TIME OUT

It's the end of the month, right before pay day, and unexpectedly I found myself with one of those rare things called a day off. Although I'm self employed and can use my days as I deem necessary there always seems to be something to do - emails need answering and commissions don't make themselves, never mind the fact that I'm slightly addicted to twitter. And yet yesterday the house was empty, so I did what most people in my position do when you're eeking out the pennies...two loads of washing and a serious bit of dusting and hoovering (I mean the kind where you pull the bed out and actually take stuff off the shelves)!


In between my housewife duties I decided to make bread rolls. I always ensure that I have a steady supply of the ingredients in the cupboard so I can make bread whenever the fancy strikes me and it always amazes me what a bit of flour, yeast and warm water can make. In no time at all I had a lovely doughy lump proving on my windowsill.


When my rolls were cooked and sufficiently cooled I opted for egg mayonnaise, mainly because I had bought these beauties in Sainsburys the day before in my quest for a real 'eggy' egg, you know the kind of egg mayo that used to stink out your lunch box so you were embarrassed about eating them at school? A little cress picked from the garden and 'hey presto' I had myself a gourmet meal.


As I'd worked so hard all morning lunch deserved to be rewarding, the sun was out and fearing I had missed most of it I decided a solo picnic was in order. I took one of the old packing crates that we use for display on our market stalls, turned it upside down and found that our tea towels are just the right tablecloth size. A carafe of soda and lime - I would have loved something stronger but sadly I had more chores to complete in the afternoon - a beautiful cocktail glass and the scene was set.


   

As tasty as it was, the egg was not eggy enough. If anyone knows where to buy delicious eggs then please I would love to hear from you, otherwise I may just have to go down the path of having my own chickens...!

SPITALFIELDS & SPEEDING

It was a busy few days for us this weekend and a definite change in pace between the two. On Saturday we had a stall at the Designers/Makers Market at Old Spitalfields Market in London. This was our second visit and buoyed up by the success of our time before we had been busy making and preparing our stock to take there.


There were a few different faces amongst the stall holders and a few people we had met from our time before and as usual there was an interesting mix of products for sale - textiles, jewellery, furniture and ceramics. 

And then there was Sunday.

We have a petrol head amongst the family who informed us of a special event which is held every year at Dunsfold Park in Surrey. It is a charity event to raise money for The Tadworth Children's Trust and comprises of scores of Supercar owners driving the general public round the race track for a fee at fantastic speeds. These cars are amazing and the atmosphere there was brilliant - everyone was there to have fun and raise money for a good cause.




Of course we couldn't go along and stand by just taking pictures and waving - definitely not. Between us we sampled a Maclaren, a Porsche Turbo, an Aston Martin and two Caterhams and it certainly did not disappoint, the thrill of racing around a track at over 100mph was incredible and every bit as exciting as it looked! The weather was perfect (it actually managed not to rain) and with food stalls and rides suitable for even the youngest visitors it was a really great family day out. 

We have pencilled it in our diaries for next year and have already decided which cars we want to sample then!



PRECIS...

My holiday feels like a distant memory now as it has been a busy week putting the finishing touches to a wedding order which is now safely on its way to New York. Having made the last silk rosette and hand stamped the last name it seems a real shame that this order is completed. It has been so nice to make something special like this, a keepsake, that you know is going to be a small part of making someone's wedding day special. But then that is the joy of handmade, it's that personal touch...



As it was a certain someone's birthday this week we made time to whip up a cake; the whole family is enjoying the sponge-icing-strawberries combo that came about from our jubilee-esque cake creation. On the plus side, the strawberries don't last long so you really do have to eat the cake in one sitting (without guilt, as it is far worse to waste food!).


Now the cake is finished and the wedding order posted it leaves today to finish off the last bits and pieces for tomorrows Designers / Makers market in Old Spitalfields where we have been informed a camera crew have been invited to film the stall holders...cue hysteria...

So with crimson faces and our Sunday best attire we hope to see you there!

BUMPER HARVEST

Time to update you all on the veg patch and as it has rained pretty consistently whilst I've been on holiday I had nothing much to worry about. My mange tout has grown rather spectacularly - if a little wildly - but it is the darn slugs that are now my biggest problem - any suggestions on natural repellents would be greatly appreciated. The other good news is that we've picked our first crop of vegetables, only radishes were ready and admittedly it wasn't a bumper haul but it is a start. 


We have displayed them here on a rather lovely Villeroy & Boch plate that we found in a local brocante in France last week. At Clementine & Bloom we are regular treasure hunters - or as the men in our family would put it 'hoarders' -  we have been sifting through second-hand objects others had cast aside in the hope of finding treasure for many years. France used to be an excellent place for this, and I emphasis the word used to. Whilst we are all aware that economies are suffering and I'm sure some smart fellow will tell us it's because of exchange rates, but French prices have hit the roof, so much so that in recent years we have often left the brocantes and depot ventes of the French countryside dejected and empty handed. But not this time, this time I had myself a bargain - 19 plates, 9 pasta bowls, 2 side plates, a large serving bowl and a gravy jug all in this lovely sage green with a gold rim and the best bit - a snip at €25.00! 


We loved the colours in this photograph so much that we thought it would make a great inspirational colour palette - the first is bright and summery, the second is darker and more subdued.



If these colours inspire you we would love to see what you come up with.

PARISIAN DELIGHTS

If you are in Paris then you should follow my guide and see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe and I couldn't recommend the Marais enough nor my favourite picnic spot at Sacre Coeur (all mentioned in my last blog post), but it's the quirky off the beaten track treasures that make exploring a city all the more exciting.

When I am lucky enough to visit 'gay Paris' - which is not often enough - I make sure I head to Deyrolle, an intriguing shop that isn't mentioned in the tourist guides. Since 1831 Deyrolle has been the home of taxidermy, entomology and cabinets of curiosities.  From the entrance on the street the shop presents gorgeous gardening/botanical books, one can buy beautifully made gardening equipment and a few carefully selected pieces of furniture but this is nothing compared to the surprise that is awaiting you at the top of the spiral staircase.



There is nothing macabre or sinister about the animals that are on display here, there is a scientific beauty and it is all displayed to enchant the viewer. It's a shop like no other I have been in, its main attraction never changes and yet I am drawn back whenever I am in the city just to absorb the beauty and the wonder that it has on offer.

Across the river and another great shop to visit is E. Dehillerin, whether you are a foodie or not this shop is exciting to explore. From the tiniest to the biggest and all that's inbetween they have every cooking implement in every size all beautifully displayed in individual compartments.


It is a warren of narrow corridors, lined with towering wooden cabinets containing a multitude of culinary tools that you didn't even know you needed but simply just have to have. This shop is an education.

And on this visit I found a new favourite, Fleux, a wonderfully eclectic shop selling quirky designs for the home. I loved these brown paper lampshades, slightly over budget pour moi - €109 - but the kind of shop where I would love to sell our own products. 


These are three of our favourite Parisian delights and Paris has so many beautiful brocantes and boutiques to please your eye. As always we would love to hear your comments on any other places to visit that aren't in the guide book...



PARISIAN DASH

As I write this post I am in France on holiday in need of some R&R but unfortunately the weather here is identical to back home - rain. And as it has rained for the past week, I've had to do what one can only do in this weather - sleep, eat, read and watch DVDs! It was during a rainy day last week that I settled down (under homemade blanket, of course) to watch An Education. If you haven't seen this film you must - Carey Mulligan plays the me I have always wanted to be: smoke French cigarettes, speak French with ease, listen to French music and all with a fabulous bouffant hairstyle. Plus she loves Paris.

Now, I will never smoke and my French language skills are just capable of ordering me dinner, my French music is limited to Edith Piaf and the bouffant hairstyle only comes out at weddings, but I do love Paris. I have spent many years hopping across the channel to the French capital, weekends away, visiting friends who were lucky enough to live here and even working for Alexander McQueen at Paris fashion week. I feel intimately acquainted with this city and inspired by An Education, on a whim I booked two tickets and headed off to Paris the following morning.


As you can imagine I have seen the same tourist attractions hundreds of times and yet I never tire of them. If you visit the city I suggest you head straight for the Eiffel Tower. Brave the queues if you dare to go up this magnificent structure and take in the views of the sprawling city split in half by the Seine. Cross the river at Passerelle Debilly and head straight up to the Arc de Triomphe. Promenade down the Champs-Elysees and shop (if money permits) in the big names like Louis Vuitton and Cartier. Stroll past the beautiful Grand Palais and Petit Palais, take in the Place de la Concorde and then cross the road to Jardin des Tuileries. If the weather is pleasant and you have time to spare this is the perfect place to watch the world go by. If time is short, press on through the gardens and at the end you are rewarded with the delightfully grand Louvre museum buildings juxtaposed with the infamous glass pyramid.


From the Louvre it is worth continuing on to the Centre Pompidou, it houses an impressive permanent collection of comtemporary art and I always make time for a browse round their bookshop and gift store. As Paris is a city best seen on foot I would urge you to continue your journey into the Marais. I love the Marais, it has that permanent lazy Sunday brunch feel, it's cool and laid back with some really great shops tucked away in winding streets. From the Marais you are perfectly situated to cross the river again to Notre Dame, follow the tourists inside but also go around the back and sit in the gardens and catch five minutes of peace away from the crowds. 


Food is never an issue in Paris, there are more restaurants and cafes to suit every budget than you could ever imagine, and yet my favourite way to eat is to pack a picnic and head to the Sacre Coeur. Climb the steps, sit on the grass and eat and drink whilst looking out across the city. The church itself is beautiful and the bustling streets behind it are well worth a wander, buy some artwork or simply sit in a cafe and people watch.

Everything I have written about here can be found in all the guide books. In my next post I would like to share with you a few of my favourite shops that are definitely worth a visit.

GUERILLA GARDENING

A few weeks ago, whilst wandering on the internet, we came across this image and a short piece of text about guerilla gardening. The idea is that some areas of unused or common ground can be used as a space for vegetation - edible or otherwise. Not only is this good for the environment but makes the surroundings look gorgeous too.
image from The Edible Bus Stop
Yesterday in London at the Pulse design show we came across a stand by a company called kabloom. They have begun to market a product called a seedbom which is basically a grenade packed with different seeds that you place in water before hurling (gently and only with the very best of intentions) onto a patch of ground in need of a little tender loving care.
image from kabloom
This sounds like a great idea to us. You can read more about it and buy them online here.

50 UP

The Queen isn't the only one to have something to celebrate this week, oh no. For today we present to you our 50th blog post and as always we are not the kind of gals to pass up on a party.


Who'd have thought way back in January when we opened up this little journal to share our makes, inspirations and general ramblings that we'd have this much to say and that we'd have experienced so many new ... experiences!


Here is our Diamond Jubilee cake - a traditional Victoria sponge cake decorated in the colours of the national flag (Yes, even after the long day at Battersea Park we still had the stamina to bake!)

So raise your glass and here's to the next 50 posts.

Mini quiche anyone?

DIAMOND JUBILEE FESTIVAL

After much anticipation and organisation the big day for the Diamond Jubilee Festival at Battersea Park arrived. So did the rain! But true to the Great British character we all Kept Calm and Carried On.


Here is our stall resplendent in all its patterny glory 


We were placed in a great position in the Vintage Village area. There were tents here ranging from pop up shops selling vintage clothes and accessories and a fabulous marquee where The Powder Puff Girls were working hard on beauty makeovers in glamourous styles from the 1950's. 


We were kept entertained throughout the day by a variety of amazing musical artists, like these lovely ladies singing songs from the 1940's and 50's


On the other side of the arena where we were pitched was the music stage. Performing here the bands and groups kept up a steady flow of tunes which ranged from the Acid Brass Band (who knew this was out there?) to the Noisettes and The Selecter - fabulous entertainment, we even managed to have a dance at the end of the day.



Keeping up the vintage theme there were traditional fairground attractions and steam fair, and of course it was a prime location to stand along the River Thames to watch the Queen and the stunning flotilla of boats as they sailed down stream.


Despite the awful weather it was wonderful to see so many people join together to celebrate this once in a lifetime event. Everyone embraced the day and the variety of red, white and blue outfits and hats was incredible, we particularly loved the men wearing the Union Jack suits.

For us, it was a truly memorable day.