Today started out rainy and dull, but by mid-morning it cleared up and turned into a beautiful, crisp Autumn day. We haven’t been out walking for a while, but seeing as the sun had come out, my husband and I decided to take a trip to Hardcastle Crags near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. Hardcastle Crags is a wonderful wooded valley and is also famous for being the home of the Northern hairy wood ant. Well, apart from the £3 parking charge levied by the National Trust, the walk did not disappoint. Shafts of bright golden sunshine shone through the trees, and the vivid colours of the changing Autumn leaves were just breathtaking! (As you can tell, I came over all poetic!) As well as the hairy ants – which we did not see – the valley is home to a host of other wildlife, including woodpeckers, kingfishers, herons, squirrels, owls, bats and buzzards. One of the loveliest things about British woodland is its bluebells, and I will be heading back to Hardcastle Crags in the Springtime to see them. They were everywhere! Seeing the wild plants in the woods inspired me to think about buying bluebells of my own, and I am delighted to find that Crocus has a special offer on at the moment (30 English Bluebell bulbs for just £10). The Crocus website also suggests other woodland-inspired plants such as anemones, ferns and foxgloves which would delight any gardener. The best thing is, these plants are meant to look wild, so they’re easy care for any easy life!
Christmas Has Officially Started October 27, 2007
I started my Christmas shopping today. There, I said it. I was going to be all relaxed about Christmas this year but unfortunately I let myself get panicked into early Christmas shopping. It’s difficult to resist when all the cards and gift wrap have been in the shops for months already! There’s definitely something unnerving about walking around Debenhams mid-September and seeing shiny baubles and Xmas gift sets on the shelves. But despite these misgivings, I am very proud of today’s purchases from Matalan. I bought a gorgeous silk embroidered cushion for just £8 (see image) and a pack of two Revlon make-up bags with this season’s hottest print trend – birds – all over them. I also went to Next and bought some quirky wrapping paper and tags which are themed with hamsters dressed as Santa Claus… Yes, the ominous run-up to Christmas may have started, but at least I am having fun!
Getting Twitchy: Feeding the Birds October 27, 2007
Not many people might know this, but today (Saturday 27th October) is the RSPB’s National Feed the Birds Day. We’ve all noticed that the weather is turning cold, and so we should start doing our bit to make sure the birds don’t go hungry in the months ahead. And looking after the birds in your garden is an easy thing to do – providing food, water and shelter costs nothing but is essential to help our wildlife through the cold Winter. You can buy inexpensive seeds, fat balls, and feeders on the high street (try Wilkinsons) or out-of-town stores such as Pets at Home, B&Q and Homebase. better still, go online to the RSPB Online Shop where 100% of all profits go to helping birds and wildlife. So please fill your feeders, clean your bird tables, put out some water and give a helping hand to the feathered friends in your back garden.
Designers at a Discount October 26, 2007
An increasing number of top designer names have been unleashing their designs on the British high street, which is good news for shoppers looking for fashionable homewares at realistic prices. Kelly Hoppen’s KHome range for BHS has been a success since it launched in 2006,
and she claims (quite proudly) to have been the first interior designer in the world to ’go high street’. Cath Kidston has also reached out to a wider market with her mobile phone designs for Nokia (exclusive to the Carphone Warehouse) and her 2 designs for Roberts Radio. One of my favourite designers, Orla Kiely, was signed up by Sainsbury’s supermarkets in 2004 to design kitchen accessories and now has a fantastic and affordable doormat on sale at Heal’s! Last but not least, Debenhams has upped its game by hiring no less than 5 big names (Julien MacDonald, John Rocha, Jasper Conran, Betty Jackson and florist Jane Packer) to design gorgeous housewares. I’m coveting this Betty Jackson short stem decanter, top right – now in the sale for £32!
Autumn Sales: Shop Cheap, Shop Smart October 21, 2007
We all love to splurge on a something new from time to time, but with Christmas rapidly on the way it’s a great time to browse the sales for bargains. The Laura Ashley sale ends on 28th October and offers a great opportunity to pick up some otherwise expensive items such as fabrics, wallcoverings and soft furnishings. Matalan also has its Autumn Sale where you can save up to 50% off homewares. High street store BHS also has half-price offers on a range of lighting, including inexpensive chandeliers and table lamps. If you’re in the market for some new furniture, Marks & Spencer has 30% off sofas, cabinets and dining tables. Last but not least, the Debenhams Blue Cross Sale has some tempting offers on homewares, furnishings and cookware, all at up to 70% off. With bargains like these, it would be rude not to take advantage!
The Importance of Green Space October 17, 2007
I saw a story on the BBC which reports on ‘garden-grabbing’, whereby housing developers are increasingly buying up houses with large gardens and then applying for planning permission to demolish the existing house and build blocks of flats in its place. Current law dictates that gardens are classed as brownfield sites (e.g. in the same category as former industrial and commercial property) and local councils are under pressure to meet targets for new housing. Therefore these developments are increasingly being given the go-ahead. Understandably, house-hunters would rather live in leafy suburbia than on the site of a former chemical factory! The story also points out that many mature trees are being cut down to make way for these developments. All of this worries me. Despite its modest proportions, I love my garden and do my best to encourage wildlife (birds, insects, even large scary spiders!). There’s a simple joy in seeing the first Spring blooms, and even something cathartic about pulling up weeds. I know that having a garden is a luxury but I would hate to lose it. My own garden backs onto fields which, despite their Greenbelt status, are also ripe for development. I’m giving my support to the UK charity Garden Organic and their Save Our Gardens campaign. Garden Organic believe that gardens fulfil a range of very important functions for the community as a whole, and the environment. Please give them your support!
Autumn Tasks for the Garden October 16, 2007
The BBC Gardening site has an excellent year-round feature which tells you what essential gardening tasks you should be doing, and when. The month of October is a busy one within the calendar: there’s Spring bulbs to plant out (cheerful daffodils, crocuses, irises and hyacinths) and it’s also time to put in shrubs and perennials. The BBC also recommends October as an ideal time to harvest seed heads, which can be enjoyed in dried flower arrangements. Given as gifts, these make an excellent and thoughtful alternative to traditional flower bouquets and can be enjoyed for a lot longer. This year, I had an fabulous display of globe thistles (echinops ritro) which I will dry out and display indoors.
Another site, The Gardeners Calendar, provides valuable information on gardening tasks for the fruit orchard and the vegetable patch. 2007 has been a bumper year for apples in some parts of the UK – if you have extras, why not do some juicing or baking? Delia Smith has a delicious recipe for apple and pecan crumble on her website, Delia Online!
Patriotic Prints October 15, 2007
The Union Jack (or the Union Flag) has been synonymous with many different things over the years (from the British Empire and the Swinging 60s through to football racism and right-wing politics) but it has remained the icon of choice for many UK fashion designers including Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. I can completely understand why these people revere the vibrant colours of the Union Jack and I am therefore pleased that budget-conscious home lovers such as myself can enjoy the flag in their living room without the need for a flagpole poking out of the ceiling. Next, the high street retailer, has a kids range which includes these cushions (picture, right) for just £12. Made in lovely tactile patchwork design, the flag is embroidered in gorgeous white stitching. And why not get the 100% cotton rug too, which is another bargain at £20. Makes me feel all patriotic!
My Latest Purchase October 12, 2007
Sometimes when you’re shopping, you see something you really can’t afford and you think….I want it! I want it! This was the case when I saw Bill’s Blanket Rug in my local John Lewis. So colourful! So different! So beautiful! The rug was originally designed by a carpet seller (Bill) to showcase all the colours in his range and each coloured square has a 4-digit number on it which reminds me of HTML hex codes… But £295 is a lot of money for a rug, right? At the time, I was job-hunting, so I definitely couldn’t afford it, but I promised myself that I would buy the rug with my first wage packet. The day finally came and – disaster – John Lewis had discontinued the rug!! I nearly cried. In a bid to track one down I phoned nearly every branch in the UK until a lovely sales assistant in Nottingham said that they had one left in stock! Hurrah! The rug was mine! Now, I just have to find somewhere to put it….
New from Ikea October 11, 2007
The ‘October News’ catalogue from Ikea came through my letterbox today, and I love their Autumn range. Amongst the many great buys are these Salong vases (see picture, right) which come in a range of jewel colours and cost just £4.99 each. They would make lovely Christmas gifts and look way more expensive than they are! Ikea recently introduced online shopping for people like my husband, who HATE following the sheep-like crowds of people round the stores. But then I think that’s all part of the fun (and worth it when you get to the end for the hot dogs and intriguing Swedish drinks!)
