So, what’s turning my hotel room into a home? Easy!
Handmade Jane’s make-up bag
Handmade Jane kindly gifted me this red polka dot item and it’s never far from my side. Quite literally, as I keep it in my handbag to hold those key items that a woman always needs to have. You know the type of thing – Nurofen, hand sanitiser, plasters, hand cream… They normally rattle around, being annoying. Now they’re all in one tidy space!
Cath Kidston Wash Bag
This was made from a template in her Sew! book, from tablecloth fabric and shower curtain lining. It’s stonking, easy to make, and goes away with me on every trip.
Pencil case
I made this recently, following this tutorial. It makes me happy every time I look at it.
Knitting
I never go away without taking some knitting. It’s socially useful – hosts don’t need to worry about keeping me entertained as they cook or bath the kids – I just pull out my knitting. And in a hotel room, it makes me feel cosy and safe and forget any anxieties in the few spare moments I have to sit down to do a few rows.
Something to listen to
My X-mini speaker for my iphone. I love this little device! It’s not expensive either. I’ve been listening to Desert Island Discs – Your Desert Island Discs – a whole (admittedly middle class and white) yummy bag of Britishness summed up in people’s music choices. The Beatles! The Beatles! Their music is woven into my soul. If you’ve never listened to the Desert Island Disc podcasts you really should. They’re gorgeous. (I particularly recommend Debbie Harry. And Cath Kidston surprised me. I expected to find her deeply irritating, but she was astonishing in her honesty on the topic of that eternal female bugbear, careers and children.)
And as Andrea Levy, one of the guests, comments in her interview with Kirsty: ‘To love and be loved is what life’s all about.’
I couldn’t agree more.
How great to have these handmade items with you when you are away – very comforting!
All those things make such a difference, right! I used to travel a lot with my last job and I’d always take a favourite printed pillow case to slip over the hotel ones. 🙂
Oh Karen I’m really touched. It’s so rewarding to know that a gift I’ve given is both liked AND used! Thank you so much. Enjoy your brief time in New York – your hotel room sounds ace! x
ps. I love desert island discs too, although Gloria Hunniford’s caught me unawares driving home one xmas – I had to pull over and bawl my head off, just too sad.
Hand sanitiser? Is that a London thing? I am so out of touch.
Love your bags!
Ha, ha! I think they hit the high street when we were all worrying about catching bird flu or something. Anyway, I’ve got into the habit of carrying one around now.
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous makes! I love the washbag fabric!!!
That’s made me feel all cozy (& wish I was in New York too!)
Mm, I’m going away this weekend… Wonder if I should buy some knitting needles and wool and start again??? Well I’ve got to do something while Mr N is playing golf, I could get wrinkly in a spa all day!!! 🙂
I liked the Desert Island Discs so much i added it to my podcast subscriptions.
Thanks,Carol
Ooh – that speaker looks good! I missed sharing my Glee soundtracks with the Mister while I was away. He he!
Oooh you have inspired me to a) investigate Cath Kidston’s Desert Island Discs and b) check out the washbag tutorial. After all, thanks to Handmade Jane I now have a whole load of waterproof fabric winging it’s way to me – that’s a lot of washbag lining! Have a great trip 🙂
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