STOP PRESS! Published on design*sponge!

My Leeds City Guide has just been published on influential design blog design*sponge (eek! squeal of excitement!), featuring some of the city's most famous places and spaces...

The UK's 'Most Delicious Cupcake' found and indulged at The Sunshine Bakery

Writing a guide to your city might just be the best way of reminding yourself of all that is good about it - the galleries, the indie shops, the open spaces... and of course for reminding you where to find all things delicious.

Stunning architecture, quirky shops and yum food at the Corn Exchange

But also some hidden gems and best-kept secrets

Get your Yorkshire yarns at funky little knit shop Baa Ram Ewe

Emerging artists' exhibitions, art and craft workshops, unique handmade gifts and a sweet cafe at the Bowery

Researching it was a fantastic excuse to indulge in afternoon tea and cakes, check out some of our hottest new artists and shop for gorgeous things.

'Buy me' antiques at Retro Boutique

It tells you about the kind of places I would take you if you came to stay.

Ethical delights at Love Organic

Check out the full Leeds City Guide over on design*sponge and start planning your trip to this lovely part of the world. 

Sparkly chandeliers, girly beauty products and a 1930s boudoir at Rose & Co Apothecary

Would love to see you here some day...

Check out the guide here



Shopping in Paris & petit parisian giveaway #2

On my happy wanderings through the streets of Paris I discovered one gorgeous shop after another - sharing some of them with you here...

Textiles and ribbons in Montmartre...

Ribbon: Mercerie Saint Pierre, 6 rue Charles Nodier, 75018 Paris

Fabric: Les Tissus Laik, 1, rue de Steinkerque 75018 Paris

Stationery, ahhh stationery...

Papeterie Laffitte, 27 rue Laffitte, 75009 Paris

Beautiful cards from amazing print & paper workshop Intaglio, where I made new friends in the inspirational owners Stefan and Anna:

Intaglio: 91 rue de Lemercier, 75017 Paris

and 3 rue de Fleurus, 75006 Paris 

Dreamy candles from the original Diptyque shop in St Germain des Pres...

Diptyque, 34 boulevard saint germain, 75005 Paris

It wouldn't be Paris without some gorgeous food shops...

A sneaky crepe or two for the hungry shopper...

(hazelnut chocolate - this one's for you Chrissy!)

Some lovely flowers...

And then to Sennelier, the most wonderful art supply shop on the banks of the River Seine.  Established in 1887, Claude Monet might even have bought his brushes and paints here...

It is AMAZING.  If you go to Paris please please please go there, you will love it!   And come back next week to see what I painted with my lovely new supplies...

******

And so to the giveaway.  The lucky winner of the cute biscuit tin from giveaway #1 in this blog post is...  Cathy!  And I have just realised that she is also known as Tinnie Girl - how appropriate!  Cathy please mail me your address (to bethvnicholls@yahoo.co.uk) and I will get it sent down under.

Petit Parisian giveaway #2 is for the French equivalent of fat quarters, from a lovely textile shop in Montmartre.  You can win one of these...

(each is 0.25m x 1.1m)

Just leave a comment below, and tell us all whether you would prefer to have the red set or the green set and what you would make with it, and I will put your name in the beret for a chance to win!


More Paris posts here:

The most wonderful piece of bad luck
Paris je t'adore
Travelling Light
Random acts of generosity