Brutal London

13th December, 2021

I wouldn’t describe myself as a fan of brutalist architecture, but I’ve always appreciated its intent. It’s straightforward and functional. It wanted low-cost housing to be available to everyone. And when a building focuses entirely on functionality, the emotional warmth comes entirely from the family and the community.

The utopian shine hasn’t stuck to the buildings, but the style still has some fans. Maybe your gift recipient is one of them? Brutal London is a history and case study of nine brutalist projects in London, as well as press-out-and-build paper models. It’s published by Zupagrafika, who also make editions for other locations. They also sell some cool notebooks.

Peaches the Mouse

24th October, 2021

Peaches the mouse is a sewing pattern created by my-darling-boy. It’s an easy craft project: print out the booklet, visit a fabric store for the material, Michael’s for a bag of stuffing (remember: never go in without a voucher), and the dollar store for a bag of buttons and needle & thread.

It’s fun to make a mouse with your partner! Put on a good album, sit around the table, and make a cuddly toy each.

Pebble birds

30th September, 2021

Pebble Birds

I stayed in an AirBNB recently that had these pictures in the bathroom. They’re cute.

You could replicate this yourself. This would be a great keepsake for a trip to a beach. (You can also buy similar pictures on Etsy, but… why? The charm is in the DIY.)