The Home of Drift Living.

Wednesday, 22 January 2014

Did you know... it's Burns Night!

(Well not just yet) On the 25th of Jan, Scots everywhere will be getting kilted up and enjoying a dram or two to celebrate the life and work of Robert Burns.

And so here's some of my favourite facts about him!

Born 25th of Jan 1759 - 1796, Burns was just aged 37 when he died.
He fathered at least 12 children by four different women, one of which, his youngest, was born on the day of his funeral.
Robert Burns was voted the Greatest Ever Scot in 2009 by television viewers.
Burns wrote 'Auld Lang Syne' which is recognised by the Guinness World Book of Records as being in the top 3 popular songs in the English language (Along side Happy Birthday and For he's a jolly good fellow).
He produced more than 550 songs and poems.
Burns is known as The Bard, Scotland's national poet.
His net worth on his death in 1796 was £1.
When measured after his death, Burns' head was found to be larger than the average human.
Micheal Jackson said that his famous song Thriller was inspired by Burns' Tam O'Shanter.

Robert Burns has been into space!... Well not really... his poems have. Nick Patrick, when doing a 5.7 million mile trip and 217 orbits of the Earth, carried a miniature book of Burns' poetry in 2010.

Pedestrian crossings in Japan play a rendition of "coming through the Rye" to indicate to a walker to cross.
The US President Abe Lincoln could recite Burns' work by heart.

If you want to celebrate Burns Night too, but you're not quite sure what exactly to do... Here's some quick and easy steps to help you along the way.

You should be eating the traditional "Haggis, Neeps (turnip) and Tatties (potatoes)", or similarly, a vegetarian Haggis is a tasty alternative!
Why not get into the spirit with a nice dram of whisky, in true Burns fashion!
Music: For those of you who can't handle the drone of the Bagpipes, you'll be able to find many Cd's of Burn's own songs and poems to play.
And no Scottish celebration would be complete without a bit of tartan! There's hundreds to choose from, and you never know, you might find that you've got your own family tartan!

Friday, 17 January 2014

Making time for Happiness. #100HAPPYDAYS

I don't know if you've heard about this thing before... it's called "Happiness" and we all need more of it!

100happydays is a challenge to you from you to document your own happiness and in the process make time for the things that make you happy in your day-to-day routine.

WHY ?

Why not! Everyone should do at least one thing in their day that makes them happy and I, for one, am eagerly anticipating the challenge (with mine starting today (Friday 17th Jan 2014)). 100happydays makes the powerful true point that "We live in times when super-busy schedules have become something to boast about. While the speed of life increases, there is less and less time to enjoy the moment that you are in. The ability to appreciate the moment, the environment and yourself in it, is the base for the bridge towards long term happiness of any human being" ... making you want to jump up out of your seat and cry "EXACTLY!". Why isn't it a necessity for every person to have happiness every single day of their lives?

And so, lets all do this challenge together!

HOW ?

I (and Drift Living) are planning to use our new Instagram account as the social media network for our 100happydays, but you can use any other kind of networking i.e. email, facebook, twitter, tumblr. All you do is register at http://100happydays.com/ (very quick and very easy), set the date you want to start, and you're ready and raring to go!

Friday, 10 January 2014

Drift's Resolutions 2014.

Now with our busiest period over we can take a step back , have a ponder and make a list of what we want to change in this coming year.

After a few discussions in the Drift office we decided that we only want to do more things that make us happy.. here are the things we've come up with so far..

#ONE

http://driftliving.co.uk/butterfly-magnets/

Even just a cheeky chunk of chocolate mid-afternoon, or a little pause on your morning stroll to work to appreciate the fresh air. We all should stop once in awhile just to look at those little things that make us happy.

#TWO

http://driftliving.co.uk/white-mug-with-message/

You know those gloomy January days, when the sky stays grey, the sun doesn't seem to want to make an appearance and that cold breeze just won't give up... well, why not buy yourself something to cheer yourself up! After all, you deserve it!

#THREE

http://driftliving.co.uk/stripe-parchment-pillar-candle-fungi-2-sizes/

So simple yet completely satisfying. Just think, a glass of wine, a good book, lots of candles, I don't think anything could be more relaxing. (Well, maybe if you hopped in a bubble bath, then that is relaxation!)

#FOUR

http://driftliving.co.uk/retro-biscuit-tin/

Now this one is all about you! Everyone needs a bit of time concentrated on themselves, so why shouldn't you! Those dishes can wait for one night while you go out for that much needed drink with a friend...and that carpet isn't desperate for a hoover just yet, you can leave it for an hour or two while you have a browse on your favourite online shops.

#FIVE

http://driftliving.co.uk/klippan-birka-throw/

This one is for me, these past few winters have left me grumbling about my current knitwear, the kind that looks pretty but doesn't actually keep the warmth in and the cold out! And so it's time for a complete overthrow, a knitwear revolution, out with the cold and in with the... warm. I for one, am going to look out for 100% wool jumpers, cardigans, scarfs, gloves, hats, cushions, throws, blankets.. anything! Think the motto when your shopping in the winter sales...If it's wool, it's warm.

#SIX

And of course, no list of resolutions would be complete without the usual "Eat healthy and regular exercise". It may be said every year and broken every year, but we're going to try really hard this year to keep this resolution... promise!

Why not let us know some of your resolutions? Maybe we'll add some more onto our own!

p.s. Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year.. only 348 days till it comes again!

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Wedding Inspirations

My previous post was about the struggle to think up wedding gifts, but thinking up ideas for a whole wedding must be even more stressful. That's where I would like to help...

Here's some small ideas to help with some inspiration for your extra special day!

These yellow cupcake cases are so cute and happy, imagine some tasty lemon cupcakes as nibbles throughout the night for your guests. After all, everyone loves some cupcakes!

From Drift Living, £2.25 for a pack of 60.

These Tealight Hurricane Lanterns are positively beautiful when lit, imagine a row of them lighting up a path when the sun starts to go down. Lovely!

From Drift Living, H15 cm x D8.5 cm, Now £6

A cute sign to pop on a door to show people where the loo is.

From Drift Living, £4.99

This Paper Lace Bunting is my favourite. I can imagine this being hung on a tree outside, blowing in the breeze and showing all the passers-by that there is a special day happening. It would also be lovely to have in your wedding picture, standing under a decorated tree full of paper lace bunting, beautiful!

A gin bar... why not have a separate bar just for those gin lovers, they can gorge themselves on gin whilst socialising with other gin lovers. Great conversation starter; "What's your favourite gin?", "What gin did you choose?", "Oh wow, elderflower with gin and tonic... what a good idea!" and so on, and so forth.
How about these cute literary confetti for on the table. For all those literature lovers!

These striped straws are so cute, and they would go perfectly with some lemonade!

A Jukebox. A brilliant idea, and your guests can pick their own songs!
I've always thought a photo booth would be a fun idea and you'd get a copy of the pictures afterwards! http://www.vintagebooth.me/ is an alternative vintage design from the others.
I am loving this new trend of writing love notes about your husband/wife to be on the soles of your shoes, a nod to you childhood friends Woody and Buzz from Toy Story.

If you still stuck for ideas or just need some inspiration, have a look at my Pinterest board "For Your Wedding". Plenty of pictures,

Monday, 17 June 2013

Wedding Season Struggles.

If you're like me and have lots of weddings emerging on the horizon, then you'll be getting that same panic of what to get these newly weds for a wedding gift. Not only do you have the stress of what to wear to the special day, but we also have to decide what to buy!

So to give all of you a helping hand, here's a list of some ideas:

For those Newly's don't have everything yet

Cutlery is always a safe bet, after all, everyone uses cutlery. Why not also make it a bit more unique with some nice napkin rings, or place mats.
A Mixer. Or is you don't want to spend too much on a present, what about a hand held mixer! Always come in handy.
A Casserole dish/ other cooking crockery.
A cake stand with dome.
A tiered fruit stand.

The list goes on and on for those who need everything, but what about the newlys who already have everything... that's where the problem starts!

For those Newly's who already have everything

What about a Flensted hanging Mobile? Easy to set up, easy to wrap, and a lovely addition to any room to remind them of their special day! I especially like the Peace and Love mobile for a couple, or this Viking Ships mobile would make a nice addition to a sitting room or kitchen!

How about this Bengt and Lotta Couple (small, W10xH10cm) Candle Holder, unique and cute. Made out of solid black iron, this will last them a lifetime! (Also available in large, W19cm x H20cm)

However if you still would like to go down the "useful" route and get them something that they will use continuously, what about these Rochere Bee Glasses with a matching Jug?

Stay tuned for a post on wedding ideas for those of you planning your very own important day!

Hope you all have a lovely day, full of laughter and joy. Much Love, Charlotte x

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

It's TheSimpleThings that matter.

It's our new favourite magazine here at Drift Living... have you seen it? The Simple Things.

Such lovely articles with an even more lovely slogan of "Living and loving the simple life", definitely a fantastic new motto to take on!

Their homepage is perfectly cute, with choices of "EATING, GROWING, MAKING, LIVING and ESCAPING" to choose from, giving you articles from baking, to books, to DIY tutorials, What more do you need?!

I highly recommend everyone should jump onto this simplistic wagon with me, and lets start "living and loving the simple life"! We're currently on Issue 9 of 13.. so plenty more to come, yay!