When Little D was born I decided to make him a very special gift.
As you may have guessed food is very close to my heart and I love cookery books and read them like novels. Therefore it won't be any real surprise to learn the gift was a recipe book, but one penned by myself and including all our family favourities. Everything will be in there, from my special Spanish rice to great grandma's treacle toffee, interdispersed with stories and snippets of the family history.
It is still very much a work in progress and I have gone from planning a proper published glossy tome to wanting to produce something handwritten and heartfelt. I may yet do both, but recently I have been looking for off the peg solutions for my research. You would think that this would be easy. What's difficult in finding a plain A5 notebook? But to be honest it's been difficult finding one up to the job. I was looking for something good quality that could stand up to the odd spill, without lines so I could add little diagrams and pictures and things, and last but not least it must have a way of indexing entries.
Quite out of the blue I was very lucky to be given a lovely Moleskine Recipe book that was just the ticket from a lovely friend this Christmas. It has sections for starters, mains and desserts and a section just for wine. It is going to be perfect for my research and recipe development. It also has a handy little pocket for cut outs.
Another option I happened on by chance is Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks. I was sent an unlined A5 book to try and was really impressed by it. Again they have that handy pocket and a really useful section at the front of indexing. The paper is really good quality and a delight to write upon. Because it is plain it is perfect for including diagrams or pictures of items I have made.
I am really looking forward to using my new notebooks now that the kitchen project is almost complete. I just need to find the perfect kitchen table....
We were given Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks free of charge to review.
Hot on the heels of the popular Channel 4 series, comes a fantastic new book aimed at those who want to create a uniquely stylish handcrafted home on a budget.
Kirstie’s Homemade Home by TV’s Kirstie Allsopp is packed with invaluable hints and tips to help you design the creative home of your dreams. As well as experienced advice on how to go about purchasing crafts, antiques and curios to dress every room in your house, the book also includes a wide range of practical projects. There’s something for everyone from knitting a tea cosy to screen-printing wallpaper. Kirstie’s clear step by step instructions mean professional results are easily achievable, so not only could you save yourself some money but you’ll also gain great satisfaction from having made it yourself. It also contains a useful directory of contacts from antique dealers to craftspeople, not just based in London but right across the country.
I really like this book, as well as its beautiful photography, it's well laid out and easy to follow. Throughout each chapter you can hear Kirstie’s calm and sensible voice guiding you, but at no point do you feel her impinging her personal tastes on you, rather your own style is gently developed.
Having been a bit wary of attending auctions in the past this book has given me the confidence to dip a toe in the water and try bidding online. I especially liked the section on children’s storage having a small but perfectly formed nursery and a strong aversion to flat packed furniture. I now have lots of creative ideas that I can't wait to try out!
In my opinion this book is the next best thing to having an interior designer at hand to give your home a makeover. Highly recommended.
Kirstie’s Homemade Home is published by Hodder & Stoughton RRP £20 and is available from all good bookshops.
We recieved a copy of this book free of charge for review. All opinions are our own.
Dormouse and The Teapot are holding a series of craft and writing workshops throughout June and August at Dormouse and The Teapot Kitschen.
Workshop attendees will get the chance to take part in a range of three hour sessions led by expert crafters and published writers. They will make lovely crafted items to take away or learn new writing skills, followed by tea and cake served on Dormouse and The Teapot’s trademark mismatched vintage china.
It is a really exciting and interesting programme. There is something for everyone from making concertina notebooks, shabby-chic hearts, corsages, mini toys and mobiles to learning the art of rewriting work, the skills of narrative poetry and developing fictional characters.
Craft workshops are £20 and writing workshops £30, and each person who books a place before 28 May will be entered into a draw to win a Dormouse and The Teapot - two person afternoon tea set worth £32!
For full details of workshops and to book a place visit www.dormouseandtheteapot.com
Workshop attendees will get the chance to take part in a range of three hour sessions led by expert crafters and published writers. They will make lovely crafted items to take away or learn new writing skills, followed by tea and cake served on Dormouse and The Teapot’s trademark mismatched vintage china.
It is a really exciting and interesting programme. There is something for everyone from making concertina notebooks, shabby-chic hearts, corsages, mini toys and mobiles to learning the art of rewriting work, the skills of narrative poetry and developing fictional characters.
Craft workshops are £20 and writing workshops £30, and each person who books a place before 28 May will be entered into a draw to win a Dormouse and The Teapot - two person afternoon tea set worth £32!
For full details of workshops and to book a place visit www.dormouseandtheteapot.com