The Social Types

I recently discovered the work of talented young designer Jaz Isabella Dean and her latest project The Social Types. Jaz has designed a range of super cool greeting cards that are guaranteed to make yours the best looking gift, without a doubt. These are the cards that will get stuck on pin boards and popped into frames, as each one is a tiny work of art.

Taking inspiration from popular culture, the internet generation and her fashion background, the line incorporates unique graphics, illustrations and typography. Jaz has used striking black and white, bold colours, and gorgeous gold foil to create a series of designs that work beautifully together as well as stand alone. "I created The Social Types as a collection of prints I think customers will love themselves as well as love to share, to shake up the market and make greeting cards cool again," she says.

The Social Types studio is located in Karaka Bay, Auckland, where they are committed to using only the highest quality printing methods and sustainably sourced paper stock.

Pop over to the website to check out the full range, and make sure you follow The Social Types on Facebook and Instagram for all updates and new arrivals. Keep your eye out as the designs are all soon to available as art prints - yay!

New Arrivals at Izzy & Jean

I'm excited to say (and when I say "excited", I mean back flips and fist pump kinda excited) that our new kitchen is 90% done. It's so close, but I don't want to reveal it until all the finishing touches have been completed. Over the weekend as I was putting things away in cupboards, I decided my shiny, new kitchen deserves some new accessories - the holey old tea towels just won't do! So I ordered one of the gorgeous new Skandi tea towels from Izzy & Jean.

They're part of a new collection of home textiles that are designed by a boutique designer in Denmark and produced in Morocco and India. The tea towels and throws (which can also be used as bedspreads or tablecloths) are made in a small family weaving workshop in Kerala, India.

Also part of the range, the black and white wool floor runners and pom pom throws are handwoven in Morocco by a cooperative of Berber women, using traditional weaving techniques. The pom pom throw is made from thick cotton with wool pom poms, and the runners are woven from thick sheep's wool.

While exploring all the new arrivals in the Izzy & Jean shop I found some other treats. Isn't the packaging cool on this Cedarwood Soap?! When you're shopping for yourself, pop one of these in your basket too, for the man in your life. He'll appreciate that the word "cedras" means power, and it's great for his skin and hair.

How about the Swedish Dream collection... a new range of ocean inspired soap and candles with fragrances fresh from the sea. Again the packaging is gorgeous, and will look great on display in your bathroom - almost too good to use!

One of my favourite luxuries at home are my linen sheets. They are so beautiful to sleep in - cool in summer and warm in winter -  and get better with each wash. I need to get another set and have been keen to find some inky blue linen sheets, so was thrilled to see Izzy & Jean's range made in Lithuania, comes in four beautiful shades.

So if you're looking for something for your home, or as a gift, everything at Izzy & Jean is beautiful quality and I can highly recommend them. Go forth and shop! And look out for my tea towel soon in my kitchen reveal.

Gifted | Gifts for Smart Cookies

The other day the courier delivered the most intriguing package. I wasn't expecting anything, what could it be?..

I followed the instructions to tear the tab and all four sides dropped down to reveal a little message. Beneath the card was a selection of individually wrapped, delicious looking cookies from Gifted - gifts for smart cookies!

Made in New Zealand using only the finest quality ingredients, they're the ultimate treat. Baked fresh the day they are sent, these generously proportioned cookies just melt in your mouth - yummo!

The flavours are "to-die-for"! White chocolate & orange, dark chocolate mint, choc-a-block, anzac, hot chilli choc, and my personal fave - salted caramel & peanuts. If you can't decide you can choose one of three mixed selections.

What a fabulous gift to send and to receive. You can order and send a box from anywhere in the world to anywhere in New Zealand. Choose from one of the "ready to go" boxes for special gift days such as Valentines Day, or design your own gift box. You choose your box, your cookies, and your card from a fabulous range. These smart cookies are also perfect as corporate gifts.

With Mothers Day approaching I suggest you get ordering and indulge Mum with her very own box of heavenly cookies. I guarantee she'll love them. These were, quite simply, the most divine cookies I've ever tasted!

HappyMoose | Photo Printing App

While most of us are armed with our smart phones, and have hundreds of photos stored on them, how many of us actually get them printed these days? Well, let me tell you about this super cool app, HappyMoose, which makes printing your photos directly from your smart phone easy and lots of fun! The app was developed by Dunedin-based Alex Dong, and he teamed up with Tim Green, who has been in the print industry for 10 years.

This amazing app means you no longer have to load photos onto a USB stick and take them down to a print shop, you can do it all on your phone, from wherever you are. Choose from the range of products - wall dots, canvases, and wood blocks - and within minutes your order will be complete.

I recently gave the HappyMoose app a go so I could tell you exactly how fabulous it is, and I was so impressed! It is really easy to use, you don't have to be a tech whizz at all, the steps are clear and very easy to follow. Once you've selected your product, you then choose your photo straight from your camera roll. You can zoom in and crop and adjust the photo until you're happy with how it looks in the frame. Next you select from a range of sizes and put in your delivery address and payment details - that's it, too easy!

I chose one of each product in the smallest size, and they were delivered to my door within days of ordering. The quality, and the service is fantastic. The canvas is wrapped around a 2cm wooden frame and sprayed with a layer of fine UV resistant varnish for extra protection. The image wraps around the edges so that the canvas looks great from any angle.

The wood block has your photo printed onto the best photographic paper using top quality pigment ink, then pressed firmly onto a solid 18mm thick wood block. The sides and back are painted a smart black.

My canvas and wood block are currently sitting on my desk and my bookshelf, but if I want to hang them on the wall that's no problem. The wood block has an alligator hook on the back for easy hanging, and the canvas comes complete with a sturdy string and two foam dots at the bottom - so there are no contact marks on your wall.

The wall dot might just be my favourite product. My little one featuring my three girls is on the wall next to my desk in the studio, and it makes me smile every time I look at it. It was very easy to apply - I simply peeled the backing paper off and smoothed it onto the wall. You can peel the dot off and reapply without damaging the wall. It's also easy to clean with a damp cloth and the colour will still look great after many washes.

I highly recommend the HappyMoose app and will definitely be using it again. What a fantastic idea for gifts, don't you think?! Why don't you go and try it out for yourself, you can find it in the app store and it's free!

Last Minute Pressie Ideas

Dael & I have been busy creating and gathering lots of beautiful new products for our Bibby + Brady online store. How cute is our new "Excited" print by Katherine Norman?! We love it's fun, positive vibe. You can purchase the print framed or unframed (please allow 1-2 weeks for framing). If you purchase an unframed print you should definitely consider our cool poster clips as a fun way to hang it.

If you're really stuck for gift ideas, we're now offering gift vouchers to spend in our online store. We will send you a printed gift voucher to your specified amount, or if you'd prefer we can email you or your recipient an e-voucher. When the recipient of the gift voucher knows what they want to buy, simply email me and I will help process the order.

In order to get your orders delivered before Christmas you'll have to place them before 10am Monday 22nd (this only applies to non-rural New Zealand addresses). Quick, time is running out!

Tech Wish List

My eldest daughter turns 12 in a week, and it seems she shares my love of cool tech accessories - she's left me a ton of clues for birthday presents. The wish list below is mine, but it does cross over with my daughter's (she might get one of these if she's lucky). If you need a USB cable or a charger, you may as well make it a good looking one!

Skinnydip London USB iPhone 5 cable | Layla rose gold headphones | Nacre striped iPhone 5 case
Ban.do back me up mobile charger (also available from Alex Fulton Design) | Clare Vivier oversize clutch
- to hold my laptop and accessories | Kate Spade bluetooth speaker

A Little Bit Crafty | Frankie Magazine

I know many of you are big fans of the fabulous frankie magazine. Any why wouldn't you be?! Their magazines are gorgeous, beautiful quality, and with their covers like little pieces of art, they look fab on your desk or coffee table. 

Well, I've got some exciting news for you... just in time for Christmas, frankie have released their first ever craft book, a little bit crafty. It's a delightful book bursting with ideas - 39 diy projects collected from crafty creatives around New Zealand and Australia.

My copy arrived a few days ago and I've had so much fun looking at all the clever and quirky ideas. The projects are all cheap and easy, with an emphasis on using recycled materials. For anyone with older kids that are creative, this would be a fantastic Christmas gift, as it would help to keep them busy over the school holidays. Or purchase a copy today and give all your family and friends amazing hand crafted gifts this year.

There are so many wonderful projects in this book. I've selected a few of my favourite to inspire you, but I highly recommend you picking up your own copy.

blooby acquaintances mobile | laura blythman & peter cromer

wordy wrapping paper | carla hackett

the virtually new old vase | alice oehr

the top secret bag | penelope ferguson

going postal | ebony bizys

All photography (apart from the very first pic) is by the uber talented Hilary Walker.