Wilderness and Islands

Before the weather changes and the summer turns to autumn, I thought maybe one more outdoorsy type trip could be squeezed in and so enamoured by the stay in a Yurt with Canopy and Stars, I found us a shepherds hut at Knepp Safaris in East Sussex.  

We arrived as the sun was setting, so had to find our way into the woods with a torch, other campers told us to grab a wheelbarrow to transport our bags to the hut and so we wove our way past the dining area and glamping kitchen into the woods.

A fire was soon lit, my other half now calling upon his skills as a boy scout, whipped up a roaring one in the outside fire pit.

The hut was super cozy, we made the mistake of lighting the indoor stove and it was too hot.  I loved that bed, snuggled up and outside total darkness and the sounds of owls and other nocturnal creatures.

The next day we followed the walks around the area of our camp. The owners have been re-wilding the fields and now there are wild horses and pigs roaming free.  We didn't spot any deer but did spend a lot of time with squirrels and rabbits, birds and insects. There were no organised safaris on the days we were there, so we made our own and with the aid of a compass and map, a flask of tea and comfy shoes.

As we were near the coast I decided on a whim that we could hop over to the Isle of Wight.  OK, a very extravagant whim, considering how expensive the ferry across was. I was truly gobsmacked that it cost 99 pounds to cross the tiniest stretch of water! I'm sure it's cheaper to go to France.  But, I had never been to the Isle Of Wight so I bit the bullet, paid the ferryman, and booked us a room with Air bnb in a cute cottage on the coast.

My main reason to visit was as a pilgrimage to the home of Julie Margaret Cameron, the first female photographer, I have been in love with her work for as long as I can remember.  Her house, however, was a bit disappointing, but it just has to be the first thing on my list. 

It also rained on this first day on the IOW but undaunted, we packed in every single sight we could see.  Our Air bnb was an annexe to a house which was originally the coachman's cottage for the John Nash estate.  John Nash, famous architect built himself a castle on the IOW and many buildings around, I shall investigate this on our next visit.  The host of our Air bnb is an artist and holds retreats at her home, set deep into a long stretch of woodland and right on the coastal path, the setting was perfect for long walks. 

And before we got back on the ferry we had a hunt for red squirrels in one of the many wild woods but sadly to say I did not see one. This must be a sign that I should return with the sole mission to commune with red squirrels, armed with nothing but nuts and a long lens.

Slowlived Summer Photography

Victorian style photos that look like paintings are my current interest and folly.  Photography is my main passion, although I am very enthusiastic about a lot of things as you probably realise. Photography opens another sense, it bring an awareness for light and detail, composition and placement.  It is my motivation to get off my butt and see the world, (or maybe even just a few hours away).

I stayed in the most amazing Air bnb this weekend and the location just lent itself to more photos inspired by old paintings. We had such a typically English feel set on a farm near Petworth, that Victorian style John Constable influences were in abundance.

The old farmhouse is surrounded by lovely gardens full of roses and fruit trees, meadows and ponds. 

To make the photos more atmospheric I applied some effects using Florabella.  With these applications in your photoshop you can mess about with filters and overlays, adding sun, flare, brown tones, hazes and so on. You can see a few of the effects here ...

this photo has actual real lens flare which happened at the time of taking it.

Shopham Bridge Farmhouse Petworth have three places to where you can put your head down and unwind, the Hay Loft, where we stayed, A shepherds hut and a converted horse box.  Set alongside a stream with weeping willows and a hammock, the setting is like something out of a painting. So we took lots of photos in the style of old English painters, part of a series that I'm working on.

I can see why Mary is a Super Host, as I've never been to such a well equipped and well provided for Air bnb before. I didn't expect to be writing a blog review of Shopham Bridge but we had such a magical time that it would be impossible not to recommend.

By taking the dslr out of auto mode, I am shooting more dark and moody photos at the moment, however, despite the fact that I learnt on manual cameras some forty years ago, I still find the digital settings confusing. In fact dslr's are so advanced that they can be overwhelming to someone who just wants to take photos and not get bogged down with instruction manuals and techno babble.

Deliberate lens flare adds a sparkle of magic. Sometimes it's good not to get too technical or controlled.  When I shot on film I would use a black and white film which I would then get processed in a colour developer, the results were extremely random, Sepia tones, and, of course, you didn't know what the results would be until after you had the prints developed. 

The wind blew the willow branches across the frame .. the sunlight streamed through the tree catching highlights of hair and hand.

And with a slightly sad heart to leave, we packed our bags and set off to the a secluded beach at Clymping.

The clouds looked like they had been painted in the sky and the wind blew away the cobwebs. 

I hope this may inspire you to take up photography and play with the idea of unusual portraits, ones with atmosphere and memories.

To find the Air bnb I stayed in search for "Shopham Bridge Farm House Petworth" they have three listings on there.  We stayed in the Hay loft and it was ample space for two and includes the roll top bath seen above.   The coast was about 45 mins drive away.

Take me outdoors

This year I have decided is the year of me.  Feeling thankful to only have minor health niggles, I am pushing myself to do as much as I can in terms of personal development, fulfillment and improvement, both inside and out. 

So thank you to everyone who follows my discoveries here, and as I try to pack it all in, with just the odd afternoon nap, I will be posting more frequently about all the things that make me smile and affect this woman of a certain age, (don't mention the menopause).

As a blogger I have access to try out many different things and I promise that on this blog I only feature items that I have personally approved and photographed.  Luckily for me I tend to be approached by the coolest companies, but whatever the product I hope to put my personal twist to it, and maybe my enthusiasm will encourage you to try it too. 

Last week was all about the outdoors, so this home body, put on her boots and left the comfort zone of home for a few days in the fresh air, something that usually only happens in small doses when I'm doing a wildlife rescue.

A visit to an instagram meet in East Sussex for WWIM13  and a ramble in the bluebell woods got me thinking about exploring the UK more and particularly finding interesting places to stay.

When I worked in the music business I travelled extensively with recording artists, literally to every corner of the globe, we were on the road for years doing promotion. I would fly back only to plan the next schedule of travel and interviews and then off again.  Fortunately we were entitled to business class and first rate hotels, and whilst I was terribly spoilt there is always a down side to everything.  Hotels all begin to look the same and nowadays I find that Im quite picky about what I am paying for. 

So for me hotels can be a double edged sword. Whilst I should be enjoying the change of surroundings, often the accommodation is somewhat lacking in imagination and pizazz, which got me thinking that really, a hotel needs to be more than just a place to sleep. And it's not all about expense either, as we realised when we visited The Welsh House, it's about so much more.

I was never a fan of camping or caravans, due to the fact that back in the annals of history, camping involved a flimsy piece of tarp, a narrow straight jacket of a sleeping bag, on hard, damp and bumpy ground.  The one time I stayed in a caravan in the 1980's I awoke to discover the walls and windows running with condensation and let's not mention being kept awake all night by the other campers. But all that has changed.

So what has happened to peak my interest in this area now - one word - glamping.

What a brilliant idea. The internet has made is possible for individuals to rent out a space, whether it's a room in their house for b and b or something really cool on their grounds like a yurt or an airstream. Breaking away from a chain is very rewarding.

Some of my favourite bloggers are part of a collective for Canopy And Stars, an online collection of unusual places to stay, specializing in outdoor accommodation with a luxurious twist. From tree houses, camper vans, boats, shepherds huts to yurts, geo-domes and safari tents, they have curated a site with the best of these in the UK and parts of Europe.

I'm so happy that through instagram I have found so many cool new things and I've already booked my first Yurt which is situated in a part of Norfolk that I've been meaning to explore for some time.  A new skill for me will be to learn to cook outside, and I shall be consulting with the Beach Hut Cook for tips and ideas on that.  

I got quite hooked looking on the Canopy And Stars website, oohing and ahhhing over all the places that I simply must try out, my bucket list is endless. As I travel either solo or with my other half, we have a fantastic selection to choose from and for me I'm particularly interested if there are photo opportunities. I'm not the most hardy of people but I often surprise myself with my flexibility and optimism in any given situation. Be sure that you will see it on here as I tick it off the list, reporting back to the readers who, maybe like myself, get more adventurous with age and not less. 

Amsterdam (Part II ) for Urban Jungle Bloggers

Our theme this month for Urban Jungle Bloggers is 'botanical zoom' looking at the details in our house plants, and so, as I bought many new plants in Amsterdam, I thought I would continue to talk about shopping in that city and show you what I came home with.

Something I haven't talked about so far is my latest tattoo, I have waited for some time to be able to book with the legendary Angelique Houtkamp of Salon Serpent and finally I managed to see her.  I will be revealing the tattoo when it's healed over on Instagram, alongside my new wood watch.

Angelique sells her artwork, limited edition prints like this below of wolf girl.  I bought these two plants in Wildernis which is just along the road from Salon Serpent.  I find the spotted one really fascinating, it looks like someone has painted the spots on!

We can't talk about plants without talking about planters and pots, this for me is all part of the fun, finding the right pot for the plant, allowing enough space for it to grow and allowing it fit with the decor.  This year's story for plant pots is natural baskets, seagrass, wicker and woven.  The above two came from a man on a street market (Lindengracht on saturdays).    

this is the orange tree blossom from a mini tree I have in my house, the smell is absolutely amazing

Jeska Hearne who blogs at Lobster & Swan has recently got hold of a lovely and delicate plant called sophora prostrata.  I was lucky enough to find some sitting outside a wonderful florist shop called Fleur Monde on Haarlemerdijk, an enormous shop full to the brim of wonderful specimens. That was the first time I had ever seen one other than in Jeska's photos, it had quite a journey home in my hand luggage, Im still hoping it can get established nicely.

The good people at Urban Jungle Bloggers have also found some great colouring illustrations for us this month, I only had a small set of coloured pencils which came out of a Christmas cracker, so my palette was somewhat limited!  Still it was pretty relaxing to do even so. Also in the photo above you can see one of the little mother of pearl spoons I bought in Zenza. 

These two hands came from de Weldaad which I featured in the last post.  The victorian tile is actually English, I intended to buy some antique Delft Tiles, even beaten or battered ones just as a souvenir, but boy were they expensive!!  The tile above came from a man specialising in tiles, mostly Delft, on Noordmarkt and his prices were much better than in any shops.  It seems that the cheapest you can find old Delft tiles for is around 20 Euros, but frequently they are up to 60 Euros and more, so you would need to be a pretty serious collector to buy these.  I stuck with the English one because it has the same colour tones as those set into my new cupboard.

This is the old Indigo scarf with tassles I bought on Noordmarkt from Stern Africa. It feels like a light denim and the tassles are a status symbol for men in certain parts of Africa. Birgit really knows her stuff and can give you so much information about the things you buy from her. This type of cloth is from the Mossi people of Berkina Fasso, it is thin strips of fabric sewn together to form a whole cloth and then Indigo dyed. The prices from Birgit are about a third of what you will pay elsewhere, so well worth finding her.

My yoga teacher was talking to us this week about being 'present' in all things you do, she had been away and while everyone was madly dashing down the Ski slopes she was stopping and appreciating the weather and nature.  I can honestly say that this approach of slow living, is well worth practising.  I have visited Amsterdam many times, but all too frequently when on business dashing from one place to another. This time I took it slow, appreciated the details, walked instead of dashing and enjoyed the city so much more for it. 

Have a lovely week everyone while we are getting ready for some time off over Easter. J x

Cool Amsterdam for Interior Design lovers

I have just returned from the most amazing time in Amsterdam and it didn't involve any alcohol or funny cigarettes, quite the opposite, I decided to walk it and hunt down the healthiest food and the most beautiful shops.  So get yourself a nice cup of tea and sit down with me now to walk around one of Europes most beautiful and stylish cities.

I was super blessed with the weather, although I came prepared as the wind can be biting here.  Don't even think about wearing heels, get your most comfortable trainers or boots and prepare to be impressed.  The architecture is totally unique, the classic tall thin houses set alongside the canals, and bicycles everywhere due to the fact that public transport can only get you near the destination but not outside the door.  First thing to conquer as well is the trams, find a tram map and buy a card which you use like an oyster card, touch in and out. The stops are clearly announced and indicated on the tram itself so you won't have to worry about not recognising when to get off. 

I started my treck on day one with the Nine Streets area, this is easy to see on maps if you google.  Here are the most stylish shops in my opinion, the one off boutiques and cool cafes.  I tried two cafes on Reestraat, Ree 7 and Pluk, both serving very healthy clean food in simply and sleek surroundings.  Also on Reestraat at Number 1 is the boutique small shop of what was to be my most favourite discovery of all - de Weldaad.  The shop on Reestraat on the corner, is full of more small decorative home and gift items, to describe it I would say take a mix of Victorian weirdy, Scandi chic and natural history museum, then perhaps you would be somewhere near to imagining. Fossils, shells and bones, under glass domes, beautiful containers and vases, feathers, mercury glass, wooden birds, and so on.  It's larger mother store is up in Noordermarkt and that has all this and much larger pieces, leaning more towards the architectural salvage. Here's some photos of the larger shop..

old painted tin ceiling tiles can be found here, my current latest crush.

De Weldaad is beautifully laid out and curated, grouping objects in colour sections and mixing old and new seamlessly.

Also to be found in Nine Streets which I thought was quite unique is a bedhouin and tribal jewellery shop called Parwan on Herengracht. 
For interesting smells and quality bath products have a sniff around Marie Stella Maris, their liquid hand soap is something quite different to your usual supermarket brand, leaving your hands feeling soft and smooth instead of dried out, I chose the Cedre Intime as it has Patchouli notes, but they even have a smell like the falling autumn leaves in Amsterdam!

All the plant and florists shops are outstanding and I managed to get hold of some great plants which are hard to find in the UK. There are two plant shops on Bilderdijkstraat quite close to each other, one of which is Wildernis.  But wherever you go you will pass a lovely florist and spot some great house plants.

We popped up to Noordermarkt on Saturday when the market is on. On the outside of the market square is de Weldaad's larger store and on the market itself the most wonderful lady who imports from Africa. This stall has a wonderful selection of Shibori and indigo dyed fabrics and scarves, some new and some old, plus lovely tribal jewellery. Birgit's company name is SternAfrica and she personally travels and chooses very good pieces. Food wise, we ate at Finch on the corner and it was excellent, I had a great avocado on toast that Nigella would be jealous of.

From Noordermarkt we walked to Haarlemmerdijk, further North.  Here you will find a bathroom shop full of antique baths and all things bath related.  The Shop is called Affaire D'eau at number 148-150. The collection of antique reclamation is superb.

We walked there via a street market on Lindengracht and there I found a man selling African baskets at very reasonable prices, you will see these a lot in the shops this year particularly when used for plants. I will feature these in some future posts.

If you are restoring a period bathroom you will find the perfect authentic pieces here in Affaire D'Eau.  It might be worth considering driving over to the Netherlands so that you can bring the larger items back home.

Further down the road, as if you are heading back towards Grand Central station, Haarlemmerdijk turns into Haarlemmerstraat, and here you can find one of the Zenza stores.  This store to me, sums up perfectly one of the looks that I personally champion, the fusion between ethnic design and craftsmanship with the colour tones of Scandinavian chic.  Zenza have primarily a large stock of lighting, which is made in their own factory in Egypt.  Both the silver and copper light shades are stunning but there is so much more to this store as well, lovely carved side tables in a pale coloured wood, plant hangers and unusual accessories, I bought some spoons made from shells with silver stems. 

To visit the Nine Streets area I got off the tram at Spui and walked through the floating flower market, for Noordmarkt we started at the Dam Square stop and took the back streets heading North.  There was a marked difference between the weekday and weekend for numbers of people, and the weekend tourists can make it very busy, so if you can try and go out on a wednesday or thursday so that you can mooch for several days with the streets to yourself.  Mind out for those cyclists too, they are ruthless!  There are defined cycle lanes and they are strictly not for walking on unless you want to get mown down.  I bought a number of plants and to bring them back in my luggage I took them out of the plastic pots, removed some of the dirt and put them in shoe boxes with some tissue paper.  One of them is looking a bit sad but the others seem to have survived ok.  I will be featuring these in both my Urban Jungle Bloggers posts and for Lobster and Swans new hashtag #botanicalpickmeup

I don't have any photos but there's a really good antique furniture shop on Prinsengracht at 579, set in a lovely old building vof Prinsheerlijk Antiek has very traditional grand old pieces, do have a look if you are passing.

In all my years of visiting this city, since the 1980's, I have never been to the red light district once, so my advice is to see the city like a local would and not like a tourist, it will be so much more rewarding and I hope this blog helps you to do that. Happy Days. J x