{Travel} Lay-n-Go Cosmo bag

I am loving the practical aspect of the Lay-n-Go Cosmo bag. This cosmetics bag doubles up as a travel-ready make up or jewellery mat. It is the same principle as the large lego storage mat I posted about a while ago.
Check it out

{Design} Woven by Eleanor Pritchard

One of my "coup de coeur" at DesignJunction 2013 was Eleanor Pritchard's work. From her studio in South East London, Eleanor Pritchard and her team design and sample their collection of wool blankets and furnishing fabrics. The collections are developed using high quality yarn and woven by well respected british weavers in a small traditional mill in Camarthenshire in West Wales.
The blankets use bold geometric patterns with a strong graphic feel, the palette includes solid colours and cross hatched neutrals together with sharp accents. It is great modern reinterpretation of midcentury English design. You can find the gorgeous throws in her online shop.

405 Line VIA Eleanor Pritchard

Easterley range VIA Eleanor Pritchard

Totley range VIA Eleanor Pritchard

Wrekin range VIA Eleanor Pritchard

{Shop} Folklore in Islington

I have been meaning to go into Folklore for a while now (they opened in June 2012), and I finally got around to having a peek around last week. I loved it!

Folklore is an independent store that teams up with designers to bring us carefully curated designs for home and life that are made to last. Their ethos is simple: "Craftsmenship, quality, simplicity, durability".

Folklore’s product range includes homewares, furniture, lighting, art and lifestyle goods, all made with a concern for the environment.

With its white painted wooden floorboards the shop has a calm scandinavian feel. If you are looking for a gift for someone (or yourself), it is a great place to start. Alternatively, you could visit their online shop.

FOLKLORE

193 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1RQ (0207 354 9333)

Open: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 6pm

{Travel} My 10 favourite things to do in Paris

Once upon a time, I lived in Paris for a year. A friend recently asked me for tips and I could not think of a single one on the spot. So this is for you J.

VIA ETSY

1. Rue Montorgeuil
This is a great place to spend the day. It is a pedestrian street where you can eat well, sit in a sunny café, shop for kitchenware, and buy phenomenal breads, chocolates, cheeses, and pastries... I can also recommend it as a great neighbourhood to stay in when in Paris. Very central and still reasonable. If you are planning a visit David Leibowitz has a lot of great recommendations.

2. Hit the market
Every day in Paris, except on Mondays, there’s an outdoor market somewhere taking place. The Marché d’Aligre is a daily market, and has a small flea market in the center. If you are like me, you will love looking around for that special something that you need for your place. You can find a market no matter where you are on the complete list of Paris Markets.

3. Jardin des plantes
This is the one that made my kids happiest last time I was there. A wonderful botanical garden with a small zoo. I particularly like the Evolution gallery: beautiful displays of animals, very inspiring and educational.

4. Mosquée de Paris
I love sipping a glass of mint tea and eat Moroccan cornes de gazelles in the courtyard. If I am feeling more indulgent, I would spend half a day at the hammam. It is a lovely building and I feel transported back home. There are specific days for men and women, so I always check online before I go.

5. Use a Velib
If I could choose anyway to get around Paris, I would most definitely choose the bicycle. It is the original Boris Bike! Self hire bicycles on docking stations dotted around the city. the first half hour is free and you pay for what you use. Choose your route and enjoy. Be careful though!

6. Montmartre
Not much of a discovery there... But I can't help but have it in my favourites. I like seeing the view and the getting lost in the streets at the south-west of the sacré coeur. I can also indulge my fabric buying impulses in the shops below the sacré coeur.

7. Picnic on the pont des arts
Du pain, du vin, du boursin! Beautiful views of Paris.

8. L'Ile Saint Louis
I love to have a Bertillon ice cream l'ile Saint Louis followed by a stroll around Notre Dame. Favourite flavour: pain d'épice.

9. Macarons La Durée
I can't resist them! My favourite treat: a box of 18 macarons au caramel salé.

10. Le Bon Marché
There is more to this grand department store than great fashion. La grande épicerie de Paris is just magical: I usually raid the cheese counter, the sweets aisle and the charcuterie counter.

So this is my Paris. I notice it mostly involves getting somewhere to eat something...

Share your favourite things to do in Paris?

{Food} Recipe book: Rôtis by Stéphane Reynaud

My favourite recipe books these days! Pure and simple roasts! Perfect for winter... Find it here.

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{Private collection} Unpackaged

At the end of each day, I am shocked at the amount of waste we produce as a family of 4. It’s mostly all food packaging: wrappers, containers, packets and useless plastic. On saturday I went to my friend A's new Kickashna Gym Club (more to come on that when I can get some decent photographs together). Across the road from her place, near Hackney's London Fields, I came across Unpackaged. 

Unpackaged, is a zero packaging grocery store, hipster style. It used to be in Islington and has now moved to a more spacious home, complete with a café and bar.

The concept is simple: you reduce your waste and only buy what you use. Bring your own containers and get refills for everything: liquids (olive oil, wine, juices), cupboard essentials (flour, rice, pasta...), pulses,  household products (washing up liquid, soaps), home made jams, cheese, toiletries... 

I couldn't help but think that it is a modern version of the traditional "hanout" from my native Morocco. Imagine a man standing in a 4 square metres space, and somehow he has anything you might need to cook from scratch. You can swap your own containers or get his for a deposit.

Although it is difficult for Unpackaged to compete on price with larger distributors, it is cheaper than buying packaged products in your standard corner shop. Next time I go to the gym I will take 5 containers for refills, and maybe grab a coffee. I must remember to get a travel mug. Although I could just have a nice coffee at a table! All by myself...

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