Tatty Devine comes to the Toon

I have long been a fan of Tatty Devine,  the ultimate laser cut perspex jewellery supremos.

Ever since first discovering them at the age of 14, I've been bowled over by their super-cool jewellery and accessories, and have made a fair few purchases over the years; their iconic name necklaces, plectrum earrings and spectacle neckwear.

This summer, BALTIC Shop, one of my favourite North East shopping destinations, part BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and TD's larget North East stockist, welcome the Tatty Devine team, who'll be hosting the region's first Bunting Necklace Workshops. Aspiring jewellery makers can work with the team in choosing their own necklace components and create a bunting masterpiece all for themselves.

The two workshops, running on Saturday 13th July, are sure to sell out quick, so to book your place on this super exclusive workshop, hot-foot it over to BALTIC Shop to get your hands on some tickets, or click here to book online. 

Tatty Devine Bunting Necklace Workshops

Saturday 13 July 2013

Workshop Times: 12.00 and 14.30

£35.00 per person

BALTIC SHOP, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead

All images courtesy of BALTIC and Tatty Devine

Bernicia Festival 2013

Now, I wasn't at the press launch today, but I can't bloody wait for Bernicia Festival - South Shields' own alternative arts festival happening on 4th August at The Customs House.

As a Shields girl, this is big business for the town. We have so many great artists and bands coming out of the area at the minute and I'm so glad there's a chance to see everyone altogether in one place.

Tickets are free but only on a lottery basis, so make sure you sign-up quick sharp to be in with a chance of seeing South Tyneside's finest Little Comets, Lulu James, Natasha Haws and my mates, Boy Jumps Ship.

Want to see more? Check out KYEO's line-up reveal and new from the press launch.

Fresh and Clean.

Our Christmas decorations are down, and now the house is looking a bit lacklustre, like it needs an injection of excitement, and maybe some colour to boot.

I can't wait to make some additions to the house in early 2013 - here are some of the things I'm coveting for the home.

Bright neon pink accents
We've decorated our home in a fairly neutral way and I'm ready to brighten it up for Spring. A few neon pink accents are such a modern way of introducing colour to our palette of black, white and grey.

Light Fantastic 
I love an interesting light fitting - planning on including a couple of stand out pieces to our home this year.

Textiles
Even though we're coming out of Winter, I still want to fill our home with gorgeous cosy cushions and curtains. After 6 months of searching, I've finally found some curtains I love - hoping they make our living room feel a bit less chilly!

China
We bought a set of basic crockery when we moved in, but now I'm in the market for some special pieces. I'm absolutely in love with Giles' collection for Matches, Marimekko and Ferm Living china - can't wait for them to grace our flat.

To see more Home Inspiration, pop over to my Home Style board on Pinterest.

Burberry Acoustic: Vinyl Jacket

We have such a great music scene here in the North East of England, and it's always fantastic to see our local bands getting recognition and being picked up by global influencers.

Vinyl Jacket are one such band. Recently, Burberry's Head of Music contacted them saying he was a big fan and they were asked to film a session for Burberry Acoustic. Filmed by the river Tyne in beautiful Wylam, this stripped back arrangement of their track Koala is exclusive to Burberry. Already obsessed with the harmonies; I'm a complete sucker for a brilliant vocal arrangement.



Vinyl Jacket are set to release their new EP next year, but if you can't wait that long, they'll be supporting Cattle and Cane at ARC Stockton Arts Centre on Thursday 20th December.

Vinyljacket.co.uk

Twitter.com/vinyljacketuk

Facebook.com/VinylJacket

Youtube.com/VinylJacketUK

Soundcloud.com/VinylJacketUK

Cath Kidston - New Store Opening - Newcastle, UK

This week sees a real treat for North East fans of British brand, Cath Kidston: we are finally getting our own stand-alone CK store in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The brand have had a small concession based in Fenwick Newcastle for some time now, and now to help strengthen the brand presence in the North East, CK now has it's very own space. Set over 2 floors on the Toon's wonderful Grainger Street, the store will feature products from homeware, kidswear and accessories through to fashion and special one-off vintage pieces, all including CK's iconic print designs.

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED: 
To celebrate the store opening, I've teamed up with Cath Kidston to offer a special giveaway for readers of AMB. I'm exclusively giving away a beautiful spotty tote bag and laptop case to 2 lucky winners. Simply leave a comment below stating which item you'd prefer to win and why, and I will randomly select 2 winners to receive these wonderful prizes courtesy of Cath Kidston.

Only open to UK residents,  and the winners will be announced at the beginning of next week alongside a Q&A with the Newcastle's store manager and a look at the store. So get to commenting quick sharp! 

The store opened today, 8th November, so if you're one of the lucky few who've had a chance to visit already, tweet me what you like about the store @alicemarybarnes.

 Cath Kidston, 136 - 138 Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5AF 

The Gentlewoman Autumn/Winter 2012

My favourite magazine has released it's A/W 2012 issue.

Behold The Gentlewoman.

And can you think of a better cover star than Angela Landsbury? I think not. Enjoy.

All these things that I've done.

Life has been hectic recently. I haven't had time to think let alone to blog! This is me getting back on the horse. Here's how life has looked recently.

Clockwise from top right: Taken on our first night in the flat, this is our beautiful fireplace in the master bedroom / Emma Bridgewater Diamond Jubillee napkins at my Mama's for Jubilee tea / first day in my new job / One of our brilliant house warming presents, a Crystal Head Vodka bottle. We daren't open it!

Clockwise from top left: Gnaw dark chocolate from lovely Park View Kitchen in Whitley Bay / Finally framed, my Prefab77 Always in England print up in pride of place / Pret coffee / Breaking out the spotty trousers for a friend's birthday.

Clockwise from top left: Matching bling / New Stelton coffee press from the parents for our flat / the prettiest street in Tynemouth / Buying coffee from local artisan roastery, the Ouseburn Coffee Company. I can't recommend their Foundry No.1 and Coffee Johnny blends enough.

Clockwise from top right: brilliant laser-cut wooden business cards for new Newcastle eatery, Ernest / my favourite lip balm / new wine-coloured studded flats / Baby Angels with Guns ll preview night at fantastic local space, The Pure Gallery. We bought the Day of the Dead print!

Clockwise from top right: Testing out beauty products / a cycle up the coast with Joe / local ice-cream at Tynemouth market / another one of my favourite prints finally framed and up. It's all about The North.

Clockwise from top right: a reminder at Jesmond Metro station / the best kind of post, paper samples from GF Smith / celebrating my brother Adam's 30th birthday / finishing the Great North 10K in 58:16! Please excuse the ridiculous make-up free face.

--
Normal posting duties to resume this week!

BuyaPowa's BlueSky Co-Buys

I really can't say enough good things about BuyaPowa. Some of my most recent and favourite cheap, beauty buys have been courtesy of their brilliant co-buying scheme - the more people that sign up for the deal, the lower the price goes. Care of BuyaPowa, I've bought some of my favourite beauty products at a lower price - Bobbi Brown's Black Ink Liner and the ultimate eyelash curlers by Shu Uemura.

When Leanne from BuyaPowa got in touch asking if I'd like to get involved with their latest Bloggers' Week, I jumped at the chance. For this particular blogger recommends series, they were after my summer essentials - beauty and non-beauty focused.

Now, we're not having much of a summer are we? But, I went ahead and recommended some of my staple summer essentials including my No. 1 essential - classic, black Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses.

For me, sunglasses aren't just a summer accessory - I wear them whenever the sun is out, perfect for protecting those eyes from the harmful rays of the sun.

I'm pleased to say that my recommended co-buy for Ray Ban Wayfarer's will be going live on BuyaPowa in a couple of weeks, meaning you too can get your hands on these brilliant, classic sunglasses for a low price.

Maybe buying these will bring the sun out? Here's hoping.

You can check out my recommended co-buy, along with other bloggers' recommendations over at BuyaPowa.

Benefit's Mascarathon for Refuge

I love running. I love mascara. And I really love Benefit Cosmetics. So, when some information on Benefit's Mascarathon for the domestic violence charity, Refuge, landed in my inbox, I wanted to give the spotlight to this great charity event.

Benefit's Mascarathon will be celebrating the success of 'They're Real' - Benefit's No1 premium mascara in the UK, whilst raising funds for a fabulous charity. The run, fronted by TV beauty Caroline Flack will be raising funds and awareness for the national domestic violence charity for women and children, Refuge, reaching out to women who may be affected by domestic violence or know someone who is.

Starting in Edinburgh on June 15th and finishing in London on June 29th, the Mascarathon will call in at Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Oxford. Along the 500+ mile route, there will be a range of areas for fans of Benefit Comestics including make-up stations and some lovely Benefit samples for runners and friends (I'll be there raiding samples of mascara and cheering on the running masses!)

And the fun part? A Benefit mascara baton will be passed from runner to runner as they make their way along the route, each completing 2 miles each; these 2 miles mark the 2 women lost every week because of domestic abuse.

For all the lovely lasses in the Toon, the Mascarathon will be stationed in Newcastle from June 13th-15th when Donna Air will be taking part in the run.

In this Olympic year, it's great to see brands supporting charities through sport and I'll be there cheering on the Benefit beauties when they run through Newcastle (and of course sampling some Benefit make-up delights along the way!)

Follow #mascarathonuk and Benefit UK on Twitter

Lately...

On the way to work / My beautiful new Cambridge Satchel / Marni for H&M earrings / Chanel counter in Fenwick, Newcastle. 

Flowers for Mother's Day / Posting a letter to my little niece / The new King's Cross station in London / Ice cream on a sunny day 

Admiring the animals in Pet's Corner, Jesmond Dene / Sunday night pedicure / Visiting the SCIN Gallery in London / Design Museum, Shad Thames

Snazzy new Pendleton bicycle (more to come on this!) / Purple painted house near work / Rifling through old records, love the old school sleeves / Springtime tulips

Reggie the dawg / Dark 'n Stormy cocktails in Las Iguanas / Finally seeing Bill Cunningham New York at Tyneside Cinema / 35mm Ale, specially brewed for Tyneside Cinema by Wylam Brewery.

 The Classic, my favourite screen in Tyneside Cinema / Trying out 9 Bar Coffee at the Theatre Royal / Latte in 9 Bar Coffee / Box fresh and brilliantly white Converse.

Instagram: alicemarybarnes

Fashion: The Cambridge Satchel Company.

The Cambridge Satchel Company have been on my radar for sometime now. They make classic satchel bags which are all made in Britain in a fantastic array of colours and you can even personalise them with your initials in gold, silver, black or blind de-bossing. Very, very covetable and purchasing one has been high on my wishlist for a long while.

Now, on Thursday whilst typing away at work my phone buzzed and I saw a tweet from the Cambridge Satchel Co announcing that I'd won their 8,000 Twitter Followers Sparkly Satchel Giveaway! I was randomly selected out of their Twitter followers to receive one of their beautiful Sparkly Satchels - a new design for 2012. Such a wonderful surprise to receive one of these beautifully made and very covetable satchels.

After a few emails back and forth with the wonderful Emma at the Cambridge Satchel Co, I decided on the 13" Graphite Grey Sparkly Satchel, with my initials blind debossed on the front. And because this is a special giveaway prize, they debossed the number 8 (for 8,000 Twitter followers) on the satchel strap, so it is truly very special. Joe (my better half) was born on 8/8/88 so not only is 8 his lucky number, it's also now mine.

My satchel arrived safe and sound this morning and I did a little squeal when I opened the packaging! Thanks Cambridge Satchel Company - my sparkly satchel is perfect!

Beauty: Liz Earle & favourite new products

Over the the past 12 months, I've become completely obsessed with all things beauty - it all started with a love of nail art which has grown into a bigger love of new beauty products, not just for nails but across skincare and make-up lines - and of course, I've discovered some brilliant beauty blogs in the process (NB: gh0stparties and Sparkly Vodka)

I'm not saying I was a beauty novice before - I've always been a Chanel lipstick and perfume kind of girl, but never really sought out new products to try. Fashion and beauty sit very much hand in hand for me, so I'm not sure why I haven't delved into the brilliance of this industry sooner - I now read as much into beauty trends as I do fashion trends. Adopting beauty trends can be an easy access into the world of high fashion trends - catwalk looks can easily replicated at home and products are very much affordable for the average person; it doesn't cost much to look good.

My daily beauty routine has significantly changed in the past 12 months. No longer being limited to student funds, I have a (small) disposable income to spend on higher quality skincare, make-up lines and beauty treats; gone are the days of using Simple facial wipes (although these are good and practical for when I'm away or feeling lazy) but I'm very much a Liz Earle girl now.

The most significant change in my beauty routine has been the skincare products which I use, which have  resulted in my skin being clearer and softer than it's ever been before.

I'm currently using the complete Liz Earle skincare line; Hot Cloth Cleanser, Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Moisturiser. They complement each other brilliantly and as a result of using this skincare line, my skin has dramatically improved.

For that stubborn eye make-up (I daily pile on the mascara and black, black eyeliner), I've been using Caudalie's Cleansing Water as recommended over on Liberty London Girl -  a very, very gentle cleansing water which removes every last trace of make-up. This is a product I use probably a couple of times a week - it's slightly more expensive that an average cleanser, so I'm savouring every last drop.

Favourite new products

Primers have become a staple in my make-up bag. I can't believe that I hadn't previously used these under my foundation and they have quite literally revolutionised my make-up staying power. I'm currently using The Present by Philosophy (although I do have Benefit's The Porefessional winging it's way to me in the post to try out too). The first time I tried out this primer under my foundation, I had several complements saying I looked glamourous, which, after a long day at work, was a real surprise! The Present makes your skin look beautifully airbrushed and quite literally erases pores. A real keeper.

My good friend Catherine recently introduced me to Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. My eye make-up seems to dissolve into thin air or crease heavily as the day goes on, and since purchasing this a couple of days ago, I can't believe how I ever managed without it! My eyeshadow and liner are kept firmly in place by this miracle product so I don't need to re-apply if going out straight from work.

Lastly, a new little addition to my make-up bag is Bobbi Brown's new Ink Liner from her Neons and Nudes Collection. I picked up this gem on Buyapowa and it's perfect for when I just want a quick flick of eyeliner for those rushed mornings before work.

What are your current favourite products?

Afternoon Tea at Jesmond Dene House

Today marked the start of my 3-day birthday weekend, so Joe and myself headed to the beautiful Jesmond Dene House in Newcastle, for a spot of Champagne Afternoon Tea to kick-start the weekend in style.

Such an occasion demanded a special piece of clothing, so I opted to give my Topshop Navy Spot Ankle Grazer Trousers their debut. I teamed them with black suede ASOS pumps, my faithful ASOS Navy Crombie coat, plain black H&M jumper and my treasured Mulberry Alexa.

The Afternoon Tea in itself was a grand affair - we started with Champagne, and then a selection of the most delicious finger sandwiches, scones and pastries. My favourites were the Roast Red Pepper sandwiches and the Chocolate and Mint Macaron - Joe dived straight in for his favourite Ham and Pease Pudding sandwiches (a lovely, Geordie touch for this Afternoon Tea).

I really cannot recommend Jesmond Dene House enough - not only do they do the wonderful Afternoon Teas, but they serve some exquisite food in their Restaurant (I had a mean steak for my birthday there last year).

Today, I also received something in the post which I've been waiting for patiently - my silver, Vega ring from new jewellery label Paper & Chain. The jewellery duo, based in Worcester, have created my dream jewellery - very simple, sophisticated designs, all with a subtle edge. I can't wait to add more to my collection.

Above: Vega ring by Paper & Chain on middle finger; Knot ring by unknown (I've had it ever since I can remember!)