Country folk

Do you wear a Barbour, green wellies and grow your own veggies, or do you run high-heeled for the bus, whilst simultaneously stuffing a croissant in your mouth?






What is the whole City yuppie vs. country Sloane Ranger thing about? Surely now’s the time for country bumpkins in isolated damp cottages and hard-pressed-to-fund-the-mortgage urban commuterites to club together for mutual help and support during these economically challenging times? Perhaps we could start by learning a few things from each other...


My impression of country folk is that they know a fair bit about keeping warm and surviving all sorts of harsh conditions during the Winter. Now that town and country dwellers alike are trying to save money and conserve fuel, how about these for some ideas:


1) Turn off your lights and use candles instead. You could even buy these country-style vintage carved wooden candlesticks from ShopCurious.







2) Turn down your heating and wear something warm. Lots of layers work well – check out these folksy country combos, combining stylish French chic with Winter- warming wearability.







3) We all know that most heat is lost from the head, so why not wear a scarf. These rural nature inspired vintage silk scarves should fit the bill as an affordable luxury.








4) Give up over-priced modern branded designer fashion and opt for unique accessories to add a quirky luxe look to any outfit. Vintage jewellery that’s both individual and collectable will do the trick, like these curiously original brooches from ShopCurious.




Of course, you could always read the Department of Health’s Winter guide - Keep Warm Keep Well (its political correctness certainly made me chuckle, which I suppose is one way of keeping warm) … or you could simply don a tracksuit and trainers and turn that run to the tube, or across those muddy fields, into to a healthy sprint.

Will you?

A little bird told me

I was sitting at my desk this morning when a curiously cute little bird appeared outside my window. It simply sat and looked at me .. and I thought this bird is just waiting to be photographed. So I grabbed my camera and wondered how I could catch a crafty shot without scaring it away. First I thought I would poke my camera through the blind and capture it through the somewhat rain-splattered window (remind me to call the window cleaner!), then I decided to venture nearer - towards the door ... and I was just about to open it when the pesky bird flew away. So I looked up said bird on the internet and here's a photo of one very similar - a goldfinch. Though mine seemed even prettier than this.

If you're equally curious about the colourful variety of nature, there are some beautifully hand painted mother of pearl pendants available at ShopCurious. These are vintage pieces, which have been recycled with the addition of a matching necklace made of natural materials (like rice pearls and crystal) and an inventive antique style magnetic clasp. Each one of the pendants is totally unique.


I believe that these are originally from Persia (can anyone verify that?) and quite a few of the designs feature rather exotic looking birds. Some of the birds look like doves and others more like birds of paradise (maybe those are imaginary varieties dreamed up by a curiously creative artist?) Do let me know if you can identify any of these. Will you?

A bug's life

If I mention a very curious bug, you'll probably think there's something wrong with my computer. But no, this is a really weird type of bug that appeared for the first time last year, moving sluggardly over the leaves of my lovingly nurtured little fig bush. Such was my curiosity that I tried to identify the bug in several different insect books and on the internet - but to no avail.



I spotted one of the mysterious bugs the other day on some lavender (see left and right- not on lavender) - and there's a baby one too. Does anyone know what this is and where it might have come from? Please don't tell me it's going to eat through all the plants on my terrace!






If you're also curious about the boundless biodiversity of nature, you might want to look at some of the unique vintage bug bangles available at ShopCurious. They're made from real bugs set in coloured resin, so every one is slightly different. Some of them are chunky sized and some are skinny. They look really stylish and individual, make totally unusual gifts - and they're also curiously collectable.Are you? Will you?