Thoughtful Gift Bundles

If you have finished your Christmas shopping, please put your feet up and scroll on. Perhaps you are struggling through your list and trying to find a present that is useful and meaningful. I enjoy building up a present bundle and try include something homemade, local or from a small business. Many handmade businesses have closed their order books, however a few will have still have some ready made offerings available for Christmas delivery.

The Foodie Gift

Start with a beautiful mug. I particularly like these from Harlie Brown Studio and Florence Mytum. Hand turned mugs feel lovely to hold and drink from. You could then add coffee from your local roaster (Yallah and Forty One are our local favourites) or some homemade biscuits (these are an alternative to gingerbread). Throw in some Poppy and Honesty linen napkins and you have built an excellent present bundle.

The Bedtime Gift

A handmade pillowcase from Poppy and Honesty is a real treat. Liberty Tana Lawn Cotton feels like silk but can be thrown in the laundry with everything. Add an essential oil such as a lavender blend and choose in a nice book. These are very personal and can be difficult to get right, however everybody loves a classic with a beautiful jacket. You cannot go wrong with Virago Modern Classics and I would be delighted if I was given these limited edition novels by E.M Forster illustrated by Luke Edward Hall.

The Traveler’s Treat

Whenever I go overseas, I like to take a guidebook, a map and a notebook. if you have a friend that is planning a trip why not get them the latest Lonely Planet Guide and a little moleskin to write down notes and recommendations. These will make lovely souvenirs ,long after the holiday is over. Add a linen storage bag which can be used for laundry and you have the perfect gift for your traveling friends.

Have you got any tips for Christmas shopping? Especially for people with ‘all the stuff’?

Sending you festive energy.

Sophie xx

FREE UK SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING WITH THE CODE : LASTSLEIGH2024

Linen Storage Bag in Granny Smith

Advent Basket

I realise that it is only November 3rd, but trust me this project takes a little bit of forward planning. The joy of Christmas is all about being together and this communal version of an advent calender gathers the family for a few minutes every day. It also helps to build the anticipation of Christmas by incrementally revealing little winter treats everyday.

Now I cannot claim that I invented this version of the advent calender because I am fairly sure I saw something similar within the depths of the internet a few years ago. Basically you find a big bag or basket and fill it with 25 things for the family to share over the festive period. This may include a christmas pudding, a collection of photos from the year or some cinema tickets. The contents of your basket is entirely personal to your family. Some items might be enjoyed more particular members than others and that’s fine. The overall idea is that the basket is full of things that will essentially bring you together. Here are some other things that I will be including in our Advent Basket :

Sparklers

Holiday photos in a book

Christmas Pud

Panto Tickets

Candles

Christmas Ornament

Lonely Planet book of somewhere you plan to visit,

Pack of cards with instructions for a new game

New blanket for the sofa

Cinema Tickets

Chocolate

Silly hat for the dog/cat

Crackers

Christmas Cards

Bird Feeders

Hot Chocolate

Panettone

Christmas Radio Times

Pretty illustrated christmas book such as ‘The Night Before Christmas’ or ‘The Nutcracker’

Printed out photos from the year.

Materials to make paper chains or paper snowflakes

Indoor bulbs to plant (such as hyacinths or narcissus)

Mulled wine/ apple blend.

New cookie cutter for gingerbread making

Cooking thermometer for the turkey.

I know this may seem like a lot more work, however many of the things above could be included in your Tesco Shop. Also, every year we are surprised and delighted when we unpack our Christ loot, so it would be perfectly acceptable to wrap up your Christmas fairy or snow globes and pit them into your advent basket.

My kids get really grabby over the Christmas period and I think its fair to say that a lot of parents feel fairly wrung out by December 25th. This idea might just bring you together for a little sparkly moment during the run up. Let me know what you think.

Happy November

Sophie x

Large Linen Tablecloth in Florence

A Picnic in Autumn

As I look out of the studio on a grey and rainy day, I realize that this post might be somewhat ambitious. However when there is a break in the clouds, there is nothing better than being immersed in the glorious colours of Autumn. Everywhere I look in my unkept garden, there are plants that seem to glow. If the weather forecast decides to gift us a day of clear skies, I will be dragging my family on a picnic this half term.

Our tablecloths work beautifully as picnic blankets as the linen is very robust and you can chuck it in the washing machine and drier. However If you are an organised sort of person who has camping chairs I would definitely bring them as the ground will inevitably be sodden. Here are the other things I will be taking on my Autumn Picnic :

1.Flask of hot chocolate made with real chocolate, cream and a pinch of cinammon

2. Lots of blankets and maybe a hot water bottle,

3. A book or magazine.

4. Binoculars… the birds are busy making their nests and it is delightful to watch them to go about their work.

5. A pot of stew in a food flask and chunks of bread. to dip.

6. Playing cards or a dice. If the player throws a 6 they need to collect 6 different leaves or stones. Just make it up as you go along !

7. A small sketch book and some bright pastels if you fancy a doodle,

There is only a small window of time when Autumn is at it’s most spectacular and soon the trees will be silhouettes against winter skies. I hope everyone has a nice half term and gets to have a good kick about in those golden leaves,

Sophie xx

Cushion and Pillowcase in Granny Smith. Bolster in Rose Gingham. Ruffle Cushion in Liberty fabric ‘Ciara Metallic’. Fitted sheet made from Liberty fabric ‘Theresa Green’. Scallop quilt in Theresa Green.

Our beautiful new linen 'Granny Smith'

We are so thrilled to bring you our beautiful Autumn collection which includes a new linen we have named ‘Granny Smith’. Designed by Poppy and Honesty, ‘Granny Smith’ is the perfect shade of warm green just like the apple. The classic check sits against a neutral background giving the fabric a nostalgic country style. Apples are everywhere at this time of year from crumbles to windfalls and toffee apples on the 5th November. We think that this fabric will bring, warmth, charm and texture to your home.

Not only is our linen beautiful but it is also very sustainable choice for bedding. As the flax is grown in the fertile soils of Northern Europe, it requires very little water and virtually no fertilizers or pesticides. Flax as a crop retains a huge amount of C02 (3,7 tonnes per hectare) and every part of the plant is used for making linen as well as linseed oil, food for livestock and soap. Linen is a very absorbent fabric requiring very little dye for colouring and is completely biodegradable.

Linen Bedding Set inn Granny Smith. Valance in Granny Smith. Storage bag and bolster in Granny Smith.

There are so many ways to style our beautiful linen bedding in Granny Smith. We would recommend combining it with Liberty fabric pieces including pillowcases and duvet covers in Theresa Green, Ciara Metallic and Ciara Pale Green. However as shown in some of the images, our gorgeous green checked linen looks perfect all by itself. Similarly, your dining table will look stunning dressed from head to toe in our gorgeous green check, at the same time, you could add some napkins in ‘Florence’ or ‘Rose Gingham’ for contrast.

We hope you enjoy Poppy and Honesty’s Autumn Collection. Dee Campling and Ness have created some magical images that will hopefully inspire you to create little areas of delight in your home.

Sending virtual hot chocolate on these cooler evenings

Sophie x

Large Linen Tablecloth in Granny Smith. Matching napkins in Granny Smith and Rose Gingham,

Ruben's Apple Puffs

Wherever we are in the world, my son will choose an apple filled pastry from the local bakery. This little recipe for ‘Apple Puffs’ is so simple that I hesitated on whether or not to include it on the blog. However we are in Bramley season and you may even be lucky enough to chance upon a bucket of windfalls outside a neighbours’ house. Make these on a wet afternoon and they will definitely lift your spirits. (very little brain power or tidying up required)

Ingredients

A packet of puff pastry

3 or 4 Bramley Apples

x1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Splash of Water

x1 tsp cinammon

x1 Star Anise

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC fan.

2. Peel, core and slice your apples into small 2cm cubes.

3. Place the apples in a saucepan with the sugar, water and spices. Cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes.

4. Roll out the puff pastry and divide into 8 squares. (4 tops and 4 bottoms!)

5. Once the apple is cooked, drain off the excess liquid.

6. Place a generous spoonful of apple onto x4 of the squares of puff pastry.

7. Place a square on top of each of the apple filled squares and seal around the edges to form a little parcel.

8. Brush with milk or egg and bake for 20-25 minutes (until brown and crispy)

9. Serve warm with clotted cream and ice-cream.

We hope these little go down a treat in your house. Stay tuned for our beautiful new collection launching on Sunday 6th October.

Sophie xx

Tablecloth in Granny Smith (available 6/10/24). Napkin in Florence.

Make hay while the sun shines

The official date of the Autumn Equinox is Sunday 22nd September. Therefore we have 30 more official days of summer to go ! I know we have to deal with all the back to school stuff and it will possibly rain but there are a few things that we can do to maximise the longer, lighter days.

1. Eat ice lollies in the garden. My nostalgic ‘go to’ from the newsagent freezer is the Tongue Twister.

2. Go for a walk past 4pm and listen to the birds chirruping their little hearts out as they start to make their winter homes.

3. Plan a memorable picnic.

4. Go for a low tide beach comb. The sea is as warm as it ever will be and there is often a treasure trove of scallops, jelly fish and funky sea weed strewn along the shore.

5. Pick blackberries and make a crumble if there are any left by the time you get home.

6. Continue to delight in affogatos and iced coffee.

7. Grab a bunch of dahlia’s from your farm shop.

8. Go for an after work swim in the river or sea.

9. Get a pedicure. Even when your feet are stuffed back into socks, you’ll know that they’re pretty.

Make hay while the sun shines as before we know it we will be plunged into dark afternoons and wearing wellies. What are your favourite nostalgic summer activities and how will you embrace them before full crumble/stew season commences?

Sophie

Tablecloth and Napkins in Seaside Stripe Linen.

Photo ; Charlotte Jacklin

Three books to read this summer

Rather like ‘Chick Lit’ the concept of a ‘Beach Read’ has rather a bad reputation. This may have something to the marketing push of books on stands at the airport that are covered in stickers that promise you that this is ‘The Book Of The Summer’. I think that the best books to read over the summer as those that you can pick up and put down and engage you in a good story. I don’t want fluff and I don’t want to go to dark places when I am on my lounger gazing at the sea. Books about rather dysfunctional families are always welcome on holiday as they make me feel better about the teenagers’ behaviour. Obviously reading is incredibly personal experience, however here is a very short list of fiction you might consider to take on holiday this year.

‘Sandwich’ by Catherine Newman

This story revolves around three generations of a loving family on their annual holiday to Cape Cod. The main character ‘Rocky’ is in the sandwich between her nearly grown up children and her ageing parents. Rocky is incredibly relatable as she struggles with the menopause, letting her kids go and unraveling secrets from her past. This book is funny and heartwarming, reminding us all that loving, happy families are never perfect and certainly don’t look like we think they should!

‘Really Good Actually’ by Monica Heisey

I initially picked up this book because the author was a screen writer on Schitts Creek which kept me laughing through the dark days of the pandemic. Monica Heisey does not disappoint in this painfully funny story about Maggie’s marriage breakup and her subsequent insufferable and appalling behaviour. This book is not a ‘feel good’ read but you will enjoy ‘Really Good Actually’ if you like dark humour and can relate to the essence of Maggie’s unhinged and erratic choices following a major life event.

‘Long Island Compromise’ by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

If you have a Succession shaped hole in your life this book will fill it. Long Island Compromise is quite a multi layered book but basically it is about inherited wealth, superstition and holding position in society. Holocaust surviving Jewish grandparents set up a very unscrupulous polystyrene factory in Queens and amass a vast fortune. This success is taken for granted by the second generation whilst the filthy rich grandchildren completely blow it ! The book is told from the position of all members of the family and poses the question of whether it is better to be bought up with the trappings of privilege or to earn your own livelihood.

i am extremely lucky that I have lots of time to read, so I will continue to put book reviews on my social media channels. Wishing you all a wonderful summer and sending power to the parents of young children.

Sophie x

Duvet Cover and Pillowcase made from Liberty Fabric ‘Paysanne Blossom’

Cushions in ‘Big Top Green’ and ‘Wimbledon’.

Bring back the postcard

Alongside letter writing, we have seen the steady decline of the postcard over the years. These days we prefer to send a lovely filtered photo of our destination and ping it around the world for all to see within seconds via Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook etc. Unsurprisingly Britain’s oldest postcard publisher. J Salmon shut its 140-year-old operations in 2021 due to declining sales. Such as shame since these little sun cream smudged notes hold so much significance and remind us of people that we love.

When my best friend died ten years ago, I was clung to tangible things that made me feel connected to her. These included a small stash of birthday cards and I was very sad when our text messages perished alongside my old phone. If you have experience cleaning out the home of an elderly relative, you can piece parts of their together through letters and postcards with their dates and stamps. Even a few words scribbled on the back of an overexposed sunset, form part of a paper trail and a legacy.

Over the years I have tried and failed to write postcards. This is a particularly excellent rainy day activity or something to do with children when waiting for a meal. The tricky part of completing this task is having a pen, buying stamps and finding a post box. I would suggest getting the stamps, novelty pen and postcards on the same day. There is usually a post box at the airport and it really doesn’t matter if you get home before the card arrives.

It makes me a bit upset to think that all my memories, photo’s and correspondence are stored in the cloud and probably being used to suggest weight loss programs, cruises and funeral plans amongst other things. This year, I am going to attempt to write, because there’s nothing like that dog eared postcard that constantly falls off the fridge and reminds you of someone.

Sophie x

Tablecloth in Wimbledon Linen

Some books I have enjoyed in January

Hooray we got through January and little signs of spring are emerging everywhere. I thought I would share with you some of the books that I have particularly enjoyed reading. Short days are long nights offer the perfect opportunity to dive into a story, particularly if the setting is less muddy and provides a more interesting narrative to your current reality!

That Bone Setter Woman by Frances Quinn

This is literally a cracking historical novel about a girl who is desperate to become a bonesetter in Georgian London. Bonesetters were a form of early chiropractor who would set broken or dislocated bones. The characters are great and I particularly liked the feisty main protagonist Durie and her challenge to pursue what was considered to be a male only occupation. The way that Durie takes on the ranks of snotty London doctors is excellent.

Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout

I have to ration books written by Elizabeth Strout because i love her writing so much. She captures the human experience with such immaculate detail and perception. This particular book tells the story of Lucy, who flees New York during the pandemic to live on the coast in Maine. She ‘bubble’s up’ with her ex-husband William and the story looks in detail at the practices that became habit during the pandemic (which in hindsight seem utterly ridiculous and unimaginable). The narrative also follows the characters as they respond to the Black Lives Matter protests and the storming of the Capitol in 2021. This is a great book.

Breadsong by Kitty and Al Tait

This is a brilliant book about baking bread and recovery. Not only is it full of excellent recipes but it tells Kitty’s inspiring story. Aged 14, Kitty suffers from the most debilitating mental breakdown, with the help of her wonderful Dad Al, she slowly develops an interest in baking bread and starts to heal. Taking small steps, Kitty and her family establish a bakery in their local village, We have really enjoyed trying out the recipes which are brilliant (Miracle Dough, Foccacia, Bagels and Chelsea Buns) and learning about this courageous young women and her amazing family.

The Daiai Lama’s Cat by David Michie

I have only just started listening to this audio book but I have to tell you about it because it is a GIFT. Each chapter of the audio book looks at the teachings of Buddhism through the eyes of HOH (His Holiness’ Cat). As such, what would otherwise be quite a heavy subject becomes fun and more digestible. With buckets of self deprecating humour, the cat applies Buddhist teachings to her own experiences of over eating, jealousy, flirting and fur balls as well as giving us fascinating insights into life at the Dalai Lama’s residence.

Please tell me what you are reading so we can fill February with fun and interesting books. Enjoy the daffodils and listen out for the woodpecker.

Love

Sophie x

Selection of cushions and quilts from Poppy and Honesty. Handmade in Cornwall.

Ruffle Cushion in Liberty Fabric Capel.

Big Top Cushion in Green

Small Scallop Quilt in Liberty Fabric ‘Poppy and Daisy’

Small Scallop Quilt in Liberty Fabrc ‘Annabella’

Rage, guilt, shame and other Coronactivities

The reason I haven’t written many posts recently is because I feels callous to write about anything other than Armaggedon. Musings on my rather privileged and boring lock-down seem in bad taste, given the current state of the world and the fact that lots of people are having a really awful time. Even though psychologists and great thinkers suggest that we retreat into our smaller interior worlds to help us cope with waves of bad news, I still feel guilty about scrolling through Kardashian lock-down fashion and fixating on peoples’ interior design choices at Zoom meetings. There is a sense amoungst us that we shouldn’t be enjoying life when there are big bad serious things happening.

Guilt and Shame are big power players in the pandemic. On a day to day basis I can generally identify about 6 things that I am ashamed of including: being able to work, sitting on a park bench for 5 minutes, not spending time with my children, scoring ‘appallingly’ in an imaginary Ofsted inspection of home school, not volunteering for the NHS and being fit and healthy. These are the main ones, but I haven’t even touched the shame of slightly fancying the Chancellor Rishi and looking up his personal details on Wikipedia, during his delivery of the ‘daily update of doom’ at Number 10.

During lock-down, we are not only harder on ourselves but everyone around us, casting judgement and scoring people for their ability to social distance. Every time I get back from the supermarket, I get corona-rage about my ‘two metre’ space being invaded and rant about how I am going to get a megaphone and disgrace people for not following the ‘very simple’ rules. Later, I invariably feel guilty for my corona-rage because you don’t know everyone’s situation and it’s not very nice to be so judgemental. From local reports of nasty notes on cars, blocking off public footpaths and vandalism, it would seem that the general public have also got massive corona-rage and feel that it is their duty to shame the public, judging them for their lock-down failures.

I was considering how I could look after my friends when they are going through a really hard time; I try to treat them gently, listen to them, take them chocolate and hold their hands. Given that lock-down is a very hard time (and much harder for others) it seems totally bizarre that we are treating ourselves and our fellow humans with such harshness. It’s natural to want to assign blame for this grim situation and since we can’t actually shout at the Coronavirus itself (well we can if you want), we tend to be angry with ourselves and others instead. Maybe if we could be a little more aware of this behaviour, we will feel a bit better. Similarly we need to remind ourselves that it’s absolutely ok to laugh at Jo Exotic home haircuts, have some nice times during lockdown and not so feel guilty about our own ‘perceived’ failures.

Go easy on yourselves,

Sophie xoxo

Bedding in Blue Grey Linen (on sale). Pillowcase and quilt in Liberty oF London print ‘Capel.’

Insomnia : the all night rave that isn't fun

When I started to write this blog, I promised myself that I would only write about things that I am very familiar with and unfortunately insomnia is one of those things. Generally accompanied by its best friend Anxiety, insomnia usually sticks around for a couple of weeks, two or three times a year. Even though it’s appearance is relatively brief, this all night rave of worry and stress is all consuming and extremely debilitating. In this blog I thought I’d write about the things that help me get through these dark and lonely times and come out the other side feeling weary, but with a little more perspective. I’ll try not to regurgitate the same old tips on exercise and caffeine limits, but include some practical ideas that have helped me.

Get up , Get Out

No matter how little I may have slept, I try really hard to get up, make my bed and start the day. I find this helpful to try and reset my body clock and impose a routine on my sleep habits. If I really need to nap, I grab half an hour on the sofa, so that my bed is only associated with night time sleeping.

Run List for the day.

When I get up after a poor night’s sleep, I often feel rather hopeless and loosy-goosy about what I am going to do with the day. Anyone who has suffered from anxiety will know how hard it can be to make decisions. In order to reduce night time worry and avoid the ‘how the hell am I going to get through the day?’ feelings, I compose a ‘run list’ the night before. The ‘run list’ is very basic and includes little chores like dropping off the boys, walking the dog, work and also nice things such as reading a few chapters of a good book and having a bath. At the end of the day, I tick these off the run list, which makes me feel like that I am bossing it, in spite of the unwelcome anxiety and insomnia raving in my head.

Sleep Apps

Using sleep apps obsessively is counter productive in terms of giving too much time and energy over to ‘fixing a problem’ that can ultimately only fix itself. However, I do find sleep tracking technology quite useful with limited use (Sleepio). By looking at the quality, duration and time span of my sleep problems, I can see that my insomnia isn’t as drastic as I thought it might have been. It is clearly evident that my sleep goes through cycles and that I have made an excellent comeback from periods of insomnia. This helps me to challenge the irrational thoughts that scream ‘you will never, ever sleep again’ very rudely and loudly at 3 in the morning.

Meditation

In Russian, they don't say "I can't sleep." They say: "It isn't sleeping to me”. I really like this idea of not trying to sleep, but waiting for sleep to arrive. In order to welcome the elusive sleep, I use meditation to put myself in the most relaxed and calm position possible. I have to admit that I find quite a lot of meditation, in particular visualization, quite challenging. When I’m feeling anxious and wobbly, I find body scans and breathing meditations more accessible (Calm). In order to use meditation effectively at night, I try to practice once or twice during the day and attempt keep these sessions quite succinct, so that I don’t drift off to the ‘worry party’.

Insomnia can be really miserable and tricks you into thinking that it will never go away, but IT DOES. Rather like committing to a mantra, sometimes I find it helpful to write this down and repeat it often. Sleeplessness tends to ease once I have accepted its presence and worked out how I am going to manage it without being too controlling and obesessive. I don’t doubt that there are millions of others at this all night anxiety rave, and if you’re one of those party go-ers, please know that you have a friend (I’ll bring the vodka, you bring the whistles).

Sophie xxxx

Brighten up the insomnia party with new bedding in Liberty of London’s Felicite

Dog Person : My love affair with a rogue spaniel

I wasn’t always a dog person. My eyes would inwardly roll when folks would swoon over their new doggie friends, sometimes even referring to themselves as the pooch’s Mama and Papa. Don’t get me wrong I liked dogs, but I couldn’t understand how and why they made their owners gush with babbling baby talk and impose their boring doggy requirements of walking, pooping and training on the already strained lives of busy families. Then in trotted Dotty, the naughtiest spaniel in the world and I completely changed my mind.

My Mum recently asked me why I liked the dog so much, to which I responded '‘because she’s so nice”. There is no rudeness, door slamming, passive aggression or tantrums; just a waggy tail and a willingness to please. She makes me get out and enjoy beautiful parts of the Cornish coast, providing much needed breathing space in the middle of my busy day. A GP and a psychiatrist have both independently told me that they wish that they could prescribe ‘dog’ to their patients. Not only do they impose routine and exercise on their owners but provide company to those amongst us who feel afraid and alone. I have to say that I have never felt lonely with the silky spaniel at my feet and those big doe eyed stares are the perfect antidote to stroppy teenagers and tax returns..

Of course doggy ownership is not without its challenges. The puppy phase nearly killed us and bad Dotty was sent off to boot camp/Borstal for 4 weeks intensive ‘correction’ (she only just graduated!). She destroyed the builders shoes, dug a hole in the sofa and would run away for hours, living it up chasing cats and raiding bins. Honestly there were so many times when I thought to myself that she would have to go.

Dotty has now given up being a badass, although she’s still partial to a sock and enjoys stealing sandwiches from toddlers as pastime. I am glad we persevered and can’t ever see myself without a canine friend for company; I guess that makes me a dog person after all.

Sophie xxx

PS. I really enjoyed ‘Everyone died so I got a dog’ by Emily Dean and ‘Lost Dog’ by Kate Spicer. In both of these brilliant memoirs ‘the dog’ is the steady, grounding and important element of the authors lives.

Spaniel (currently not for sale) Cushions in Liberty of London print Betsy and Capel.