tigerlilly quinn shop and a giveaway

One of the first bloggers I stumbled across way back in 2011 was Fritha from Tigerlilly Quinn; I was pregnant with Daisy at the time, and spent ages reading all of her pregnancy posts - I remember wondering how she managed to look so 'glowy' while I looked like a tramp! Four years on, and not only am I still an avid reader of her blog (baby number two is expected soon! Exciting!), but I'm also a big fan of her online shop; with stock ranging from clothing and bags to jewellery, stationary and childrens items, it's one of the first places I look when I'm searching for presents (or stocking fillers!)

Fritha is going to be taking some time away from the shop in a month or so, but before she does, we've teamed up to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a £50 gift voucher to spend on whatever they like. That's a large chunk of Christmas taken care of!
In case you're just not sure what you'd spend your winnings on, I've created a collage below featuring all of my current favourite items - happy shopping!

1. Tivoli by Ingela P Arrhenius, £16
2. Chalkboard Style Thank-You Card, £2.75
3. Mix and Match Folk Stamped Bowls, £6.25
4. OMM Design Memory Game, £7.99
5. Studio Matryoshka Christmas, £19.99
6. Frida Kahlo Brooch, £7
7. Mix & Match by OMM Design, £11.99
8. Amy and Ivor Moccasins, £38
9. Toucan Necklace, £8.99

To win, all you have to do is complete any of the entries on the Rafflecopter widget below - you can either do one or all of them. The more you do, the more chances you have to win - good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

an autumn and winter reading list

I love writing posts about books; those I've read and raved about, those I've had on my reading list for ages and those that I just couldn't get on with. I've just discovered the #theyearinbooks hashtag on Twitter, run by Laura who writes the Circle of Pine Trees blog; there are monthly blog posts and an accompanying Twitter chat, and last time I came away with a huuuuuge list of books to add to my (already heaving) collection. I'm trying to force myself to switch off from work in the evenings, and read at least two books a month (my current novel actually has dust on the cover, it's been neglected for so long), and I've got a pretty varied list to get through.

1. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
I've not read many of Sarah Waters books, but I did get through The Little Friend at lightning speed, so I'm going to give another one a go; The Paying Guests is set in the twenties, one of my two favourite periods in history, which is pretty much how it made it on to the list!

2. The Taxidermists Daughter by Kate Mosse
Ali has read (and loved) Kate Mosse's first books, but I just couldn't get to grips with them. I did LOVE The Mistletoe Bride, though, so I'm going to have a go at this one as well.

3. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Because everyone I know who's read it has absolutely raved about it, so I feel like I should at least give it a go!

4. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
This has been on my list forever, but it's another one I've just not got round to - Hannah of Seeds and Stitches read it recently in a weekend, and she has excellent taste, so I'm determined to tick it off this year.

5. Second Hand Stories by Josh Spero
This isn't actually released until later this month, but I saw it in The Simple Things magazine, and thought it sounded like something I'd love - author Josh Spero decides to track down the previous owners of some of his second-hand books, and the resulting stories are held in this book. Intriguing!

6. A Winter Book by Tove Jansson
I saw this one on the #theyearinbooks chat, and looked it up straight away (because there's something really nice about reading seasonally, I think - I can't read Christmas books in any month other than November or December!); it's a collection of short stories, which is handy for dipping in and out of - the only thing I've ever read from Jansson is the Moomins, so I'm looking forward to seeing how she writes for adults.

7. The Shopkeeper's Home by Caroline Rowland
Strictly not a novel, but it's probably my most wanted book right now, so I had to add it!

8. Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada
Set in my other favourite period of history, the 1940s, Alone in Berlin is inspired by a true story, and tells the tale of a man who was determined to defy the fascist Nazi rule.

What's on your reading list for this autumn and winter? Any recommendations?

zigzag and zebra

You all know by now that I love championing independent designers, makers and shopkeepers; I'd much rather my hard earned pennies went to them than huge corporations. I've already got a few childrens shops stored in my bookmarks, but when the lovely folks at Zigzag and Zebra got in touch to find out if I wanted to review some of their products, they went straight on my favourites list.

They sent over one of their wonderful Block pegboards, along with the Mr  Frank Fox card, which sat quite nicely on the bottom pegs. I'd seen Block pegboards before, but never got round to looking into one (it was one of those things that I just thought I could make myself - a large bit of plywood and a drill, bish bash bosh!), but they really are as good as everyone says. What I loved most was that the peg styles made it possible to display almost anything; I hung a bag, balanced a card, wooden house and shell, and strung up some washi-tape bunting. Both kiddos love it, and since I took the photos we've lined up other cards, nature finds and garlands to hang up - the genius pegs mean almost anything can be sat up neatly, so I'm hoping the chestnuts in their shells will stay balanced!

Zigzag and Zebra sell way more than wall decorations though; prints and cards, stationary, cushions, bedding, toys and storage in all different colours, patterns and fabrics mean that there's almost certainly something for every youngsters bedroom (AND they've just opened their Christmas shop, and the decorations and stocking fillers are utterly glorious!) I've picked out my five favourite things in the shop at the moment, just in case you're looking for a little Christmas inspiration...

1. Elephant Dumbo cushion, £39.50
2. Synchronised swimmers print by Rifle Paper Company, £20
3. Woody sheep grey, £23.95
4. Wigwam cushion, £39.95
5. The Gift by Carol Ann Duffy and Rob Ryan, £9.95

The Block pegboard and Mr Frank Fox card were gifted to us, but as usual all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

the autumn home

If I've said it before, I've said it a thousand times; I'm a spring and summer girl, through and through. I'm way happier when the sun is shining, and the garden is full of sweetpeas and delphiniums than when it's grey, raining and cold. That said, there is something nice about making the house cosy for the colder months; pulling blankets out of storage, finding the perfect pair of slippers and lighting a dozen tiny candles every evening. Today, I've got my top picks for warming up your home this autumn, from the comfiest chair to the best candles around.

1. Obligatory tea and a nice chunky mug
One of the best things about autumn and winter is searching out new tea; Ali and I discovered Bluebird Tea in Brighton when we went a few weeks ago, and we're hooked. Warming spicy blends are perfect for cold weather, an even more so if they're served in a beautiful handmade mug.

Spiced Pumpkin Pie Tea, Bluebird Tea Company: £ 5.70
Mali Dipped White Mug, Quince Living: £12.95

2. Piles of blankets
We always have loads of blankets in the house (because, dens, right?!) but they're usually stored in market bags and baskets from IKEA; I love getting them out and stacking them on the end of the sofa and draping them over the backs of the chairs, ready to be pulled over laps and round shoulders.

British Made Recycled Eco 100% Wool Throw, The Future Kept: £16

3. Dozens of cushions
I love piling the cushions up and making little nests on the sofa in the evenings, and a good woollen one is ideal for autumn.

Moss Knit Cushion Cover, H&M: £14.99

4. A good wicker basket
We aways have loads of baskets around the house; I've got a bit of an addiction, and they're great for storing everything from toys to magazines and the ever-expanding lego collection. Autumn is the perfect time to invest in a wicker basket for storing logs, if you have a wood burner or open fire, or blankets if you don't.

Wicker Valley Dulwich Log Basket, Tesco: £18.99

5. Plenty of candles
I do use candles in the summer, but definitely not as much as during autumn and the festive season. I always think a room isn't quite ready for the colder months until you have a good selection of candles dotted around; choose from warming spicy scents, the smell of an open fire, tiny tealights and pure beeswax tapered candles.

Beeswax Stubby Candles, Workshop Living: £4
Woodlot Heat Candle, Workshop Living: £25
Hand Poured Botanical Candle - Hibernate, The Future Kept: £12

6. A good, solid chair
In our lounge we've got a big leather armchair, which I don't very often sit in, but when it gets colder it's the perfect size to curl up in. It sort of hugs you in, especially if you've got cushions and blankets around you as well - I never sit in it if we're watching anything on Netflix though, because I'm usually asleep before the titles roll!

Halo Gable Chair, Oldrids: £915

7. The perfect slippers
Last year, I had these great big, fairisle patterned, knitted slippers - they were great, but the soft sole wore through really quickly, especially as I kept nipping out into the garden in them. I love these ones from Toast; they're a bit more than I'd usually pay, but they're handmade from wool felt, and have a thick, solid sole.

Damson Wool Monika Slipper, Toast: £59

8. A cosy lantern
If you're all candle-d out, lanterns can give them same effect but with less mess; I love the vintage style ones - but do put them somewhere safe as they run on oil!

White Storm Lantern, Workshop Living: £25

This is a collaborative post.

weekend plans

Weekends for me usually include a combination of work, errands, cleaning and separating two wrestling children; this weekend though, we're lucky enough to be heading off to rural Wales to stay in the beautiful Welsh House cottage, Bryncyn. There's no TV, no WiFi, no neighbours and no noise (apart from the noise we'll be making!), and according to the website it offers 'complete rural seclusion', which is fine by me. We're taking board games, books, magazines and waterproofs, and plan to spend two days doing as little as possible for as long as possible. While we're there, we're hoping to:

• Visit Caws Cenarth, a local artisan cheesemaker. Cheese is my absolute favourite food (apart from Chocolate!) and I'm planning on bringing a haul home with me!
• Head into Newcastle Emlyn for a wander, and hopefully find some lovely handmade bits and pieces.
• Play cards, scrabble, read and snooze in front of the woodburning stove (an absolute luxury!)
• Get our wellies on and explore the local countryside, gathering flowers and foliage.
• Eat an absolute shitload of lovely local food.
• Drink a ridiculous amount of tea.
• Knit and crochet - this is actually work, but it never feels like it!

What are you up to this weekend? Have a good one, whatever you're doing!

The beautful image at the top is by Katy Orme, who writes the lovely Apartment Apothecary blog. You can see her post on Bryncyn here (and then head off and feast your eyes on the rest of her posts!)

new desk space: a short tour

One of the rooms in the house I've been changing around is the conservatory; this is my working space, and it's where I have my desk, craft supplies, yarn, printer and teetering piles of paper beautifully organised accounting records. Like the other rooms, I've been having a clear out, and have gone from having something on every surface to lots of clear space for working, photographing and filling with plants. I took everything off of the wall, filled in the holes and ripped off the wretched wonky dado rail, and now I've got a lovely white background for photographing against. I've also added some more plants, in the hope that they survive longer this time, and my beloved Bush radio (usually tuned to Radio 4, I'm a sucker for the Archers and the Afternoon Play....) is perched on the desk as well. Everything else is stored in cupboards elsewhere in the room, and the whole space looks so much lighter, brighter and fresher.

One of my favourite things is the lamp that the lovely folks at Houseology (if you've never been on the website, seriously, you need to have a look!) sent me to review; it's by Garden Trading, and is called the Bermondsey - unsurprisingly, it's one of their best sellers at the moment. I love anything rustic, so I loved the adjustable arm straight away; the best thing is that not only does it look great, it's also really well made, and stays in one place when you position it - I've had so many desk lamps that just tend to flop about, but the Bermondsey does exactly what you want, every time. The other winning feature was the braided cord; I'm a bit (ok, a lot) OCD about things being tidy, and wires are one of the things that annoy me the most - so it was nice to finally find a designer that had thought about that!

Other items featured above include:

Desk: Linnmon and Odvald, IKEA (I love that you can change the colour of the table top to a wooden one, if you fancy it!)
Bicycle print: A sheet of wrapping paper from Eternal Maker
Left succulent: IKEA
Radio: Argos
'Hello' postcard: Paperchase
Right succulent: B&Q (the saucer is vintage)
Glass bottle: Rose and Grey (I think, they've sold out but have plenty of other lovely alternatives)
Stoneware pot: Wild Damson
Expanding ruler: The Hambledon
Stationary: Fox and Star

Many thanks to Houseology for collaborating with me on this post, and for the Bermondsey lamp sent for review. As usual, all thoughts and words are my own (but seriously, how could you not love that lamp?!)

clean eating and audrey hepburn

I've been going to London loads for work lately, but a couple of weeks ago I went to meet up with my friend and see the Audrey Hepburn exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery; I've been a Hepburn fan for years, so it was a real treat to see photos of her when she was a child and young woman - I really felt like you got an insight into her whole life. That said, we did spend a lot of time admiring her amazing eyebrows!
Before the exhibition we went for lunch at the Wild Food Gallery in Neal's Yard, which is probably the most beautiful place in London I've ever been to. If you're not a fan of flowers or plants, it probably won't get you that excited, but I spent a good ten minutes taking pictures and squealing, 'look at the it, just LOOK at it!' Window boxes full of wild looking flowers, painted buildings and coloured window frames all jostling for space in a small courtyard area - I was in my element! The food itself was tasty, although a real departure from what I usually eat; I'm not really into this whole clean-eating movement, but I think it's always good to try new things, and I do prefer vegetarian food on the whole anyway.

Next on the list is Shoreditch - mostly because I'm dying to go to Labour and Wait!