Introducing; Ulster Weavers

It has been far too long since I had a new and exciting brand on my Introducing pages, and I am excited to get back into the swing of things thanks to Ulster Weavers. When an email arrived linking to their latest collaboration with Clarissa Hulse, I was immediately drawn to the prints and colours incorporated and I just had to share some top picks from the site. Based in Northern Ireland, and having been on the go since 1880, the company history lies in spinning, weaving and bleaching the linen which Ulster has become famous for. Since then they have taken these skills and expertise to create expansive kitchen textile lines that are absolutely beautiful. Their quality is not to be messed with either considering they hold a royal warrant for supplying kitchen textiles to Queen Elizabeth since 1995- that is quite the claim to fame!

The ranges reach far from the kitchen nowadays and include home accessories like throws and coasters right the way to bags such as the stunning toiletry bags I received to try out. I am such a big oilcloth fan for any item as I am essentially one messy pup especially when it comes to my make up, so this duo of bags are ideal for me! Clarissa Hulse has used a stunning botanical print and utilized it in 3 bold colourways that I struggled to choose between. The bags are in a small cosmetic bag and a larger wash bag and they make a beautiful set that will with stand a lot of carrying around.

There are so many pretty collections on the site but one of the first items that has stolen my heart is the layered leave tote in the darker colours  I don't want to sound dramatic but  I am deeply in love!! I am cursing my maternity leave spending ban right now, but this has moved right to the top of the dream list. Also I can't be the only one who swoons at a decent tea towel and how gorgeous are the Clarissa Hulse set? Look at that hot pink!!

There is pretty much something for everyone from adorable cat/dog and elephant prints to rich morrocan tile patterns and even stunningly bold Designers Guild floral prints that are right up my street. Throw in the seasalt stripes collection and this insanely cute elephant childs apron, and I am pretty much Ulster Weavers biggest fan right now!!

Well worth checking out their vast range of wares for Christmas shopping this year, you wont be disappointed.

Introducing; Skye Candles

I am almost ready to get moved into the house, there is lots to be done but fingers crossed come Christmas I will at least be sleeping under that  roof! There are so many bits and bobs to think about that my brain is fully fried but if there is one thing I can count on now is that it will at least the new place will smell lovely and welcoming thanks to a lovely treat from Skye Candles.

I have bought so many of their products in the past as gifts for other people so I was delighted to have one just for me this time around. I never used to be particularly interested into scented candles but when I got my flat a few years ago I realised how big a difference they can make in creating an atmosphere. Now everyone might be going Hygge crazy right now, but I think we have always been pretty good at it here in Scotland thanks to our abysmal weather, and Skye Candles have the most gorgeous array of scents and sizes on offer.

Passing the 10 year milestone this year, the team at Skye Candles have been on quite a journey. starting in a family owned renovated Bothy set among some stunning landscape on Skye to their beautiful 5^thshop right in the heart of Glasgow on Buchanan Street, the company continues to build a huge following thanks to their quality products. I had always picked them up as gifts as I had heard  the burn time was excellent for the price  and the scents they use are just dreamy.

I have been trying out the 3 wick candle (sneakily before I move into the house), and I was surprised by how affordable it actually was at only £28 but giving a solid 45 hours burn time.I found it so hard to pick which one I wanted to try, with some really interesting sounding fragrance combinations such as Highland Gorse, Rasberry and white Ginger and Pimento and Cranberries but in the end I actually let Ally pick something out. He was keen to give the Wooden Heart version a go as he thought it had a masculine sound along with the Mango diffuser for our hallway as it would be bright and fresh. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with his reasoned choices and we were both so pleased with his decision. Wooden heart is the most enticing blend of the outdoors using tea tree, cedar and a little bit of orange. it has a beautiful earthy feel that is going to be perfect for our living room and the orange gives it this seasonal touch that is perfect right now. I have had diffusers in the past but always find their scent has never been strong enough but this one is a total breath of fresh air. With the refill bottles only £10, I will absolutely be getting more.

I have compiled quite the wish list of products that I am dying to try now, the little travel tins would make amazing presents and the individual tumblers are definitely getting purchased for our spare bedrooms. I am delighted i finally gave Skye Candles a go, they are well worth checking out for your Christmas shopping this year. 

Introducing: Bear & Bear

So I am off on my travels next month- two weeks of hitting Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava and Prague- and I could not be more excited. I need to actually get my ass in gear however and sort out all the little details like insurance, travel money etc but where is the fun in that?? So instead I have distracted myself for shopping for things I need for the trip and while on the hunt for the ideal day rucksack for taking with me I stumbled across an amazing website I wanted to share. Bear & Bear is an incredibly curated shop covering homewares, tech and travel and I was really taken with the unique mix of items they stock and thought they are actually perfect for not only meeting my travel needs but actually also a fab place to find the ideal wedding present.  I love looking for the perfect present for a couple but sometimes it is not easy with so many items just being too ‘weddingy’, but Bear and Bear had loads of stuff that I know if it was me getting married I would be over the moon with. Something from here would really celebrate a couple’s interests and be a cool and practical item that they could get proper use out of which is a much more appealing idea to me that some of the usual things that get given a lot.

Clockwise from top: Herb Stand/ Enamel Bake Set/ Camera Strap/ Hammock/
Cashmere Blanket/ Pocket sized Picnic Blanket/ Lomography camera/ Dropp Bowl/ Herschel bag

From beautiful Merino Cashmere blankets to super funky Lomography cameras and accessories- there was something for every couple that would really stand out from other gifts. You can pretty much guarantee a smile on anyone’s face if you present them with a packable rainbow hammock! The home wares section is really dreamy and I was super impressed with the prices (never mind the amazing sale that is on).

In the end I found the perfect rucksack I was after- Herschel bags are everywhere right now but Bear & Bear were the only place selling some amazing print versions that I was totally sold on. I ended up going for the gorgeous Settlement Rucksack in remix print and I am in love! They are only £27.50 in the sale currently which is a bargain in comparison to what I have seen them stocked elsewhere. Delivery was quick and reasonable so all in all a great shopping experience; I would definitely recommend checking them out.

Glasgow Reviewed; The Ideal Home Show

Last weekend I was invited along to experience the Ideal Home Show Scotland with the focus of the bloggers event being the reuse of older furniture and how upcycling can transform a home. Now it will come as no surprise that this aspect of it was right up my street, so much so that I will cover that in a post of its own, but for now I just wanted to fill you in on my time at the show generally. This was my first time going along but have been at similar from big crafting expos, to Girls Days out, but the Ideal Home Show was by far the absolute best. There were three huge halls absolutely stacked full with 400 exhibitors selling things like food and drink to beauty to the obvious homewares to gardening too, without a doubt there something for everyone and it was such a good laugh to go and explore.

Ally and I headed into the show not knowing exactly what to expect and were really impressed with the line-up of stalls and products to take a look at, the good offers that were being extended and the all round fun element it brought to a day out. We had a fantastic time racing between the big garden pods, to trying samples of gins to watching cookery demonstrations and learning about products and brands we had never heard of before. We got to chat to the owners and creators of lots of Scottish made products which was lovely, and it was great to store away some ideas for when we have a bigger home of our own. I was really impressed with the whole day and totally recommend heading along next time- my top tips would be to go early before it gets too rammed, take some cash out before you head in to beat some of the queues and be sure to check out the timetable for demonstrations and talks on the main stage so you don’t miss any!

We had such a good time we sent my mum and dad along on the Sunday to enjoy it too and they couldn’t get enough either! They were there most of the day and left with a lot of the same stuff we did ( Heck sausages, the gorgeously packaged Rock and Rose Gin and a print from Urban Rebel Designs ) I think all four of us will definitely be heading along next time around, I am already excited!