Make Away Pop-Up Shop

On Saturday, Mr D, Molly and I visited a new pop up shop in Brighton called Make Away. Make Away sells prints, jewellery and t-shirts but also gives customers a chance to get hands on and have a go at screen printing. There are 9 designs to pick from, all unique and contributed and designed by local artists. You can print your chosen design on to paper, tote bag, tea towel, t-shirt or apron (the t-shirts costing the most, but still very reasonable at £15). If they don't tickle your fancy you can always bring in an item of your own (costs £10). 

Make Away is made up of 12 young volunteers aged between 16-25. They are all part of a skills development and volunteering program, powered by The Retail Trust and Retail Ready People. This new initiative offers budding retailers the chance to set up and run a high street shop in their local area. The shop is only running till the end of November so get there soon before it's gone! These prints make great Christmas presents and you can proudly say, "I made it!"

I went for a design by, I Lurk in Bushes. It's of an Edwardian bear in a harlequin costume and top hat. I've been a bit obsessed with harlequin print lately, so this design was right down my street. I got a bit excited by all the colours and took a while to choose, but after much ado, I settled on pink and blue for my print. 

The process is quite easy to do. First you lay your screen with your chosen design on a t-shirt and then apply your chosen inks at the top of your design. Using a squidgee you run the ink down the screen. Repeating the process if more coverage is required. The t-shirt is then dried and then ironed to set the print and .... Viola! Your t-shirt is ready to go!  

Mr D and even little Molly had a go as well and this is what they chose to do below. Love the colours on Mr D's t-shirt and the cat design is just puurrfect for Molly :)

Design by Grant Killoran

Design by I Like Cats

I think this is a fantastic pop-up shop, which gives people a real connection to the clothes and accessories that they wear. It's great to see that there are organizations out there that are trying do something about all the wasted, empty spaces that seem to be cropping up on our high streets, and that there are people out there, like those at Make-Away, who can bring something different to our shopping experience.

Make-Away itself is an innovative,  fun and easy-on-the-pocket way to get some great looking clothes and accessories and I hope that it pops up again once it's stint on Brighton Square is done. If I were you, I'd get down there quick!

Ta ta,

AKA Hooting Miss Owl

How will you carve yours?

Hoot-hoot-hooray! Halloween is nearly upon us! It's time to get your spooky ghoulish glad rags on and get your pumpkin-carving knifes at the ready! 

I love this time of year. It starts getting cold enough to brew a pot of mulled cider and there is something quite deliciously warming about those orange and red hues every where. This years Halloween has added excitement as Molly is finally at an age where she can join in and start understanding what is happening around her. The look on her face when she saw Mr D and I come home with two big pumpkins was fantastic. I bought two, so I could do an owl design on one and the other was for Molly to decorate as she pleased. 

No one is totally sure where the tradition of carving Pumpkins actually comes from, although it's widely believed that it originates from the Gaelic festival 'Samhain' in the 19th Century. Supposedly, Faeries and Sprites would wake from a deep sleep, and carved turnips or beets were put out to ward of the mischievous creatures. The tradition traveled with Irish and British immigrants into North America where the traditional root vegetables were swapped for Pumpkins which were more widely available and easier to carve. And thus, the Jack O'Lantern as we know it was born!

This really is such a fun project to do with children because it gives them a chance to get creative and messy! I love the traditional Jack O'Lantern but there are so many amazing things you can do if you put your mind to it. To get started, simply draw your chosen design on a piece of paper and make sure it will fit easily on your pumpkin. Don't do something overly complicated and with too much detail. My tip is to keep it simple! Need some help? Find some great pumpkin carving templates on Martha Stewart's website. 

I've included a little 'how-to' on how we decorated ours below. Please remember to supervise children at all times and any knifes should be handled by a responsible adult. Enjoy and have lots of fun being creative :)

Big love,

  AKA Hooting Miss Owl

ALL PHOTOS SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT.

PLEASE DO NOT USE WITHOUT ASKING PERMISSION!

THANK YOU x

WHAT I WORE: Underground Love

I've had my eye on some Creepers for some time. So, was delighted when Mr D bought me a pair from Office the other day. THANK YOU MR D!
They are simple, black, round toe and just have a single sole and I LOVE THEM! I have been grinning like a Cheshire Cat since and plotting what outfits I could possibly wear with the new beauties. One of the things I love about creepers is the height of the sole. Being only 5ft 2 I need all the help I can get. Plus they look great with vintage clothes :)

Teddy Boys in Creepers and suits

Creepers have been made huge lately by the likes of Rita Ora and Rihanna. This is not the first time they have been in fashion though. Creepers began after the 2nd World War when soldiers based in the deserts of north Africa wore suede boots with hard-wearing crepe soles. The soldiers returned home and many found themselves wearing the same crepe-soled shoes out and about. The 'Brothel Creeper' was born! The creepers then came back in fashion in the 1950s by Teddy Boys and then yet again in the 1970s when the Teddy Boy look had a bit of a revival.

Image from Underground's S/S 2012 look-book

Underground England are one of the few independent companies that produce genuine creepers. They've been making them since the Eighties and also brought in new designs like the Triple Sole and Wedge Creepers. You can buy cheaper copies in most High Street shops now but these versions don't quite have the weight and quality as the genuine Creeper though.

Do you like Creepers? What would you wear yours with? I teamed mine with a reworked vintage tux shirt and my sparkly leggings from American Apparel. Androgynous eat your heart out! Check out the results below!

Big love and ta ta for now :)

AKA Hooting Miss Owl