...we can't wait to meet our little man.

Family recipe folder

This was an idea I have taken from my dear friend Amy (whom I am trying to convince to set up her own  blog - it would be beautiful). For years, my recipes (a mix of photocopies, pages torn from magazines, hand written family heirloom recipes, post-its and scraps of paper) have all been kept in a pile in the kitchen drawer or on a shelf. I wanted to keep them all together and Amy's clever idea keeps them together but in a way that you want to constantly take down from the shelf and look at. It's also really easy to do.

It's just an A4 ring binder that I have covered in old family and friend's recipes, using PVA glue. Inside I have used plastic sleeves to protect the recipes and unlike a recipe book, it's so easy to add new ones without having to hand write them into a book (which is beautiful if you have the time). I have done this for a few special recipes; from relatives no longer with us, ones that we have cooked for special occasions or just ones that we love.

You will need:
A4 ring binder - the papery ones are better then the plastic.
Selection of family/hand written recipes (you don't have to but I like to see family member's handwriting all over it, the stains and the scribbled shopping lists, I look at it all the time) take copies, and keep original in file and PVA the copy.
Paint brush
PVA glue

Take time to layout your recipes, play around with them until you are happy. Mix up some PVA glue with a little water and start to paint on your recipes, the glue will dry clear. Slightly thicker paper/card will need quite a lot of glue, you kind of want to soak those ones. Stand up and fold on newspaper, if not the recipes will tear on the folds when you do eventually fold the folder. Cut out the spaces for the holes on front and side. Cut along the sides for a neat finish.

It's one of my favourite things in the kitchen. It has also encouraged me to share hand written recipes with family and friends. It is more then a folder of recipes, it's a little bit of family history.

The growing bump

Absent without leave

So anybody that actually bothers to check in here, will have seen how tardy I have been. The funny thing is, whenever a client says ‘I want one of those blogs’, I always say that it’s better to not have a blog then to have one that is not regularly updated with interesting, helpful and/or inspiring stuff.  Hmmmmmm, bloody good advice. 

However, I am here and guess what my New Years resolution is???? 

So where have I been and what has been going on...

Well, I left off having not long moved to Kent coast and getting married (within 3 months of each other, still makes me perspire slightly). We decided in July 2012 that we would do some home improvements, what started as simply replacing doors and new carpets upstairs turned into the entire upstairs being renovated. Which meant that everything that was upstairs had to come downstairs and we had to live amongst it. The bedroom was in the office, the wardrobe was in the conservatory, the living room was storage so basically we had the kitchen to live in. The control and clean freak that I am meant that this living arrangement caused a liiiiitle bit of stress to me - eventually even the dog was afraid to put a paw wrong. At any one point there was at least 4 tradesmen in the house, each creating an unbelievable amount of noise dust, dirt and other debris/pollution. 

While all this chaos was happening I was still trying to maintain my freelance work, which was nicely ticking over. Then came a great opportunity, a marketing agency in London asked if I would work for them and head up their digital media arm. Of course I said ‘YES’ and then the reality hit me, that I was working on a laptop, that just fitted onto the tiny bit of clear workspace next to the sink in the kitchen, with a house project going on. Ever the optimist, I decided to stick with it and managed to get things going. 

The house work started in July and in my naivety I thought it would be finished in September, it went on until JUST before Christmas. The work has now finished and miraculously I have forgotten how truly stressful it was. But, in amongst the stress of it all, we did have a lot of fun, when things veered from the near-disastrous to the ridiculous, we did do a lot of laughing (sometimes because we were on the verge of insanity - and it was all we could do, think Beavis and Butthead).

In amongst the craziness we got some other amazing news......that we are expecting. We are so thrilled, so grateful and just so very excited! 

So there has been a lot going on here, I have also still been vintiquing and crafting so there is a lot to blog about. I have lots of before pictures of the house and I am working on the final touches now, so will be able to get the after pictures soon.  Here is a little taster of the bathroom and bedroom...  

Header me beautiful

I have a new look for my header which was designed by the lovely Natasha over at The Secret Tea Party - I am so happy with it. Thank you Natasha!

Lunch and Reclaimers Yard ...oh my!

For my birthday my sister booked lunch at Brunswick House. I have driven past this house hundreds of times and dismissed it as a hippy commune type establishment, on account of it's bizarre front. Covered in flags, street signage and quirky stone figurines, Brunswick House sits on the very busy Wandsworth Road close to the MI5 building.

Brunswick House has some of the most beautiful reclaimed collections I have seen. They range from printing blocks, victorian door handles, signage, grizzly animal heads, bathroom suites..it goes on. Spread over three floors, you could get lost in time wandering from room to room.

The cafe is just as interesting in its decor, with a beautiful and tiny stage in the middle of the room. With such a fantastic setting you'd be forgiven to think the food might not stand up, it does, it really does. It's an ever changing seasonal menu, a small selection of beautiful dishes. We had the Boyonne ham and celeriac roulade to share with the most delicious sourdough bread. For the main course my sister had sardines and tomatoes on toast while I enjoyed a beautiful wild rabbit nicoise salad.

If you find yourself venturing through or near Vauxhall, I would highly recommend a stop here.

Treasure hunting resumes..

With all the bad weather I have been starved of carboot sale goodness. This weekend was no different but we did have the Seaside Brocante and a couple of yard sales so I got some action. Managed to get this little lot, which I am very happy with.

We need more 'yard' and garage sales in the UK, such a great idea, I am seriously tempted to do one myself.

1. Pretty trays
2. Sewing box, tin and jelly mould
3. Inside the sewing box - in need of a little makeover
4. Little bowls, display box, cute little girl picture and my favourite find; Madeleine baking mould, can't wait to make some now!
5. Beautiful sea-themed vintage books


I am really excited by the display box, it's for a project I have been thinking about for Christmas. I will post it here nearer the time.