Crazy for Kempton

I've been trying to get to Kempton antiques market for years. There's always been something stopping me until yesterday when I finally went for the first time. I cannot believe that I've been missing out on this for so long. Hundreds of stalls - 700 to be precise- of people selling antiques, furniture, jewels, taxidermy, old glass. Anything and everything. I could have filled the whole house from top to bottom. If i'd been wearing my clever hat I'd have taken a massive van with me and stocked up on bargain furniture. Instead I went in my tiny car already full with baby car seats, suitcases, creme eggs... No room in the inn.

Anyway Ned and I did very well nonetheless. Antique mirrors and huge glass jars filled with cotton spools being the order of the day. I'd be so happy just to go and potter even if I wasn't hunting for any specific. I love the atmosphere of huge markets like that. The early early start - we were there at 6.30am, the eccentric sellers, the sausage and bacon baps.... It feels a bit like being on holiday.

I'm making it my mission to go at least once a month from now on. At least until I'm too fat to get behind the wheel. But then I guess I'll be in a van so there'll be more than enough space for me too.

www.kemptonantiques.com

Swedish Sensation

This dreamy white washed house is making me doubt my decision to paint most of our house dark blue...

It belongs to a designer in Stockholm where she's combined her love of India with a shabby chic beachy feel.

Curtains Up

I'm pretty much there now with all the wallpaper and paint decisions. Saying I won't be surprised if tomorrow morning I wake up and have completely changed my mind. But for now, we're all done. Next is curtains and carpets. Carpets bore me to tears. I cant even begin to think, let alone write about them. Curtains however, apart from the cost, are very exciting.

Unsurprisingly I blew the decorating budget in five minutes flat. Undeterred I still find myself pouring at the sensations at Les Indiennes and Penny Morrison on a daily basis.

Penny's new fabrics are nothing short of sensational. A mix of antique Indian prints in beautiful soft summery colours. Couldn't be more up my street if they tried.

www.pennymorrison.com

Let Them Eat Cake

My early wednesday mornings are now spent surrounded by babies at the lovely village mother and baby group. Yes it's great for the Cub to hang out with other small people and yes I might make some new friends. But the real reason I rush like a loonie to get out out the door for 9am every week, is for the cake. Big, fat, homemade, chocolate and cream-filled cakes made by the wonderful Laura.

There are toys for the cherubs and cakes for the grown ups. What could be better?

My joy when I walked in on day one to be greeted by plates of proper cupcakes and a sticky chocolate sensation was only to be rivalled by this week, when there was a choice of three. My highlight was the Damp Lemon and Almond cake from the lovely Nigella's 'Domestic Goddess book'. Maybe not the most nutritionally balanced start to the day but it kept me very chirpy and energetic until lunch time. Who needs Weetabix?

225 grams of soft unsalted butter

225 grams of castor sugar

4 large eggs

50 grams of plain flour

225 grams of ground almonds

half a teaspoon of almond essence

zesst and juice of 2 lemons

Butter and line a 21 cm springform cake tin.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cream together the butter and sugar until it's almost white. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a quarter of the flour after each addition. When all the eggs and flour have been added, gently stir in the ground almonds, then the almond essence, lemon zest and juice.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for about 1 hour. Cover with foil after about 30 minutes, once the top is lightly browned. The cake is ready when the top is firm, and a skewer, inserted, comes out cleanish - you want dampness, but not gooey batter. Take the cake out and let it stand for 5 minutes or so in the tin. Then turn it out on a wire rack and leave until it's cool.

Ori Gersht's Exploding Flowers

There's something very cool about these works by photographer Ori Gersht. They're from his 2006 exhibition called 'Exploding Flowers' and are quite literally photographs of floral arrangements taken as they're blown up.

If DSquared did festivals...

I'm already dreaming about not being a fattie next summer. I cannot wait to be able to fit into a skimpy pair of jeans and a pretty wispy slip of a top. Enough with these stupid tenty tunics. Im already saving to buy the whole of the Spring/Summer 12 DSquared collection. I feel I will have saved a lot on not buying normal clothes in the past ten months. So a) financially speaking, I will have a lot of making up to do and b) will obviously definitely deserve it.

Bring. it. on.

Monday Blues

We had a house full of boys this weekend for Chazy's birthday. Needless to say, we're all feeling a little weary today.

One thing that's making me feel much better are these heavenly blue bowls from 'Fade' in Woodstock.

I don't know what I did to deserve it but they went out on saturday morning to get supplies and came back laden with presents for me instead. They're made to be here, sitting prettily in the new kitchen, birds circling around them. A blue match made in heaven.

Fade Interiors

17 oxford street, woodstock, ox20 1th.

www.fadeinteriors.co.uk