Reed diffusers

Treated myself to the Neal's Yard 'calming' reed diffusers and I'm loving the subtle smell of rose and geranium essential oils in the room.

Texture and Tone

Really pleased with this Year 7 work which is displayed around the school.

Favourite present

This gorgeous Orla Keily biscuit barrel was one of my favourite birthday presents.

Ascott House and gardens

This beautiful house and garden are just on the outskirts of Leighton Buzzard and well worth a visit. Great topiary!

Sipala Frittata

The eggs and courgettes in this delicious frittata were from the lovely garden at Sipala, in Aspley Guise.
Freshly picked and freshly laid....yum!

Italy

Lake Como is absolutely beautiful.

The Queen at Edgwick Farm

I was absolutely delighted to see my pupil's artwork displayed around the perimeter fencing of Edgwick Farm in Woburn Sands. This was all part of the village Jubilee festivities which took place on bank holiday Monday.
Rachel was the organiser/designer who had the vision for this exhibition, and she worked so hard to make it happen. We were both very proud of the final result.

The Old School House, Woburn Lane

This interesting building on Woburn Lane has been transformed from school, to factory and now is a stunningly beautiful home. This has taken five years of vision, belief, and hard labour.
It was a privilege to spend a lovely evening there.

Jubilee picnic

This lovely' pop up' Jubilee picnic at Sipala turned into a lavish indoor buffet, due to heavy rain.
It was a wonderful feast, which included Jubilee chicken, jubilicious banoffee pie and these beautiful poached pears.

Best ever clematis

My purple clematis has been a wonderful splash of colour on the patio this year.

World Book Night

World Book Night takes place on April 23rd, which is a symbolic date for world literature, as it is the both the birth and death day of Shakespeare. The idea is that people get together on this night and give each other books.
As a volunteer, I was delighted to receive 25 copies of one of my favourite books, to share with my friends and work colleagues. Hope this book is enjoyed!

Bee lovely

My Neal's Yard 'Bee Lovely To The Bees' coffee and cake morning was a great success.

A walk to Cromer

We walked from North Repps to Cromer with our lovely Border Terriers. Fabulous Cromer crab with a glass of white wine made for a perfect lunch.

An orange tree in Suffolk

An orange and lemon tree are growing very happily in this warm conservatory, in my parents-in law's Suffolk home.

David Hockney at the Royal Academy

It was a dull, raining bank holiday Monday when we visited this exhibition, on its last day of opening. These pictures of Yorkshire landscapes were amazing. So bold, bright and uplifting. We enjoyed the whole experience.

Kedgeree at The Wolseley

We had a lovely early evening supper at The Wolseley , Piccadilly, before going to see the David Hockney exhibition. My Kedgeree was delicious and I was delighted when it arrived with the poached egg on top!
It was just a two minute walk away to the Royal Academy.

Spring flowers

Fresh spring flowers from my Mum's garden.

Easter

We only had a black marker pen to decorate the eggs, but I enjoyed our artistic efforts on Easter morning.

Kitchen at Canons Ashby

We had a one and a half hour tour of this interesting National Trust house. I loved all of the detail and gadgets in the 'working' kitchen.

Garden transformation

My sister has been working hard to transform her garden. It now has a clean, green, contemporary appeal.

Butter dish

My sister was delighted to receive this retro style Orla Kiely ceramic better dish for her birthday. It will complement her kitchen perfectly.

Orla Kiely cushion

I am delighted with my new cushion.

Bright tulips

These tulips have been the first splash of colour in the garden this spring.

Perfect Panna Cotta

My sister is a talented cook and served these beautiful passionfruit Panna cotta at a recent lunch.

Celebrate in style

Party poppers on the chandelier and a huge chocolate cake from Patisserie Valerie in celebration of Granny Carol's birthday in Framlingham.

Bunting

My Year 7 have designed and decorated their personalised bunting using buttons and applique techniques.