Kilver Court - a place I'm definitely visiting

Kilver Court - designer bargains, secret gardens, great food..... Well, that info. has got me totally interested and you'll bet that this place in Somerset, England will be on my list of places to visit when I am back there in about a month's time..... (And even better news is that it's only about 45 mins from our cottage in the West of England)

Some "blurb" from their website :

A fresh, new experience, Kilver Court mixes a fabulous discount designer shopping emporium with amazing secret gardens, excellent food from the Sharpham Park Farm Shop and pop-up restaurants, a plant nursery, wellness centre and an ever-changing calendar of events.

Created by Mulberry founder Roger Saul, The Kilver Court Emporium is open seven days a week (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm). It offers an ever-changing, exciting mix of discount designer labels including - Margaret Howell, Toast, Cabbages and Roses and Duchamp. The Emporium is filled with gorgeous fashion and home furnishings. Ranges include menswear, womenswear, fashion accessories and lingerie as well as new and upcycled furniture and vintage decor.

Kilver Court provides a refreshing change for those seeking quality designer items and fantastic bargains all presented in an environmentally aware setting. Restoration, regeneration and renewal are the driving forces behind Roger Saul’s vision for making Kilver Court the best designer shopping destination in the UK. In recent years, Roger and his team of craftspeople have transformed a range of historic industrial buildings with great care and expertise.

Can't wait to visit and wait, there's more - Mulberry's Factory shop is also just around the corner from this wonderful place too!

For more information - http://www.kilvercourt.com/

Knit Wit.....

I discovered knitting relatively recently in my life and have to say that I rather enjoy this hobby. And I am in good company so it seems; Cameron Diaz, Geri Halliwell, Uma Thurman and Sarah J-Parker all indulge in a little yarn therapy too.

It first helped me through a bout of mild depression about 8 years ago so whenever I get out the knitting needles Mr SE does worry - but he doesn't need to. The only thing I would say is I do like variety and have 3 small projects on the go at the moment. Below photograph shows the 3 together.

This is the first one above. A scarf (that is about all I have managed to master so far!) - but done in a rib stitch - 2 plain knit stitches then 2 purl stitches along each row. I am using a lovely Rowan tweedy wool for this....

Project number two. This will be a 'snood' for darling daughter for when she goes back up to Durham University in the Autumn in UK. I have used a pure undyed wool from Jacob Sheep..... The pattern is one row plain knit stitch and one row of purl. Easy and fun.

And thirdly this one (also to be a 'snood'). It's done in Moss Stitch. One knit stitch, then one purl stitch all along the row. This is also a Rowan pure wool and I love the colours.


The weather has been cold - well I guess it is Winter here in Melbourne but it has also been rainy too - perfect weather for knitting on your day off. It's full on and busy at work with a new catalogue out and this is a good way to relax once all the household chores are out of the way (or out of sight!!) .

View below from the sitting room.

We have been nice and cosy inside today but someone has been 'hogging' the fire - see below!

Anyone else like to knit - are you an expert, or do you like to clack away for fun?

Kookaburra sits

Last week I was awoken just before dawn by what sounded like a monkey in a jungle.... !!

Actually, it was a Kookaburra and for those of you who don't live in Australia you might be interested in playing the video link below. It does make me laugh everytime I hear it but it wasn't all that funny so early in the morning. I have to say that it is the first time I have heard a kookaburra here where we live in Melbourne - we are quite near the City although the garden does back onto a small area of rough parkland.

Please take a few seconds to listen HERE - and I am sure it will bring a smile to your face too!

Something to tell you

I am going home.
For a WHOLE 2 months. My lovely work, THE ARK have said that I may go and I will still have my job when I return and I am so excited that I am trying not to think about it in case it all turns out to be a dream. So in September I will be seeing THIS view below when I wake up and look out of the bedroom window from our cottage in Wiltshire. Home to me is UK. Yes, home is also here in Melbourne but HOME No. 1 is the country where you have spent most of your life, have your memories, and most of your family.

So, if you would like you can all come with me via the blog and perhaps it will be a little more interesting and I will be posting with a bit more regularity than I have of late, for which I can only apologise!

Happy weekend to one and all.

One of my favourites. Jo Malone's Lime, Basil and Mandarin

I love this fragrance - in my opinion her best and her signature first..... It is really a modern classic and the body lotion carries the scent with you all day. Fresh limes and zesty mandarins undercut by the 'pepperiness' of basil with a hint of white thyme.

I think it works well all year round - refreshing and green it is great for the Summer months but then it seems equally to be warming and cosy (perhaps it's the basil element?) for the cooler seasons.

I am using the body lotion now now - Mr SE bought me a large bottle last time he was over in Europe. Wishing you all a great weekend - enjoy!

White Cottage, Suffolk, England

I am totally in LOVE with this very pretty late Georgian cottage in the coastal town of Woodbridge in Suffolk in England. It belongs to my talented friend Jo who has such a flair for designing and decorating - she kindly sent me all these photographs which I am so pleased to share with you all....

Sitting room.

And another view above.

Dining area. Love the fact that she has paired the old table with the modern white chairs.

Above and below - the kitchen.

The twin bedded room above.

And the gorgeous main bedroom.

Another photo of the main bedroom - tea for two?

And the bathroom.

And lastly the GORGEOUS little courtyard garden.

Now the even more exciting part is that this little gem of a cottage is available for holiday lets....


Here is the link http://www.suffolkcottageholidays.com/cottage/suffolk/000300/ajax/white-cottage-woodbridge.html



Have a wonderful weekend whatever you are doing!

Hermes, please explain this pricing policy......

Mr SE has just returned from another trip to Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Dublin and a quick stayover in London) and asked me if I would like anything particular..... Well, I was getting a little low (nearly out of) my favourite fragrance - Hermes Rose Ikebana which I have talked about before on the blog - see HERE.

However, I am very much for VFM in this life .... Value For Money is the name of the game and I just wanted to check where the best place would be for Mr SE to pick up said perfume. So, off I went to the website and decided that I would rather like to try two other 'flavours' in the Hermessence range - the new(ish) Iris Ukiyoe and also the Poivre Samarcande (which is beautiful 'layered' with my favourite Rose Ikebana....) Hermes do a 'Gift Set' where you can choose 4 of the Hermessence fragrances so I picked 2 of the Rose Ikebana and one each of the other two so I could try them as well....

Now, this story is going somewhere (good, I hear you sigh).... Meanwhile above and below show the photographs of the beautifully packaged gifts set...

Each little bottle has its own drawstring bag...

And above here they are out of their packages.

OK so guess where they were bought in the end ? IN AUSTRALIA!

In England they would have been a little more expensive than here - yes, I know I was really surprised. However, if you live in USA you are the winners - this same set above a whole LOT (AUD$65) LESS than it does here.

Why Hermes, can you please explain this???

However, if you want to buy a large bottle of any of the above it would cost far MORE in Australia - in UK and USA it's about the same price. I just don't understand it.

p.s. My nail polish - see post before last is still perfect - no chips at all. I am impressed.

Cheating a teeny bit but still joining in with Jane

I am joining in with lovely Jane who is behind the blog Small But Charming and showing you my flowers in the house... She is showing Flowers around the Summer house but we are in topsy turvey land Down Under so we are in Autumn/Winter mode here of course.... First two photographs show my lovely bunch of Jonquils given to me by the divine Ms. S. They smell amazing.

And below - next two photographs these lovely blush pink spray roses. Given to me by Mr SE just before he jetted off to Europe (yes, again) on business on Saturday evening.

And here is the cheaty bit!! But I know that Jane will appreciate this as she is a florist. These are photographs taken at my local Florist run by the very sweet and gorgeous Cobi. She is so young ( think perhaps early twenties?) yet she owns and runs this successful business with a team of helpers.

LOVE the saying on the board outside.. "Winterference" - great!

Outside the shop above and below.

Entrance.

And above 5 photographs just taken here and there around the store....

Beautiful isn't it?

I've been "Shellac-ed"

On Thursday I went to my local nail salon and had my nails done. With Shellac Gel. No, it's not something that goes on the top of a piece of furniture finished by French polishing as I had previously thought but a new nail technique. Well, new to me - may be quite old hat to you.

It cost twice as much as an ordinary manicure but apparently will last up to 3 times as long. (So therefore in my book = Good Value For Money). And it's different from Bio Sculpture Nails (which often give the appearance of a thick layer or two of polish on your nails) and Bio Sculpture nails are more expensive (so I am told) than this new shellac polish....

Downsides : as yet not a HUGE selection of polishes to pick from but enormous UPSIDE : as soon as it is done you can pick up your bag, your keys etc. and off you waltz. No more trying not to smudge your nails and spoiling a manicure within 10 minutes of getting them done. RESULT.

So, I will be counting the days that this lasts and will let you know. So far, I am really quite impressed.

Happy Weekend to one and all.

Margaret River Region, Western Australia

Mr SE and I had a wonderful time last weekend in the beautiful Margaret River region of Western Australia. I flew to Perth (Mr SE was already in Perth on business) and then we hot footed it in the car 2.5 hours south....



This is where we stayed - Empire Spa and retreat. Very relaxing with an Eastern influence.

Photos above and below taken in the hotel grounds.

Loved the cascading water fountain below ....

We walked the 2kms out (and back !) along Busselton Jetty - the longest pier in the Southern hemisphere.

Although it was sunny the wind was pretty fierce... these seagulls were trying to keep their heads down out of the gale!

Beautiful sunrise.

Mr SE was interested in exploring the Ngligi Caves - where there were plenty of stalactites and stalagmites to spy!

All quite eerie and interesting if not a tad geographical for my tastes!

Mr SE loved it though...

I rather liked these sheep with their black faces which we passed on the way to one of the region's many wineries. The Margaret River region is one of Australia's most prolific wine producing areas.

The vines above looking very Autumnal. And below the Howard Park Estate where they produce the range of wines that are one of our favourites....
We ordered a case to be shipped back to Melbourne! Free postage too - great value.

Last pic for the post today - Mr SE....

We had a wonderful weekend. And hope you are enjoying yours wherever you are and whatever you may be doing.