Wednesday 20 April 2011

A Very Royal Window Display.




I have created a jolly window installation for Beautiful Interiors in Walthamstow. It sells lovely vintage furniture as well as many a handmade treat from lots of London artists and designers. If you dont have your bunting for your Royal Wedding Street Party, this is where to get it.

A Trip to Amsterdam.

1953 Retro and Chic
Boekenmarkt
Someone's strange house full of dolls
The Darling Boutique and Cafe

Fairytale Gypsy Village

Ahhhh, Amsterdam, you were not what I expected. I thought I would see ladies of the night and 'lads on tour' and general red light hideousness. Yes, I did see all of the afore mentioned, but luckily they are confined to only a small area. The rest of Amsterdam is dream of beautiful cobbled streets with canals, lined with little boutiques and design stores and bizarre little shops. It was a delight.

Day one was spent wandering the Negen Straatjes (The Nine Streets), a grid of independent shops and bars. We stumbled across 'The Darling', a very sweet clothing boutique with a little upstairs cafe serving tea and cupcakes. The walls were adorned with teacup lampshades and hyacinths and beautiful vintage furniture.
We visited the Postzegelmarkt, a market for medals, coins and stamps, where I picked up many early stamps of the Queen. The streets nearby were lovely to explore, especially Rosmarijnsteeg which was full of antique book and stamp shops. We also made it to Antiekmarkt De Looier which was an indoor antiques market full of interesting bits. The Otherist was quite a sweet little shop full of curiosities, and Kitsch Kitchen made us smile with its garish colours and plastic tat.

After accidentally exploring a gypsy village, Day Two was spent wandering Waterlooplein Flea Market, in my opinion the best of the bunch and Boekenmarkt, a little alleyway of books, maps and prints. We found 1953, easily the best of the vintage shops were stumbled across and we feasted on sumptuous chocolates at Puccini Bomboni.

Other lovely activities worth a mention across the rest of the trip included the best hot chocolate at De tart van m'n tante, an outrageously camp cake shop which had a 'Kate and Will' cake exhibition followed by lots of relaxing in the Sarphatipark.

A marvellous trip.
Darling
1953
The Glasses Museum

Saturday 2 April 2011

So long, farewell, adieu....

Just a little note to let anyone curious know that I am off to far away places here and there for the next few weeks, please email hoorayfor (@) alicegabb.com for any desperate enquiries as I will be flitting back and forth to London.

Normal service will resume after Easter. I hope you all have a lovely break and are all as jolly as Elizabeth and Margaret up there. I'm so excited about the Royal Wedding!

Friday 1 April 2011

Back at Broadway.

After too many projects and general kerfuffle and mischief, I am back at Broadway Market, every Saturday 9am-5pm. I still don't have a set stall so just to keep you on your toes, I move around weekly....here I am playing Market Trader.

If you still haven't visited Broadway, you are missing out sir, located between Regents Canal and London fields, it makes for a grand day out.
Dress sharp mind, these Hackney residents have a fine eye for fashion.
(Well....some more than others....)
See where it is here, and read what TimeOut have to say about Broadway here.

The House of Hackney Pop Up Tea Rooms.


Quick! Get up to Dalston and visit the showrooms of the beautiful House of Hackney. Only open until Sunday 3rd April, Castle Gibson's flaking walls have been taken over; upstairs hosting two floors of House of Hackney's magnificent collection homewares and textiles, and downstairs hosting Lily Vanilli's tearooms. With more mismatched floral crocks than you can shake a teaspoon at, for £10 you may dine for high tea, sampling three baked treats and drinking unlimited pots of tea. I sampled the flourless orange cake, chocolate brownie and a lavender meringue, and they were spectacular. I do feel I missed out not sampling the absinthe and mint chocolate chip ice cream though....

I was lucky enough to have a consultation with the guest doctor, adorned in a fine tweed waistcoat and bow tie, he held my hand for a few moments across the desk and asked me to close my eyes, he then rang a bell and typed away my diagnosis and prescription at his typewriter. The treatment for my problem is apparently 'presents' and 'a good time'.
It was a very surreal experience, but I liked it.
Have a peek at the flyer here.