l'amour!

val·en·tine  (vln-tn)

n.

1.

a. A sentimental or humorous greeting card sent to a sweetheart, friend, or family member, for example, on Saint Valentine's Day.

b. A gift sent as a token of love to one's sweetheart on Saint Valentine's Day.

2. A person singled out especially as one's sweetheart on Saint Valentine's Day.

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[After Saint Valentine.]

Word History: Lovers and the greeting card industry may have Geoffrey Chaucer to thank for the holiday that warms the coldest month. Although reference books abound with mentions of Roman festivals from which Valentine's Day may derive, Jack B. Oruch has shown that no evidence supports these connections and that Chaucer was probably the first to link the saint's day with the custom of choosing sweethearts. No such link has been found before the writings of Chaucer and several literary contemporaries who also mention it, but after them the association becomes widespread. It seems likely that Chaucer, the most imaginative of the group, invented it. The fullest and perhaps earliest description of the Valentine's Day tradition occurs in Chaucer's Parlement of Foules, composed around 1380, which takes place "on Seynt Valentynes day,/Whan every foul cometh there to chese [choose] his make [mate]."

I hope you're all having a lovely day - single or in a couple - tell someone today that you love them; your best friend, your cat, your child, your lover, it doesn't matter who.  As the song goes ' Love is all you need'.  I know red is really the traditional colour of love, but I'm feeling the pink today, so here's some pink valentine stuff to keep you going.

Cuisine Amore

So what will you be doing this Valentine's Day? I'm not one to really go for the commercial aspect of it, but I do like to remember it in a more personal way, whether it be making my own cards (coming soon) or creating a special meal.  Here are some 'heart-shaped' ideas for culinary inspiration.

Homemade heart tortellini

 

Mini margerita pizzas

Always the lovers favourite

I want one of these

A childhood favourite (and still!)

Sushi - not my cup of tea but...

Finally - just so beautiful, even if you don't like to eat them!

Sugar and spice and all things nice..

So it's the start of half-term and any sane teacher would be lying on the sofa revelling in the thought that tomorrow they can have a lie in; they'd be having a glass of wine with their lunch (even tho' it's Sunday!!!!) and accepting invitations to go to the cinema.  What am I doing?  Sorting my kitchen cupboards!  This is all part of my 'plan' to get things more streamlined and easier to find what I'm looking for when I'm cooking.  For instance, when I cleared out one of the cupboards I found no less than five partially used packets of sesame seed! I mean....!!! It was a messy job - flour, golden syrup (not a good combination), seeds, I even found a packet of pasta lurking at the back that had a sell-by date of Aug 2008.  Anyone fancy coming for supper?  So here are some before and after pics and for those of you wondering where I got my stuff to help me organise.. I got all my bits from Lakeland Plastics .

Nice huh?! NOT. Chaotic mess and harbouring out-of-date packages that even my mother, renowned for her hoarding, would be ashamed of...

 So, all my baking stuff, sorted according to type; cake dec stuff in one box; dried fruits etc in another and so on.  All in easy to pull out cartons.

This is my favourite. Sad but true.  Before, all my spices were on one level and 4 or 5 deep so I had to pull out everything to find the one I wanted.  Now they are at graduated levels and grouped similarly ie curry spices together, herbs together and so on.

Such a good idea - why didn't I think of it before? 'Lazy Susan(s)' which only just fit but will have to do and make it far easier for me to find oils, vinegars and other condiments.

 All my flours, sugars etc labelled up with brown luggage labels for easy identification.
Aaaahh.... so now maybe I can go and sit on that sofa and relax in the knowledge that my kitchen cupboards are tidy and clean and look forward to my lie-in tomorrow..

Happy Things

Kitten heels made out of paper

Somehow today I managed to hurt my back - again!  I don't know how I did it; I wasn't lifting anything, turning awkwardly or any of the triggers that normally seem to tip the balance, yet by 2pm I was unable to bend, turn and had a constant nagging pain in my lower back and hips.  So, my trip to the gym has had to be postponed and instead I'm home early feeling grumpy and short-changed.  In an attempt to lighten my mood I've been round looking at some of the things that are giving me pleasure, in the hope that they will banish my heavy mood and remind me how lucky I really am.

A glass heart motif plaque and rusty heart bell tag that hangs next to my bed

Translucent shells collected on a beach by my granny

My new White Company candle in Tuberose (smells divine)

Feather 'Shabby Chic' cushion in faded vintage rose fabric and snug woollen throw from Otterburn Mill.  The very same Mill that made the first pram rug for our current Queen Elizabeth when she was born

Getting Away

I've just been on a 'mini-break'!  I love sneaking away in the middle of a term, it's not a proper holiday so feels all the more special.  When I combine that with a bit of shopping, well, it's an all-round winner.  I finished last week feeling totally wrung out with work, not sleeping properly and generally just under the weather, so Saturday morning saw me driving down the M40 towards Oxford.  I don't know many women who don't like 'luxury goods' but paying for them is the downside: centre stage Bicester Village!  For those not in the know, it's a luxury retail outlet extraordinaire; an outdoor shopping mall; a retail heaven!  Most of the luxury brands have a home there - Mulberry, Burberry, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Westwood, Alice Temperley, not to mention other big names such as The White Company, Jigsaw, Ted Baker, Monsoon, Links, Pandora, Smythson, Gieves and Hawkes, Brookes Brothers etc.  There is simply something for everyone.  I spent a happy couple of hours browsing, then, two dresses and a White Company candle later, I headed for  the Old Swan and Minster Mill in Minster Lovell in the Cotswolds.  It was only a short drive so was the perfect destination after a shopping trip and tired feet!

Minster Lovell is one of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds (although they all say that don't they!), but I think they may be right.  Boasting a single row of Oxfordshire stone cottages with thatched roofs and a church, PLUS a ruined Hall with ghostly sightings it couldn't have been more perfect.  My room was contemporary overlooking the garden and the River Windrush, but the main Mill and the Old Swan date from the 17th century and have the beams and huge fireplaces to prove it.  The food was to die for and to top it all off, it snowed. It really couldn't have been more magical.

Views of the Mill complete with Minstrel's Gallery

Interior Decor - I've NEVER seen such a huge mirror - you can't see the scale on this

Late lunch by the fire

The River Windrush cuts through the grounds

The Village (just as it began to snow)

The Snow

Before and After - the giant chess board

Jemima and friend - they were not happy as their pond was frozen

Another fine mess...



It's not pretty



It's not clever and it's certainly not tidy

So, one of the jobs on my list this week was to tidy up my smalls drawers and my jewellery drawer.  This was partly prompted by the fact that twice last week I ended up wearing navy tights with a black dress, (a complete no/no in my book) all because at 6.30am I couldn't distinguish black from blue when I'm trying to sort through the tangle that was my tights drawer.  I took myself off to Ikea and bought a few baskets/storage holders etc and this is the result - quite pleasing I think!

Jewellery sorted into compartments

Mess -    to carefully sorted  necklaces (in their own chiffon bags) and bracelets 

vintage bowls for pretty baubles

What can I say...

Blue and black separated

So, all in all, I'm pretty pleased with the results of my 'operation small drawer'.  Next up is the kitchen.  Watch this space.

Bathing Beauties

Romantic and calming

When it's cold outside, and it's dark at 5pm, I just don't want to go out at all.  It's a struggle to even stay awake on the sofa!  One of my favourite things to do to banish the winter blues is to have a bath: hot, bubbly, candles, the works.  It's about one of the only times I really relax (although sometimes, unbeknownst to the recipients, I do make phone calls from my watery office)and having a gorgeous bathroom is high on my list of priorities.  The only thing I really don't like in my bathroom are towels that are so soft that they don't actually dry you (just feels as if the water is being smeared over you) and I also really dislike those HUGE bath towels - I just trip over them and feel smothered.  Here are some of the bathing-rooms I'm currently eying up...

Rustic

Perfect for reading in the bath!

Nautical

French Chic

Minimalist

Italian marble

His and Hers

 LOVE this huge basin and tailors dummy

Pictures courtesy of Maison et Jardin/Compagne Decoration