It's black and white

Spring has sprung and with it come the new interiors trends. While some (llama print wallpaper) we’re not so keen on, there’s a clean and simple look that’s been catching our eye. The monochrome home has popped up in a few collections. Paired with some tropical greenery (long live the greenery trend of 2018!) this graphical look puts the emphasis on great shape, design and pattern. Check out some of our favourite purveyors of the monochrome look below.

Sass and Belle: The monochrome look is all about the accessories and Sass and Belle have a great selection. This Black and Geo Isla Planter picks up the monochrome theme and gives you a handy place to hang the aforementioned tropical greenery that will complete your look.

@oldsaltfarm: Kierste Wade lives in a farmhouse in upstate New York and is keeping her monochrome gentle and natural. Her insta feed is a great place for inspiration for those who aren’t quite ready to plumb the darkest depths of black décor. Black and white ginghams, slate and blackboard accessories keep her look light, airy and add a nice twist to a traditional country look.

Ikea: Those Swedish design geniuses have plenty of monochrome looks for you, particularly in their tablewear department. However, our absolute favourite item is their black and white Stockholm rug which adds a splash of graphic class to your room without overwhelming it.

Love Frankie: If you think monochrome is all straight lines and stripes think again. The ever-playful Love Frankie sell this great selection of palm tree serving plates which add some fun to the world of black and white.

@the.kate.edit on the other end of the spectrum from @oldsaltfarm is interior blogger Kate Learmonth. Her house is SERIOUSLY monochrome. Dramatic blacks are paired with animal hides and plenty of gold to amazing effect. The full-on luxury looks might not be for everyone, but there are some great ideas for how to mix patterns on her Instagram.

If you’ve caught the black and white bug, take a look at our frames, they come with a smooth matt finish, perfect for highlighting your favourite artworks (and your LucyLovesThis prints of course).

Love Stories

Oh Valentine’s, day of love, romance...and present panic. The traditional favourites of flowers and
chocolates might get you through the first Valentine’s Day of a relationship, but what happens when
things get serious. A few years in and you’re meant to know your partner better; something more
personal and thoughtful is required.

Last week was International Storytelling Week and amongst all the articles about the many benefits
of storytelling we spotted a few mentions of a book by Dr Karen Skerrett at Northwestern University
all about shared storytelling. Dr. Skerrett’s book coins the phrase ‘we-stories’. Apparently, stories that couples build, remember and share with their friends and family help them to grow a shared identity
and anchor them if things ever get tough. Inspired by these ‘we-stories’ we’ve been thinking about
some top gifts from our collection, which can help couples remember their most treasured stories.

Two become one: why not build a collection of your home towns and the one you now share, tracing
the journey of how you came together.

Love London: If you fell in love in the city our LOVE print tells three stories in one. Love London, love each other, love life.

Your Song: Take a look to see if any of the musicians featured in our collection sang the songs that have featured in your life together.

A Walk in the Park: Whether you’re day-trippers, brunch eaters, Sunday strollers or Park-Runners
London’s open spaces hold memories for many couples. Take a look at our collection to find the
parks that mean the most to you

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A Grand Proposal: ‘Where did you ask?’ is always the first question when someone gets engaged.
Remember that moment on that picturesque bridge/at the top of the Eiffel Tower/cruising down the
river forever with one of our location prints.

Honeymoon: When you need a reminder of that honeymoon period a print of the place you first
shared as a married couple can take you straight back to that time.

Splash Out: If you’ve gone big and booked a trip abroad as a Valentine’s gift it’s likely that all you’ll have to show for it is an online booking confirmation. Our prints are a lot prettier than an EasyJet  email, and as well as giving your partner something to unwrap on the day, you’ll have a instant memento of your romantic holiday away.

We hope our top tips have given you some inspiration. You can shop our Valentine’s  recommendations here, or look for your special locations in the search bar.

The Best Christmas Markets

You may not know that we have a whole host of European city prints as well as our collection of UK towns. To help celebrate this and the arrival of the festive period (sorry if it's too soon for you!) we have collected together the best Christmas markets the EU has to offer. We also have a print for each location to help celebrate your Winter holidays.

Viennese Christmas Market, Vienna

This classic market in front of the City Hall is an unforgettable highlight for those eager to get into the spirit of the season. The unique backdrop gives this market a charm of its own, and the delicious aromas are sure to lull all visitors into the seasonal joy. Inside the City Hall on the ground floor there is an area dedicated to children, where they can learn how to make Christmas cookies or candles. You can also listen to international choirs singing carols with free entrance on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
See our Vienna print here

Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, Prague

At this magical market you can shop for Christmas ornaments and holiday decorations, traditional Czech Christmas cookies, tablecloths, Frankincense or the Czech Christmas potpourri called purpura. You can taste some traditional Czech foods that are made fresh right in front of you. Hot wine (svařené víno or svařák), grog, and warm honey liquor called medovina come in handy in the cold weather. Czech Christmas carols add to the festive atmosphere
Get in the spirit with our Prague print.

Rynek Glowny, Krakow

The Christmas market in Krakow takes place every year on the city’s huge central square, Rynek Glowny, in the middle of the Old Town historic district. You will find lots of traditional Christmas decorations in Krakow's Christmastide market. You will also find seasonal sweets, from multicoloured candies to spiced nuts and gingerbread. Local artisans, such as blacksmiths and woodcarvers also show off their crafts.

Shop our Krakpw print right here

Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen

Christmas in Tivoli Gardens is a dear tradition amongst Copenhageners and without a doubt the city's number one Christmas market. At Tivoli you can warm yourself on a delicious cup of hot cocoa, rummage through the baskets of woolly knitwear, get inspired by the beautiful Christmas decorations and follow the scent of roasted almonds and homemade doughnuts. More than a half a million lights create a magical Christmas atmosphere and light up the winter darkness.

If you love Copenhagen you can celebrate it with our print

Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin

Gendarmenmarkt Christmas market is maybe the most beautiful and popular in Berlin. The market offers a large range of handmade goods crafted by artisans, Christmas food, and entertainment. Culinary offerings at the Gendarmenmarkt Christmas market range from unusual snacks to gourmet menus and traditional Christmas delicacies. Jugglers, fire-eaters, choirs and classical, jazz or Gospel ensembles provide a varied entertainment programme on each market day.

Shop our Berlin print here

Winter Wonders, Brussels

From 30 November 2018 till 6 January 2019, the Winter Wonders events take place in a number of different locations around the city but the main highlights are found at Grand Place and around Bourse, Place de la Monnaie, Place Sainte-Catherine and Marché aux Poissons. Every Saturday evening at 6 pm and 8 pm, dazzling light parades will wind their way through the streets of Brussels.

If you visit Brussels don't forget to pick up one of our prints!

Budapest Christmas Fair and Winter Festival, Budapest

The scent of Hungarian honey cookies mulled wine, cinnamon fills the air. The lighting of candles on the Advent Wreath is accompanied by choral singing and all day long you will be tempted by the Hungarian culinary specialities like the stuffed cabbage rolls, roasted goose, foie gras, grilled paprika sausages and a lot of other Christmas dishes. Wooden stalls and outdoor stages allow craftsmen and artists to show their talent.

If you fancy a trip to Budapest, don't forget you can buy a print of the city here.

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We hope you enjoyed this round up of our favourite European Christmas markets. Let us know if you go to one!

Our Workspace Essentials

Here at Lucy Loves This there is nothing we like more than a perfect work area topped up with beautiful and useful stationery. As a creative studio, we know how important it is to maintain a tidy (but also pretty) desk to help keep you productive and get you through the workday.

We wanted to bring you our favourite places to buy everything you need to help you create your dream desk.

Good office supplies, planners and stationery can help tackle your to-do lists and also create a welcoming work area that you'll look forward to spending time in. It's worth investing in some good quality pieces that you'll use every day, bonus points if you love how they look!

We love Hay's range of office supplies and their simply designed Anything range blends form and functionality perfectly.

This beautiful pen from Anthropologie will definitely make ticking off that to do list much less dull, we love the coral and mint colours scheme too.

This amazing vintage style notice board from Hema (so many affordable things on their site) is so cute and just the thing for inspirational quotes!

These very fancy gold lacquer office accessories from West Elm are just the thing to keep your desk tidy and your pens in place.

Artwork looks beautiful when framed above your desk, our location prints make perfect interiors eye candy. Why not choose a place that's special to you?

This vintage-inspired brass clips from super cool stationery shop Present & Correct are perfect for labelling all your imporant files.

Add a pop of colour to your desk with these bright pencil cases from Papersmiths. The clear pocket means you can always see what's inside. 

Fancy a new planner? Kikki K has a great selection to keep you organised. They also sell special stickers and notes to customise your planner to suit your lifestyle.

We hope you enjoyed this round up of our must-have stationery items, the shops in this post are some of our favourites so we hope you'll enjoy a browse on their websites. Have fun organising your workspace!

Don't forget you can shop our whole collection here.

London Letters - The Lucy Loves This Book!

Lucy has written a book! 

This isn’t your typical A-to-Z guidebook to the bustling city of London. Filled with the eye-catching artwork of Lucylovesthis, London Letters is an interactive, fun, and functional guide to 26 of London's districts.

Filled with eye-catching artwork London Letters is an interactive, fun, and functional guide to London's boroughs. This guidebook organises neighbourhoods from Angel to ZSL London Zoo. Removable cards and maps provide a handy guide on how to get to there, what to see, where to eat, and more! It is available to pre-order now on our website but will also be available to buy from all good bookshops at the end of August. 

Find the book right here lucylovesthis.com

12 Hours in...Angel

To celebrate the launch of the brand new Lucy Loves This book, London Letters were are continuing to share how you can spend 12 hours in some of our favourite areas in London. The book features 26 pull-out maps of popular London neighbourhoods from angel to ZSL London Zoo, meaning there's no excuse to be bored in London! The illustrated maps feature must visit cafes, parks, shops and streets for you to explore in each area and today we're talking about Angel...

One of the LLT team members, Nancy, is a North London girl so spends most of her time exploring the pretty streets of Islington. She has lots of great hidden gems to share with you today so over to you Nancy!

I really love Angel, it can be quite an overlooked area as the main streets are full of chains and to be honest, at a glance it's not the most charming of areas. When you dig a little deeper though, you'll realise just how magical this part of Islington can be. I love to spend an afternoon wandering around the pretty back streets and exploring the small green spaces.

My top tips for a day in Angel

1. Start your day with a coffee at Kipferl, an amazing little Viennese cafe and restaurant that specialises in authentic Austrian food. The interior is really cool and modern and the cakes are incredible!

2. After your coffee take a stroll down Camden Passage where there are lots of little independent shops and a vintage market on most days of the week, I love the winding passageways!

3. Smug is my favourite shop in Angel, plus its right in the centre of Camden Passage. It's full of beautiful homeware, artwork and stationery. A great place for gifts.

4. Why not take a stroll along the Regent's Canal? It runs straight through Angel and also connects onto some beautiful gardens like Duncan Terrace Gardens.

5. After a wander down Upper Street pop into Bellanger for dinner, they serve classic French dishes and the interior is absolutely stunning. You'll feel as though you've gone back in time!

6. There are many great places in the area for an after dinner drink but my favourite is
69 Colebrooke Row aka "the bar with no name". It's a tiny speakeasy-style bar with experimental cocktails.

7. If you fancy catching a late night film you can head to the Screen on the Green, a lovely independent cinema.

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We hope you enjoyed this little insight into Nancy's absolute favourite spots in Angel. Please do take a look at the book here and let us know what you think! 

Martha's Uni Story

It's time for our third and final uni story post, this time it's Martha's turn! Remember that if you know anyone who has recently graduated or who is set to go to uni this September we have a huge range of prints to celebrate most of the towns in the UK. On to Martha to hear all about her uni experience...

I went to Lancaster Uni (Lonsdale College) and studied Religious Studies and Philosophy. Lancaster is a campus-based university, in a small town so you get to know people pretty quickly and I've made friends who I still see regularly now. One of whom gets married very soon and the Lancaster print will be part of her wedding present. I know that they will love the print, the perfect memento to remember our time together at uni.

I did lots of volunteering at university and it was through that and working at the Student Union Volunteering Unit after I graduated that has set me up for a career helping young people in a variety of roles. My work has ranged from helping young adults set up their own businesses to recruiting them into apprentice and graduate roles whilst working at Sky.

And of course, the entrepreneurial spirit I learnt at Lancaster has led me to work one day a work for one of my best friends, Lucy! So I'd like to think that without Lancaster I wouldn't have learnt the skills needed to have my lovely job.

Whilst at Lancaster I had many nights out dancing in the Sugarhouse and then waiting, with a marker pen stamp on your hand for the bus back to campus 

Atkinsons in Lancaster

Lancaster also has some great pubs, I love nothing more than a pint on the weekend in a traditional pub - The White Cross and The Waterwitch were two favorites, both on the river and both serving great pub food. I have many fond memories of both.

Atkinsons is still one of my favourite places in Lancaster, a 180-year-old coffee roasting and tea merchants. Everything you buy comes in gorgeous little packets (my friends and family have received a lot of Atkinsons tea as Christmas presents over the years) and my Atkinsons mug is still my favorite for my weekend cuppa.

Finally - if the weather is nice, which lets face it, isn't loads in Lancaster then either head to the Lakes or take a picnic to Williamson Park with its fabulous views and beautiful Ashton Memorial. One of my favourite uni memories is sitting on the Ashton steps watching the sun come up after my graduation ball, with those friends I mentioned earlier.

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We hope you enjoyed our uni story series! If you'd like to commemorate your own university or college experience please take a look at our uni collection right here.