years, and they seriously work. Just because something doesn’t contain millions of yucky chemicals, doesn’t mean that it can’t work as effectively. They are free from synthetic fragrance, pore-blocking petrochemicals, sulfate detergents, synthetic colours, animal ingredients (apart from milk in one product) and parabens. For an even more detailed list of forbidden nasties, see here.

Things like parabens are pretty much totally unnecessary in skincare. They’re basically used as preservatives to make the product last longer, but if you use it properly you should never have a need to make it last for 6 years. I mean, hello?!!! REN and other brands like Dr Hauschka and Spezia do not compromise on their ethical standpoints, yet still produce wonderfully luxurious products that . . . wait for it . . . WORK. Try them. Go on.

So, I open up the box, and see . . .

Slick. The shower gel basically smells like 14,000 beautiful male models are sprinkling velvety rose petals over your naked body like that bit in American Beauty with whatshername. It is the best wake-up shower you could ask for. AND it’s also the most relaxing pre-bedtime, cossetting shower you could ask for. By the way, you can also squirt it in your bath like foam. But it you wanna be seriously rosy, use their Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil which smells how I imagine heaven smells and leaves your skin as smooth as buffed marble.

Then, to further intensify the rosy glow, smooth in the Body Cream, which sinks in like a dream and doesn’t leave you all greasy. Bloody delicious.

Yay! Products! After swishing away the old and Moroccan Rose-ing in the new, I just hung out in my house totally naked for, like, two hours. I kept smelling my arms and feeling really smug about myself and my life. It’s the best therapy.

Here are some images of the other gift sets, as I’m thinking you should probably invest (check them out on the REN site here):

Look at the boxes on the last two! MY GOD. How could you give them away as presents? I just want to keep them for myself . . . With regards to other body products I use and love, you cannot beat anything personalised. My aunt, Lynne Tomlinson, is a respected clinical hypnotherapist, but she is also a qualified aromatherapist. She has made me some incredible body oils over the years, but my favourite is a combination of rose, vertivert, patchouli, ylang ylang and lavender. Try making them yourself – pretty easy. Just use a scentless neutral base oil like jojoba, almond or avocado oil and then add a combo of essential oils you like the smell of. Anyone in a big health food shop can advise you on these. If you’ve got a bun in the oven, you need to be careful of over-using certain strengths of oils, so make sure you do ask.

Check out the following places for more natural loveliness: Dr Hauschka, Spiezia Organics, JASON, Neal’s Yard Remedies, and suki.

And don’t forget . . .

Christmas Cheer

Come to this! Me, Lisa Stannard, and Natalie Cannell will all have stalls (among others) and it would be great to see you.

Autumn Light

I love that golden light in the autumn, it makes the mundane beautiful!

Leafy Greens

I’ve always hankered after a certain type of interior: spacious, light, white, and FULL of plants. Some people aren’t a fan of the houseplant, but I say to you people: “sort it out”. What makes your home feel more alive then something that is living? Huh? And this doesn’t mean weird pet fish in a naff built-in tank.

Think green.

Like this.

(most images via here)

That bathroom! AMAZINGNESS.

I think this obsession stems from the fact that my grandfather was very green fingered, and although I cannot remember ever having a houseplant in any of my childhood homes (my mum thinks they’re “really creepy”), we always had masses of fresh flowers and the doors thrown open to the garden. I just love nature, yeah?

My ultimate fantasy is to live in a big beautiful house in a forest, surrounded by tons of trees.

But even in my city pad, I will always have a touch of the Kramer Vs Kramer.

See? how even one, big, luscious plant can make a difference?

Just like these gorgeous spaces:

It’s quite a 70s look. Perhaps that’s why my mum isn’t a fan. I happen to love that look though. Macrame pot holders . . . the lot! Fucking deeeeeeece. So if you want to buy me a present (why wouldn’t you?), I’d like some huge leafy ferns please.

Autumn Cometh

I love leaves.