Egg-head stationery from the School of Life

I have never been to London's School of Life, and though mildly pretentious and Alain de Botton-y as it is, I am always drawn to its unusual philosophical seminars and events, in theory at least if not in practice (yet).

Indeed, some of them are more than intellectually diverting: right now, the summer school is hosting How to Find a Job You Love – though plain old How to Find a Job might get more punters in the current climate. There are also talks on Commitment, the regular Bibliotherapy sessions, How to be Creative and thought-provoking themed tours of the capital, plus much more. It's kind of seductive.

But if you don't have the time, funds, loved-ones or geographical convenience to become a big-brained entrepreneurial super-couple with a stack of nurturing tomes on your bedside tables: you can now buy the stationery instead.

Yep. School of Life stationery is the affordable way to get a bit of Botton and pals in your life. And it's way prettier.

Above is the pleasingly hued Twenty Aphorisms; Cards with Short Sentences and Large Truths, £18. The boxed set of "short, pithy statements designed to provoke a thrill of recognition at valuable, amusing, dark and perhaps awkward truths", each printed onto stiff, grey A5 card in this good font (type nerds will I hope be able to quickly identify which... do share if you know).

The Key Word Pencil Set, £12, is a box of six embossed pencils with one of three themes: Psychoanalysis, Literature or Art.

As TSOL explains: "The School tries to find answers to life's big questions through the use of culture, which includes academic disciplines like literature, art and psychoanalysis. These disciplines often work with some rather complicated words; beautiful, useful but perhaps slightly forbidding terms (like BATHOS or PROJECTION). We thought it would be helpful to emboss a selection of these words elegantly along some finely crafted pencils so that we'll get them more clearly in our minds while we write." Good colours too.

 
School Of Thought Notebooks, £15 set of three, feature "Three notebooks, three thinkers" – and you can choose from three themes: The Stoics, The Pessimists or The Existentialists.

I'll let TSOL elaborate: "The history of philosophy is filled with some fascinating 'schools of thought' dedicated to tackling life's big problems in distinctive ways. We're especially keen on The Stoics (who know how to suffer), The Pessimists (who know how to sigh) and The Existentialists (who know about angst)."

Each notebook carries an introduction to a great thinker on the inside front page, his name beautifully printed on the cover, with otherwise blank pages for you to fill with shopping lists and scribblings made during conversations with the gas board/your mobile phone network/the bank etc. Which could kind of be philosophical...

All of this and more in the range is available from the Southbank Shop.

Turning Japanese...

Abi here again. I was lucky enough to visit Tokyo last October and came back even more enamoured of Japanese design, culture and general obsession with all things kawaii (that's "cute"). 

I discovered the delights of the 100 Yen shops (or 78p shops if you do the exchange rate thing); nothing like our depressing pound shops they are multi-storey caverns of absolutely everything useful, useless and plain adorable – I had to buy another suitcase (though not only for stuff from all from the 100 Yen shops; I was gifted two full kimonos – these are some heavy garments let me tell you).

Anyways, to cut a long story short (believe me, I could wax on about Tokyo brilliance for days) most of what I brought back was gifts for friends and family but I vowed to return one day. That day is yet to come but my jet-setting husband has just returned from a three-week work trip there and, by crikey I'm a lucky wife, he's brought me back some fine, fine things which I have to share with you...

These Edo Kiriko glasses, above top, were gifts – beautiful coloured glass tumblers that look lovely on the kitchen windowsill, they are beautiful examples of the 180-year-old tradition of glass cutting started during the Edo period in Japan. 

The dinky pink and blue twins, middle picture above, are wooden, hand painted ornaments and look equally at home in our kitchen. 

Another gift (there is a huge and ancient tradition of gift-giving in Japan; it is fascinating and steeped in context and history) is this beautiful trio of Mame-Zara dishes, above; hand painted and perfectly formed Mame-Zara means, literally, "beans-dish" and can be used for serving small sweets etc or displaying as the lovely things they are. I can't find anywhere selling them in the UK which is a shame.

A special mention must go to the packaging of things in Japan; I love all the tiny paper bags and wooden boxes everything seems to come in. I just can't recycle the gingham bag, above top, it's too pretty and the wooden boxes, above, will make stylish storage.

Muji – ah, Muji. I love Muji – and I especially love Muji in Tokyo, where you can personalise any notebook you buy with a choice of rubber stamps for no extra charge. The husband chose two for me – a little dog, because we love dogs and are currently searching for a rescue Fido, and this one with a stripey breton top on it – a more perfect stamp for me could not possibly be found (ask Kate about my inability to wear anything other than stripes; I think it's a disease).

The short Kimono jacket, top, is going to be worn but I have seen Kimonos displayed on walls like this and think they make beautiful wall art. And I just had to show you this packaging: Hiyoko cakes ("bird" cakes; famous Japanese confections in the shape of birds and almost too cute too bear); a gift for the parents but I think you'll agree the wrapping is a mid-century dream and I will be sneaking that away from my folks once they've unwrapped it.

And finally some pure squeak-aloud-it's-so-cute Japan tat: my two new phone charms – a squishy strawberry and a ladybug. Of course. And these two craft kits of a carrot pant -wearing chicken and a slightly disapproving lamb which I can't wait to make and foist on a certain soon-to-be-mum friend...

All in all a feast of everything that is beautifully designed, infuriatingly cute, historically inspiring and just plain bonkers from Japan. I can't wait to go back!

The Japan Centre has a limited selection of Japanese goods which you can buy online and they also have a store on Regent's Street, London.

Lovely Pigeon

Hello there; it's Abi posting today while Kate's still dusting off her her stetson and catching up after her recent trip to Mississippi. It's all about the very lovely Lovely Pigeon today though.

Lovely Pigeon is one of my favourite websites and it's not hard to see why. There are gorgeous prints, delightful stationery and even a smattering of vintage wares for sale. I found Lovely Pigeon when I was searching for Christmas presents for friends of a design persuasion and came across these pretty prints of birds and other things.

There's also a small but perfectly formed range of stationery featuring the eponymous lovely pigeons but also cute animal sets and a newly introduced range of geometrically influenced notebooks.

Lovely Pigeon is the creation of Kirsty Thomas who started producing the Mr Pigeon lino prints in 2009 from a studio in her home in Cellardyke on the East Coast of Scotland. Kirsty is a designer, illustrator and, as she puts it "an occasional shopkeeper". She makes all these lovely things (and jewellery too) and sometimes opens a shop to sell her wares and showcase the work of other Scottish and UK makers.

Kirsty is inspired by many things that we here at YHIL also like: “I love block colour and geometry, mid-century design, flea markets and typography," she says. "I am inspired by people like Charles and Ray Eames, Charlie Harper and Lucienne Day and their eclectic and inclusive approach to design. I am also passionate about interiors and my house and studio sees an ever-changing collection of vintage chairs and weird ceramic dogs.” And, below, you can see the space where she channels her inspirations...

But why the name Lovely Pigeon? “I didn't really have an opinion on pigeons until I set up the company," she explains. "But I've since developed a fondness for them – there are some good-looking country pigeons round here! The Mr Pigeon lino print was one of the first pieces to be launched and I still love it – he has a twinkle in his eye and is now the 'face' of the Lovely Pigeon brand.”

My favourites are these gorgeous blue bear and balloon set of two prints (£14) and the copper foiled Anstruther limited edition prints (£40). In fact, many of Kirsty's hand-pulled prints are produced in limited edition runs and are a very affordable way to kick start your own artcollection. There's also some brilliant upcycled teatowel cushions featuring holiday destinations that are as bright and bubbly as a pitcher of sangria (£18-£25)

And Kirsty tells me: “Lovely Pigeon is all about making people smile." I think this is probably why I want pretty much everything that's for sale at Lovely Pigeon...

Pretty packaging

I'm mildly obsessed with well-packaged products. Regardless of what's on the inside, I often find myself buying things that look good on the outside for no other reason than that they are aesthetically joyful. 

It's what's on the outside that matters (above) some well packaged products, clockwise from bottom left:

• Titus sardines, 97p from Africa One Stop Shop
• Original 1950s and 60s paperclip and drawing pin collection, around £6 each, from Present & Correct
• Penguin Great Food collection includes slim volumes of gastronomic wisdom inside beautiful covers. Here, A Taste of the Sun, Elizabeth David, Notes from Madras, Colonel Wyvern Wyvern and Recipes and Lessons from a Delicious Cooking Revolution, Alice Waters, £6.99 each. Or buy the whole set, £140 (but a fraction of that price at The Book People)
• Lavender Water, first made in Portugal in 1887, £20 from Labour & Wait
• Old Czech matchbox labels, £6 (to create your own pristine packaging), from Present & Correct
• 1930s  Portuguese toothpaste, £2.50, from Labour & Wait (not original 1930s...).

The inspiration to post about packaging came after my friend Abi returned from Lisbon with the gift of a little book, all about the joys of some of Portugal's most iconically packaged products (below; the title translates as Genuine and touching products of original Portuguese creation). It's nice isn't it? 

And here are some gratuitous shots of packaging I've magpied away over the years.

This week I've loved...

1. Cushions covered in vintage kimonos

Aren't these colourful cushions stunning? I found them while researching fabrics (which I'll be writing about in my next Insider column in the Independent on Sunday). The cushion covers are made, mostly, from vintage kimono fabric or other second-hand finds. The woman behind these beautiful creations is upholster, Heather Linnet, who runs the website Eclectic Chair. These gorgeous things start at £25.



2. Discovering Vivian Maier's photography

© 2011 Maloof Collection, Ltd

I went to the launch of the London Street Photography Festival, where I was mesmerised by the exhibition of images taken by Vivian Maier, above. I've bought three of her postcards to decorate my new office with.



3. Eyeing up office accessories

My new office is slowly coming together. Very slowly. And while I should probably focus on the big things (finessing my desk, which is currently fashioned from a piece of chip-board balanced on some shelves, and sorting out the boxes of stuff I moved from my not-at-home office instead of letting them gather dust in the garage), it's been much more fun window-shopping for the little touches. Like these goodies from Present & Correct: (clockwise from left) good graphic print-covered planning books, £5; a dinky German designed desk calendar, £45 and this prettily patterned masking tape, £8.50 for the set, with which I shall stick up my Vivian Maier postcards.