Ragged Rose Aprons Giveaway (E: 27 March 2015)

I love my aprons, and have quite an extensive collection, mostly branded aprons which I have won through the years or received as freebies at the food shows. Some are pretty, some less so but they are functional and protect me from the mess. I am a messy cook, with the flour flying like a cloud, sauces spilling and crumbs getting everywhere. Plus there is a big stash of mixing bowls and pans after each baking session, but then I am the one who cleans the mess, so nobody can complain really. If you want to look pretty in the kitchen, Ragged Rose is a home and gift brand of dazzling colours and fetching designs. Think vintage look, stylish, retro floral prints and plains textiles.
This range has been created by Dawn Rose in 2010, who was inspired by her garden summer house and all the vibrant colours of summer flowers and blooms.
If like me, you enjoy wearing aprons while cooking, you have a chance of winning a set of two 50s inspired retro aprons from Ragged Rose - one child's and one adult's aprons.
The winner will be able to choose aprons which they prefer.

Image credit: Ragged Rose
The image is for illustration purposes only, as the winner will have a choice of aprons

Image credit: Ragged Rose

To be in with a chance of winning, please enter a Rafflecopter gadget.
T&Cs:

Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is answer the question by leaving a comment (if you login as Anonymous, please leave you Twitter name or Facebook name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry. 
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances). 
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only. Once the Rafflecopter picks the winner, I will check if they have done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person. 

I will pass on the winner's details to Ragged Rose PR who will dispatch the prize.

The giveaway ends on 8 March 2015 (midnight).

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas gifts inspiration

Let me mention first that if you are looking for techie gift ideas, you are in the wrong place. I know nothing about the latest gadgets (I wouldn't know a Wii from Xbox), unless they are kitchen-related. The selection of gift ideas that I offer for your perusal is more or less my own wish list. I would be happy with any of those presents (yes, including those that are supposedly for men in your life).

Winter and jumpers, you cannot imagine one without the other if you live in the colder climes. For the fans of Sarah Lundt and all things knitted, I found these two super-jumpers: Sleuth Jumper from Seasalt is a Scandi-inspired knit in super soft lambswool, sporting a classic Fair Isle pattern and looking very cozy, and this fab traditional jumper from Gudrungudrun would make a Sarah Lundt fan stop in her tracks.

Hats! As someone who watched Downton Abbey more for hats than the plot, I am always on the lookout for the new attractive hats. This Cossack fur hat from Marisota reminds me of Dr Zhivago with its most beautiful Lara's theme by Maurice Jarre. The black pork pie hat with tartan trim from Pret-a-Portobello is darn cute and stylish. I will happily wear either of them.

This Cute Jute bag from Seasalt would make a charming gift bag (that could be regifted later too). It is 30x24cm in size, a perfect container for a box of chocolate or a pretty scarf, like this gorgeous soft Russian Doll scarf from White Stuff's recent Verushka collection. It is very silky and hugs your neck gently. I confess, I have treated myself to this scarf just the other day. It is my pre-Christmas gift to myself, and I love it (I have recently written about Verushka range).

They say it will be a long snowy winter. Have you prepared your wellies yet to wade through the snow? These comfy and lightweight red wellies from Burnhills will brighten up even a dark morning. And these adorable sheep slippers aka Baa Baa Mules from White stuff will keep your feet warm.

Are you feeling tired? Do the dark mornings and early evenings make you feel miserable? How about this mood-enhancing Mama Mio Gravida candle? It would add a touch of glamour to any interior. Mama Mio calls it a "fragrant halo of calm". I love citrus aromas, and feel relaxed looking at the flame of a candle.
Snuggle up all wrapped cozily in this elegant Cape Mohair knee throw in pastel check at Achica.

For a posh Downton Abbey-style tea party go for this elegant Portrait dessert set from Zara (very reasonably priced at £9.99).
Sophie Bruen's handcrafted ceramics are inspired by nature. This dragonfly bowl is simply stunning. Love the colour and the pattern, very Japonesque.

Now these gifts are supposed to be suitable for men in your life, but I just adore this cute little robot tea infuser from Rigby & Mac. At £5.95 it would make a nice little stocking filler for any tea lover, don't you think? And if you prefer coffee, go for the real McCoy and buy a stove top espresso maker. Just like they do in Italy. Mind you, the espresso from those coffee makers is almost lethal. It is so strong, for me it's like a rocket fuel, I have a sip and ready to launch into the open space. It was invented in 1930s by Bialetti and has become a style icon.

Foodies gifts, now we are talking. My favourite kind of gifts to give and receive.
For a great talking point and a Christmas tree with a difference, go for this Scented Floral Creations Chilli topiary. I wonder if I have enough chillies to make my own mini-tree, as the chilli plant this year was so prolific, we'd never be able to eat all that chilli.
Bellini is my favourite cocktail, which always brings back memories of the sun-kissed evenings in Italy. You can easily make your own Bellini with a Bellini Box from Fortnum & Mason. Fresh peach juice works beautifully with a crisp prosecco for the most wonderful cocktail ever.

Do you love charms? This little stunner of a charm, Pandora Carousel from John Greed Jewellery is ever so elegant and stylish. An enchanting trinket indeed.
If your house is anything like ours, pens and pencils and crayons are all over the place. I wonder if a Wooden pencil tree would make a job of putting them together in one place more attractive to my guys.

There are also some brilliant gifts for kids who enjoy cooking, like The Big Cheese Making Kit from Grow Your Own (is there a mini-Heston Blumenthal in your life who would love experimenting with food?), or Christmas Cookie Cutters from Rigby & Mac, so festive, you'll be chuckling Ho-Ho-Ho baking your cookies.

Here comes Mr Tumble with his famous spotty bag! Squeeze him and squash him, and share giggles with him. Castle & Rattle Play Characters Set - Maileg makes me almost sad that I am not a kid anymore, I would have so loved to play with this soft fabric set with the princess, the frog, the knight and the prince.

And one last gift that I love and which my little man would surely appreciate. He's very much into Fireman Sam stories right now, and his favourite toys are all kinds of fire engines. This super duper Fire Station Play set from BigJigs would surely be a dream come true for him or any other fireman Sam-obsessed little person.

Disclosure: I haven't been asked by any of the companies above to be mentioned on my blog. I love gifts ideas and inspiration boards and hope you enjoy looking at my selection.

Denim Blogger Challenge with House of Fraser

Love them or hate them, blogging challenges are a great fun! House of Fraser has challenged bloggers to create an ultimate Denim look by putting together a selection of clothes to go with the Denim. Inspired by the Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby, I have picked a few items to imitate a visually dazzling ensemble.

For my pièce de résistance  I have chosen Ted Baker's Gerrie Deco print Denim. These skinny jeans could be a versatile starting point to create either a festive outift, or a casual look (still pretty chic and alluring).
This seductive True Decadence Deco Sequin Dress is short enough to be worn as a top with the skinny jeans, an absolutely delightful piece. As it is sleeveless, you can easily wear it with Biba Deco Bead Mesh Tipper which is a glorious piece of design, very Gatsbyesque thanks to its heavy embellishment highlights. It screams luxury (and a bit of decadence).
Dapper Office Lucy in the Sky court shoes feature an elegant metal toe detail, and are comfy for any dancing queen, while a Coast Deco necklace would complete this ensemble perfectly.

Biba Deco Illustration print tee is a stylish homage to the roaring 20s. It sports a trendy gold and sliver art deco print on the black background. It will easily transform any casual look into a festive one, and will add a touch of glamour to the Denim look. This is another great top that would look spectacular with the skinny jeans. This is a more casual look.
Accessorize it with a cloche hat, shoes and a fabulous Biba clutch. A timeless classic.
They say, many people watched Downton Abbey for the outfits and hats, and I cannot agree more. I was lusting after those fabulous hats. While browsing House of Fraser, I found it very difficult to limit myself to choosing just one hat. I love hats, can I pick at least two?
Dickins & Jones Embellished Cloche hat is simply marvellous. An an absolute steal at £35. Wear it, and you will look every inch a chic flapper.
Aftershock Lydia Black pointed high heels would look spectacular with this outfit.
Finally, a few more accessories to choose from...

Linea Bow Detail cloche is a less ornate hat of the two I have chosen. But then you can add as much sparkle as you want with the Untold Jade Stud Clutch bag, 1928 Silver Coil bracelet and Coast Deco earrings.

And that's it, I am ready to party.

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This is my entry to Denim Blogger Challenge set by House of Fraser (link removed as expired)

In love with Verushka

Someone told me, slightly waspishly, in a private conversation that as a blogger I tend to parade my Russian identity. Mea culpa, but that's who I am. I can't suppress it (neither do I want). I love the ethnic elements in fashion design, and was thrilled to see that White Stuff has just released a new Russia-inspired collection called Verushka. It's not often that the Russian style in fashion gets a complimentary following. The Russian fashions are dismissed as too dire and drab, or lacking in taste and glittering like a Christmas tree (reference to the nouveau riche or the new Russians).

Designers of Verushka took the folk elements of the national Russian costumes and transformed them into a modern, stylish and inspired collection.
I spent this morning looking at the clothes from Verushka range in our local White Stuff shop (they didn't have the whole collection) and trying a few outfits.

Girly Ada cardi, available in 5 colours

Biana skirt

Biana skirt is simply beautiful. It is a knee-length skirt with a fab embroidered design of Matreshka (Russian doll). I was very tempted to buy it, as I can easily wear it with a lot of tops I have.

Detail of Biana skirt

Girly Ada cardi

Girly Ada Cardi is very comfy and soft. The hem detail is a reference to the outifts worn by the Cossack women.

Multi-patterned Teapot skirt is a homage to the Southern Russian costumes, with an amusing modern twist. And that Hunter Cardi coat looks splendid too. Sadly they didn't have it in the shop to try on. I would imagine it will look great with any casual outfit.

Busy Lizzie tee

Another colourful patterned top that I loved is a Busy Lizzie tee. It looks so festive and pretty.

Tula tunic

Tula tunic is a printed top, with the paisley design, very popular in Russia in the 19C and later. It has three-quarter sleeves and a cinched waist, trimmed at the hem. Love the front pleated detail. This tunic reminds me of the vintage peasant's smock.

Tula tunic, available in aubergine and Russian red

I liked all the outfits I tried, and could happily wear half of the new Verushka collection. And that's what I bought, Tula tunic with leggins. What do you think? Is it "me"?

Unique gifts from Lily Charmed

My Dad was a skilful artist who created some amazing pieces of jewellery, and I consider myself to be rather spoilt when it comes to jewellery. It is not easy to impress me. However, Lily Charmed managed to do just that. When I was browsing their range of charms online, I thought that their artwork is truly original and stylish.
Lily Charmed was launched in 2011 by cousins Marcus Pearce and Lucy Lee, and named after Marcus’ daughter Lily. They say:
"Our desire to create beautiful and original jewellery that celebrates special occasions and relationships lead us to create our unique message cards. The message card frames the charms you choose, and shares the meaning behind your gift – making it one which will be treasured forever."

How many times have you being stuck, thinking of buying a meaningful gift for someone you love, or a dear friend, and dismissing one idea after another?

Lily Charmed gives you an opportunity to buy a stylish personalised gift. Their selection of charms, necklaces and bracelets is varied and impressive. The quality of artwork is high (in fact every charm goes through the quality control).

As I was perusing the online store, I was presented with a very difficult choice. I loved the beautiful ethereal feathers... A tiny crown was darn cute and very tempting... A teeny-weeny teacup screamed "Get me!" (it will make a fantastic gift for any tea lover).
Seashells and anchors reminded me of the Cornish seaside and would look stunning with the summer dresses and open tops.

Image credit: Lily Charmed

At the end I opted for a silver jigsaw charm necklace. As you might know, a jigsaw/puzzle piece is often used as a symbol of autism. Autism is a big puzzle, and as a parent of a child on the spectrum, I am proud to wear this beautiful symbol. To me it represents what it is to be out of the ordinary. There are so many pieces to this puzzle that we need to solve to understand the condition. The pieces of the puzzle are all different and in my opinion they signify the differences between the people and the misunderstanding that comes as a result of them.
Of course, if you start to ponder and philosophise on the matter, you might say it could be applied to the human beings in general. We are all different.

This dainty and exquisite necklace arrived beautifully presented in a gift box. Once you open a stylish white box, you "receive" a card with a meaningful message. Mine said "You... were my missing piece". A lovely sentiment. And a card that would be greeted with delight by anyone.

Have a look at the best sellers

The sterling silver charms have been lightly sandblasted to give an elegant matte finish. The chain is very delicate, and the necklace is very light, it is like wearing a snowflake.
Lily Charmed also offers a range of charms in gold, but I prefer to wear silver. However, if you are a gold lover, Lily Charmed has recently launched a gold vermeil range of charms. Or go for a mixed combination of gold and silver. The choice is yours.

I love my stylish jigsaw piece, and it means a lot to me too. What would you choose?

For more information check Lily Charmed on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I was offered to choose a charm for the purposes of reviewing, all opinions are mine.

Ethereal Gorjuss girls: a new collection from Santoro

I am probably not the right demographic for the pretty girlie things but I cannot but fall in love with the Gorjuss range of products from Santoro. As a crafter, I have been a fan of the Gorjuss products for papercrafters for quite a while, and I have a selection of Gorjuss stamps and papers.

The Gorjuss style is very distinct and easily recognisable, and the name Gorjuss is an easy one to remember. Funnily enough, when I came across the stamps with this name for the first time, I thought they were a Scandinavian range. Only later I realised that Gorjuss is of course the child-like spelling for the child-like style of drawings, very apt.
The little Gorjuss ladies are looking solemn, ethereal and enchantingly vulnerable, they remind of the fairy tales and the haunted stories.

Gorjuss™ is one of the three "latest collections from luxury design house Santoro, launched with a range of contemporary accessories, gifts and stylized stationery. Building on its remarkable, award-winning history, husband and wife founders Meera and Lucio Santoro have pushed the boundaries of innovation and design with these new collectable ranges"

"Starting in a little studio off Carnaby Street, Santoro has gone from strength to strength, transforming into a global design powerhouse and winning over 40 international design awards and accolades along the way. Meera’s innate design prowess and eclectic taste combined with Lucio’s fascination for paper and innovation was an instant recipe for success. Now available at Santoro and top-end stores including Harrods, House of Fraser, Seibu, El Corte Inglés and Galeries Lafayette, the brand continues to break design barriers and develop inspiring creations. 

Santoro’s Gorjuss collection comprises bags, stationery, accessories, homeware, dolls, collectables, clothing, ceramics and much more. Simply Gorjuss!"

Image credit: Santoro

And now I am the lucky owner of a beautiful Gorjuss bag, it is very spacious, and has a good length shoulder strap. There's a good sized pocket inside for the wallet. And the design is, well, absolutely, Gorjuss.
On one side you see a young girl on a swing with a black cat on her lap. On the other side, the same girl is looking at you intensely. The sides show the trademark stripes in black and chocolate black. Even the inside lining is beautiful, it reminds me of the vintage damask fabrics. There's a black cat tag in felt, as you can see the bag is made with a great attention to detail, something you are used to expect from the Gorjuss range.
Overall palette is subdued and very elegant.
You can also get a matching purse.

Image credit: Santoro

I love mugs and cups, and these Gorjuss mugs are now on my wish list. And if you visit the Santoro online shop, you will find the most beautiful teapot which I am very tempted to buy. Of course, I have three teapots already and one might argue I do not need the 4th one (that's me having an imaginary conversation with my husband). On the other hand, I could always sneak it in and then say "Oh, I had it for ages!"

Image credit: Santoro

This Gorjuss large coated shoulder bag Ruby retails at £30, a very reasonable price for a designer bag.

For more information have a look at Gorjuss FB page.

Disclosure: I received this bag for the purposes of reviewing, all opinions are mine.

Those little unsmiley girls are set on conquering the world, as they have already conquered the hearts of many crafters.

And for your delectation here is a beautiful card made by my lovely friend and a talented crafter Karen Brown.

A great appeal of hand-me-downs

I cannot possibly know what the future holds but for the time being Eddie enjoys wearing hand-me-downs from Sasha. Not that I make him do it, he chooses his clothes himself. Eddie adores his older brother, and for him Sasha's clothes have a great appeal, he thinks he looks very trendy and handsome. He never saw Sasha wearing them, as there is an 8-years difference between them, but if I say that these clothes were Sasha's, Eddie wants to wear them.

I have been digging through my old digital albums, looking at the old photos of Sasha, and putting together a series of photos of my two boys in the same outfits. Don't know why but I was very surprised to see how much alike they are, even if Eddie is a blondie and has blue eyes, while Sasha was darker at that age and has dark hazel eyes.


I love this pale green knitted jumper, this was a gift from my mother-in-law. She keeps us in good supply of trendy Italian clothes.

This photo of Sasha and I confuses Eddie to no end, he actually says "It's Eddie", pointing at it. It was taken in Woodstock, not long after we moved in there. Eddie's sporting the same blue coat in our garden. He also took a shine to this red knitted hat. It has a slogan on it "Here comes trouble", it made people smile when Sasha wearing it, and it brings smiles now, when Eddie has it on. For some reason the old men find it particularly hilarious and keep commenting on it when we go shopping.

A funny t-shirt with the Zoo animals: here is my Sasha in Austria, when he was about 3 years old, a bit older than Eddie now. It is still a bit too big for Eddie but he insists on wearing it.

Another of my favourite clothes, a long-sleeved yellow stripey t-shirt. The difference is that Sasha was (and still is) quite indifferent to what he is wearing, while Eddie is rather particular on what he wants to wear for the day.

Perhaps when Eddie is older, he wouldn't want to wear any hand-me-downs. I actually never use the word “hand-me-down” (I remember how demeaning it felt to me, when I was a kid, and some of Mum's friends offered her clothes for me when their girls would grow out of them, I felt like my identity was compromised. Silly, I know, but that's how it felt).

I do keep Sasha's clothes (not all of course, some end up in the charity shops) as some of them hold memories of the fun times we had together, or of the very special occasions, like the outfits I brought Sasha and Eddie home from the hospital in, don't think I will be able to part with them.

For me seeing Eddie wearing Sasha's clothes is a bonding moment between the boys, and so far my little man sees it in the same way.

Daxon's VIP Fashion Bloggers

Are you a Downton Abbey fan? Have you been waiting for the Christmas Special with impatience and have you been left in total shock after the episode ended (I must confess I'm glad I watched it as recorded on the Boxing day, as it would have definitely ruined my Christmas. Julian Fellowes should be put in the stocks). Have you caught a bug for the classic-style clothes that would make you look like Lady Mary? I've been perusing Daxon's website and have found some perfect outfits that would not look amiss in the Scottish mountains stalking a deer with Shrimpie and the Earl of Grantham.
Don't believe me? Have a look at this Ellos ladies tweed blazer jacket.

And I love this Ladies Shorn Velvet Jacket, very elegant, stylish and timeless. This indigo blue outfit would have been approved by Dowager Countess herself, no doubt.

Ellos Ladies Smart 3/4 length blazer jacket is another outift that makes me think of Downton Abbey and its elegant characters. This is just my kind of outfit. I love jackets and blazers. Any of the three jackets I have shown would look good with my Downton hats.

To be honest, until my buddy Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews did a blog post on Daxon on her blog, I haven't heard of them before. But I am very curious by nature, and as any girl (of any age, young or young at heart), I love a good sale, and Daxon's prices are rather competitive. I found out that Daxon is part of Redcats, which is the 3rd largest home shopping organisation in the world.

And to win my heart over, not only do they sell clothes for women and men, they also have a range of cooking utensils.
Now, Mrs Pattmore and I would be in agreement, they have some lovely kitchen goodies. I'm particularly tempted by an automatic bottle opener (after breaking two of bottle openers in a row).

If you are a blogger with an interest in fashion, you might consider joining in the Daxon's VIP Fashion Bloggers' appeal and become a part of their blogger network. But you have to hurry up, as the closing day is today.

Thrifty ways with Next PJs

Vanity is a sin, perhaps pardonable when you are 2 years old. Eddie loves nice clothes, and I often smile at him, when he chooses an oufit to wear.

We have been buying sleepsuits from Next since Eddie's early days, they are very practical and cute. In the last two years we went through several sets of sleepsuits, as Eddie is growing fast.

Eddie went through a stage when he couldn't part with his wellies and tried to wear them everywhere including his bed.

The last set of 3 sleepsuits was bought over a year ago, and it is suitable for 18mos-2yrs. Alas, they were becoming too short. My Mum who stayed with us in July, came to the rescue.
As the sleepsuits themselves were still in a very good condition (and that is after numerous washes), it seemed a waste to get rid of them. I could have taken them to a charity shop, but the feet area on all sleepsuits was quite worn and patched up on many occasions.

Actually this is my only concern about them: I wish the feet area of the sleepsuits was reinforced. Children of this age are very active, and the feet area gets worn much faster than the rest of the sleepsuit. Ideally it should have some sort of the sock patch over the feet area, or a double layer (something to think about, Next?).
My super-thrifty Mum cut off the feet area, turned the bottom edge, and hemmed it. She was stitching by hand, as I don't have a sewing machine. And Eddie was ecstatic to have his fave PJs back.

Now we have a sleepsuit that will last longer. I wish I thought about it, when Eddie's older sleepsuits were getting too short for his legs.