Some of my favourite things!

In the hideous mess of the garage attics back home are also more than a few of those big tartan print laundry bags into which I scooped the contents of my linen cupboard, under bed storage, bottom drawers and wardrobe shelves when I emptied my London flat for my tenants.

After two years however I've become increasingly detached from these stray possessions and finding it easy to give, throw or donate away much of them. I have emptied twelve huge bags now (after all - do I really need an entire bag of knackered towels just in case I go to the beach or have a dog to dry?). I'm working on the theory that if I really need something I can just buy it when I need it. For example: one good beach towel as opposed to a space busting bag-full of crappy ones.

I also found these hot water bottles in a bag full of the contents of my London linen cupboard and they so came back to NYC with me. (They are quite difficult to buy here: my last trawl took me through SIX drugstores. Not like in blessed Boots where they are practically a centrepiece display. Then again homes are generally newer & warmer here, and central heating is a lot more efficient than in the UK).

The bottle with furry sheep cover I've had since I was a child, the chic heart was a Christmas present from my aunt, and the little fish was bought for me by darling J. She's a movie AD and she came across them when costume gave them to actors to keep their hands warm on set. She trawled London for one for me thinking I'd find it useful on outdoor shoots. She is such a star.