December opening hours

Good news! We're extending our opening hours all through December to make it a bit easier to get all your Christmas shopping done. We'll be open until 6pm midweek (and 7pm on Thursdays, as normal), and we'll be open from 11am - 3pm on Sundays!

The new hours start tomorrow, December 1st, which means we'll be open this Sunday! Please come down and say hello, so I'm not here all on my lonesome :)

If you'd rather do your shopping online, here are a couple of important dates to note...

You can still order after these dates (we'll be open up until Christmas Eve) but we can't guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.

Happy shopping!

More strawberries...

...from our backyard! Delicious.

Sorry, too busy today to write much, but I have an exciting announcement coming in the next day or two so keep an eye out!

Happy Friday...and a tune for your weekend!

Happy Friday! My roses are going crazy at the moment, and I love the unassuming beauty of these white icebergs.

Now for a tune for your weekend, thanks to James.

James: Because it's almost December, some friends and I have started talking about our albums of the year. EMA's Past Life Martyred Saint is definitely on my list and I love this song, California, in particular.

Enjoy!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Free shipping!

To help make your Christmas shopping that much easier we're offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders placed online from midnight tonight AEST until midnight next Thursday, December 1st!

Just enter the code YIPPEE at check-out :)

Look out for our Christmas gift guides in the newsletter out tomorrow, too! (sign up to the mailing list on the website or send me an email if you miss out and would like a copy)

There are some new products up online, too!

Peonies & jacarandas

 

Pinks and purples...it's beautiful at the moment in this part of the world.

Crochet Bambini

I thought it was time I introduced you to some recent arrivals at Mr Sparrow! Meet Wesley the monkey, Milly the rabbit, Noah the elephant and Henry the giraffe, a group of sweet crocheted toys by Crochet Bambini. They are designed by Perth local Emma Young and handmade in super-soft organic bamboo. They're designed to be safe for newborns, with yarn eyes and no small parts.

My lucky little nephew got Wesley from his nonna for his first birthday last week, at which point his older brother ran and got his toy monkey (given to him some time ago and therefore not quite as shiny and new), handed it over to his brother and said "Here, you have this one!", as he grabbed Wesley for himself! I guess that's proof that kids love these guys!

You'll find Wesley, Milly, Noah and Henry at Mr Sparrow now and online.

*All images by Crochet Bambini

Just added...

I've been busy, busy, busy photographing new products and popping them up into the online store! All the lovely new things from Perch! are now there...and also some sweet new vintage bits and pieces...

Check out all the new products here!

Happy Friday...and a tune for your weekend!

I don't know what was up with yesterday's wind and rain, but summer is definitely in the air today! Nothing says summer to me like delicious ripe strawberries...I'm growing these ones in our backyard at the moment and there are a couple just about ready for eating - yum!

Now for a tune for your weekend, and this week I'm taking the reins! James and I are both big fans of Canadian R&B artist Drake and he has just released his new album, Take Care, this week. So far I'm loving what I've heard. This track, Headlines, is the first single...just a warning, there is a bit of explicit language in this one.

I hope you emjoy it!

Have a great weekend!

Songbirds

snug. songbirds mobiles have arrived! They are so sweet! There are six different songbirds (including a cute little sparrow :)) in the prettiest of colours. I've just popped this up into the online store so you can take a look now or check it out next time you're in the store.

Also just arrived from snug. are these adorable caravan bread boards...

...coming online soon!


{Update: the caravan is now in the online store, too! Check it out here.}

*All images from snug.

Almost advent

One of my favourite parts of the lead-up to Christmas is the daily ritual of the advent calendar. I have fond memories of brightly-coloured cardboard versions from my childhood, when my sister and I would take it in turns to open a window each day to reveal the picture inside (yes, just a picture, no chocolate! But we still found it so exciting!). These days they seem to be getting tackier and tackier and it's pretty much impossible to find a chocolate-free version...that is, until now! Local Perth designer Trudy Baker of Mokoh has produced this beautiful Australian Advent Calendar, featuring 25 numbered cards with cute Australian motifs, 25 brown paper bags, 25 wooden pegs, and 3 metres of butcher's string for hanging, all packaged in a lovely gift box. You can fill the bags with anything you like (including chocolates!), and you can use the calendar year after year.

I have this one up at the shop, ready for December 1st, and filled with...yes, chocolate, but delicious chocolate!

They are available to buy from Mr Sparrow now - both in the store and online.

Also look out for another advent calendar with a difference, the TMOD Scratchie Advent Calendar, arriving soon!

T2 tastings!

Have you ever tried iced tea? I have to confess that I had never tasted it until recently, but now I am completely obsessed. This is going to be the drink of summer for me! It's light, refreshing, a little bit sweet and totally delicious!

If you're an iced tea fan, or if you've never tried it, or if you're just feeling a bit thirsty while visiting us, I have good news for you! As of today, you can sip delicious, refreshing T2 iced tea while you shop at Mr Sparrow! We have four new flavours for sale that work really well as iced teas - Citrus Punch, Strawberries & Cream, Turkish Apple and the special 2011 White Xmas blend - and each week between now and Christmas we'll have a big, cold jug of one of these made up for you to taste in the shop. We also have the fantastic T2 Takeya jugs for sale!

Today there is tasty Citrus Punch, but I have to warn you, you better be quick if you want to grab a taste of this one because I'm struggling to keep myself from drinking it all...YUM!

If you want to try making your own iced tea, here how (thanks to T2):

1. Double the amoung of loose tea that you would normally use i.e. for hot tea use 1 scoop her 250ml, for iced tea use 2 scoops per 250ml.
2. Half fill your T2 The Jug with hot water, place the loose leaves in the infuser basket and brew the tea at the same temperature and length of time as hot tea.
3. Remove the tea leaves and fill the T2 The Jug with ice. As ice melts the hot brew will dilute, that's why you start off with a stronger brew. [Or you can just fill up the rest with cold water and refrigerate if you're not drinking it straight away.]
4. Garnish with fruit to add flavour or just look pretty - lemon, orange, pineapple, passionfruit, mint, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, apple and rose buds work well.

Enjoy!

Happy Friday...and a tune for your weekend!

Happy Friday! This week I thought I'd update you on the nastursiums I have growing in my Hei Planter. They haven't grown much, have they? Maybe because their roots don't have much room to move...or maybe because I keep forgetting to water them!! Still, they're looking kind of cute, I think.

Now for a tune for your weekend, thanks to James.

James: Oneohtrix Point Never is one of my favourite artists from the past few years and this track, Sleep Dealer, is from his fantastic album of this year, Replica. He predominantly makes music on vintage synths and is heavily influenced by 80s easy listening (his name is a play on the US radio station 106.7, which specialises in this type of music). It's great stuff to listen to while reading or drifting off to sleep, which are two of my favourite activities!

Enjoy!

Here's hoping you have a lovely, restful weekend!

In the spirit

 

I've just put the finishing touches to the Christmas display at Mr Sparrow! What do you think? There are a few bits and pieces still to arrive but most things are now in the store and online (I've just added lots to the Christmas section so it's brimming with lots of lovely things now!). I'm particularly excited about all the lovely new things from Have You Met Miss Jones, including some cute felt ornaments, and the Winter Wonderland Postcarden is so sweet, too!

I made a new display for the window this year, too, which I'm really happy with. I took a big branch from Dwellingup, painted it white and hammered in tacks along one side. Then I hung it with string in the window and hung this year's baubles from the tacks. I finished the window off with a "Vive le Vent" decal from attik72. The nature baubles and kitschy baubles are going to be in Habitat in The West Australian as a DIY step-by-step soon - I'll let you know when!

Just arrived!

These brilliant magnetic sticks from Daniel: Emma have just arrived! They are seriously fluro and such a fun way to display photos or notes. I don't know about you but I think they'd made a perfect Christmas present for just about anyone!

I have Christmas on the brain today because I've just finished making the shop window all nice and festive - I'll post some photos soon. Our little Christmas display of ornaments, cards, candles, stockings and other festive bits and pieces is now in action, too, and I'm just about to unpack a whole bunch of new arrivals from Have You Met Miss Jones to finish it off, so come by and take a look!

I've also just added lots of new products to the website, so take a look here to check them all out.

*Images from Daniel:Emma

Thank you, Home Ideas magazine!

There is a little bit of an interview with me in the new issue of Home Ideas Magazine (out today!). I really enjoyed doing this interview as Danielle asked some great questions about the shop's space, its products and the challenges I've faced.

Pick up a copy of the mag to have a read (and see all the other lovely things inside!), or you can have a bit of a preview here.

Thanks so much to Danielle at Home Ideas for the feature!

Designer interview: Perch!

One designer whose work has always inspired me is Amy Adams of Perch!. I've been stocking her beautiful designs since Mr Sparrow opened and have been excited to see lots of new products emerge since then. The most recent additions to the Perch! range stocked at Mr Sparrow are the cute Henrietta the Bird ornament, fun and functional Stacking Cups, delicious Scented Candles and the brilliant Basket Bowl. 

If you'd like to find out a bit more about the processes and inspiration behind this Brooklyn designer have a read of my interview below!

This interview will also appear in the Sparrowmail newsletter out today (look out for your 20% off code if you're a subscriber...and if not, make sure you sign up before next month so you don't miss out!).

How did Perch! come about?

Perch! came about because I needed to make things! Right out of graduate school I had A LOT of ideas and not much time or money to have a studio. So I started making small things literally in my kitchen and backyard. It just ended up being a perfect medium for my designs. Perch! the word actually refers to perching on a stool because I always thought I'd be doing furniture.

Where do you create your designs?

Where doesn't matter - it's all just swooshing around in my head. Right now I set up a separate desk in my studio to draw at but that is rare. I sketch a lot in my notebook so I could be anywhere for that. I guess I don't design at a computer. As far making everything, the studio is a well oiled machine of 1000 square feet on the waterfront of Brooklyn.

What inspires you?

Water, sun, wood, white, black, squares, stools, house shaped things, cement, hanging things.

What is your favourite material/medium to work with?

Favorite medium would be clay - earthenware - and glaze. And I love designs MADE of wood, but I am not much of a woodworker, it's too precise for me. I am hoping to learn to weave sometime because I'd like to work with something soft.

What's next for Perch!?

Next for Perch! is getting bigger while staying small. Our little studio has an open to the public store and that is the small side. People can come and see where it's made and buy it directly from us. At the same time, I've designed some products that won't be manufactured here and will be sold worldwide - so I am hoping to do more of that!

Thanks so much, Amy!

I'm still working on getting the new Perch! items up online but in the mean time you can find the Stacking Cups, Scented Candles, Henrietta the Bird ornaments and Basket Bowls in the store and the Tiny Basket, Tray Tray, Early Bird Pendant Light, A Container for One Thing, Shake-a-Leg Salt + Pepper Shakers, Birdfeeder, Spot Bowl and Plant Pod both in the store and online.

*Images courtesy of Amy Adams

P.S. If you missed last month's interview with Chris Plumridge of Claystone Pottery, you can check it out here.

Happy Friday...and a tune for your weekend!

There's a lot to be said for the classic daisy, don't you think? So simple and sweet. I was reminded of how great they are at Laura's wedding, where they featured here and there (including as very cute button holes), so I picked these ones from one of our bushes this morning.

Now for a tune for your weekend, thanks to James.

James: This week I've chosen one of my favourite country songs, 'I'll be Here in the Morning' by Townes Van Zandt. This tune's off his debut album, For the Sake of the Song, released in 1968. I'm in a bit of a country mood at the moment, having just returned from a work trip into outback Australia and now heading down to Dwellingup for the weekend, so this felt right.


I hope you enjoy it!

Whatever you're up to this weekend, I hope it's a great one!