Wee finds at TK Maxx

I can count on one hand the amount of times I've set foot inside a TK Maxx store.

When I first arrived in the UK, I made a beeline for this shop. It was, apparently, where "savvy shoppers" head to unearth a designer gem. Heck, I thought, I'm a savvy shopper. So off I toddled, dedicating a decent amount of time to digging around in a bid to bag a designer bargain [note to self: go easy on the alliteration]. But after a few visits yielded zero startling finds, I gave it up as the stuff of legend.

But there I was this afternoon, back at my local Lewisham branch, trawling the racks in desperation for a bikini. I know. It's the end of the season. I've missed the boat. BUT, I'm flying off to Sardinia next month and I have a bad habit of leaving bikini buying 'til the last minute. That's because it's a demon task from hell. Still, I thought I had nothing to lose and dutifully made my way around the shop floor.

Not surprisingly, there was zilch in the way of swimsuits BUT, I did end up in the scarf section (yep, miles away from bikinis) and found a rather choice selection including a See by Chloe cotton print scarf (£19), a striking orange and black silk McQ by Alexander McQueen scarf (£99 - down from £500), a dancing Olivia red silk Moschino scarf (£15) and a woolen tan and cream scarf by Michael Kors (£19). I also discovered a bunch of pretty Calvin Klein and Elle McPherson bras for around £6 over in lingerie. Cheep cheep!

Shopping in London: Beyond the Valley sale

Looks like it will be pop-up shop au-go-go in the Carnaby area over the next couple of weeks. While you're checking out Urban Craft Stars' pop-up shop, don't miss Beyond the Valley's countdown sale on nearby Ganton Street, starting Friday 22 August (just around the corner from the main BTV store). Prices start at £30 and will reduce further by £5 every two days until they're cleared. Most items are one-off or in limited supply. Well worth checking out.

From Friday 22 August to Monday 1 September only
2 Ganton Street
London W1F 7QL

Nearest tube: Oxford Street

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 11am – 7pm
Sunday 12.30pm – 6pm
(Closed Monday 25 August)
Cash and cheque only

Top Bird loves: H&M's tribute to Marimekko

Oh joy! H&M has just revealed its killer 70-piece tribute collection to Marimekko, due to arrive in stores on April 10. Initial verdict? Marimekko fans will be deliriously happy with the signature big, bold splashes of colour and wild prints, not to mention the extremely affordable prices (e.g. 3-button apron dress £30.65; tunic top £11.45; sun hat £11.45; scarf £15.30; and one-piece swimsuit £23).


At the same time, it's an ultra-wearable collection in mostly cottons and jerseys with an appealing throw-on-and-go element. (I love that part about summer fashion.) The punchy palette features dynamic combinations like red and pink; olive and orange; red and turquoise; and red, white and black.

Here's what I may consider doing something dire for on April 10:







Take a look at the tees from the men's collection:




And the super-cute kids' line-up comes with a co-ordinating teddy:





So, what do you think?

Top Bird loves: Blythe fashion on Etsy

Dress, US$15, from Le Petit Boutique's Etsy shop.

My current obsession on Etsy? Ridiculously cute hand-made clothes for Blythe.

Haven’t heard of Blythe? She’s the ‘70s fashion doll with big eyes that changed colour when you pulled a string in her back. Nifty! I was the proud owner of Blythe when I was five and thought she was the bee’s knees. Unfortunately, not many other kids shared this view. Apparently they were freaked by her other-worldly appearance, and she was subsequently pulled from production after just 12 months.

Clothes from Le Petit Boutique's Etsy shop.

Fast forward to 1993 when New York photographer Gina Garan rediscovered Blythe, dressed her up in cool clothes, and shot her in locations all over the world. The resulting highly-stylised and colour-saturated images were compiled for a book, This is Blythe, which was released in 2000. Since then, Blythe has gained a cult following, and vintage Blythes sell for over $1000 on Ebay (and I’m still kicking myself for letting my doll go to charity shop heaven).

A year later, the first of the neo-Blythes were produced and the anniversary of the launch was celebrated with an exhibition in New York, featuring photos by Gina Garan and dolls styled by artists and designers including Issey Miyake, Chisato Tsumori and Hysteric Glamour.

As the Blythe fanclub continues to grow, Etsy has spawned a number of crafters making mini clothes for the doll with the multi-coloured peepers. My favourite Etsy shop is Le Petit Boutique, which specialises in using vintage fabric and kawaii Japanese prints for custom-made Blythe creations. Prices start at US$10 for a dress. I dig the super-sweet details like grosgrain ribbon, decorative trims and buttons:







Other good Etsy sellers worth checking out include Millie Made, Dollypops, Fern's Closet and Godesia.

For more information on Blythe, check out This is Blythe.

Top Bird loves: Spring Topshop stuff

I haven't bought anything from Topshop for ages. Lots of looking, not much buying. But that's all changed with the new designer ranges by the likes of Marios Schwab, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Sauders. Sadly, my favourite Marios Schwab dress has sold out (no surprises there), but you can see the very fabulous Susie Bubble wearing it here. However, I quite like this ultra-sweet Richard Nicholls striped cotton dress with a summery ruffled bib:

Richard Nicholls dress, £70, from Topshop.

Finsk's covetable collection of shoes for Topshop are also on my wishlist. Not exactly bargainous, though:

I'm particularly excited by the kitten heels and sandals which wouldn't pose too much of a threat to my poor old arthritic toe. I can remember a time when I would have run ten miles from anything kitten-heel-esque. God forbid the chunky ankle (chunkle) effect. It's amazing how chronic pain has made kitten heels my friend, and chunkle the least of my problems.

Elsewhere on Topshop online, I quite like this pretty suede clutch with an oversized bow:

Large zip-top bow clutch, £30, from Topshop.

And check out this super-lovely brooch I found:

Lady Walker brooch, £7, from Topshop.

Cute, huh? Nice price, too, and it's just the thing to perk up my totally-over-it winter coats. Hmmm, I just might have to pay Topshop a visit tomorrow ...

Totally hoot now

I know. It’s another tote. But seriously, how could I possibly not post about this little beauty?
It’s designed by Eley Kishimoto (and that’s the sound of me dropping everything and jumping to attention).
It has a damn fine-looking owl on it.
It replaces plastic bags and gets a big green tick of approval.
It’s made from organic cotton.
It’s for a charitable cause, Cancer Research UK.
It’s freakin’ £2.99.
And why look, it doesn’t have “I'm not a plastic bag” scrawled across it.

The Fukuro bag is available to buy at your nearest Cancer Research UK or Wishes shop from 7 March 2008.

Best of London's sales

Want the ultimate guide to London's best post-Christmas sales? Check out Time Out London's comprehensive coverage here. Happy bargain-hunting, birdies.