Chilly Evenings call for Indulgent Desserts...

So today was a very lovely day indeed. I spent the early morning at a local car boot, then came home and spent a good few hours in the kitchen. I made a hearty beef stew from my mums recipe (perfect food for such a cold and foggy day!) and then made this sweet apple tart for dessert. I came across the recipe on the blog decor8 where the foodie e-mag What Liberty Ate was featured, and it sounded so lovely that I copied the recipe down straight away! The original recipe can be found on page 29 of the magazine, it's worth a look for the styling and photography alone! But in the meantime, here's my version:

French Rose Apple Tart:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups plain flour
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 apples- peeled and cored
1/4 cup sugar

Method:

• Combine the flour and 8 tablespoons of butter in a large bowl. Mix with fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs
• Add 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water and combine the mixture using hands. A dough should be formed
• Flatten out the dough into a thick disc shape. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour
• Roll out dough onto a floured work surface. Roll into circular shape
• Carefully place the dough into a circular baking tray (preferably one with a loose bottom). Let the dough rest in tray for 1 hour
• Heat oven to 190˚
• Slice apples. Slice in half and then length ways to create fan-shapes
• Place sliced apples onto pastry base working from the outside in, creating a 'rose' shape effect as you go
• Sprinkle with the sugar
• Dot on the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter
• Bake for around 45 minutes (or until the apples start to turn golden)
• Serve with whipped cream

Yum! Let me know what you think if you give this one a go.


{Image: Laura Blanksby for High Street Home, using Instagram}

Thrifting!

Those of you that follow my twitter ramblings will know that I often do a bit of thrifting, and last weeks session happened to be a very fruitful one. Having put on my flats I headed for my local town (towns are always so much better than city centres for this kind of thing don't you think?) and set out to buy, well, whatever really! For those that are interested, here is my loot from that trip.

What do you think? I'm super-pleased with my purchases, especially as the whole lot came to less than seven pounds, hurrah! The crochet cushion cover has to be a favourite as it's a nice big size. I'm going to mix it with other textured cushions and put the on my bed to create a nice cosy space for the approaching winter. Also the little pink box with the dried flower lid is just a beautiful trinket, I can't believe I was so lucky to pick it up for just one pound. The lovely old lady in the shop said it was a very old piece too as she received something similar for her 21st birthday all those years ago! I'm going to use it as a mini jewellery box. The rest of my lot includes a very prettily illustrated Gulliver's Travels book, a Penguin Fruit Growing book, a vintage floral cushion cushion cover and a very dirty piglet which I just couldn't leave behind! He needs a good wash, a new nose and re-stuffing! But when he is finished I hope to give him away to my new nephew.

See you soon and happy thrifting! x

{Image: Laura Blanksby}

Welcome to the World of Abigail Brown

Hello and happy Tuesday! How was your weekend? What did you get up to? I'm pleased to say that mine was spent catching up on a very large pile of magazines that have been calling my name for a very long time! Anyway, whilst browsing my magazines I came across the artist Abigail Brown and her wonderful hand-crafted birds and just could not wait to share them with you.

Abigail is an illustrator, designer and textile artist living in London and creates the most wonderfully sweet textile birds. She hand crafts all her birds and gets to work on a lot of fun commissions (see her website for the latest additions). She has a great collection ranging from her small colourful birds (my personal fave) to blue tits, kingfishers and wrens. Her website is a must-see so head over and have a peek- I bet you fall in love with at least one of her creations!

So pretty aren't they? It's these little fellows below that are the cutest of the lot though...

The cheeky-chappies have so much personality! I eventually want one in every colour, but until then I'm going to get the little pink one and he can take residence on my bookshelf.

The birds are made from a selection of vintage and modern cloth and have little wire legs. There is also a robin in her collection which would make a fab Christmas decoration or gift.
Hope you all have a lovely week!

{All images: Abigail Brown}

Lubna Chowdhary: Design Inspiration

Hello, hope you are all well and enjoying this lovely blustery, autumnal weather? I, for one, wouldn't change it for the world! Today I'm having a lazy day browsing the web, drinking tea and being wrapped up in my John Lewis cranberry lambswool blanket. So it's a good day for me! Anyway, whist browsing all the lovely e-magazines and blogs out there, I came across the work of ceramicist Lubna Chowdhary and wanted to share her work with you. Although Lubna predominantly creates hand-crafted tiles, I've fallen in love with her handmade storage jars below...

These jars have hand-glazed lids in her popular 'Trust' design. Another favourite are her Origami series. I absolutely LOVE the colour combinations of these, muted but fresh at the same time. I think they would create a striking kitchen splash-back.

Lubna has a great selection of tiles and also works to commissions. Her blog catalogues her bespoke work so why not have a look for some Thursday afternoon inspiration?

{All images: Lubna Chowdhary}

Let's Celebrate Wool Week!

To celebrate National Wool Week 2011 (5th-11th September), I thought I'd showcase some gorgeous pieces of hand knitted jewellery by Anna Alicia who I discovered this week via Tea For Joy. Anna uses Fair Trade organic cotton for all her jewellery, with vintage elements wherever possible, to make her jewellery as ethical and environmental as possible, both of which I think add to the charm. My absolute favourite piece is this pale peach 'Double Eagle' knitted necklace, the colour is just so pretty.

All of Anna's designs come beautifully gift wrapped in a cute box so would make a perfect present for someone. The 'Double Eagle' design comes in six colours; pale peach, pale grey, dusk blue, black, off-white and navy, as seen below.

Like what you see? There are more designs in her collection. What about this cute 'Owl' number?

Or the chunky 'Braid' design?

And finally this 'Moth' design is also a stunner. Isn't the texture of the knitted wool so lovely? Perfect for the Autumn season. With so many to choose from, which one will you go for?

 The Campaign for Wool was initiated by the Prince of Wales in an attempt to overcome the challenges facing the wool industry in Britain today. There are various events happening across the UK during this year's Wool Week, to find out more visit The Campaign for Wool website.

In the words of Vivienne Westwood wool is ''one of the world's great natural fibres, famous for it's versatility and comfort'' and if it's good enough for her then it's good enough for us too.

{All images: A Alicia}

Ferm Living Autumn/Winter 2011

Our favourite Scandi brand have finally unveiled their A/W collection, and it's LOVELY.

The Danish company photographed their products in the forest creating a beautiful and natural setting. Here's what they had to say about why they chose this location:
''The raw nature was the perfect backdrop for our universe of strong graphic lines and honest materials like wood, wool, organic cotton, leather, cork and paper.'' (Ferm Living 2011)

The collection has some new elements and some revamped classics. The signature harlequin print is back and it's darker tones make for some striking pieces. Look at that 'Spear' wallpaper below. It creates such a statement wall.

Their wall stickers are also back with some fun new designs. Although these always tread a fine line between cool and tacky for me, Ferm Living always seem to get it just right. The rain cloud is a lot of fun and children will love it. Best of all, you can just peel it off the wall when you are ready for a change again!

Well, it wouldn't be a High Street Home post if I didn't mention the cushions would it? And these new pieces are just lovely with the subtle mixture of graphic prints. I can see them lazily scattered on a bed. Overall, what a lovely collection. The mauves, deep pinks and greys create a moody atmosphere, perfect for the approaching season. Makes me want to reach for my blanket and Ovaltine.

{All images: Ferm Living}

Bringing the Outside in...

Don't you just LOVE this wooden bookshelf tree by Olivier Dollé?

Mixing traditional craft with contemporary design, French designer Olivier creates pieces that are both beautiful and functional. This bookshelf comes in either oak (main photos) or walnut veneer (bottom right) and would make a unique focal point for any living space. It would even look good without the books, as a piece of wall art. To learn more about Olivier, please visit his website where you can see more examples of his work and see what he's up to now.

If your budget can't quite stretch to a designer piece but you still love the idea of bringing the outdoors in, why not have a go at this DIY project I came across whilst browsing Poppytalk?

Made by one of Poppytalk's readers, this DIY project will be cheap and lots of fun! Although it is a family tree, I think that you could swap the photo frames for coat hooks and hang jackets, hats and umbrellas on. Perfect for a hallway! The tree is cut free-hand from self-adhesive cork and frames (or hooks) can be picked up cheaply from car boots and charity shops. Why not have a go? Click here to see the full project, then start making!

{Images 1-4, Olivier Dollé. Image 5, Poppytalk}

9 of the Best... Armchairs

We all love our Eames and our Bertoia chairs, but sometimes, after a long day, all you want to do is just collapse into a squishy armchair by the fire, right? So I have put together my pick of the best comfy (but still stylish) armchairs out there at the minute. One of them costs over £4000 however (eek!), but can you guess which one?

1. Little Moo, John Lewis, £999
2. Mr Bright, John Lewis, £899
3. Astrid Posey, Anthropologie, £1298
4. Stockholm (in Blad Brown), Ikea, £239
5. Oslo, Dwell, £399
6. Alberton Leather, Laura Ashley, price on request
7. Vitra Heart Cone Chair by Verner Panton, Heals, £2064
8. Quilt armchair, Established and Sons, Nest, £4260
9. Bump, John Lewis, £1400

Did you guess right? Pricey, yes, but just look how COMFORTABLE it looks! I want to collapse into it now! (You may be able to tell that I am writing this post after a very exhausting day at work!)
My personal favourite from the selection is the cowhide chair from John Lewis. I really like this as the cowhide print will suit most interior styles (it would suit my fairly industrial style apartment and it wouldn't look out of place in a country style decor either) and it gives the room a statement piece without taking over the room. It doesn't scream 'look at me!' but is a gorgeous piece to swoon over at the same time.
Although armchairs in general are quite expensive, I do think they are a investment piece that will be part of your home for a long time. They are comfortable, practical and will last forever. You can even reupholster most chairs if you get bored of the colour or pattern.
Which one do you like the best?