Saturday 31 October 2015

Up in Lights - illuminated ideas for great gifts!

We love these lights - inspired by our own map gift shop signage, we sourced these stylish Carnival Lights, finished in rust or industrial steel - these really do make a stunning statement in any room!


All the Letters and Symbols are now available online here. We are quoting a 14 day delivery - so please contact us via our contact page or tel 020 7687 4005 if the lights are required more quickly & we can give you updated information. The lights require a mains transformer at £5 which can power up to 5 linkable letters - we strongly recommend mains usage. Batteries are a good option for a party or wedding where mains outlets may not be practical, but remember to use good quality batteries. 

New in is this brilliant lightbox which has a real cinema/movie feel to it and allows you to light up your own phrase or message. 
This could even be your opportunity to have your name in lights!

Included is a pack of 69 letters, numbers and symbols (yes Twitter and Instagram fans, there is a hashtag) - with another 6 blank tiles for you to make your own if you're feeling creative.
The Lightbox is also available with multi-coloured letters.



'Up in Lights' - Buy 2 initials plus Ampersand for £29.85 (excluding batteries) normally priced at £35.85 (these lights are not featured on website, please get in touch through our contact page here to place your order or check availability on 020 7687 4005.



Thursday 29 October 2015

this weeks edit - stylishly spooky skulls

A stirring reminder that too much sugar can be bad for you!


Mystical and charming - these unusual Phrenology & Palmistry Guide Candles in Glass Jars make brilliant and interesting gifts


Phrenology (from Greek φρήν (phrēn), meaning "mind", and λόγος (logos), meaning "knowledge") is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull......


Marvellously macabre these spooky skull salt and pepper shakers make a great gift.



Solid silver Skulls from our Tooth & Claw range have an eerie attention to detail!

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Time Out Love London Awards - Vote Now

We need you!  We have been shortlisted! 
It's time for the important bit - let's get voting.  Please vote for us in the Time Out Love London Awards 2015

Last year a massive 250,000 Londoners got passionate about their postcodes and voted in the Time Out Love London Awards 2014.  We are really proud to have won this award last year - Best Independent Shop in Upper Holloway N19 & we'd really love to win the category again!  Please click on VOTE NOW - find your neighborhood, we are listed under Upper Holloway, you're almost there just click on shops and you'll find us!  Please take a moment to Vote for your other favourite bars, coffee shops and restaurants that make your area of London great!

Thursday 8 October 2015

Time Out Love London Awards 2015

That’s right, after inspiring more than 250,000 of you to get passionate about your postcodes last year, the Time Out Love London Awards are back for 2015.


Hurrah - we have been nominated!  Regulars (who have been paying attention) will know that we won this prestigious award in 2014 for best independent shop in N19, and we have proudly displayed our 'trophy' (aka a window sticker) all year!

There has been a little controversy and confusion this year surrounding the nomination phase and the name or our area.  We are big fans of Archway, both it's name and nature, so much so we have branded a whole range of our products, and we vehemently resist the temptation to condone any nonsense of an unnecessary area renaming.  But in terms of postcodes Archway doesn't exist.  We are Upper Holloway as designated by the Post Office almost 100 years ago, and the Time Out Love London Award has taken these post code areas rather than the name of our town centre!  Surely it can only be due to this confusion that there weren't enough venues nominated in the pubs & bars category for Time Out to open it up to the vote?  I think St john's Tavern & Charlotte Despard (both winners last year) can rightfully feel a little miffed!

Rant over........It’s time for you to champion your favourite bits of Upper Holloway that everyone else who lives here knows as Archway.  So click here, have a look at who has been nominated in Upper Holloway & get voting!





Tuesday 6 October 2015

scary stuff - new jewellery


Scary stuff has arrived in time for Halloween, so if fancy dress parties fill you with dread -then why not go subtly super scary with some fiendishly good jewellery? New range called Tooth & Claw!


My choice would be the Deaths Head Moth Necklace & Earring set above.  Modelled on the real death’s-head hawkmoth, a real moth found primarily in Europe, which appears to have a human skull on its back.  The Death's head moth has been evoked in art and literature for centuries; with mentions from John Keats in 'Ode to Melancholia' , Bram Stoker's Dracula and of course The Silence of the Lambs.  

But did you know that the skull on the backside of the moth covering Jodie Foster‘s mouth is actually a photo of naked women from 1951, “In Voluptas Mors.” ? 

It was conceived of by Salvador Dali and was shot by Philippe Halsman.




The spooky theme continues with skulls, owls, claws and even an anatomical Human Heart.  All pieces are carefully cast from solid silver with rose gold details and have an eerie attention to detail.