Designer fabrics minus the price tag

photo: Cath Kidston http://www.cathkidston.co.uk

If you're after a beautiful designer fabric but can't really afford it, I can warmly recommend The Curtain Factory Outlet in 269 Ballards Lane, London N12. They stock literally thousands of fabrics, both curtain and upholstery fabrics including designer fabrics from Malabar, Designers Guild, Andrew Martin, Zoffany, Laura Ashley, Cath Kidston and many others, and much cheaper than the usual recommended retail price. You never know what is in stock at the moment, so you'll have to go to take a look. Parking is limited but next door is a huge Waitrose carpark - and Waitrose is always worth a visit.

photo: The Curtain Factory Outlet http://www.curtainfactoryoutlet.co.uk

Read here what famous intererior designers say about The Curtain Factory Outlet, along with all other information you might want to know about their stock and price policy:


http://www.curtainfactoryoutlet.co.uk/Press.htm

Royal not-must-have

facebook.com/GEappliancedistributorUK

29 April is approaching fast, and royal wedding memorabilia line many a shop window display. You can choose between William & Kate coffee mugs and William & Kate fridge magnets, or William & Kate coasters. None of these knick-knacks seem particularly pretty or desirable to me and the whole lot will have to be decluttered sooner or later, so I'll certainly stay clear of them.

If you HAVE to have a royal wedding memorabilia, forget the fridge magnets and go bold instead: GDHA, a distributor for GE appliances in the U.K., revealed "the ultimate" in royal wedding memorabilia – a 5’9” side-by-side fridge freezer emblazoned with one of the official engagement photographs of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Read more about this terrifying new home appliance and see a wacky wedding memorabilia slideshow on http://windsorknot.today.com/_news/2011/03/22/6320417-keep-the-royal-romance-fresh-refrigerated

Perfect Sense

photos: HomeSense

Spring has sprung, so I went to HomeSense to check out their current range. It's fabulous - as always - and I went home laden with beautiful accessories for our home.

If you haven't discovered HomeSense yet, don't waste a moment - there are still a few hours left to get a nice present for Mum!

http://www.tkmaxx.com/home-hs/home-hs/page/homesense/

1,000 Grand Designs Live show tickets to give away

I'm sure you love the fabulous TV series Grand Designs, and you also love dining out. If you're not a facebook fan of the wonderful Tastecard already, you'd better become one straight away. Today at 3pm they start handing out 1,000 entrance tickets to the upcoming Grand Designs Live show to their facebook fans, including 10 pairs of VIP tickets. Here's what you need to know:

Grand Designs Live, returns to ExCeL from 30th April – 8th May 2011 and this year’s show will be packed with bright ideas for your home.

The event is based on the hugely successful TV series, presented by design guru Kevin McCloud.  Shop from over 500 exhibitors and enjoy seven fantastic shows under one roof, including Interiors, Kitchens & Bathrooms, Gardens, Build, Technology and a Village eco-homes. Quiz a host of experts and celebrities including Kevin McCloud, George Clarke and Phil Spencer who will be appearing in the Grand Theatre...
It’s guaranteed to be a GRAND day out!

1,000 FREE show tickets to give away, including 10 pairs of VIP tickets!
Tastecard have 1,000 tickets to give away for the show’s opening weekend
(valid one day from 30 April – 2 May).
To claim, visit the advertised link at 3.00pm today, the link can be found on Tastecard's facebook offers page.
Tickets will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Plus 10 lucky applicants will also
receive a free upgrade to a pair of VIP tickets! If you have been successful you will receive email confirmation within 24 hours. And if you’re not lucky enough to win then take advantage of a great 2 for 1 ticket offer also detailed on Tastecard's facebook offers page!

The sale is on!

Many stores have their mid-season sale at the moment, and one of them is Laura Ashley. They have beautiful storage boxes and woven baskets, and I particularly love these two designs. Check out the Laura Ashley website for more lovely items.


http://www.lauraashley.com

photos: Laura Ashley

Swimming in stuffed animals?

Most children have too many stuffed animals and can't let go of them because they love every single one to bits. Sooner or later the fluffy friends cover every single inch of space. They line the window sill and sleep on the top bunk bed, they sit on the sofa, or get thrown all over the floor.

Help is at hand: Boon's nifty Animal Bag. The oversized plush bag doesn't only store soft toys or blankets, it also doubles up as a soft seat for the kids. Through the mesh 'windows' you can even see what's stored in the bag. http://www.boonuk.co.uk/Animal-Bag.php

photos: Boon

The One Day M&S Wardrobe Clear-out: Thursday 24th March

Myleen Klass sorts out her wardrobe (photo: Marks& Spencer). 

You've probably known it for some time: your wardrobe needs a good clear-out, it's basically bursting at the seams. You can neither see what's in there - especially not your silk blue blouse from Marks & Spencer that's fallen off the hanger and is crammed somewhere between your boots and the handbags - nor can you find the skirt you'd planned to wear tonight.

Help is at hand, and even money: on Thursday 24th March, Marks & Spencer is having a One Day Wardrobe Clearout. Every old clothing you bring will be donated to Oxfam on your behalf, which includes moth-eaten woolly sweaters and jeans that've really had it. For donating Marks & Spencer clothing you'll even receive a 5-pound shopping voucher for their store. What more do you want???

By the way: if you don't have the time to go to an M&S shop and have an Oxfam shop nearby, you can bring everything to Oxfam directly. They'll even give you a 5-pound voucher for donating your M&S clothing.

photo: Marks & Spencer

If you go for it, you'll be in famous company: Mylene Klass is planning to declutter her wardrobe, and Twiggy (second from left) is also donating one of her belongings: an old cape that she hasn't worn since the sixties.