I’ve long considered poinsettias a bit of a yawn for the Christmas season. That ubiquitous red doesn’t excite me at all and they are so overused that it’s hard to be inspired by them. But sometimes you just have to look at something with fresh eyes in order to bring it back to life again. Hence, the poinsettia as cut flower. And in fun new shades. For me a true red poinsettia is always out. I find plain white or white with a touch of soft pink or red or any variegated version so much more interesting. In the photo…
Category: <span>BITS AND BOBS</span>
Trader Joe’s. Everybody’s favourite place to shop. And because I love to see everyone else’s most-loved items, I decided to put together one of my own. ~Croissants These will in no way, shape or form be able to hold their own against a flaky, crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside croissant from a Parisian bakery. But they’re not half bad either and can happily hang out in the freezer until they’re needed. They do have to be left out overnight (a task which can sometimes prove elusive) but other than that they’re great for a quiet…
A member of your staff recently brought it to the attention of many of us that you are feeling rather victimised by the constant barrage of negativity being levelled at you. In hindsight we should have seen how sad you are about this. It is, after all, a word you have used in many a tweet. We can only extend our deepest apologies at this time for not being more aware of your suffering. Maybe you will find it in your heart to forgive us when we explain that we have been a little distracted of late. You see, there…
~The unofficial end of summer is upon us. Of course if you live in the South summer doesn’t end until, oh, mid-Octoberish. No need to be jealous though, pretty soon we’ll all be experiencing long, hot summers. Some of us believe that. Some of us don’t. Some of us have known about it for a very long time. Crazy. ~Speaking of crazy, this is a great weekend to see Crazy Rich Asians if you haven’t already. It’s a gorgeous movie. Gorgeous people, gorgeous settings, gorgeous parties. And then there’s Awkwafina who slices right through all that gorgeousness with her slightly…
It’s May 1st. Which means we have officially crawled out of the depths of winter and find ourselves standing in the sun with the promise of summer just around the corner. In England May Day involves the frivolities of dancing around a maypole, crowning a May Queen and leaving paper cones of flowers on people’s front door. An explosion of all things spring, celebrated while the lambs frolic in the fields and the flowers poke up through the soil with a cheery hello. And if it’s May than the end of the school year is fast approaching, which means teacher…
I’m something of a minimalist when it comes to decorating for the holidays. Actually I’m a bit of a minimalist all the time, it’s just a little more obvious at this time of year. I have very little in the way of store bought Christmas knickknacks, other than all the ornaments collected over the years which hang on the tree. I tend to feel a little claustrophobic if I have a house brimming with decorations and so much Christmas stuff involves a lot of red. So much red. I don’t like red. I do love Christmas cheer and holiday sparkle…
Today is my daughter’s 12th birthday. It is also the inauguration of America’s 45th President. As far as my daughter, Evie, is concerned, two worlds have collided and she is not happy about it. For months now she has lamented such an event, wailing with all the drama exclusive to 11 year old girls. We have laughed indulgently many a time before politely asking her to bring the amateur dramatics down a notch or two, because, really, it was never going to happen. And yet here we stand on this fateful day, about to watch (or not watch, as the…