My Epic Little Pony

Spotted this yesterday at an antiques warehouse. The inner 7 year old in me stared for ages wondering how amazing it would look in my garden, and then 28 year old me tells me it's the most garish thing ever. Oh and it lights up too. Epic.

I'm really madly into Pinterest at the moment, between interior design ideas and wedding stuff I think I click 'Pin It' more than anything else on my laptop. I'm finding it the easiest way to gather everything I like visually, I've folders of downloaded images on my laptop which can now be deleted thanks to the wonders on Pinterest. Now that I've discovered how to Pin from my iPad there is no end to the obsession... Check out my page here.

Urbanized Poster by Build

Ok, so it's Wednesday and raining (again) in Manchester and I spot that Gary Hustwit is making a new film. First thought - limited edition posters! And true to form there is a beautiful set of four limited-edition A2 Urbanized silkscreen prints designed by Build.

Not even just a lovely way to spend your pennies, but the proceeds actually fund the film, and ever better you get a mention in the film's credits if you buy the set of four! Ok, they're $400 for the set, but if you're an agency or rich it would look amazing!

If you're feeling super rich for a mere $5,000 Gary Hustwit himself will fly to where you are to host a private screening of the film, plus you get DVD's the screen prints and T-shirts. That might be a pretty good event actually...

The National Lottery beckons....

Rebecca Thuss

Absolutely love the website of Rebecca Thuss, former editor of Martha Stuart Weddings, photo stylist and all round creator of pretty things. It's just page after page of lovely things. Indulge here.

Black Swan Posters

These amazing art deco inspired posters for the forthcoming film Black Swan starring Natalie Portman have just been released. A round of applause for a film studio that allowed graphic design to speak for itself and not have to squeeze endless celebrity faces into a generic film poster.

It must be the first time I've wanted to put a modern film poster on my wall! I'm just wondering how to get my hands on them? May have to chat up a cinema worker over the next month...

Salford Flea Market Postcards

After braving the fog, snow and freezing cold I finally made the 50 metre trek to Salford's Sunday flea market in search of an old Barbie for the top of my recently erected Christmas tree. Success was to be had with many a bedraggled barbie for the princely sum of 50p, a quick wipe down with a disinfectant wipe and a little sewing and we'll be fairy a go-go in no time!

Aside from the usual tat there were a collection of postcards at my usual favourite stall of war-time memorabilia and house clearance items. I just had to have the postcard from Canada between two school pen-pals with the message "Dear David, I hope you get in the world book of records. From Jennifer Mott". I've been googling all morning to try to find this Jennifer Mott from New Brunswick, just thought it would be lovely if she could get the postcard back after 22 years. I shall endeavor to keep looking...

Snow in Salford!

Celebrating the nearing of December today as I wake up to a dusting of snow across Salford. Only one more sleep until I have an excuse to create a tacky nightmare in my house - only twenty more origami baubles to make, recycle recycle is the theme this year!

Find some good starting points for origami decor here

Or try this origami wreath, a nice 15 minute project.

Halloween Finger Biscuits

Found a fabulous recipe from bbcgoodfood.com for biscuits in the shape of fingers for creepy Halloween party food. Easy and anything, you just put the ingredients together in the food processor blend away until it forms a dough, then roll out with your hands, make some crease marks with a knife and push on an almond for the nail. Creepy.




Finger Biscuits
100g caster sugar
100g butter
1 egg yolk
200g plain flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
20 blanched almonds
red food colouring

Method

Place the first five ingredients and a pinch of salt in a food processor and whizz just until a ball of dough forms. Tear off a golfball-size piece of dough and use your hands to roll into finger-size cylinders - you should get about 20. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment - a little apart as they will spread during baking. Use a knife to make a few cuts, close together, for the knuckles. Place an almond at the end of each finger and trim away excess pastry around the edge to neaten. Place in the fridge for 30 mins, heat oven to 180C/160F/Gas 4, then bake for 10-12 mins just until firm. Leave to cool a little, then paint the almond with food colouring, if you like. Makes 20.

Get the full recipe from BBC Good Food here.

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Rocking it in Red

Showing that red and leopard print really can look elegant Georgia May Jagger really won this week in the style stakes, managing pretty and edgy all in one with this amazing red lace-trimmed Meadham Kirchoff dress and Charlotte Olympia leopard print heels. Looking every bit rock royalty the 18 year-old daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall attended Vogue's London Emerging Designers cocktail party this week in New York working a youthful scarlet showing us that red can really work on lighter skin-tones. Does this girl ever put a fashion foot wrong?

Photo: Handbag.com

Lanvin for H&M

The wait is nearly over! Only ten days to go until we can get our hands on Lanvin’s collection for H&M launching 20th November. France’s oldest couture house as seen on the likes of Anna Wintour, Rihanna and Katie Holmes to name a few is bringing luxury to the masses with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us regular girls to get our hands on these beautiful clothes. With dresses starting at £90 this 48-piece collection isn’t cheap but worth splashing out the extra cash in time for Christmas. My favorites include the bright yellow one-shoulder ruffle dress and black ruffle prom dress. Get saving those pennies!

Image: Lanvin

Jumping for Joy in Bristol!

Better late but never, this summer the Sharkey family were jumping for joy in Bristol when my little sister Moo graduated with First Class Degree in Biology! Well done little Moo!



So we had an excellent two days in Bristol, despite the loss of my iPod touch, sob sob. The best bit was watching Moo doing the Bristol University tradition of putting your hands together and pleading for your degree as you go up on stage - strange but funny! At Glasgow we got boshed on the head by a cushion - honestly where do these things come from? But you've got to love the odd traditions!

Congrats Moo! Oh and congrats of starting your PHD, you little geeky child!

TeuxDeux

OK, I realise I'm a few months behind on the TeuxDeux list website, but my god isn't it fabulous! At first I thought it was pretty dull, a website to write to do lists, but now as I've so many little tasks to get done and feel like I'm juggling too many balls it's my saviour!

TeuxDeux.com does exactly was it says on the tin, creates lovely to do lists. As you ad a task you can click to cross it off and which ever tasks are not completed that day will automatically move over to the next - genius in it's simplicity. Even better it works on your iPhone (or other smart phone) so you're organised everywhere! This week I've been on top of everything, although each day my list grows and I add more and do less...

Sign up to make little scraps of paper a thing of the past.


Pic from smokingapples.com

Fab Lab

I nearly fell off my chair when I read about Fab Lab - and in Manchester no less! An amazing FREE resource where any individuals can pop own have an induction and use some amazing equipment from laser cutters to 3D printers. I've been after use of a laser cutter for about a year but haven't had the funds to really get going - now is my chance!

based over at Chips, the Urban Spalsh development in in New Islington, Fab Lab first started at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in inner-city Boston in 2005, now has over 35 locations worldwide.

Here's What they offer:

* A computer-controlled lasercutter, for press-fit assembly of 3D structures from 2D parts

* A larger (4'x8') numerically-controlled milling machine, for making furniture- (and house-) sized parts

* A vinylcutter, to produce signs, printing masks, flexible circuits, and antennas

* A precision (micron resolution) milling machine to make three-dimensional moulds and surface-mounted circuit boards

* Electronics assembly

* Programming tools for low-cost high-speed embedded processors

* Sewing and embroidery equipment


Open to businesses Tuesdays to Thursdays and for individuals Friday & Saturday. I actually can't wait to get in there and start making!

For more info visit their website www.fablabmanchester.org

The Manchester Weekender

It's all too much! Sack the person that put on three festivals in one weekend in Manchester! We spend most of the year waiting for something great to come along and what do you know, like buses, three come along at once. The annual Manchester Food & Drink Festival is back with some of Manchester's top restaurants churning out excellent food in Albert Square, though I think I love the posters more than the idea of standing in the rain eating! See the full programme here.




At the exact same time Abandon Normal Devices (AND) festival is also on, with workshops, films and installation art all around Manchester. I'm looking forward to seeing Phil Collins' latest short film Marxism Today at the Cornerhouse. See the full programme here.

If that wasn't enough Un-convention is on this weekend with Bill Drummond, Jah Wobble, Jarvis Cocker, to name a few, are playing at a host of venues across Salford, namely the Salford Lad's Club where tonight Billy Bragg and Kid British are playing at the iconic venue. Great event, although I found it utterly confusing how you buy tickets, and frankly £50 for a festival pass for one weekend is pretty much most of a weeks salary for some of us Salfordians. Seems as though it's more for people to come to Salford, not for us to see things in our area, what a shame.

Finally the Manchester Weekender, which combines some of the above three but adds some more extra activities, just in case you couldn't find something to do! It rather handily divides the weekend into three choices, The Urban Weekender, The Classic Weekender and the Urban Playground, giving you a slice of what's on whether your preferred weekend includes your fixie bike or your three kids.

Nevertheless it's been a crazy two days in Manchester, but a bit of a shame these things weren't spread over the month as only those with the time to trawl the extensive festival listings packed in enough to get a flavour of what was to offer.

Shall try and catch some of the AND festival exhibitions as the continue over the next day or so. Shall report my findings!

We've Moved!

Several arguments, one leaky boiler, one broken Peter Blake later we've finally moved! You'd have thought that moving two streets over would be a piece of cake but alas no, loading up the tiny car every evening for two week is possibly the most laborious way to move. But here we are in our first house, and finding it really strange being able to paint any wall we fancy, after almost six years of renting it's a pretty odd feeling! I shall be posting all the disasters in due course, there will be many...

Oh, and Phill really isn't that odd looking in real life!

Sky Lanterns

The latest Chimney Pot Park lovely craze is Sky Lanterns, no party in complete without letting a few lanterns go - there's something about fire and pretty paper that mesmerizes. We got ours from the pound shop in Salford precinct but you can get them from amazon.co.uk here.

Salford Sunday Flea Market

Nothing we do gives us as much pleasure as fear than Salford Sunday Flea Market, next to the precinct, or Salford Shopping City to be precise. The combination of tat and treasure is surely unique to Salford, as combinations of used 90’s make-up and war time pocket watches can’t be found anywhere else. It has to be said nine times out of ten we leave empty handed and wondering if that was in fact our neighbours stolen bike for sale, but the summer time is when all the best stuff comes out of the woodwork. Some stalls consist of literally tat, bin bags overflowing poured onto the damp tarmac and piles of ‘obtained’ irons, blenders and oddly, breadmakers. Other stalls however, which aren’t always there every week, have collections of antique teapots, old Manchester maps, 1920’s sheet music and, like last week, Victorian picnic hampers complete with vintage wineglasses and butter knives. If you can handle sifting the tat, and can put your game face on some little treasures can be found. We recently picked up a 1930’s picture frame for 50p and a set of eight teacups and saucers for £2 (see picture), and have great luck finding unusual picture frames and teapots.

I have to say I did in the end purchase a bread maker for £10, needless to say I daren’t ask where they got it from!

Salford Flea Market, every Sunday, Salford Market next to Salford shopping city, 9am - about 1ish. Get there before 12 though any good stuff goes!

Spring Is Here!

Spring is here finally! After a horrendous, long winter of extreme snow and -12 degrees usually found only in Scotland not Salford I am sighing a huge sigh of relief that spring has finally sprung. My mini daffodils came out so fast I am considering setting up a time-lapse camera on my desk tomorrow to show you!

I'm currently preparing a new article on 'Urban Gardening' as well as posting all my latest finding in the recipe binder and design findings. Oh and this amazing new butchers in Flixton that delivers free - amazing!

Phillip and I made the most amazing ketchup on Saturday, it was spiced like a Bloody Mary cocktail - joy! We're looking into going into business with our ketchups, chutneys and jams, they're pretty great - will keep you posted, free samples for all readers!

Must crack on with the drinking of the beer and eating of bangers and mash...

First Photos

Plant Pot-Holes

Just found this fabulous design student Pete Dungey's work, highlighting the huge amount of potholes in our roads (there are so so many!) by planting up the holes with floral arrangments. He claims: 'If we planted one of those in every hole, it would be like a forest in the road'. Give it a go on your own street and send the photos to him here.

I know I'm giving this a go this week! (if the snow stays away that is...)