Why Shabby Chic Isn’t Shabby

The great thing about shabby chic is that it is an easy style to get into, can be personalised to suit your own tastes and is anything but shabby.  Shabby chic is defined as a style of interior design and furniture that has signs of wear and tear and where a distressed look is used to make items appear antique.  It is soft and opulent combining a cottage-style décor with a sense of period décor to make a uniquely personal look.

Budget friendly

One of the reasons that shabby chic is so popular is that it can be very budget friendly.  It is easy to go to charity shops or second hand sales and pick up pieces of furniture that are either in keeping with the style or can be easily adapted to it.  Vintage textiles are another great way to take a plain piece of furniture and turn it into a shabby chic piece without spending a great deal of money.  Plus it’s fun – who knows what amazing thing you will find during your search!

In the bedroom, white bedding is both cost effective and totally shabby chic.  White on white patterns are very popular for the look and can be quite budget friendly as well as easy to wash.  You can use accessories to add colour to the room or even use coloured paint on the furniture.

Furniture ideas

Taking an old dining room set and stripping it back before whitewashing it is a great way to bring the look to the dining room or kitchen.  Covering the chairs with some vintage fabric adds a touch of softness to the look, especially if the chairs are all straight lines and angles.  Add a faded rug under the table to finish the area.

Nearly any piece of furniture from a sideboard to a chest of drawers can be reborn to coordinate with a shabby chic look in the same way as the table and chairs – sand them down and whitewash them or paint them in a distressed fashion.  Anything that looks weathered and aged will work perfectly in the theme and saves the cost of buying brand new items.

Accessories

Mirrors, picture frames and wall art are all prominent features of the shabby chic style.  Grouping them together as a feature on a fireplace wall, for example, is a great way to combine a random selection of items that you can repaint to look the part.  Or buy the odd new piece to sit amongst the upcycled gear – anything with flowers and birds are popular motifs.  Hanging a similar style metal wreath in front of a window is another way to accessorize the look.

Second hand shops always have plenty of small, dainty fine china tea sets to be bought, often missing a piece here and there.  These delicate little items make a beautiful addition to a living room, dining room or kitchen, bringing a little floral colour to the room.  You can even use them as a basis for the colours in the rest of the room, following their colour theme to paint up and distress the other furniture you have found.

Why Do We Give Eggs at Easter?

There are many associations with Easter, some of which come through the religious side of the festival, others predating even the associations with Christianity while others are more recent.  So why do we give eggs at Easter?  And how did many of the other traditions come about?

Easter egg associations

There are lots of reasons we associated eggs with Easter.  One example is that in Medieval Europe, it was forbidden to eat eggs during Lent so eggs laid during that time were boiled or preserved.  When Easter came around, eggs could once again be enjoyed and were a gift given to children.

Eggs are also associated with fertility and as a symbol of new life dating back much further.  Ancient Egyptians, Romans and Persians all gave eggs as part of their spring festivals, with the Spring Equinox being 21^st March, just before the typical date of Easter.

These associations have developed into the Easter eggs we know today – brightly coloured with dyes or paints and decorated in all manner of ways.  Egg hunts are another traditional part of Easter along with rolling eggs down hills, with the most famous version of the game taking place on the lawn of the White House in Washington DC every year.

Middle Eastern Orthodox Christians and those in Greece paint their eggs bright red to symbolise the blood of Jesus Christ while hollow eggs were decorated with religious images as part of the celebrations in Armenia.  Many Germans give green eggs on Holy Thursday and hang hollow eggs up onto trees while Austrians put a tiny plant around the egg before boiling it, creating delicate patterns on the eggshell.

While the chocolate Easter egg has taken over the market here in the UK, there are still ways to maintain the traditions in a contemporary way.  One such way is to give the gift of a personalised eggcup to children at Easter.  This encourages them to enjoy eggs and is a bridge between the modern world and ancient traditions.

Other Easter traditions

Everyone recognises the Easter Bunny but rabbits and hares are associated with both spring and fertility.  The root of the Easter Bunny story comes from Germany, where parents told their children that an Easter hare would hide eggs for them to find.  The tradition followed German immigrants to the US, where the story continued to grow and the tradition of baking cakes for the hare began.  It is thought this is where the associations between Easter and chocolate developed – a very clever idea!

Giving cards at Easter is a Victorian tradition.  Stationers at the time added the image of a rabbit to cards and these were sent to loved ones at Easter.  In the US, Easter cards are big business, being the 4^th most popular holiday of the year behind Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Easter parades started in Medieval Europe when after Mass, the churchgoers would follow behind a crucifix or an Easter candle.  People would join the parade wear their finest clothing include bonnets they would make particularly for the day.

Top Flowers to Grow and Cut

The only thing nicer than receiving a bunch of flowers is receiving flowers that someone has grown and cut themselves in their own garden.  But many of us think we can’t grow flowers or we don’t have enough room for them.  The good news is that there are some great flowers that are easy to grow, don’t need a lot of room and make beautiful cut flowers.  In fact, growing flowers is a great way to make a unique present for someone.  You can arrange them in a simple vase or glass bottle to make a present that they will treasure.

Sweet pea

Top of any easy to grow list has to be the sweet pea.  These beautiful little flowers come in a vast range of shades, grow easily and once a flower has been cut, more will be along in no time.  Some people choose to grow a single shade but for the best effect, a full-on random selection gets the winning vote.  The tip for cutting it to cut them as the lowest bloom is opening and put them straight into water to give them the longest life.

To grow sweet pea, you will need some form of support, such as a trellis or even a wall with mesh on it.  They can be sown in the spring either into pots or into the ground at a depth of around 1cm and then need a good watering to start them.  Watch out for slugs, as they love the tiny shoots.

Tulips

Tulips often win the race to be among the first flowers to show in spring and come in an even more amazing range of colours than sweet pea.  As cut flowers, tulips need a lot of water and a tip is to submerge the stem in water before cutting them to avoid air escaping.  Also, despite blooming at the same time, never combine tulips and daffodils as the latter stop them from getting the water they need.

Tulips grow from bulbs that need to be planted in the autumn to flower the following spring.  They need sunlight and not too much moisture so a well-drained, sunny spot is ideal.  Sow around 8 inches deep and water well after planting to start their growth.

Dianthus

Dianthus is a wide category of flowers that includes both carnations and pinks as well as Sweet Williams.  As well as traditional whites, red and pinks, they also come in subtle shades and even purple versions.  Pinks also have a strong and very pleasant smell so they will brighten the room and make it smell lovely.  When cut, don’t keep them in direct sunlight as this shortens their lifespan.

Dianthus can be grown from cuttings but for first-time gardeners, seeds are the best bet.  Sown in post around ½ inch from the top they are then covered with moist compost.  Place the pot in sunlight and when the seeds germinate, you can feed them with liquid houseplant fertiliser.  They can be transferred to the garden once the risk of frost is past.

Using Slate Around the Kitchen

Slate has long been associated with the outer construction of a house and has been a material used for roofing for many centuries.  It is known for its durability and also for its attractive appearance but in recent times, slate has made a move into the house and now is popular in a variety of ways around the kitchen.

What is Slate?

Slate is a fine-grained rock that can be made up from clay or volcanic ash and is the finest grained rock in its category, metamorphic rocks.  This graining can be expertly ‘cut’ by striking it parallel to the grains to create the smooth, flat sheets so long used as a roofing material.  Slate is most often grey in colour but slate from different places can vary, being purple, green or cyan, such as the very dark grey slate found in North Wales.

Slate was first used as a roofing material back in the 1870s and remained popular for this use because it is very resistant to water absorption, being virtually waterproof. Added with its appearance, longevity and the fact that little maintenance is required has retained it as a popular roof tile option.

Uses of slate

As well as roofing materials, slate has traditionally been used for both tombstones and commemorative tablets.  The Maya of Central American used slate to make stelae, their version of a commemorative stone and it was highly prized.  Slate is fireproof and a good electrical insulator so has been used throughout the 20^th century in switchboards and in large electrical motors.

Two famous uses of slate is as the table tops on billiards and snooker tables and in the 19^th century for school blackboards, as well as the individual writing slates given to children to work with using chalk pencils.  Fine slate is also used as a whetstone to hone knives.

In the kitchen

Two of the main uses of slate in the kitchen are for flooring tiles and for worktops where its waterproof abilities come to the fore, along with its durability and general toughness.  This means that it is resistant to stains and can handle almost anything a busy household throws at it.  The same low maintenance that makes it appealing for roofing materials also makes it appealing to put on the floors or worktops of a kitchen and it offers a natural finish to the room.

Slate has also found its way into the accessories of the kitchen, bringing its enduring qualities to the job.  One of the most popular uses is as a chopping board, where fear of markings the material is almost non-existent and particularly helpful to the heavy-handed chef.  Placemats for the dining table is another popular use, where the fireproof heat resistance of slate protects the table beneath from the heat of serving dishes.

Another popular use for slate is for decorative items.  Due to its ease of use, it can be formed into decorative wall hangings that are often personalised to make an ideal present and cut into a variety of different shapes.

Basic Baking Ideas with the Kids

Whether it is with your children, grandchildren or even just your friends’ kids, there is something memorable about baking together.  When they get older, they will always remember the times spent in the kitchen making a cake or muffins with you and it can even aspire them to something more – maybe even the next celebrity chef!

One great way to start their interest in baking is to buy a children’s baking set.  These will normally contain a few staple items such as muffin tins or a loaf tin as well as cutters and a whisk as well as the important apron to help save their clothes a little.

So once they have their basic gear ready, what kind of baking can they do?  One of the simplest, and tastiest, start up baking projects are muffins and here is an idea of a classic recipe.

Basic Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:

• ·         2 medium eggs
• ·         200g caster sugar
• ·         250ml milk
• ·         125ml vegetable oil
• ·         400g self raising flour

If you want to make chocolate flavoured muffins, substitute 100g of the flour for cocoa powder but not drinking chocolate

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 and line the muffin tray with paper muffin cases.  In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the oil and milk.  Add the sugar and whisk until dissolved.

Sift the flour into the wet mixture and mix until it is smooth and if making chocolate muffins, add the chocolate powder at this point.

Fill each muffin case until it is around two-third full to allow the muffins to rise and not spill over the top of the cases.  Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes then leave to cool or enjoy warm.

Lemon and Almond Drizzle Cake

Ingredients:

• ·         250g margarine
• ·         250g golden caster sugar
• ·         4 large eggs
• ·         Zest of two lemons
• ·         Juice of one lemon
• ·         200g self raising flour
• ·         50g ground almonds

For the decoration:

• ·         Juice of two lemons
• ·         250g fondant icing sugar
• ·         20 sugared lemon decorations

Heat the oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4 and line the loaf tin.  Cream together the margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy before beating in the eggs, juice and zest.  Fold in the flour and the almond.

Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin then bake for around 20 minutes until golden brown then leave to cool.

Combine the syrup ingredients and pour into a few holes made in the cake with a skewer.  Drizzle the remainder of the mixture over the top of the cakes and add the sugared lemon decorations on top.

Conclusion

The great thing about both muffin and loaf tins is that there is a huge range of cakes that can be made in both.  As well as sweet options, there are also savoury recipes that can be ideal for a special breakfast treat or to cool down and take as part of a packed lunch the next day.  Plus once the kids get the baking bug, it may quickly become their favourite thing to do on a weekend or whenever they visit!

Finding the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift

The trouble with Mother’s Day is that it is easy to fall into the trap of buying the tried and traditional presents that are in all the high street shops whenever you visit them – a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, and a bunch of flowers.  And while all mums will likely appreciate these presents, something the generic gift just doesn’t tell them how you feel adequately.

Finding the perfect Mother’s Day Gift can take a little planning and a little studying.  Knowing what your Mum likes sounds simple enough but when it comes to buying a gift, suddenly all those ideas seem to run and hide.  So here are a few inspirations to help you recapture those ideas.

Go Personalised

One of the best ways to tell your Mum you love her is to actually tell her you love her – and use a personalised gift to do so.  There are a wealth of different ideas now available that allow you to pick the perfect gift and have it personalised with a message direct from your heart.  For example, if your Mum is a coffee fan, get a mug with a message on that will make her smile every time she had a drink.  Or if she is a wine drinker, a message on the wine bottle will be a lovely surprise and the bottle can be reused as a commemorative vase afterwards.

Gardener presents

Buying flowers is lovely and creates a beautiful display for a few days but a plant can last for years, especially if your Mum is green fingered.  Plants don’t need to be expensive either as most supermarkets and garden centres will have a selection that start from less than £10 for those on a tight budget, or where the kids want to pay themselves.

Alternatively, treat your Mum to a new set of gardening tools.  You can go ultra-practical from the garden centre or fun and frivolous and choose one of the many sets of brightly coloured trowel and fork sets now available.

Chef presents

If your Mum enjoys cooking or baking, then some new gear for her kitchen will always be appreciated.  From a new apron to a set of heart-shaped cupcake moulds, there are tons of items that you can pick up for the kitchen that will bring a smile to her face.  Plus, you get the benefit of persuading her to try them out and sampling the end result!

Another idea is to combine the personalised theme with the kitchen theme and order Mum a personalised chopping board.  Nothing says ‘hands off’ like having your name on it!  Alternatively, you can add a fun message such as her name and Queen of the Cake onto the board so whenever she uses it, she will get both a smile and a subtle hint about what to bake next!

Conclusion

Whatever you buy your Mum for Mother’s Day, there’s no doubt she will love it but by getting something that will last a little longer than a few days, you can remind her of your love all the way through the year.

Special Anniversaries and What to Buy for Them

For as long as there have been weddings, there have been special anniversaries and over time, certain gifts have become associated with certain anniversaries.  Most of us know the most popular ones, such as 50 years being the golden wedding anniversary but do you know what to buy someone for their 7^th anniversary?  And what is the recommended gift for someone who had been married for 10 years?  Here is a look at some of the most popular.

One to Ten

From years one to ten, there is a specific association and a recommended gift that goes with it.  While this doesn’t mean that a present for the anniversary has to fall in line with these ideas, it can be a great starting place if you are unsure what to buy someone.

The 1^st anniversary is associated with paper in the US and cotton in the UK and the suggested modern gift to give is a clock.  For the 2^nd anniversary, the US and UK versions swap around and the modern gift is recommended to be a piece or set of china.  For the 3^rd anniversary, both agree on leather while the gift is either something made from crystal or from glass.  While the traditional idea for this would be a pair of crystal flutes or a set of nice glasses, a new idea is to give a personalised crystal token that has the couple’s names and wedding date inscribed on it.

Here is a list of the first ten anniversaries and their suggested gift:

Year	US	UK	Gift idea
1st	Paper	Cotton	Clock
2nd	Cotton	Paper	China
3rd	Leather	Leather	Crystal, glass
4th	Linen, silk	Fruit, flowers	Electrical appliances
5th	Wood	Wood	Silverware
6th	Iron	Sugar	Wooden objects
7th	Wool, copper	Woollen	Desk sets or pen and pencil sets
8th	Bronze	Salt	Linens, lace
9th	Pottery	Copper	Leather goods
10th	Tin, aluminium	Tin	Diamond jewellery

Fifteen to twenty

From years 15 to 20, there are less associations with each year and many people stop giving gifts for each anniversary, instead concentrating on the 15^th and 20^th only.  However, there are still recommended gifts for each year if you do want to continue the tradition.

The 15^th anniversary is associated in both countries with crystal and giving of a watch is the modern ideal present.  Silver hollowware is associated with the 16^th, furniture with the 17^th and porcelain with the 18^th.  Bronze is the gift of choice for a 19^th anniversary and when 20 years comes around, china is seen as the traditional option while something in platinum is a modern alternative.

Twenty five and up

Twenty-five years universally calls for a silver present while the 30^th anniversary can be either Pearl or something with diamonds involved.  The 35^th is the coral anniversary but the modern alternative is to pick up something in jade as a present.  40 years is commemorates with ruby, 45 with sapphire and of course the 50^th anniversary is the golden anniversary.  Finally, 55 years is emerald, 60 is diamond and 70 is platinum.

Conclusion

The great thing about these ideas is just that – they are ideas to give you inspiration to find that perfect present for someone.  And while you may not be able to buy a diamond necklace for your friend and diamond cufflinks for her husband, something as simple as a diamond wedding picture frame may be a perfect match.