Tuesday 17 October 2017

A crafty tea basket with Fortnum and Mason



What a treat. I recently received this gorgeous tea basket hamper from Fortnum and Mason - who are the quintessential British company, founded in 1707 and still located in London's famous Piccadilly. Specialising in fine teas, jams and hampers (amongst many other fine things) F&M sent me this delightful hamper and asked me what I might use it for once I'd devoured all the delicious goodies inside ... 

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Thursday 12 October 2017

The joys of autumn & foraging for a seasonal display



I've been thinking a lot about autumn lately (or 'fall' for my overseas friends) and I've been trying to put my finger on what it is about autumn that warms our cockles so. Many of us have our favourite season but autumn seems to be such a firm favourite for so many. While we know it is a rich and beautiful season visually, it also fills many of our other senses - it brings warmth to our bellies, our homes and even to the clothes we wear. Essentially, Autumn is one big giant hug! I don't know about you but when the trees start to change to hues of amber, red and gold and the fires are lit I crave slow-cooked stews, as well as pumpkin soups, apple crumbles, chai lattes and hot cocoa. (FYI I never said I was good at making any of the above, but I am very good at eating them!)

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Tuesday 3 October 2017

A month in pictures - August and September


Hello readers. Well it's a chilly Monday afternoon here in Hertfordshire, and Ralphy and I are snuggled under a blanket in front of the fire surrounded by tissues because I have a cold! Boo :-( Autumn is here, and how lovely it is too (colds aside.)  I know I've been quieter than usual on the blog front recently - life & work has been pretty full on recently. However I still have some lovely things in the pipeline for you in the next month. In the meantime here's a look back over our adventures the last couple of months ...



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Wednesday 20 September 2017

A tree house in the wilderness - Bee's Bower, Herefordshire




So remember I recently shared our glamping getaway in Mimi's tree yurt in Herefordshire? well after Mimi's Yurt we spent the second half of our glamping adventure in another incredible dwelling on the same site, which we also booked through The Cottage Co. But this place was like no other I'd ever experienced before - part tree-house, part-cabin, part canvas tent, Bee's Bower is an extraordinary place in every way. Perched at the top of corpse it stands alone, completely private overlooking the beautiful valley which surrounds it. The tranquil location and the incredible craftsmanship which has gone into this building really does make this a special place. Here is a glimpse into our getaway at Bee's Bower.  

Sleeps: 2
Where is it: Herefordshire
How much: From £289 for 2 nights
Pets: Up to 2 well behaved dogs welcome
Note: Suitable for babes-in-arms but not suitable for toddlers.
I also wouldn't recommend to those who have difficulty walking.


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Wednesday 23 August 2017

The joy of journalling + a handmade leather journal by Central Crafts





I really enjoy writing in my journal, but I find it almost impossible to keep a daily diary now - the days fly by far too quickly and there is no pleasure in writing just because you feel you should. I used to write a diary daily when I was a little girl, until the very worst thing happened ... my big brother discovered it and threatened to tell my mummy that I'd written a rude word in it! Well of course I was mortified, and what I had written was something like ... "In the playground today Dennis Gilbert said I was bloody rubbish at throwing!" Now the truth is my mummy probably would have just laughed to herself had she read it but my serious 8 year-old-self was taking no chances so I destroyed it - and all diaries from that day forward had padlocks! I continued to keep a diary into my late teens, which also makes for a very funny / tortured read ... "no one understands me and I'm DEFINITELY running away tomorrow" and the next day it read "didn't run away, went to cinema with Tara instead, went McDonald's after, was nice" :-) Those were the days when I wore motorbike books and dressed like Madonna in 'Desperately Seeking Susan' ... and no I'm not showing you any pictures!


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Tuesday 1 August 2017

A month in pictures - June & July

Hey folks. Well it's August today and the summer feels like it is whooshing by doesn't it? We have had a lovely summer so far ... we have been busy working but we have still found time to enjoy ourselves, the surrounding countryside, seeing friends and bopping around at festivals and whatnot. We also had a fabulous glamping getaway in Herefordshire this month, and I became smitten with lampshade making! We have had some scorching weather here in the UK but we've also had some huge torrential storms too, which Ralphy was not very impressed with, we had to sit up all night with him :-( bless his little paws. He's never really been bothered by storms before but these storms were on a whole other level - in fact the lightening was so frequent we could of cranked the music up and called it a disco. Here was our month(s) in pictures!


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Thursday 27 July 2017

A glamping hideaway - Mimi's Tree Yurt, Herefordshire




Last week we returned from a wonderful glamping getaway in Herefordshire. We booked Mimi's Tree Yurt through The Cottage Company who have an excellent selection of quirky cottages based in Wales and the surrounding areas. However, Mimi's Tree Yurt, which is not far from the Wales border is not your average glamping experience - this beautifully handmade Eco yurt and Botswana-style kitchen have been lovingly handcrafted by a small team of talented craftsman, and the results are very impressive. Now this may not be to everyones taste, so if you're looking for a bug free existence and prefer pristine hotel-like conditions Mimi's Yurt is not for you. But if you are looking to escape into nature ... if you fancy some rustic slow living, roasting marshmellows under the stars, and soaking in a copper bath after a long day of walking, or perhaps taking a hot shower in the outdoors while the sun streams through the leaves overhead .... then you will love Mimi's Yurt. Here's a glimpse into what you can expect from this little corner of paradise.

Where is it: Herefordshire
How much: From £207 for 2 nights
Pets: Yep. They love them.
Sleeps: 2


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Thursday 15 June 2017

Blake House Craft Centre - Essex




Last week my craft ladies and I headed to Blake House Craft Centre. I had visited briefly the weekend before with hubby and Ralphy, but upon seeing how gloriously crafty this place was, I knew I had to return with my crafty girlies so we could savour the vast array of fabrics, yarns and trinkets. It houses a variety of shops in original farmyard buildings and there is a lovely restaurant on site with ample indoor and outdoor seating should you need refreshment and a laze in the sun. It's a great place to take the kids too as there is also a 10 acre maze of ... wait for it ... MAIZE! It was drizzling the day we visited so we didn't visit the maze this time around but I'm sure it would have been amazing! See what I did there? :-) Here is a peek into the delights of Blake House Craft Centre ...

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Thursday 18 May 2017

Our Wedding cross stitch sampler & cross stitch table numbers / letters


Wedding cross stitch sampler


Hubby and I recently celebrated our 4th anniversary. As most of you know, we handmade a lot of the things that featured in our wedding - and one of my favourites was this Wedding Day Cross Stitch Sampler. I also used the same kit to create table numbers! (well letters, actually.) I had never cross-stitched anything in my life before making this so I admit it was a bit of a plunge into the deep end, but when I saw this beautiful kit from socreastitch I just had to make it. Cross stitch is a lot easier than you might think, and many kits are colour coded. That said, this one wasn't but if I can get the hang of it, anyone can. It was such a pleasure to make - and I still remember evenings spent stitch in front of the fire stitching while hubby designed invites. We had the sampler on display on the actual day and it now hangs in our bedroom as a reminder of our beautiful day. 




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Monday 8 May 2017

A romance with Rome, Italy




For hubby's birthday this year we packed our bags and headed to Rome for 5 days, and I have to say that it was one of our most memorable city breaks to date. If you haven't been to Rome, and you're contemplating whether it's worth the trip ... just do it. I can't recommend it highly enough, it is simply beautiful. The food is incredible, the locals are funny and warm, it is incredibly rich in culture and you'll find stunning scenery around every corner. Here's a little peek into our recent romance with Rome ... 

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