Thursday, 24 May 2012

I KNOW IT'S RUDE TO SAY "I WANT" BUT...ZARA RUG

Having moved into the new place in the Dam we were faced with an empty expanse of wooden floor (ok it’s plastic) which needed a bit of covering, I know, drama. Luckily for me Zara Home just happens to be at the end of the road - phew. I had seen this rug many times in the shop (its called Zigghi), had shown it to the husband (which got a sort of giveashit reaction), and cooed over it for about a month. 




Finally I decided to part with the 99Euros (basically the same cost as IKEA) and proudly walked in to make my purchase. Unfortunately when I got there it had gone. Da Da DAAAA. 
The woman in the shop told me that the last one was about to go in the window to be the display, “but I’d like to buy it” I said cheerily. Computer says no. No amount of coaxing would make her sell. She looked up stock in other stores, checked on the website and it was sold out everywhere. 


Baby A helpfully demonstrated my disgust by throwing up not once but twice on the counter while I begged embarrassingly for her to part with it. Eventually she said I could put my name down and buy it once it came out of the window display in 3 weeks, so I did. I then pushed my luck asking for a discount but she said she wouldn't sell it to me if it wasn't in good condition, she knew she had me. 


Here is a photo of it laughing at me from the window. Bastards. 






Anyway, happy days I finally got my mitts on it so our upstairs boring wooden (ahem) bit is a little bit fancier. Ta daaaaa.






ps. While I was looking for this rug I found someone else had pinned it which led me to my new fave blog Swoonworthy


pps. While we’re on the subject of rugs, check out my other favourite wants in the graphic rug department. One day these will all be in the Dream House.  



Absolute all time favourite - Madeline Weinrib - I would have anything of hers, not picky.


Parker Blue by Luke Irwin


Surya Fallon - Rugstudio

CUTE, this is actually for a kids room but I'd like it too.
Aqua Magic Carpet - Land of Nod


TTFN

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

ON YOUR BIKE

I’m not sure if Amsterdam is as well known as Beijing for it’s bikes but it must be pretty close. You can’t spend a moment in Amsterdam and miss the bikes. I mean that literally, they are lethal. In the hierachy of transport, bikes rule, trams come a close second, followed by cars then pedestrians. You have to have your wits about you constantly or else some speedy local or stoner tourist will take your ass down (mopeds that go under 50kmh can also ride in the bike paths just to add to the fun). 


Everyone rides bikes here and they look damned cool doing it too. It's that sort of laid back Euro way that I haven’t yet mastered. They just pootle around chatting with their mates standing on the back, carrying a bunch of flowers, trailing their dog or ferrying the kids. 


To honour this new appreciation for bikes and the fact that they keep popping up in the style pages of every magazine I seem to flip through at the moment, I thought I would put up a few that I would love to ride around town on. 
(The reality of what I will eventually be riding is at the bottom...)


Here is a PPQ collaboration with Rule bikes that actually debuted on the PPQ catwalk
A snip at around £1500.  






A hot pink folding Brompton - around £800. Cute as a button.






Missoni for Target (which originally sold for US $400 and one then re-sold on ebay for $1200). Nuts. 






This Hollander bike from Made i LOVE (my sister has one, well jell) it's also a steal at £199. 
Also just go to the MADE website anyway because it's awesome.






Old School Califonia Cruiser anyone? (US$199) 
I'm definitely not cool enough to pull this off.





Then, as I said, the sad reality. Sigh.
This is what all the kids get around town in, yes it's a sort of wheel barrow. (Actually they are pretty cool. But maybe not until you have multiple kids)...






SO with just the one kid (and when I stop being such a wuss) the little Wolf and I will be going around with one of these bad boys on the front of an average Joe bike. Pretty neat. His little fat feet will just hang in the front while we ride through the park in the sun amongst the tulips. (Yeah I know that's neeeever gonna happen).



TTFN