All posts filed under: Cool Stuff

GRLPWR Gang – The All-Female Creative Collective Empowering Girls

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This is an interview I did for Dr. Martens, reproduced here. To read the original CLICK HERE. GRL PWR Gang are a force to be reckoned with – individually and as a collective. Founded by Kirsti Hadley, GRL PWR Gang is made up of female creatives, artists, bloggers, designers and generally amazing women whose mission it is to provide a network for like-minded girls. They’re the ladies making ‘nice’ cool again. We tasked some of the gang with styling our new DM’s Lite Rigal boot and caught up with founder Kirsti to hear more about GRLPWR. Hi Kirsti, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? I grew up in inner-city Birmingham and I had literally no clue what I wanted to do. I didn’t have any female mentors or role models – women to inspire me. It wasn’t until I was older, and I started working in clubs, that I would meet these really cool girls that were doing their own thing in music or the media and I knew then …

Flower Arranging With Bloom &Wild 

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Flower arranging is the new hot hobby, seriously. So many of my girlfriends are forgoing wild weekends in favour of artfully arranging blooms. And I can see why. It’s an activity that is so relaxing it’s like meditation, plus it kind of involves nature (though the stems are cut and dead) which is never a bad thing. I first tried this new thing last year and now I can’t get enough of it. Bloom & Wild who you may know from ‘flowers through the letterbox’ fame hosted a class at West Elm’s beautiful Tottenham Court Road branch where we created a floral letter – which my friend pointed out was not dissimilar to something you’d see at an East End funeral. Morbid associations aside I am so proud of my colourful ‘S’. Find out about Bloom & Wild classes here.

Loewe 001 Perfume Review

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Ever since fashion wunderkind JW Anderson took the helm at Spanish leather house Loewe he’s transformed it to fusty heritage brand to the must-have label for those in the know. While I, sadly, can’t afford to buy any of his beautiful leather goods or clothing (well, if I plan on paying rent) I can indulge in a bit of beauty retail therapy. 001 is the new Loewe fragrance by Johnathon Anderson, it comes in two complimentary parts – the male and female – designed so that you can layer them together to create a third scent altogether. Both perfumes feature zingy citrus notes, bergamot and warm musk. The women’s scent has the addition of notes of sweet vanilla, while the men’s version features amber. They’re both lovely, autumnal scents that are quite unusual but I opted for the men’s version because I love amber. The bottle is a chic, angular glass affair with a wooden lid and the box features exclusive black and white still photography making either perfume a great addition to your dressing table. …

artifact uprising travel photo book

My Travel Photo Book by Artifact Uprising

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It arrived, it finally arrived! Actually I only had to wait a mere week for my hardcover photo book by Artifact Uprising so I was caught off guard when the postman delivered it this morning, I thought it would take much longer to get here. I knew the way I wanted to commemorate my backpacking trip was with one of these babies, it’s such a lovely idea and a real novelty to look at photos that aren’t on a screen. Making the book could not have been easier, you can upload photographs from your computer or direct from you VSCO or Instagram account. Or a mix of the three like me. You can choose the layout of each page, colour of the book and the dust sleeve; creating a book that is totally unique to you. These memories are all so precious to me (I mean I had a lot of f*cking fun), and this book is perfect for preserving them. Hardcover Photo Book, Artifact Uprising 

The Most Hilarious Podcasts For Your Commute

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  Is it a sign of old age, or a sign of the times that instead of the latest Boiler Room mix I’m now more likely to be found listening to a Podcast on my commute? There’s a line in my favourite TV show Eastbound and Down where the notoriously juvenile star Kenny Powers says ‘I’m a grown up, I listen to This American  Life’. And there is something quite mature about listening to certain Podcasts, you feel like you have your sh*t together. Of course some are just hilariously funny. So without further ado here are six of the best.   Ronna & Beverly Try not to laugh at this biweekly Podcast and you will fail miserably. It’s a weird concept – two fifty-something Jewish mothers, Ronna & Beverly, generally bitch, dole out advice and burp alongside celebrity guests. They’re like the know-it-all aunts at every wedding; Ronna the sophisticated one and Beverly the kooky one. I can highly recommend this, it’s just hilarious. Download it now This Week Had Me Like BEST. PODCAST. OF. ALL. …

Palm Vaults Hackney (The Place With The Pink Lattes)

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I’ve been wanting to pay a visit to London’s most Instagram-friendly cafe for a while now so this week my BFF Ben and I hot-footed it to Hackney’s Palm Vaults to see what all the fuss was about. Firstly I was blown away/insanely jealous of the plush pink and very 70s-inspired interior. Lots of crushed blush velvet, gold decor and of course green foliage; it really is a great looking place. I’d been intrigued by the pink velvet latte after seeing it on Instagram but I a/ hate coffee and b/ I’m lactose intolerant, so I didn’t think I’d be able to try one. Luckily for me it was a whole new drink! Almond milk, vanilla and beetroot… And it was delicious. They also serve a variety of teas, coffees, snacks and cakes. I especially love their new acai bowls, seriously pretty and very healthy. And soooo tasty. If they weren’t so bloody delicious I’d feel bad about eating them. Oh and do try their juices and smoothies – they do a great refreshing grapefruit …

4 Female Artists to Watch

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Let’s hear it for the girls… SAMANTHA FRENCH Minnesota-born, Brooklyn-based US artist Samantha French’s dazzling works “explore the idea of escape, the tranquility and nostalgia for the lazy summer days of her childhood”. I particularly love her photorealistic, stylized underwater paintings which feature sunny blues that take me back to the outdoor swimming pool I used to go to in the holidays with my granddad – really, they’re that good they transported me right back there! French says of her art; “I attempt to recreate the quiet tranquility of water and nature; of days spent sinking and floating, still and peaceful. These paintings are a link to my home and continual search for the feeling of the sun on my face and warm summer days at the lake. They are my escape, a subtle reprieve from the day-to-day.”   HATTIE STEWART Professional doodler and magazine defacer Hattie Stewart has more collaborations under her belt than you can shake a sharpie at – she’s doodled for House of Holland, Marc Jacobs (the now defunct) Luella and …

JungleFish, Ubud Bali Review

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*WARNING* Overzealous use of superlatives, hyperbole and general gushing in this article. Sorry in advance. Jungle Fish is a bar/restaurant in the middle of the jungle which features a breathtaking infinity pool. Words and pictures can do this place no justice, but let me say this; my friend Amanda had tears of joy/awe in her eyes when we arrived. It’s that magical. Surprisingly it’s not that well known I don’t think, after speaking with people here in Bali it’s definitely still under the radar. My Tinder habit/addiction came through once again as it was a potential date who told me about this place. Seriously I get so many travel tips from Tinder – even if you’re not single it’s worth using it for that. You have to spend 150,000 Rupiah minimum to use the Jungle Fish pool, but that’s only about £8. My friends and I spent an afternoon there enjoying their sublime food, fluffy towels, excellent service and out-of-this-world cocktails. Happy hour is from 4pm to 7pm and gets you 40% off drinks; try …

Follow Me on Instagram

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While I’m on my backpacking trip/ big fat excuse to have fun and not work I’m documenting my adventures every step of the way on Instagram. As much as I’d like to blog everyday, crappy wifi and a lack of time mean I can’t. But I snap 100s of photos each week and a lot make it on to Instagram. So follow me at @shereemilli (same for Twitter and Pinterest) for pics of jungles, beaches and ridiculous outfits! 💖 @shereemilli    

Art Class in Udaipur, India

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Udaipur in Rajasthan is such a lovely, peaceful town – set around a dazzling lake (featuring a swanky 5* hotel that I was sadly not staying at) – this creative place is famed for its miniature artists. You can find intricate paintings adorning pretty much every surface and wall plus you can buy yourself a piece of art or two to take home. Being a little bit of an artist myself *toots own horn* I decided to take in an art class with one of Udaipur’s many miniature art schools. I painted a camel because one nearly killed me in the Indian desert and I thought it might work as a kind of ‘face your fears’ therapy. It didn’t. While I wasn’t cured of my camel aversion I did come to appreciate the immense skill of the miniature artists, their brushes are soooo fine and they grind their own paints out of all natural colours – needless to say, my camel didn’t turn out quite like the instructors, but I had a great time painting …