Presenting money as a gift...

Just before Christmas my eldest cousin got married, as a wedding gesture my family chose to give the young newlyweds a bit of money to help them towards booking a lovely hot and sunny honeymoon destination or for them to buy some bits and bobs for around the house.
I don't know about you, but it can sometimes feel a little awkward handing over money, it always seems to flop out of the card and you don't want the receiver to be uncomfortable with it.

Here's just a simple and quick way to present money as a gift using an old candle box...

Make a start by finding a nicely sized candle box that you could use. This one was from a candle bought in TK Maxx, luckily the designs and colour scheme were suitable to leave, but if you wanted to cover your box, try wrapping it in brown paper or a map. There were a few bits I wanted to cover up on the lower section of the box, to hide this I added a label made from typewriter tape saying the date of the wedding and the names of my cousin and his wife.

To finish off add some tissue paper to compliment the colour scheme you're running with and place in your gift. Try tying a piece of ribbon around the notes to keep them neat and you're  all ready to rock. 

Of course you could adapt this idea to any occasion - Birthday's, Christmas, Easter and it doesn't have to hold money, it would be perfect for small gestures.

I'd love to know if you try it, or if you have any ideas for presenting gifts? 

Harri 

xxxx

I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart...

Three guesses from the post title who I went to see last night? 

The very lovely Lumineers. Matt had bought me tickets for Christmas after I fell in love with their song
"Hey, Ho" and have ever since had their album on repeat. If one band could epitomise my taste in music it would be them, I adore that lively, folkey style sound - music like this fills my Spotify playlists.

I took some photos on my iPhone as there was an incredible moment right at the end of the show that I'm sure I'll never forget. After an amazing one hour set, the band came back on, but this time parted the crowed and played to us. I was in awe at how the same time last week I was tucked up in bed, watching them play at The Grammy's, now they were two people away from me playing live.

Have any of you guys ever seen The Lumineers? What are you listening to at the moment? I'd love to know...

Harri 

xxx

I've been shopping #8

I thought I'd share with you some bits and pieces I picked up last weekend whilst I was home, it's kind of a mash-up of vintage, high street, home wear and beauty. Enjoy...

There are some really great charity shops in my home town, so whenever I'm back I always take the opportunity to have a browse. This black and cream blazer was hung ever so limply on the end of one of the rails, it was one of those items I had to try on to fall in love with and it happened. It fits perfectly, just ever so slightly over sized - Just the way I like it.

After I bought the jacket, it occurred to me that I own no casual, throw on dresses (why does this always happen!?) So I tootled on to Topshop and came across this adorable denim pinafore. It was just what I was after, something to throw over blouses, T-Shirts and jumpers.

One of the main reasons I actually went shopping was to get some more storage, more specifically "boyfriend friendly storage" i.e. No lid. I headed straight to TK Maxx, as they always seem to have unusual storagey type bits for reasonable prices. I picked up this hessian sack style basket - it's really great quality and looks super tucked in the corner of my bedroom.

A shopping trip, wouldn't be a shopping trip without me picking up a nail polish. I'm a bit of an ESSIE addict, but unfortunately they didn't have the limey green shade I was after, so I headed over to Bourjois and found this one. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I thought I'd give it a try.

Have you guys bought anything interesting recently? I'd loved to know...

Harri 

xxx

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New sheepskin coat

My mum has always told me that there's nothing warmer than sheepskin. Taking this with a pinch of salt, I bought my first sheepskin coat and I can't deny.. I haven't taken it off since. I had been lusting after an Acne version ever since spotting it in Copenhagen, but sadly as necessities like food, water and rent come before desirable Acne jackets, I settled for a £20 one found in a charity shop. Take a look...

It is the most cosy, comfortable and useful pieces of clothing I have ever owned, plus I think it looks pretty cool too. Luckily the one I found is in a classic cut and colour, it goes with everything from jeans to dresses making it extremely versatile. Sheepskin in shops can be very expensive, so take a look in charity shops and flea markets, they come up a lot cheaper, also remember to look in the mens section too...

Harri 

xxx

52 Things I love about you...

As Valentines day is just around the corner, I thought I'd show you all how I put together my "52 things I love about you" Valentines card. I'd love to say this adorable idea was mine, but sadly I have to give kudos to pinterest for this one. Here's how I did it...

So here's what you need, but obviously adapt as you please. For example used coloured paper, or if you don't have any binding loops try a piece of twine or ribbon to hold your cards together.

Using your paper of choice measure out 2cm x 2.5cm rectangles to stick onto the back of the cards to write your messages on. Just a little speedy tip, layer up your paper when you're measuring, this way you can cut more than one out at a time.

Glue on each of your rectangles onto the back of your playing cards and write away. Remember to take the two joker cards out of the pack so your left with 52 exactly. You can then use one of these left over cards for the cover.

After you've written all your messages and notes, hole punch each of the cards and hook them onto your binding loop. You can either use one or two of these loops depending on what effect you want.

And there you have it - I went back over my pack and added some little hearts and kisses to some of the cards to make it a little more personal. This makes for a lovely little gift all year around and is something really sweet to keep which doesn't cost a lot to make.

What are you guys doing for Valentines day? Have you made any cards or gifts? I'd love to know...

Harri 

xxx

I've been shopping #7

Just a little post to show you what I bought in Copenhagen - The shopping over there was brilliant.. particularly If you like a more simple, relaxed kind of style. Lucky for me, I was in heaven and thankfully it was my Birthday a few weeks prior to my trip, which I was kindly given some Danish Krone. My only downside to the Copenhagen shopping experience is there's no middle ground. You either have expensive designer boutiques or high street stores like H&M, Zara and Monki, which goes against my one holiday shopping rule - Don't buy things you can get at home.

The first item I picked up was a pair of Acne jeans. I live in black jeans, pretty much wearing them everyday, so I saw this purchase as a bit of an investment. The pair I chose are the skinny, ankle length cut. They fit me perfectly and have kept their shape so far. I found the sizes came up quite small, so if you're thinking about buying a pair definitely try them on.

Whilst browsing in one of the department stores Illum, I came across this lovely illustration book. I'd say it's comes under the genre of an "adult's colouring book", I fell in love with all the hand drawn doodles and scribbles that fill each page. I love having these types of books around the house, as they always come in handy for inspiration.

I "ummed and ahhhed" over these Whyred boots the duration of my trip. They were a bit of a bargain with 70% of the original price, so it brought the price down to around the same as a pair of boots from Topshop. They have a really cool heal and I look the navy blue suede, they makes a change from my usual black staple boot.

I could have spent hours looking in the book section of Illum finding the perfect housey/lifestyle magazine to bring home. After a good half hour mulling over a good selection I chose Vakre. The magazine has a great Scandinavian aesthetic with a "find something different every time you flick" type of quality.

Last but not least, I bought Matt a little gift. This long sleeved tee is from a really cool store called Norgaard. I love anything stripy with a nautical influence, I think it always looks great for spring summer and the bright orange made it a little more different to anything I had seen at home. I think he likes it!

Do you guys like Scandinavian style? Have you ever been shopping in Copenhagen?

I'd love to know...

Harri xxx

A weekend in Copenhagen...

I got back from a speedy visit to Copenhagen on Monday evening. After a bumpy flight home and a bruised bank balance I thought I'd share some of the photos I took with you. To be honest I didn't take as many as I thought, must have been too busy having fun. Enjoy...

Over the three and a bit days I was over there, I did a lot of shopping. I have a huge brief at the moment, concentrating on Scandinavian fashion, so it was brilliant to see all the clothes in the flesh and check out all the lovely details, colours and silhouettes (I could have spent a fortune!) - I may photograph and blog about some of the pieces I bought whilst I was over there in the coming week.

So finally, some pointers if you're heading to Copenhagen any time soon - 

Save, save, save. It's pretty expensive to eat and drink 

Invest in warm clothes, hats, scarves, gloves, thermals... 

Comfy shoes are a must as everything is in walking distance

Think about staying in a hostel, mine was around £50 for three nights and was lovely

Harri 

xxx