Jun
30
I Want That One
Filed Under Banter, My Home, Outdoor/Garden | 2 Comments
I have a hideously large folder in my bookmarks containing hundreds of unedited links to a lot of things that I want in this life, all pertaining to homes and interiors, which is named quite simply “I Want That One.” Yes, I was vaguely inspired by Little Britain when I came up with that one. Obviously, it is my intention at some point to revisit this folder and edit out the unnecessary, the overindulgent and the downright greedy selections that I have made over the course of I Want That One’s lifetime but there is always something else to do. For not only am I a vigorous bookmarker, I am also a shameless list maker and my fellow list makers will understand that this one wouldn’t even make it onto my to do list because I would never have the ultimate satisfaction of crossing it off.
So you see, when I came across this selection of images of a rooftop terrace in New York on Apartment Therapy today, my right hand automatically latched onto my mouse and I watched as the cursor uncontrollably moved to the bookmark section of my browser and promptly saved the web page into “I Want That One.” Because that’s how it works – it’s a fully automated system that I am sometimes totally unaware of and were I to even attempt to edit the folder I probably wouldn’t remember half of the web pages saved in there anyway!
So, back to the subject at hand, I am having some serious terrace envy just looking at these images courtesy of Apartment Therapy…
I wonder if I could fit all those lovely things – the outdoor kitchen, a table and chairs, the sun loungers and a glorious outdoor shower on my meagre balcony (bottom right image above)? A bit of a tight squeeze perhaps?
Jun
30
Who Moo-ved My Milk?
Filed Under Gifts, Kitchen, Shop Stuff, Tea Party | 6 Comments
I think this is one of those milk jugs that might just fall into the novelty category, meaning you’ll either love it or you’ll hate it. I love it, my husband loves it but my mother hates it. It has passed the rigorous Mabel & Violet test meaning they both love it but what do you think? Moo Cow Ceramic Milk Jug €9.95 – love it or hate it?
Jun
26
Oh-So-Pretty Picnic Baskets
Filed Under Gifts, Shop Stuff, Tea Party, Weddings | Leave a Comment
Floral 4 Person Picnic Basket from Mabel & Violet
Extra, extra, read all about it! With all this fine weather we’re having at the moment (I know, I know, touch wood and all that) I am delighted to announce the joyous arrival of our brand spanking new Picnic Baskets here at Mabel & Violet! I just love them and anyone, ok any girl, who has clapped eyes on these beauties has gasped and practically jigged on the spot with sheer joy at the very gorgeousness of them. And when I tell them that they only cost €49.95 the same joy becomes utter disbelief at the super duper recession friendly value for money on offer before their very eyes!! Are you sold yet? If that’s not enough to convince you, here is a list of what’s inside:
- 4 x Ceramic Plates
- 4 x Acrylic Wine Glasses
- 4 x Knives
- 4 x Forks
- 4 x Spoons
- 4 x Cotton Napkins
- 1 x Bottle Opener
- Salt & Pepper Shakers
And if you don’t want to snap one of these up for yourself, they make a stunning wedding present…for the bride and groom that have everything! The beauty is that you can actually personalize them with lots of goodies, like wine and gourmet delights for the foodies, beer and munchies for a laid back couple or my personal favourite – how about some Lyons/Barrys (delete as appropriate!) tea and a few ham sandwiches for a truly Irish picnic affair! The beauties are available for delivery by courier to Ireland and the UK at a cost of just €8.00.
Jun
21
Inflatable Furniture Just Got Cool
Filed Under Furniture | 2 Comments
I’m still on the hunt for the elusive Mr. Chester Field, although thankfully I do feel that I’m getting closer to finding him. There are a few reasonably priced vintage versions on ebay at the moment but as usual I’m searching for perfection and I’m wondering if, like the perfect man, the perfect Chesterfield sofa actually exists? Hmmm.
In the meantime though I have come across the perfect inflatable seat by Dutch designer Jeroen van de Kant, available from Blofield and I actually considered buying one to bring to Electric Picnic until I saw that they cost more than I plan to spend on my real Chesterfield couch!
Blofield Inflatable Chesterfield Armchair
Jun
18
Lisbeth Dahl & Garden Trading Products Coming Back in Stock Very Soon
Filed Under Gifts, Shop Stuff, Weddings | 5 Comments
Things have been a bit mental around here lately with both Mabel & Violet and the renovations, so we headed off for a few days last week to try to unwind and clear the aul heads. I was fortunate enough to have someone to look after the business side of things while I was away and sure we just left the builders to their own devices – not a good idea some might say but we didn’t have any problems anyway.
It was back to work with a bang though on Tuesday and things did not let up during our brief hiatus. The new Lisbeth Dahl and Garden Trading stock is literally flying off the shelves at the moment and I can’t seem to keep it in stock. I will be getting more of the Ivory Pagoda Umbrellas, Green & Cream Birdhouses, Apple Green Miners Lanterns, Silver Plated Brass Cakestands and the very popular Warley Blue Teapot and Mugs back in stock in the next few weeks. Watch out also for some more new and exciting products coming soon…
Jun
5
Twit Twoo…Even if I May Say So Myself
Filed Under Banter, Shop Stuff | Leave a Comment
I’m feeling pretty chuffed with myself because I managed to design and successfully send my first html email, with proper links and everything. For all you designers out there please disregard the crude coding and accept it for what it is ie. my first proper attempt at html. For our previous email newsletters I have used a Mail Chimp template (LOVE Mail Chimp) and great and all as they are, I really want our emails to reflect the site design as much as possible so hey presto I designed this in Illustrator and Photoshop and converted it to html in Image Ready. I’m sure that’s neither the simplest nor the best way to do it but it worked for me. Looks like I did actually learn something in college afterall before I became a beauty school drop out! I sent a batch of these out today so some of you folks who are signed up for our newsletter will have received this already and the rest of you just keep your eyes peeled for this little beauty winging its way to your inbox in the next few days!
Jun
5
New Products for Summer
Filed Under Gifts, Shop Stuff, Weddings | Leave a Comment
I’ve had a great week here because I had the perfect excuse to go outside and enjoy the sunshine in the shape of a much needed photo shoot! I popped up onto the roof and took some lovely shots of some new products that have just arrived in stock, so here are just a couple of images for your viewing pleasure….
I just love the delicate floral patterns in the water pitcher and plant pots and at these prices they are such a bargain too! China Blue Pitcher €6.95 & Floral Planter Set €7.95