11 Boundary

A few days ago, I went to one of my all time favourite London neighbourhoods; Shoreditch. It is the best place to find quirky shops, vintage stores, cool locations and much more. Shoreditch is run by young, lively, flamboyant characters... It's a great place to meet new interesting people, and the atmosphere is always dynamic and generally full of life.

One of my most beloved shops in Shoreditch is 11 Boundary; a modern, chic, and stylish women's clothing store. The thing I like the most about it, is that all of the labels it offers are refreshing, diverse and cool. They are rarely seen on the high-street, and are certainly not very popular, therefore it's unlikely that you will ever see someone else wearing the pieces; they are original. The labels vary from time to time, but the main ones are: Malene Birger, American Vintage, bobi, Winter Kate, Wildfox, LNA, DAY Birger et Mikkelsen, House of Harlow, Silver Service, Sam Edelman, Tom Ford sunglasses, and many more. The quality of the clothes and accessories are amazing, they may be a little more on the pricier side, but they will last a life time, and I personally believe they are completely worth it. 11 Boundary offers something for every girl; the more classy lady, the statement piece gal, the easy going type, and definitely the fashionista. There are some great gift ideas for a close friend or sister and maybe even a stylish mum!  
    











I also love the interior design of the store, it's just beautiful. The white walls create a sense of simplicity, and they are a great background for the clothing racks covered by gorgeous dresses, cosy jumpers, leather jackets and colourful tops... There is also section reserved for a series of soft and wonderful scarves, for everyday-wear, and another one just for Tom Ford sunglasses and dainty, fashionable jewellery, as well as a few iphone/ipad accessories. It's just MARVELLOUS!

- Bianca xo

To contact 11 Boundary:

info@11boundary.com

020 7033 0310

Websites:

http://www.11boundary.com/

http://www.11boundary.com/all-products

               

The Roundhouse

 
A few weeks ago, on a Saturday night, my family and I went to see "Fuerzabruta" at the Roundhouse in Camden Town... and it was simply mind-blowing! I had never experienced anything quite like it before. "Fuerzabruta" is an all standing rave of a show... :P It's made up of visual effects that are too insane and surreal to describe, but some of these were; a man running on an enormous treadmill smashing through a series of moving polyester walls, or standing just centimetres below a plastic sheet covered in water, where some women create a fun scene by sliding across the watery surface of the see-through panel just above your head... All set to a thumping soundtrack. Unbelievable, right!?

















These are the kind of shows that the Roundhouse puts on for the public... original, intense, colourful, fun and always to the beat of music. It was built in 1846 as a steam-engine repair shed, and it was turned into an arts venue in 1964. When passing by it doesn't particularly stand out, as it is a round red-brick building, so it may look a little conventional, but once you enter the main hall where the shows take place, it is truly amazing. It is an outstanding cutting-edge building. There is also an open rooftop area, where during the colder seasons they fire some artificial snow, and a bar nestled in a pop-up Chalet appears, where you can go have some mulled wine, hot cider or a bratwurst (a traditional German sausage). Attached to the main area of the Roundhouse, there is also a great restaurant; Made in Camden. The food is served in the spanish styled 'tapas' way, where you order a few smaller dishes, to try out a variety of different things, instead of just one main course. That's where my family and I went to eat before "Fuerzabruta", and I really enjoyed it; the restaurant has a great lively atmosphere and the food is very good. The audiences that walk through the doors of the Roundhouse are varied; you will enjoy the show whether you're 16 or 40 (not that 40 is old in any way :P).  

Unfortunately "Fuerzabruta" ended on the 26th of January, so it is no longer on, but I have seen other shows at this venue, and overall they were all spectacular and very much worth seeing... so GO! I will promise you that you will thoroughly enjoy your time there.   
















- Bianca xo

To contact the Roundhouse:

 

info@roundhouse.org.uk

020 7424 9991

Website:

http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/

Recipease

There is absolutely something for everyone who loves food and cooking at Recipease. It is a hub for people who really want to get involved with food or just for people who adore eating! It was designed and set up by the very famous and loved British chef, Jamie Oliver. This wonderful place is located in Notting Hill, as well as in Clapham Junction and Brighton, although the one that I have visited, and therefore I will be reviewing, is the Notting Hill one.

If you are strolling down Notting Hill Gate, there is no way you will miss it, as is it very big and entirely made of glass windows, so you can see everything that is going on inside, as well as getting a sneaky peek at all the wonderful food. From the outside it looks a little bit like a fun fair, as there are a lot of colourful banners and signs.

However, once you walk into Recipease, you have this wonderful realisation that it is actually a heaven for food-lovers. As soon as you enter the place, right in front of you there is a mint green scooter-cart, covered in sweet pastries such as pain au chocolat and brioches… my favourites! At the back of the large room there is an exposed cooking counter with chefs running up and down preparing meals for the restaurant upstairs and for you! Then you begin to look around and find; freshly baked bread, jams, olive oils, sauces of many different kinds, biscuits… and the list goes on. As well as pre-made food and snacks there is also a great variety of freshly prepared food to go, such as; roast pork belly, fish pie, roasted chicken, sausage rolls… and much more, which are all great for the busier clients or for the cooking-disabled. It doesn’t end here! There is also a café/small restaurant upstairs, which I haven’t been to yet, but I will, certainly in the near future, which is for the people who love good food, but that are on the go, as no booking is required.   

Finally there is a whole accessible kitchen area for the costumers that would like to learn how to cook. It is a one or two-hour cookery class, which you can attend with friends to learn something that will last you a lifetime, and that you will have fun doing. Although you do have to remember to book, otherwise you cannot participate.

We can all agree on the fact that this place has EVERYTHING!

- Bianca xo

To contact Recipease:

customerservices@recipease.com

0203 375 5398

Opening Hours:

Mon – Fri 7.30am to 9.00pm

Saturday – 7.30am to 9.00pm

Sunday – 8.00am to 7.00pm

Website:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipease/

Nelly Duff

Nelly Duff is a great little modern art gallery in the heart of Columbia Road. As soon as you see the outside, which is covered by colourful tattoo-like graffiti, with a large “Nelly Duff” light-up sign just above the display window, it just makes you want to walk right in and have a look at all the wonderful pieces they have. The gallery is always full of life, not only because of the many costumers, but also because of all the bright colours of the screen-prints on the walls. In fact, “Nelly Duff” comes from the cockney rhyming slang for ‘LIFE’.

The gallery exhibits editions and original pieces by artists such as Banksy, Gaia, Angelique Houtkamp, Eine, Mr Wim, Dave the Chimp, Patrick Thomas, Anthony Burrill and Natalie Ferstendik. In the gallery there are mostly street-art, tattoo and graphic design styled pieces, so if you’re someone who loves Van Gogh or Leonardo Da Vinci, maybe this is not the best place for you. Although, since I am someone who adores precisely all these more modern and pop-culture styles, I absolutely love the gallery. They have some very jokey pieces, which are all very fun, but they also have some with inspirational words or phrases, however all of them are all quite light-hearted. One of my favorites is made up of six separate small screen-prints, that when put together spell “CHANGE” in fun, bright colors. There is also a piece of an illustration of Columbia Road and all of the different shops that are on it, it’s in black and white, and it is great for someone who loves Columbia Road, and wants to take a small part of it away with them. The gallery also sells art books and graphic postcards, which are great if you are more on a budget.

The gallery is a great place to visit on a weekend, even if you’re not planning to buy anything, the pieces are worth having a look at.

- Bianca xo

To contact Nelly Duff:

hello@nellyduff.com

Opening Hours:

Saturday – 11am to 5pm

Sunday – 9.30am to 4pm

Or by appointment

Mon to Thurs - 10am to 5pm

Website:

nellyduff.com        

Marcos and Trump

Last weekend I went to pay a visit to one of my all-time favourite roads in the whole of London: Columbia Road. If you do decide to go and wonder around, make sure you do so on a Sunday, and get there before 2pm, because that is when the flower market is on, and it is truly wonderful. Countless small flower stalls cover up the small road, so you can imagine how great the smell is!

When I do go to Columbia Road, I always stop by the minute and quirky Marcos and Trump. It’s a women’s clothing store that sells unique and interesting pieces, ranging from hats and peter pan collars, to going-out dresses and grannyish sweaters (which are all so cosy looking).

As soon as you walk in the wonderful ladies working there greet you, and you immediately feel welcome. There are clothing racks and jewellery cases covering every wall, alongside vintage looking lamps and paintings, as well as a non-working fireplace. There is one main, bigger room, and then one smaller one towards the back, which is where there are two changing rooms, a shoe rack (which holds some lovely old-fashioned, low-heeled leather shoes, and hats), and a rack with some winter coats. The place is original and always full of great pieces of clothing ready to be bought. In fact, the shop is constantly changing and evolving with new clothing lines and singular pieces being added weekly. So if you see something you like, make sure you pick it up immediately!

 

The jewellery they sell is all quite vintage looking and quirky, although everything is all very stylish and “in”. Such as colourful bejewelled bracelets, which are always great to stack up, to create a fun look ready for the summer. Or their beaded peter-pan collar necklaces, which on the high street at the moment seem to be everywhere, especially on high-necked dresses and on top of sweaters. They also sell great quality woollen gloves and mittens, bobble hats and beanies, and scarves, which are all must haves for the cold whether that we now have in London. The clothes are beautiful, they have some amazing dresses, which are great for parties or dinners; I tried on a flowy chiffon black dress that was so pretty, but unfortunately the size was not the right one. This is a small problem that the shop has, since it is quite small, they can only have a few sizes per piece, so you have to be a little lucky when going in. At the moment there is a sale going on, so everything was very affordable, but all year round the price/quality ratio is good, so you get your money’s worth.

 

Overall Marcos and Trump is a really cosy and a great place to go do some shopping for yourself, or to buy a gift for a girlfriend. It is worth visiting because it is one-of-a-kind and just wonderfully quirky and old-fashioned. I love it!

- Bianca xo

To contact Marcos and Trump:

Debbie. 07525000855

Bee. 07956 465126

Shop. 0207 739 9008

Opening Hours:

Friday and Saturday – 11am to 5pm

Sunday – 8.30am to 4pm