And yet – as befits an artist whose work incorporates paint, sculpture, comics and, er, tattoos – the unashamedly lo-fi album only shows off one side of Stanley’s musical split personality – she also makes original electro music as well as dirty beats DJing. That she found the time to answer the usual round of questions at all is a miracle – that her answers were both illuminating and hilarious is a bonus.

If you don’t think that “The Gardener of Eden” is incredible then I am not sure we can be friends anymore.

How did you get started writing songs and performing?
The first song I wrote was while playing alone on a beach somewhere. I think I was about eight and it was called “Food Just Wants to be Eaten”. I had a particularly vivid imagination (as I later found out: I thought it was normal) and I believe this jaunty song in particular was about how it was okay to eat food, as in, it wasn’t going to be offended, it WANTED to be eaten. Something like that. Needless to say, I was a chubby kid.

Like Elvis, Katy Perry and everyone else on an obvious par with me in terms of fame, I started thinking about music at church. I used to watch what the guitar players were doing and I thought, I could do that. Turned out I could, and that Christian music was as painfully uncool as I always thought it was.

It’s an odd question, the one you’ve asked: I learnt a few guitar chords, sang a wee bit, then years later thought maybe it was something okay. Not sure really!

Three words to describe your sound…
guitars. songs. other. (?)

What influences you, both musically and otherwise?
I don’t always know what influences me, and I don’t reserve much space in my head to collect this information I’m afraid. Maybe the fact my ‘main’ career as an artist occasionally brings this question out the woodwork, I am so sick of it, and the bullshit people come up with when they try to answer.

If you’re asking what makes me tick, it’s making. With music I make it all at once, together. I rely on an ability to come up with ideas as and when I need to (good or bad I don’t know, but it’s always been okay) and I sing words because I need to say them, not because I feel someone needs to hear them. I don’t really give a fuck about portraying some ‘message’, I give fucks only about what I selfishly want to sing, what words fit what notes, what I want to feel in a song, what it will come to life like during a performance. Haha, this is pretty honest. So, my instrument influences me, the time I have in a day to be bothered to pick up an instrument, sometimes a need to do so, sometimes some words I’ve noted down on my phone for use later, something I wanted to say in a particular order. I don’t know.

I don’t know what influences me in terms of other music, I’m not even sure I’d listen to my own stuff if I didn’t have to, how can you know? If it was band names you were after, sorry! If I were to attempt that though it’d just be some bullshit I store in the ‘this is what you say when someone asks a question like this’ much like saying ‘modern art’ when quizzed about a painting. Not only is ‘modern art’ something that left us in the 1900s, the fact someone might even buy that stupid and nebulous response, makes me feel a range of negative emotions.

Sorry for the annoying manner, and that angst is based in the art world, not music, and music is a lot less elite and a lot more approachable. I like to think I’m fairly eclectic music wise, but I actually don’t give a shit that much. I find the best music lovers are often the promoters and the writers and the actual musicians can be quite dismissive of the thing, although needing it completely. I personally don’t find I have the time or inclination to keep track of track titles, album names, or who the singer is fucking in the music that is saving my soul at any given time. Maybe it’s just me, and I need such a high turn over of repeat-songs I just can’t keep track.

You’re an accomplished artist, as well as musician. Do you find that these two disciplines feed into each other or impact on each other at all?
Haha I don’t know about ‘accomplished’, but I’m aiming for age 80 to really be making some fucking amazing art. Even that seems like an uncomfortable realisation of impending failure, but the short answer is – sort of. I actually believe the two are completely different and this whole ‘art is music/music is art’ is bullshit. The ‘sort of’ part is in that I have similar feelings with the two at different stages of the process, and that they are both very much parts of me and I think might come from something very core to how I like to live. Or something like that. It’s hard not to say some twee shit here, but genuinely, I love these two disciplines and there is definitely something about them, and me, that is suited.

You’re right in saying ‘discipline’ though, and that is where the two part. The impulse is the same, the process of doing is very different. The problem I find is that there are so many subscribers to a mass of mediocre artists and musicians. Art is harder to do. With music you can actually be really lazy. You need to be talented for music I think, and if you are, great. And if you’re not, apparently that doesn’t really matter either. With art, you need talent but the bit people struggle with I think is the discipline. You can be pretty un-fucking-talented as well. I’ve observed that a lot of artists have a degree of discipline for the self-promotion bits, trying to get some kudos back as soon as they can, but a lot struggle with endless hours that mount into years, in the studio, dealing with all the things fine artists deal with day to day.

I have to say I find grappling with music much easier – there’s a beautiful maths about it, and you can rely on whatever comes out. There’s an element of that to art, and you need that, but it’s much more of an unknown. There a much more complex peacocking going on with that shit. Anyone can afford a guitar, and learn it in no time. Being an artist can’t be done on the side like music can, and it pays way below minimum wage with only a hope that you’ll get back what you invested in blood sweat and tears later. The older and more ‘accomplished’ I get, the more I realise that hard work is paramount to be getting better at what I do. I don’t need to put in so much time with music though. Maybe that was too honest? Go buy my shitty album I spent no time on haha! No, actually recording music is so time consuming, you forget to eat and sleep.

While The Earth is Flat is an acoustic album, you also create electronic music. Do you write for different genres together, or separately? Is there any crossover of songs at all?
There is some cross over as I ‘do’ songs for both. Instead of a lame electro acoustic thing though, I find it more rewarding to do the two separately. I have had to adopt a personal mantra of ‘do both’ in situations where I want to do more than one thing. It’s not for me to judge if they cross over. They probably do, in terms of sound etc. I have to admit though I’m not bringing an acoustic guitar to a club or any shit like that. I want my acoustic stuff as sad and serious as possible and my electro stuff as filthy and gorgeous as possible. I love playing live electro and taking a dancing crowd wherever I want. There’s a tasty control in that. Actually, that’s what performing is all about-controlling the affections of a crowd. I think musicians crave that, they should do.

What’s the biggest challenge when it comes to recording and releasing your own music?
Getting people to fucking buy it. Although, I never really ask them to so I can’t say I’ve tried particularly. I’d rather people enjoy it, there’s no money in sales these days anyway so I’ll never be one of those cranky folk. I mean, I use Spotify so I can hardly complain. Actually the biggest challenge is getting the time alone and in quiet for long stretches of time to record.

If you could play as part of any bill, who would you choose to play with? And what sort of set would you play?
What kind of set? Obviously a fucking amazing one where people cry at every song, laugh at all my jokes and buy everything I have on sale. As for who, I’m not sure. I mean, I’d not really do that well next to someone like Beyonce eh? Dolly Parton maybe, but her in her early years, and we become friends.

Any releases/shows planned at the moment? Anything else you want to tell us about?
I want to tell you about Jesus… no I’m kidding, I really don’t. I’m really busy with art shit right now but I have about half a new electro album sitting on the laptop and hopefully (because I want to) I will do some live electro stuff, which is different to the song based stuff again. Might release a mix or something. A couple of years ago, at the art gallery I used to run in Aberdeen, we did an event called ‘Beats n Forts’ and it was ace. We basically salvaged cardboard and built structures all day then me and a couple other electro acts played/DJed from them at night. I had my proudest musical moment where my beats were so dirty I broke a wine glass as the speaker knocked it off. And me and MWX are planning on a night like this in Glasgow this year so I’ll be planning that soon, either at SWG3 or the Pipe Factory or something.

And finally – what are you listening to at the moment?
Hmmm… Marnie Stern, bit of Dizzee Rascal for when the sun came out, Cyndi Lauper, Land of Talk, Daughter, Jessie Ware, Death Grips, The Lovely Eggs, Aluna George, Alela Diane, James Blake, old skool Hole, I dunno, that’s all I can think of. Oh and of COURSE, Radio fucking 4 <3

More Sarah J Stanley: Web | Twitter | Bandcamp

It is no hyperbole to say that The National have made some of my favourite albums of all time. In every case, it has never been a decision I have reached lightly, or quickly. Those first few listens, you’re merely aware that your heart beats a little faster when the band expertly hit certain emotional pressure points. It could be six months later before you realise why.

2010’s High Violet marked a progression in the music of a band whose arrangements have always been the most remarkable thing about their work. Trouble Will Find Me is album number six and the music here is richer still, reflecting the variety of extracurricular activities and collaborations the Dessner twins have worked on in what was never really downtime. Just listen to “Pink Rabbits”, the album’s mind-blowingly good penultimate track; or the rich, jarring beauty of “Hard to Find” as it fades out the album on harmonics and an incongruous Violent Femmes lyric. Drummer Bryan Devendorf has upped his game too – his own arrangements have always been the beating heart of the band, and the idiosyncratic rhythms he brings to songs like “I Should Live in Salt” and “Heavenfaced” turn the songs into living, unpredictable things.

With the exception of “Demons”, a wonderfully understated song the bridge of which only ever hints at the primal, giddy release of earlier material, Matt Berninger’s famous, evocative baritone is barely present on this album. Instead, songs like “Don’t Swallow the Cap” and “This Is the Last Time” showcase his ability to sound melodic while practically monotonous, rooting the song the way a traditional bassline would to let the melodies breathe. The album features guest vocal contributions from voices as distinctive as St Vincent’s Annie Clark and Sharon van Etten, but as they too become part of a bigger, more sweeping thing I’d challenge you to pick out whose is which.

And with repeated listens, Berninger’s perfectly pitched self-deprecating turns of phrase unwind themselves from the melodies – a little alcohol, a little heartbreak, a little record collection. “They say love is a virtue… don’t they?” he muses, and by the end you’re not too sure either.

BUY: Amazon [UK] | iTunes [UK] | 4AD

GIG OF THE WEEK: Sorry guys, but I don’t give a crap about what’s happening in Glasgow. I AM SEEING THE POSTAL SERVICE TONIGHT. AND NEKO CASE (AND LADY LAMB THE BEEKEEPER) ON FRIDAY. Do have fun though, won’t you?

Christine has been bringing her husband, Cameron, to Marie Curie’s Glasgow hospice in the Campsie Fells for the past eight weeks now. Curiously enough it was Christine, who acts as her husband’s carer, who began visiting the hospice and benefiting from some of its more unusual facilities before her husband did. Cameron had been referred to the hospice for its range of services, and once there she discovered the complimentary therapy centre which makes treatments available to carers as well as cancer sufferers.

As well as attending complimentary therapy, where she is able to benefit from treatments including aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki and massage, Christine has also been able to take advantage of the other services that the hospice offers to both cancer suffers and carers. She is a member of the Carers Group, which was set up to enable those coping with the extremely difficult task of looking after a loved one with a terminal illness to share their experiences and benefit from the support of each other.

“Caring for somebody is very emotionally tiring,” Christine says. “Even coming here and meeting with the other ladies you can open up to them. Whereas at my bowling club: I don’t want to sit and tell everybody my problems there.”

Together with the rest of Marie Curie’s national network of hospices, the Glasgow hospice offers free, specialist care for people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. The hospice has an in-patient unit with 30 beds and a fully-equipped day service department, and is able to offer some services in patients’ homes. Day services include group activities and individual appointments, designed to help patients regain control of and improve their quality of life as well as dealing with their physical symptoms.

Volunteer complimentary therapist Sandra Darwish

“Initially when people come they are a little unsure – you have a little more talking in the first session and let them choose which therapy will suit them,” Sandra says. “But it does help with stress levels and helps people to relax.”

Although the complimentary therapies are not intended as a replacement for conventional care, it is this aspect of the treatments that Sandra is most proud of. She often meets patients and carers who are anxious and struggling to sleep as a result of the obvious stress and worry that they have to deal with. If complimentary therapy can help a patient or carer get a good night’s sleep, “they can then cope a little better with the day”, Sandra explains.

“I wasn’t sure of what to expect in the beginning,” Sandra says of her first visits to the hospice. “You would expect it might be quite sombre. But when you come through the door everybody is really happy – that surprised me.”

It’s a positive impression which carer Christine echoes. “Mentally, it has done so much for me,” she says.

Best of all, the complimentary therapies have helped her to relax and given her a bit of time to feel good about herself. Her husband Cameron is also enjoying the treatments. “Never in a million years did I think that he would enjoy the therapy – but he has!” she says.

Join #MarieCurieStories today as we give you the chance to walk in the shoes of nurses, patients and carers and experience a day in the life of Marie Curie.

Marie Curie Nurses provide free end-of-life care to people with terminal illnesses in their own homes, or in Marie Curie Hospices.

“Last Minute” is the latest single to be taken from Josephine’s debut album Portrait – and, given the number of reviews that have praised the artist’s versatility and originality, it’s appropriate that it’s had a bit of a remix. Out from the usual outlets on 27th May, it’ll tide the singer over until a hectic summer festival timetable wins her a whole host of new fans.

How did you get started writing songs and performing?
My mum bought me guitar when I was about 12. I’d been writing songs already but not to music so it was really great to finally have an outlet. I sort of signed up for my first gig when I was 15 and went from there.

Three words to describe your sound…
Folk, soul, lyrical

What influences you?
Books, mainly; and everyday life. People are weird and wonderful.

I first heard (and loved!) your music while you were on tour with the Noisettes, whose music is obviously quite different, stylistically, to yours. How did those shows go in terms of audience response? Do you feel they helped you reach new audiences?
Support slots are always great, you always take away new fans who stay with you and contact you later. The Noisettes fans were great. Really enthusiastic and welcoming.

Similarly, you’ve got lots of festival dates coming up after recently finishing your own tour. Are you excited? Do you anticipate any particular challenges?
Yeah, can’t wait. I’ve done lots of festivals before (maybe not so many in one year), but they are always fun. Challenges? As long as there’s sunshine and some good cider on offer I’m sure everything will be fine.

Your debut album has received great reviews and high profile support from people like Jools Holland – but what has been the most exciting thing to happen to you as a result of your musical career?
Well, I’ve been gigging all over the world really. That’s the most exiting thing. This year I’ve been to SXSW, L.A, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Brussels … the list goes on.

Any releases/shows planned at the moment? What’s next for Josephine?
Next is festival season: Glastonbury, Love Supreme Fest, Latitude, T in the Park and a bunch of others. Then, I have to get going with a new album, which I can’t wait to do. Autumn, I hope there’s some more touring around Europe, mainly France and Germany.

And finally – what are you listening to at the moment?
Haim, Guano Apes, The Vaccines and The Smiths

Catch Josephine at…
29/06 Glastonbury Festival (Park Stage)
06/07 Lawnfest, Sevenoaks, Kent
07/07 Love Supreme Jazz Festival, Glynde, East Sussex
14/07 T In The Park, Balado, Kinross
20/07 Latitude, Henham Park, Suffolk
03/08 Standon Calling Festival, Standon, Herts

More Josephine Web | Facebook | Twitter
Buy Portrait: Amazon [UK] | iTunes [UK] | Bandcamp

In a way, falling prey to hype-inspired backlash as early in your musical career as Vampire Weekend does have its benefits – assuming, of course, you have the long-term determination and songwriting prowess to back it up. When “Diane Young”, the first single from Modern Vampires of the City, emerged it was a bit of a shock: a high energy power-pop jam, complete with speed-it-up slow-it-down Elvis-inspired “baby baby babies”, it’s one of the best things the band has ever done.

Nearly two years in the making, MOVTC (as it was cryptically known before the band announced the full title by way of a classified advert in the New York Times) mixes louche, languid tracks with summery indie rock jams, all underpinned by the world music-inspired rhythms that have become the band’s trademark.

“Step”, the decidedly more experimental track that backed “Diane Young” on its release as a single, makes the band’s magpie influences clear: it references Hindu temples and African cities, and samples California hip-hop group Souls of Mischief. It also shows off front man Ezra Koenig’s skilled and intelligent lyrics, something that has earned the band their detractors but which thrills on repeated listens as extra layers of meaning become clear.

Elsewhere, “Hannah Hunt” is a dreamy part-lovesong, part-travelogue with mesmerising, tremulous orchestration; “Ya Hey” mixes staccato rhythms with ambiguous references to Judaism; and “Hudson” is – possibly? – a contemporary New York ghost story with a soundtrack to match. It’s not all brilliant – “Everlasting Arms” is sludgy, repetitive Vampire Weekend by rote that doesn’t seem to go anywhere, and the frantic falsetto on “Finger Back” tends to grate – but when it’s good; it’s really, really great.

Buy Modern Vampires of the City: Amazon [UK] | iTunes [UK] | Rough Trade

ALSO THIS WEEK: Oh, this week! It’s probably the first one this year that there has been enough new releases I’m really, properly passionate about to fill a full week’s worth of blog with album reviews – assuming I had all the free time in the world.

Oh, how much I’d get done if I had all the free time in the world…

From a quick look at the iCal:

eagleowl’s This Silent Year, an album that sounds every bit worth the seven-year wait, is out today on Fence Records.

It’s #BenMarwoodDay over on Twitter, as the Reading songwriter’s third album is out today on Xtra Mile! My preorder got here early, but as I’ve only had a chance to listen to it once so far I can only say that it is both lovely and menacing.

Going a little more mainstream, Bright Sunny South by Sam Amidon (Mr Beth Orton) is out on Nonesuch, while Zooey Deschanel and M Ward’s She and Him Vol. 3 is also out today.

The album was released digitally in March and has picked up some great reviews (mine was merely in my head, given my general health issues around that time, but rest assured the greatness was implied) as well as interest in some sort of physical release from us old-fashioned types. So, on Monday 3rd June, the album will be released as a CD digipack with four additional tracks.

You can preorder the CD now for £8 via Bandcamp, and receive an immediate digital download of the original album, plus a bonus track, with the rest to come on release day – or, hope over to the band’s website to see details of additional packages which include badges, patches, tickets and t-shirts.

And shows. Yes – for a measly fifty quid you’ll get a solo show from Dave himself, anywhere on mainland UK. Strange, out of the ordinary venues and house shows are welcome, so you could have a lot of fun with that. And there’s a full-band option available too.

For those closer to home, Dave and the band have a few shows coming up:
04/06 DUNDEE, Cerberus Bar (solo, opening for Ben Marwood)
05/06 EDINBURGH, Pivo (solo, opening for Ben Marwood)
07/06 GLASGOW, O2 ABC2 (full band show) [tickets]

More info: Dave Hughes and the Renegade Folk Punk Band In Death Do We Part? special options

*Also on the bill: Keith TOTP and his All-Star Minor UK Indie Celebrity Backing Band, about whom more later because I have his new album and laughing out loud in Glasgow Central Low Level is frowned upon before 9am, or anytime really.

This review originally appeared on The Arts Desk.

There’s a slight unease I feel about Savages which only grows with every listen to the band’s heavily-hyped debut album. Perhaps I’m too old to experience my music as just one facet of a conceptual art project, where it comes as part of a package that’s as much provocative manifestos about the emptiness of modern living and interviews packed with loaded statements about sex and violence.

Yet these things demand to be examined by the fact of their very existence, because everything else about Silence Yourself seems to be carefully constructed. That in itself is unsettling, as the sonic dissonance guitarist Gemma Thompson seems to revel in and the drawl/howl of Jehnny Beth’s vocals seem like a perfect combination for creating something truly unhinged. That tension, when they do not, is something I suspect would be impossible to recreate in the live setting: there, external factors cannot help but wreak havoc on whatever magic it is that stops “She Will” and, yes, even the frantic “Husbands” from properly bursting at the seams. Perhaps that dichotomy too is meant to be art.

It’s certainly not poetry: Beth’s lyrics, when decipherable, sound like a continuation of their manifestos: overly-serious slogans about “speaking words to the blind” and “getting hooked on loving hard” which are, ultimately, meaningless. It’s the way that she says it rather than what she’s saying that makes these songs work: hammer blows delivered with a hint of icy Frenchness, as thuddingly rhythmic as Fay Milton’s drumming and yet dispassionate, removed; even when she’s aping PJ Harvey on “City’s Full” or howling at the end of “I Am Here”.

The juddering “Shut Up”, with its fragmented Cassavetes-sampling intro, is magnificent, while “No Face” and “Hit Me” taunt the listener with their urgency and rage. The strongest tracks, however, are the album’s closers: the alienated, claustrophobic single “Husbands”, and “Marshal Dear”, where Beth channels Edith Piaf over restrained piano and late-night saxophone. It sounds so incongruous, as though Savages are hinting towards a completely different second chapter.

BUY: Amazon [UK] | iTunes [UK] | Rough Trade

Gig of the Week(end): To be fair, this would have been my pick anyway: tomorrow night, eagleowl launch their long-awaited debut This Silent Year (out on Monday) at The Glad Cafe. You can still buy a ticket online for £6, and pick it up on the door.

That single has been re-recorded for the band’s second album Those Tremendous Mountains, a collection of ten songs loosely connected to the themes of adventure, discovery and progression. There are breakup songs on there of course, but even a preliminary glance at the album’s Scott of the Antarctic-themed artwork should hint that this is no ordinary acoustic-folk miseryfest.

Gord and I recently chatted over email about the album, its themes and trying to schedule time for shows around juggling flaming clubs. No, really.

Who’s in the band, and how did you get together?
The band is essentially myself and my friend Avril Smart. We’re both from Fife originally and went to the same school, but didn’t meet until a few years after I’d left. We became pals, and she eventually started helping out whenever I did solo gigs – I’d been playing under the name The Strangers Almanac since about 2003. Our partnership evolved over the years and she does an excellent job at fleshing out my songs and giving them depth and warmth. She played several instruments on the album; violin, cello, trumpet, trombone, and bass. Live shows are usually just the two of us, during which she’ll play as many different instruments as we can carry to the gig.

Three words to describe your sound…
Snap, crackle and folk.

What influences you?
Musically I’ve always been influenced songs that try to tell a story or create a character. I’ve been a big fan of Randy Newman for years, and he does that better than anyone: no other songwriter has managed to speak in so many different voices on one album, and I don’t think he can be given enough plaudits for it. Mark Everett, aka E from Eels has long been a massive influence too – I think you can hear his influence in our songs, which is something I’m totally okay with.

Outwith music I’ve always been a bit of a science geek; Avril is actually about to graduate with a degree in Microbiology, so she’s a good person to be in a band with. She’s also a professional juggler, so when she’s not helping to create a synthetic bacterium that will help eliminate the risk of hospital acquired infections by killing the pathogen, she’s throwing flaming clubs and knives at her boyfriend. I don’t know how she finds the time!

There’s an obvious love of old-fashioned, albeit doomed, adventure on the album, which features a track dedicated to Captain Scott of the Antarctic – what was it you found so inspiring about his story?
It’s partly a Dundee thing I think, you’re constantly surrounded by reminders of him, but we’ve both always found his story fascinating. I like the fact that it was essentially the last frontier on Earth. Humanity had pretty much conquered the globe by the early 20th century, but Antarctica held out, and the men who tackled it are among the greatest adventurers we’ve ever had. The bulk of the album was actually recorded on the hundredth anniversary of Scott’s death, so it seemed only fitting to name the opening track after his last words. I liked the serendipity of this, so I extended the tribute to him into the album’s artwork.

The album’s title – Those Tremendous Mountains – is actually a nod to another couple of explorers. Lewis and Clark were the guys who first explored and charted much of the American Northwest, and I took that title from a book I read about them, which in turn was also taken from one of their diaries.

The album ends with adventure too, a track about the Voyager spacecraft, and it’s crazy to think there’s only 50-odd years between Scott’s death and the launch of those spacecraft. Despite that being in the 1970s, we’re still in touch with them, which is a remarkable achievement too.

In between these great leaps of endeavour there’s all the small, personal stories of various characters peppered through the album too, which I thought was quite a nice balance. Everyone has an ambition, and just because your ambition is, for example, to be at home with the love of your life at the end of a hard day, instead of trekking to the South Pole, that doesn’t make it any less important. These things, like so much else in life, are completely relative, and I think people often forget that.

What releases/shows do you have planned at the moment?
There’s not actually a huge amount planned at the moment. Avril is in the midst of exams and assessments at Uni, I’ve got exams coming up too, but once they’re all out of the way we’ll be free to spread our wings a bit in the summer. I’ve always wanted to record an album with a full band, something maybe a bit louder, so I’ll maybe see if I can put something like that together over the summer months.

And what are you listening to at the moment?
Our friend Ross Middlemiss, who recorded and mixed our album, has just released his own EP under the name Little Anchors, which Avril contributed strings to. He actually just released it today, and it is excellent. Aside from that I’ve been enjoying the new Eels album, but I don’t think they’ve ever put out a record that I’ve not loved.

Those Tremendous Mountains is out now on a pay-what-you-like basis on Bandcamp, along with previous Strangers Almanac releases. The Strangers Almanac also hang out on Facebook.

Hey Sailor was established last year by Nicola Mason, who was looking for a place to sell both her own designs but, increasingly, quirky and vintage jewellery, accessories and homeware she had sourced elsewhere. The online shop launched, as it were, this week and features new and “pre-loved” necklaces, rings, prints, belts, bags and just about everything else. The vintage pieces are, of course, one of a kind – so it’s the sort of site you’ll need to bookmark and visit frequently if you want to bag a bargain. Nicola also has that Modcloth-style gift for a witty name, which would make the site a joy to browse even if I hated everything.

Just look at some of what they’re selling at the moment!

Wendy Loves Peter Pan collar necklace, £9

Nocturnal Nancy owl necklace, £10

Pretty Posh belt-style bangle, £8

It Must Be Love ring, £5

Day at the Office shoulder bag, £32

Pink Sunshine on a Rainy Day purse, £8 (also in blue)

Hey Sailor Designers: Mimi Makes Hats black and white tartan on comb hat, £17

So many pretty things! And just to tempt you even more, Hey Sailor is currently offering 10% off your first order (excluding designer ranges) to Facebook fans. If you order before 10th May and spend over £20, you will also receive a free goodie bag worth £10!

Definitely one to check out.

More Hey Sailor: Web | Twitter | Facebook

Top image: “Dreamer” by Holly Sharpe, available as an A4 Print from Hey Sailor

I’ve been doing a lot of walking recently, aided by the nicer weather and the Moves iPhone app. It’s got me missing the old pairs of Converse that got thrown out when we moved house at the end of last year, because both were in too battered a state to make the trip (no wonder, given my black ones properly walked the length of Berlin). I can’t walk for long distances in work-appropriate flats because of my knees, and I certainly can’t do so in heels, so I’ve taken to coming in wearing trainers. These trainers, in fact. They’re comfortable enough to get me home, but they don’t look great with a dress if I’m going anywhere afterwards.

This most girlie of problems is something that Converse addresses directly in a new advertising campaign, which – if you can ignore the Americanised tagline – illustrates what’s different about the favoured footwear of musicians (relevant) and basketball players (less so). Shoes – whether seriously sportsmanlike trainers, or office-appropriate attire – are boring, the campaign says. Sneakers make a scene. No wonder I miss mine.

[I've had a link to the Design your own section of the Converse site bookmarked forever. One day...]

More Converse: Web | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks to Spreaditfast for sponsoring this post.