Christmas Countdown: Marks and Spencer

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Selection of Christmas items at Marks and Spencer

We visit Marks and Spencer every Christmas in search of their beautiful biscuit tins and other Christmas nosh. It’s not just good for food though – here’s a small selection of festive decorations & present ideas we found.

  1. Argyle throw – £28
  2. Crimbleberry Wood Eric the Robin Christmas room decoration – £12
  3. Giant Santa Christmas countdown calendar – £95
  4. Wooden nativity Christmas room decoration – £25
  5. Gold mistletoe hanging Christmas room decoration – £10
  6. Christmas pudding cushion – £36
  7. Crimbleberry Wood Ron the Reindeer tin Christmas tree decoration – £5

Christmas Countdown: Marks and Spencer

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selection of festive Christmas items available at Marks and Spencer

We’ve blogged about Marks and Spencer a few times in the past – they have some great packaging designed by the likes of Sanna Annukka and Lab Partners. Once again, M&S don’t disappoint!

1. laser cut wooden decorations | 2. log cabin pudding basin

3. ditsy heart mug | 4. Santa’s helpers teapot

5. Santa’s helpers side plate | 6. Spencer Bear advent calendar

7. gingerbread house tin | 8. Swiss biscuit selection tin

9. Joy Viennese tin | 10. winter glow scented candle

M & S Packaging

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selection of Marks and Spencer food items with special Diamond Jubilee and London Olympic 2012 packaging

M & S continues to produce some fantastic packaging. We bought a few items last week – and thought we’d share photos with you in case you haven’t seen any of it.

Marks and Spencer New York pepperoni pizza box illustrated with characters of a cop and Texan tourist wearing a stetson

We’ll start with this pizza box for the pastrami pizza – with its New York cop and stetson-wearing tourist.

detail from a Marks and Spencer New York pepperoni pizza box showing a cartoon illustration of a cop detail from a Marks and Spencer New York pepperoni pizza box showing a cartoon illustration of a Texan tourist wearing a stetson and a camera around his neck

The characters are very reminiscent of Miroslav Sasek book illustrations from the 1950s & 60s.

Marks and Spencer chocolate teacake packaging decorated with illustrations of British bobby, Union Jack flags, school children, birds and bunting

The other products we picked up have much more of a British feel – perfect for this Diamond Jubilee & London Olympic year.

detail from Marks and Spencer chocolate teacake packaging decorated with illustrations of birds and bunting

These chocolate teacakes are covered with Union Jack bunting & flags. What does that pigeon know that we don’t?

detail from Marks and Spencer chocolate teacake packaging decorated with illustrations of a British bobby, Union Jack flag and bunting

Next up we have the old red telephone box.

Marks and Spencer shortbread tin in the shape of and decorated as a red British phone box with figures including a British Bobby, city gent and punk

It’s harking back to the days when telephone box queues were a common sight – pre mobile phone days – the variety of characters each waiting their turn.

detail from a Marks and Spencer shortbread tin in the shape of and decorated as a red British phone box showing the figure of a city gent

We just love the punk rocker blowing his bubblegum.

detail from a Marks and Spencer shortbread tin in the shape of and decorated as a red British phone box showing the figure of a punk

It’s a close run thing, but our favourite item of the batch is probably the biscuit tin below. Again, the artwork is very Sasek inspired – with a bit of Bill Charmatz thrown in.

limited edition Marks and Spencer biscuit tin produced to commemorate the 2012 London Olympic Games decorated with illustrations of London and other British landmarks

The design a real classic with scenes of the British Isles to the sides and traditional London sights to the lid.

detail from a limited edition Marks and Spencer biscuit tin produced to commemorate the 2012 London Olympic Games showing an illustrations of Green Park detail from a limited edition Marks and Spencer biscuit tin produced to commemorate the 2012 London Olympic Games showing an illustrations of the Mall

Also, the tin will last years and can be used over & over again.

lid from a limited edition Marks and Spencer biscuit tin produced to commemorate the 2012 London Olympic Games decorated with illustrations of London landmarks

It’s fantastic when you buy a useful & beautiful storage tin – crammed full of lovely biscuits that you just have to eat first!!

Fair Finds

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selection of antique & vintage homewares bought at Lincoln Show

We made the trip to Lincoln Antiques and Home Fair on Monday. Our alarm was set for 5.30am, so it was quite an early start in the cold and the dark. Add in a few hours driving and you have to hope that the effort will be worthwhile.

selection of antique & vintage homewares bought at Lincoln Show including a bolt of vintage 1950s fabric, set of sky blue Czech enamel containers, circular Nymolle pottery plaques designed by Bjorn Wiinblad, trio, vintage Marks and Spencer blue and purple floral curtains of fat lava West German vases and antique 18th/19th century wooden pie/bread peel

Fortunately it was – and we picked up some very nice pieces – some favourites are shown here. It’s mainly vintage, mid 20th century stuff; but we couldn’t resist a couple of country antiques too, such as this beautiful 18th century bowl and bread/pie oven peel.

selection of antique & vintage homewares bought at Lincoln Show with antique 18th/19th century turned wooden bowl highlighted

We bought quite a few West German ‘fat lava’ pots, concentrating on bold reds & oranges. Their prices are certainly on the rise. Other ceramics included the wall plaques designed by Bjorn Wiinblad for Nymolle of Denmark. Each one represents a month of the year and features a loving couple’s story – from courtship to parenthood. We like the whimsical, folk art design and we’ve actually got a set on our kitchen wall.

selection of antique & vintage homewares bought at Lincoln Show highlighting a set of 1950s teak coasters in a matching lidded holder

A slightly more recent piece of wood was to be found in the shape of this 1950s/60s teak coaster set. We’re not sure who the maker is, but it’s got real quality to it – it’s very Scandinavian and has a gorgeous, warm colour.  There was no shortage of enamelware to be found – we plumped for this set of graduated blue kitchen pots – the largest has an impressive 18 litre capacity!

selection of antique & vintage homewares bought at Lincoln Show

The sewing box dates from the 1960s and is made of a plastic weave material. Some people call in Dandycord – which we think was a trade name or brand of PVC flooring. The same material was used in the manufacture of these sewing boxes. You also see chairs, plant pot holders, magazine racks etc from the same period made from it. We were given a real flash of flower power colour when we lifted the lid!  Equally bold & bright were the lovely little teatowel and this absolutely stunning roll of unused 1950s fabric, with it’s classic vase design & period colour combination of yellow, red, grey, black & blue.

It’s always tempting to stay in a warm bed, but we’re glad that we didn’t when we look back at this haul!