Back in the days of yore

Peonies cost 3d - apparement this was 3 pence in old money.

This was all way before my time.

They cost a little more nowadays, but are just as enchanting.

Currently loving.........vintage glass

Filled with peonies or on it's own, perfect for a sunny day. The glass flower frogs are my favourite.

Also thank you for the several text messages fear not I still prefer a man that wears something a little more classic like L'Egoiste or Aramis.

The Lynx effect

This morning I stood in a queue behind a man wearing a whole can of Lynx, I was tempted.

Real or fake?......you decide - the results

Let's play a little game shall we?, after all it is raining.
Are these arrangements that reside on our wedding table made from actual real flowers or are they made of nylon?

Answer by 4pm - there is no prize......it's just for fun.
xoxo

Edit......it was a trick question, both arrangements are a mix of real and fake, I wanted a bigger display for our wedding table, but have neither the time, inclination, or money to redo them every week. The jury is still out on whether or not I can live with the fakery.

Also it is not a walking stick, it is the handle to my whicker basket on wheels a la old ladies, perfect for being al chi chi at the farmers market.

Cooking with homegrown herbs

I grow a lot of herbs, some for cooking, others for bouquets, and some purely for ground coverage. This weekend I was particularly inspired by OFM to cook up some herb and ricotta fritters, and souvlaki. I also made banana bread from Miss Dahl's book, which contains no herbs but was delicious.

Also I cut some Heuchera flowers intending to mix them with some hypnose roses and other fancy things...instead they are still in their temporary... a coke bottle

At time of writing the angelica was still in the garden.

Too pretty for words

Bouquet by Miss P, buttonhole by the gardeners at The Big House

This weekend we have been mainly

Watching the garden grow, the angelica is in flower and I am resiting the temptation to chop it down and put it in a floor standing vase. Do you cut from your garden? Or is that sacrilege?
I did however do a lot of tree lopping, with some telescopic loppers - I am considering a new career as a tree surgeon - it was that much fun.

The Hound spent a lot of time surveying the damage his running and gymnastics does to the lawn. His conclusion was astroturf.

Getting very lovely presents, I love presents even more than tree lopping, especially when it comes in a box with Dior on it.

We have also been watching the Monaco Grand Prix - can you tell we are not as enthused as last season? Where has it all gone wrong with McLaren? But like an old friend, a love, we stand by them through the bad times - jut sometimes a thank you would be nice, a few points?, a podium?, an all areas pass for the next race?

We have also been spending a lot of time being inappropriately overdressed in 1950's sundresses with big petticoats and heels.

Delightful things to follow later in the day, did you all have a good weekend? xoxo

Royal Horticultural Society prints

No more trawling the antique shops for vintage magazines, the RHS now sell these as prints, I think they might be just the ticket for decorating the downstairs loo.

I'm a little bit country

and I'm a little bit rock'n'roll. Where ever would we be without The Osmonds?

Number of tourists who have been in to take a picture of Ye Olde flower shop 8

Number of parking tickets issued on St.Paul's Street in 25 minutes 11

Number of times I intend to use 'n' instead of and over the weekend - lots

Enjoy the Bank holiday xoxo

And the bride wore teal

Number of times somebody has asked if the Amnesia roses are real 7

Number of arrangements made for a private jet 1 (destination LA )

Number of pigs ears purchased at the farmers market 0

Number of paracetamol required to shake hangover 3.5

Number of times my wrap dress has become unwrapped 4

Roses, Heuchera, and Eucharis

With a little bit of cotinus, peony and hydrangea.

I seem to have lost my quirk, have you seen it? I think I left it in Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago. If you see it would you send it via a carrier pigeon? Thank you so much.

Also I have just had a meeting with a tres chic French girl - I need a makeover.

Tomorrow I will bring you images of a wedding, if it's a Friday, it must be The George.

A bientot

I want pink

Red Velvet Cupcakes, or how to stain your hands and worktops red by Miss P and The Boy Wonder

Birthdays are not the time for fancy Patisserie, they are the time for full on kitsch.
A step by step guide to preparing some Ferrari Red Velvet Cupcakes

1. Cherchez a recipe that doesn't involve those American cups of flour and sticks of butter, we found this one from the Daily Telegraph

5oz/140g self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa
Half tsp bicarbonate of soda
4floz/110ml buttermilk
1 tsp vinegar
Half tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp red food colouring
2oz/60g butter at room temperature
6oz/170g caster sugar
1 large egg
To decorate:
Cream-cheese frosting (see box) and fresh cherries
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Line a 12-hole cup cake tin with cases.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, bicarb and a pinch of salt. In a mug, mix the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and red food colouring.
Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg a little at a time. Mix in a third of the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk mixture, then another third of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk and finally the last of the flour mixture.
Divide the mixture between the paper cases. Bake for 20 minutes, until risen and springy - don't overcook them.
Cool on a rack.
To decorate, pipe on the frosting and top with a cherry.

Then simply set on fire and eat. If like us your hand slips and the whole bottle of colouring ends up in the mix, be prepared for a slight cochineal after taste. Enjoy xoxo

For one day only, because it's your birthday

Image made by blingee, via Saipua

Happy Birthday Mr Ferrari...........In a while crocodile xx

Oranges and lemons

Oranges and lemons, Say the bells of St. Clement's

You owe me five farthings, Say the bells of St. Martin's

When will you pay me? Say the bells of Old Bailey.

When I grow rich, Say the bells of Shoreditch.

When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney

I do not know, Says the great bell of Bow

Here comes a candle to light you to bed And here comes a chopper to chop off your head

The bride suggested orange gerbera, I said NO. Is this wrong?

This weekend we have been mainly

Acquiring a sideboard and chair

Sleeping

Rediscovering the joys of glitter eyeshadow - I care not that it isn't age appropriate.

Watching lambs frolic - we think number 2 is the cutest

Topics of conversation have been:
The collapse of the political system
Katie and Peter
Can Captains of ships really marry people?
The Mother Hen's purse full of coupons
The dumbing down of the Chelsea flower show - Nikki Chapman as a presenter? No thank you.
The fact that The Other Miss Pickering finished 23rd out of 4,000 in the race for life.
Getting all foolish over Melody Gardot - this is music to fall in love to.

Weddings a-go-go

Things are a little hectic here, a long week of weddings at farms and in cathedrals, of sunflowers, wheat and roses, of late nights, early mornings and junk food.

Wouldn't you just love to run away in a VW camper van? The Hound and I would - yes indeed. This is the mode of transport for one of our brides and her betrothed. Soundtrack of the day is this

Normal business will resume next week, until then xoxo

Go away, give me a chance to miss you

Say goodbye, it will make me want to kiss you. I love you so much more when you're not here.......Leave me the **** alone, tomorrow I'll be begging you to come home.

Don't you just love a bit of seasonality? Would we all fawn over peonies if you could have them everyday of the week? The love affair begins.

Don't you just know that 2 seconds after taking this photo on the windowsill outside, a big gust of wind came and blew it off, breaking the bottle?

A new colourway

It seems to keep cropping up in my sitting room, eau de nil, smoked grey, navy, pale gooseberry and tan. Will find a way to translate it into flowers......

1. Necklace by my friend Lorna Henderson - more on her lovely jewels soon 2. Vases on my mantelpiece - empty 3. Bush radio a design classic, this is an original given to me by my Grandmother.

Enough of all this I hear you cry where are the flowers? - Tomorrow my dears, tomorrow.

Supper for a Sunday

Most Sundays The Hound and I rustle up a roast chicken for a kitchen supper. Sunday nights are open house provided you don't mind my eclectic vegetable mix and lack of potato, all welcome.tonight it is roast plum tomato and asparagus.

I have been reading this blog for a while and can't wait to see her wedding photos, but this post on the TTV technique by Amy Jones is amazing. If anyone has a twin reflex sitting around unused please, please, please send it my way - i will take pictures of pretty things.

The Hound is also looking for a Super 8 cine camera.

p.s. Excuse the carving, I am more of a rip it offthe carcass whilst standing over the hob kinda gal.

To you I guess I'm just a clown who picks you up each time you're down.

Oh baby......

A mutant stem of lily of the valley

It couldn't possibly go in a bridal bouquet could it? Much better I spare the bride and bring it home to pop by my bedside.

Things are looking up, The Aristocrat is taking The Hound and I to dinner, sometimes all a girl needs is the opportunity to wear a posh frock and some **** me shoes.

Have a great weekend, thank you so much for reading and for your comments. Next week we have a whole lot of weddings to bring you strangely all with a hint of yellow. I am currently loving all things yellow, more on that soon. xoxo