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On forgiveness

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Yesterday marked exactly ten months since everything changed. To say that a lot has happened since then is kind of an understatement. When I wrote On courage, muchness, and a whimsical wishlist of future moments, I decided that it would be the last time I looked back. Things are different now - I’m different, and I’m not sure there’s much point or benefit in continuing to dissect what happened. I don’t want to expend energy on what has been, I want to focus on what’s to come. I have, though, been talking to my friend Erica (having a therapist as a best friend = free therapy for life) quite a lot about moving on, healing and forgiveness.

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A really autumnal creamy veggie pie

A really autumnal creamy veggie pie

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You know me, I flipping love a pie. I always feel a bit bad for the vegetarians in our household, though, as they miss out on gorgeous, creamy chicken pies and comforting beef pies, and I’ve been toying with different vegetable based pie recipes for a while. One that was quite successful recently was a kind of weird stuffing pie using the same recipe from my vegan Christmas stuffing as a pie filling. But then, I was making a creamy pasta thing the other day with leeks, mushrooms and other stuff, and we were saying how delicious and autumnal it was, and then we realised that it would make an amazing pie filling, and so, the autumnal creamy veggie pie was born (terrible name - I’ll have to work on that). Here’s what I did:

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The positive life plan - how to define your values

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You know I love words. And I love my journal - it’s one of my most treasured possessions. Recently I took a big step - for me - and stopped combining my notebook (lists, thoughts, work stuff, finances… basically everything life-related) with my personal journal. I’ve started a beautiful new notebook, and I’m going to keep it just for journal entries and writing prompts. It’s not a diary by any means, but just a personal place to explore thoughts and feelings, record quotes that I love, and jot down things that I want to remember or revisit at a later date. I was reading an article recently - I think it was in Stylist - about choosing a ‘values-based career’. It basically talked about how choosing a career based on your core values is the secret to finding job satisfaction. I soon got lost down a values-based rabbit hole and it was SO interesting that I knew I had to share. Here’s a great exercise on how to define your values - the results may surprise you!

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Weekend wishlist: how to wear this season’s chunky boot

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And so it seems that no longer had I fully embraced my love of the chunky sandal (omg the H&M ones - quilted chunky gorgeousness now sadly out of stock but I nabbed some on Ebay), than summer feels like it’s ready to give up its crown. No matter, you know I love a crisp morning and a soft, oversized jumper, plus I’ve discovered a new love - the chunky boot. Luckily, they seem to be very much in fashion this season. In fact, the rule seems to be the chunkier the better. Seeing as I’m a bit out of my comfort level here, I drafted in some expert help with some top tips on how to wear this season’s chunky boot, then had a look around for some different options. Read more

Hotel Indigo Chester

The staycation series: Hotel Indigo, Chester

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If you’ve dropped in before, you’ll know that we’ve been trying to make the most of our weekends by heading out to explore the country a bit more. I’ve got to be honest, Stratford-upon-Avon was so bloody good that it’s going to take a lot of beating. The Hotel Indigo there was just utterly gorgeous, so when the chance came up for us to try the new Hotel Indigo, Chester, we jumped at the opportunity. We only had one night away this time, so we knew we wouldn’t get to explore that much, but a hotel-centric night away in a gorgeous hotel, with dinner and a few drinks is sometimes all you need to recharge your batteries. Here’s how we got on:

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New hush autumn collection

Weekend wishlist: the new hush autumn collection

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Ooh I get so excited about autumn clothes - I’m all about the jumpers and boots and snuggly stuff. hush is always my go to for autumn loveliness so I get an extra little fizz of pleasure when the email announcing the new season drops into my inbox. This new hush autumn collection has got my name all over it: muted colours, a bit of leopard, a bit of leather, some chunky boots… And yes, I know I said that I’ve decided not to buy anything new in September, but that doesn’t mean I can’t create a little wishlist, right?

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Slow september

Slow September

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I adore the concept of slow living. It’s multi-faceted, and means different things to different people, but for me, it’s about trying to live more mindfully, rejecting the worst aspects of consumerism and fast fashion, concentrating on living more sustainably, nourishing your mind and body and basically simplifying your life by adopting a less is more approach. Of course, there’s no such thing as perfection (especially at the moment), but I’ve been scribbling away in my journal - intentions, plans and dreams for the month, and I thought you might like to read them (and maybe even join in with a few). Funnily enough, after I’d been drafting this over the last few days, my new issue of Red Magazine dropped through the door, and in it was an article about slow living being ‘sustainable, local, organic, whole’, which I absolutely love. So here’s to slow September.

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Masala spiced roast chicken and gunpowder potatoes

Masala spiced roast chicken and gunpowder potatoes

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This masala spiced roast chicken and gunpowder potatoes is a mishmash of three or four different recipes that we’ve seen recently and wanted to try. Jamie Oliver does a chicken roasted over a pan of veg (he puts it on the oven shelf though and just the thought of cleaning it freaks me out), I do this yoghurt marinated chicken a lot but usually with chicken breasts, and the gunpowder potatoes are my favourite side to order whenever I go to Dishoom. They’re like spicy roast potatoes in a lovely dry, green dressing - zingy with lime and packed with coriander and green chilli. YUM. We served it with a bit of roasted broccoli but honestly you don’t really even need that - the veg cooks down into the most delicious accompaniment/sauce.

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Cotswold House Hotel

The staycation series: Cotswold House Hotel

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We enjoyed our trip to Stratford-upon-Avon so much that we’ve decided to make heading out on a little weekend break a regular thing. Since I’ve never visited the Cotswolds and always wanted to go, we made our next booking at the dreamy looking Cotswold House Hotel in the pretty village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. We booked a two-night break over a Sunday and a Monday, thinking that we could relax on the Sunday, then explore on the Monday when it was a little quieter. The drive was so easy - just over an hour and a half from us here near Tring, in Hertfordshire. I’d say it’s better to have a car to fully explore all the surrounding towns and villages, but you can get a train to nearby Moreton in Marsh, which is served by London Paddington and Birmingham.

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A simple skincare routine with Ren Skincare 1

A simple skincare routine with Ren Skincare

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After a stressful start to the year, I’ve found such comfort in simplicity – whether it’s an hour spent away from my phone with a book and a cup of tea, or the joy of slipping into freshly laundered sheets. Stress has taken a toll on my skin, too, and I do wonder whether we just do too much to our skin with all the layers of mists, serums, acids and masques. So this month, I made a move back to an easy, comforting skincare routine with products that nourish both my skin and my sense of wellbeing (I love a gorgeous scent and beautiful packaging – I want simplicity, but I still need it all to look and feel lovely). I decided to stick to one brand, as I feel like all the products will all work really well with each other, and as I’m already a fan (and I love their sustainable stance and recyclable packaging) I decided to create my simple skincare routine with Ren Skincare.

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a whimsical wishlist of future moments

On courage, muchness, and a whimsical wishlist of future moments

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I love reading my notebook. It’s a mishmash of quotes and writing prompts, scribbled notes, words I like (what are yours? I like whimsical, poignant, iridescent, balmy, sun-soaked, whisper, rustle and rush), work stuff and more. When I’m travelling, my favourite thing is to snuggle into the fresh sheets of my bed (I love a hotel bed) at the end of the day and write about all the sights and smells, experiences, colours and people - I note it all down while it’s fresh in my mind - it’s lovely to look back on. And then there are some less lovely bits: notes from meetings with my solicitor, disjointed bits of devastating conversations (why did I write them down?). My notebook is so important to me - it’s my brain dump, my journal, my collection of thoughts, and so much more. Recently it’s full of hopes and dreams… doodled scenarios: a whimsical wishlist of future moments, if you will (see? such a good word!).

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Copper House Bar is back

Copper House Bar, Berkhamsted is back!

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I’ve written about it before, but Copper House Bar, Berkhamsted is one of my favourite places to drink and dine. I love the friendly people, the stylish interiors (oh, Tom Dixon lights, I love thee) and the great food. After a really tough time over lockdown (owner Lyndsay told me last night that they were SO close to throwing in the towel), it’s back open and I’m happy to say thriving too. Slightly rebranded as a bar & brasserie, adorned with the most beautiful floral archway, and boasting all new menus (including a separate vegan/vegetarian offering), a new classic cocktail list priced at just £8.50 (the negroni is my absolute favourite) and a new lunch menu starting from just nine quid for classic sandwiches, light lunches and salads, it’s tempting me back big style. We booked last night (how I’ve missed dressing up) and headed down to try out the new menu. Read more

Salted peanut cookies

Salted peanut cookies

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You know when you’re selling your house and you’re supposed to do lovely things like bake bread and have fresh flowers about? Well, I decided to bake cookies and now have become completely addicted to these salted peanut cookies. They’re super easy to make and make the house smell delicious too so it’s a total win/win. Charlie really helpfully pointed out that they look a bit like turds, but I’m hoping that the prospective buyers will see through the fact that they’re a bit challenged in the looks department and buy the house on the notion that they, too, can make delicious cookies in my lovely kitchen. Depending on how generous you are, you can make around 12 big fat squishy in the middle ones, or maybe 15-18 smaller ones.

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The sun is shining again

The sun is shining again…

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You know when you watch people’s Instagram stories and they say ‘oh… so many people have asked me to share my daytime makeup routine blah blah’ and you roll your eyes and think ‘yeah, yeah, of course they did’. Well, honestly? So many people have contacted me after reading my posts about discovering the affair, and the aftermath. Not just lovely people who wanted to ask if I was okay, but people saying that they’d recently discovered something similar and had been Googling how to cope and what to do next, and people much further along the line than me, telling me that although it’s cloudy now, the sun will come out again. And do you know what? Seven months on, the sun is shining again. Brighter than it ever did before. Read more

The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo

The staycation series: The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon

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Finally. Finally! Last weekend, we actually got to travel again. I can’t tell you how excited I was at the prospect of someone else cooking my dinner, and of sleeping in a luxurious hotel room once more. We headed to Stratford-upon-Avon for a much-needed staycation (sorry, I know it’s a terrible word). We’d booked in for dinner at The Woodsman Restaurant, which originally opened last year (and has already won the Good Food Guide Best New Entry 2020) before obviously having to be closed again because of the lockdown. The Woodsman is situated on historic Chapel Street and specialises in ‘field to fork’ eating. Owner Mike Robinson is passionate about the use of game, wild and foraged food and locally-sourced quality British ingredients, much of which is cooked in the large wood-fired oven and charcoal grill in the central, open kitchen. Happily last week it opened again, and we drove the easy hour and a half to check out the fabulous-sounding menu.

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The skinSense retinol face & body collection

The skinSense retinol face & body collection

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I’m getting a bit obsessed with these Today’s Special Value things on QVC at the moment. They’re just such amazing value, and really the only way that I would buy luxury skincare and beauty. The current one features skinSense, which I’ve talked about loads before. I love the products, LOVE the beautiful packaging, and I don’t know about you, but the scent of the products I use is so important to me, and they always smell divine. This set is the skinSense retinol face & body collection, which is a really lovely luxury 5 piece skincare kit which would be a great introduction to the skinSense range. Also, individually, the products would set you back £159, so to get them at just £41.92 is pretty amazing.

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