I love tea, and I drink far too much of it. You just can't beat a good cup of strong-but-milky builders tea. Miggins next door is always telling me off for making hers too strong ... "Just show it the tea bag gal, don't stew it for gawd sake!" So when a friend of mine (who is of Greek origin) recently told me to go ahead and drop half a stick of cinnamon into my tea, I told her she'd lost her tiny mind. She insisted it's very popular in Greece and said people also like to add cloves to the mix! So I humoured her, and dropped half a stick into my tea - well oh my days, it transformed my plain ole cup of tea ... it was like trying on silky pants after years of old scratchy cotton briefs! I'm not sure there's any turning back now. Not only does it give tea a sweet exotic kick, cinnamon also has fantastic health benefits. It can lower bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels, it has anti fungal, anti clotting properties, and can reduce the proliferation of leukaemia and lymphoma cancer cells, and it can also eliminate headaches and migraines. But before you start chomping into it like a mars bar be aware it is toxic in large doses, but 'a little a day will keep the doctor away' - according to Miggins.

JM x

It's frosty out, and christmas has been and gone (well, almost - personally I try and milk the christmas holiday for all it's worth) We spent the New year with friends, playing games, drinking ... well tea actually, whilst wearing PJ's! I know, shameful right? though I did feel very smug the next morning when I thought of all my poorly hungover friends ;-) Before I take down the decorations and face the year ahead, I thought I'd share a look back over this last month. Here is ... our christmas story.

Hello my lovely festive friends. It's a matter of days before Christmas, are you excited?? I cannot wait. When it comes to Christmas I'm a 5 year old in a 35 year olds body ...  and I still put a mince pie and glass of milk out for santa (and he still eats and drinks it!) This month I've been crafting away and transforming our little cottage with handmade decorations. Here are some of my crafty goings on in the last couple of weeks ...

When it came to decorating the house, I wanted to add more lights to our little mole cave. Do you recognise this branch? this was sitting in the garden in the summer. So I had an idea. I gave it a shower (be gone bugs!) then once dry I gave it spray with some fake snow ... I then wrapped some battery-operated LED fairy lights around it - they came on a copper wire which blended perfectly (£3.99 from Wilkos)

I'm always getting stuck for gift ideas, and often find myself in that awkward situation of seeing friends last minute, yet I have nothing to offer them. So here are a few foodie goodies that have saved  the day in recent years. Presented in brown paper and tied with ribbon, they make a lovely last minute gift, and they'll never know you whipped it up last night ;-)  x

Remember how earlier in the summer I showed you how to dry Hydrangeas? well here they are in all their glory. This weekend, I spent the day with my lovely friends, in a quaint, picturesque cottage in the English countryside. My ladies and I were getting together to make Christmas wreaths, while our menfolk stood around the fire pit in the garden, supping ale whilst cooking us a scrumptious paella ... I think we got the better end of the deal, don't you? ;-)

Here are a few more ideas for handmade gifts. Some of these projects take a little more time than others, but all of them guarantee a lovely gift, and when you've made them once you'll make them again and again. If you're not a 'crafty' person, please don't be put off ... many of the projects I share on this blog, are things I've only tried once myself, and if I can do it so can you :-)

Well it's almost the end of November. There's a chill in the air, the fires are burning and hot milky drinks have been keeping my cockles toasty. The autumn was lovely wasn't it? I think the reason I haven't started bombarding you with rustic Christmas delights yet is because I'm not quite ready to let the autumn go - but my inner child is screaming at me to put up decorations and watch Christmas films. How lucky we are, to be warm and loved ... and have such things to look forward too.  So before we begin the countdown into cosy winter madness, here's a look back over November ...

In today's guest post I'd like to share some beautiful work with you.  I have a very crafty friend, called Penny Perrett, and while visiting Penny at her granddaughters house the other day I was lucky enough to see some of Penny's work. She showed me into her granddaughters nursery - and it was a very special nursery indeed. Penny had decorated the room with Mural's - all inspired by the lovely Brambly hedge! You can imagine my squeals of delight can't you? what a lovely nature-inspired environment for a child to grow up in. 

Well it's been a while since I posted some thrifty finds - but don't let this fool you into thinking I haven't been a thrifty bee. Once bitten by the 'vintage thrift spotting' bug it's in your blood and cannot be denied! I'm not the only one - Mrs Miggins next door loves to blow her bingo winnings on thrifty finds ... at least it keeps her out of the betting shops ;-) So what's new in thrifty podie town?

Autumn leaves (fresh or pressed)

Brown twine / string

Jam jar

Sticky pads

Wire and pliers (optional)

Small pine cone or berries (optional)

Hellooo Autumn - Oh prettiest of seasons! 

You all know how much I love being cosy, and as much as I've enjoyed this unusually hot british summer, to be honest I'm itching to put away my summer dresses and get my woolies and warmies out! So to celebrate the change in the season I wanted to share the 'autumn leaves garland'  I've just made to decorate my fireplace. It took all of 5 minutes to make and really brings this beautiful season into the house.  It's also a great project to do with kiddies, though Ralphy wasn't too keen for some reason ...

10 Autumn leaves 

10 mini clothes pegs 

Ribbon or string