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Taking Time to Live Well
Reading in the sunshine with a big mug of tea is surely the best way to spend a stolen hour or two. Papercrafter Clara from Bloomize has come up with a sweet little paper heart bookmark tutorial to help her keep her place.
All you need is a square of pretty paper and some nifty fingers. Pop over to the Bloomize blog for a photo how-to, and get folding.
'Where shall we go for coffee?' is one of life's eternal dilemmas. Ensuring we never have to endure a dodgy brew again is Cosy Coffee Shops founder Tom, who has tracked down the best indie coffee shops all over the UK.
We take our hats off to Tom for a number of reasons. Firstly, first rate dedication to the cause (he's even begun extending his hunt abroad when he's on holiday). Secondly, for managing to rope in his tea and hot-choc loving fiancée. Finally, (we imagine) more than a few caffeine-induced sleepless nights. It'd rude not a try a few out, really.
This week we have another simple eco-friendly gardening idea for you. Apartment Therapy has collated a list of seven kitchen leftovers to use in your garden.
They’re things which we all throw away on a regular basis (from coffee grounds to citrus fruit peel) so this will make our bins lighter and our gardens happier all in one go. We love it when that happens.
Do any readers have any other nifty gardening tips for using things we'd usually throw away? We'd love for you to share them with us.
We always assumed that fruit trees were one of the things which were off limits for people without massive lawns. Herbs? Yes. Flowers? No probs. But fruit trees? Er, really?
Apparently, we were mistaken. Colby Eierman's Fruit Trees in Small Spaces explains that with the right pruning and training, even those with a mini-sized outdoor space can enjoy home-grown fruit. We're more than happy to be proven wrong.
By Tori Hancock at Wellies and Vogue.
A few weeks ago we blogged about our favourite dip-dyed DIY projects. Well, our love of all things paint-splashed is showing no signs of waning, and we couldn't resist sharing these gorgeous wooden bowl sets with you.
This two tone kitchenware is the handiwork of Etsy seller Wind & Willow. All of crafter Araya's products are made from beautifully turned natural wood, dipped in swirly coloured rubber. We can't think of anything we'd rather serve our nibbles in this summer.
Lemon is one of our favourite summer flavours. It's fresh and zingy when we're feeling hot and bothered. This lemon pound cake recipe pairs citrus-y sponge with crunchy poppy seeds and sharp lemon icing, and it's making our stomachs very rumbly indeed.
Click over to Desserts for Breakfast for the recipe. In true recession spirit, master baker Stephanie has gone for a two-for-the-price-of-one recipe post and thrown in a ricotta and chocolate pound cake recipe for free.
So glad you found us!
The Simple Things is a new monthly print magazine celebrating the things that matter most. It’s about knowing the greatest rewards come from the simplest things, that there’s no satisfaction like that at the end of a long muddy walk, no pink so pretty as freshly-cut rhubarb, no perfume to compare with your own home-grown flowers. It’s about making warm inviting homes – big or small – sharing food with friends, growing your own vegetables. It’s about shopping for a coffee table only to find you’re happy with a tea chest. It’s keeping your dad’s old typewriter just because it’s beautiful. It’s an empty beach on a Sunday morning. It’s backpedalling.
The Simple Things is from the creators of the UK's best selling handmade title, Mollie Makes, and will be on sale in the UK on September 6 2012. Can't wait? Then take a look inside The Simple Things in our sneak peek sampler!
You can make sure you don't miss the first issue of The Simple Things by taking advantage of our special pre-launch subscription offer 3 issues for £5.
So, what do you think? We would love to hear. Just scribble in the comments below or pop over to our Facebook page & chat to us on Twitter.
Exciting!
Do any of our readers remember weaving coloured paper into place mats at primary school? Ellinée has given our fave childhood craft project a grown-up twist with their woven basket tutorial, which uses brown paper bags for some rustic appeal.
We'll be following their lead and piling our baskets high with fresh fruit for people to dig into at a picnic lunch. Pop over to Ellinée for a photo guide to creating your own.
Newsflash! The generous people at the National Trust have come up trumps this summer by offering kids free entry to National Trust properties for all of August. Pack a picnic, explore an adventure playground or use the time to tick a few more items off your 50 Things to do before you’re 11 ¾ list - the choice is yours.
Pop over to the National Trust website to download your free voucher and get out and about before the sun goes in!
Tart it Up! is the latest offering from dessert legend and pâtissier extraordinaire Eric Lanlard, and this time he's turned his attentions to pies, flans and, that's right, tarts.
The cookbook contains a whole section dedicated to explaining the secrets behind perfect pastry, as well as a selection of quick bakes using ready-roll pastry for busy days.
We're most excited about the dessert tart section, though, which is filled with such treats as Exotic Fruit Meringue Crumble Pie and Apricot, Honey and Pistachio Tart. They don't call him Cake Boy for nothing, you know.
From Máni Katz.
Okay, this is not glamorous, but it deserves a mention because it's such a simple but great idea. Everyone's used to recycling their kitchen plastics and composting their leftovers, but we'd never even thought of buying reusable kitchen towels.
Athena Creates' Bird-E Towels (or unpaper towels, as they're affectionately known), are one way to make our homes a little greener. You can keep a stack of these in your kitchen, then pop 'em in the washing machine after you've used them, ready for the next lot of slips and spills. Click over to Etsy shop Athena Creates to find out more.
Wow. When we found this recipe for roasted strawberry and coconut milk lollies we were instantly smitten.
A little while ago, Sprouted Kitchen taught us how to make roasted strawberry ice cream. Kimberley from The Year in Food has gone one better and come up with a lolly version (or popsicle, if you'd rather), which eliminates the washing up and means we can eat these pretty much anywhere. Which is what we're planning on doing.
Whichever version we choose, we predict this recipe will be featuring heavily in our freezers this summer.
The sky is blue, the sun is shining and the schools have broken up. It can only mean one thing - wedding season is upon us once more. We've just fallen for this wedding favour box DIY.
The gurus at HeyLook created a little range of geometric favour boxes for Ruffled, which can be created from the templates provided.
Is it just us, or are regular gift boxes looking terribly old-fashioned all of a sudden? We can't imagine making a whole wedding party's worth, but we think for a special gift these are definitely worth the effort.
Apparently, tea is the world's second favourite beverage, after water. It seems that we are not alone is our love of this wonderful drink.
Helpfully, Utility Journal has produced a Tea Tip sheet as a mini-guide. Have you ever wondered about the perfect brewing time? Or if loose leaf is better than tea bags? No? Well, we take tea drinking very seriously. Pop over to Utility Journal get some answers anyway.
As hobbies go, gardening is pretty eco-friendly, but the little trick of starting seeds in eggshells is even more impressively so. Once you're done, plants go into the soil, egg box goes into the recycling and eggshells go for compost. Chances are, you won't have to buy anything special to get started, either!
This technique is ideal if you only have a little space to work with, because it'll tuck neatly onto your windowsill. Pop over to gardening blog Garden Betty to find out exactly how it's done, plus tricks and tips on what to grow.
Nosing into people's creative spaces is like having a tiny window into their minds, and Jo Packham has provided us with just that in her new book, Where Women Create: Book of Organisation.
Jo has charmed her way into the studios of artists of all types, from fashion designers to doll makers (including, confusingly, men) and invited them to share their thoughts and tips on the spaces that get their creative juices flowing.
Not so much a how-to guide as an inspirational scrapbook, Book of Organisation may not help you transform your messy workspace into a haven of tranquillity, but it's fascinating nonetheless. Click over toWWC Press for a sneak peek inside, or check out Jo's Where Women Create site for more arty loveliness.
By Jacinta Moore at Bawk Bawk Bawk.
We're always up for sampling unusual flavour pairings. How else are we supposed to find new favourites? This recipe for rosemary and chocolate olive oil cake from The Flour Sack definitely falls into the 'experimental' category, and we can't wait to try it out.
Baker Brooke says that this is the perfect snack cake. We always like to have a home-made cake tucked away in a tin ready for any unexpectected visitors or a nibble with a cup of tea in the afternoon, and this recipe has us sorted for this week.
We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.