present and correct | 23 arlington way ec1
One of my favorite things to do is to make lists of places to see/eat/shop in a city. And now that we’re on our third year in the UK, I have a solid list for London at the ready, whether you’re visiting for the weekend or (hopefully) longer. With months to go until high school graduation, I’d like to start sharing my favorite spots in London: the places that top every list, the must-sees, “my” London. And I can’t think of a better place to start than with Islington stationery shop Present & Correct.
As a stationery addict, Present & Correct holds a special place in my heart. Founder Neal Whittington first appeared on my design radar via Design*Sponge (back in the early days of blogging, I think I learned about everything from Design*Sponge, and I was obsessed with Neal’s work at Winkreative for Porter Airlines). In 2008, Neal launched P&C online, with a range of products that melded his graphic design and branding experience with his love of stationery. I was instantly drawn to the shop’s eclectic selection, a mix of new and vintage items from around the globe, including a good number of my favorite brands from Japan and Korea. Neal is gifted at selecting modern stationery + supplies that bring a smile to your face. (And who wouldn’t like that?) I started to regularly troll the site, perusing the “what’s new” section with fervor and eagerly awaiting each fall’s onslaught of planners. (They’re always top-notch.) Luckily, the online world was smaller then and we became Twitter friends, bonding over our shared adoration of Tilda Swinton, appreciation for the finely-detailed world(s) of Wes Anderson, and undying affection for paperclips.
shop interior, August 2015
A recent visit to the bricks-and-mortar shop, which first opened in late 2012 on Arlington Way. Office supplies and sundries are meticulously — and creatively — displayed.
table filled with japanese stationery goodies
My personal stationery kryptonite is envelopes, with bonus points if they’re from Japan. And here’s the thing: such excitement can easily devolve into embarrassing crazy-cat-lady territory, but thanks to Neal’s wry sense of humor, the undercurrent is one of joy rather than zealousness. (For proof of Neal’s wit, you need look no further than the P&C Twitter feed. Keep your finger on the retweet button.)
pencils, erasers, and message booklets from sideshow press
Over the years, P&C has added some of my favorite US stationery brands to the shop, including these message booklets from Charleston’s Sideshow Press which fit rather nicely into the P&C aesthetic.
how my “not buying anything” plan worked out
On my most recent visit, I was meeting a friend who was in town and had sworn to myself that I wasn’t going to buy anything as I’m starting to panic/freak out about packing things up for the next move. You can see how well that plan worked: I got some envelopes (of course), a wishbone card, and a packet of paperclips. And so it goes, until the next visit. Thanks, Neal, for enabling my habit and making me feel not alone for having it.
Present and Correct
23 Arlington Way, London EC1R 1UY
Tuesday – Saturday, 12-6:30
presentandcorrect.com
all photos by jane potrykus
autumn 2013 ad for j.s. rosenfield’s country marts (brentwood, montecito + marin, ca)
I’ve been a fan of Brooklyn artist Happy Menocal for a while, and though her wedding invitations and save-the-dates are de rigueur in Vogue these days, I had the good sense to listen to my friend E back in 2006 when she was raving about Happy. At the time, I was enchanted with Happy’s watercolor takes on dogs, pigeons, and matadors, if I remember correctly. Later that fall, Elisabeth and Happy collaborated on a set of letterpress ’12 Days of Christmas’ cards for that year’s Design Sponge holiday shop. (Yes, I bought a set. Actually, I bought two sets: one-to-keep and one-to-save, which, per usual in my world ends up being two-to-keep. I do plan to frame a set at some point.)
Within the last couple of years, Happy’s work has been popping up with increasing frequency. Interestingly, during that time I’d been saving tear sheets of ads for J.S. Rosenfield’s Country Marts, which run seasonally in C magazine. At one point, I’d even considered emailing to ask who the illustrator was, only to have Happy serendipitously provide the answer recently on social media. It was her! Hoping that the Fall 2015 installment is revealed in C’s September issue.
zero george, charleston
Earlier this year, Happy spent a few days at Charleston’s Zero George hotel, enjoying the local foodie scene + perfectly capturing the colorful, elegant Charleston spirit. (Coming soon: Zero George watercolor stationery by Happy!)
geraniums for the paris review
In a 2013 “Week in Culture” feature for the Paris Review (it’s quite interesting and a great read — click through!) Happy captured my favorite flower of the moment, the geranium. I’m officially obsessed.
saveur, august/september 2015
More serendipity: I picked up the current issue of Saveur magazine while in the States and was elated to find Happy’s illustrations atop a party dip story.
‘snowy pastoral’ holiday card (online or paper) for paperless post
Happy also has a collection of online and print designs for Paperless Post. This ‘Snowy Pastoral’ scene is one of my favorites as it reminds me of the series for the Country Marts.
letterpress “12 days of christmas” cards produced in collaboration with black pearl press, 2006.
And a quick peek at the illustrations that started it all: Happy’s ’12 Days of Christmas’ cards letterpressed by (now defunct) Black Pearl Press.
image credits, from top: screen shot from c magazine digital issue, zerogeorge.com, theparisreview.org, paperlesspost.com, jane potrykus, designsponge.com
from last week’s trip to the Chicago suburbs
I recently tweeted “all of life is making peace with letting go”, and the past month has been spent living out that maxim. Senior Year looms large (a 9-month exercise in making peace with letting go if ever there was one), and my moral compass has retired (hyperbole, as I still know right from wrong, but Jon had a way of making me feel better about all the wrongs out in the world). Not to mention, fall is on the way: it’s my favorite season, despite the pervasiveness of intense beauty tinged with decay transitioning to intense decay tinged with beauty — or maybe it’s because of that?
At any rate, the Dog Days of summer 2015 were devoted to introspection, re-finding my place in the world, grabbing beauty where I could, and trying to settle into a contentment with “what is”.
A few images that capture that sentiment*:
- a few of many old stone outbuildings …
- French figs
- A late great …
- a moody, sombre haze.
- #manlyflowergram
- Came home to find these …
- weekend getaway …
- Cup board love
- Beauty & the bench
- untitled
- Bath(ed) in soft sunlight.
- Vitamin Sea …
- Post-hike
- No filter needed …
- #foggymorning
- I feel a peach cake …
- Jens Risom’s Block Island family retreat
- #ADK
- Friday.
* while putting together this list, I happily discovered that Instagram no longer limits you to the 300 most recent favorites! Hooray!
Also, while I remain uncomfortable tooting my own horn, I would like to thank the exquisite (and très Utilitarian Luxe® shop) Summerill & Bishop for including me in its recent list of “Our Loves on Instagram”. What company to be keeping, and what an honor.
street entrance (photo taken on sunny Saturday)
July has been the month of quick weekend getaways. (I excel at two-day vacations. I know: so American.) This past weekend, we took a Friday night train to Bruton so I could finally check At The Chapel off of my London Bucket List. The restaurant/bakery/hotel opened in 2008, and I think I’ve been plotting my visit since shortly after that.
It was a very rainy Friday, but thankfully it had slowed to a mist by the time we arrived at the station in Bruton and made the short walk to the property. We quickly checked in and then hurried downstairs for our 7:15 dinner reservation.
dining room
Our table was along one side of the chapel-turned-restaurant and I started to take in the surroundings. The restaurant quickly filled for Friday dinner: high ceilings and white walls helped disguise the dreary weather.
pizza prep
The restaurant is known for its pizza, and I love pizza, so ordering was a no-brainer. (Don’t the carry-out boxes look great?)
dinner
To add a bit of adventure to our pizza-and-salad meal, we added a side of Stills Farm carrots. They were amazing — buttery, colorful, and full of flavor. (In case you were wondering, the chorizo pizza was delicious, too.)
room service breakfast
In the morning, guests at the hotel receive croissants at 7am, which arrive in a bag hung from your door knob (just in case your day starts later than 7). There is fresh butter and jam in the mini-fridge, and a French press for your coffee. Such an easy, elegant way to have room service!
pastry + baked goods display
Of course, one pastry was never going to cut it for breakfast, so we headed downstairs a bit later to peruse the bakery‘s pastry table.
fresh-baked bread
Loaves of bread lined another wall, and most of it was gone by the afternoon, when we returned for lunch: this time, on the outdoor terrace (Saturday was sublime: gorgeous + sunny) with burgers and beer and yes, more carrots.
view into bakery/pizza area
One of the highlights of my visit was meeting At The Chapel’s owners, Catherine Butler and Ahmed Sidki, at checkout. (They were manning the “front desk” when we came to collect our bags.) I was grateful to be able to tell them in person them how much I enjoyed our experience at their hotel. I also seized the opportunity to ask Catherine a few questions about the bottled wine they sell, as I was particularly curious about how an Oregon wine, Evolution, ended up on their short list. (At The Chapel’s retail selection is identical to the restaurant’s wine list, so if you find a favorite while dining, you can buy a bottle to enjoy at your leisure.)
all photos by jane potrykus
* I didn’t take any photos of our room, but we stayed in room 5, which is on the top floor + offers magnificent views of Bruton. The room was spacious, comfortable + perfectly appointed (Ren products are featured in the bath). I’d stay there again in a heartbeat, though I’m tempted to try room 8 next time, as it opens onto a private courtyard.
cover
The older I get, the harder I am to impress. And while I haven’t exactly been a star pupil of the Marie Kondo method, I have been quick to apply Kondo’s “Does it spark joy?” rule when considering new purchases. The brand-new Fern Verrow cookbook passes the Kondo test with flying colors: it’s full of joy.
A bit of background: Fern Verrow is a biodynamic farm located at the foothills of the Black Mountains in Herefordshire, England. When Jane Scotter and Harry Astley started out in 1996, they were new to farming but chose to educate themselves in the principles of biodynamic farming. The result is an intensely intentional approach, focused on the land both seasonally and holistically, often with a touch of spirituality. The couple incorporate many beautiful rituals into the work of a Fern Verrow farming year, but the story of Three Kings Day (January 6) is especially telling. Gold, frankincense and myrrh are ground into a powder that is added to water and then carefully — and deliberately — that bucket of water is used to sprinkle and hand-brush the elements onto all corners of the property. The time spent on this allows for reflection on the year that has passed as well as hopes and plans for the coming year. (The story is also a reminder that farming is hard work, even in January.)
The couple’s narrative makes for great reading. Through their stories of work and celebrations at Fern Verrow, I found myself drawn into the rhythm of the seasons and at times romanticizing about a farm of my own.
eggs (spring)
Thankfully, the cookbook appeals whether you’re in it for substance (the farming information and seasonal recipes) or style (with gorgeous photography by Tessa Traeger).
garden sandwiches (spring)
In the spring, nothing is simpler (or tastes better) than a radish sandwich — hopefully, with plenty of fresh butter.
edible flowers (summer)
A summer salad crafted from edible flowers is not only aesthetically pleasing, but healthfully decadent (and yes, delicious).
ducklings (spring)
Is there anything cuter than a paddling of fuzzy yellow ducklings?
the recipe that sold the book (summer)
What impressed me the most about the book is that the recipes were approachable. As I flipped through it on the display table at my local shop, I could actually imagine making most of the recipes. In fact, the one that sold the cookbook for me sounds straight out of an American cook-out: barbecued chicken with sweetcorn and lime leaf relish. (Perhaps the Lime Leaf Relish renders it English?) I can almost taste it from the photo and when I have a patio and a grill again, it will be one of the first meals on the docket.
The farm used to operate a weekly stall at London’s Spa Terminus (Nigel Slater was one of their regular customers.)* These days, Fern Verrow supplies Spring, Skye Gyngell’s restaurant at Somerset House, for the ultimate in farm-to-table dining.
Fern Verrow (Quadrille, £25) is available in the US (and UK) via Amazon.
photographs of book excerpts by jane potrykus
(to see more from Fern Verrow, follow them at Instagram)
* if, like me, you’re curious about what the Fern Verrow stall looked like, Tina at Colour Living took some lovely photos during her visit in 2012.
