{ happy friday }

The cosy edit.

1. Snow has fallen. All around us.

2. It's the weather for bundling up in beautiful boots.

3. And staying cosy in the cutest coats.

4. For comfort baking with coffee, chocolate and caramel.

5. Etsy find of the week. host&toast. Simple and beautiful things.

6. Knits + lace + botanical cuppas = keeping cosy in the most stylish of ways.

7. Cosy knits. Part 1.

8. New Year resolutions. To have a kind heart, fierce mind and a brave spirit.

9. Cosy knits. Part 2.

& a cosy coffee cocktail to say goodbye to the old year, and hello to the new.

{ have a cosy day }

{ my december }

The quietest of months.

I wonder what next year will bring?

{ have a happy day }

{ happy weekend }

1. Just beautiful. Colours. Image. Blooms. Everything.

2. Etsy find of the week. La Petite Personne. Duffles didn't look this darling when I was young.

3. Adorable knitted toys. Shared by Smallable. Made by Main Sauvage.

4. The most gorgeous editorial from Milk Magazine full of Northern Soul.

5. The most stunning photomontage created by artist Suzanne Moxhay.

6. Folksy find of the week. Botanical Tales. Read more about her story here.

7. Wishing a happy first birthday to Moments of Sense & Style. Creating light from darkness.

8. Embrace the chaos. Black Friday / Christmas Markets / Life in general. Delete as necessary.

9. Or maybe escape to a little cabin in the woods, like this one doodled by Ryn Frank.

& What's better than a cinnamon bun? A giant cinnamon bun with cold brew cream. That's what.

{ have a happy day }

{ popping up at the we are pop POPup Christmas Market }

A weekend of firsts for me. My first Christmas market of the year, and my first market as a maker rather than a visitor.  I'm not sure I could have picked a friendlier one to start with either, and with it being the first hosted by the very lovely we are POP, and the first for a few other stall holders too, it had an air of nervous excitement and anticipation.

Our venue was The Granary, at Wykham Park Farm.  Tucked away in the scenic Oxfordshire countryside it seemed a perfect fit for the twenty designers, makers, and independents that came along. It may only be November, but with the log fire burning, twinkly lights sparkling, and glittery Christmas trees dotted here and there, you were suddenly reminded that the festive season isn't too far away now.

During one of the few quiet moments of the day I did manage to take a look around, and it was so lovely to talk to the other people there; to glean words of wisdom from those who'd been doing this a little longer than me, and to share 'new girl' worries with the other first timers. It almost feels wrong to pick favourites from those who were there, but here are some of the makers who made me sigh with envy, and made my Christmas wish list just a little longer.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Firstly a big thank you to my lovely neighbours for the day, Amy of Ama Ama, and Claire of Little m. The prize for the steadiest hand of the day must go to Claire, who was personalising her prints and Christmas baubles on the day.

The Smallish House is someone I've admired on Instagram for a while, so it was lovely to see her beautiful prints in real life.  Charlie Pie Designs were a lovely new find. British icons are given a mid-century twist and printed onto cushions, lampshades, and notebooks, in wonderfully fresh colour ways.

And lastly, sitting opposite to me, A Tribe Well Dressed. Capturing the trend for personalisation in colourful, quirky appliques, and a relative newcomer, like myself.

{ photo credit . we are POP } 

{ photo credit . Buzzy Beans Coffee }

My biggest thank you should probably go to Buzzy Beans Coffee, for supplying me with incredibly good coffee through the day.

{ photo credit . Gemma Harris Designs }

There were so many highlights during the day, from the compliments about my stand, and my beanies and blankets, chatting with all the lovely visitors, making my first ever sale, but amongst all those was having my first go on a letterpress. After watching, with envy, the children all taking a turn, I couldn't resist asking Gemma if I could have a go too. Such good fun . . . though now I'm having to stop myself googling letterpress machines for sale!

Once again, a big thank you to everyone who came along, said hello, stopped to chat, and who bought something too. It really is true that when you buy from a small business an actual person does a little happy dance.

{ have a happy day }

{ happy weekend }

{ 1 } This rainbow skirt.

{ 2 } This Lauvely space girl.

{ 3 } This knitted poncho.

{ 4 } Follow the rainbow.

{ 5 } These baby socks.

{ 6 } Note to self #1.

{ 7 } These Moroccan leather baskets.

{ 8 } Note to self #2. 

{ 9 } Cables and coffee.

{ + } No words necessary!

{ have a happy day }

{ happy friday }

{ 1 } Don't judge a book by it's cover. Instead enjoy a blind date with a book instead. 

{ 2 } Etsy find of the week. Le Petite Alice. Embroidered linen handmade with a lot of love.

{ 3 } When you don't let a little rain stop you from wearing your favourite summer dress.

{ 4 } The next generation of crazy plant ladies 🌿  dressed by Lacey Lane.

{ 5 } When you spot a really cute coffee shop on Insta. Then discover it's in Nova Scotia!

{ 6 } A love letter to the sea side ⚓️  drawn by Jonny Hannah.

{ 7 } Dare I say the perfect bag to take to the sea side?

{ 8 } You are great. Yes, you are!

{ 9 } Lucky enough to be off to NYC? Here are the 10 best spots for that Insta worthy pic.

{ + } A lemon tart to bake and serve with the last of the Summer's berries.

{ have a happy day }

{ lets go somewhere . Edinburgh }

Last week I asked Instagram for ideas on places to explore here in the Uk.  I had some wonderful suggestions, places I'd already been wondering about, and places I'd not even thought of, and one city, suggested by a couple of people,  was somewhere I'd been lucky enough to visit already. A family wedding last year was a wonderful reason to visit Scotland, Perth for the wedding itself, with a few days either side spent exploring Edinburgh. I came away with very fond memories, but feeling that I'd not really scratched the surface of what the city had to offer.

Edinburgh, like many cities today, is an eclectic mix of old and new. With a wealth of history, beautiful architecture, and alleyways dotted here and there, it's a city you can wander around just looking, without needing to visit anything in particular. Though if you did it would be a shame, as there is an abundance of coffee shops and cafe's to eat your way around, museums, castle's and palaces to be a tourist in, and lots of lovely independent boutiques to shop from.

{ stay }

We stayed in Edinburgh for one night before travelling onto Perth, and stayed in the charming Albyn Townhouse. A little further out of the centre of the city than some, it proved a lucky find, as it was just off Bruntsfield Place, a street where you'll find even more cafés and shops to explore, and that we might not have discovered otherwise. It's perfect walking distance from the city, giving you time to appreciate the gorgeous architecture, the parks, and for those bookworms amongst you, seek out Admiral Terrace, the home of Muriel Sparks, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and whose house was featured in the opening shots of the film.

On our return, we ventured into our first Airbnb adventure, with a few days staying in the grandeur of one of the townhouses in Eglinton Crescent. I was already a little in love with this apartment from the photo's on line, and it did not disappoint. Beautifully high ceilings, original detailing, and as per it's description, both elegant and cosy, it was the perfect place from which to explore more of Edinburgh. Not far from the Haymarket, it was only a short walk away from yet more lovely coffee shops, and also not far from the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, which I happily came across on my morning run.

{ eat & drink }

Where do I start? This is a city with an abundance of really, really good coffee. I tried my very best, but I didn't manage to get to try everywhere I would have liked to.

You'll find The Milkman on Cockburn Street, behind the unassuming facade of an old confectionary shop. One of those small, but perfectly formed places, that was a cosy hideaway from the summer rain.  Not too far away on Bank Street is Zebra Coffee Co. They have a reputation for great coffee, but it was the window display of Rocky Road that drew my attention. Sadly this was one place that had to be popped on the 'to visit next time' list, possibly losing out due to my inability to resist a return visit to Lovecrumbs. Yes, a place so good, I went there twice. You can read more about the very very lovely Lovecrumbs in my review for the Clandestine Cake Club. 

Söderberg has bakery's dotted around Edinburgh. Their Kardemummabulle and Kanelbulle (Cardamom and Cinnamon buns ) make the perfect breakfast to set you up for a day of sightseeing. Wellington Coffee, on the corner of George Street and Hanover Street, would be easy to miss, but is worth looking out for, as is Mimi's Bakehouse, where I bought one of the loveliest cupcakes I have ever eaten.

{ history }
I was lucky enough to visit Holyrood in time to catch Fashioning a Reign, one of the three exhibitions of the Queen's frocks that was held last year. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is a beautiful place, and even on a grey day, you can't help but be moved by the architecture and the history.

In complete contrast to the history of the palace, is the Scottish Parliament Building, a contemporary building opened in 2004, not without some controversy. Standing opposite the palace, it has a stark, impressive facade. The Canongate Wall is dotted with 24 stones, each engraved with quotations, my favourite being that of Charles Rennie Mackintosh;

There is hope in honest error;

None in the icy perfections of the mere stylist.

{ shop }

For lovers of all things vintage, head to Grassmarket and W.Armstrong & Son, then wander down West Port stopping off at Godiva and Herman Brown.

For quirky gifts, and some not so typical, but still very Scottish, souvenirs, try Old Town Context, where you'll find, amongst many other things, a wonderful print with instructions on How to Make a Deep-Fried Mars Bar. For some not so Scottish, but still very lovely gifts, you could do worse than stopping by Biscuit, which you'll find tucked away in Thistle Street. Described as 'Somewhere to come and buy a pretty top to wear for a Saturday night at a friends dinner party, and while you are there why not pick up the perfect present for the hostess!' a description I don't think I can better, only to say that they had the loveliest selection of stationery and cards too.

{ culture }

And for my last day in Edinburgh I spent it immersed in art, at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Comprised of two galleries either side of the Belford Road, both buildings sit in the midst of a beautiful sculpture park. They are both wonderful places to visit, quiet and contemplative, and on a sunny day, a lovely place to spend wandering the grounds taking in all the art outside. The fact that both have equally lovely coffee shops is an added bonus, meaning there is no need to hurry your visit, being able to take your time to look, in between well timed coffee breaks.

There are so many places I've not been able to mention, and many more that I didn't discover on last year's trip. This is Edinburgh is a great place to read more, and for a more local point of view, take a read of 48hours in Edinburgh like a local.

{ have a happy day }

{ a cornucopia of cupcakes . ten delightful cupcake recipes for cupcake day )

This should have been a fun post to research and write, instead it's been a huge reminder of all the delicious sweetness I can't indulge in at the moment. I'm on week four of an elimination diet, to see if there is a particular food which has been causing me to feel, well, not quite myself. Most of the time the no gluten, diary, eggs, sugar, caffeine and nuts has not been too much of a problem. Unfortunately baking, and particularly cakes, is one of those areas where gluten, dairy, eggs and sugar are fairly key ingredients, and my attempts at baking without them have not proven too successful.

So I will resolve myself to a few more weeks without cake, and whilst I won't be able to join in with the eating of cupcakes on Cupcake Day, thankfully it doesn't preclude me from baking some to raise a little money for the Alzheimer's Society. This year Cupcake Day falls on 15th June, and people up and down the country will be baking, buying and eating cupcakes in order to raise money for this wonderful cause. And to help you on your way I've compiled a little inspiration, a cornucopia of cupcake recipes, from the most classic of vanilla, to one's brightened by berries, those of the darkest chocolate, and a few more besides.  Surely there is one here to tickle everybody's taste buds.

{ Victoria Sponge . Vegan Funfetti }

{ Chocolate Cherry . Olive Oil with Berry Buttercream . Lemon Blueberry }

{ Chocolate . S'mores } 

{ Peanut Butter & Caramel . Café au Lait . Sweet Potato & Marshmallow }

So which is your favourite?

I don't think you can beat a classically simple Vanilla, but then again that Chocolate Cupcake looks so incredibly inviting.  But can you beat the combination of cherries and chocolate?

Can I have more than one favourite?

For lots more tempting cupcake inspiration pop over to take a look on my pinterest board.

{ cup . cake }

Just maybe eat first, so you don't drool too much whilst looking!

{ have a happy day }

{ happy friday }

{ 1 } Simply lovely new find.  1+ in the family.  Simply lovely baby wear.

{ 2 } Dinosaur find #1.  Discovered at KukuKid.

{ 3 } Dinosaur find #2.  Discovered at Little Green Fingers. 

{ 4 } Dinosaur find #3.  Discovered at My Scandinavian Home.

{ 5 } Skip to my lou!  Anyone else now have a hankering to dig out their skipping rope?

{ 6 } With coffee and flowers, all is well with the world.

{ 7 } Just ♥︎ this shield candle from The Society Inc.

{ 8 } Days pass by so quickly, so this feels like good advice.

{ 9 } Etsy find of the week. 1220 Ceramic Studio.  Just the prettiest platters.

{ + } Double citrus means double VitC, so maybe this cake is the answer to curing my cold?

{ have a happy day }

{ my march }

Once again at the end of a month.  One of the interesting things about documenting your life through Instagram, is that you realise how much you do.  If you'd have asked, I would have described March as another quiet month, mostly spent at home.  Then I look back, almost in surprise, at what the month held.  

{ planning }

After a few months feeling in limbo with my work, this month was a month of decision making and planning.  lily&Bloom was finally given the makeover I'd been promising it for far too long, and I'm looking forward to seeing what new clients may come forward this year.  The plan, for a very long time, has been to develop something of my own alongside this.  Lists have been made, so many ideas talked about,  ideas I've talked myself out of as quickly as I've talked myself in to.  To the point, where I was, in all honesty, driving myself to distraction.  Until earlier this month, when something, The thing, seemed to fall into place.  It's still very early days, but the month has been full of business planning, research, and most exciting of all, buying things ready to start designing and sampling.  It still feels too early to divulge too much, but safe to say, the knitting needles and yarn just might be a bit of a clue.

{ baking }

Bread, bread, and a bit more bread.  This may have been the month where Spring sprung, but I can't quite break my habit of soup for lunch, not just quite yet.  And neither can I break my habit of a slice of freshly baked bread to go with that soup.  Or with the freshly made rhubarb and ginger jam.  I also tried my hand at Cardamom Knots, which weren't quite the success I was hoping for.  A little more practice needed there I think.

I usually bake something for my mum for Mother's Day, and this year I delved into my childhood baking memories, to bake a batch of Rock Cakes.  A cross between a scone and a cake, not quite one, not quite the other, we'd spotted them in the window of a bakery in Bath the day before Mothering Sunday.  They may not be the prettiest, or most difficult bake, but they are super quick to make, and to bake, and in the words of my Dad, very very moreish.  

{ reading }

One more month of kitchen delights in Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries.  Somewhat serendipitously he shared a recipe for banana bread, in a week where I happened to have banana's blackening nicely in the fruit bowl.  Sometimes the universe gives you a sign, and that week the sign was to bake Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.  Thankfully, for my waistline at least, this weeks sign seems to be to make his Lentil & Spinach Cottage Pie, a recipe I'd found a few years ago on-line, and have loved ever since.  I think that should help redress the balance of all that banana bread eating.  Well that, and a fair few miles of running!

As one of the things on my Fifty before 50 list is to read all Agatha Christie's novels, I felt I'd better start to make headway on those many many books.  So this month's reading began with The Secret Adversary, the novel is Agatha's second, and the first to feature Tommy & Tuppence.  After reading so many novels written in more recent years, what struck me most reading this, was how the writing, language and general tone, was so of it's time, and so very different from today.  And completely different to my next book, Jenny Diski's In Gratitude.  Written by Diski following her diagnosis with incurable cancer, the book is part diary, part memoir, part musings and thoughts of hers, though is mostly about the time she spent living with the author Doris Lessing.  Whilst not a particularly upbeat read, it's intriguingly honest and has made me curious to read more of both hers, and Doris Lessing's books.

{ visting }

Catching up with friends I'd not seen in a while meant an opportunity to try a couple of new places.  Middleton Hall, on the outskirts of Tamworth, and Gorilla Coffee Cafe, in King's Heath, saw my friends and I trying to put the world to rights over several cups of coffee.  Gorilla Coffee in particular, is now on my list of favourite coffee shops to escape to / read books in / take my laptop to / just sit and watch the world go by in.

And then, the start of all the lovely Spring fairs & markets.  First there was the Spring Market, hosted by Fabulous Places, at the Roundhouse, and last weekend, the Spring Fair, hosted by selvedge, in Bath. An opportunity to discover new makers, and revisit old favourites, buying a few lovely bits and pieces for me and the house.

Looking forward to a couple more Spring Fairs in April, not to mention copious amounts of Easter bunnies, chocolate, chicks and eggs.  And a little more of that lovely Spring sunshine.  Oh, and possibly a bit of knitting.

{ have a happy day }