on frome and a freebie

When you've got two kiddos and a husband that works twelve hour days, weekends become sacred family time. We try to keep Saturdays for doing fun things, visiting new places or sometimes just relaxing at home - the weekend before last we managed a two-in-one bonanza when we travelled up to Somerset for a fourth birthday party.

Regular readers will know by now that I've got a bit of a preoccupation with all things countryside - fields, cottages, wellies, plants, agas, fresh air, the lot. So when we drove over the border and past the sign that shouted, 'WILTSHIRE', I got a bit over excited, and we stopped to take some pictures.

A few weeks ago, I entered a competition over on Mathilde Heart Manech, organised by the lovely Lisa, and to my surprise I actually won. The prize was a tote bag of choice from Doodle-Bag, an ace company which produce eco-friendly and ethically made cotton tote bags topped off with contemporary illustrations. If you fancy your hand at designing your own, there's the option to customise a bag with text or images of your choice - I chose The Stag by Cherith Harrison, and very pleased with it I was too!

A chilly Autumn day in the country calls for three things - boots, a good coat and knitwear. I went with my new bargain eBay boots (£20 for new, unworn Schuh leather chelsea boots - actually a little small, but hey, they'll stretch!), my beloved teal coat and a jumper that used to belong to my Mum, and was knitted by her own fair hands. All topped off with a reworked vintage necklace, and brand spanking new tote bag.

Best photo face EVER. You should have seen the other ones....

Frome is ace. There's countryside, markets, winding roads, cobbled streets and the BEST vintage shop. Poot is absolutely packed full of retro and vintage treasures, from tea dresses to suits, shoes to bags, jewellery to linens, and a host of homewares. Owned by the loveliest lady, who let me snap pictures of absolutely everything while chatting away happily, and frequented by Pearl Lowe (who I actually stood next to at the counter, but didn't realise until after she'd left), my only regret was that I didn't have time to rummage more.

How amazing is this window display?

More bags than you can shake a stick at.

Linens and the dress I almost bought for Miss Daisy.

There are so many beautiful shops in Frome, and it was only because we had this little man with us that we couldn't spend more time poking about in them (because who drags children round shops? There is pretty much nothing children hate more than shopping):

Who has the biggest grin?

From homewares and stationers, craft shops to florists and everything in between, there's pretty much something for everything, and it's all beeeyoootiful. All topped off with a lovely time at our friends birthday party, and a snooze in the car on the way home - we're counting the weeks until we can make it back again. (I may already have looked at the price of houses in the area.... ahem...)

This reminds me of a road from 'Call the Midwife' - not sure why, seeing as it's full of cars....

Lovely, lovely enamelware.

tarts, pies, puffs and a giveaway - the result

After a week off, things here at Birthday HQ are finally getting back to normal - admittedly, we're bankrupt and I'm writing this on a sofa covered in juice stains and nacho crumbs, but Benjamin (now aged four) had an ace time. And isn't that what counts?

So. we're back to business as usual - and what better way to kick things off than with the result of the very first Owl and Accordion giveaway? Thank you ever so much for all of your entries, and making it such a success - without further ado, I'm pleased to announce that the winner (picked courtesy of random.org) is:

Congratulations to Kim of The Small Things! An e-mail will be winging it's way to you shortly to arrange postage. Well done!

tarts, pies, puffs and a giveaway

A week or so ago, I was sent a copy of a brand new cookbook to review, which covers one of my favourite Autumn and Winter food groups - pies. It's safe to say that I'm not the worlds best cook - most things that are a triumph in my kitchen are a result of luck rather than judgement. Don't get me wrong, I can make a good ol' shepherds pie or lasagne from scratch, but Nigella I'm not. However, I'm slightly better at baking - I know how to make cupcakes (mostly thanks to my Mum's infallible recipes), I've recently learned how to make pizza dough (ta very much, Hugh F-W) and I've got grand plans to work out how to make yorkshire puddings (because Sunday lunch just isn't the same without them).

The book I was sent, 'Tart It Up!' by Eric Lanlard is a beautiful, beautiful hardback cookbook with mouth watering food photography like this:

Don't give me that, we're all thinking about the 'C' word already....

This book is ace. There's a section at the front on perfecting your pastry, the majority of the recipes have gorgeous images to accompany them, and right at the back is a space dedicated to quick sweet bakes - which is where I took my tester recipe from. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, banana and chocolate puffs:

I'm going to be honest - I tried making these when the eldest was running around my feet, desperately trying to lick everything that had chocolate on it, and the baby was wailing , and I forgot to put the sugar on top before they went in the oven. That aside, they were great - the Husband claimed they were awesome, my Mum liked them, and they took about five minutes to prepare, and fifteen to cook. A great little project if you have youngsters that can keep their tongues to themselves. Ahem.

To celebrate the publication of the book, I've decided to roll out the very first Owl and Accordion giveaway. Drum roll please.... drrrrrr......

Readers of this blog have the chance to win everything pictured above - the cookbook, a 1960's paisley apron (to protect your frock while you whizz up a few pies), two vintage linen napkins, two vintage plates from my collection (one is pyrex, PYREX I tell you!) and two retro cups. So basically, tea for two. Hurrah!

To enter all you have to do is:
1. Leave a comment on this blog post, making sure that you have the correct contact details attached to it.
2. Follow me on Twitter, or like the Owl and the Accordion on Facebook.

The giveaway closes one week from today, and the winner will be announced via this blog shortly after.

And that's it! On your marks, get set, go!

winter coats

The best, best thing about the start of Autumn and Winter is (apart from the soups and stews, the beautiful scenery and the knitwear) thinking about getting the big, warm coats out of the back of the cupboard, where they were shoved a few months ago. I've already got two really decent numbers, a teal wool swing coat bought for a bargain £6 from the Rowans Hospice charity shop, and a forties-esque tweed version with the best faux fur collar. (I've also got this massive full length insulated duvet-style thing that my Mum bought me last year - brilliantly warm, and definitely the best for those freezing trips to the park.) I like to think there's no such thing as too many coats (or dresses, or blouses, or accessories....), but at the same time I'm trying to limit my consumption levels, and also my spending. So I've done the internet version of window shopping instead, and come up with my five favourite winter coats this year. Drum roll please:

1. Wool Cape, £145, American Apparel
When it comes to coats, I always think they should be a bit of a statement - bright colours, prints, little details, the works (although probably not all in one go....) I've got a bit of a thing for quirky clothes, (although recently I seem to have lost my way when it comes to style - I spend most of my time in skinny jeans, converse, a t-shirt and a cardigan, AKA the Young Mum Uniform) and this usually extends to outerwear as well, which is one of the reasons I've put this American Apparel cape on the top spot. Capes have the ability to look modern and retro, depending on how you wear them, and there's something a little bit great about a coat that you can comfortably fit a baby sling under. On top of all that, American Apparel are one of the brands I'm comfortable buying from, as they're ethical and environmentally aware - I love that you can look around their factory here (you can even see what people have for their lunch!), and you can also read more about the company here.

2. Komodo Manchu Fair Trade Coat, £145, fashion-conscience.com
Another thing I look for in a coat is volume - there's not much better than a good bit of knitwear, a huge coat and some skinny jeans when it's freezing out. This one from Fashion Conscience is grand; the print is great, the shape is ace, and it's fairly traded. A lot of people stick to the high street because they think that ethical clothing is either too expensive, or made of hemp, but this coat is a prime example of what you can find online - and you can't ignore the fact that it's no more expensive than a coat from some of the pricier high street shops, and a darn sight cheaper than most designer brands. Hurrah!

3. 'Miriam' Double Breasted Fur Collar Coat, £115, Dahlia London

If ever there was a coat that would look tip-top with coloured tights and clogs, then this is it. The retro cut, the massive faux fur collar and the bright colour tick all the boxes, and to top it all off, the lining is covered in a Russian Doll print. I love how it looks like it's a little bit vintage as well - anything that could be straight out of the sixties or seventies makes my heart beat that teeny bit faster.

4. Pleat Swing Front Coat, £70, ASOS.com
It's got a funnel neckline and a swing shape - and more importantly, it's teal. TEAL. If you're a frequent reader, you'll know that my three great colour loves are blue, mustard and.... teal. Enough said.

5. Fringed Leather Jacket, £130, ASOS.com
OK, so it's not exactly what you might call a winter coat, but you could certainly wear it during the autumn, and out to dinner in the evenings. Completely impractical for a mother-of-two, number five is my fantasy buy - in my head (like many of us approaching thirty, I reckon!) I'm still twenty-two and dressing inappropriately!

clothes for the day

The last clothes related post was a whopping six months or more ago (how has it been that long?!), when I was in the last weeks of pregnancy, looking like I'd swallowed a beach ball and feeling pretty much the same. Since then I've either a) not managed to get out of my pyjamas b) worn only a hoody and sweatpants c) worn clothes covered in baby sick or d) been skinnier than a skinny thing while I battle anaemia. I've been feeling pretty poorly, and am eating iron tablets like they're going out of fashion - at my worst, I had no appetite, would start to pass out on standing and looked, as a friend described me, 'gaunt'. I'm feeling a little better now, and in honour of the chillier weather and new season, had a rummage through my wardrobe (many, many things to be sold off) and dug out my beloved coats.

T-shirt: Paul Smith Jeans / Coat: eBay / Jeans: H&M via eBay / Clogs: Lotta from Stockholm

Really must find a better place to take pictures than in front of our dilapidated fence.

I'm in love with this coat - it looks really vintage-esque, but isn't at all, I got it from eBay and it originally came from one high street shop or another. I have an endless problem with buying clothes - I want to limit my effect on the planet as much as possible, but without looking like I've dressed in an old hemp sack. I also don't want to spend a fortune doing it. My main answer is to buy second hand high-street clothing, meaning that you get the style of clothing you're after, but without making such an impact on the planet - hurrah!

I also rediscovered my boxes of accessories, and had a hard time not wearing everything at once, a la Mr. T (I pity the fool who wears ten necklaces), but in the end went for the hand painted vintage pendant from a charity shop, and beads that I upcycled some time last year. On my feet are my beloved Lotta tan clogs - I'm trying to decide on a new pair for Autumn, and so far I'm torn between the forest green or red Mary Janes and the blue peep toes.

I don't usually feature the kiddos in outfit posts, because Benjamin wears the usual uniform of jeans-tshirt-sneakers-hoody, and Daisy usually wears something-and-leggings. This particular day, though, Daisy looked so adorable all squished in her knitwear that I had to grab her. The dungarees are from eBay, the shoes are from Mothercare, and the cardigan was knitted by the Husbands mum. Can't beat a bit of handmade goodness!

an ode to summer

Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest heights...

I wish I could put into words how hot I was in this photo. Denim on a beach. Just, no.

Dug me a hole!

The superb Belle Isle in Southsea. Nom.

The food was so good, I actually want to lick the screen.

This summer, although short and pretty sporadic, was a goodun. We spent hours on beach trips (mostly impromptu, hence the jeans and ridiculous last-minute hat), wandered about discovering odd little shops, saw yarn bombing a-plenty, ate heaps, did a spot of seasonal baking and visited the Natural History Museum in Portsmouth, which consists mainly of models of cavemen and the butterfly room *shudder*. I stayed outside for that one, hence the picture taken through the viewing window. Butterflies, moths, birds - anything that flaps gives me the right heebie-jeebies.

But all good things have to come to an end, the rain has arrived for good, the heating is on (don't judge me - our house is pretty drafty) and I'm stocking up books, yarn, recipes and knitwear for the Autumn and Winter. Things have been a bit difficult over the last few weeks, our eldest is being tested for Aspergers, and I don't mind saying that his behaviour has reached epic awfulness. I realise as a blogger, I'm meant to bang on about how wonderful parenting is, but truth be told, it really hasn't been that great lately. Two children is, frankly, hard work, and even more so when one of them is displaying challenging behaviour. I've read parenting books, from Sears to Supernanny, I've done the naughty step, distractions, punishments, staying calm, getting angry, and even crying - but nothing seems to work. He's being assessed at his pre-school next month, and I'm looking forward to getting some answers - whether he's on the Autism spectrum, or just being a little so-and-so. What doesn't help is that my lovely Dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimers - I know now what people mean when they say it never rains, but it pours. The absolute only way to get through everything is to thank our lucky stars that he doesn't have vascular dementia (much worse), and to realise that in actual fact, we all have each other, enough to eat and a roof over our heads. And in this day and age, that makes us pretty lucky.