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Archive for May, 2010
Friday, May 28th, 2010
I love things for free and this offer takes some beating. With every order this Bank Holiday weekend (FRI-MON) you will receive a Karlsson Little Big Time Wall Silver Clock (RRP £13.99) absolutely free.
These Dutch designer clocks are very chic and will look great in any room in the house. Karlsson is a renowned Dutch clock brand and is sold all over the world. The Karlsson brand is one that’s synonymous with good quality, stunning graphics, aesthetic shapes and innovative design. This is the result of a unique collaboration between national and international designers, together with their own creative team. Karlsson has grown to be an internationally recognised clock brand.
Tags: clock, Clocks, free, free offer, karlsson, karlsson clock
Posted in Clocks, News | No Comments »
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
This is definitely one of our favourite blog sites at the moment and it is so addictive. I just have to keep scrolling down, page after page of absolutely gorgeous pieces of art, craft and all things design lovers will drool over. Art at Heart is a visual collection of inspirational art, design, photography, music, craft and fashion. Follow them on Twitter http://twitter.com/ArtAtHeartUK for the latest finds and lose yourself in inspirational pieces of art and the designers behind them.
My favourite scrummy find and must have this week are Crystal Milk Bottles. Made from hand cut 24% lead crystal, Samantha Sweet’s hand blown cut crystal milk bottles are available in 10 patterns and offer a fusion of craft and creativity.
Samantha Sweet MA (RCA) is an award winning glass designer/maker based in London and her pieces combine a high level of craftsmanship with contemporary design. She studied at The Royal College of Art and her Crystal Milk Bottles are available at Fortnum & Masons in London.
Take some time out in your day and spend sometime at Art at Heart….you won’t regret it, infact you’ll love it!
Tags: art, art at heart, bottle, crystal, glass, glass bottles, hand blown glass, milk bottle, samantha sweet
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Thursday, May 27th, 2010
We LOVE our new Summer living range. It’s colourful, quirky & oozes stylish summer vibes.
Plus there’s a little something for everyone in our new summer gifts collection.
For Men who love nothing more than lazy summer Sundays, we have deckchairs &retro stainless steel cricket flasks.
For Ladies who love to host we have Gisela Graham jugs & glasses, Joseph Joseph salad bows & the new Rainforest picnic range. Not to mention our GORGEOUS Cath Kidston summer towels (particularly appropriate for ladies who love to lounge in the sun, on a beach by the sea, listening to Michael Buble…ahhh heaven) Right i’ll stop there!
The point is our new summer living range is quite frankly, FAB.
So take a look today & start feeling as summery as we do! 
Posted in Gifts, Home Accessories, Just Arrived, summer living | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Buying for Mum is a walk in the park, right? Flowers, chocolates, pamper days, ‘the usuals’. …Buying for Dad isn’t. Simple. Fact. As much as we love them, they are an awkward bunch to buy for! Not to worry, here at the gifted penguin we are offering a fab collection of Father’s Day fun & sentimental gifts. From Mr Grumpy mugs ( totally relevant in my opinion 
… ) to ‘Dear Dad’ lifetime journals, you will be sure to find something which puts a smile on Dad’s face
Treat the Superman in your life to a little something super! 
Posted in Gifts | No Comments »
Monday, May 24th, 2010
A huge Happy Birthday to Heather who reaches an ‘even’ number birthday today – she hates odd numbers so is feeling relaxed as she enters an even year. Who said financial directors were a strange bunch?!
Posted in News | No Comments »
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
As the warmer weather arrives there is nothing nicer than planning those all important breaks. Whether you opt for a short break in the UK or venture a little further afield you can’t beat that week long feeling of ‘come on Friday’. We have just taken delivery of two absolutely gorgeous weekend bags which everyone in the office wants. They are so different from the usual plain coloured bags and the quirky design is definitely a statement piece. My favourite is the Pretty City Weekend Bag which on the front and back of the cream and grey bag are images of London such as The Tower of London, Big Ben, St. Pauls, black cabs, red buses etc. It’s a great size and the cream and grey contrast works really well together. A close second in the longing stakes (although others here believe it should be number one!) is the Paper Plane Weekend Travel Bag which on the front and back of the bag has an ordinance style map printed on it and the back is a tiny label with S.W.A.L.K on it. The front pocket resembles an airmail envelope.
So which shall it be…….
Tags: airmail., bag, luggage, paper plane, pretty city, Travel, weekend bag, weekend breaks
Posted in Bags & Wallets, Just Arrived | No Comments »
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Another set of ‘Spotted’ items this week. On this week ‘s Location Location (which we love!) we spotted three of our fabulous items. The first one we ‘spotted’ was the Cream Enamel Bread Bin and I think the combination of the fab retro look and the neutral colour makes it a really popular choice. And then we ‘spotted’ the eternal favourite Emma Bridgewater Polka Dot Cake Tins and it has to be said the combination of style and the quality of any Emma Bridgewater product means many a house in the land can boast a piece of Bridgewater. The polka dot design has an enduring appeal and the tins look fabulous in either a contemporary or more traditional setting. The final ‘spotted’ was the Cath Kidston Large Spray Flowers Crush China Mug which is just so pretty and holds a great size cup of tea and allows plenty of dunking space for your digestive biscuit.
Tags: bread bin, cake, cake tins, cath kidston, crush mug, Emma Bridgewater, enamel, mug, polka dot, Spotted, sprig mug, tins
Posted in Kitchen & Dining, Spotted | No Comments »
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
We love these new summer picnic and outdoor living items that have arrived this week. The Rainforest Four Person Backpack Picnic Set
is a combination of style and practicality and has all you need for a great day out by including crockery, cutlery, wine glasses, a cheese board and knife, napkins and a corkscrew. What more could you need….oh okay it doesn’t include the sunshine! The backpack has a large insulated pocket for keeping your goodies fresh and also has that all important insulated bottle compartment for keeping the wine cool. To complete the ensemble just add our matching Rainforest Waterproof Picnic Blanket which is a generously sized picnic blanket which folds up into a comfortable cushion with a carry handle or opens into a large family sized picnic blanket with a fleece top and waterproof PVC backing.
Tags: backpack, blanket, butterflies, butterfly, cheese board, cheese knife, coolbag, crockery, cutlery, floral, glasses, hamper, insulated, napkins, outdoor living, picnic, picnic blanket, picnic hamper, rainforest, rucksack, summer living, waterproof, wine, wine glasses
Posted in Just Arrived, summer living | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
I love all these national weeks that occur during the year and as a sandwich lover I raise a wholemeal triangle in recognition of the ‘British Sandwich Week’ which is from 9th-15th May.
They are definitely a well loved British institution which should be celebrated with a round of cucumber sandwiches. The fourth Earl Of Sandwich gave his name to this British lunchtime, teatime, in fact anytime tradition in 1762 and we’ve been munching away ever since.
The joy of a sandwich is you can make it as healthy and wholesome as you like or the complete opposite and expose yourself to the delights of peanut butter, chocolate spread and bacon. Oh the joy of a bacon sandwich….yum…sorry I was lost in my thoughts there for a moment!
The second crucial thing in a sandwich is the transportation of said item to school, to work, to your picnic and so on. We’ve got a large range of lunch boxes available especially for children of which The Gruffalo Tin Lunch Box and Dinosaur Tin Lunch Box are two of the favourites. Little girls love the Gisela Graham Fairy Tea Party Lunch Bag and the Emma Bridgewater Dancing Mice Lunch Box. For the adults the Union Jack Tin Lunch Box is popular along with the Emma Ball Designer Tea Time Lunch Tin.
Tags: bag, box, british, celebration, dancing mice, dinosaurs, emma ball, Emma Bridgewater, fairies, fairy, lunch, lunch bag, lunch box, lunch boxes, lunch tin, picnic, sandwich, school, tea party, the gruffalo, tin, uk, union jack
Posted in Kitchen & Dining, News | No Comments »
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
I love the Moomins and my love affair began as a young teenager when I picked up my first Moomin book up at a jumble sale (before the days of boot fairs!) and fell in love with the soft, round and loving creatures. I have to confess my good friend Ben and I used to read them aloud to each other and made up voices for all the characters. Oh innocent days!
The first Moomin novel was published in 1945, The Moomins and The Great Flood. Eight more novels & three more picture books were to follow in the coming years. It was 1950 when the first English Moomin novel was published, Finn Family Moomintroll followed in 1954 by the London’s Evening News launching a Moomin Comic Strip. The last Moomin book was published in 1970.
For the uninitiated they are a family of trolls who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippos. The carefree and adventurous family live in their house in Moominvalley which is a peaceful, harmonious idyllic place to live. They live between the sea and the valley with a river running through the valley. It bursts into life in spring and is covered in snow when the Moomintrolls hibernate for the winter.
Some of the main characters include Moomintroll who is a happy soul who is excited by everything he sees and enjoys collecting shells and rocks and is happiest spending time with his friends. He has a very sensitive and gentle character. Moomintroll loves to daydream and loves Moominmamma and his family.
Moominmamma is loving, attentive and makes everyone feel safe. She finds a silver lining in everything and cares for all who visit Moominhouse. She is always wearing her red apron and carrying her handbag.
Snorkmaiden is a very good friend of Moomintroll. She too is a bit of a daydreamer and is a happy Snork. Snorks have the magical ability to change colour to reflect their mood!
The writing had some real gems in it and Snufkin’s comment on freedom still speaks volumes “One can never be entirely free, if one admires someone else too much.”
You can imagine my excitement when I found some fabulous Moomin licensed products which I love. The Moomin Spring Design Weekend Bag is so quirky and will be a talking point when you turn up at the Hotel Du Vin for your weekend away and why not finish the look with the Moomin Spring Wash Bag!
As a great coffee lover I can feel so virtuous and a touch quirky(!) when I turn up at Starbucks with my Moomin flask and ask them to fill it.
Take a moment to have a look at our Moomin products and maybe it will lead to a nostalgic moment like it did for me.
Tags: bag, coffee, flask, flasks, hand bag, handbag, holiday, moomin, moomins, moomintroll, shoulder bag, spring, tea, toiletry bag, Travel, wash bag, weekend bag
Posted in Bags & Wallets, Kitchen & Dining | No Comments »
