I won an award and didn't even know!

March 7, 2017

So yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my book The Shopkeepers Home had won an award at the end of last year, and I didn't even know about it! It's slightly sad to admit, but every now and then I like to check my book's Amazon page to see if there are any new reviews, which I happened to do yesterday and I noticed it now said: Winner 'Best Interiors Book' - Homemaker Art & Craft Book Awards 2016 just above the description!

A quick Google search led me to find out more about the awards hosted by Homemaker magazine, and judged by some well known folk from the interiors/craft industry. My category - Best Interiors Book - was judged by fashion designer Wayne Hemingway. I found on my publishers blog that Wayne had said of the book: “The Shopkeeper’s Home by Caroline Rowland is a genius idea. It allows you to get inside the homes of the coolest indie interiors retailers, and a lot of inspiration can be found there.”

It really did make my Monday! I've been nominated for various awards over the years, but have never won any, so it feels so nice to get that little bit of recognition, especially when judged by industry people and not just 'get all your mates to vote for you'!

Thanks again to Homemaker magazine, I'm thrilled to bits! :)

WIN! My book PLUS Oh Hello Friend goodies!

March 21, 2016

As so many of you entered my Shopkeepers Home bumper giveaway before Christmas, I thought I'd give you another chance to win a copy of my book as well as some other lovely goodies! I'm afraid it's not quite as bumper as the last time, but still, it's a bag full of beautiful goodies nonetheless, all courtesy of Oh Hello Friend - a gorgeous shop, featured in the book - based in the sunny state of California!

Owner Danni, has such great style, her home is full of beautiful vintage finds and like me, (and I'm sure a lot of you guys!) she is a big stationery fan! She has sent me this little bundle of goodies for one lucky Patchwork Harmony reader to win! Here's a closer look at some of the things included...

And of course you will also win a copy of The Shopkeepers Home. So, how can you enter?! All you have to do is read all the details below, including the terms and conditions, to find out!

HOW TO ENTER

To be in with a great chance of winning you can enter in a few different ways, one entry per method per person, so you basically you have 4 chances of winning:

- Comment on this blog post, telling me why you'd love to win The Shopkeepers Home book. Please leave your email address so you can be contacted if you win (or leave your comment here then email me at info@patchworkharmony.co.uk with your contact details with the subject line WIN SHOPKEEPERS HOME - BLOG ENTRY)

- Follow me on Instagram and regram the giveaway image - please include @patchworkhrmy and #winshopkeepershome in your caption.

- Like The Shopkeepers Home Facebook page and share the giveaway post, ensuring you tag in 'The Shopkeepers Home' page too.

- Follow @p atchworkhrmy on Twitter and tweet your entry using this link.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

- Giveaway closing date is 4th April 2016 at 23:59pm. Entries after this are not counted.

- The giveaway is open to worldwide readers.

- Entries can be submitted via the four options listed above, giving each person four chances to win, but only one entry per method will be accepted per person.

- The giveaway image on Instagram & Facebook should not be changed, edited or defaced when regramming or sharing. Entrants who do so will be disqualified.

- Failure to follow entry guidelines as above will result in that entry not being accepted.

- All prizes are non-transferable, non refundable and non negotiable. No cash alternative is available for any prize.

- The winner and runners up will be chosen at random on the 6th April 2016, and will be notified shortly after this date. If the winner has not provided an email address or can not be contacted through social media or via email by 15th April 2016, we reserve the right to select another winner at random.

- Prizes will be shipped from the UK by 30th April 2016, using the most affordable shipping method available.

- The decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

- By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

- The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.

My book launch at Drink, Shop & Do

December 4, 2015

Not long after my book published in October, I gathered a few friends and colleagues together on a Wednesday evening in London to celebrate its launch. I really wanted it to be held in one of the featured shops, and was chuffed when the lovely Kristie of Drink Shop and Do offered to host it.

After all the hours beavering away at my computer researching, coordinating photoshoots and writing the copy it was really nice to have an evening to celebrate its completion with my nearest and dearest as well as my colleagues at Jacqui Small, some of the featured shopowners and blogger friends! Thank you so much to everyone who popped along!

Fellow recently published author and 91 Mag contributor Leigh Metcalf chatting with Sonia of The Old Haberdashery.

Susan, owner of lovely shop Loop, featured in the book.

Sonia, owner of The Old Haberdashery - also featured.

Me with some of the featured shopkeepers. L to R: Sonia of The Old Haberdashery, Me, Susan of Loop, Lisa of Sew Over It and Kristie of Drink, Shop & Do.

It was such a lovely evening, and topped off by the news that Anthropologie are stocking the book! Has anyone spotted it in there yet? I must make the trip and see it! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine ever having a book for sale in there! ;)

Finally a massive thank you to Siobhan Watts who took all of the above photographs. Siobhan agreed to come at quite short notice to take some pics and I'm so pleased as it really is lovely to have a record of my first ever book party! :)

Readers top shops

November 13, 2015

It was so interesting running the giveaway to promote my book recently, as I asked you guys to comment to enter, telling me your favourite shop in the whole world. There were over 100 entries on the blog. Some people mentioned shops that are in the book, some were ones that I'd wanted to include but couldn't for some reason, and others were ones I'd never even heard of. So, I thought it would be nice to pick out some of the loveliest shops from the entries and list them here in a post. I could fill another book with these couldn't I?! :)

Pistils Nursery, Portland, USA

This shop in Portland looks like a plant lovers dream! I really want to visit Portland one day, there seems to be an abundance of great creative places to visit. In the meantime I will just enjoy Pistils lovely blog instead! Visit their website.

Present and Correct, London, UK

I love this little shop in Clerkenwell, it feeds my stationery obsession to the max! The last time I visited, I was in there for ages as I'd keep spotting something else interesting! There's a real mix, from modern, stylish designs to vintage ephemera. Visit their website.

Workshop, Brighton, UK

Another shop I could spend hours in even though it is relatively compact. This Brighton-based store is beautifully styled and has some great display ideas. I love the shelving with the wood cladding behind it, and how they've used copper piping for the legs on that table. This shop is a must next time you are down on the coast. Visit their website.

Purl Soho, New York, USA

I really wanted Purl Soho in the book, but sadly it didn't work out. Seek it out next time you're in the Big Apple, or check out the 'CREATE' section of their website which features lots of really great crafting tutorials. There are lots of things on there I keep meaning to make! Visit their website.

Objects of Use, Oxford, UK

I managed to pop into this lovely shop the last time I went to Oxford. Objects of Use is full of practical but beautifully designed homewares and utensils. I love the super long wall shelf and how they've painted the wall. Visit their website.

Alma Viva, Porto, Portugal

I've never been to Porto, so that's what so great about hearing all your recommendations about shops in your own towns and cities! This little shop looks super cute and colourful, full of lots of lovely things for little ones. Visit their Facebook page.

Uneeko, Truro, UK

Another recommendation coming in from a southern corner of the UK is Uneeko, who sell furniture and homewares with a focus on fairtrade. They have used lots of salvaged materials within the store for display purposes which looks really great - I particularly love this pallet turned shelving unit. Visit their website.

Welt White, Munich, Germany

I wish I'd had more time to explore Munich when I was there recently, then maybe I would have come across Welt White. Meaning White World, it is beautiful and bright and full of lovely homewares and gifts, including some by British designers such as Alphabet Bags and Karin Akesson. Visit their Facebook page.

In with the Old, London, UK

I visited this shop once ages ago, and still think about it! (yeah I know, that's how much I love shopping!!) I must make the trip back one of these days, as there is so much lovely stuff to peruse and the shop itself is very cool, yet not pretentious. I actually just got a bit carried away browsing their online shop just now, which is well stocked and also has details of creative workshops and hen parties that they host. A must to check out. Visit their website.

Boutique les Fleurs, Paris, France

This shop is definitely on my 'to visit' list next time I'm in Paris. In fact there are two shops, one selling gifts, jewellery and accessories and one selling homewares and flea market finds. I love how different the two stores look in these pics, both look right up my street too. Visit their website.

RE-found Objects, Corbridge, UK

RE was another shop which I'd loved to have included in the book, but it didn't happen sadly. I've never had the chance to get up to the northern part of the UK where their retail space is based, but I've loved their website for years. Perhaps a little staycation is in order! Visit their website.

Niddle Noodle, London, UK

Last but not least, is this super fab children's shop in Crouch End, North London. It just looks like you wouldn't be able to stop smiling inside this store! I mean any shop with a slide inside is gonna do that right?! I love all the yellow, the branches used for clothes rails and if you are going to get away with wallpaper on the ceiling, it'd be in a fun shop like this! Visit their website.

Thank you so much for all your favourite shop tips! I hope you've enjoyed my selection of 12 from the list. There were SO many more that could have gone in here too, but as I say, they'd fill another book let alone a blog post! Oooo.... and now it's got me wondering what these shopkeeper's homes are like!! ;)

Bumper giveaway winners announced!

November 5, 2015

Thank you to everyone who entered The Shopkeeper's Home bumper giveaway! I received over 300 valid entries across the blog, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and I have just selected the overall winner and 2 runners up. I used a random selector app to choose the winners. All the goodies are packed up and ready to go out to that very lucky winner of all those goodies from 16 of the featured shops in my book! It really is a FAB prize!!

So without further ado, here are the winners:

First Prize winner who receives the bumper goody bag: Tabitha Mary (TabithaMaryUK)

Two runner up winners: Adriana Molina and Alejandra

Congratulations to everyone, I hope you all enjoy the book and Tabitha, enjoy your bumper bag full of goodies!! :)

my book: bumper giveaway!

October 26, 2015

I've done many giveaways on my blog in the past, but never have I been so excited as I am about this one! It is of course to celebrate the publication of my first book - The Shopkeepers Home - and you are not gonna believe what's in store!

I have collaborated with many of the shops featured in the book to bring you a BUMPER GOODY BAG, filled with so much loveliness I think I'm going to find it really hard to part with it all!

These goodies are all to be won by ONE person - so you will get all this loot for yourself! If you decide not to keep it all for yourself, you will certainly have Christmas sorted this year! PLUS there will be two runner up prizes of a signed copy of The Shopkeepers Home book.

So here are the details of all the items included in the bumper goody bag....

From me, you will receive a signed copy of The Shopkeepers Home book, a printed version of Issue 11 of 91 Magazine and a copy of Wohnideen aus dem Wahren Leben (which means 'Living ideas from Real Life' in German - yes this book is in German but it is filled with so many beautiful images, I promise you, you won't care!)

Then from the shops, you will win:

- a miniature caravan - from Caravan, London , UK

- a mug by Gary Birks, a bag of sweets and some 'James and the Giant' tea - from Drink Shop and Do, London, UK

- a tote bag and some antique style scissors - from Loop Knitting, London , UK

- a box full of sewing goodies (all the above) - from The Old Haberdashery, Ticehurst, Kent

- a vintage tin box containing a beautiful sea urchin - from Kabinett and Kammer, New York, USA

- 3 bars of Amelia Rope chocolate - from The Hambledon, Winchester, UK

- an 'I love you California' print by 3 Fish Studios - from Rare Device, San Francisco, USA

- a tote bag, a metre of fabric and a rubber stamp making kit - from Black Oveja, Madrid, Spain

- 2 vintage glass bottles & some bakers twine - from Homebarn, Little Marlow, UK

- an Indian matchbox craft kit - from Sew Over it, London, UK

- notebook and card - from Vintage Factory, Stockholm, Sweden

- 3 sets of origami papers - from Adeline Klam, Paris, France

- a soy wax candle - from Beam and Anchor, Portland, USA

- a handmade pot holder and wooden spoon - from Room to Dream, Munich, Germany

Can you even believe it?! All together this prize is worth over £350, and as I said, I really wish I could keep everything, each and every item is lovely!!

Please make sure to read the details on how to enter and the terms and conditions below before entering!

HOW TO ENTER

To be in with a great chance of winning you can enter in a few different ways, one entry per method per person, so you basically you have 4 chances of winning:

- Comment on this blog post, telling me YOUR favourite shop in the whole world. Please leave your email address so you can be contacted if you win (or leave your fave shop comment here then email me at info@patchworkharmony.co.uk with your contact details with the subject line SHOPKEEPERS HOME GIVEAWAY - BLOG ENTRY)

- Follow me on Instagram and regram the giveaway image - please include @91magazine and #theshopkeepershomecomp in your caption

- Like The Shopkeepers Home Facebook page and share the giveaway post, ensuring you tag in 'The Shopkeepers Home' page too.

- Follow @91Magazine on Twitter and tweet your entry using this link.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

- Giveaway closing date is 3rd November 2015 at 23:59pm. Entries after this are not counted.

- The giveaway is open to worldwide readers.

- Entries can be submitted via the four options listed above, giving each person four chances to win, but only one entry per method will be accepted per person.

- The giveaway image on Instagram & Facebook should not be changed, edited or defaced when regramming or sharing. Entrants who do so will be disqualified.

- Failure to follow entry guidelines as above will result in that entry not being accepted.

- All prizes are non-transferable, non refundable and non negotiable. No cash alternative is available for any prize.

- The winner and runners up will be chosen at random on the 5th November 2015, and will be notified shortly after this date. If the winner has not provided an email address or can not be contacted through social media or via email by 16th November 2015, we reserve the right to select another winner at random.

- Prizes will be shipped from the UK by 30th November 2015, using the most affordable shipping method available.

- The decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

- By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

- The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.

my book: it's finally published!

October 15, 2015

Hurray! Today is the official publication date of my book! It has been months and months of work to get to this point, so forgive me if I have bleated on about it a lot lately! While it's been on Amazon to pre-order for quite a while, there is nothing quite like seeing the book in an actual shop, so you might just find me stalking out my local bookshops today making sure it is in a prominent position! haha!

While I do love a spot of online shopping while curled up on the sofa, I'm still a MASSIVE fan of 'real life' shopping. Not only being able to hold objects in your hands, but also the style of the shop, the smell and the atmosphere all contribute to a great shopping experience, and no one can deny that retail therapy buzz when leaving a shop clutching a bag filled with goodies! That is why this book was a total no brainer for me - as well as the shopping aspect, it combines with my love of interiors, and it is true that the owners of the beautiful shops featured, also take the same care and attention when creating their own home.

The blog tour just finished yesterday, so rather than share any more images from the book today, I'm going to direct you to the seven lovely bloggers who were involved so you can read their words and see what their favourite images/shops/homes were from the book.

Decor8 - a Q&A with me about creating the book

Yvestown - Yvonne talks about what she loves about the book & announces some of her own shop related news.

Lobster and Swan - Jeska picks out her favourite images from the shops and homes around the world.

Apartment Apothecary - Katy focuses in on the shop & home that inspires her the most - The Hambledon - which is the one featured on the cover of the book.

Makelight - Amazing photographer Emily has taken some beautiful pictures of her favourite spreads from the book, giving you a sense of the book design as well as the photography.

At Home in Love - Aileen selects her three favourite shops and home from the book.

Happy Interior Blog - and finally, Igor ends the tour with a beautiful summation of the book's concept and a great choice of images.

If this isn't enough to whet your appetite, then you can also view more in the special issue of 91 Magazine I created, featuring a little peek inside the book!

If you pre-ordered a copy, you will probably be receiving it today, so do let me know what you think and share any pics on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook with #theshopkeepershome and tag me in @91magazine (I also have a page on Facebook just for the book)

oh, and I have a SUPER exciting giveaway planned for next week that is going to blow your socks off! The top image here is a little hint to it, but do keep your eyes peeled for the details as I promise you will not want to miss it! :)

thank you for all the lovely comments and messages of support, it means SO much to hear that you like the idea of the book enough to spend your hard earned cash on it! I hope it will bring lots of enjoyment and inspiration! If you would like to order a copy, here is the link to buy it now!

My book: The blog tour!

October 6, 2015

I hope you had a chance to check out the mini issue of 91 Magazine I published last week featuring some of the content from my book? It was the first sneaky peek inside, but over the next week and a half you'll have the chance to see even more tit bits via the official blog tour!

I have chosen seven of my most favourite bloggers to give you various insights into the book. It was hard to narrow it down to seven as I have SO many favourite blogs - the tour could've went on for weeks! All of these lovely folk are bloggers I've met in person, have collaborated with and have always been supportive in my little creative journey. I'm sure they are some of your faves too, and if there's any you don't know yet, then be sure to check them out.

The tour kicks off over on Decor8 today, so I hope you'll pop over and enjoy getting a little peek of The Shopkeepers Home! If you pre-order your copy now then it should arrive not long after the blog tour ends, so you can delve into all those beautiful shops and homes! :)

Pre-order now.

xxx

my book: special issue of 91 Magazine

September 29, 2015

With just over two weeks until the official release of my book, and the blog tour just around the corner, I wanted to take this opportunity to give you the first sneaky peek inside the book! I've decided to share this in the format of a special mini edition of 91 Magazine! It includes images and extracts of text from the book to give you a little flavour of what to expect. Just pop over to my issuu page to have a look!

Don't forget, you can go straight on over to Amazon and pre-order your copy of the book now so you get it as soon as it publishes! :)

My book: The photographers

September 18, 2015

It's less than a month until the publication of my first book (15th Oct) eek!! I received my advance copy a few weeks ago, which was a VERY exciting morning for me! To finally see all that hard work in print was a dream come true! And, if I do say so myself - IT LOOKS FAB! :)

The reason for it looking so fab, is down to the wonderful designer, Rachel Cross, and the four lovely photographers who photographed the featured shops and homes all over the world. So I felt that it was only fitting for me to give a big shout out to these fantastic creative folk, and to give you guys an early sneak peek of what you will find in the book. In fact, what I thought I'd do is share some of the images that didn't make it into the book itself, as there were so many stunning photos, we couldn't fit them all in!!

The photographers (in alphabetical order!) were Nick Carter, Janis Nicolay, Michael Sinclair and Simon Upton. All are expert photographers as well as being some of the nicest people I've had the opportunity to work with. Thank you guys, for being such an essential part of making my book a reality.

I hope you enjoy these bonus images, and just think, if these are the ones that didn't make the book, imagine how great the ones that did are! I have another exciting piece of news to share on the 29th so stay tuned!

©Michael Sinclair/Jacqui Small Publishing

I hope you are loving the photography as much as I do! Make sure you pre-order your copy on Amazon or put the 15th October in your diary for a little bookshop trip! :)

oh and here is the first bit of press published about the book, a feature in The Oregonian - Portland's largest newspaper, showing some pics from one of the Portland locations! :)

xxx

BOOK NEWS: The cover and subject!

June 9, 2015

You may remember back in January I announced the news that I am working on my first interiors book? Well, I've been beavering away for the last 6 months writing my socks off, and as we are nearing the finish line, I can finally reveal what the book is all about and also the cover! SO exciting!! Drum roll please.... here it is!

So as you can see, the book is called The Shopkeeper's Home. Inside are some of the most beautiful independent shops from around the world, handpicked by me, AND you get to peek inside the homes of the people who own these stunning shops! I have always been inspired by shop interiors, and shopping is most definitely one of my favourite past times. I love visiting new places, either at home in the UK or abroad and seeking out lovely shops to browse. And of course, with so much style bursting from their retail spaces, I knew that the homes of these proprietors would also offer oodles of decor-related eye candy and lots of ideas for your own home too.

The book is due to publish in October, so over the next few months I will keep you posted on the progress, share some sneak peeks, and let you know when it's available to preorder. I also hope to host some competitions to win a copy or two!

That's it for now, but I'd love to hear your initial thoughts on the theme and of course the cover! xxx