#NaBloPoMo November 13th: #CraftBlogClub 'Countdown to Festivities'

Well this is incredibly late going out...but here, I have a valid reason!  I've been juggling some of my gnome orders with a bit of a poorly babes this week - winter truly is hitting us hard, it seems!  It really is incredible what you can do with limited sleep and a lot of determination isn't it!

So Tuesday night, we had a rather relaxed #CraftBlogClub chat, where I decided it was high time that we talked about THE BIG C!  What with the names and addresses now officially out for our Secret Santa challenge, it's been at the forefront of our minds!

It was so lovely to see some new people joining in the tweets and we mostly chatted about our plans for homemade Christmas gifts and our 'staple' products!  I'm quite accustomed to making shortbread for family and friends and I'm clearly not the only one who enjoys making yummy treats to give as gifts.  We shared some amazing ideas for delicious fudge and treat hampers.  It seems us crafty lot are, as ever, in a quandry with what to make, how to make and just how much we can fit in between now and the big day!

So how do we manage our time??

Well, if you're like me, then pretty badly, it seems at times!  There were some great ideas flying around - calendars and lists are always favourite, but t'is the season to be busy and at this time of the year, particularly for those crafters who run a business too, there simply are not enough hours in the week!

I think we left the conversation (which now officially runs from 7-8.30pm), feeling a little festive and excited for the upcoming season!  I hope you're all excited about our Secret Santa challenge and I am sorry to those who missed out - if enough people decide they want to be involved, I'm happy to pair more people up!  

Right...just a quick one this week, I'm off to catch up with everything else and start planning my Secret Santa surprise!

Stay Crafty!

E x 

#NaBloPoMo November 12th: Pumpkin and Pepper Soup

It's been a while since I posted a new recipe...so how about a nice warming recipe to use up a few ingredients in your fridge.  I had a little bit of pumpkin left over from Halloween, so I decided to whip up one of Mr Peachy's favourite soup flavours - Pumpkin and Pepper.

A lovely, spicy soup that I served up with some lovely, crusty onion bread;

Pumpkin and Pepper soup is one of the easiest recipes that uses just a few simple ingredients that you will have lying around.  Soup is a great way of using up those few veggie stubs and stock that would otherwise go to waste - food waste is a huge problem faced by UK households at the moment and this is a way of making sure you are not throwing food away unnecessarily.

Ingredients (to serve 2):
400g Pumpkin - chopped
500ml Vegetable Stock
4 Shallots (chopped and halved)
1 Leek (chopped)
1 Red Pepper (halved)
1 tsp Lazy Chillies/Half Fresh Red Chilli
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
Under the grill on a medium heat, place the two halves of pepper face up and cook for about 15 minutes until the edges are slightly blackened.  Remove from the grill and place in a bowl to cool - covering the bowl with clingfilm will also keep the flavour ripe.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat your shallots and leak in a bit of olive oil, cover and cook on a medium heat until softened and slightly browned.  Add your pumpkin, chilli and seasoning and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add your vegetable stock and bring to the boil.  Cover and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.

Whilst the soup mixture is simmering, cut the red peppers into small pieces and, when the soup mixture is ready, using a hand blender, add the peppers and blend until the soup is smooth with a little texture.

Serve with crusty bread and butter for a cosy, winter treat!



 

#NaBloPoMo November 11th: How Does Your Garden Grow?

The first fruits of our labour this Summer!

So I've given myself the weekend off from #NaBloPoMo...I figured a blog a day, five days a week, was probably the best way forward.  A little like full-time blogging!

Today, I thought I would share some of my ideas for growing, maintaining and keeping a garden, in a very small space!

Our little house is absolutely lovely!  We moved into the terrace in September 2012 and have been extremely happy here.  But, like most projects, our house is always a work in progress and there are still bare walls and unfinished works of art to be getting on with!  Our garden, is something of a bugbear of mine, a cute but small and concrete space that have never looked anything other than 'pokey' to me!  

This year, we have harvested our first batch of lovely homegrown tomatoes and have also started growing herbs and flowers - with some success!  With winter drawing in, we are tidying up our garden, ready for the cold weather; but I've started thinking about what I'd like to do to our garden, ready for next Summer.  So if you, like me, have a small garden space to work with, here are some great ideas for sprucing up a small space into a growing haven!

Plant Pot Pond
This idea really appeals to me - a pretty, rockery style pool built inside a simple terracotta pot, with layers and greenery to give it a 'miniature pond' effect.

  I'm not sure I would go as far as putting fish in there, but one or two of these pond babes would sit really well in our garden space!

Hanging Bottle Garden
I love this idea of using wall space to grow small flowers and plants, even herbs, without sacrificing ground space to move around.  The bottles in this image have all been corded together and screwed in to the walls.  If I were to do this, in my garden, I would most probably paint the bottles to disguise their, well, 'bottley-ness', but this is a great space saver and would look so pretty with the addition of some colourful flowers.

A Window Sill Greenhouse
As I mentioned, we have had some success growing herbs throughout the summer, most of which were grown on our kitchen window sill.  They thrived in the natural light and we were able to keep them fed and watered - plus picking fresh herbs straight from the plant made for some very flavoursome sauces!  

The start-up materials for growing herbs are really very small.  We used old tomato trays for growing seedlings and egg boxes work really well too.  If you find you have lots of herbage leftover - why not chop and separate into ice cube trays, fill with water and freeze.  These are great for adding straight into sauces and prevents waste.

Upcycled Garden Furniture
I LOVE antique garden furniture and I am always on the look out for an old garden furniture that I could restore to its former glory! 

Right from my childhood love of films such as The Secret Garden or Moondial, I have loved antique furniture and statues and have inherited two garden statues that belonged to my Nan - this little angel sits pride of place with her broken wing in our garden!


Jam Jar Tealights
I would love to use our garden space for entertaining and have seen some lovely ideas for jam jar tealights to light up your garden on a Summer's evening.  Simply place your tealights or candles inside an empty jam jar, cover with a thin gauze or mesh and Bob's your uncle!  A very cost effective way of lighting your garden space - but be careful to keep these out of the reach of children!

Just writing and researching a little about this, I'm really excited to get my garden up together next year - and we haven't even had snow yet!  There are plenty of other things you can do - if you have time, simple plant pots and colourful arrangements can brighten up a dull outside space and also encourage pollination!

Do you have any hints or tips for a small outside space?  I can't wait to get started!

#NaBloPoMo November 8th: A Picture Says A Thousand Words...

We are nearly one whole week into the #NaBloPoMo challenge - to blog every day throughout November - and I'm already surprised at how much I've shared using some lovely prompts from BlogHer and the lovely Vonnie over at Nowt Special.

Today's prompt has been no different - to write about your picture on your 'About Me' PIcture.

This photo was taken back in August, just before I headed out for an incredibly rare night out with one of my best friends.  It was the first night out I had had alone since Daisy had been born and I was going to the cinema to see What Maisie Knew; a film I had been ridiculously excited to see for months.  I chose the photo as I think it's a pretty clear representation of me, my style and one of the rare photos I genuinely quite like!  It was a turning point for me and my blog, I had dreamt up a whole bunch of new blog projects, including the early stages of The Frugally Fabulous Year AND I was giving this lovely old Whistles blouse it's first post-pregnancy outing!

Positive Image
I love uploading the odd picture of me and Little D onto my blog and, like most mums out there, I take endless photos of each outfit she wears and each change she makes, but as my blog has developed over the last few months, I have realised the importance of showing more of 'me' than of 'us' - to reflect the 'lifestyle' nature of my blog, rather than the fact that I'm a parent.  Gorgeous as she is...of course! 

I like to think my readers can absorb themselves in my fashion and craft posts and get a glimpse of my life, my interests and my inspiration.  I guess I could be seen as confident, lots of people have said they wouldn't have the guts to 'pull off' my style.  I can't really be any other way - Mum or not, I don't care enough about what other people think and I'm not so much confident as positive; I believe in learning to see the very best in your beautiful self, without comparison.  As a Mum to a daughter too, I feel I have a moral responsibility to set an example of strength and positivity when it comes to body image.

The truth is, like pretty much everyone else who has ever given birth, I have found it hard to get used to a new body and a new way of thinking - something I've talked about in my Ditching The Jeans post and in a guest blog I did for Vintage Shopper.  My post-pregnancy body isn't quite shrinking back as quickly as I would like and my post-pregnancy 'treat outfit' (a 1960s vintage leather pencil skirt) is sat, gathering dust in my wardrobe.  

Those last few days...

I eat well, I walk pretty much everywhere with the pram and I'm desperate to get back into an exercise regime, that my lifestyle doesn't allow for right now.  So why beat myself up?  Hey, there is a big reason I stopped buying women's magazines - it's because the fairer sex are, indeed, not always fair at all.

Why Be Positive, When You Could Be Normal?
In an article in the Guardian recently, one writer discussed yet another epidemic sweeping the nation - a new obsession with the 'thigh gap' and the absurd suggestion that there should be one.  24 year old model, Robyn Lawley, graced the coveted cover of Vogue magazine, only to be condemned through various social media sites, for not having a 'thigh gap' to speak of.  So why, after years and years of mixed messages in the media and new 'imperfect' body parts to be paranoid about, from muffin tops to cankles, are we STILL turning on each other?

We know that airbrushing exists, we know that even the world's most beautiful, most esteemed females have off days and spots and yet, there still seems to be enough put-downs and imaginary beauty standards that all women MUST adhere to.  Nowa days, it's the norm to be bombarded with 'picture-perfect' photo sets and red circles of doom, adorning the hundred of magazines available to us.  It is normal to see most girls under the age of 18 try and copycat the styles of oversexed, under-stimulating pop stars and it is normal, somewhat sadly, to look for imperfection in everyday beauty.

But it shouldn't be.

Life is Peachy is my haven to showcase who I am, what I do and what I believe in.  I don't believe that women should compare themselves to plastic, processed images any more than I believe Miley Cyrus is flying the flag for modern-day feminism.  I want to reach a goal weight for ME, to wear my precious vintage skirt for ME, to dress to suit my shape and size for ME and I don't want to be forced to conform to unrealistic 'ideals'.  I choose to look, dress and feel the way that I do, because I have spent far too much time worrying about the size of my arms, my straight eyelashes and God only knows what else.  I choose to be positive about how I look, in the hope that I can inspire others to feel the same about themselves, whether carrying a little extra baby weight or not.  My body isn't the body it was, but it's the body that I'm in for now and I want to be positive about it, even if it takes a little longer to push the 'publish' button on those selfies!  

 

 

#NaBloPoMo November 7th: Social Media Trollhunters

I wasn't going to use today's prompt, about how much you share on social media, but I decided to share an experience that completely rocked me last week!

I've always considered myself a very positive and happy person, which translates to my blog, I love writing Life is Peachy and I'm particularly proud of my latest project; The Frugally Fabulous Year.  But, last Monday, I was the victim of my first trolling incident. 

Having had some amazing responses about my new project, in which I have resolved to stop buying clothes from high street stores for one year for both financial AND ethical reasons, I sought out some other sharing sites to really hone my message to the 'masses'.  I've had some lovely feedback from fellow bloggers and followers, even people who want to join in themselves.  Raising awareness of ethical shopping is something I feel very strongly about, it wasn't easy to write a rounded, consistent, non-ranty post that stated my reasons behind setting up the challenge, but I was pleased with the outcome and, as any blogger knows, the comments and reactions were even better!

To try and further my reach with The Frugally Fabulous Year, I decided to share the link on Reddit; a site that allows you to share posts and articles.  Having not shared anything on this site before, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's safe to say I got much more than I bargained for!  

Within one hour of posting my blog post I was surprised to check my stats, to see that I had already received lots of referrals from Reddit.  Even better than that, when I signed in to the site, I had 3 comments waiting for me!  Sadly, unlike the positive and empowering comments I have been used to from my lovely readers; these were nasty, belittling and picked apart just about every aspect of my project.

I was accused of being pointless, endlessly ranting about sweatshops, didn't understand the meaning of the word 'frugal' and had not considered that not buying from high street stores would have the same impact as buying from them (say, what?).  In hindsight, I think it was highly unlikely that these people had even read the post further than the first paragraph.  I responded to the two culprits in a polite manner, but was met with belittling replies, simply suggesting that, as middle aged men, they were over the 'fashion phase' and didn't need to prove a point like I seemed to.  These trollers had entirely missed the point of my post.  Not only that, why were two middle-aged keyboard warriors so concerned with my new project, if it weren't something they were interested in?

The thing I was most angry with, was how I had allowed these thoughtless men to make me feel.  I lost a lot of confidence in what I had written and how I felt about my work AND it was instilled by two people who were not regular readers or even in my supposed target audience.  I would never choose to write mindless comments on a blog or article that didn't interest me; I think it is unproductive to fill someone else's blog with negativity, even if you don't share their opinion.  I'm all for freedom of speech, found in the brilliance of blogging, of all places, but petty comments do nothing to help or encourage someone, who puts their heart into their writing and, in my case, simply wants to raise awareness, create interesting and inspiring posts and learn something along the way.

Thank God for wonderful friends and followers is all I can really say - not one to want to put a dampener on anyone's day, I took my frustration out on Twitter - only to be met with some lovely and encouraging messages. 

The more I delved into it, the more I found that there seems to be a lot of hatred for bloggers right now - we have to stick together.  Bloggers are, as Martha Stewart reportedly said last week, often uneducated in what they are writing about.  But, we are so much more than that - we have the freedom to write what we want, when we want, members of society who can help, encourage or just share an articulated opinion.  

I guess I've learnt, from this rather painful experience that trolling is, sadly, part and parcel of one's decision to blog.  It shouldn't be, I still think my project is a good idea, I still think I've thought about it and produced a well-rounded reason for wanting to raise this awareness and I very much doubt that this will be the last time I'm on the receiving end of something like this.  Slowly, but surely, my confidence is coming back, I even look at it as a test for later, something to toughen me up when I'm putting my novel out there!

I suppose as the lovely Dita Von Teese once said, 'you can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, but there will still be someone who doesn't like peaches.'  Never has this made more sense to me than now - and I'm determined to carry on with my Peachy Life, leaving the trolls where they belong - lost under a bridge! 

#NaBloPoMo November 6th: GreenEarth, A Greener Look at Dry Cleaning

Today, I thought I would share a little post on an exciting development in the world of...dry cleaning!

I was recently contacted about a new national campaign from Johnsons, The Dry Cleaners.  Recently, Johnsons have launched a new dry cleaning service called GreenEarth, which is both innovative in its technology and much kinder to the environment.

As one of the best known dry cleaning companies UK, Johnsons provides a one-stop shop for dry cleaning and clothing maintenance needs; but they are also a founding member of the latest dry cleaning campaign, GreenEarth, and are the only national dry cleaning company that is licensed to offer the GreenEarth technology in its stores across the UK.  The technology, a process that uses a bi-product of sand that doesn't chemically interact with fabrics, is not only greener and safer for the environment, it is also proven to be softer and kinder on skin and clothes.

I was really excited to hear about this new technology, which is available for consumers to use RIGHT NOW!  Dry cleaning has always been something of a concern for me, as the harsh chemicals used to dry clean clothes, are harmful to the environment and can also be tough on the clothes themselves.

I'm lucky to own some beautiful garments, which I have preciously maintained and looked after since my days in fashion retail.  I believe in keeping these items in mint condition - which often comes with a hefty dry cleaning bill!  Through experimentation, Johnsons have discovered that the new GreenEarth process has proven to keep clothes looking newer for much longer, with little abrasion to other components such as zips and buttons.   Not only that, but GreenEarth technology breaks down into natural elements if released into the environment which, in turn, makes it much safer for the environment.

Recent trend research, commissioned by Johnsons, has suggested that consumers are, thankfully, changing the way in which they buy their clothes - research that has really interested me, specifically since the launch of my Frugally Fabulous Year Challenge.  It seems that, in light of tough economic times and with less disposable income, more and more people are beginning to put their hard earned cash into higher priced, classic clothing that will stand the test of time, as opposed to fast fashion pieces that will, no doubt, be thrown out in a matter of months.  With more expensive fabrics, the need to maintain and care for them can often mean more trips to the dry cleaners - which is why Johnsons are so pleased to be able to offer a service such as GreenEarth that supports this change in consumer behaviour, emphasising the importance of durability and sustainability in their wardrobes; whilst not compromising our environment.

Why not drop in your local Johnsons to test out the new service and do something for the environment today?  Your clothes may just thank you for it!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Johnsons and have not been paid for this post.

#NaBloPoMo November 5th: #CraftBlogClub The Big Pricing Debate

So, for those of you who are new to Life is Peachy, each week I run #CraftBlogClub on Twitter; a twitter chat hour for craft bloggers and lovers of craft to talk about all things, well, craft and blogging!

This week, we stepped slightly out of our #CraftBlogClub comfort zone and, for the first time, started to discuss the difficult subject of pricing your crafty work and, more importantly valuing your time!

I think tonight's #CraftBlogClub crew will agree this was definitely a more difficult topic to discuss - not least a difficult thing to work out, when taking the leap from hobby crafter to professional crafts purveyor!  As usual though, we had some amazing advice and tips and I've pulled together just a few for you here!

1. Do Not Underestimate Your Skill As A Crafter: The first issue we came across during our Twitter chat, was the issue we all have in believing in ourselves, our talents and our ability to produce something really special for a potential customer.  I can completely empathise with this sentiment BUT, if you do decide to make the leap from hobbyist to professional, you have to believe in what you are creating and your skills, before you learn to charge fairly and accordingly for your crafting and your time.

2. Work Out A Daily Rate: Are you charging per hour?  Are you charging for a few hours work?  Whether you're providing workshops like Gift Frippery's wrapping wonders or selling by the product; it is advisable to work out what your ideal daily rate would be and then use this as a pointer for working out your charges.  This will give you a great idea of what you can charge per hour for workshop services etc, whilst an hourly rate will help you to decide what to charge for individual products.  This is, undoubtedly, one of the hardest things to do, but the lovely Anthea who sells her lovely products on Folksy, under the name Forest Flower , reiterated the importance of working out a daily rate for yourself and STICKING TO IT!
3. Do Not Allow Your Work To Be Undervalued: Your work is representative of hours of hard work, sourcing materials and fabrics and painstakingly creating something individual and special for your customers.  The handmade arena can be so hard, with craft merchants battling against the cheap and cheerful wonders of the High Street.  It may be difficult at times, but you must never allow your work to be undervalued by potential customers who don't want to pay for something unique.  It seems a fairly obvious point, but this can be one of the hardest hurdles to overcome in the crafting world. 

I experienced this quite a bit in my previous life in the professional baking industry and it can be really tough to convey how much time, effort, blood, sweat and tears goes into each handmade item.  But stay strong, do not work below your asking price and be sure to regularly review your prices versus your costs.
4. If In Doubt, Aim High: Verity, furniture upcycler and glue-queen over at Rascal and Roses put forward an ingenious idea her husband suggested.  If you struggle to decide on a price, why not aim high and charge more than you planned - the price is not ridiculous if you can find a customer who is willing to purchase it.  A strong, if slightly risky idea, which raises the point of finding the right market for your product and the amount it really is worth!

As ever - thank you for sharing your thoughts tonight, I think we have managed to discuss a tricky subject and if you have any more topics you would like to suggest, please drop me an email or a tweet over at @LivePeachy - I would love to hear from you!

In Other News...

We have had a couple of call outs for crafty types who might be able to knit or crochet some display items for newborn babies.  Are you interested?  Could you put something together?  Please let me know and I'll forward your details for more information!

Claire from G is for Gingers is also on the look out for people who craft parts for doll houses - why not check out her blog and let her know if you can help?

And finally...last week I launched our latest #CraftBlogClub challenge!  A Secret Santa that will run over November and December - all the details are at bottom of last week's post and there is still time to get involved!  If you would like to take part, please email me at missemmaberry@gmail.com with your name and postal address - I have had lots of entries already and I am planning to get everyone's Secret Santas sent out to them by the end of this coming weekend!  So you have until then to enter, if you have not yet emailed!

Thanks again for this week's chat - it was lovely to tackle something a little meatier and I hope you all enjoyed taking part - as ever I love hearing your feedback!

Stay Crafty!

E x