Mini wishlist - too much on my mind today, I just have to share right away!
Stripes, Soho, perfect timing puffer, home hacks, Berry Bros, and best in vest!
Hello Tuesday 9th January!
Okay, so I’m trying to get sorted for the week, month, year… which has of course massively overwhelmed me and I need to slooow down! My brain is fizzing with ideas and delightful things I just CAN’T STOP finding!!
I know this is my *job now, however! Organising my thoughts is something I need to work on. I’m starting with a notebook, it sort of feels therapeutic to write things down outside of my phone, which holds a conscious stream of draft emails, notes and screenshot images. (*see caption at the end of this post for more on that, but just quickly, the biggest thank you for supporting Studio B on here ❤️).
Alas, for now I’ve gotten over excited again (the fun part) and have to share these DELIGHTS I found last week with you RIGHT NOW!
Just give me one more minute… I really enjoyed this Weekend Recs roundup from
I read the other day and was always aiming to include more than just wardrobe wonders in this new version of Studio B. My vision was to include everything I love - people, places, fashion, food, home and happy things 😊 and really all these things just naturally come to me and excite me! Is that my personality? Karma? Style? Or just constant scrolling? I’ll ponder on that.So! Here’s a little roundup of randomness, or a mini wishlist if you please… mishlist? Maybe I’ll make this a thing! Writing it down in the notebook.
Best in vest
I just discovered this brand, Donni, a week or two ago and have been obsessively looking at this fleece vest! Everything is made locally in LA by woman owned resources (fabrics milled, patterns cut, pieces constructed) and it’s just everyday elevated relaxed!
I did want this Polar Fleece Stitch Vest in this espresso colour but there’s only size M left (hoping they’ll remake) but it does come in black or cream too. They are US based so for UK customs charges will apply, but I have found the black here too at £167 including taxes and shipping, but again almost all sizes are sold out right now!
I did try Vinted for this too (always try Vinted!), upon where I found a pair of barely worn Donni fleece sweatpants, for £7!! Had to buy them for that!
Staying in stripes ❤️
Not a lovely stylised image but a BARGAIN in my opinion! Thanks to Pinterest knowing me too well I’ve had red striped bedding on my mind, but I’m just not someone who (can or will) invests in bedding. Any I’ve found have been hundreds.
But this option I just found today and had to instantly buy - £28 for a King Set reduced from £130 - it’s Christy (Mum’s good towels), 200 thread count, 100% cotton and a reversible print.
Speaking of stripes…
I always think of Violet Dent when I see pink or red striped home items (her home is a country cosy dream, in a London flat), which reminded me of this Muzungu Sisters dress I’d seen her in back in August.
Obviously I LOVED this dress, it’s now in SALE here at Matches, only size 6 or 12 left but I had to mention it!
Happy at home
House jobs are constantly on mine and my husband’s to-do lists (or on our meeting agenda, basically when we go to the pub and try to make progress on our life ‘to-dos’, which often leads to more lists!). Bare in mind our home looks nowhere near as perfect as this, but I enjoyed swooning over this article from
that I read this morning.
As much as I would love my home to look as finished as this, I know what Lucy means about wishing you’d done things differently… it’s just harder to redo interiors once you’ve committed / spent the budget ain’t it! Same as Lucy, I am longing for a painted ceiling, glossy oxblood somewhere, a deep bath and now an armless sofa (thanks to her).
Obviously this image from that
article got me (if you don’t know, we have a whippet, Mabel, love of our lives). But how divine is this armless sofa by Maro At Home.MY HACKS - I don’t need a new sofa but I keep wishing I’d gone for a striped one, I’m going to add striped cushions instead. Glossy oxblood I’m thinking to add as an accent by painting our kitchen bench and skirting boards (if I ever find time). Ideally, I want to spray paint our second hand dining table in this too (unsure how glossy oxblood would look splattered across our tiny garden mind…). The painted ceiling I can’t be arsed to attempt, but wallpapering the eaves in our small attic room is on my list (I won’t lie, I won’t be doing this myself, the frustration would be too great!).
Try Jan 🍷
More oxblood! Oh, but now is the time for red red wine, which I am all for with ‘Try Jan’. Basically, I’m trying to cut down (alcohol, mince pies) but not cutting anything tempting completely out… because why?
Thank you
for tempting me with this wine recco from Berry Bros, a swift and sound review and a delightful olde worlde label hooked me in… hook, line and I’ll sink it down.
I also had to go for the Ordinary White too, because you can’t have favourites, and it has 20% off. Happy trying!
Dry Jan 🍹
Okay a swift contrast, but like I said I’m going with ‘Try Jan’, and as part of that I am intrigued to try some good no / low alcohol options. I love going out, but I’ll be honest, that often involves pub or bar, and I (personally) don’t feel tempted by a non alcoholic option in those settings. BUT a no / low alcohol bar (maximum 0.5% ABV) is the perfect antidote to that, enter Torstig Bar.
Opened by a friend in Brighton last year, they’ve just opened a London pop up in Hoxton for dry Jan and I’m giving it a TRY!
Their cocktails do always look amazing, and I’ve been assured they have a GREAT negroni and margarita; the two I’m most excited to try in a good alcohol free option. Their interiors look temptingly scandi chill too, and you may see a cute dog in there. They’re open in London until the 20th Jan (for now).
Peachy keen 🍑
I just found this last night and it’s as if it were fate! If you’re in London, like me, you’ll have squealed at the flurry of snow yesterday, a minor flurry it was, but it is COLD! I’m from the North East, I swear I’m hardy, and NEVER took a coat ‘out out’ aged 16 - 20, but it is suddenly freezing! And I’m 35 now. I love coats. The bows do it for me on this, a pretty puffer!
Going out 🦐
I usually have a list of London (and foreign city) restaurants I want to try and my latest obsession, purely because it’s so difficult to get a table, is the Devonshire Soho. Well not entirely purely, it also looks like the perfect pub; wood panelling, white table cloths for the dining room (classic cool) and the current set menu looks like my perfect meal. Bookings for Feb open soon, which I shouldn’t B telling you!
*It’s also practically opposite one of my favourite hidden central London cocktail bars. Basement bars aren’t usually for me but the drinks are incredible!
**I’ll share my restaurant/pub/bar list in another post. Area guides are also on my mind. And travel!
If you’ve been please let me know your thoughts 😊 and an even bigger please let me know any of your fave restaurants / pubs / places - I love recommendations! You can leave comments on any of these posts if you like, and I’ll happily reply. I’d love to get some chats going!
Don’t follow the HERD 🐑
And I can’t afford this right now but I still wanted to share as I already follow, and very much respect, this brand (it’s just out of my price range). This is pure love! Going down in my ‘dream cardi’ hall of fame. Plus, it’s a collab with a stylist I love following too @rachelbakewell.
From herd to horse…
Horseshoe Jeans! Perhaps a bit of a trend, but these are set to be the jean style of the year, and I do always like a wide barrel leg jean (see Whistles for their classic they’ve done for years). Let’s face it, they aren’t a style that’s going to suit everyone, but if you like wide leg / extra volume this is the pair I have on my radar - Citizens of Humanity Horseshoe Jean (shade Bravo).
Available at plenty of UK retailers (Matches, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols) but at £350 - I’ve found them here for less at Revolve for £277 (on pre order, shipping Feb, but cheaper!).
Winter read 📖
I love reading and always vow to get back into a really good book for bedtime (banishing phones from le boudoir, other than for the alarm). My friend strongly recommended this and it’s not something I’ve seen on a lot of peoples’ book lists (maybe I’ve just missed it). I’m intrigued!
I’m wondering if
has read this? I think one of the first Substack’s I subscribed to was her which I love for exactly both these things (perfectly titled).
Thank you! I hope something in here made you smile, please share if it did!
And now time for a (small) red wine, reading a book in those stripe sheets, and I like to imagine I’d be wearing that vest too… granny core lives on! x
*I know this is my *job now - truly it is, a nice one I know, but I thought I might have time for some side projects to aid some income (sadly I can’t buy all these things I find for you 😂), which I’m hoping I can work in this year, but honestly, you wouldn't believe the time it takes to produce these articles.
Maybe I’m a slow writer, but I really don’t think I am. I write as I chat (fast, slightly garbelled, over excited)… but I may have a tendency to procrastinate, overthink, and become easily distracted, but hey, that helps me find all these joys for you!
I’m just a month into Studio B on Substack and I really really want to keep enjoying writing these posts, without getting overwhelmed, or overwhelming you with too much! Part the idea of Studio B is to save you scrolling and show you the small and special things I source - one lovely place for lovely things!
I just always want to do everything well and make people happy (damn people pleasing qualities). Some may say I get slightly obsessed… but I really do just love the discovery of finding something amazing! And I’m so glad I’ve now got a place to put my work to good use.
Okay, enough about me! Lots to work on (myself and this) for the New Year, but this time I am going to try to do what I love, not overthink the numbers / speed / ideas I’m not yet doing and ENJOY THE RIDE!
I like that for 2024, just enjoy the ride. And I hope reading this helps you enjoy the year (more time for riding when you’re not glued to fruitless searching and endless scrolling!) 😎
Keep the posts coming, I love reading them! Excited to discover new brands and items. x
Thank you for the striped sheets link! Joy joy joy. If you like the damson Madder stripped frill cushions marks and sparks have done a very good dupe ♥️ x