Life in E2 taught me I’m enough, and to keep icing the cake

The cake being my catalogue of reasons for self-love and the additional icing being love I allow in from others.

Shoreditch has been home for the last 18+ months, London’s hub of culture, art, fashion and food. You can buy errrrythang from fresh fruit and flowers to furniture, pastries and antique collectibles. Sometimes known to others as that filthy Eastend patch full of top-knot adorned dickheads…

For me, my experience of living here gave me three awesome things: 1. Lots of incredible nights I can’t remember, 2. Immunity to bullshit (although this may have been innate), and 3. A rebuilt sense of self-worth at a time when it was a little shaky – otherwise known as ‘early twenty-dom’.

Thought patterns I used to have before moving here:

• What makes me happy?
• Am I enough?
• Am I desirable?
• Is this as good as things are going to get?
• I’m unhappy in my job

Thought patterns I had after having lived in Shoreditch for some time:

• I like the way I dress
• I’ve met and welcomed some incredible strangers in to my life, now my friends
• I’m fun
• I’m attractive
• I have great friends
• I work damn hard

Some questions I’m still figuring out the answers to:

People watching, summer in Shoreditch

London’s my favourite city in the world, this comes with no bias because I live here, it genuinely is. There’s a rumble and a roar about London when summer hits. You can hear the audible stampede of workers darting out the door to spend the maximum amount of time outside. Pretending just for the length of time it takes to guzzle a pint that life is carefree.

Summer in London’s also the best time to people watch, but if you don’t have the art down, you risk going from the peeper to the peep-ee. Lucky for me I was able to pap from my balcony on a ‘light jacket weather’ kind of day in Shoreditch 2015. Here are some of the more interesting scenes and people I captured…

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Where’s your favourite people watching spot?

From Blitz to Shoreditch Vintage Festival 2012

It’s no secret that I am one of the most unashamed consumers going, but abreast of that – I do love a good bargain! Hence, thrift shopping is the ideal pass time.

Held at Shoreditch town hall there were tea & cakes to be had, shortly after you’d been primed and preened at the grooming parlour where you could have dated do’s and make-up. The entire hall was absolutely bursting with all types of Brit nostalgia and fashion from high-end to bargain bucket to apparel and up-cycle.

My favourite rummaging spot was the photograph stall. Stacked with pouting models and in everything from Moschino to Mary Quant. I could’ve spent the whole day there, but musky vintage waits for no woman alone.

All-in-all my purchases largely consisted of brooches & jewellery, although there was the odd nautical bowling shirt, 50 mechanical heart-shaped alarm clock, virginal white sun dress, and of course a silk tie for the papa.

Here are some snaps from my day there:

Good old fashioned stationery style from Ruby Pseudo Creative Youth Consultancy

Not long ago I encountered a creative youth consultancy unlike any other – who really get to the heart of what makes young people tick.

Far from your usual bunch of pencil pushing out-of-touch suits. This agency is staffed by self-styled Shoreditch-ites and some of the most forward thinking youngsters you’ve ever met.

However, what stopped me in my tracks the most, was their genuine time, effort and attention that had gone in to their choice of stationery. Anyone who knows me will have encountered my magpie ways, and my innability to contain my excitement at DIY/personal touches.

I can imagine that there are no chewed up biros cluttering up the desks at Ruby Pseudo Consultancy, and most certainly no impersonal word processed robot letters being churned out. As my mum carefully pointed out – ‘they really do what they do so well.’

Out of the Ordinary: Spectacular Craft by Laurie Britton Newell

Getting to the point, the lovely people at RPC were kind enough to forward on a gift (on behalf of a client) that they had carefully picked out – and boy did they pick well! In 2007 Laurie Britton Newell (curator for the Contemporary Team at the V&A) constructed a beautiful book on contemporary craft, a collaboration of the Crafts Council and the V&A.

Out of the Ordinary: Spectacular Craft by Laurie Britton Newell

The book ‘Out of the Ordinary: Contemporary Crafts’ is a work that aims to showcase ‘international artists who use craft to transform everyday subjects and materials into works that are extraordinary’ [Laurie Britton Newell.] It features such works as ‘Ice Jewellery’ from Naomi Filmer (1999) and recclaimed metals and materials reworked in to entrance gates and doors by Nigerian born artist Olu Amoda (1995-2008.)

The best part about the care package however, was the ‘RPC’ personalised wax seal set on a thick textured paper envelope. I have also heard rumours that there may soon be a crest! I cannot wait!

Top 5 Tuesday: Favourite Bella Bunting Blog photo’s

It has been so hard to choose just 5 images that are my favourite across the whole blog feed, but here they are:

Pretty much one of the first images I took, on one of my first posts. My favourite craft piece (and the only project I ever did well) plus it’s the last thing I see at night.

I’d love to know the story behind these clay feet. This is an image taken on my Blackberry at the abandoned J.H.Weatherby & Sons factory that I visited.

I love the focus and vibrancy of this photo, it was such a happy day and ‘Yumchaa’ is hands down the best tea spot in Camden.

 

I like the nonchalance of this shot, it was a nice viewpoint that I snapped on my way to get some Portuguese custard tarts from Brick Lane. I love the blurred woman approaching and the disguarded furniture.

It was hard to choose between the shot of the bay at Castellammare and this one of my dad, but it had to be this cheeky little grin from daddy dearest. I do so miss the chats I have with him, and how everything seems possible when he’s around. Love you daddy!

[Okay so I couldn’t choose 5 but here are just a few more that I love.]

This was one of the first posts that I did on Manchester vintage. A seriously great day out, I played around with the hue’s here for a warmer feel. Plus I love Julie’s anchor tattoo, and Sara’s hair that looks like copper wire in the sunlight.

My dear friend helped with a creative hair twist photoshoot, my favourite pieces about this picture are all the textures, her honey coloured hair, the uplifiting zing of the heather and the little snowflake heart hanging in the window, very ethereal.

 

…Finally we have an image not far from Christmas morning, I was making present labels for all my gifts to the family and the light from the front bay window gave a perfect setting in which to take pictures in. Plus I love these tartan pyjama trousers I stole off the boyfriend.

I heart Shoreditch

My recent trip down to Frame dance & fitness studio, Shoreditch (who recently appeared in Grazia for their Black Swan ballet class) meant that I had an excuse to spend a whole afternoon in one of my favourite London hotspots.

Here are some viewpoints of the day:

Alley to Frame studio's

Portguese custard tarts 85p (my ultimate vice)

Refreshing flash of colours on the high street

Lovely atmosphere - owner Pip gets my thumbs up

Pay & display on the way to East end thrift

Sunset skyline from RichMix building