hexagonal showcase: display ideas for collections

When I bought my new camera recently, I went about and snapped photographs of anything and everything to learn about the new settings on my camera - I took a few of some of the objects inside my display cabinet, because you know, I like to pretend my bedroom is a museum. I came across them the other day and thought I'd show you how I display and thought I'd show you. I bought this cabinet in a shop in Brighton a few years back and it's one of my favourite objects that I own. 

I collect little rocks and stones and crystals, I always have done since I was a child, and when I saw this little glass and brass cabinet with a hinged door and little round feet, and knew it would be perfect for the geologist dreams I had as a child. 

You can find similar ones on Etsy, but I'd recommend keeping an eye out at carboot sales, in charity shops or vintage shops, because you might find one, they're perfect for your collection of miniature items, from feathers and shells to crystals or acorns. 

Do you collect small treasures, like me? If you do, please tell me in the comments below or link me to it and how you display them! I'm always after new ideas..!

best animal books ever

I've had a slew of good, accidental, finds in charity shops recently - particularly in unexpected shops. I came across these beautiful French animal books. They're a mixture between a children's story and animal facts, but they have the most beautiful images - they're reproduced from lithographs (a method of printing), which makes for really lovely textures and use of line, they look like they're been freshly coloured in. They're the kind of books I would want to give to my child (if I didn't despise kids!), and they remind me of a books by Pat Hutchins that I adored as a kid (Silver Christmas Tree, Rosie's Walk), and my childhood in general. Unfortunately they're a bit ruined in places by some stupid kids scribbles - which makes me a bit sad, and they're a bit ruined down the spines which I hope to repair.. All in all though, they're gorgeous little books and looking through them alone makes me ridiculously happy. There are a few more pictures below so take a look!

review; people who eat darkness

People Who Eat Darkness: Love, Grief and a Journey Into Japan's Shadows, Richard Lloyd Parry

The other day I was in town with my mum scouring charity shops and came across a really good find - a book I've had my eye on since I popped in my Wishlist on my Amazon back in May 2013. It cost me a single hard-earned pound, saving me a good amount, too. Just to preface the review; I am well aware these kind of books aren't everyones cup of tea, but I have a strange interest in true crime fiction, that started when I read In Cold Blood back in sixth-form. I have a few books on criminal psychology and 'interview with serial-killer' style books, and whilst I understand how they can be problematic in glorifying the killer, not the victim, I found that this book did the opposite; honouring the victim, in a way.

People Who Eat Darkness: Love, Grief, and a Journey Into Japan's Shadows is so intriguing to me because Japan is a culture that is completely alien to me. It is very intensely researched, written by a journalist who investigated the case when it occurred when he lived in Tokyo, drawing from a huge archive of interviews with the family and friends and police that were involved with the case. It is the story of a British girl called Lucie Blackman who disappeared in 2000 from Tokyo, whose body was later found in a cave at the seaside. The case is something that I remember vaguely from my childhood, one of those things that was always hastily turned off by my mother, like that of Milly Dowler, whose body was discovered in my local woods: seen but never spoken about.

The book is well written, unfolding throughout a series of interview transcripts, with Lucie's father, sister, other friends, but told in such a way that it feels like fiction. The most interesting aspect was the view of the Japanese police force, which is alarming at best, and the way that they dealt with the case. I urge you to read it to find out the facts behind the case, because I have devoured the book in a matter of days, it's that engaging.

The most compelling reason for encouraging you to read this book, though, is the overwhelming humanity and sadness of it. I know I have the ability to completely separate my emotions from cases like these, but the  amount of depth and insight into her life and family at the beginning of the book made finding out what happened to her really intense and I actually got very sad and emotional reading it. 

I'll say again; I really do recommend this book with caution: it is quite graphic and sexual and definitely not for anyone unprepared or under eighteen, probably. That said, I think its a very interesting read, if a little hard at times.

black rose bargains

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen a snap of these - but I wanted to introduce you to my beautiful new coffee set..! A complete bargain at £30 for six coffee cups and saucers, the beautiful coffee-pot and a little milk jug and a sugar bowl to go with it.

At work on Sunday, I was stuck in traffic outside a particular charity shop (not telling where, it's a secret!) and I glanced up and saw this in the window - coming back past it later in the shift I took a second look and realised that I wanted it - so I went back the day after and bought it. They're in perfect condition, ie, never been used before. The pattern is Royal Albert Masquerade - my mum has a Royal Albert tea set (that Country Roses one that was very popular) and I like knowing we both have a set.. I don't know, they're going to be put away in a cabinet for a bit until I have somewhere to display them. 

I'm super excited to use them, I want to have people over for tea or coffee now to use them! Have you picked up any bargains like mine of late? I also got myself a beautiful new camel trench coat but I'll save that for another time.. 

hunter or stalker

I found these photographs hidden in the depths of my computer, and thought I would show you. It's one of my favourite things I've ever unearthed in charity shops - better than my fire king tea set and not quite as good as some of my favourite jewellery... but it has a place in my heart. I think I got it for about £1.95, if I remember rightly, and I use it to keep my jewellery in. Well, at the moment, my jewels are currently overflowing, and I think I'll have to move on to something bigger soon.. It's a really beautiful turned box with this amazing woodcut on the top. As a print-maker, I think I really admire the work gone in!

if you say the word then i'll say goodbye

I'm currently in the process of re-decorating & organising my room - it's going quite well actually! My room had previously been the same since I was fifteen, so obviously my tastes have changed slightly, and I was getting quite sick of the way it was laid out, too. It's not that much different now, my bed is on the other side and I have a lovely new carpet and curtains, as well as a beautiful pale green wall behind my bed. Anyway, I though I would show you a few snapshots of how it's coming along.

- Vintage-y plates I've bought at various antique/charity shops, and affixed to the wall. I feel like this is quite an old lady-ish thing to do, but I really love them! 

- A fraction of my collection of old postcards & photographs - I wanted to display them in a ay that wasn't just pinning them to the wall, and whilst the clip-frames aren't fantastic, they suit me well enough.

- A little note that I keep pinned to my desk, that my friend left me in the studio one day when I was sad, as well as a fortune cookie me and my housemates had - some of the other ones are sellotaped to our kitchen cupboards at uni..

- My beloved bedsheets. I splashed out on a rather expensive organic cotton bedset from John Lewis, but it's ridiculously soft and luxurious and I do love it. It's a strange colour but it goes so well in the room. It's somewhere between beige and pale green and ivory, and it's beautiful. It's hard to take a good picture of my bed, but it's the Hemnes day-bed from Ikea, pulled out to make a double. Again, not ideal, but comfy!

- The opposite side of my room, which I find tricky keeping tidy! The wicker baskets are really great for storing things I don't really want on show, and were really cheap online. I have another bookcase to the  right of this picture, where all my books are stored, as well as a cupboard and a bookcase for DVD's, but they're not really that exciting. Where the stool is on the far right, I really want to get a little chest of a low set of drawers to keep things like towels and jumpers in, and I want to get a nice mirror to go above it, but I haven't found quite the right ones yet, so I will keep looking.

charity ears

If you know me, you know I love earrings.. Generally, the bigger the better! I think because I waited until I was almost 18 to get my ears pierced, I have such an obsession with earrings, and with me they just need to be big and heavy and shiny.
Most of the earrings you can buy in the shops these days are, frankly, crap! Overpriced and made of poor quality metal, I very rarely can justify buying them when I see such amazing ones in charity shops or at carboot sales all over the country, never costing me anything over £1. The earrings you see here are all 80's-90's costume jewellery (though my friend Alex found a pair of Christian Dior earrings once! keep your eyes peeled..), but they are made of a much better material, I find. For example, I wore a pair of Topshop earrings a couple of times and they turned green and brown and the back fell off - the white enamel pair in the second photo are my ultimate favourite earrings and I've worn them countless times and they're still flawless.
These are just some of my collection - a lot of the heavier/bigger ones are clip-on's, and they can take a little getting used too because they are so heavy! The crumpled-gold ones are the heaviest, and I can generally only wear these for a couple of hours before I lose all feeling in my earlobes, haha..The black 'diamond' drop pair are a bit more evening-wear ish, but they make me feel all glamourous, which is something a scabby green pair from H&M, Topshop or Accessorize never does! 

jewels

 I've found and bought a few gems recently, and I thought I would show you because they have become regular additions to my appearance..

1. I found these earrings in a charity shop with my friend Debbie the other day. They only cost me a £1! They're enamel and metal and costume jewellery, but I find that vintage costume jewellery doesn't really make me go green? 

2. I've wanted one of these crystal bullet necklaces for such a long time, and I finally found one from an English seller on Etsy - there are some much prettier colour ones - but I like quartz and this one was called 'Clare', which swayed me somewhat..! It's from the seller Rain by Rina and I do suggest you check her out - I will say that the chains aren't great - I wore it once and it went completely green, so I changed it for some cord I had at home.

3. I think this is the final ring I will add to my collection for a bit - I now where six of them on a regular basis and it just seems a bit overkill to wear many more! I found this one in a local charity shop, and I do have a soft spot for amethyst. I think it cost me about a £1, but it's hallmarked and I think that's a bargain!

4. I don't wear many bracelets, but I spotted this for 50p in a charity shop, and I thought it was really unusual, I've not seen anything like it. It reminds me of that whole fake-Celtic kind of jewellery I used to love getting on holiday, and I really like wearing it. I'm not sure what it's made from, but it's not turning me green, so that's always good!

I love my charity shop finds, I so rarely buy high-street jewellery these days, it doesn't come close in terms of quality or price! I highly recommend scouring flea markets, car boots, charity shops and the internet for nice jewellery.