Let Me Introduce...Old Farm Interiors

As you will know, I love to feature small independent businesses on Life is Peachy.  I think blogs are such a great platform to get up and coming brands out there and I think, as someone who has launched into the world of the self-employed herself, that it is really inspiring to hear successful start-up stories.  So I was absolutely delighted when I was contacted by Catherine Evans, owner of vintage and shabby chic interior brand, Old Farm Interiors.

Catherine finally realised her dream of running her own shop, after ten years working in Financial Services and, with the support of her wonderful boyfriend, began to piece the puzzle of a vintage and shabby chic inspired interior business together.  From sourcing products and brands to stock, to running her own blog about Old Farm Interiors, Catherine is not afraid of hard work to promote her brand and get her name out there.  

While vintage and shabby chic continues to be such huge business in the UK and beyond, Old Farm Interiors really sets itself apart from its competitors, by offering a very unique and personalised experience.  Though only online based, consumers have the benefit of Catherine being the overseer in each and every aspect of Old Farm; which makes for great shopping, great products and outstanding service, time and time again.  Old Farm's products also really reflect her own tastes, being a lover of beautiful vintage decor; she does have to compromise on the decoration in the home she shares with her boyfriend (don't we all).  Catherine does not believe you can sell something if you do not love it yourself, so each product is carefully handpicked to add to this beautiful brand.  Old Farm Interiors is not just a business to Catherine, but also a hobby and a passion, which is evident through her work, blog and relationship with customers.  Not to mention, Catherine's dedication to her business, means that she makes herself available to answer queries at any time of the day, you couldn't ask for much more from an online business.

Catherine admits that setting up her own business had its struggles along the way, but since quitting her job and soul-searching to find Old Farm, she has never looked back.  A glance at her website is nothing less than a real joy.  There is a strong 'nature' theme running through many of her products, which is a huge trend running into AW13; such as this amazing Otter Cushion by Magpie, that I absolutely LOVE and sits pride of place on my wicker chair in my lounge!  Everything for a vintage-inspired homemaker can be found here; from animal soft furnishings to shabby chic kitchen accessories, chalk-board garden accessories and gorgeous classic reclaimed oak furniture.  Prices are very reasonable and some of Catherine's best selling products include these gorgeous Pondlife cake tins and vintage milk churns, those pieces we purchase to make our homes that little bit unique.

Pondlife Cake Tins

Wildlife Nesting Tins

At the moment, Catherine's goal is to continue building her brand in the short term and develop an awareness of Old Farm Interiors and what it has to offer.  In the long-term, Catherine wants to continue to grow the business, but does not want to lose sight of the personal and unique service that she really prides herself on.  I can certainly see myself popping back for all my home decor needs in future - why not head over to her website and check out Old Farm Interiors for yourself?  I'm sure you won't be disappointed! 

Why not give Catherine a follow on Twitter, Facebook and my favourite time-waster Pinterest, to be kept up to date with the latest Old Farm happenings and new product lines!  I'm sure I'll be heading back over to kit my home out with some beautiful pieces before long!

Let Me Introduce...This is Lullaby

If you're anything like me, it's not just your own clothes shopping that can be a nightmare.  Sometimes I like to look for really individual little things for Little D and that's where my love of small, handmade businesses come in.  Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce the lovely Vicky from This is Lullaby to you!   

This is Lullaby, is a unique business selling handmade children's clothing from vintage and upcycled materials.  Vicky set up the business in May 2012, when her daughter, Lucie, turned one year old and she has not looked back! 

Inspired by her own love of making, sewing and breathing new life into old fabrics, Vicky's business is an extension of a 'hand-me-down' tradition and she uses her talent to bring unique and individual products to the children's clothing market.  Vicky designs the majority of patterns herself, though on some she does modify existing patterns to suit her designs.  The only downside to making such beautiful clothes is that she gets a lot of adults saying, 'I want that in my size'.  After flicking through her shop on Etsy, I am quite happy to join them!

Just look at this beautiful dress she made, made from beautiful vintage florals!  I'm envious of Lucie's wardrobe!

Although based in the UK, This is Lullaby's majority of custom comes from the US, who are in love with her classic styling and use of more unusual and traditional fabrics.  Her use of lovely fabrics such as Herringbone and Tweed, make her quite the go-to business for more formal children's clothing such as Christening or wedding outfits. 

Vicky's designs really stand out as she does not use children's fabrics (though Lucie would love to be head to toe in Peppa Pig), I'm wondering if she might branch out to adult clothing too?!  This is Lullaby caters for clothing aged 0-24months and prices start from £7.00 for a bib through to about £25.00 for a lovely dress.

In short, Vicky loves what she does.  Everything is made by hand at her home in Manchester and she is (rightly) proud of setting up her business and makes a point of stressing the importance of celebrating every small success along the way.  Running a hands-on business with a toddler running about must take it's toll, but overall, Vicky loves being her own boss and the opportunity to introduce and sell her designs to another country has been a real positive.  

In the future, Vicky would like to see This is Lullaby gain more customers in the UK and she has plenty of product ideas developing right now that she wants to roll out in the near future.  What is so interesting about talking to Vicky, is that she is so keen to keep improving her ideas and products as her business develops.  I'm predicting big things for this brand, Vicky certainly caters for my type of 'mum' shopping - unique, with a little bit of history.

You can view Vicky's Etsy shop here --->http://www.etsy.com/shop/thisislullaby
While you're at it, why not give her a like on her Facebook page too! https://www.facebook.com/thisislullaby

The Handmade Home: Papercut Writer

I've always admired the work of Rob Ryan and the likes.  The intricacies of Papercutting really interest me, I've seen such beautiful artwork in this form and have really wanted to give it a try.  I love the depths that Papercut artwork creates and, particularly with Rob Ryan's work, there is a certain 'life' to the flimsy and magical world he creates with his laser-cutting techniques.

The delicious and quirky world of Rob Ryan

Father's Day was in fear of coming and going this year.  I've been so busy writing, blogging, raising Daisy and planning ahead to post-Mat Leave work that trips to town are becoming scarcer by the week.  This year, to mark Mr Peachy's first Father's Day, not to mention avoid the Paperchase queues like the plaque, I decided I would try my hand at some simple Papercutting to make a card for Mr Peachy.

John Lewis stocked a very handy and inexpensive pack, which consisted of a self-healing craft mat and craft knife and I bought some black card and pastel paper to practice free hand writing on. It didn't take too long to get to grips with the amount of pressure the craft knife needed and the results, two hours and several feeds later, was quite accidentally a Kid Acne inspired piece of writing!
To help enhance the words, I placed some pastel peach paper on the inside of the cardand added Daisy's painted footprints (I had only had the stamina to do one set with her - the hands will have to wait); accompanied by the message 'thank you for helping me to find my feet'.

Overall, I was impressed with how quickly I felt confident in gliding that craft knife across the paper, there was a certain ease to it, though I now feel I want to try my hand at some more intricate images and challenging italics (never satisfied).  

I might not be quite up to scratch just yet, but this simple technique has definitely given me the bug for paper cutting.  Watch this space for more papercut 'masterpieces' to come!

Have you ever wanted to try a craft?  What was it and how did you get started?

Friday's Kitchen: Bake-Well Well Well

The truth be told, I have quite the juxtaposition problem when it comes to baking.  I have a fond love of pastry goods, namely the classic Bakewell tart, but an irrational fear of baking shortcrust pastry.  I've always promised myself I would get over this and, one day, when the nightmarish visions of a pregnant woman scorned by mince pies 'gone wrong' subside, I'm sure I will.

Fate, or Fay, as it happens, came to me in the form of one of Fay Ripley's recipes showcased on the 'Lorraine' programme; the 'Easy Bakewell Cake'.  Nothing could be more 'Ronseal' about that title.  I watched in amazement as Fay casually chucked a load of base ingredients into a mixer to form a sumptuous Bakewell inspired cake.

I've never been a 'chucker' when it comes to recipes, but I was compelled to discard my usual need to conform by the gram and give this one a go.

Here is the link to Fay's recipe, as featured on Lorraine, with ingredients and quick method:

http://www.itv.com/lorraine/food/faye-ripley-easy-bakewell-cake/ 
  
 Ingredients:
150g Self Raising Flour
150g Ground Almonds
150g Soft Butter (I always cube it to ease mixing)
150g Caster Sugar
2 Large Eggs
6 tsp Raspberry Jam
150g Fresh Raspberries
50g Flaked Almonds
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160 (fan), 180 C or Gas Mark 4. Line a 22-24cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Use a food processor or electric whisk and whizz the butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, eggs and vanilla extract. Put half of the mixture in the tin and smooth.

3. Dot the jam, 1/2 teaspoon at a time all over and scatter the raspberries. Drop the remainder mixture over the fruit and smooth over with your fingers.

4. Scatter the flaked almonds on top and bake for 45-50mins until golden. Cool and then serve with ice-cream, custard or just have it on its own!

 

I think what is so lovely about this recipe is that it is quick, light and bound to be a winner with any friends or family in need of a quick cake fix.  For anyone with a busy lifestyle, it's a perfect 'throw together and chuck in the oven' recipe  I am slowly starting to introduce myself back into the joy of baking, as opposed to the stress of icing 100 cupcakes in a shared kitchen with one mixing bowl, and this was the perfect recipe for that 'quick-win' baking feeling.

The sponge itself is really light and fluffy, the perfect accompaniment to a cheeky afternoon tea.  I would be tempted to try substituting the jam for different flavours and would maybe try using fresh cherries for a sour kick.  Drizzling fondant icing over the top might also work - a Peachy homage to the classic Cherry Bakewell!

Overall, fabulous recipe, perfect timings and Fay Ripley's 'What's for Dinner?' cookbook, has shot to the top of my wishlist!

 

Tried it? Love it?  As ever I would love to hear your thoughts.  If you have a go at your own, why not upload it to the Facebook page, it's so nice to see everyone's results!

Outfit Post - The Vintage Playsuit: A Stylish Way Out of a Post Pregnancy Melt-Down

Since having Daisy, it has become my very strong belief that an image crisis, even in the most self-assured woman, is all but inevitable.  Nobody likes to admit this, why would you?  But when you are suddenly heavier, bigger, less fit than you used to be, not to mention in need of a post pregnancy wardrobe, I think new mums are more than allowed to encounter one or two wardrobe meltdowns.

I've always been quite confident in my style, the one thing that's remained the same since I was able to think 'fashion' for myself, is that I've never wanted to look like anyone else; i've inhabited my own style - from my heady college goth days to my current vintage-inspired rockabilly look.  But it  has surprised me just how many near-panic attacks I've had at opening the wardrobe and not being able to wear everything in it, just yet.  I'm dressing for a slightly different body shape and they say it takes up to a year for a woman's body to return to normal, after giving birth.  To add insult to injury, my first night out is coming up and I don't know what I'm going to wear! So, what to do in the meantime?

REGROUP, DON'T CHUCK
I'm not quick to chuck out clothes, I've purchased and gained some fabulous items through my years in fashion retail and I do treat my wardrobe as a long-term investment.  Cheap and cheerful works sometimes, but I love to hunt out classic, timeless pieces that will suit me for years to come.  However depressing it is that only about 30% may fit me right now, it is incentive enough that my other beautiful items will be kicked back into action, in a short while.  In the meantime, I ask myself, what fits, what doesn't fit and what am I missing to emulate my style for now?

WHAT DEFINES YOUR STYLE?
Are you a dress fan?  Do you feel most comfortable in trousers?  Is there something missing in your wardrobe?  I took a good, hard, look at my wardrobe and, at the time, the answer was glaringly obvious.  I spent 99% of my time in my black skinnies, but all I really want to wear are dresses! So it was time to start looking for practical dresses, with a vintage twist, to re-ignite some yearned-for femininity.

A FUSSY MUM ON A BUDGET
Bargain hunting has become something of a passion for me, I love the thrill of finding bargains for house, home or wardrobe but have not always had the inclination to root through charity shop, some people have 'the knack' but it's something I'm still working on.  eBay is always a great place for clothing bargains and I've had some success with both buying and selling before, but it can be hit or miss depending on when you're looking.

The High Street offers great clothes at competitive prices, but I'm not feeling a lot of the 90s fashions right now, they're not very 'me', neither do they flatter my shape (before or after birth, to be honest)

Luckily for me, the vintage shop COW, in Nottingham offers a fantastic range of vintage and upcycled clothing in their new-ish two storey store.  They saved my bacon with this lovely upcycled vintage playsuit, priced at a very reasonable £17 - which I have paired here with a pair of chunky platform heels to contrast with the feminine florals.

My other half affectionately refers to this as my 'Goodnight Sweetheart' dress, which I take as a compliment.  The buttoned front is great for feeding and the frilled top creates a cap sleeve as I don't like to show off too much of my upper arms.  All in all, a very comfortable number that I can pair with flats or my clogs (loves of my life) during the day or dress up for the evening.  It's a lovely light fabric, perfect for Summer or layering in winter. 

Well done COW - you are now my one-stop shop for post-pregnancy style! Shop COW's latest collections online or, if you are lucky enough to live near one of their stores in Notts, Birmingham, Manchester or Sheffield, make sure you pop in.

http://www.wearecow.com/shop

Stay tuned for more post-pregnancy inspiration on Life is Peachy.  Do you have a go-to style or a favourite shop?  Where do you think is good for post-pregnancy clothing?

Friday's Kitchen: Strawberry and Vanilla Gnome Cupcakes

In celebration of this month's 'Say Yes To Gnomes' campaign on Life is Peachy, I thought I would share my recipe for Strawberry and Vanilla cupcakes, a perfect light summer treat and beautifully decorated with fresh strawberry gnomes.

These little fellas add something a bit different to your average cupcake and are a delicious light bite for the summer months or a themed afternoon tea!  I use a Hummingbird bakery cupcake recipe as my base recipe for most sponge cakes, it's the lightest mixture I've found in my experiments!

Ingredients (to make 12 cupcakes):
For the Cakes:
280g Golden Caster Sugar
240g Self Raising Flour (you can also use plain with a pinch of baking powder)
80g Butter (softened at room temperature)
240ml milk (I use semi-skimmed)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Pinch of Salt
2 Large Eggs
6 Large Strawberries

For the Icing:
500g Icing Sugar
160g Softened Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
50 mls milk 
12 Large Strawberries (chopped)
12 White Edible Pearls

Method:
Preheat oven to 190 C (fan oven) and line a cupcake/muffin tin with cases of your choice!
1. Place butter, sugar, flour and salt in a bowl and mix until soft and textured like breadcrumbs.  Can either be whisked by hand or with a mixer - ensure to sift flour and sugar for a softer finish.
2. Once the dry mixture is combined, beat the milk and eggs together, adding the vanilla extract at the end to flavour.  Pour half the milk mixture in and mix together until almost combined.  
3. Add the remaining milk mixture a little at a time until all incorporated.  Lastly, add the strawberries until evenly incorporated into the mixture.
4. Fill each cupcake case with the mixture until about two thirds full - pop in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until the sponge is golden brown and bounces back when pressed. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
5. Whilst the cakes are cooling - mix the icing sugar and butter, either by hand or with a mixer, until incorporated with a soft sandy texture.
6. In a jug, mix together the milk and vanilla essence.  Add to the icing mixture and continue to beat together until creamy and stiff in texture.
7. Once the cakes have cooled completely,pour the mixture into an icing bag and, using a star shaped nozzle, pipe small star shapes onto the cake tops, creating a flower scene on each cake.
8. For the strawberry gnomes, cut each strawberry in half (the pointed half should be slightly longer for a 'hat' appearance.  Squidge a blob of icing on each strawberry base, let a little drizzle out the 'front' of the gnome to create a beard and, finally, attached a pearl to create a nose.
9. To place on the cupcakes, drizzle an extra bit of icing on the base and secure in the middle of each cake.  

The result is really quite cute, I've also been experimenting with the idea of placing the strawberry gnomes on royal icing toadstools with white chocolate buttons.  Clearly this is a baking theme you can go to town with!

Here's to a great weekend!

E x

Thinking of giving these cute cupcakes a go?  Why not upload your results on my facebook page www.facebook.com
Upload on to the 'Your Take on My Recipes' album and share your success!

Got a recipe idea you'd like me to try?  Email missemmaberry@gmail.com with your ideas, I would love to feature them!

A Whole Lotta Love.....

It is a truth universally acknowledged (albeit, if the universe consisted of me, my other half and a legion of First Aid Kit fans), that Sweden is where it's at!  Not only does it boast a certain flat-pack furniture empire, a storming music scene (the aforementioned 'Kit, Lykke Li and Euro-sensation Robyn) and significant man-candy points (Al Skarsgard); it seems to know its stuff when it comes to footwear...in the form of Lotta from Stockholm traditional clogs!

Being a short-hat, at a mere 5"2, the warmer climes can present something of a dilemma in terms of footwear, especially for those of us whose style edges more towards the 'vintage inspired' end of the fashion spectrum.  Season after season there are hundreds of gladiators, brogues and wedges that do not compliment my seasonal knee-length dress addiction, neither do they compliment my fear of looking 'short and dumpy'.  We've done pumps to death and our underfeet have all suffered with the iconic Topshop nude ballerinas and skinny jeans combi.  

On the other hand, when I'm looking for something to give me a 'lift', heels and fashion and I are no longer seeing eye to eye.  That is, I no longer see eye to eye with the skyscraper heels and wedges that tower above me! It has taken me nearly 29 years to admit it, but there are some shoes that really are just designed to look beautiful.

After endlessly trawling the Internet for a 'go-between' stylish sandal with an innoffensive heel that doesn't make me trot like Bambi on ice, I stumbled across Swedish clogs.  Fashionista Blogs are going crazy for them, Office are stocking Swedish Hasbeens AND Lotta from Stockholm exists!

A Swedish native, now living in the UK, Lotta has built up her brand from her own fascination with clogs back in the 70s.  And there is no better time that now to invest in a pair with the strong 70s revival trend back again for Summer.  Not only that but at prices starting at £52.50 with free UK delivery on offer, they are some of the most reasonable clogs on the market

I bought a pair of cherry red peep toe clogs, with a 7cm heel they are the perfect height for walks with the pram and they compliment almost every outfit, including my skinnies and kneelength dresses.  With a wooden sole, I wasn't expecting them to be as instantly comfortable; the ergonomic design of the sole feels amazing, not to mention you feel as if you are walking 'properly'!  Finally, a perfect blend of style, femininity and practicality.  A triumph for women everywhere!  Head to their website to check out the various styles and colours....you can thank me later!

  www.lottafromstockholm.co.uk

Welcome To The House of Fun...

Once upon a time, a wise old 'Clever Clog' on Twitter was reported to have shared this gem of a tweet amongst his followers; 'The Internet called, it says it has enough Blogs now'. I laughed, then I moved on.

To Blog or Not To Blog?

Throughout my pregnancy, I was sometimes shocked at the level of negativity some of the motherly types I spoke to, about the impending change I was about to welcome to my life.  I was led to believe, by some, that there was little to no point in getting up in the morning, as life as you knew it would fade into oblivion; you would be left in a haze of oversized tees, baggy leggings and incessant screaming.  Daisy was born on March 14th, after two weeks of waiting, waddling to the nearest coffee shop and downing curries.  Life, as I had known it, became suddenly enriched.

I think this feeling of euphoria sealed my decision to set up Life is Peachy.  I thought I knew what to expect, I thought I would have no time for anything.  I had trawled through the internet, through working mums, stay at home mums, debating mums, sadly unhappy mums and decided that perhaps I wanted to put Motherhood in a purely positive light.  

Do Something Everyday...For You

When you become a Mother for the first time, the one thing you cannot be prepared for is the sheer amount of love and adrenalin you will wholly exist on.  Your world changes, your priorities change and you are suddenly facing each and every day with a tiny person whose constantly changing face and abilities will astound you.  There are times you will be tired, there are times you will be frustrated, but this always fades into insignificance when you consider what you have achieved.  Daisy is approaching the three-month mark and she's already insisting on standing when being held, she has developed a morbid taste for Lana Del Rey (just like her Mother) and loves nothing more than chatting and smiling away in her chair.  Those few things alone, personally, make it all worth it. 
As for me, the personality lobotomy I was so afraid of during those bleak, self-aware hours before I was commanded to 'push', it turned out, was nothing more than an urban myth.  I was proud to leave hospital the following day in a cheerful, if somewhat impractical, dress and tights.  I still found I had a borderline obsessive interest in music new and old, books, writing, fashion, crafting, baking, recipes, tattoos and I was still itching to try pastel hair.  In the end, the pastel was a short but much-loved moment of my peachy life.  I set about trying to do one thing every day that I enjoyed.  I read, baked and wrote my way through things I had been meaning to do for months and I created Life is Peachy to share these great things with you all, as I continue to grow, try new things and develop the sense of the word 'mum' that I am most comfortable with.  I'm lucky enough to have the support of the wonderful Mr Peachy, who loves nothing more than to Daisy-dote for an hour or two so I can type up my latest musings.  Everybody has different experiences, I feel I want to share mine through Life is Peachy And that, Mr C Clog,is why I believe there can never be enough Blogs. 

I hope, if nothing else, that Life is Peachy inspires others not to be afraid of losing their identity, to try new things and most of all, to be proud and comfortable in themselves.  Whether it's practicing a new craft, sharing a new recipe or daring to bear the wardrobe, Life is Peachy is a celebration of the creative parent, who challenges themselves and embraces all that they are post-birth.  Parents do wonderful things, but this should never be at the expense of losing all sense of themselves.  Life indeed feels Peachy, I hope you'll all agree... 

E x