Fall treats at Pottery Barn

I know this is a mass market store in the states but something about Pottery Barn really makes me wish we had one here in England. I love the soft New England vibe, and since i can remember I've always wanted to go to that part of the US, I'm a huge fan of the white picket fences and would love to visit the states when they have there Fall and be there for Halloween in Salem ,I think Hocus Pocus had that influence on me, Witches and all that kind of dark stuff is of great interest for me. So while having a nose on Pottery Barn i noticed they've added a few sneaky peeks of there Fall/Halloween items...... Here's some of my favs!, if it wasn't to costly to ship over I'd go for most of what they have.

Don't you just love the Pumpkin punch bowl?

Berry Red's Autumn/Winter collection!

You know what i love about late August and early September?, all the Autumn and winter ranges and catalogues come out!!! and Now Berry Red have released their A/W collection!!! and I'm in love with what they have.The colour Aubergine and Red are my season favorites at the moment. I just bought some Aubergine curtains for my bedroom and I'm so in love with them, my windows are huge and curtains for them don't come cheap but when i saw a pair for £77 reduced from £109 i had to have them!!!!...... but back to Berry Red! here are some of my favorite items so far....

In the kitchen

Tonight while the rain lashed against the window and the world outside my window became ever so more gray,I was warm inside cooking dinner for me and the Mr, I'm such a little house wife just without the legal wife title. it had been a long day at work and i thought a hearty meal was in order but I'd also been playing with a few ideas on what to try next with cupcakes.

for dinner i made toad in hole, served up with roast potatoes and veggies,

Pretty impressed with how the toad in the hole came out

And for my cupcake idea... I'm currently watching "the great British bake off" series two! was totally fixed to it last year!, and in episode two it was all about tarts and naturally "Bakewell" tarts were on the list to make. now I'm not great with pastry but i am good at cupcakes so i made Bakewell cupcakes!







I used a normal vanilla recipe but just changed a few things around
Instead of adding vanilla extract i used Almond, and once i''d got the batter to its right texture i added a few handfuls of ground almonds, then i put a dab of Cherry jam in the base of the cases

Autumn in the air.......

August has felt like its come and gone with out much exciting happenings, this flat decorating really takes most of my time up these days, we're still doing the kitchen but I'm pleased to say that the oven, hob and sink have all been in for about 2 weeks now, and let me tell you i felt like a 1950's house wife who had just been introduced to one of these magical devices! although given the chance I'd love to cook on an open stove in a medieval style, I've never been so pleased with a domestic contraption before. So yes I'm most happy that we can cook proper meals! it feels good and smelling dinner cooking  makes the flat feel a whole lot more homely.


I'm not sure about you but Autumn feels so close right now, well actually i smelt the change about 2 weeks ago. slowly fading is that Summer smell and in comes that smoky fire and rustic cosy smell. when i think of Autumn i get a little excited with thoughts of crispy leaves underfoot, hearty baking, hot chocolates with all the marshmallows and whipped cream a faery like me could ask for, warm rich tones of red gold and yellow, HALLOWEEN!! mmmmm i could go on tehehehhe. Autumn for me is a feel good season gone has the not knowing what to wear like you get in summer( well here in the Uk anyway) and gone is the "oh its to hot". With Autumn your pretty safe with knowing how weathers going to be, also i love my woolly goves and this year i want to find a woolly hat that suites me, (hats arnt something i can pull off well), The Mr is going to buy me a new pair of boots too!! eeeeh i do love boots and they're great for woodland walks, which I'm hoping to do lots of this year, taking my camera and capturing those beautiful rich tones before they all go. 


The other day Autumn was really in my mind so i went on to Etsy and created this little treasury of all the things that make me feel so happy and cosy inside.

A dream of Autumn 

  Also at the weekend i baked!! for the first time in 7 weeks? (shocking behaviour) naturally with the feeling of autumn in my soul, i baked my first Apple Crumble of the season, well with all those apples ripe, sweet and crunchy at the moment it seemed very fitting.

lots more baking to come this autumn....oh and i have to say a thank you to Juli Gwynn of Dear Sweetlings for making it not feel silly to talk about Autumn so soon, read her blog on her thoughts of Autumn too :)
 
Loves and Sparkles
xXx

Lammas/ 1st harvest

Yesterday was Lammas (1st harvest) the fae have been hard at work making things ripe and ready for the farmers to start bringing in the good stuff.

"It is now high summer and the union of Sun and Earth, of God and Goddess, has produced the First Harvest. Lammas is the celebration of this first, Grain Harvest, a time for gathering in and giving thanks for abundance. We work with the cycle that Mabon or the Autumn Equinox is the Second Harvest of Fruit, and Samhain is the third and Final Harvest of Nuts and Berries." (info from goddess and greenman glastonbury)

As i don't have a kitchen at the moment, i was unable to make something for the celebrations, but i do have a recipe in mind, hopefully by the weekend i can make it.
Keeping with the in seasonal theme I'll make a crumble adding oats to the topping, i might even go apple picking as its there time to shine. if i can find any good sized blackberries I'll add those too.

Recipe for a basic crumble:

Topping :

300g/10½oz plain flour, sieved pinch of salt

175g/6oz unrefined brown sugar

200g/7oz unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature

Filling:
4 good sized cooking apple
50g/2oz unrefined brown sugar
Pinch of Cinnamon (add more i
f you wish)

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
   
   
2. Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
   
   
3. Place the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit
   
   
   
4. Butter a 24cm/9in ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
   
   
5. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.
   
   
6. Serve with thick cream or custard.
   

Mmmmm i can smell it already, a crumble is hearty and perfect for sharing!

Before i go i just want to share this photo that fairybell cottage put up yesterday!, a perfect representation of the harvest goddess.

Blessings to all
xXx

And we're in!

Home!

Its been  2 weeks since me and the Mr moved into our flat, the move went great, we packed everything the night before and just spent the Friday (15th)  tidying up and getting rid of the rubbish that was hidden here there and every where, so much paper and a whole load hair bands i thought I'd lost, by 10am we'd finished now was the waiting game so we sat on make shift seats and drank tea, Half an hour later the estate agents called to say that we could go and collect the keys! (Its really happening! no backing out now)... So we packed the car with the 1st load and Lee went with his dad to get the keys, It took about 4 runs to get everything to the new place, all in all it took about 3hrs. Its a tiring job moving, But I'm so glad that we're in. Our 1st night was fine i was abit worried that i wouldn't settle (in my mums house there's always noise), but i was fine, i think the celebratory drink may have helped. Saturday we got a call from Lee's Dad saying he was going to take us out and get a new kitchen (Wow) and a bed! Woo!, So off we went, picked one out and it arrived Thursday (21st) as did our sofa that we got in a sale. So Lee decided it would be a good plan to get the old kitchen out before the new one arrived. So he took the Thursday off and proceeded to rip everything out.We'd gone to B&Q on the Wednesday and picked out paint and the flooring, So we had everything ready to go. Saturday (23rd) Lee and his step dad spent the morning laying the new floor and putting in new sockets and Saturday afternoon Lee filled in holes. you may be thinking "what did you do?" i made the tea and held things when needed and tidied up when they'd finished, abit pointless really when you have to sand down the walls to make everything smooth.. hey ho. So Monday and Tuesday we sanded down the walls and prepped the room ready for painting which we did last night. Fingers crossed we'll have our kitchen up and running early next week....... 


Heres a few photos!

 for 1st time movers we have a lots of things

 Everything packed and ready to go

 New living room

Kitchen (well with out anything)

New floor

I'll be doing more updates as we go along. as the kitchen is the hub it was great idea to do this room 1st.
i can't wait to get cooking/baking! Yay!!

Loves and Sparkles
xXx

The big move

Tomorrow is moving day!!!! 3yrs saving and looking around countless flats and houses and we're finally there!!! well almost.

Me and the Mr have spent the past few days packing what seems like my life (Lee doesn't have much stuff at mine). Books, books, books soooo many of them, we even came across some that i'd put away years ago and almost forgotten about, until Lee had opened the box to check what was inside, but he taped it up before i could take them out to have a nose through, as Lee pointed out thats not how packing works. Theres alot of emotions floating around, i can't quite make out if i'm excited or anxious, i've been getting moments when  little burst of giggles come from nowhere and i do a little dance. I guess thats all apart of the fun! its something totally different and a new chapter!...... Roll on tomorrow

I'd also like to say a thank you to Lottie of www.scribblehands.com for my new background :)