Butterfly Prints

I have found yet another possibility for my thirtieth birthday present, this list is constantly growing. It's not that I'm greedy, well maybe just a little bit, but I'm very indecisive and always changing my mind. Rockett St George stock these lovely Butterfly prints, I particularly like the Papilio ulysses telegonus, it comes unframed measuring 70x100cm so can easily be put into an off the shelf frame. It is really very striking with a black frame and white walls.

They also stock this collection of 6 A4 sized Butterfly prints, which look lovely hung up together in black frames. I am a huge fan of anything involving butterflies, so would love them on a feature wall, they look particularly good on a grey wall as in the image below.

(Images from Rockett St George)

Christmas Stars

Whilst looking at a few blogs yesterday I came across these Christmas stars on homeshoppingspy. They are sold by Cox & Cox, one of my favourite online retailers, and they come in packs of 3 for £10. My mum always told me to only ever buy decorations in odd numbers as they always seem to look better when hung up, and after a couple of years of following this advise, she's right they do look better. These stars really fit in nicely if you're going for a Scandinavian Christmas theme.

Cox & Cox also sell these Snowflake Stickers. I've fancied doing something similar this year so I've cut out my own snowflakes out of plain old white copier paper from templates found at papersnowflakes.com. These will be stuck to the window with sticky back clear vinyl that you can buy in most craft shops or stationers. They'll be up by the end of the weekend hopefully so I'll post a pic when they're done.

(Images from Cox & Cox)

Mrs Peabod Christmas Cards

Since I have been blogging about pretty much everything Christmas this last month, I thought I better share my designs for this years Christmas cards. Each year I usually create my own cards, they are usually very simple and Scandinavian in theme, just because this is the kind of card I would love to receive. Normally I print them out on single sided A6 cards and punch a hole to add some ribbon so it can be hung up either on a tree or a door.

I love making my own cards as I can never find anything quite right in the shops. In the current climate where every one is tightening the purse strings, handmade cards might be cheap to make but show you've made a real effort, which can go a long way!

Orla Kiely Charity Bag for Tesco

I was reading one of my favourite blogs and came across this shopping bag that has been designed by Orla Kiely to raise money for Clic Sargent. It is being sold exclusively at Tesco this December and retails at £4, with fifty pence from every sale being equally divided between Clic Sargent and Orla's personal charity, The Royal College of Art, which funds bursaries for textile students.

Around 10 families a day are told that their child has cancer and treatment can last for up to three years.  Julie Worrall, Tesco Campaign Manager at CLIC Sargent, said: “As Tesco Charity of the Year we aim to raise £5 million to help children with cancer spend more time at home and less time in hospital.  The money we receive when customers buy Orla’s bags will help to fund CLIC Sargent nurses who coordinate children’s care at home so they can live as normal a life as possible.” (Quote from Clic Sargent)

So if you would like to support two very worthy charities and also get yourself a very stylish shopping bag, head down to Tesco's now because I doubt they will be around for long!

(Image PrintPattern)

Seletti Gold Ice-cream Bowl and Spoon

I have been a lover of Seletti kitchenware for a while now. I have collected the ceramic tin can storage pots, the takeaway inspired serving dishes and the quirky milk jug. Recently I was flicking through the Pedlars Christmas catalogue and noticed a new addition to the range, this lovely Ice-Cream bowl and spoon. I had noticed this on the same episode of Nigella Kitchen that I had noticed the Rockett St George candle holders, mentioned in my previous post.

Nigella had used it to hold her delicious cream that accompanies her Venetian Carrot Cake, it looked great on the edge of a large serving dish. I think the thing I enjoy the most about the Seletti products is that they are a talking point when people see them on your table, I haven't found a person yet who hasn't loved them!

(Images from Pedlars and BBC iPlayer)

Coloured Cupcake Tea Light Holders

On Friday I went for dinner at my sister-in-law's and noticed she had some gorgeous tea light holders that she had recently bought from Rockett St George. I had previously seem them being used as chocolate sauce pots on a recent episode of Nigella and thought they were very pretty, but they look even more fantastic put to their intended use. The colours really do twinkle with candles in them.

They are £14.99 for  a set of six different coloured holders. They look great all sat together, my sister-in-law had two sets of six and displayed them in a large circle as a centre piece which looked very festive!

(Images Rockett St George and BBC iPlayer)

Vintage Glass Cake Stands

This year I will be hosting my husband's and my family on Boxing day for a festive buffet. So I am in the process of thinking how to display the tasty treats to their best, especially my home-made truffles and mince pies. I thought maybe a few vintage glass cake stands would look very pretty. These shown below are available from Re-found Objects.

I've also found them on Notonthehighstreet but they are quite expensive, especially if I need a few.

These stands would look lovely on a plain white table cloth with a few sprigs of holly and eucalyptus scattered around, possibly some candles to make the cut glass twinkle and some lovely vintage white serving platters. I think I need to get scouting round the charity and secondhand shops this weekend!

(Images Re-found Objects)

M&S Spring Hues Range

I've just received my January issue of Living Etc and featured on their News etc page are some fabulous occasional tables from Marks and Spencer's Spring Hues range. They already sell the Lyon table in a beautifully simple Oak finish but are due to launch these pastel top tables in January, and as they are M&S they are available at a very affordable £49 for the side table and £79 for the coffee table.

You'll probably have to be fast if you want one because I can see these flying off the shelves. They are making me think of Springtime colours already and it's only December!

(Images M&S and Living Etc)