Icely Done

In this unusually hot weather, here at The Amazing Blog we’ve been doing whatever we can to stay cool, and we’re not ashamed to say that we have been devouring Icely Done cocktail sticks. They’re essentially a grown up versions of popsicles, great for barbecues, parties or, at the office (if you dare). Inspired by fresh fruit drinks sold in Brazil, Icely Done cocktail sticks are a stylish and affordable way to serve an ice cold cocktail at any event. No more washing up blenders, jugs and glasses, Icely Done cocktail sticks are easy to hand out and clean up! These amazingly refreshing cocktail sticks are perfect for hot summer days, trust us, it’s tried and tested. They come in 6 exotic flavours: Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka & Pomegranate, Absolut Lemon Vodka & Raspberry, Havana Club Rum & Coconut, Havana Club Rum & Mango, Campari & Blood Orange, and Beefeater Gin & Lemon. There’s a flavour to suit every taste. For the health conscious, they’re free of additives and preservatives and taste just like the liquid cocktails that they’re inspired by. The Icely Done cocktail sticks are 80ml, 6% alcohol content, and the packaging is 100% recyclable. Just put them in the freezer, and take them out as you need them, they couldn’t be easier to enjoy!

So whether it’s a hot summer barbecue, or a relaxing afternoon with friends, at £1.50 per cocktail stick, these Icely Done treats aren’t to be missed! Available online.

Kozo Lamps

Here at The Amazing Blog we’re all about reduce, reuse and recycle. We love anything that’s good for us and our environment. So why should your home products be any different? Well we’ve found a great little company that re-purposes industrial materials into cute and quirky lighting for your house: Kozo Lamps. These cool Kozo Lamps are all handmade from galvanised iron pipes and fittings, the designs are rough and vivid. I’ll admit I don’t know much about plumbing, but I can promise you that the pipes in my bathroom aren’t as stylish as these lamps. Your Kozo Lamp will age with your house, where the joints expose the metal of the pipes, the lamps rust slightly, making your lamp completely unique and beautifully showcasing its age. The great thing about these lamps is that they make use of raw materials that they upcycle and repurpose, creating a cool ‘out of the box’ design – you won’t find lamps like these in Ikea. Their range of lamps, big and small, can be customised with different lampshade covers, making sure your new industrial chic piece fits with your home. Whether you choose a desk lamp, overhead lighting, or a floor lamp, you can rest assured that your Kozo lamp is environmentally responsible and will stand the test of time.

With different shapes, sizes and designs, you’re sure to find a unique Kozo Lamp to suit your style.

Spirit of Summer Fair

If you’re a regular reader of The Amazing Blog, you’ll know that we’re always looking for products and events that are different and stylish. We love discovering boutique brands and smaller companies and sharing them with all you lovely subscribers, so we of course have to tell you about the Spirit of Summer Fair that’s happening next weekend!

From the 16^th to the 19^th of May, you can visit the Spirit of Summer Fair in Olympia, London, a perfect day out to discover new trends and creative ideas for the home and garden. You can spend the whole day wandering around the variety of over 200 handpicked boutiques, for inspiration on all things home and garden - and best of all you won’t be able to find these stylish picks on the high street! The quirky brands on show at the fair are great for anyone looking to find whimsical additions to their homes and gardens, or handmade decor that no one else will have.

At the fair you’ll also be able to participate in workshops, inspirational talks and food and wine tastings. Experts from Jo Malone will speak about the launch of their new room scents, you can take inspirational design tips from Nina Campbell, and also speaking is master perfumer Roja Dove. We know we'll be stocking up on Rhodes to Heaven's 'heavenly' natural beauty products and adding to our Summer wardrobes with Louise Sandberg's gorgeous kaftans. With workshops, stalls, and talks for everyone, the Spirit of Summer Fair is great for an afternoon or a whole day, with friends or family.

So whether you're looking for inspiration for your home, garden, or both, be sure to head over to the Spirit of Summer Fair next weekend. It’s open from 10am to 6pm each day, and tickets are available online or on the phone. Don’t miss it!

Giant Sparrows

Everywhere you look it seems everyone has the same phone. And to make it worse, the exact same phone case. But here at The Amazing Blog we’ve found a way for you to stand out from the crowd: Giant Sparrows phone cases. Inspired by works of art these cases protect your phone and show off your individuality! Founders and artists Tine and Christa have created a phone-case designing heaven on the Giant Sparrows website, with simple steps to create a phone case just as quirky and stylish as you.

I’m going to admit something now. It’s an addiction that not many people know about. Everyone at The Amazing Blog has told me I should go to the doctor. The addiction is Game of Thrones. Some of you may know the HBO series, and some of you won’t (which is unacceptable). So I’ve read all the books, I’m watching the second season, I have dreams about Daenerys Targaryen, my ringtone is the Game of Thrones theme and I made the writer for the show sign an illustration I had drawn myself (not kidding, I have proof). And that’s where Giant Sparrows comes in, their personalised iPhone and Blackberry cases help you stand out and indulge any addiction.

If you are an iPhone 3 or 4 user, the owner of an iPod Touch 4^th Generation or a BlackBerry Curve or Bold addict, you’re one of the lucky ones able to order a case that will make your phone the envy of your friends. There’s a catalogue to choose pictures and you can also upload your own artwork, amazing, isn't it? Scroll through their website to create your own case and show off your style!

And you don’t even need to ask. Of course, my case is a personalised Game of Thrones case. "Winter is coming..."

Born In Sweden

“….Born is Sweden” I hear you say “is this about Abba?” Eh no think ‘Aves’ (the scientific name for birds). After a long search, we at The Amazing Blog  are going to tell you about our latest find - the slickest and most stylish city bird feeder ever; thought up and created by those brilliant boys Pascal Charmolu and Kim Vejsholt at Born in Sweden best known for their innovative, stylish and multi award winning products.

My quest began when the weather turned cold and I realised that I needed to replace my rather weathered and falling-apart bird feeder.  This was thanks to one hefty pigeon too many who’d tried to precariously balance on the small rectangular ledge of the feeder – with disastrous consequences.  What I loved about this particular feeder was that it had clear Perspex sides and attached to my kitchen window.  So as sipped my morning coffee I witnessed close up my feathered friends feed and socialise, all blissfully unaware of my existence.

Enter my replacement, the award-winning Born in Sweden Bird Feeder. What a clever little thing this it is… Magnificently spherical and manufactured from recyclable clear plastic, it can be mounted onto any smooth window pane, all thanks to an innovative double-sided suction cup. These carefully selected materials can cope with extreme temperatures as well as UV rays. It is designed for small birds, with a diameter 11.5 cm, so there’s absolutely no room for any hefty pigeons… It also features a drainage hole at the base of the bowl - so it doesn’t flood and make the bird food soggy. It’s available from Amazon at a very reasonable price of £14.15 and mine is now mounted on the outside of my kitchen window. Friends frequently stop and admire it but keep warning me that I’m feeding the mice (a perennial problem for us Londoners). However, I would defy even the most dexterous mouse to try and shimmy up 8 feet of plate glass to enter this snug little bubble – unless of course it’s auditioning for Cirque de Souris.