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When it comes to buying gifts for Christmas, it's always nice if a gift continues to deliver throughout the year - cue the magazine subscriptions.

At this time of year publishers are fighting for your attention, with great offers or gifts to entice you to subscribe to your favourite magazine. To be honest, it's probably the one time in the year when I actually listen. At the end of the day, if you do buy/or know someone who buys a magazine monthly/quarterly, it would be silly not to reap the awards and save a bit of money at the same time. Plus there's nothing nicer than a great read landing on your doorstep.

Here are some inspirational magazines I think would make lovely gifts and perhaps Natural History readers might enjoy...

 

Selvedge magazine is an independent 100 page magazine published 6 times throughout the year. Selvedge features fine textiles in every context with illustrated features on fine art, fashion, interiors, ethnographic textiles, important collections, travel and shopping.

Subscribe - 6 issues for £50  with a free pair of Lisa B socks worth $20 and free access to digital subscription.

 

Anthology is an independent lifestyle magazine that takes a narrative approach to its coverage of home decor, travel, design, entertaining and culture. It features beautiful photography and images over its 120 pages and is published quarterly.

Subscribe - £38 for a one-year subscription

 

Oh Comely magazine is published 6 times a year and inspires its readers to be creative and to enjoy the quiet moments in life. It is full of stories, adventures, illustrations and mesmerising photography to keep you in check till 2013. I adore it.

Subscribe  - A one-year subscription costs £20.00

 

 

Mollie Makes is a lifestyle and craft magazine which celebrates handmade in its entirety along with the process of making, thrifting, collecting and crafting.With great tutorials, interviews and projects to inspire.

Subscribe - £24.24 for a 6 monthly Direct Debit including free fabric pack.

 

Have a great week!

Lisa from Mathilde heart Manech 

 

What I'm pinning on Pinterest

I've just updated my Pinterest boards with some new 'pins'. If you haven't used Pinterest before, it's like a virtual moodboard and really addictive.

Here's a couple of things I pinned recently.

I found the Instamatic camera in a recycling centre in Devon still in its box (it's nigh on impossible to find the film for it though. Sigh) and the black and white vintage postcards show Portsmouth and Southsea.

And here's my New York dress, so called because I wore it to my friends' wedding in Central Park last month. I got it a little closer to home though, in Mela Mela. I picked up the postcard of Times Square in NYC and the little tag was made with some Muji stamps.

To have a look at some more of my pins, visit: http://pinterest.com/somanynicknames/

Port for Breakfast

Lately I have had the good fortune to need to go to London for meetings more frequently than usual.  I say good fortune, because although Oxford has brought forth a couple of new and rather wonderful eateries, it's always nice to get away and be urban for a bit again.

Tara booked us into the Dean Street Townhouse for breakfast last week when we were meeting the talented Rory Dobner and his wife (you can see his designs here) and I simply didn't want to leave - dark and cosy, we were seated beside an open fire in low velvet armchairs in a long narrow room painted slate grey... one had to fight the constant temptation to order a bottle of port & just settle in. 

The other half of the restaurant is a more modern, French style bar/cafe area, with red leather banquettes and a less soporific atmosphere, but I confess when I had to arrange a meeting with my wonderful PR company yesterday, I put us back in the dark, cosy side, albeit a bit closer to the tall narrow windows.

The service was wonderful, and the atmosphere perfect, although I think they could change their baker.

Dean Street Townhouse

69 - 71 Dean Street, Soho, W1D 3SE

Images from squaremeal and foodepedia with thanks.

Entomology Society

I love insects and I love Sibella Court.  This lovely little collection of insects (and a seahorse) can be found in her inspirational book, Etcetera.

Have a look at Natural History's Entomology notebooks here.

Going Wild

Following on from Claire's wonderful post about the Centrepoint stag head designs from last week, I though I would indulge my taste for taxidermy on here this week.

My husband is a vegetarian and he has thus far resisted my coaxing and cajoling to have some taxidermy of our very own - I long coveted a fabulous swan from Liscious, the shop we worked with earlier in 2011 here in Oxford, but was won over by what seemed like a sensible argument that toddlers and taxidermy don't mix.  But then this week over breakfast with the artist Rory Dobner at the chic Dean Street Townhouse, he revealed that his own small children have never (well, rarely - there was a story about a parrot) come to blows with his own taxidermy collection, so there goes that argument, surely?

I plan to turn my coaxing and cajoling on to Natural History writer Tara to join me for a Tuesday morning of scavenging at the antiques fair at Kempton in the new year and if not a swan, perhaps I will find a suitable start to my long coveted collection?

Cosy-Up your Sofa

As the fog, mist and snow of the winter descend upon us, why not take the time to add a few cosy touches to your interior? A warm blanket and a cushioned sofa make the world of difference when the temperature outside drops! So this week I have picked out my favourite cushions available at the minute. Make sure you stock up before it's too late!

1. Lace cushion, Zara Home

2. Raccoon cushion, H&M

3. Bee cushion, Natural History

4. 1840 Folio cushion, Natural History

5. Olive cushion, H&M

6. Chemist Bottle Cushion, H&M

7. Pheasant faux-feather cushion, Dwell

8. Deer cushion, Chocolate Creative

9. Chunky-knit cushion, John Lewis

What's your fave? I've got my eye on that pussy-bow blouse wearing raccoon up there!- Laura.

 

It doesn't have to be this way...

One feature of many of the offices that I featured this week was that, well, not to put too fine a point on it, the designers all seem to have had a shade more in the way of budget than I will.

But that is not to say that the most stylish office cannot be fitted out on the most slender budget.  For instance, I love this picture from Bodie & Fou:

And you know what? That desk is from IKEA. I have it in my bedroom, in fact.  It's the Vika Artur trestle with a Vika table top.  The steel shelves are easy, although the stool might be a bit pricier. But it wouldn't be practical for the office anyway, and I can pick up Eames style chairs *ahem* on Ebay for very little...

And they look so smart (as well as featuring in maaaaany of the offices I have on my Pinterest office board), don't they?  Also comfy.

So that is my thinking for Natural History's new offices this week.  Now all I have to do is actually find somewhere...

But something tells me...

... that I'm not going to have the same sort of budget as the designers of yesterday's featured office.  So perhaps I should consider something more spartan and functional, like this?

And then maybe on colder days (because I will have spent all my money on those fabulous chairs and won't be able to afford heating), we could snuggle up with these on said chairs? I do this already at home, on nippy mornings when I don't want to turn on the heating.

Images from Life of Polarn Per and Design Sponge.

Come Dine With Me: Table Linens

As the next installment to my "Come Dine With Me" pseudo-series, I introduce the ever lovely table linen! A great way to update your dining room table, a protective layer between your cherished table and your thoughtless guests and a way to hide unsightly damage done by past dinner party guests! Just kidding - but seriously, table linens are an easy way to completely change the look of your table setting for your day to day dining or for a fun dinner party with friends. Here is a roundup of some of my favourite table linens right now

Love this bright yellow tablecloth spotted on here via Will at Bright Bazaar. Livens up the room, adds a bit of life to a white room and is most definitely a conversation piece. 

Stripes always look elegant spotted on Style Me Pretty. This is a wedding table setting but I think it could easily transition into a casual fine dining party at home.

A more casual linen striped tablecloth/runner makes dinner seem less formal but just as pretty and inviting. Spotted on Martha Stewart.

Now move over table clothes, there are a lot more linens to talk about...

Love this hand pressed linen napkin from Etsy.

Love these farm feel moss green check napkins spotted at Frock Home

I love anything vintage, so of course I fell for these vintage napkins spotted on Style Me Pretty

These metallic placements would go nicely with either white or dark dishes (spotted at West Elm)

 Wondering what to serve up on your beautiful new table linens? Try this delicious, belly warming pasta recipe - it is sure to impress.

Spicy sausage, pepper and basil pasta

5-6 spicy sausages (I prefer to use European varieties)

2 red, orange or yellow peppers

1 medium sized ripe tomato

3 cloves of garlic

1 medium sized onion

Fresh basil

Fresh shaved Parmigiano (or parmesan) 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea salt 

Freshly ground pepper

Your favourite pasta noodle (I like to use penne or a small noodle)

Now what? What to do:

BBQ or grill your sausage until it is fully cooked. Set aside. Put on your water to boil for your pasta. Throw in your pasta once it has boiled and let that take care of itself. While that is cooking away, take a large saucepan, heat up olive oil and saute your garlic and onion on medium heat (make sure you don't burn your garlic, that tastes SO gross). Once the onions are soft, add in the diced up peppers. Saute the peppers for 4-5 minutes then add in the chopped up tomato (juices and all). Let that cook together for about 1 minute then add in the sausage. Hopefully by now your pasta will be al dente and drain it. If you have room, add the pasta noodles to the meat/pepper concoction. Let the flavours combine and heat up together. After about 1-2 minutes remove all of it and transfer into a large pasta serving bowl. Once it is in the bowl, grade your fresh parmigiano right on top of your pasta. Stir. Right before you serve throw on a big handful of the fresh basil. I like to tear it up to distribute the fresh herb all over my dish. Honestly, this recipe is so delicious and is lovely in the winter or summer! 

 

 

Advent.

We have precisely one week till we greet December with a Ho!Ho!Ho! and a glass of mulled wine, or is that just me? Although I have been thinking about Christmas, I haven't necessarily been 'doing' much about it. I've done the easy bit and wrote plenty of lists but there is a long way to go. I can't believe this time next week I'll be struggling with the tree down the stairs! *Adds to list*

One thing I can cross of the list today is buying an advent calendar. If it wasn't just the two of us I would consider making one, like the clever people below. It's something you can keep for years and is a lovely way of celebrating the anticipation of Christmas. How many days now?

With a week to go until the 1st of December, I think you could 'craft up' one of these stylish designs that I've collated from across the internet. Enjoy!

 

Via

 

Via

 

Via

Via

 

Via

 

Via

 

My favourite is the second to last image - so chic and Winter inspired! Alas, I'll probably buy my yearly Harry Potter advent calendar. Chocolate for breakfast it is...