Tales from a shop window

Due to the nature of it's shape and depth, you have to physically climb into the window to make any changes.

This leads to all sorts of hilarity and helpful comments from passers by.

The Valentine's Day window is going in.

I am going for the usual mix of romance and mischief.

Heavy on the mischief.

A small glimpse here 

I knew you were trouble when you walked in

 so shame on me now.

A weekend of delicious hibernation.
I have discovered you can rent films from i-tunes, and there is a whole section on documentary films.
Fact is so much better and far more obscure than fiction.
and I have stumbled upon a wonderful blog that is neither floral, nor wedding, nor hound.
It's so easy to get bogged down reading blogs within your own industry, comparisons made, and generally leaving you feeling inept or jaded.
or just looking for dogs.
and this
and The Hound played in the snow.
off the lead, i have decided that losing him is preferable to him pulling me over on the ice. Which has happened twice now.....
and flowering bulbs are my current drug of choice.
This week sees the installation of the Valentine's window, and a little photo shoot.
for which I am going to need a few good men.
Volunteers please.

Outside Inside

 

Same bunch
different light

In the shop today

Crates have been screwed to the wall and a ladder
to which i have looped ribbon  in suitably chichi colours
its quite a good way of putting a colour scheme together
there are only so many times you can raid the paint chart strips at Homebase.

Just saying

 

There is a chair in the shop now
for customers to sit in whilst they wait for their flowers

instead of standing at my shoulder, telling me how to make a bouquet.

Roasting aubergines in the snow

It has snowed here.
It is cold.
I have been forced into buying proper thermals, the best money I have spent for a while.
and now is the time for soup.

Adapted from a recipe from Ottolenghi's newest book, Jerusalem.
His is burnt aubergine, which involves wrapping your gas burner with foil, and burning the skins in the flame, and who wants to faff about with that? and his doesn't have pancetta, mine almost didn't, who can resist eating the crispy bits whilst you do the rest? Not me.

Roast aubergine and tomato and pancetta soup, with apologies to Yottam
3 aubergines
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
juice of a lemon
pancetta
1 tbsp cumin seeds crushed
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin tomatoes
fill the empty tomato tin with chicken or vegetable stock
then fill it again with water

Roast the aubergine, whole, in the oven at 250 degrees C until the skin in crisp and the flesh very soft. (one of mine exploded, fear not if this happens)

Meanwhile in a big saucepan fry the pancetta until crisp, put to one side and fry the onion and cumin and later garlic in the rendered fat.
After some time, add everything else and simmer.
Scoop out the aubergine flesh and add to the pan.
Blend
Pour into bowls
titivate with oil and what is left of the pancetta that you didn't eat.
and whilst you have the oven on
roast a chicken
and watch the sunset.

U sure make me feel like loving you

There are flowers in the shop once again.
and plants.

Camellias, hellebores, Narcissus Paperwhite and Ice Folly. Pale things are soothing in January.

and some new furniture via sale rooms, charity shops and the tip, that is in dire need of a hot date with some Nitromors. Although having just googled nitormors to ascertain exact spelling and stumbling on a forum of DIY addicts, apparently what you need is something with dichloromethane in it off of ebay. Or a really big blow torch.

The new furniture is in my work area, newly designed to be tidy, organised, versatile and to make the most of the natural light. A place for everything and everything in it's place...........

I will take better pictures when the illicit encounter between Edwardian wood and noxious substances has occurred.

and the post title is my song of the moment. The new Ministry of Sound 90's dance anthems is the perfect homage to the U6th common room.

and whilst the newspapers are filled with adverts for divorce lawyers, my thoughts are on Valentines.

How do we top last year's campaign?

Also this post is a lot like the first hand tied bouquet i make after some time off. Not the best, but bear with.

This is the rhythm of my life

There was meant to be a "Happy Christmas" post on Christmas Eve, but the day got out of hand.

It started well, Melchior, Balthazar and Gaspar* brought gifts of Chanel, chocolates, and pigs in blankets.
but then it descended into chaos, as people came with desperation in their eyes, frantically searching for that last minute gift and bread sauce?

Since then it has been a most wonderfully relaxing family Christmas, I was completely bowled over by the gift of a mini Ipad. I've never had an Apple product before, so the apps are a revelation, greedily downloading ALL of them. Paper so far is my favourite.

do the Apple devotees amongst you have recommendations?

and there was Norfolk...

did you enjoy the festive period? And the sunshine start to 2013? Have you reflected on 2012?

given what happened with the eye 2012 should have been put in a box labelled "terrible"
but it really wasn't
I'm very proud of the work I did, whether it was a wedding, funeral or a small posy for a dinner party.

So thank you to everybody who made 2012 a good year, family, friends, brides, customers, and blog readers.

2013 is going to be even better

The shop is back in action on Wednesday 9th January. A facelift is occurring, the shop, not me.

*names have been altered to protect identity.