Monday 31 March 2008

Nesting...

Rather than waste my time off work, I decided to take advantage of my empty days and really concentrate on sorting out my little flat. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a terrible habit of putting things off and sadly putting some finishing touches to my flat has taken the brunt of it! While spring cleaning and the odd bit of DIY (or supervising Green Fingers’ DIY!!!) it occurred to me that we had ignored the spare room and it had become more of a dumping ground than the pretty spare room I had first imagined. The bleak white walls were shouting out for some colour so my first job was to find some paintings or prints to put up.

Rather than trawling art galleries throughout London and taking up all my free time in one go, I decided to have a look on the web instead, at least to find some inspiration. As usual I struck gold and found just what I’d been looking for from the comfort of my sitting room! Graham and Green are a fabulous shop with an equally fabulous on-line shop.

You can find furniture, tableware, pictures and even clothes on it, and the website looks brilliant and is so easy to use. I found the perfect set of pictures to make my spare room look more like the ‘guest room’ Pashminas and Pearls should have! The mirrored frames are much more exciting than just a plain wooden frame and the camellia prints are a little more traditional but really brighten up the room. I also love their 50’s style mirrored furniture, particularly the dressing table/desk.

One job down…if only they were all as much fun doing as picture shopping’s been!

Wednesday 12 March 2008

Chocolate Delights...

It seems like an age ago that Lent started…probably seems even longer for if like Pashminas and Pearls you gave up chocolate for Lent. Forty days and forty nights have never felt so eternal and torturous! Thank goodness Easter is almost upon us now and I can go back to my favourite indulgence once again. Going out for dinner hasn’t been quite the same without at least the option of having an indulgent chocolate pudding or at least an After Eight with one’s cappuccino!

Easter is always a family affair for P & P, and for the first time Green Fingers is being subjected to Easter ‘en famille’! With that in mind (and P & P being unable to resist…) I decide to go to Rococo’s on-line shop for Easter chocolate this year. Usually I’m terrible at leaving it until the last minute but having seen the beautiful creations in the window of their King’s Road shop, I thought I’d browse and decide from the comfort of my sofa at home and take advantage of their home delivery. They did not disappoint…

Rococo is heaven to any chocolate lover. Whether your favourite is milk, dark or white, there is something for everyone and the choice is fantastic. There are delicious looking hollow chocolate eggs which would suit everyone, filled with a variety of chocolate and yummy truffles, which come in different sizes too. There is also a version for the younger family members with hollow eggs filled with mini eggs and chocolate animals. For the more sophisticated chocolate eater (and a firm favourite of P & P’s – take note Green Fingers!!), is the Crate of Praline Quails Eggs – such a clever idea, and a mouthful of heaven! The beautiful detail Rococo goes to is impeccable and I spent hours looking at their beautiful creations (albeit with my mouth watering constantly).

Last orders are on Sunday 16th March so don’t leave it too last minute.Hopefully when the package arrives on my doorstep I’ll be able to resist the temptation of a taking a pre-Easter taste!

Sunday 2 March 2008

A Worthwhile Investment...

Having properly settled into my little flat again and feeling thoroughly decadent, I decided to invest in a new set of bed linen to complete my newly decorated abode.

The feeling of curling up on high quality linen is really rather wonderful so rather than going to the Peter Jones linen department (Sloane Square has always had a magnetic effect on P&P!) and not quite being able to stretch to Frette (no pressure Green Fingers), I decided to hit the Cologne and Cotton web store.

Cologne and Cotton did not disappoint my desire. Their beautiful range of colours and patterns are divine; I felt like a school girl in a candy shop! So much so that before I knew it, two sets of bed linen had found their way into my shopping trolley.

I simply love the Waterford collection – 240 thread count cotton percale (for those that don’t know too much about cotton – that’s pretty impressive) and I also slipped in the Spoke set which is 100% linen and fantastically luxurious. I went for the plain white Spoke because it looks so crisp and fresh but their pastels work equally well for those who like a touch of colour. Never before have I wanted to be in bed so much!

For somewhere you spend your all important resting time, it’s more than worth an extra pound or two in indulgence!