Making Memories

This week for me has definitely been about exploiting the 'free' part of Be Home Free. I've been exploring the local area, finding some new places and managed to do it all without getting rained on.

Magical places have been found on my doorstep. We made some beautiful memories.

Buckinghamshire is such an abundant county and sometimes it takes a lot of travel to realise how pretty England is.  I moved out of London nearly ten years ago and have made a concerted effort not to get complacent about the rolling hills, fields of gold, red and blue, spectacular stately homes and gardens, winding lanes and wildlife.

This year my plan is to get out more, to visit friends all over the country, stay for odd nights in Yurts and Air bnb's, mooch about previously unexplored towns and shops and have some adventures. Sometimes you don't even have to go very far to witness the spectacular, and this week was one such example.

Through a friend on facebook I heard about the poppy fields at Chesham, so we packed a picnic, took a book to flick through and headed off up a winding lane until we saw the flash of scarlet on the horizon.

We couldn't believe our eyes, it was so incredible that it felt unreal, like being transported into a painting or film.  And not for the first time that week either because a few days earlier we found Castle Ashby.

Situated in Northamptonshire, I had spotted something about this place and wondered how we had never stumbled across it before, even my step-daughter who lives quite close had not come across it. 

The Orangerie is like something from a Pre-Raphaelite story, you can see Rossetti setting up his easel, a stunning model playing Beata Beatrix or Ophelia languishing in the warm muggy atmosphere of this indoor greenhouse.  Light dances around the lush plantation, for here things thrive and the soul is fed with possibilities. We wanted to stay, to move in and live there ...

Proving that sometimes, it's the little things, the free stuff, the nature around us which is the most marvellous of all. For me a day in a poppy field is worth more than a week in a hotel, get out there good people and ... be home ... free ...

Styling Summer with Baskets

This summer baskets are hot.  They have been creeping their way back into our hearts for some time now and a feature wall of hand woven baskets is a key feature for the Bohemian Jungalow look this year. If you don't have space on the wall then stand your planters in one or use them for logs or blankets.

I've made a Pinterest board which you can find here and also a style story on At Mine which beautifully demonstrate all the different variations on the theme and you can see some wonderful inspiration from both of these.  But here are some of my interpretations.

I've been collecting baskets for some time now, mostly English willow ones with handles and vintage shopping baskets. This year the one's that really caught my eye were from Africa in two tones and quite shallow, dish like, perfect as fruit bowls and as wall decoation. 

The distinctive baskets from Zambia are made by the Tonga women to keep them in employment and help to feed their families. I'm always happy to find this sort of enterprise, and keen to support by being a customer but I wish the postage from Africa wasn't so damn expensive.  The Tonga craft centre in Binga Village is funded by the Danish government and exports these all over the world, however I'm having trouble tracking any down in the UK. When I was putting the Style Story together for At Mine I spotted one tagged in a photo of someone's home and this lead me to discover the great store Couleur Locale from Belgium. I'm so in love with their styling and photos that a visit may be on the cards, however, as if to prove my point, they have sold out!

The Tonga Binga baskets are made from a palm which is grown specifically for the basket making and in style they can be identified by it's square bottom. Always in the two tones of natural and black the variation in pattern is immense. 

Here are some of the other baskets I have on display.

The two black and white baskets are from Southwood Stores who will be giving away a rather special basket in August.

this basket came from a man on a market in Amsterdam, the street markets there often have this kind of cool thing.

Adding some natural texture and feel to a room is a good balancer to technology and I think these kind of baskets work in many different looks, they blend with country, rustic, scandi and boho. 

I don't know what you think about Feng Shui, was it just a fad taken on by the West a few years ago or is there really something to it? When I'm adding textures and natural fibres to a room I often think it's got to be a good Feng Shui balancer.

This Chinese practice first came to light in the UK, probably about twenty plus years ago, I really was mesmerised with the idea of this philosophy and bought a couple of books on the subject. I had a compass and went around all my friends homes telling them where their 'wealth corner' was and stuff like that.  While I don't remember a great deal, there is still some parts that have remained in the back of my mind.  Don't get me wrong, I'm quite a pragmatist and try to keep my feet on the ground about most things but life is all about balance, hey Feng Shui is about balance, and having a balance of reality and spirituality is quite essential.

The world is pretty small now and the belief system of a whole continent that goes back thousands of years can't be dismissed as poppycock. As I am so passionate about interior style, I find this art really fascinating because it does make so much common sense.

Colour plays a big part in Feng Shui and again, I do believe very much that colour affects mood.  I'm not sure it's really possible to do an 'in a nutshell' blogpost about it as it's quite complex but I may talk about it some more at another point.  

Until then, I'm getting out and about a lot over the summer, so expect some outdoor photos and reviews soon. 

Boho to Coco

I have fallen in love again, with clothes, and oh I've missed that feeling, why is that - well because I've changed shape and then changed again and again.

Generally, trends repeat themselves, so when you are older you have likely seen most styles before, and this is great because you've already worked out what suits you, providing your shape hasn't changed too much (and therein lies the rub).

Leon and Harper jacket from Amelie Fashion Berkhamsted.   Necklace from Holy Cow Home Aylesbury

I do think it's important to move with the times and to re-assess our look as we age.  I am a great advocate for re-invention of my personal image, it doesn't happen monthly but over the last ten years I have changed pretty much everything about my appearance and I intend to continue to do so. I look at everything with a critical artistic eye, including my own reflection.

The only problem as you get older with clothes and image is admitting to yourself what works and what doesn't - for you.  Just be honest with yourself, if your shape has changed then chances are you want to hide the wobbly bits and flatter the good bits.  This happened to me and I was not happy about it. Also I found that I no longer suited blonde hair and that red looked thicker, more glossy and suited my skin tone, (I looked less washed out and grey will never work for me as I'm too pastey). My point is that perhaps what worked for your younger self is now not doing you any favours. 

My shopping dilemma most often is that what looks good on a hanger does not look good on me. I'm short and I have boobs, so smock tops and loose dresses just make me look pregnant. A pregnant granny is not a good look. 

Our shapes are formed by our life and our genetics, so I'm going to generalise here as an example.  I have never found Italian or Spanish designs that fit my shape and so I've given up even looking in certain stores as I know that their cut just won't work for me. I'm short and curvy so for me I find French and American designs seem most closely cut to my shape. (I have some French blood so no surprises there). 

Through the course of the menopause I put on a lot of weight round my middle.  Nothing I did would shift it, going to a gym every day was exhausting as I was already lacking in energy, living on nutribullet fruit and veg smoothies, the 5/2 diet, I tried a lot of things.  The weight around my middle was causing me many problems, it slowed me down, made me breathless, I found it difficult to move in Yoga, so I started to wear shapeless sacks. My hot flushes are still pretty terrible and the extra few pounds was making it worse.

After speaking to a variety of doctors I came to the conclusion that the best solution for me was liposuction, and I can honestly say it's the best thing I have ever done.  The doctor explained that short of starving myself and living on a cross-trainer I was unlikely to ever shift the fat that was sitting around my middle, but because I have never had children he could see that the times in pilates and yoga had given me good muscles under the fat and was pretty sure that the results would be good for me without further surgery.  He was right.

Now my point is here, this is not for everyone. It is very invasive and quite a shock to the system.  You do need to take a few weeks of rest and wear a compression garment and the results will not show until months down the line.  But once the swelling has reduced and the scars heal (they are really small), you notice quite a big difference in the way you look.

I appreciate that some people don't approve of cosmetic surgery, but hell, some people don't approve of tattoos and that's never stopped me.  Each to their own, so don't even bother leaving negative comments. If you love everything about yourself then I'm truly envious, I wish that I did.  I guess it's just a difference of opinion, if you can do something about it then do you do it or not? and how much does it actually bother you.  The extra fat on my body was putting me in danger of many medical problems, but the most influencing factor was that I felt terrible with it. I didn't want to meet friends as I thought they would be thinking how much I'd aged and let myself 'go', it just drained all fun out of everything.

Getting my waist back was a game changer.  My confidence in buying clothes has gone through the roof (apologies to my bank balance, but you only live once).  I can fit into my old jeans, wear clothes that are shaped to go in at the waist - it is a new lease of life. I have more energy, I eat less and I like dressing up and going out. For me clothes have always been a fun thing, you can dress up like a character in a movie, dress to reflect your mood or job or dress to show how jubilant you are about life.

wood watch by Jord, click on the link on the right and you should get a discount

Feeling that I'm back in the game has obviously influenced the style of clothes I'm choosing although there are still some compromises. I dare say that as a short-ass I would look better in heels but sadly my recent broken toe and my ever increasing painful feet will not allow that.  In truth I don't want my footwear to slow me down. But flats have never been more fashionable so I'm sticking with the ones that like my feet and look good.

My new wardrobe now consists of - a brown version and a black version of basically the same things!!  (hey if it ain't broke don't fix it).  So on the feet we have Birkenstocks and UGGs (with the occasional pretty trainer like the ones from Paul Smith). Birkenstock sandals are the only ones that stop my feet swelling in hot weather and so I feel that they are a good investment as they last for years.  The UGGs are the biker boot style, with a small heel and a structured shape. I got these at a good discounted price by buying out of season.

Maven sweatshirt from Southwood Stores gloves knitted by me

On top - the brown wardrobe is layers of American Vintage sheer fine cotton t-shirts. This label is fantastic, if soft is your thing then you will love everything in their range.  American Vintage is actually a french company so what they have done here is take the basic t-shirt and make it more flattering and luxurious, it drapes to a woman's shape and some styles are so fine you can even layer them up on a hot day.  I have built up a collection of mix and match short to mid length sleeves with vests and roll necks to interchange. Some of their t-shirts cling more than others so if you are trying to hide your tummy then do try on a few first.

The black wardrobe has been dominated by Agnes B.  French, classic, sophisticated, cute and ageless.  This label has produced the same basic styles for years and they never go out of fashion.  When I travelled with work (in the 1980's and 90's) I would hunt down Agnes B stores in Paris, Tokyo and London.  Their t-shirt range called Australie is shaped to go in at the waist and a very flattering cut for the lady with boobage. Their blouses are superb, (does a french motion with hand going to mouth and kissing - formidable) quite 1950's in style they look vintage and have gorgeous detailing on them. 

Ive had this suede coat for about 12 years and finally I can wear it again AND do the buttons up
necklace from Lobster & Swan

Bottom half - right now it's jeans. I've been collecting second hand pairs from ebay.  I worked out what size I am now and hunted down more pairs in different shades of fade.  For a curvy lady with a waist I suggest the GAP girlfriend.  It's a shame that Levis have discontinued their 'curve' range but I did find some on ebay, look for 'demi-curve' they aren't cut too low and they don't gape like a builders bum every time you bend down.

I have to wear glasses now and changing frames every ten minutes is a right pain in the posterior, so I've gone for designer frames with bi-focals and reactive lenses (not radioactive lenses as I told someone).  I can wear them for reading, long sight and in the sun - job done.  My brown pair are now discontinued and are Ralph Lauren and my black pair, well it has to be Ray Ban Wayfarer.

Thoughts I have about 'dressing for your age', (from someone who doesn't believe in conforming to a stereotype).  Here's just a few things to consider when shopping for clothes that might save you some time.

Some things can actually make you look older - like buying badly cut clothes from teenagers shops, you are unlikely to look like a teenager if the cut and colour is not for you. 

Think about who the shop is aiming at, and for me what country are the designs coming from. It should hopefully reduce the stress involved in finding something as it's so depressing trying on lots of clothes that don't fit.  I bought a winter coat in Zara and had to get an XL - extra large, me?, I'm a size 12. As I needed it to fit over jumpers I bit the bullet and bought it but seriously though, XL !! Yes that hurt but please don't be like me, ignore what the size on the label says, just try on several and see what hangs right.  Too tight can make you look bigger. 

The basics I have put together here are my 'ready for the world' pieces.  Practical, comfortable to work in (my work that is), and funky.  Good basics to dress up or down and accessorise and suitable for our wet summer and ever changing temperatures.

My local boutique is Amelie in Berkhamsted, they stock Paul Smith, Twin Set trainers, American Vintage, Leon & Harper and UGG. I thank them for keeping me up to date with what's hot and what new labels are worth checking out.

The Agnes B branch I visited was in Marylebone High Road but they are on-line and global. You can find Southwood Stores, Holy Cow Home, Lobster & Swan, by clicking the links. 

I would also like to recommend a great blog for older ladies called Alternative Ageing it is really full of joy and Suzi is great at talking about food for menopause as she trained as a nutritionist. 

Be Home Free Community

Thank you all so much for taking the time to join my hashtag community - Be Home Free. 

If you are still wondering what it is well - it's all about showing a comfortable corner, a relaxing nook, an area in the home which you have styled and decorated to your own specific taste. Somewhere that calms and comforts, eases away the stress and feeds our soul.  

So what are my reasons for forming this (other than to have a nosey around your homes)? 

I'm not sure if it's because I'm a Leo, but I have always had the desire and need for beautiful surroundings. Even when that was difficult to achieve, due to circumstances, I would get a small bunch of flowers, scented candle, some favourite pictures and books, a throw or blanket and try to set up 'my place'.  

My earliest memory of loving interior/home stores was when a cool hippy shop opened in my home town, it was called something like Annikas, and had all the latest 1970's trends which were Swedish inspired. I talked my Dad into buying a mirror with an Alphonse Mucha lady on the surface of the glass, it hung in the hallway until he passed away.  I still have it. 

It was the early 70's and I didn't have a home of my own, I had a bedroom in my parents house which I most certainly was not allowed to decorate (seriously, most kids did not choose their own decor or clothes back then).  But by hook or by crook I got a cane shelf which I added nick-nacks to and I styled up my melamine dressing table.  

The thought process behind my hashtag #BeHomeFree is to nurture that instinct and for anyone else with a similar ethos, to share and be part of a bigger community. 

Then I got to thinking more about community, I for one, sit alone most days doing my photos and editing so this year I'm making a big effort to get out and do stuff. 

So does it matter what the community is about or is it just the sense of belonging and sharing an interest? Sometimes it doesn't matter, it is simply a break from the daily grind, a few minutes to stop and say hi to some other people. How many people have joined book clubs just to sit and have coffee and cake with other humans?, a lot of people I reckon.

My choice for a 'home decorating' related hashtag was because that's what makes my brain the happiest. Although studies and common sense tell us that objects are not the key to a fulfilled life I would like to balance that with the thought that for some people aesthetics are very important. Whether you are a minimalist or a maximalist, there is an aesthetic to your surroundings and homes. Therefore, visually the things around us are important to our well being. To surround yourself with beauty is to love yourself.

We all look at things differently depending on our areas of interest and expertise, I recently had a consultation with a cosmetic surgeon who explained that faces are his thing, he can spot a dodgy face lift on even the most famous celebrities because that is what his eye is trained to do.  He then said to me, "I expect you notice the way places are decorated before anything else" and I said "yes, the wallpaper in here is bloody atrocious" (that actually really happened by the way, so more about the face lift another time).

So my point is, that for me beautiful surroundings are very important (and not forgetting that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course). We can't dismiss that how things look affects our moods and emotions.  

I take interior design pretty seriously but I don't think you need a mansion with original features to create an amazing space, or that you are required to produce something that's straight out of a catalogue. You only need to please yourself as it's part of the jigsaw of who you are. 

My home would drive some people completely round the twist!

It would be great if you could take a few minutes to join in when you can, and even better if you enjoy it as much as I do. And if you like to look at how real homes are decorated then you could also have a look at 'At Mine'. This month they have launched Style Stories where some of us early members are curating collections of photos on topics of our choosing. It's a brilliant place to get ideas and it's full of personality.

The prizes for July have been chosen with a view to dining and making an outdoor area on the warm days (still praying for some of those). The copper tray is from Mia Fleur Home and the chunky glass goblets from Katie Alice, big thanks to these lovely businesses for the sponsorship. I will be sharing my favourites here and on Instagram.

Do you set up a little area outside your back door?, I often do when the weather permits, well, if we get a chance to do that this month I would love to see it. Let's hope we don't have to resort to photos of blankets and fires, unless they are on the beach. 

Be Home Free Sweet Sixteen

 Oh my word, what an amazing response I had to the launch of my hashtag #BeHomeFree and just in these first few weeks I'm finding it hard to decide, I'm overwhelmed by how great the entries have been.

There are two prizes this month .... below you can see the Kantha quilt donated by Holy Cow Home, it's made from vintage sarees and hand sewn. The fabric is soft and a beautiful summer weight as a bed throw or a picnic blanket.

 The second prize is a bottle garland, an uber cute item from Rose & Grey, little light bulb shaped bottles tied to a rustic string with little shells between.

Here is a small selection of our entries ... the white rooms, with pastel hints, the feminine vignettes ...

@lisapocklington @keepingwiththetimes @the.life.so.beautiful @permillion44

The vintage palaces ... these ladies live their dreams, the dedicated hunters of the old but beautiful ...

@lisa_loves_vintage @thevintagehousethatcould @patchworkhrmy @tamsynmorgans

The more moody hues, richer tones with the Dutch painting feel ... 

@definitely_dreaming @saffronandsuitcases @niki.at.the.cottage @hildemork78

And the atmospheric reading nooks, with lovely light and ... cake

@trish.sweetnellie @katgoldin @heatheryounguk @circleofpines

But, as they say in the t.v. shows, there can only be two winners so (drum roll please) ...

the winner of the Kantha quilt is @tamsynmorgans for her amazing little iron day bed with Vernon Ward print 

and the winner of the bottle garland is @niki.at.the.cottage for her outside green space 

I'm thinking I may have to visit some of your homes and take photos, mmm there's an idea. 

I sincerely thank everyone who joined, it brought a tear to my eye every time I saw the feed.  Next month we will be giving away a super stylish copper tray from Mia Fleur and some drinking goblets from Katie Alice. 

While I don't want to set a theme, (I like the freedom as the name suggests), I would hint that perhaps some outdoors dining shots for July, where do you sit when the sun shines?, the little spaces just outside your back door and how you style it.

Vulnerability Hangover - My Epiphany

So this blog post has been a long time coming, be warned it will contain more words than usual.  I have just returned from a weekend conference called Blogtacular, and am feeling fired up by two of the ladies who were speaking there. It is not surprising that a meeting of like-minded people can often take you onto the next step and this is what has happened for me. I had questions and doubts in my head and I had these answered without speaking a word.

Lisa Congdon is an illustrator, artist and author who, ironically, is very successful, despite the fact that she doesn't see herself as such, and this is something that she touches upon in her talk. Bizarely for me, I had no idea what to expect from an illustrator who was talking to bloggers, but as though she had seen straight into the very workings of my brain, she talked about all the areas I have been mulling over for far too long. 

In current times we all now have a platform to air our thoughts publicly through this thing called BLOG, and when you talk to most bloggers you will find that they came to it almost by accident, they assumed that no-one other than their mum would read it (speedily followed by a phone call from her asking if they were ok), and actually for me it was because I didn't have a mum or dad any longer that I started. 

Strange yes, but I started to take photos again, my father had taught me and it felt like a fitting tribute to him to become good at it.  I also needed to sit and focus on the positive things in life as the death of both parents had left me with mental health problems.  So what better way to focus than to write a blog with nice pictures about all the good stuff. I never thought anyone would see it.

So now a few years down the line, I see I have been joined here by lots of people and this has brought me to a crossroads.

During my years of working in the music business I saw that with many artists fame brings responsibility, and I really admire people who go "look, Im well-known enough now that if I talk about something I can make a positive change" - Bob Geldof led the way. Andy Bell from Erasure talked a lot about HIV and AIDS, Moby would speak about animal rights and some of the other artists I worked with spoke about their drug addictions. And maybe because it was a time before the dreaded Twitter, they could do so and not get lots of insults from anonymous trolls.

So whatever your reach, whether its just your mate over a coffee, or a few hundred people you have never met, it is in my opinion good to tell people stuff that might help them in their lives. However, this often leads you into the 'vulnerability hangover', the after thoughts that follow the dinner party when you had a few wines and became the life and soul. The blog post where you 'share' about personal things.

So this is what Lisa and Kate did this weekend, they shared their vulnerabilities, their insecurities, and guess what, we all had the same ones. They told us that we are not alone with feeling insecure. (Interestingly they too have lots of tattoos, which comforted me enormously, and is totally unrelated). 

It is our own insecurities that stop us sharing the deep down dark stuff because we think that maybe we will be locked up, judged and that no-one else could possibly be this bonkers and so we hold it in and thus perpetuate the myth that no-one else has self doubt, it is a vicious cycle.

So my dilemma here was this, I have been sharing my happy stuff, my pretty stuff, and my seemingly perfect life stuff ... but guess what? There is a lot of other shit happening!!  It worries me that while us bloggers share their 'perfect life' photos we are fuelling the pursuit of perfection which is, quite frankly, bollocks.

I don't want to start taking messy photos, I would like my photography to remain my meditation and my practise of an art-form, so the photos here will remain in the same style - (that which is pleasing to my eye). If you could see the chaos that is in my house daily, trust me you don't want to see the piles of clothes on my bedroom floor (I call it the floordrobe) or the unwashed dishes. However, I do want to 'talk' more about real life stuff, and as Im approaching 57 years old I may have some things to say that can help and re-assure some of the younger ladies.

I will, of course, continue to share cool stuff I've found in the shops and what I've done with my house, the urban jungle fun, the styling the seasons moments, it won't all be doom and gloom, but as I want to take you with me I thought I should start now with my story. So far here, I have felt that the words were just padding to the photos, I was embarrassed to write too much about 'me' but this weekend has changed my view point on that and I want to be more honest.

So, for Kate from "A Playful Day" - you were my WOW moment, and this is the start of a new path for me, I've stood at the crossroads for far too long wondering which way to go, and here it is.. the road to god knows where .. let's just hope I don't disappear up my own back passage.

Three looks for one plant - Urban Jungle Bloggers

The folk at Urban Jungle HQ have set us a great task this month, take one plant and give it three different looks, oh, this is so up my street.

But which plant, I looked at the Mother-in-laws Tongue and she was just too 1970's, maybe then a fern, but no somehow they were just too Victorian.  Then from the back of the class someone put their hand up and there she was, a tropical beauty just crying out to wear some new outfits ... Medinilla

This beautiful girl certainly has done some travelling, I found her in Sweden and didn't want to risk not finding another back in the UK, (although I saw some great ones recently in a garden centre in Woburn and nearly bought another).  She normally resides in this beaten copper planter from Miafleur as I do love pink and copper together, but let's see what else we can do.

So what to try first with this tropical belle, and then she whispered to me, "I want to be French".... Oh la la

Here the little sexy one really pops, in the mean and moody chic French setting of chipped paint shutters, wrought iron chairs and fancy clocks.  A grande metal urn with curly handles raises our Belle Medinilla to just the right height for her flowers not to drag, and in this dimly lit area the light falls just perfectly on her blooms.

The french urn worked out so well that I was tempted to leave her there, but our Medinilla wasn't having any of it ... there were still two more looks to try on.

Look number two just had to be Boho, and so, against my trademark colour wall, our pretty pink plant hangs out in a gang of plants with lots of other colours to compliment her tropical look.

Bohemian looks are never complete without plants, an eclectic collection of textiles, textures and global collectables. Clashing colours within the same hue, rich and opulent and a place you can just relax into.

The basket came from Amsterdam but was made in Africa, it fits well with our tropical girl.  The textiles are from India, Wales and England, the table is Moroccan and the jewellery adorning the skulls is Egyptian.  Boho equals global eclectisism.  Essential boho plants, well it has to be the Swiss Cheese Plant and some cacti. Essential colours, bright, vibrant, some turquoise, mustard, pinks and oranges ... this is bohemian.

And then for our third look, well I'm a hoarder of vintage so I went for Retro ...

For a true mid-century retro look you need hanging plants, so this time our pink belle squeezed herself into a macrame hanger.

Retro or vintage includes yellows and browns, a spider plant and some sounds on the record player. Furniture with atomic legs, teak sideboards and coffee tables against white. 

I hope you enjoyed this fun post as much as I did and maybe got some tips on how to include plants with your look, whatever that may be.

Our Medinilla belle, she can't decide between the French urn and the copper pot, particularly because next month I will be giving away a lovely beaten copper item from Miafleur (they have a really good selection of copper). So maybe you will get to see this little star again in yet another incarnation.

The great new interiors place to hang out is the website At Mine and they have featured me on there, check me out ... http://atmine.com/insiders/20-janice-issitt

Flower power love to you all.

Weekend retreats and Taking A Moment In Time

Sorry that I went AWOL this weekend, but before you send out a search party I was only squirrelled away with a group of funny, witty and quite hilarious yarn fanatics in Rye. My 'be home free' hashtag was falling into the 'home from home' category of travelling and making a cozy nest somewhere else.

Our weekend was organised by Natasha from the gorgeous blog Taking A Moment In Time, (her photos are stunning), but this weekend Natasha was putting on her chef's hat and playing host and house mother to us all.

The retreat location was over-looking Rye and came through Air bnb. The large house had a swimming pool (which I didn't use, much to my shame as I am not a natural swimmer), but the pool was enjoyed very much by the other ladies and added an extra touch to our holiday mood. It had stunning views and a great open plan communal area so we could chat to Natasha while she was cooking and she could hear us nattering away.

Our host Natasha is a yarn fanatic herself and like all true creatives, she loves to know all the elements of the process. 

Something I had never even considered before as a knitter, is dyeing wool myself, and realise now that this is such a fabulous idea because you can create your own individual colour or hue or even speckled wool.

Natasha called in the expert - Kristina from Written In Cloth who helped us prepare un-dyed wool and let us make a mess adding colour to it. It was enormously satisfying, Im going to have to think what I will knit with mine.

Kristina's real passion however is using her dyed yarn to weave with and on her website you can get yourself one of these hand woven bags. I think she takes weaving to a whole new level and is clearly such a perfectionist in her work, I must go and check out all her looms sometime.

Our dear friends Jeska and Dean from the lifestyle store The Future Kept joined us and we had an interesting chat about photography and styling, many of the ladies have small businesses selling crochet and so we had a go at styling and photographing too.  

There are lots of reasons why it's good to go on a long weekend retreat. For me, I like to have a laugh with other women and hear about their lives, everyone has such an interesting story to tell. 
Because I already knew Natasha, Jeska and Dean I had no worries that I would get on with at least some of the people, but having just read Anne's blog, I now realise that for a first timer it could be quite daunting to commit too.

Some of the ladies hadn't left their children in a long while and for them it was their first weekend alone to unwind, be waited on, and catch up on their crochet projects. This kind of alone time cannot be underestimated, Im not a parent but it is clear that a break from the child rearing routine, if only for a few days, can do so much for your soul, remind you of who you were before you became a mummy, realise there are other makers with the same passion, and put the world into perspective. 

We all learnt some new skills, and I spent a morning showing the group how to knit fairisle nordic gloves on circular needles.

Natasha went to such a huge effort to cater for our needs, we had gifts every meal time, all her food was made from scratch; bread, pesto, and a salad which we have all demanded the recipe for as it had the most tasty combination of ingredients,even the rhubarb was grown in her garden.  She is a lady with very high standards who concentrates on all the details being exactly perfect.

If you are interested in joining Natasha on another of her 'Taking A Moment In Time' retreats then check her out on facebook and instagram.  The next one is in Romania where we will be shown many folk crafts including weaving, so I have signed up for that, and hope to partake in many more to come both home and away.

As I've mentioned, Anne has also written a blog and you would never believe it is the first time she has ever done one, so if you want another sided review of what it's like to go on a retreat then please do have a look at Ditsy Pips.

I am a big advocate for forming communities of like-minded individuals, women who can network and get advice and inspiration for their cottage industries and how to take them further. It's a new twist on the business conference or chatting on the golf course.
This kind of weekend is essential to anyone wanting to expand their skills and garner ideas on how to do it. So I was chuffed to see that Anne and Kate had immediately got home and written their first ever blogs. Kates blog is Moonchilds Treasures.

As most creatives are sat at home working away on their projects alone, a weekend away is a real energy boost. I can really recommend it and particularly with Natasha as she gives amazing value for money with a lovely bag of freebies to come home with, a full tummy and a head buzzing with ideas. With Natasha you don't need to worry about going hungry, she appreciates being told what you want and when you want it, trust me you won't go hungry.