Pink Cupcakes

Me & My Aga

 

I was about to begin planting my winter pots when I started browsing at Aga's (hum) and quickly stumbled upon this brilliant piece of advertising by Ogilvy.

Before I'd even seen this advert I was wondering why I think of Aga at Christmas.  It appears I am not the only person that associates the two, therefore making me a Marketeers dream.

With my inspiration fuelled and the sky darkening and the temperatures steadily dropping I'm beginning to feel, dare I say, a little festive, but since I will probably spend most of December blogging about Christmas I have decided to praise the Aga instead by sharing my favourite Aga pictures, because for me personally they represent many aspects of life which inspire my writing.

 

Cosy family life.

So it is possible to get an Aga into an apartment.

Has to be pink.

 

Aga meets Emma Bridgewater.

 

A chic patchwork Rayburn

An Aga in Zennor.

Unfortunately I don't own an Aga, actually, I've haven't even used one, and if I did I am pretty sure I would need lessons, but even so for me the Aga remains the architypical image for the Good Life, and so if it's going, count me in.

Karen x

Hearts Desire

I've been on the hunt for fabulous hand made goodies to decorate my home for Christmas.

I ventured to town to one of my favourite interior shops where I picked up a cute and perfectly made fabric festive heart. Full of joy at what was an intended purchase I headed to the counter - then abruptly stopped and put it back in it's equally charming wicker basket.  Why was I thinking of buying something hugely manufactured and ridiculously expensive when I can buy handmade.

I had already purchased two lovely Boy Hearts from Bekimaries (above and below) and so strode proudly out of the shop excited at my decision to support handmade.

 

Whilst browsing happily I stumbled upon another talented lady - Vintage Daisy and spotted just what I wanted - my festive heart.

Or rather heart (s), because there were so many I liked I actually bought 2 pairs (above and below).  They arrived today and I am so thrilled with them, even the sweet scented wrapping and fabric is a charming touch I wouldn't even get in my favourite shop.  I know exactly where I shall hang them and will possibly (and insanely) spend hours admiring them, and since they will hang lovingly in my front windows I hope passers by will too.

I'm not doing anyone a favour by praising Beki Maries or Vintage Daisy, I simply wish to share my excitement and to give a nod of recognition to people who turn their amazing talents into what I hope will become successful businesses; to recognise the hours they craft, the money they spend, and the time they give. The least we can do is browse.

X

Hens, Jamie O and Novel No.2

 

I wasn't going to blog this week.

Too much to do.

But then I stumbled upon some notes whilst revising for my second novel and I felt all sentimental and needed to share it.

I miss my chickens.

 

For reasons I haven't got time to go into, we re-homed our hens a few months ago.  It was a necessity, and although I knew they were going to another happy loving home, I was upset when they left.  I think Big Fella was secretly relieved that after 3 years of chicken poop all over our garden, cleaning the Eglu in the freezing cold and gales and having to visit the grumpy farmer for organic feed, that Polly and Livvy no longer lived in the Pink House at the top of the garden. But I know he does miss their eggs.

Anyway, 2 children and 3 cats are plenty for me to be getting on with at the moment, but I will have hens again and this time they'll have a plush super duper Eglu cube like the one above (courtesy of Omlet) plenty of greens and in return we'll have scrummy yellow eggs that taste better than any supermarket eggs, even when they are free range and organic, nothing beats running up the garden in PJ's and wellies, dodging the rain to collect the eggs.

 

No chance of chickens yet, but it has inspired me a little.

OK, I know it's still techically summer, washout aside, but I am looking forward to autumn.

I love autumn and where I live now, my very favourite aspects of the season are heightened because of the type of housing most people live in. The smell of logs burning as I stick my head out of the window first thing in the morning or last thing at night, sends delightful tingles down my spine.  Like today, it's wet and windy, and oscillating between Coldplay's "Parachutes" and Athlete's "Tourist" I'm in Karen Roderick kooky land - but the best time for me to write.

Chickens and weather aside, there are many other aspects of autumn I love: chilly mornings turning into sunny days, re-organising my house (making it cosy), Jamie Oliver's American Roadtrip, Silent Witness and Waking the Dead (hopefully - fingers crossed), hot chocolate or an Americano in our favourite place salivating over the view, hearty food, Halloween (dressing the boys up; going to the nursery party), Bonfire night (outdoor BBQ, veggie hot dogs, tomato soup and baked potato with real butter and not the crap I currently serve up), red wine and knowing Christmas is within my reach (as a lovely friend of mine said, it won't be long before Nigella's Christmas comes off the shelf) - indeed.

 

I'm not one to wish the time away, it goes far too fast anyway, but there are so many reasons not to be sad when summer is over (jokes aside!), some examples are mentioned above, but I'm sure you can think of your own too, and as we venture closer to my favourite quarter of the year, the seasons serve to inspire me as I continue editing novel number 2 - a long but exciting struggle ahead.

Yours inspired

Karen X

First Days of Summer

 

I'm really hoping the next few months are as lovely as the last couple of weeks. 

Don't misunderstand me, I adore the autumn and the winter, and actually summer is probably my 4th favourite season, but I love the sun, and there's 2 other little people I know who also do.

 

But equally as enchanting are days like today - breezy and overcast with expected rain.

The scorching sun, even though it can leave you feeling a little stifled, also offers breathtaking views and optimism. People drinking a chilled glass of wine or an ice cold beer in cafe bars, children scoffing ice cream on the street, walking barefoot in your garden, wearing flip flops and no one staring (!), is for me quintessentially British summertime, and there's only one type of music for these moments and that's Red Hot Chili's (ideally "Californication" or "By The Way"), and a little foot tapping to "These Streets" by Paolo Nutini - great for cruising (obviously all my cruising is done on the school run)

 But breezy winter days offer something different, but are equally as inspiring - choppy seas and cosy cups of tea whilst wrapped up snug, the aroma of a wood burning stove wafting in the air and quiet streets. Watching your breath in the cold air and breathing freezing air into your lungs. Music for this moment has to be Fleet Foxes. Believe me, it's worth seeing good in everything. Rain isn't always a bad thing, hence why I use it frequently in my writing.  It's the perfect atmosphere creator (as are music and smells).

Anyway, enough of winter, we have a summer to worship, and haven't they predicted a "bbq summer" - gosh, I hope so, and so do the other 3 men in my household - who needs California when you have the UK...

x

Object(s) of My Desire

 

I don't yet live in the Country, but if I did, this would be the place I'd love the live; the new object of my desire.

Pre-the kids, me and Big Fella had a stint in rural Cheshire.  Our barn conversion was a beautiful restored farm house with two open fires.  This isn't Cheshire though, this is Zennor.

Zennor is the stunning village situated between St Ives and St Just in Cornwall.  The beauty of Zennor, and why I've fallen so in love with it, is it's breathtaking scenery, and if being surrounded by the rugged sea and the dulcit tones of their famous Mermaid, isn't enough, it's also right in the middle of the countryside.

Whilst recently surfing the net, I came across this most beautiful farm (featured pics).  It's called Gear Farm and it's in Zennor.  It's comprised of 3 self contained cottages and a B&B with one room - it even has an Aga!!

  

But Gear Farm and Zennor aren't the only objects I'm carrying around with me at the moment. There's also this totally amazing place I came across recently. Feather Down Farms.

Since re-homing our hens I've gone all countryside again, and since there's quite a few of these "farms" scattered around the UK, I'm hoping Big Fella and the boys will humour me for a weekend so I can collect fresh eggs from the hens the day they're laid (just like I used to...), and if that wasn't enough to convince me, at Feather Down apparently I can sit beneath the stars, read the kids a story and enjoy a glass of white wine (hum, what about Little Fella needing the loo every half hour and JB refusing to sleep in favour of shouting "mummy" in every way he can?) - hey! that's not in my fantasy, go away! 

 

But there's the wood burning stove, the fields, the open air, the farm shop, the Henhouse and the cosy canopy for the kids to sleep under, something I know Little Fella would appreciate since discovering the "den" (made of his pillows, cushions and duvets piled around the radiator in his room - yes, we've all done it.)

 

Freedom for the boys and hopefully for me and Big Fella, like I said, we don't live in the country anymore, and so hearing the birds sing is a lovely little luxury for us - and I miss it.

 

Anyway, to go with my little country life, my cottage, my open fileds and log fire, I think there's a few other essential bits I need; some other treasures I've found along the way.

 

A Teresa Green Apron and deck chair...

 

Something snug form our Cath...

 

Something to stop me causing myself yet more injuries in the oven, and they'd be real flames you know...

 

And something sentimental to make a cuppa in from Emma...

 

Well, that's a little of what's going on in my head at the moment...a little twee maybe, but a lovely way to escape the washing, ironing, teething baby on a Tuesday afternoon.

Happy Camping.

Karen x