ain't no mountain too high for Kate!

In two days, our very noble creative director is taking on a huge challenge. She is off to do a charity trek with her father, Tony, to raise money for the myasthenia gravis association. Never heard of it? That is exactly why they chose it as their charity!

The trek will start with a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (the world’s most dangerous airport… it has an inclined runway that is much shorter than most!). They will then trek for 16 days – ten days to get up to Base Camp and six days to return. Along the way, they will stay in Namache Bazaar, walk Hilary’s Suspension Bridge and visit Tengboche Gompa. They plan to travel beyond Base Camp to Kala Pattar (Black Rock) which is 5,545m above sea level for the best views of Everest.

It is by no means going to be an easy trek. At Base Camp there is only 50% of the oxygen that there is at sea level, and it will be about -16C at night. Needless to say, Kate has invested in special equipment to ensure she stays warm and safe and arrives back in one piece (very important to us!).

During the trip, Tony will turn 64 which makes the trekking duo even more admirable. They will be celebrating his birthday along with Easter – Kate has packed a huge variety of chocolate easter eggs to make sure at least one easter Sunday tradition is upheld! When the trek is completed, Kate and Tony are going to do a sunrise flight over Everest to see where they have walked and get an amazing view of the summit from above

It is going to be an amazing adventure and we wish her a huge amount of luck – we know her go-getting spirit will take her through!

So far Kate has raised a brilliant £1,300 for the myasthenia gravis association but she would love to raise more – to read more about the charity or to donate, click here.

We gave Kate a little gift to take with her and to keep as a reminder her of the trip. Kutuu designed a special bespoke piece shown above.

Kate can be seen above during a training ramble in West Sussex. There will be more photos after the trip to inspire you!

Posted by jokite on 31 March 2010

easter treats starts early

Our team meeting today ended rather deliciously, with the sharing of goodies sent to us for Easter from Whisk Hampers. By the time we remembered to take a photo, we had demolished much of it, but here is some of the rather beautiful evidence!

Whisk Hampers make a rather cool gifting choice, re-inventing the traditional hamper and giving it a new twist. Their range of hampers include something for everyone – with names like Casino Royale and La Dolce Vita, they can cater for any gifting occasion, from leaving present to romantic picnic, from your parents anniversary through to your best friend’s birthday (we love The Brilliant Bloody Mary Kit!). And they don’t restrict their talents to combining gorgeous collections of food and beverages – if you love your kitchen, you’ll love their sleek kitchenalia. And you can’t beat their eye-catching silver champagne bath for the most indulgent of parties.

Excuse me while I nab another one of those delicious crumbly buttery biscuits…

Posted by jokite on 31 March 2010

sgt. smith have a new home!

One of our most popular sellers for children’s clothing, our seller Sgt. Smith have just relocated to a new office – a move which has brought about a total lifestyle change for them. Previously, they were working in the front room of their house and garden shed with the kitchen table as a designated packing and dispatch area. They are now situated in the main square in their local town and love being near to shops, cafes and other businesses. The Derbyshire Peaks provides the perfect backdrop to gaze out upon as they conjure up brilliant new designs for their personalised tshirts. They are amazed at how a change in workspace has had such a big effect – the new space is providing a fresh energy for the business and they are already buzzing with new ideas!

Sgt. Smith are such huge sellers on our site and we believe it is down to both their original designs and the superior quality cotton they use, from manufacturers who implement fair trade practices. They started creating clothing in 2006 and the popularity of their kids’ ranges has led to requests for adult clothing. So now, as well as letting loose dinosaurs and robots, they are also providing six packs for the bigger ‘kids’ in your life!

Posted by jokite on 25 March 2010

fit for a queen

Finally the weather has started warming up and what a lovely feeling that is! We can open windows again, lose the multiple layers we’ve been wrapping up ourselves up in for months and tentatively take a look at our spring wardrobe and consider what it might be missing…

Tribal patterns are set to be a fabulous new trend for the spring and summer months and we are so pleased that Ohema Ohene have just joined us, showcasing pieces with stunning ethnic patterns and colours. A new British boutique fashion brand, Ohema Ohene was created in 2008 by British born designer Abenaa Pokuaa. The name means queen and king in the Ghanaian language of Twi and was chosen in reference to Abenaa’s Ghanaian heritage and plans to create a brand for both men and women. The brand has won the Precious awards ‘best start up business 2009’ and was also a finalist in the 02x Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

We love the Gigi Crown Print Mac shown above – perfect for making a statement this spring.

Posted by jokite on 18 March 2010

a very happy Harry

I love planning Harry’s birthdays, even though it almost becomes a second job for a while! It is all worth it to see the big smiles on the day. We always have a theme and this year it was Knights and Princesses – perfect for boys AND girls! Yummy food was a must – pizzas, chocolate letters and brilliant cupcakes were created especially for the theme.

All Harry wanted for presents were power rangers and anything involving destruction – so disappointing when all I wanted to give him were authentic gifts like the gorgeous Wigwam from when I was a kid! And my great idea to give the boys foam swords and tiaras for the girls backfired slightly – suddenly the cute innocent children began a mass brawl with foam swords flying – I never realised how much a foam sword could hurt!

But on the way home, seeing a red-faced and exhausted Harry flopped in the back of the car, eating cake, surrounded by balloons, trying so hard to keep his eyes open, made me a very pleased mum indeed. Now I’ve got to start thinking of an even better idea for next year…

Posted by hollytucker on 02 March 2010