Outfit | The White T-Shirt Co.

I wear a plain white t-shirt most days, usually under a shirt or sweatshirt, but lately I've branched out to the idea of wearing one on its own. I've tried out many brands and it's hard to find the perfect fit - loose necks, baggy arms, short bodies or not washing well. I was recently gifted a piece by a company that concentrates on doing one thing + one thing well, The White T-Shirt Co. I opted for the Short Sleeve Relaxed Fit Crew, which is perfect to wear under a jacket or shirt as it, being medium weight fabric. I've been impressed by reinforced seams + hem, bounded neckline and the fact they only use sustainable fabrics. They're also totally open to where every detail of their product is sourced, even the packaging. Read their story here.

Wearing - Farah Vintage Jacket | T-Shirt c/o The White T-Shirt Co. | Dickies Shorts | Converse Star Player | Atlanta Braves Cap

Hollie Wears - Topshop Unique Overshirt | M&S T-Shirt | ASOS Shorts | Nike Free 3.0 Trainers | Ray-Ban Sunglasses | Longchamp Tote

All of their products are made from 100% organic cotton and have been constructed with longevity in mind. If you're looking for white tee to wear under a shirt I'd recommend the Fitted version. I decided to take some photos of Hollie for once, she's usually on the other side of the camera. Hopefully you'll be seeing more of her over the next couple of months!

Thank you for visiting,
Mat

 Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Smoothie Time with Cocorrina + Weekend Links

Corina of Cocorrina has been making smoothie time even more fun, by producing a set of fruity graphics to accompany her recipes. If you haven't checked out her blog before then you're missing out - it's full of idillic photography, freelance advice and community based content + personal posts about her business.

I'm still playing catch up after my holiday but thank you all for stopping by this week and baring with me. Have you entered our latest giveaway yet - We've teamed up with Coggles!

Weekend Bucket List

Cats just love getting cosy
Mother, Father, And Son Photograph Themselves Once A Year…For 21 Years!
Google Street View goes under water
Simple pesto recipe, will be trying this one
Google's driverless car is quite a step forward, but how does it stop for lights?!

Jefferson takes a look around BBS Clothing's Pop-Up at Covent Garden
We ate at Solita this week, what a menu!

Mat.

                                Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Festival Style SS14 with Pavilion Clothing

With Glastonbury in full swing this weekend, discovering this festival has got us thinking about all the interesting places we're planning to visit throughout the rest of the summer. There will be plenty more musical festivals for sure, hopefully we can get to one. Here are a few brands which I’ll be turning to, come rain or shine; accompanied by Pavillion Clothing's SS14 lookbook -

Penfield

The Penfield brand is a perfect for festivals season. They sell cool t-shirts, hats, bags, waterproofs and camping equipment. Get into the spirit of outside living for a few days with this subtle Penfield Teepee Sweatshirt. Hopefully the weather will be warm enough so you won’t need to wear it, but I think this is a solid purchase to take just in case it gets a bit nippy in the evening!

For some extra festival steez, check out Penfield’s affordable Palm Print Blue Tent. You’ll never waste hours looking for your tent ever again, even after a full day’s access to the bars!

Brooklyn We Go Hard

BWGH clothing is all quality material and bold patterns which evokes true a true summer style; both innovative and timelessly cool. They're a great brand to choose if you're looking for something a little different to the rest of the crowd - top that off with a beer and some of your favourite tunes, then you're all set.

I’d layer this short sleeve floral number BWGH Floral Print Shirt over a basic white t-shirt to add a splash of excitement to a practical outfit. Wear with a pair of slim fit chino shorts or classic indigo denim.

Carhartt

Carhartt started life as a designer of comfortable, practical and hardwearing work wear but has now established its place on the high street for its wearable styles and attention to detail.

Festivals are all about traveling light and being prepared, but what happens if you slip in the mud and get yourself into a right mess? Not to worry - with a pair of Carhartt's durable Camo Isle Aviation Short you can camouflage yourself nicely into your surroundings.

YMC

The name says it all, “You Must Create”. Not one for following trends, this forward-thinking and easy to wear brand is a must-have for the warmer months. With a huge variety of unique yet simple, muted t-shirts such as this YMC Spot Pocket T Shirt, you’ll definitely stand out from the generic festival-goers this summer and “create” a stir amongst the sartorial crowd.

Are you guys off to any festivals this year? With lots of colours, patterns and fabrics to choose from this summer, which ones will you be likely to wear?

 Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Boneville Sharp Engineer Jacket Transforms into Duffle Bag

A jacket that transform into bag? This sure makes a lot of sense for the increasingly muggy weather we're having. Air Con needed in the UK pronto. The name Boneville might be an unfamiliar one to most (myself included) but the brand was founded in the early 80s by legendary technical sportswear designer Massimo Osti. Fast forward to 2014 and the Boneville brand has been revived, with a brand new collection for Spring Summer 14; which delves into their extensive archive.

To show off their multifunctional garments as Osti intended, this short stop-motion video has been created (below) of how their indigo-dyed Sharp Engineer Jacket turns into a Duffle Bag, in just a few moves. In the video it's worn over the top of their green nylon Pilot's Vest. You can find their new retail space at 52 Artillery Lane, London, E1 7LS.

Thank you for visiting,
Mat.

                            Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Giveaway | Win Ebbets + Herschel with Coggles

We arrived back from Orlando early Friday morning; a few days on and I'm just about back to normal. Hollie's not coping as well with the jet lag as me, so while she's relaxing I'm getting right back into this blogging business. 

For this month's giveaway I'm working with my friends at online premium retailer, Coggles. I wanted to choose a couple of prizes that I felt would appeal to all of you guys, be it for yourself or suitable for a gift for your partners/friends. There will be two winners in total, one prize each! So what can you win? Caps and bags my friends!

Win One Of The Following

1x Ebbets Field Flannel Cap of your choice, worth £50. 

1x Herschel Parker Malibu Stripe Backpack, worth £50.

 How To Enter

To enter this giveaway you must be a subscriber to Buckets & Spades - simply complete the form below. Giveaway is open worldwide. Best of luck! One prize per winner (two winners in total). Winners will be drawn by us at random. Product is subject to availability and is based on who get in touch first.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
  

Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Vickers Bicycles Celebrates Tour de France

To celebrate the British leg of this year's Tour de France Vickers Bicycles have been working closely with Saville Row tailor Richard James, to create a limited edition Town bike. 2014's Tour de France starts in Leeds, running from Yorkshire to London, before heading over the English Channel, so the two brands put their heads together to create something unique for the occasion. The "Sundown" Town bike has been inspired by Richard James' SS14 collection, specifically their signature single breasted, powder blue suit.

The paintwork of the frame has been digitally sampled directly from the suiting fabric, along with other details including the canvas cotton saddle + bar tape by Brooks England and the subtle use of colour on the spokes. Other noteworthy details are the steam-mounted brass bell and striking acid green inner tubes on the front. Each bike is made to measure in Great Britain.

The Vickers Bicycles Town bike will be on display at the Richard James store on Saville Row, London for the duration of the race - from the Monday June 30th until Sunday 3rd August. For more info visit here.

Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Glastonbury 2014 Preview | Discovering The Festival

It's best not to come to Glastonbury with a head full of preconceptions and a notebook full of plans of what you want to see.’ - Glastonbury Festival

I’m lucky enough to have a ticket for Glastonbury this year. Sadly not a freebie for Buckets & Spades or I imagine Mat would have claimed it first - and who could blame him, when this is one of the well-known festivals on earth.

I’ve always wanted to go, but booking a ticket requires military precision that I’ve lacked every single year. Not this time though. Five of us on separate computers frantically refreshed the bookings page at 9.00 a.m. on a Sunday morning back last November and the tickets were ours. Now comes the planning stage (cars, tents, sleeping bags, beers, etc) and although the website warns against it, I’m making some plans for what to see and do.

Music aside (of course Dolly Parton makes the top of my list there), there’s a huge amount to experience. A set of documentary preview videos on the Glastonbury site give some indication of what to expect. Craziness, intrigue, queueing, and mud, in equal measures it would seem. I’m looking forward to most of that - perhaps not the mud - and want to have a good look at the ‘surprises’ being promised in the Tipi Field, as well as a hunt for the speakeasies that people have mentioned to me before.

My geeky side is interested in The Glastonbury Free Press - a daily newspaper of the goings-on at Glastonbury produced on-site using vintage machinery - while my inner wimp is keen to avoid the mud (if it rains) and check out the new Pop-Up Spa on offer from The Pop Up Hotel. Promising rejuvenation and recharge throughout the festival with showers, toilets, and various botanical treatments, some people might think it’s not in the spirit of Glastonbury, but they’ll change their tune once the rain starts to fall or the sun causes them to smell.

image source 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

The pie-lover in me is hoping Pieminister make an appearance too...and I can find them, of course. Mat visited Beacons Festival last year with Urban Oufitters last year, be it on much smaller scale - Apparently the food on offer was hard to top, we'll see!

Is anyone else going? If you are, what are you looking forward to most? And for those who’ve been, all recommendations welcome! - Nik
 

You can find Nik at - Conrad's Beer |  Twitter | Instagram

Orlando #9 | Homeward Bound + Weekend Links

Wearing - Gap Shirt, Topman Shorts, Teva Sandals, Cooperstown Classic Cap

Our three weeks in Orlando came to an end early yesterday morning. We ended our visit with a trip to Downtown Disney, where we wondered down the lake and got ourselves lost in thee biggest Disney store. Hollie was really looking forward to visiting the Virgin Megastore but it seems they've binned it off for a new trendy sports bar, which was pretty disappointing. We did end it on a high though, from here we went down to the Celebration Town Tavern for one last round of drinks; I'm starting to make real progress with the extensive menu!

This weekend I'll be playing catch-up with emails, comments and blogs, so please do send me over some of your links. What have I missed?

Weekend Bucket List

An interview I did with Groom U + American Crew for our "Best Group Blog Award"
Big cycling festival in the Peak District this weekend.
Social network for travelers who love a selfie.
The world's cumulative average handwriting, soon to be a font!
Thinking I need to experiment more with food.
Win some lovely things from 45 Wall Design on Of Trees & Hues.

 Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Orlando #8 | Toys for Breakfast

Yesterday we went to Cracker Barrel; the only restaurant I know of that also has its very own toy shop. I polished off three buttermilk granola pancakes, bacon, cheesy scrambled egg, a bananas and some fresh orange juice. This morning boy am I feeling it.

Follow me on Twitter + Instagram for regular updates. 

Orlando #7 | Neons + Brights

I've been trying on some new combos while I've been away. Never been a fan of trainer socks as I find them ugly but I have room for these Nike neon + reflective numbers. Worn with Nike Janoaski Air Max.

Follow me on Twitter + Instagram for regular updates. 

Palladium x Oi Polloi | Boot Explorer Series in Manchester

Boot Explorers is an on-going campaign by footwear brand Palladium; which sees them travel to 10 international locations, each with different cultural stories to tell. For the next part in the series Palladium visited Manchester, England to collaborate with iconic menswear store Oi Polloi. Filmed in the heart of the Northern Quarter, store owner Steve Sanderson discusses music, football, Manchester's textile history and why each played such a huge role in what finally became Oi Polloi.

Worn throughout this part of the Explorers campaign is the Pampa Hi in Indigo\Black. For more details click here.

  
Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Orlando #6 | Sign Hunter

Getting my "Letter Getter" on with this sweet Cigar store sign at Winter Park, Orlando.

Follow me on Twitter + Instagram for regular updates. 

Pattern Personality with Thou Swell

(via Domaine) 

Hey friends, it's Kevin from Thou Swell. While Mat's away I'm stopping by to offer some decorating tips to make mixing patterns a less daunting endeavor. It's easy to stick to solids and simple color palettes when decorating, but mixing patterns and textures can make a space feel more personal and inviting, though presents a more challenging task! Use these tips to simplify the process, and you'll be a pro when it comes to adding personality to your space.

(via Home Adore)

Start with the floor. When layering two rugs, it's best to only pick one with a pattern. Keep the solid rug on the bottom, and add a pattern with a smaller one. In the photo above, a large jute area rug sets the stage for a small Kilim rug with a bold pattern. If you'd like large-scale pattern, go for a Persian or Oriental rug. 

(via Coco & Kelley)

Adding a solid color will tie all the patterns together. Find a common hue or complementary color within the patterns you're using and add a solid in this color family. Don't go matchy-matchy, but adding a solid will keep things cohesive. In the photo above, blue throws complement the red in all the throw pillows. 

(via Thou Swell)

Patterns can be small and intricate, or big and bold. Layer small scale patterns with bigger ones to keep them from competing. Different scales with provide a bit of contrast to distinguish patterns as separate decor elements. 

I hope these three tricks demystify the pattern pairing process, and leave you confident to add more punch to your space! 

Thanks to Kevin from Thou Swell for today's post - You can follow him on Twitter here.

 Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest

Orlando #5 | Winter Park

Yesterday we wondered around the beautiful town of Winter Park, Orlando. The place was thriving with independent businesses, local restaurants + bars, incredible architecture and friendly people. I definitely recommend stopping by if you're ever in the Orlando area.

Enjoy your weekend folks!

Follow me on Twitter + Instagram for regular updates. 

Coca-Cola 2nd Lives | Bottles with Alternative Uses

Coca-Cola continues its crusade to think more responsibly about the lasting impact of their products with the next installment of their "Open Happiness" campaign. Entitled "2nd Lives", this campaign shares alternative ways to reuse their iconic bottle, giving it a whole new function, and whole new life after its primary goal.

We know plastic bottles aren't good, but we may as well make the most of them until we find the alternative. I'm up for a water gun fight this summer.

 Find us on - Twitter - Facebook - Bloglovin' - Instagram - Pinterest