where has Rufus been?

That is the question we are asking this morning!

Rufus went missing yesterday lunchtime and we were distraught. He returned home in the early hours, and I can’t even begin to explain how pleased we were.

After a five-man seven-hour search combing Wimbledon Common in the dark, we all gave up and planned a dawn start to resume the hunt. But Rufie saved us all the trouble by appearing at the front door at 3am this morning – four miles and some busy roads from where he was last seen.

We were all just a little bit happy to see him, and he did one of his best-ever limp-wristed high-fives in honour of the occasion.

Rufus was very proud, but the perils of his night away don’t really bear thinking about. We know how much you need reason for optimism when a beloved animal takes off so I hope his story will serve that purpose for anyone else who ever finds themselves in our situation. They do have a miraculous way of turning up just as all hope is lost. I especially want to thank Laura, Amelia, and the entire dog-walking community of Wimbledon for their dedicated search, and everyone for their kind concern through the long afternoon and night of searching.

If you happened to see him strolling around Wimbledon yesterday, do let us know – we would love to know his journey and how he found his way home.

Always one to turn a situation to his advantage, my husband Simon said, on seeing Rufie’s reception, how Simon is now looking forward to having a big kiss and a cuddle and a lovely fresh meal put in front of him the next time he rolls home at 3am having gone missing for 13 hours without a word of explanation…

Posted by sophiecornish on 27 January 2011

when Harry met Santa

Just before Christmas, my partner Frank and I took our son Harry to Lapland for three days to meet Santa. After a three hour flight to Kittlia we arrived in Lapland, and no sooner had we arrived at our little log cabin, I found myself getting all wrapped up in four layers of Arctic gear (nothing to make you feel as attractive as when wearing an insulated blue jacket and charcoal on your nose from the crossing the arctic circle ceremony!) and driving a team of huskies with Frank and Harry in minus 28c, hanging on for dear life for 5km. I have no idea how they can race them for 250km! The landscape is so stunningly beautiful but the cold is hard to bear – but delicious warm berry juice that evening was the perfect antidote for extreme temperatures.

The next day Harry met Father Christmas, which was a totally amazing experience, starting with a sledge ride pulled by Rudolph and a meeting with the big man himself. The beauty of the wilderness was a really soulful experience,and the Northern Lights took our breath away that evening over a glass of mulled wine.

On the last day, we tried our hand at a spot of ice fishing on a frozen lake in minus 30c! More warming berry juice was required before we began the journey home, ironically to a frozen London…

It was an awe-inspiring once-in-a-lifetime trip that I so recommend, especially if you have children! Santadays organised the whole thing for us and I highly recommend them.

Posted by hollytucker on 27 January 2011

an illustrated life...

We always love learning about our new sellers, but we’re particularly excited about one of our recent additions, Illustrated Life. Selling a range of beautiful cards and prints adorned with hand-drawn illustrations, Illustrated Life is a one-man-band seller run by budding illustrator Emma Cowlam.

Emma studied textile design at Chelsea School of Art, before moving to New York to complete an internship. It was here that she developed her passion for illustration; “I have always been fascinated by figurative images and images of people doing things. I was so inspired just by being in New York, I was always out and about drawing in my sketchbooks and taking photos”. And so the idea of Illustrated Life was born, an outlet for Emma to create and sell her beautiful designs. Our favourite product from her range is the illustrated greetings cards. Each one is individually hand-drawn and sold at a bargain price of £4 each for an original piece of artwork.

Emma’s work has recently be featured in the Swedish edition of Elle magazine (pictured above), and is soon to be seen in the April issue of LivingEtc. We’re excited to see her business go from strength to strength over the coming months!

Posted by jenniferbaldwin on 24 January 2011

when children make thank you cards...

...they look something like this! This card was created by Henry and Florence (with a bit of help from their mother…), and sent to Sophie to thank the Cornish family for a wonderful time at Christmas and the lovely presents they received. A gorgeous idea, wonderfully executed (and so simple!). Feel free to copy. Or if you’re feeling less energetic, click here.

Posted by jokite on 19 January 2011

the Top Gear stamp of approval

We were absolutely thrilled to learn that Top Gear featured us in their bachelor’s gift guide in the run up to Christmas! They pulled together a selection of the best car-themed gifts, and not one but two of our products were chosen! Watch the clip below to see the Bugatti light switch by Candy Queen Designs and the gear stick bottle stop by Me and My Car. Hopefully this fantastic coverage will help to drive (sorry!) sales for these sellers.

Posted by jenniferbaldwin on 14 January 2011

staff picks: Harriet loves Clare Gage's lace cups

The first staff pick of 2011 comes from Harriet, one of the newer members of the notonthehighstreet.com team. Harriet recently joined our press department, and already has her eye on some favourite products from the site. ‘I’ve never seen anything like the lace cups by Clare Gage before, they are so pretty and delicate, and have such a unique design. I love the combination of textiles and ceramics – a theme that runs through Clare’s whole collection. I also love her patchwork cup and sugar bowl. I will have to start a collection!’.

Posted by jenniferbaldwin on 06 January 2011