Afternoon tea with Persephone books

I have a Lovely Husband. One of the forms that his loveliness takes is his willingness to chauffeur me ( I don't drive) around to places he has no possible interest in going to himself. Like yesterday.... for me, an independent bookshop, hosting an afternoon tea on behalf of Persephone books, sounds pretty much a perfect afternoon. For the Lovely Husband... not so much. But as it was in a rural location, well over an hour's drive away the only way I was going was if he was taking me. Which he did, generously and uncomplainingly. And was it worth it? Totally. The bookshop was wonderful, the best of its kind, the tea was served in vintage cups from a teapot covered in a Persephone-grey cosy and there was the best news from Nicola Beauman, who was there from Persephone (there ARE more Dorothy Whipples still to be re-published!).
If I was a Lovely Wife, next weekend we'd be going to a football match, followed by many hours in the pub. But I'm not, so we're going to the Hay Festival instead.

More makes...

I blogged recently about my adorable youngest niece. Today I want to share something I've made for my eldest niece. She is one of the most extraordinary people I know and I love and admire her beyond words. She recently had her first baby (making me... gulp... Great Aunty Jo) who is an utterly peaceable, contented and happy baby. For her I made this little granny square blanket. It really is small. Just big enough to tuck around those chubby little thighs while she's in her car seat.

Gosh, it really needs blocking, doesn't it?

And for my beloved Mum's birthday, a rather "rustic" (i.e. squashed!) looking pavlova. I stuck some sparklers and a candle in the top and it seemed to go down well.

Reading List - April 2013

"The Joy of Less" by Francine Jay.
"Seating Arrangements" by Maggie Shipstead.
"The Home Handbook" by Rachel Simhon.
"The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year" by Sue Townsend.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.

My two "guilty pleasures" feature on this month's list. Don't tell anyone - it's embarrassing to admit, but I love a good housekeeping manual as well as a decently written thriller (of which "Gone Girl" is a brilliant example).

Three beautiful things, from a "nothing happening Sunday"...

1. The amount of dust picked up in the bedrooms by our swanky new vacuum cleaner is horrifying, yet deeply satisfying.
2. The last mouthful of Sunday lunch - a sweet and sticky roast parsnip, crisp Yorkshire pudding and tender, deeply savoury roast beef - when you've left the best bits till last.
3. The smell of a new paperback.

Saturday morning

I love Saturday mornings. I love to get up early (I'm a lark, in that sense) and have an hour or two while the rest of the house remains sleeping and silent. By the time my two owls are stirring I am ready to don my floral-sprigged apron, roll my sleeves up and get to work because Saturday mornings are the time I clean my house. A couple of hours hard graft and  I can put down the feather duster, pack away the Hoover and start to potter. I walk down to the bakery for the weekend's loaf and croissants. I might pick up a bunch of flowers. And Saturday morning is my baking time, for it's lovely to start the weekend knowing there's something in The Tin. This week it was chocolate chip cookies, using Nigella's recipe from "Feast". The best Saturday mornings of all? They are the ones when Spring has finally arrived and you can fling open the windows and the back door and reward yourself with a frothy coffee, a still-warm cookie and a sit in the sunshine.

Four Happy Things

I recently took part in my first ever blog swap. Hosted by Lisa at Bobo Bun, it had a lovely premise- swap four happy-making things, one from childhood, one which is homemade, one which is vintage and one in a favourite colour. I was lucky enough to be partnered with Nikki, of Tales from Swallow Barn. She was a fantastic swap partner, proving to be thoughtful, as she trawled my blog for ideas for things that would make me happy; generous, as she sent a wonderful boxful of goodies and patient, as I was a whole month later than our agreed on swap date! (Sorry again, Nikki!) She's also a better photographer than me  - hence my "borrowing" these photos from her blog! (Thanks again, Nikki!)
First, what I sent her...

Something homemade - sloe gin; something from childhood - gobstoppers and jazzies in a rustly paper bag; something vintage - an embroidered tea tray cloth and something in a favourite colour - a pretty sky-blue teacup and side plate.
And here is what I was lucky enough to receive...

Something homemade - that stripy box holds a whole heap of lavender bath goodies (two each of lavender soaps, candles, bath melts and bath bombs AND a crocheted lavender heart!); something vintage - sweet little tray; something in a favourite colour - this BEAUTIFUL version of my favourite Barbara Pym novel and something from childhood - Bunty! This made me hoot in delight when I opened it. Bunty was my favourite comic as a childhood, once I'd grown out of "Twinkle" that is, and my favourite story coincidentally, is also the one Nikki remembers most fondly.

All of these goodies were sent in a brown paper package, tied up with string... (I'll pause here to let your mind hum along to Julie Andrews....).
The swap lived up to it's name, making me very happy and I feel lucky to have had such a lovely partner. Now, I'm off for one of those lavender baths!

Sweetie cupcakes for a sweet niece

My baby niece is turning 3. Unbelievable how quickly time flies! Like all my nieces and nephews she is growing into a delightful little person - she is funny, smart and beautiful. She is also, quite simply, the cutest kid to have ever lived. She's sit-on-your-hands- cute.... you know, the sort of cute where you have to sit on your hands to stop yourself from squeezing and squishing her.
One of the best things about being an Aunty is that you get to indulge your nieces and nephews in ways which you'd balk at with your own children. Hence, for Baby Niece's birthday party... sweetie cupcakes!