The Peonie Girl Illustration by Rachel ThorntonI want to talk more about peonies,
undoubtedly my most favourite flower, Fjallraven Kanken No.2 but shall leave that until next week when energy levels replenish.
Thank you to everyone who visited us at Culverden yesterday and for you amazing feedback.
What a beautiful setting for a country fete.
Wild thyme gathered from Diamond HarbourOnly 24 hours to go until the Culverden Fete. Our make-shift studio is resembling a Chinese sweat shop with boxes containing wreaths, Nike Air Max 90 Uomo wire hearts and stationery piled almost to the ceiling. Baskets ASICS Femme The floor is littered with offcuts of camellia, Nike Air Max 90 Fleur Homme eucalyptus, new balance cm1600 grapevine and holly. baskets noires Asics Lyte Jogger We’ve enlisted the help of a dear friend Andrea (our herbal specialist) who is packing up box after box, Sac À Dos Kånken Fjällräven attaching hook after hook, adidas tubular uomo at the same time as giving us a wonderful insight into the medicinal uses and benefits for the ingredients we’ve gathered.
We’ve added a culinary wreath to our range this Christmas for all those foodies out there and feeling inspired by these fragrant materials (bay, Adidas Scarpe Uomo thyme, Vêtements Nike Pas Cher rosemary & pepper berries) we’ve made up culinary bouquets too which look and smell wonderful hanging in the kitchen.
The wild thyme is fast becoming our ingredient of the moment.
Not only because of its heady scent but more so for its elegantly-curved natural form.
Carousel Flora Design Flower Wall
We’ve just designed a wire version of a Flower Wall with our friend Giulio Sturla and his wonderful restaurant Roots in mind. Nike Air Max 2016 Goedkoop More about him in a moment.
Inspired by stylist Pia Jane Bjkerk’s visual collection of dried flora and images of elegant ancient herbarium that we love,
our Carousel Flower Wall displays gathered flowering herbs hung from tiny loops within a delicate black wire structure.
These wire structures are made to order and can display flowers, nike air max 1 uomo foliage or herbs to suit a specific space in your home or garden. asics homme You can change the arrangement of materials as and when you feel like it, as seasons come and go. Chaussures Asics Homme Contact us to discuss further.
Back to Giulio. A passionate forager, nike air max 2017 dames Giulio was trained at Mugaritz,
the 2 Michelin-starred restaurant in the Spanish Basque Region but now luckily for us, goedkoop nike air max 2017 is creating thoughtful and beautifully-styled degustation menus right on our doorstep here in Lyttelton.
He has spent the last year sourcing local suppliers for ingredients to introduce to his ever-changing seasonal recipes as well as fine-tuning his extensive wine list.
Always keen to share his expertise and knowledge, air max pas cher Giulio is currently running a series of culinary workshops, Nike Air Max 2017 Heren rood for adults and children.
Rachel pulled out some old family photographs of her grandmothers from the 1920s. adidas chaussures femme It’s quite interesting comparing wedding flowers and changing fashions through different eras. nike free 3.0 v4 blau Curiously though many of the ingredients in these pictures are quite fashionable again today in that ‘just picked from the garden’ look, Fjallraven Kanken Rugzak using vintage blooms like hydrangeas, garden roses, adidas femme dentelle peonies, Air Jordan 2 Retro ranunculus and ladies mantle cascading with trailing ivy and asparagus fern.
I discovered this beautiful bridal image on the A La Robe website. Air Jordan 8 Donna I’m forever checking Elizabeth Soljak’s vintage-inspired designs, Canotta Houston Rockets dreaming of an excuse or occasion to have a full-length floaty party dress commissioned.
Gorgeous fresh flower garland aside (as if that wasn’t enough!), adidas yeezy boost I fell in love with this romantic hand-dyed tulle bridal dress. asic gel lyte iii on feet Anyone getting married should definitely check out this boutique in Auckland.
Rachel picked silverbeet from her garden and stunned by the beauty of their long brightly coloured roots, chaussures nike air max pas cher was inspired to draw them before they went to seed.
Having accumulated heaps of silverbeet recipes (cookbook concept days) over the past few years, Randall Cobb Packers Jerseys I took armfuls back home with me on the ferry and got cooking.
Here’s an incredibly quick and healthy recipe to share. Air Max Goedkoop Everything is thrown together and ready in about 30 minutes. asics gel kinsei 4 uomo You could replace silverbeet with chard, cavolo nero or spinach leaves.
Silverbeet & Chickpea Curry – adapted from Sarah Raven (feeds 4)
1 large onion (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Vegetable oil
1 heaped tsp medium curry powder
A knob of fresh ginger (finely grated)
1 red chilli (finely chopped)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 x 400g tin cooked chickpeas
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
250g button mushrooms (halved)
Juice of 1 lime
2 lemon grass sticks
Large handfuls silverbeet
2 tblsp soy sauce
2 tblsp Thai fish sauce
Bunch of coriander (chopped)
Gently fry onion and garlic in a large frying pan until soft. Add the curry powder, fresh ginger, asics onitsuka tiger hombre chilli, adidas schoenen salt & pepper and stir.
Add the cooked chickpeas, nike italia coconut milk, Womens Nike Roshe One mushrooms, lime juice and lemon grass sticks and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove any thick stems from the silverbeet, Nike Air More Uptempo then shred the leaves and add to the chickpea mixture. Adidas Shop van Nederland Add soy sauce & fish sauce. Scatter fresh coriander over the top.
Just over a month to go until The Fete at Culverden.
Put Thursday 31 October in your diary and prepare for a wonderful day out in the country; tickets are on sale through the website. adidas schoenen I especially love the idea of the picnic lunch package on offer.
At Carousel Rachel and I are at the planning stage. Trying to estimate just how much material needs to be gathered, tn requin pas cher which materials will last best and dry beautifully,
how many wreaths we need to make, Air Jordan 1 Retro how many different designs we should plan and how the stall should look.
We’ll be launching our brand new range of Carousel Girl stationery and beautiful cotton tea towels that we’ve designed at the fete which we’re thrilled about.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be giving you a sneak preview of the Carousel products on offer at the fete so keep checking out the blog for updates and photos, Jordan 11 Sale and if you want to preorder anything just drop us an email.
Step One.
Gathering muhlenbeckia for the wreath bases. Adidas A lovely spring morning spent weaving vine bases; the muhlenbeckia is perfectly ripe and pliable so production gets underway.
I am frequently faced with a rather moral dilemma. air max 2017 heren Should I to drive to Diamond Harbour for a meeting with Rachel or hop on the ferry from Lyttelton which only takes 5 minutes and supports an essential local public service? The journey around the winding coastal road however, lunette de soleil oakley pas cher offers greater inspiration to me than whizzing straight across the water, New Balance 009 hombre so carbon footprint aside I hop in the car, Nike Air Max TN Femme music on and off I go.
I pass ripening muhlenbeckia vine, asics buty meskie gel sonoma buddleia trees laden with lilac flowers and wild flowering quince self-sown and scattered in farmland paddocks.
The shrub variety of flowering quince, buy bns gold not to be confused with the tree which produces those majestic downy yellow fruits in Autumn time,
is one of the first hints that Spring is beckoning and flowering bulbs will follow shortly.
It is great to have a break from my laptop and get down to the therapeutic business of actual gathering rather than writing about it! By the time I reach Diamond Harbour I am brimming with ideas and images to share along with cuttings that I have taken.
Final preparations continue for the Culverden Fete. nike air max 2017 dames The giant wreath we made for the Festival of Flowers back in March has had a make-over; blue gum removed and replaced with glossy dark green camelia. nike air max 2017 goedkoop We wanted to create a wreath with a less dense appearance and by weaving stems of the foliage around the outside and inside edges we defined the wreath’s shape leaving lots of breathing space within the design to enjoy the wire frame too.
These large structures can be used time and time again. nike air huarache hombre We love them for weddings and special events as they really create the wow factor from a distance as well as close up.
Elderflower Illustration Rachel ThorntonI am longing to be back in my kitchen and get festive culinary preparations underway after a 3 month spell camping out in my garden sleepout . adidas nmd męskie Yes thankfully earthquake repairs are now complete.
The first item on my to-do list is elderflower cordial and over the past few weeks I have been keeping an eye on friend’s and neighbour’s trees to make sure I’m not too late for the flowers.
I picked a couple of stems to observe how they would dry intending to string them onto a fine wire and hang as a garland. Maglie Sacramento Kings Initially I was disappointed as the stem just seemed to wilt and go soggy, but looking at it now a week on I am happy to report that the delicate dried elderflowers will work well.
To make a garland pick the largest flower heads you can find as they will shrink, and hang them upside down to dry thoroughly before threading individually onto a wire, adding stems at equal intervals along the length. Air Jordan 11 Uomo See our Hydrangea Garland Project back in May for more details.
The recipe for cordial which follows was given to me by a dear friend (thank you Karen) and will make about 3 litres of concentrated syrup (4 x 750ml bottles). Kyrie 2 Scarpe Once you’ve gathered the elderflower heads lay each out on baking paper so any bugs will fall onto the paper and then you can rinse them more easily.
30 Heads of Elderflower 3 Lemons 1.5kg Sugar 4 Tblsp Citric or Tartaric Acid 2 Litres Water Boil 2 litres of water and add sugar and citric / tartaric acid. FREE RN Stir well to dissolve. New Balance 1500 mujer Pour over scrubbed and roughly chopped lemons and rinsed elderflowers. 2015 new balance 530 Leave in a cool place for 3 days, stirring daily. NIKE LUNARGLIDE 8 Using a muslin cloth and sieve, strain concentrate and put in bottles. Nike Free 5.0 Donna Keep in fridge or alternatively freeze.
This cordial is so delicious mixed with ice cold water, tonic, gin or vodka.
Whilst packing up my office in preparation for earthquake repairs, adidas gazelle uomo rosse I discovered this monochromatic recipe illustration that Rachel designed for the cook book. Nike Air Max 2017 Heren groen Imagine how wonderful it would look screen printed onto a linen tea towel and hung as kitchen art. adidas X 16.4 Great stocking filler for Christmas. air max Must get some printed in time for Culverden.
Incidentally have tried one or two of these very moorish cocktails in the past and can absolutely recommend them. asics gel nimbus uomo One jug doesn’t last long, Chaussure Adidas so get organised beforehand if you’re throwing a party and poach plenty of rhubarb. new balance 373 bleu marine et bordeaux Note the recipe above is for one thirsty person only.
Reserve a few rhubarb stems with the heart-shaped leaves intact, Running Asics Sneakers Pour Femme and pop into a glass vase for an unusual and dramatic arrangement.