30.12.16

Reflection and planning


 

It's always just before New Year's Eve when I like to look back and take stock of everything that has happened in the year.

This one has been particularly busy as the wheels were set in motion for our new venture which saw me go back to further education to retrain as a florist.

We also decided to sell The Haven,
It went within days, but we've been unable to find anything else yet that we love as much.
So we're thinking of keeping hold of the old pile of bricks and doing further work on it.

This year we also welcomed a new addition to our family- Purdey our little beagle is now one and keeping all of us busy and out of socks.

Next year there is even more to do and look forward to.
We're officially launching our business A Bunch Of Wild.
We're on the hunt for even more land to expand, and I will be going back to college again, this time to do horticulture.

I just love planning stuff!

I'm hoping soon we can let our poor chickens out as they've had to remain in a coop until all potential bird flu has passed.

I've also told everyone this year that next Christmas we're going completely hand-made on the gift front.
I'm going to start thinking of ideas pretty soon so will also be sharing my makes and doing a few tutorials too!

I'd love to wish you all a happy new year!
And thank you for following our adventures.
See you in the new year!

Emma & Richard
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23.12.16

A Natural Christmas Home

 

Hello everyone,
It's my first day off to enjoy the Christmas holidays and I'm so excited!
We've all been getting over the dreadful winter cold and are starting to feel very festive at last.

I just wanted to share a few snaps of my natural home with you all.

 
Every year I go foraging over the woods for pretty pieces of holly and ivy, twigs covered in lichen and catkins.
I love decorating our home with natural foliage, it's simple, subtle and free.
Plus it keeps me in tune with what the seasons are doing.
 
These little paper whites were an experiment for our home-grown business A Bunch Of Wild.
The scent is so beautiful and the flowers make me so happy!
 
I shall probably go off foraging again today, I'd still like some more ivy.
Then it's off to do the Christmas rounds loaded with gifts and hopefully I'll get to enjoy some mince pies and mulled cider if I'm lucky.

Have a good day everyone!

Emma x
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21.12.16

Ultimate mince pie hacks

Ultimate Mince Pies.


 
Hello everyone,

 So if you are anything like me then you are probably still rushing round cleaning the house, managing the kids and animals, and possibly still working.

But it's about this kind of time when visitors stop by and we swap gifts, and I always like to feed people when they come to my house.

I've come up with some mince pie tricks over the years which requires little effort but always looks like i've been slaving away.



Here are my two favourite mince pie hacks!

Pimp the pastry!
So if you don't have enough time to make your pastry then shop bought is fine, plus this little tip will have people thinking you made it!

Firstly take your pastry out the fridge to leave to get to room temperature, this bit is very important, if you try and work it straight from the fridge it will just crack.
Roll out the pastry to half a centimetre then sprinkle with cinnamon.
Roll up the pastry like you would a rolly-polly then cut across into 1 centimetre discs.
You should be able to see the cinnamon spiralled through.
Squidge this into a prepared tin and you're ready to add the mince-meat.

Pimp the mince-meat!
In a bowl empty your shop bought mince-meat.
Then go crazy!
I like to add chopped cherries, extra brandy (just a dash) and I finish with grating the zest of a few clementines.
You can also sprinkle a few toasted flaked almonds for an extra crunch.

I always like to top mine with a little star.

The trick is to not overfill them!
It's so tempting to fill them to the top but really just a tea spoon will do.

Bake in a pre heated oven at around gas 5 for roughly 20 minutes.

Happy baking x


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12.12.16

Vintage pastel Christmas styling

 
Hello lovelies,

I've spent this week decorating the living room for Christmas.
This has mostly happened when my hubby has been at work, whilst he's been out I've been sneaking in more pink, I think he finally noticed today what was happening with the arrival of these pretty pink roses.

It's been ages since I bought any blooms, and I'm mostly set against imported ones, but I just couldn't resist these as they lay crumpled but lovely in the sale bin.
I love displaying blooms in tiny little bud vases and vintage tea cups.

 

We also picked a tiny little tree this year as I fell in love with its cuteness.
For the first time ever I let my daughters decorate it on their own without my constant interfering and do you know what?
I haven't even touched it!
Usually I sneak about rearranging it, but my mini stylists in the making have got it bang on!

 


I've just got the dining room end to finish now but I think I'll keep that a bit more grown up.

Hope you're all enjoying the Christmas build up.

X
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My DIY vintage sink



Hello lovelies,

Check out my vintage sink!
My favourite up-cycled vintage piece ever.

I bought an old side table from a house clearance for £20 and the gorgeous bowl I bought for £30 from an antiques shop in Southwold.

My lovely dad got the job of drilling the sink and putting together my design,
It went something like this.....

Me: Daaaaaaaad
Him: Yeeeeees
Me: (holding the bowl in the shop with phone to my ear) how easy is it to drill a whole in a Victorian basin?
Him: If you buy the drill bit we'll ave a go.

Love his can do attitude!

And after a nail biting 5 minutes of him drilling and me standing in the garden helping with my eyes shut, I had the start of the most amazing sink ever!

My dad is an absolute genius!

I'm so flipping lucky!

Now lets see what else needs up-cycling.



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