Weekend Project: Painted Garden Furniture
Every now and then I get the urge to do a small project for our home, whether it’s printing and hanging photos, planting a hanging basket or a spot of painting. Now I know this makes me sound super domesticated but don’t the wrong idea, I generally stick to quick and easy projects to avoid the actual chores (shhh, don’t tell!). I just love adding personal touches and character because I think that is what makes a house a home.
A while back we were in need of a kitchen table and chairs and so picked up an unwanted table and benches on Gumtree for a bargain. We recently inherited a new kitchen table and so our old table and benches finally became our garden furniture. The only problem with this was that they are wood and while we knew they probably wouldn’t fair well in all weather we just popped them outside so we could enjoy the summer. Cue sun stained, weather beaten and not so lovely looking furniture (shown below on the left).
Bench before and after (paint only)
At the last Maddy B’s Vintage, Home and Handmade Fair in Whittlesford we spotted Thing Ma Jigs, a home gifts and accessories shop in St Ives, stall and they were selling Annie Sloan chalk paints. I had never heard of them before, yes I can hear some of you gasping at my ignorance, but after a short demonstration I was sold. We chose Louis Blue and the clear soft wax and I was raring to go.
The beauty of the chalk paints is that you actually don’t have to prepare the wood before you paint it, you can just paint straight onto it. I decided to gently sand the surface of our table and benches before painting purely because they had weathered and I wanted a soft finish. That is all I did before painting, it took an afternoon in the sun and before I knew it our table and benches were transformed. We chose to leave the bench legs unpainted and just waxed them. I love the finished look and it is all set for our next garden party in a couple weeks, weather permitting!
Finished table and benches (paint and wax)
The chalk paints can be used for all sorts of projects, painting furniture, plastic, terracotta pots, walls and even fabrics and they are perfect for shabby chic projects if you sand down the paint in places to give your project a ‘distressed’ look. Friends of our used it on their decking which looks great too. I’ll be keeping an eye for my next chalk paint project and hope this has inspired you too. Are you in the middle of a home project or looking for ideas? I’d love to know!
Please note this is not a sponsored post, all opinions are my own and I paid for all the products.
Desired: Can Neon Pink and Vintage meet? Top 10!
I love one offs, hand mades, vintage and unusual items so I particularly enjoy rummaging through Etsy for exciting new finds especially British made and designed. Etsy is filled with incredible British talent, so I want to use my ‘Desired’ posts to support them and hopefully do the hard part of the rummaging for you!
Today I want to show you that a love for neon pink and vintage can be combined to add some modern vintage prettiness to your life, in 10 fab finds, I hope you agree!
1. First up how gorgeous is this hand painted and restored typewriter from Rainingcatsandfrogs?! I would love to write letters on this, I imagine myself using personalised stationary and wearing my hair up and peering over my glasses to adjust the paper. The best part is that the restoration was done by Rebecca at Rainingcatsandfrogs so you can see more images on her blog here.
Restored Pink Typewriter from Rainingcatsandfrogs
2. I am currently trying to teach myself to crochet, it is not easy but it is fun. So I have a huge amount of appreciation and love for the gorgeous hand made items by Belinda at Binkee. I love the neon finish on this lampshade. The crochet gives it a touch of vintage style and the neon pink gives it a gorgeous, stylish edge.
Crochet Lamp Shade from Binkee
3. Funk up your fine dining with these awesome screen print napkins from Sophiesho!
Screen Print Nakins by Sophiesho
4. Pow! I adore this skirt by LauraJaneFashion and the cut and jacquard print give it a vintage feel.
Skirt by LauraJaneFashion
5. Poppycock! I’m pretty sure Poppycock comes under vintage sayings and this print by HectorandHaddock would brighten any wall.
Poppycock print by HectorandHaddock
6. Ok so we’ve got the perfect hot pink skirt but now you need some wow factor studs to go with it right! I’ve found two, these sparkly numbers are by Ditty Drops and come in a variety of colours that pop!
Sparkly Pink earrings by Ditty Drops
7. These beauties from Moonchie also come in a variety of colours but its the gold detail I really love, got a bit of a magpie thing going on at the moment I think.
Hot pink and gold earrings from Moonchie
8. This one is for my crafter friends and anyone who is obsessed with washi tape as I am. ChambyandCor have an incredible range of washi tapes and the best part is they have a listing for 5 tapes for £10!
Neon Pink Washi Tape from ChambyandCor
9. This clutch from LoraDoraSutton would be handy for weddings, parties or transporting your tablet. I love this blue and pink combo.
Neon Clutch by LoraDoraSutton
10. I’m currently hooked on The Good Wife and am trying to catching up on Netflix but I really would find one of these Cozereaders handy for watching in bed. They have all sorts of pretty floral patterns too.
Coz-E-Reader
Well that’s all for now, neon and vintage gets a hell yeh from me. Do you like to mix neon twists with your day to day styling?
Vintage Heartthrobs: Gilbert Blythe
I bet you didn’t see that coming, I hope to keep you on your toes with these heartthrobs. The romance and love story between Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley captured my heart from a young age, I loved getting lost in the Anne of Green Gables books and tv series. I would have happily thrown on a straw hat, pigtails, lace up boots and a high neck dress to pretend I was Anne or Diana. The outfits, the Canadian town etiquette, the history, the language, yep, Gilbert Blythe is most certainly a vintage heartthrob of period drama. I’m afraid I haven’t been able to find any suitable photos for you this week but you can relive the trailer here and some Gilbert and Anne moments with suitable music here.
Despite monumentally messing things up from the word go by teasing Anne when he calls her ‘Carrots’, he also begins on the lifelong quest for Anne’s friendship and eventually her heart. He is persistent, smart and he knows what he wants, it also helps that he looks rather dashing in a waistcoat and cap. He’s witty, funny and skilled in romance, the flowers and love letters are plenty and let’s not forget he rescues Anne on a number of occasions, notably from a pond. What is it with these vintage heartthrobs and water sources?!
Anne is stubborn and let’s face it, the lady doth protest too much, I’m pretty sure she secretly knew she loved Gilbert from the first book too but where’s the fun in that. Gilbert comes back stronger following her refusal to his first proposal, he survives typhoid, becomes a Doctor and eventually marries his sweetheart and together they have seven children! Gilbert Blythe will always have a place in the hearts of old fashioned romantics he embodies good values, romance and strength of character, oh if he were real he’d be snapped up in no time!
Partying 1920’s Prohibition Style
A heady mix of mischief, cocktails, vintage, dancing, gambling, burlesque and secret drinking dens awaits you in London if you know where to look!
Too few era’s offer the potential to relive such glamour and glitz as the 1920’s so we snapped up tickets for the 50th Bourne and Hollingsworth Prohibition party which was held at Bloomsbury Ballroom. I was particularly thrilled to be able to whip out my dazzling outfit from our Prohibition Tea Party for another whirl wind trip to the past.
As we descended the stairs into the ballrooms the genuine Art Deco details whispered tales of a past we can’t really imagine now but added to the authentic feel of the night. Everywhere I looked guests where decked out in pearls, glistening gowns, feathers, suits, braces, bow ties, waistcoats and the ladies pouting deep red lips while the gents tapped their lace up oxfords ready to hit the floor and Charleston!
I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when my husband told me he’d booked us in for the optional Charleston dance lesson, dancing is not something he’s keen on despite laying down some sensational moves at uni. I was so glad he had though, it was so much fun, everyone was friendly and giving it their all and best of all it meant we could have a go later too.
From sipping on seriously strong cocktails and listening to a jazz band while waiting for the photo booth in the first room we could then move on through to the main ball room where we’d had our dance lesson. Two large bars offered another chance to top up our glasses before using our faux casino money at one of the tables, having our portrait drawn or hitting the dance floor while the big band plays, or just stare mesmerised at the professional dancers! The entertainment never seems to stop, from the live music and burlesque dancer right through to the….
Secret drinking den!! Ok, so it wasn’t exactly a huge secret as the tables had maps of the venue on them so you didn’t miss out but you did have to make your way past two shifty looking fella’s, who advised us to tell anyone who asked that we’d given up drinking, and a door emblazoned with a poster proclaiming ‘Closed for violation of the National Prohibition Act by order of the Unites States District Court’ to find it. Passing down a darkened tunnel (ok my imagination was on top form by this point) we entered a room transformed into something that felt secretive, indulgent and naughty! In here we found two new cocktails served in medicine jars, and a chap playing his ukulele! Hats off to the Vintage Mafia for hosting a superb speakeasy!
I will definitely be making my way back for another raucous night of glitzy hedonism and if you fancy it too the next party is being held on 6th September 2014, visit Prohibition or Bourne and Hollingsworth for more details on their tantalisingly fabulous events!
Cheers!
Cream Tea Top Tips!
It’s here, cream tea season, Andy Murray has won his first match at Wimbledon and strawberries, scones and clotted cream are everywhere! So here are our Cream Tea Top Tips…
1. Go Fresh!
Fundamental, from the strawberries to the scones, you can’t beat fresh, local produce. For the strawberries why not get out there and pick your own, click here to find somewhere local to you. By the time you’re done picking you’ll have earned the treat but if that sounds too strenuous keep your eyes peeled for local strawberries in the super market or local markets. For the scones make your own, more on that, or find a local bakery or baker (ahem) and order them handmade fresh from the oven. Finally, nothing beats homemade jam but for convenience a good local jam will be just as delicious and far less tricky.
2. Loose and leafy tea!
Rule of thumb, if it’s mentioned in the title it’s vital! Tea is clearly a key ingredient to cream tea so make it count. This doesn’t necessarily mean trying some obscure tea you’ve never heard of before (don’t hold back if the mood takes you there) but a loose leaf tea/tea bag gives a taste worthy of an occasion like this. You get depth of flavour and colour and it really elevates the experience from the everyday to the treat it’s meant to be. Just drop us a line if you’d like some more advice on this, we stock a wonderful selection of loose leaf teas and tea bags and loved testing them all out.
3. Bake your own!
Baking scones is actually quite easy and something you can get the kids involved with too. We’d recommend finding a recipe that uses buttermilk or yoghurt for a real indulgence, here’s one from baking’s Queen, Mary Berry. Don’t forget to get those hands high when rubbing in the flour, you want the air in there to get a fluffy scone. Keep a pile of flour next to your lightly floured surface and twist your cutter through the flour before cutting into the dough, this will allow you to pull straight up in one swift motion. When brushing the tops with a glaze, go lightly this is a less is more situation for a beautiful finish. Finally, why not mix it up a bit, add a dash of cinnamon or really go for it and try our favourite savoury combo, jalapenos and mature cheddar!
4. Serve up an event!
It will come as no surprise that we love to break out the vintage china to serve our cream tea on, the glittering gold details and beautiful designs make us feel so special. If you’re after something a bit more disposable and easy to clear away then there are some fabulous paper and wooden party ware options, you can find lots of party ware at Jelly and Blancmange.
5. Oooh go on pop the bubbles!
Pretty straight forward, whether it’s Prosecco, Champagne or Schloer we love adding a bit of fizz to every occasion.
Lets Rendezvous
We’re going off piste today, taking a little daydream holiday so pack your dream bags and come with us.
You’ve played that game, ‘If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be…?’ and one fabulous bed and breakfast called ‘Rendezvous’ in Palm Springs often pops up when I play it with my husband. We visited back in 2010 so you know it made an impression on us! That said please excuse the few photos I have to offer, I didn’t realise I’d be using them on a blog when we took them.
Should you be lucky enough to find yourself on the West Coast of the States or plan a trip there and stumble into Palm Springs then you might want to check out Rendezvous, but first let’s fill you in on why.
When travelling across America we tried a variety of accommodation from our tent to tall boats and motels to top end hotels. We soon found out that a good American Bed and Breakfast can be a fun, luxurious and special place to stay if you only know where to look and we recommend starting with The Select Registry. The Select Registry is a great little book, pick one up if you see one, it lists all the best Bed and Breakfasts in America and so far we have not been disappointed by any of their selections, including Rendezvous.
We arrived in October having escaped the madness of Las Vegas and looking to relax for a few days before taking on Los Angeles. It was hot. We wanted a place with a pool and bit of something ‘different’. At Rendezvous each of the 10 rooms all open onto the pool and patio area so that was the first box ticked. Now for the special part, Rendezvous has bags of character, being a retro hotel it oozes with vintage style and boasts carefully themed rooms to choose from. The rooms range from Hawaiian Surf’ and ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ to ‘Route 66’ and the ‘Honeymoon Hideaway’. Having a love of old films and all things retro and vintage there was no question that we had to give this place a go and we loved it. Think it sounds good so far? Just you wait…
We stayed in ‘Silver Screen’, and when I spotted a picture of Humphrey Bogart by the bed I couldn’t have been happier, I’m a big fan and even named my first car Bogey after the big man himself. Our room had a comfy king bed but it was the whirlpool bath tub by the frosted glass brick window with the rubber ducky that won me over. That was, of course, before I noticed the jar by the bed which on opening we discovered contained fresh home baked treats! We later discovered these got refilled during the day, on the first day we had a chocolate caramel treat and the next day we had a lemon cheesecake bar. Saving them for later and despite the soaring heat outside it seemed only right to do a little sun bathing. This was the sort of sunbathing where a dip in the pool is not only a must but frequent as it was so hot I’d rather be in the pool.
Now, if for some crazy reason I wasn’t already totally won over we then discovered the free happy hour cocktails and appetisers which are served in the evening by the pool – pure genius! Delicious blue martinis and Mexican style canapés which set us up perfectly for dinner. That evening we enjoyed an excellent fish dinner at The Fisherman’s Market, it has a very casual feel, you order at the counter and the fish is fresh and delicious. We followed this up with key lime pie creation at the Coldstone Creamery which, if you like ice cream, is a must visit and can be found all over the States.
The following morning we had chosen to have breakfast at 8.30am so we could make the most of the day. Breakfast, when staying away from home, can be a hit or miss event but this 3 course delight cooked up by Jake and Betty, hit the nail on the head. We started with a banana bread and a tropical smoothie, followed by cantaloupe drizzled with yogurt and granola and finally Mexican style eggs served with guacamole and salsa. You really can’t beat a fresh, home cooked breakfast made just for you.
There is so much to see and do in the area, even if you just do a spot of shopping or visit a nearby beach and hire a retro bike but the hotel also offers a massage studio, old movie dvds, bike rental and a selection of extras to make your stay special. On our last night we walked to Rick’s Diner, a Cuban American grill and enjoyed plantain, rice, beans, fish and chicken. We genuinely couldn’t fault our stay, the attention to detail at Rendezvous was excellent, the weather was fantastic, the food scrummy, the room was boutique, retro, fun and well thought out, the whole place suited us down to the ground and I’d happily go right now if I could!
You can visit Rendezvous at http://www.palmspringsrendezvous.com/ on Facebook and Twitter.
The Scrumptious Tearooms
I love tea, and, luckily, I grew up with a family who love tea, in a nation that…loves tea! I love having a cuppa and a natter especially with friends or with my Mum in the kitchen. On visits home I always get a cup of tea brought to me in the morning, loose leaf English Breakfast – yes I am spoilt! So when I stumbled across The Secret Tea Society there was no doubt in my mind that I had to become a member and gain access to their fabulous events. So when they asked me to pop in to the Scrumptious Tearooms, and blog about it, I was thrilled. Any excuse to try a new tea, visit a tearoom or tuck into cake is right up my street so it’s lucky this latest venture took me straight down that street into tearoom heaven.
Tucked in the centre of Great Dunmow, a historic village in Essex, you will find the Scrumptious Tearooms, winners of ‘The Best Tea Shop and Coffee Shop in Essex’ awarded by the Essex Life Fine Food and Drinks Awards 2013. The surrounding countryside is scenic, the roads wind around the fields and there are plenty of opportunities to pop into a farm shop to pick up eggs or you know, hay. If you find yourself exploring the area I’d also recommend popping into the pretty little village of Finchingfield, it has a surprisingly steep drive up to the church, a lovely antiques shop and a windmill.
Back in Great Dunmow The Scrumptious Tearooms sits on the corner of the main road through the town. Teapots are painted into the name on the shop front and the hanging teapot sign whispers promises of a nice cup of loose leaf tea; all clearly display their love of tea before you even step inside. On entering I found myself welcomed with a smile into a bustling tearoom, cakes on display and the perfect tearoom music playing, so far, so good!
The menu offered everything from full afternoon tea to homemade quiche and all kinds of cake but I already knew I wanted the Flitch Tea which is a scone, cream, jam and a drink. Now, you may be thinking…’but surely that is just a Cream Tea?’, and essentially you would be right but for two things. First the scone choice and tea choice is in no way ordinary but utterly enticing, ranging from the Golden Monkey tea to Precious Peach and gingerbread hot chocolate to the Breckland Orchard soft drinks. I chose the cranberry and white chocolate scone and English Rose tea. Secondly the name, Flitch Tea, actually hints at a local past time, the Flitch Trials, which are actually quite romantic and have nothing to do witches, thieves or highway men. The story goes that a local Lord and Lady went to the priory of Little Dunmow dressed as common folk and begged for a blessing over their marriage of one year and one day, to gain the blessing they had to prove their devotion. Fortunately they did and the Prior rewarded them with a ‘Flitch of Bacon’. When the Lord and Lady revealed who they really were they gave land to the Priory on the condition that other couples could also receive a flitch of bacon if they could prove their devotion similarly. It is believed the trials date as far back as 1104 and records show them happening in 1445! The trials continue to this day with the next booked in for 2016, but let’s pop the history lesson to one side and get back to the Flitch Tea.
Everything came out together, presented on vintage china which I believe makes every occasion feel special. The Forlife stump tea pot comes with a timer which lets you know when to remove the infuser so that your tea is perfectly brewed – I can’t really put into words how exciting this was for me but if you love tea too then I trust you understand. If you’ve never taken the time to brew a pot of loose leaf tea and properly enjoy it then I urge you to do so as soon as possible and the Scrumptious Tearooms is a fab place to start. The English Rose tea smelt divine and it really delivered on taste. A black tea with the gentle rose flavour that, if you close your eyes, could have you imagining yourself lazing in a rose garden or tucking into Turkish delight. The pink petals were a pretty addition too. I have only recently tried rose tea but I am quickly becoming a fan and this was an excellent example. They also recommend trying it iced with pomegranate and cranberry juice so I have no doubt I’ll be back in the summer to try that.
As soon as they mentioned the white chocolate and cranberry scone I honestly couldn’t resist it but managed to hold back just long enough to take some photos. The white chocolate added a luxurious, creaminess to the scone and went perfectly with the cranberry. After a quick chat with Jane, the owner, I soon found out that they love being creative with their scones (a woman after my own heart) so you will always find exciting special scones available and usually including a gluten free option. The cream and jam came in handy shot glass sizes which was just right for me, I felt indulged but not sick which is usually the case since I have very little self control when it comes to good food. You know you’ve had a top notch eating experience when you devour every last morsel and drink every drop placed before you and wish it wouldn’t end.
I had a little wander around the tearoom before leaving which is elegantly decorated in a duck egg colour and there are lots of personal touches such as the teaspoon coat hanger and teacup lights. The toilets are signposted, the newsletter is on the wall and a full length mirror is available to check your tea dress before returning to your table. The parlour room in the back has a beautiful fire place and so does the room upstairs which can be booked for private parties. They are also working on a Library room which will be available to book too. Jane clearly has an infectious passion about the tearooms and I have no doubt that exciting events (keep an eye out for their Knit and Natters and their first Supper Club), fine tea and interesting bakes will continue to be at the heart of them. You can visit them on Facebook or Twitter and get more information here and if you’re a member of the fabulous Secret Tea Society don’t forget you get a discount with your membership card!
I’ll leave you to admire their awesome answer to tea room lighting!
