Marvellous Manic May!

May has been an incredible month in many ways. I worked hard and played harder. So much so that I felt the need to create a special post to capture all my favourite moments. It was a very busy month at work which meant I was constantly travelling, down in London an awful lot and getting home at silly o'clock at night. However, I made the most of that by catching up with friends after work whenever possible, trying London experiences including Bubble Tea at Bubbleology, moseying around the lovely shops at the beautiful St. Pancras Station whilst waiting for my train and simply loving the beautiful and panoramic views of London from my window seat at work.

In between rather long work days came the first bank holiday which brought with it a small dose of sunshine, just enough to get us out for a little picnic around Rutland Water. I also experimented with lots of new and interesting recipes including grape jelly that popped from our allotment produce and a myriad preparations with Rhubarb. Every week, I made the most of what our spring garden had to offer and tried quirky new flower arrangements. I also managed to nab an evening ticket to the 100th Chelsea Flower Show by way of the Saatchi Gallery and the Hermes Festival des Métiers. The flower show was lovely enough but I felt truly lucky to have been able to attend the Hermes event and watch artisans at work making those world-famous stunning scarves, the Kelly bag, painting ceramics and so on. The best bit was that the Hermes exhibition was free!

And if fitting all that in wasn't enough in a fifty something hour week, we also organsied visits to see family and friends both north and south of the country. At all times, in true blogger style, I consistently persuaded the husband to take photos at every opportunity. However, the best highlight of the month was that my ickle seven month old blog got noticed a little! I won the Dorset Cereal Little Blog Award for April which meant a lovely little egg cup and lots of posh cereal which will last us a long while. I also got shortlisted for the Company Style Blogger Awards in the top ten for Best Thrifty Blog and Best Crafting Blog categories. I was invited to a swish little awards ceremony which in true Fashion world style was more fun and drinks and very tiny portions of food (a.k.a. just sushi). I didn't win either title but I met some lovely people and had loads of fun. Laura of the Afternoon Tea Club and I got stuck into making DIY funky sunglasses with  (a bit like this but funkier), getting fake eyelashes for the first time and posing for silly pics at the photo booth.

All in all, it has been a rather eventful and rewarding little month. A quick parting note to say 'thank you' to all of you who voted for me for the Dorset Cereal Little Blog Awards and the Company Style Blogger Awards-you are the best and I am very grateful for your support! 

What adventures have you had in May? I'd love to hear! Ann x

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Chelsea Flower Show: Review and Tips

Visiting the Chelsea Flower Show has been on my 'London to-do list' for a long time. As this year was the show's 100th anniversary, I was particularly keen on checking it out.  As it turned out, I was in London all thorugh last week with work and managed to get an evening show ticket via eBay. Whilst timing (in the midst of a rather long work week) and weather (extremely cold for late Spring and very wet!) were not on my side, I was resolute enough to still find a ticket and visit. The tickets to the show are like gold dust and sell out almost instantly which means you often pay ridiculous amounts on non-RHS websites. Thankfully, I only paid a few pounds over the face value of the ticket which added a note of positiveness to the whole experience .

Whilst I knew that it would be a popular event, I did not expect the magnitude of crowds that surrounded me as I shuffled through the gates of the show grounds. I had got a 5.30-8.30 PM ticket and was hoping it would be a quiet time to visit. On the contrary, the place was absolutely heaving and I struggled to move at anything more than snail's pace. I was also constantly having to make sure the 'unobservant' did not trip over my laptop trolley bag. It was a test of patience. There were numerous compact show gardens and lifestyle stores shops scattered across the show grounds. However, I wasn't interested in products as much as the plants and flowers themselves and so I skipped most of these. Due to the rather cold weather, I spent a great chunk of my time inside the fabulous marquee full of both traditional and exotic blooms.

The stalls inside the marquee were simply spectacular. I could have spent a whole day just in there admiring the stunning flowers. I have never seen so many varieties of delphiniums, orchids, irises, roses, clematis, daffodils in  such a small space. The stall owners were all helpful and offered sound advice on plant growing and care. I fell in love with a whole family of auriculas that were on display at one of the stalls. They were so compact yet perfectly formed and colourful. That beautiful display has inspired me grow an auricula collection myself. Among the other things that stole my heart were a bunch truly beautiful mini irises, some very innovative rockery gardens, arty displays of floral decoration inspired by the last few decades, exotic varieties of orchids, and heartwarming masses of chrysanthemums 

On another note, there humongous crowds continued to make access to some of the exhibits, facilities and food slightly challenging. I was incredibly tired after a long week and a long work day and desperately needed to sit down and get a bite. Getting somewhere to sit down can seem an even bigger challenge when you are trying to balance an over-sized hamburger full of mustard, a drink, camera, bag and trolley. I muttered under my breath an awful lot. Thankfully, a visit back to the marquee made it all better.

Before I love you and leave you, here are some quick tips on planning your visit. Make sure you plan to buy the tickets in advance and through the RHS website. Investigate membership if you are likely to make good use of it. For your visit, wear weather appropriate clothing, comfortable shoes and carry some snacks and drink. Food and drink are over-priced. Avoid heavy bags, my arms were killing me by the end of the day. Most importantly, be mentally prepared for the huge crowds and slow pace of moving around.

I hope you are having a lovely day and I'd love to hear about your favourite gardening shows/gardens too. Ann x

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Yellow is the colour of joy!

Inspiration often strikes when you least expect it. Ed and I were travelling up north to see his folks for the weekend and we drove past a few gloriously yellow rapeseed fields. The vast expanse of yellow on a rare sunny day brought me great joy. As it happens, I was wearing another of my no-brainer dresses for the weekend, a bright neon yellow find from the H&M sale a few years ago. So I just had to get some impromtu outfit shots!

A good chunk of the UK turns yellow in Spring.  A online search of satellite images is a testament to the vast yellowness of these fields. Rapeseed is the UK's answer to Olive oil and  is a popular export commodity, both for consumption and for bio-diesel.  Besides an increase in serotonin levels and a boost to the economy, rapeseed season is also accounatble for those pesky hayfever symptoms. So next time you decide to go prancing round the fields like me, check if you are allergic and make sure you've taken your antihistamines!

My very season appropriate outfit which is entirely sourced from previous H&M sales. I love H&M for their fashion-forward clothing at very reasonable prices. I always keep an eye out for their flash sales and end of season sales which often result in great bargains. My dress and earrings together cost me £6 but bring me unquantifiable amounts of pleasure.. That is what I call a bargain!

How are you making the most of Spring? And have you found some happy bargains recently? I'd love to hear. Ann x

Wearing Dress: H&M, Earrings: H&M, Sunglasses: Givenchy

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Photography by Edward Chandler

Rhubarb and Coconut Crumble

 

I promised an onslaught of rhubarb-y recipes the other week and I didn't want to disappoint you all! Next on the recipe list is an old favourite, Rhubarb crumble, but with a coconutty twist. It is so so easy to make and truly comfort food. This version is also lower in fat and sugar than standard recipes so you will feel less sinful whilst you indulge. Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:
120g plain flour
60g caster sugar
50 g desiccated coconut

70g unsalted butter

6 stalks of Rhubarb

Method:

Heat the oven to 180C. Chop the rhubarb stalks into medium sized cubes and place in a baking dish. Add about 3 tablespoons of water and heat in the oven for about 15 minutes till it is soft. Leave it to cool.

Mix the flour, sugar, dessicated coconut and butter together into a crumbly consistency.  Cover the partially cooked rhubarb with the crumble mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Serve hot with yogurt or ice-cream.

The sweetness of the coconut offsets the tartness of the rhubarb and also makes up for the reduced sugar. I'm pleased with how the recipe has turned out and am looking forward to improvising it some more.

What do you make of a crumble that has coconut? Have you got your own inspired crumble recipes? I'd love to hear. Ann x

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How to buy an investment bag on a budget

I love a beautifully made bag and believe in it's transformative powers. I spend far too much time looking at gorgeous bags online ( and in stores when time allows) and have often found exceptional bargains. More recently, I went on a quest for a proper investment bag on a budget and was very happy with the outcome. Since then, I've been looking forward to sharing some of my tips on the blog. Whilst I am by no means the authority on designer bags, I have spent more time researching them recently than I have on my engineering CPD and so it is fair to say I have a few useful ideas.  Here is a snapshot of the 'what', 'where', 'how' and 'when' of investment bag hunting. I'm assuming that if you are reading this post, you have already convinced yourself of the 'why'?! :)

What?: Buying a designer item purely because of its label is wrong. You should only buy something you genuinely like. So whilst pondering the 'what', consider the styles, colours and materials that you like. Based on these choices, develop a specification for your ideal bag. I believe that if it is something you are hoping to invest in, it should be versatile, suit your personal style and durable. So, I'd steer away from snakeskins, for example, unless you were willing to take extremely good care and were prepared for some wear on the material.  Once you've developed the specification for your ideal bag, you should review what is available on the market. Typically, whilst talking investment bags, you are thinking Hermes, Chanel, Mulberry, Valentino, Balenciaga etc. However, more accessible brands like Fossil, Radley and Osprey etc are also good bets. Don't limit yourself to big labels although big labels do retain their value better. Even high street brands like Zara and Topshop often come up with some exceptionally good designs (often designer inspired). Review what is out there and home in on the brand of your choice. I chose a Mulberry Alexa because of its homegrown British feel, its youthfulness, top notch quality and practicality.

Where?: There are plenty of options for where to buy your bag including independent designer stores, factory outlets and designer villages like Bicester, shops like Harvey Nichols, online treasures like Net-a-Porter , Outnet, My Wardrobe etc. One of my favourites is TK Maxx; they stock Valentino, Gucci, Fendi etc at up to 80% off!! eBay, charity shops and vintage stores are also good bets. I'd recommend eBay buying guides to help eliminate fakes. Sites like Achica and Secret Sales also do great vintage sales where you can find Louis Vuitton, Chanel. Hermes etc at relatively bargain prices.

How?: Assuming you now have a sense of what style you want and what brands you like, it is good to go and have a play. Visit the stores that stock what you like and get a feel for bags first hand. Photos are sometimes deceptive and you also need to assess factors like craftsmanship, comfort and safety. Make notes of what you like for reference. For example, I went to a Chanel store to get a feel of the 2.55 but it not move me at all! I admit Chanel was a little beyond my budget but I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. On the other hand, I was completely smitten by a beautiful inky blue snakeskin Bayswater by Mulberry. I chose not to buy it purely because of the delicateness of the material. The bottom line is that you must be objective at all times in order to not regret your decision.

When?: Sale season d'oh! On a more serious note, you need to shortlist what you are after well in advance and confirm your sale stalking strategy. I find the post Christmas sales the best bet. If you choose to buy online, sites like Outnet and Net-a-Porter allow you to save your favourites and I'd recemmond doing that so you don't get lost in the sale jungle. From my personal experience, duty free shopping in the January sales are absolutely brilliant and will give you an extra 20% on top of any existing sale price. I haven't found a single place that has been able to match the price I paid for my Alexa, not even eBay!

Finally, don't get carried away by fads and celeb trends. Ask yourself if you really like your purchase and be brave enough to return something you do not like.

What do you think of my bag buying tips? Have I missed something that you would like to share with my readers? Happy bag hunting! Ann x

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Rhubarb Creme Brulee

If there is one thing that it growing in our garden aplenty, it is Rhubarb! Despite giving away loads to friends and family, we still have plenty to play with. So my dear readers, you are going be force-fed a series of very rhubarb-y recipes. Please bear with me, I'm trying to keep my recipes both easy and interesting enough to keep you coming back! First on the list is a creme brulee. Don't worry yourselves about it being difficult or if you don't have a blow torch. I have a solution to all your little problems... ;)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 stalks of Rhubarb
400ml single cream
100ml whole milk
50g sugar
4 large free egg yolks
1 vanilla pod
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 tbsp brown sugar, 2 per ramekin

Method:
Heat the oven to 180C. Chop the rhubarb stalks into medium sized cubes and place in a baking dish. Add about 3 tablespoons of water and heat in the oven for about 15 minutes till it is soft. Leave it to cool. Divide the the rhubarb between four ramekins and stick them in the fridge to cool.

For the creme brulee:

Whip the egg yolks and caster sugar until light and fluffy. I used a fork to do this but you could use an electric whisk if you choose.

Heat the cream and milk until it is ready to boil and then take off heat. Slowly add this to the egg and sugar mixture and mix well. It will begin to look like a very runny custard. Rinse the saucepan use to heat the cream mixture and re-use it to slowly heat the custard mixture.

The mixture should thicken in about 15 minutes. Keep a close eye and stir continuously to ensure it doesn't split. If it does split, take it off the heat and plunge saucepan into cold water whilst continuing to stir. Do not despair, your custard can be rescued, I know first-hand!

Once your custard is ready, pour equally into the ramekins and leave to cool. I'd recommend quick cooling for an hour in the freezer.

Cheat's Option: Use ready made or instant mix custard if you are in a rush. I promise I won't tell!!

For the browned top:

Once the custard is properly cold, add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar to the top and even distribute over the surface of the custard. Heat your oven to grill mode and on high heat. Bring you shelf as close to the grill as possible and stick your ramekins in for about 5 minutes. This is enough to give you a beautiful crispy browned shell. Alternatively, use a blow torch.

Let me know how you get on with your creme brulee adventures! Ann x

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Sunken Churches and Pearls on Girrafes

Rest and sunshine are good for the soul. I'd had an incredibly busy few weeks with lots of work related travel included and I needed to stop. Ed and I decided to take the day off, chill out and also attend to some much needed housekeeping. It was a while since we'd had beautiful weather and we decided to organise a picnic lunch in between our chores.
Rutland water is a local water reserve and a great place  for picnics. We headed to the south shore of Rutland Water near the famous Normanton Church. The church which was a private chapel to the Normanton Estate escaped demolition despite being below the flood level for the proposed reservoir. It was de-consecrated in 1970 and a Trust was formed to try and ensure its preservation. A bank was built to protect it from the water and a causeway was laid to provide access. This iconic structure is now a museum and a lovely sight .

Rutland water is also a great place for all means of outdoor activities including fly fishing, rafting, sailing and cycling. It had well planned walking routes which we chose to make the most of following our sumptuous picnic lunch. Visiting Rutland water is a great idea if you are in this part of the world and I'd definitely recommend looking up their website for full details of facilities on offer.

Whilst it was sunny, it wasn't as warm as I'd have liked it to be and so I had to dress appropriately. I chose a Moschino dress with a cheeky print of a giraffe wearing pearls and teamed it with a simple top from Zara. I wore some pearls too to match the giraffe and I thought it worked out quite well! The dress was a lucky find in the my-wardrobe sale and I managed to shave an additional 40% with a voucher code. Result! Top tip, always look for discount codes, even it something is in the sale. To keep the chill off, I carried with me a lovely vintage leather jacket which cost me... hold your breath.. £1!!. I've had it for a few years and it still does the trick.

I'd love to hear about your thrifty buys and also your favourite hangouts! Ann x

Wearing Top: Zara, Dress: Love Moschino, Shoes: Zara, Bag: Pam & Arch, Sunglasses: Givenchy

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Photography by Edward Chandler