Time out...

I'm told that it's 'just a stage'.  But I'm wondering how much longer Cub Senior is going to keep acting like a small dictator/hooligan/terrorist?  There's only a couple more weeks left when he'll fit into the the terrible twos category and then I'm out of excuses.  What can I blame the screaming, shouting,  tantrums on now?  He's excelled himself in the last month.  We've had more time outs than I care to think about - I put him in a another room for two minutes while he,supposedly, calms down and thinks about what he's done...In reality, he tries to break the door down with a nearby offending wellie/broom/satsuma. The busier I am, the worse he gets. He'll try any tactic he can until he gets my full, undivided attention.  We were photographing the house for the Telegraph magazine yesterday and he was having absolutely none of it.  He did everything he possibly could to distract me culminating with a sensational finale of biting a Karvol capsule in half.  The warning on the box being, 'seek urgent medical attention', meant instead of finishing napkin rings/ironing table cloths etc, I spent an hour on the phone talking to someone from the Poison hotline. 
At 8am this morning he was ordering me to "get into the kitchen and clean!' My disbelief was met with a louder shout of "do it NOW!"  I am terrified at what lies ahead of me; imagine when the smaller one is big enough to do what the bigger one tells him to...

The Invitation

I umm-ed and ahh-ed for weeks about my launch invitation.  Desperately wanting to do something swanky myself but slightly restricted by my absolute lack of technical prowess.  

I decided to approach Happy Menocal - who's work I'm completley infatuated with - to see if he would help me.  Long story short, he did.  And this is what he came up with...

Thank you Happy!

Cub's Clothing

I really struggle finding nice clothes for the Cubs.  Everywhere I go, I come across divine, tiny Liberty print dresses; lovely bright coloured tights and heavenly printed skirts that I would love to wear myself.  Shopping for little girls is easy as pie.  Finding plain, simple boys clothes that aren't logo-ed up to the max is a tricky business.  Cub senior was definitely a Nudist in a former life; Getting him to wear anything for more than five minutes is a major battle in itself.  But at times when he does give in to my pleas, both Cubs are walking, talking GAP adverts.  Maybe with a bit of Little White Company thrown in occasionally too.  But even GAP are throwing a spanner in the works now and putting silly little bear logos everywhere.  So when one of my all time favourite companies 'Waddler' sent me an email telling me about their new cotton range, I was jumping up and down with excitement.  As expected, the few new pieces are divine - I'm especially loving the llama print shirt. So simple and cool.

 

I'm such a huge fan of the company that the lovely Philip and Marina have offered all my readers a 15% discount until the end of October.  Just put 'WILLOWROSE' in the discount box et voila...

Happy Shopping!

Launch Invitations

I've been looking forward to my book launch since the day I signed the contract.  I'm not quite sure what part of it that I've been really been looking forward to.  Maybe just what it symbolises.  The fact that I've actually done it and it's real.  

I'm completely obsessed with stationary and so the invitation is a big thing.  I want it to be as beautiful and original as it can be.  I've spent hours trawling thorough images and fonts trying to narrow down my best.  What I really want is for the genius Happy Menocal to create something magical for me...

I have a real thing for birds...

Neon handwriting

Text over a photograph

In my dreams - hand embroidery.

Love this font

Happy Menocal

One of my faves..

 Watercolour over text

More designs by Happy Menocal.

My Chatelles

I love that feeling you get when you find something new that is so brilliant and exciting.  You can't believe you haven't known about it until now.  How have you not known?

I don't generally go for a slipper shoe.  I love the look on other people.  But they aren't really me.  They're a bit neat. Too structured. And on the whole, seriously uncomfy. This new find though, Im sure, is going to be the one to covert me.  I feel it in my bones.

It's a French company called Chatelles.  And basically, it's shoe pick 'n mix.  You choose your shoe colour and material and then decide if you want tassels or monogrammed initials.  I'm having a bit of an issue deciding which ones I'd have. But leaning slightly more towards the tassel variety today.  Maybe a tasselled, Liberty print?

www.mychatelles.com

Tom Hunt

Carrying on the culinary theme, I've got a new favourite chef. An eco-chef called Tom Hunt to be more specific. His cooking slightly reminds me of Jamie Oliver's.  Quite rustic, healthy-ish, lots of herbs and seasonal vegetables.  I'm contemplating making his chocolate torte tonight for Chazy's birthday cake. Not that he likes cake. So it might be a little selfish.  I'll think of it as a practice run for the next time I need to whip up some sort of birthday sensation.

Chocolate Torte with Caramelised Beetroot

"This is a very simple recipe. The chocolate has an incredible velvety texture and is to die for. Beetroot is delicious in the summer and brings seasonality to the dish. The bitterness of the chocolate marries with the earthy notes of the beetroot well.

500ml Double Cream

60g Caster sugar


130g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

560g Divine choctolate, broken into pieces


Cocoa for dusting

20-30cm Baked pastry case

Beetroot, sliced thinly into discs

100g Sugar

 Preheat oven to 150c

Start by boiling the beetroot in advance. Cover with water, add 100g of sugar. Simmer till the beetroot begins to soften and the liquid has reduced to a syrup. Place the slices of beetroot onto a sheet of parchment paper and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes till they go a little chewy. Put aside and leave to cool. Keep the syrup for a garnish.

Bring the double cream, sugar and a good pinch of salt to the boil, remove from the heat. Add the butter and chocolate. Stir gently till just melted and combined.

Pour into the baked pastry shell. Leave to cool and refrigerate. If you have any chocolate left pour them into little glasses to serve as chocolate pots.

When you are ready to serve, dust with cocoa and serve with whipped cream or creme fraiche a slice of beetroot and spoon of the vibrant beetroot syrup.

I'm actually hoping to be able to try his version at the Art cellar this week. Definitely my highlight of the event.  Although I still havent checked my lottery ticket from this friday so I could actually be able to buy lots of lovely paintings after all.      If nothing goes to plan though, ill be quite happing consoling myself with a large bowl of his Babbaganush instead..

www.tomsfeast.com

www.theartcellar.co.uk

Back in the Kitchen

It wasn't that I went off food; I just really couldn't be bothered to cook anything.  The Cub's were up 24/7; my book was requiring full attention and the house felt like it was in the running to be the set of the new Arachnophobia sequel. The thought of cooking once I'd reached the heavenly 7pm milestone made me want to run, screaming for the hills.  So I stopped.  We fell into a weekly pattern that involved minimal thought or effort.  Monday was an M&S chicken kiev.  Wednesday - fish and chips from the van in the village and Friday,  Pizza from Ricco's pizza shack- also handily parked behind our house for the night.  So that only left tuesdays and thursdays to come up with something.  It would usually involve a baked potato or if I was feeling energetic, a chicken.  I tried to make it healthy though to counteract the three other health by-pass days.

 

This week however, I turned a corner.  I suddenly felt the need to cook.  Something wholesome and warming.  And something that I hadn't done before. Chaz has had a sudden obsession with casseroles in the last few weeks.  I personally, am not a huge fan. In fact, even the word 'casserole' makes me shudder.  Before I knew it a tray of chicken thighs had jumped into my basket and my lovely friend Mel had sent me home with a Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall recipe for a Chicken and mushroom cider casserole.

Long story short; it was a sensation.  Chaz awarded it with a 'best thing I've ever eaten' medal. High praise.  And even again the next morning when the wine had worn off.  Needless to say I felt rather proud of myself and am properly excited about what I'm going to cook next.  Although I am quite tempted to do Hugh's  cider creation again.  I like getting medals.

Beauty School

The other day someone asked me if I was eight years older than I actually am.  That, combined with the  very unwelcome arrival of far too many - premature in my opinion- wrinkles, has led to a bit of a meltdown.  I know that I'm not a spring chicken any more; I will be 30 quite soon and I have two small hooligan boys who insist on me getting no more than 6 hours sleep a night.  It's not an obvious recipe for flawless, gorgeous skin.  The worrying thing, is that I cant really see it getting any better.  I'm not going to do a Benjamin Button and get miraculously younger over night.   And I doubt the Cubs have plans on doing more sleeping any time soon.  So I've taken action. 

First step was a make-up lesson.  I had one on my fifteenth birthday and am embarrassed to say I don't think I've learnt any more tricks since.  I do now know that frosted lipstick perhaps isn't my best look though.  I went in determined not to come home  having spent an absolute fortune.  It's just so miraculous though. You walk in looking and feeling like a grey, wrinkly old hag, barely unable to look at your reflection and then twenty minutes later - you're completely unrecognisable. I challenge anyone to go in for a makeover and come out empty handed.  I did pretty well and managed to escape with only the bare essentials.  All Chantecaille - I love a pretty package. And it's French - so clearly works.  I got a pot of gel foundation, a magic concealer wand and loose powder.  It's taken me a while to get over the fact that I own loose powder - I'm of the belief that powder is for the over 70's only.  Sonia -the makeup artist- tells me otherwise. Apparently it's as important as a good foundation.  I'm not convinced but am quite enjoying not being shiny for once.  





Second step is a brand new Clarisonic Mia.  I was very lucky to be sent one as a present as they don't come cheap.  It's a face cleaning and buffing contraption that's meant to be twenty times better than bog standard cleansing.  My nightly routine takes quite long enough as it is - Chaz is usually out cold by the time I've finished - so I was a little wary that it was just going to add even longer to the proceedings.  It's weirdly made things quicker - a quick 60 seconds whizzing it over your face and you're done.  And I really do think it's making a difference.  Honestly.  

It's quite ironic really - I buy all that swanky make up and could now quite happily carry on life without it. It makes me feel quite grown up though which is always nice.  And it looks pretty in my bathroom.

Next step, the health spa...

Window Shopping

I was passing my favourite book shop in Woodstock yesterday morning and was greeted by this vision!

I wish I could say I'd played it cool and taken it all in my stride....

There was a lot of shouting and a lot of excited leaping.

My first shop window!  

Definitely one of the top ten most exciting moments to date...

Chloe Soiree

Hostess Martha Ward wearing Chloe

I went up to London last night for a soiree in my all time favourite shop, Chloe, thrown by the wonderful stylist Martha Ward.  It was pure girly heaven; handbags, Nails Inc manicures, bottles of scent with our names engraved on them and uninterrupted shoe and bag chat.  I've been pretty good at not allowing myself into Chloe-  for at least a year I'd say.  Sleep deprivation makes me do crazy things and I worry I wouldn't be able to control myself when face to face with one of their usual sensations. There was a near slip up when I saw a pale blue, leather Lucy clutch bag winking at me from across the store.  But I did well.  I was very restrained and left her behind.   It hasn't stopped me spending the last 24 hours trying to find one on ebay though.

I can live in hope...

Ruth Crossley and Martha Ward - with the pale blue Lucy...

Finger detail

Samantha Shaw and Leah Speakman

Button detail

Conde Nast Traveller Editor, Melinda Stevens' Chanel sandals

Poppy Delevingne in Sandro

The red Lucy bag

Trouser party

Rails of new season Chloe beauties

www.chloe.com

www.marthaward.com

Magic Greenhouse

Im having one of those days.  I would quite like to be hiding under my duvet or at the very least sitting in my Mama's magic geranium greenhouse...

I'm making do with looking at photos of it instead.  And working my way through a box of Maltesers the same size as the smallest Cub.