All Parked Up - Our Print Shop

One thing that has kept me busy over the past few months is working on getting some prints ready. It's something I've thought about doing for a while, and after a fair few regular requests via Instagram, I finally got my act in gear and set up a super basic shop on Etsy.

 

Since July I'll shipped 50+ orders to all parts of the world; from Malibu, CA to a small coastal village in Australia. It seems folks are enjoying them in Scandinavia too, with the majority of international orders going to Denmark. Crazy.

 

Currently we have five prints available; three cars, One "Shopping Trollies in Orlando", and one of Hollie's It's a Love Story" print. We have plans to add a handful more in the run-up to Christmas. Each print has featured on my Instagram account at some point, so it's a lovely feeling to see them in other people's homes.

 

Here's a link to our Etsy store.

Thank you,

Mat.

From Light to Dark

Light responsive lenses by Transitions Optical UK (gift) | Shirt by Albam (gift) | Jeans by COS (gift) | Trainers by Converse (gift by size?) | Cap by Brooks Brothers | Socks by MHL | Watch by Void Watches

Paid partnership with Transitions Optical UK

Back in the days when I was in short trousers - and we're talking late 80s / early 90s here - we were lucky enough to take our summer holidays in Orlando. Me, my Mum, Grandparents and my older brother and sister would pack our bumbags, lace up our rather ugly matching Airwalk trainers and don our colourful Disney baseball caps, in prep for two weeks of mega times in the Sunshine State.

And when I think about it now, not much has changed; we still live in the same seaside town as we grew up in, we still head to Orlando every now and again with the family, and we still all enjoy a good ugly trainer. Memories of my family wearing light sensitive glasses spring to mind when thinking back to those trips in Florida – they both took to wearing them in the early 90s, due to perpetual sunny days out at theme parks and lazy days by the pool. It’s quite a nice feeling to think that three generations of our family have been linked by something as simple as these lenses.

When you combine the craft of Transitions lenses and the design credentials of London's own spectacle maker Cubitts, the outcome is a modern, discreet design, good for any occasion.

These reactive lenses are UV sensitive, meaning they look just like regular optical glasses indoors, but when the lenses are exposed to UV rays they will automatically start to darken, with them becoming fully engaged outside in direct sunlight. I'm wearing the Cubitts Flaxman frames in quartz with Graphite Green lenses - somewhat of a dream combination of my love of clear frame glasses + anything that comes in khaki. So here's to not carrying around two pairs of glasses anymore!

Mat.

Meanwhile, in Orlando | Travel Diary

It's the weirdest thing, when I'm away holiday, that moment in time really is the only thing that matters. I've got quite a bit of work that needs doing and a few deadlines creeping but they can wait, 'cos beers by the pool + planning what restaurant to eat at next is all I can think about.

We've been back from Orlando for about a month now, and a few days after getting home I found myself on a plane heading for Lisbon - for a fun work trip with my mate Jordan (more on that soon). There aren't that many other jobs that I can think of where these kind of last minute trips make sense - I tend to have a reality-check moment while I'm away and think to myself - or sometimes out loud - "oh know what, how cool is this job!?" It's very cool, and I think it pays to remind myself this, but also what it's taken to get to this point in my life too.

I'd never say it's a hard job, I mean, it comes with a lot of stress, anxiety and hard work, but then if I compare it to, say, hospital workers, the policeforce or even the pilot up front flying the plane, then it puts things into perspective. It's all relative though.

I like to use these trips with Hollie as a bit of a release from work, but I never really switch off my camera. I guess it's ingrained in me now, as a geezer who just loves to take photos. It makes me happy - and it's not just for sharing on social media sake, but for my own sense of purpose. Maybe it helps me look at life a little deeper; to notice more, see things that don't seem to matter but ultimately have a meaning, living day-to-day by being aware of how cool normal life actually is.

Mat.

Deeply Coffee, Downtown Orlando

Well, I wasn't expecting to be visiting this place any time soon, but with some veeeeeery last minute booking provided by Hollie, we found ourselves stepping off the plane at Orlando airport just two days after we bought the tickets. Turns out she's way more spontaneous than I ever imagined. 

We've been visiting Orlando most years since we first got together (13 years ago, whoa), so anything too touristy doesn't really register on our radar anymore - other than the occasion visit to Universal Studios, cos we can never grow bored of that. The speciality coffee scene has slowly but surely becoming a pretty big deal in the city, and thanks to tools such as Instagram we've found ourselves sitting inside some absolutely stonking places.

Deeply Coffee has set the bar extremely high for the city, with a unique interior which featues a polish concrete floor, an impressive poured concrete shared bar + seating set-up, light natural wood cladded walls, hairpin leg tables and stools, mid-century seating and the odd fig plant dotted around. Due to the perfect positioning of Deeply, the whole plot takes advantage of the endless hazy natural light from Orlando's infamous long days. The kinda place you can imagine working away in for hours?

Coffee-wise, they were using beans from Stockholm roasters Drop when we visited; the filter came in a Kinto pouring jug, and for flat whites 'n' smaller these were served in tactile ceramic cups by San Diego-based Tiny Badger. Hollie grabbed silky and sweet cold brew, and the cakes came as big as your hand. The salted raspberry brownie and a banana muffin were both mega. Now this is the real side of Orlando that needs to be explored more often.

Deeply Coffee - 111 N Magnolia Ave #50, Orlando, Florida 32801

Orlando's Slower Pace

Oh boy, it seems like forever since I've tapped some words out on here. My bad, this past two months have been some of the busiest and most rewarding of my life. I have a whole list of content that I can't wait to share, but for the next ten day we will be enjoying some down time.

So here's my super "gone fishing" message - we're currently soaking up some overly-humid rays in Orlando, celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary, with day trips to Tampa, St Petersburg, Naples and Winter Park. 

Head over to my Instagram page for daily updates!

Mat.

More Buckets - Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Pinterest | Newsletter

Behind The Design | A Conversation with Jason Gregory of Makr

The Makr design studio, Winter Park, Florida

On our trip to Winter Park, Florida, back in June 2016, some really cool things happened; we bumped into a Zac + Azriel, a lovely couple from Nebraska who have been reading Buckets & Spades for as long as they can remember, and secondly, I got to visit the design studio + workshop of a brand I've been following since way before Instagram + Twitter even existed.

Around eight years ago I can remember stuffing my university research folder with grainy print-outs (my fault, not theirs!) of Florida-based design studio Makr's leather goods, for a project I was working on. On a boiling afternoon last Summer I found myself sitting in the passenger seat of Founder Jason Gregory's van, being shown around Winter Park, Fl, the town he calls home.

-----

Mat - First off, how did you get started with Makr, and has the concept and idea evolved over the years?

Jason Gregory of Mark - Makr started as an art project while I was working at an architecture firm. I was learning how to work with a CNC laser, experimenting with cutting and etching. It was a strange introduction to patterning and product development. I really loved the idea of cutting something flat and turning it into a three dimensional object. The precision of these machines and the ability to replicate a form without having to pay for tooling or dies really started the project. It was mostly small wallets at first and that led into finding factories and developing the soft goods.

I had always wanted a wood shop and was building furniture at my house so that was the next step after I had a sense of what Makr was starting to be. We are constantly evolving but the core of what we are doing has stayed the same.

- Did you always have a passion for craft or was it more of a case of discovering something you had found you were good at?

I’ve always made things and cared about the quality of what I was making. I would never call myself a craftsman, I am a designer first. The craft aspect of my work came after the design, it’s always been about the repetition or editions of objects. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) is crucial to our work, I would say almost every single product that we make is touched by some form of CNC machine. That being said, I don’t like it when something is so obviously made using a laser or milling machine, the goal – the art of it, is to blend the hand with the capabilities of the machine.

We're off to America

Bags are all packed! We're heading to America this weekend for three weeks. First stop Orlando, then Naples (just near Miami) and finishing with a week in Las Vegas! Regular blog posts will be a little more thin on the ground.

You can find us on Snapchat at mat_buckets for daily updates, and on Instagram @mat_buckets for the usual photo rundown. See you on the other side!

More Buckets - Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Pinterest | Newsletter

Grill On The Alley, Manchester #TCABurgerTakeover

We headed down to the Grill On The Alley in Manchester, to sample their Americana-inspired burger menu yesterday. For the month of July (yes just two days left!) the team at Thomas Cook Airlines have taken over The Alley's menu, bringing in four brand new burgers combos for us to get their laughing gear around. 

Each burger on the #TCABurgerTakeover menu is inspired by a destination Thomas Cook are currently offering flights to. We've only just arrived back from Orlando, and this time we did take a trip down to Naples Beach - but I'm now kicking myself as to why we didn't make it to Miami! But then I've always fancied Boston too (slight obsession with Boston Beans), so maybe next year.

Boston Burger | Prawns, Crayfish, Garlic Butter and Back Bacon

New York Deli Burger | Pastrami and Lancashire Cheese

Miami Burger | Pickled Watermelon, Pineapple and Horseradish Coleslaw

LAX Burger | Onion rings, Guacamole, Chipotle Mayo and Beer Battered Pickles

When you order from the takeover menu at Grill On The Alley you'll have the chance win a pair of flights to the States, to one of their four chosen destinations! The competition is running for two more days (until 31st July), so you'll have to be snappy. Entering is easy, click here to get started. For an extra entry just tweet a photo of your burger to @GrillManc and @TCAirlinesUK, using the hashtag #TCABurgerTakeover. We both went for the LAX Burger, which is a little predictable but great tasting as we expected. Be even better if we win!

Buckets & Spades were guests at Grill On The Alley on behalf of Thomas Cook Airlines, because who can turn a good burger down?

More Buckets - Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Pinterest | Newsletter

Enjoying Kona Brewing Co. in Orlando

Very much enjoying Kona Brewing Co. this week. In fact, they're just what we look for in a good beer; variation, distinct flavours, colourful labels and an honest back story. We've been working our way through their range since we arrived in Orlando, and we even tried Kona beer battered fish + chips at the Tommy Bahamas restaurant, on our stay-over in Naples!

Have you tried any of Kona's beers? My personal favourite is Big Wave - it's big time! Aloha `oe.

Keep up-to-day with our travels on Instagram + Twitter!  

We're Currently in Florida!

It's been a little quiet around these parts lately, I forgot to mention that we're currently out in Orlando for a few weeks on holiday! Things will be a little slow around here but we will be posting a few posts here and there - when we can pull ourselves away from a frosty 4-pack.

We're still sharing on the social scene, you can follow our holiday updates on Instagram + Twitter!   

Thanks for sticking with us,
Mat.

Blogging | Have We Taken On Too Much?

For the past two months I've constantly put myself under self-inflicting pressure. It started when we left for Orlando In June - the plan was to wake up early, go for a quick run and post a Holiday Update every couple or so days. I liked this. It was a chance to record my days (I was reading loads too) and share some cool thing I'd found on my travels; packaging, beer, sights...you know. The stuff I enjoy sharing. 

On the back of my mind was the tonne of "to-dos" left waiting for me when I arrived back - Did I say simply say "yes" to too much? This blog has given me many incredible opportunities over the past six years, which has been a truly humbling experience - To work with brands is extremely rewarding, collaborations + sponsored posts (when done right) make for great content and contribute towards my income and the chance to interact and meet like-minded people from across the world, well that's just unreal! It's been the perfect way for me to keep creative after graduating too. But when did blogging become so high-pressured? 





My freelance work suffers because I've got it into my head that if I don't post daily and I'll lose readers or get left behind, but that's not the case. That's not the blogging community, it's stickier than that. It was Rosie's post that really hit a nerve.

I got so caught up with saying "yes" to every request that I've started to subconsciously neglect what this blog is all about - sharing the creative ideas (be that menswear, packaging, travel, beer...) that I'm most enthusiastic about. I turned into the Yes Man without realising, when really I should be prioritising the things that matter most. Sharing and developing relationships with brands + bloggers, concentrating on freelance work + growing my personal brand (cos that pays the bills). I need to prioritise.

Wearing - Albam Sweatshirt | Universal Works Trousers | TRiCKETT Ebbets Cap | Converse First String | Uniqlo Socks | Watch c/o Shore Projects

This doesn't mean that I plan to stop taking on partnerships or accepting gifted items–it's an important part of what we do and when done honestly it adds value, as well as contributing towards to running of Buckets & Spades. But from now on I'll consider everything opportunity with a more critical eye; "is it 100% Buckets & Spades and will you guys enjoy it?" I'll continue to feature the brands I believe in - for instance, here I'm wearing a watch by Shore Projects, which I was lucky enough to be sent a couple of weeks ago. I felt under no pressure to feature it because I adore the simple design and genuinely feel it's up our ally. This works. Featuring something because I feel under pressure, doesn't work.

So, have we taken on too much as bloggers, why have we let it become so stressful? Do you feel the unwanted pressure?

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