Chocolate? No excuse needed

The Sick Children's Trust is a charity that runs home from homes for the families of seriously ill kids in hospitals across the UK.

So when they told me about a Big Chocolate Tea Party they're running as part of National Chocolate Week in October, I had to know more.

You can involve friends, family or work colleagues and all you do is make an excuse to get people together over a nice cuppa and some chocolate, the better the recipe the more money you can charge and give to this worthwhile cause. More info at http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/ where you can download invitations, posters and donation forms.

Celeb recipes also available...http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/documents/GilesVickers-Jones.pdf

Snail Mail Is Back

If there's one thing that Little Miss Sixpence loves to do, it's window shop.

A while ago now I noticed these fabulous Moving Cards in Liberty of London.

So fresh, so fun, so perfect for sending a personal message to friends and family.

Have a look at http://www.hellolucky.co.uk/ for more beautifully designed, fun greetings and send some recession busting love by good old fashioned snail mail.

Odds On Favourite

A day at the races has to be one of the highlights of an English summer, so when a friend invited me to York's Ebor meet I just couldn't resist.

The only thing LMS needed to give in return was time and creativity - so we set about making this fabulous Strawberries and Champagne hat.

Apparently 17,000 bottles of brut will be sipped / glugged over the four days at Ebor - recession? What recession?

DIY Your Big Day (without the fuss)

A friend has alerted me to a new trend in DIY creative weddings...

Brides need no longer compromise on taste, nor sacrifice fabulous flavours with these lovingly made cakes from celebrity cake maker Mich Turner.

Here's the deal: You buy them at Sainsbury's and personalise them depending on your event theme. So the sky's the limit when it comes to your own sweet creative fancy. Think ribbons, buttons, embellishment galore or just sweet and simple flower decorations.

Mich runs Little Venice Cake Company http://www.lvcc.co.uk/ which is based in Marylebone, London. They do fabulous wedding cakes for a celebrity clientele.

So go to Sainsbury's or log on for LVCC's beautiful online cake selection. Yum.

Ooo and once I figure out how I'll add a DIY teddy bear pdf to add to your cake - wish me luck!

Chutney Mary

You might have guessed that Little Miss Sixpence likes her food. And what better way to prepare for autumn than with a fabulous apple chutney? English apples are coming into season and therefore cheap at the moment - so here's an easy chutney recipe to try at home.

LMS top tip number 1: just make sure it's a good day outside because you'll be smelling the food for a while.

LMS tip 2: Bottle this in mini jam jars, label it and give as personal autumn / christmas pressies.

LMS loves: How the sticky, sugary, fruity mixture turns from raw stuff to a beautiful chutney in a couple of hours.

Bit vague but:

3lbs apples, cored and quartered roughly
1/2lb dark brown sugar
1lb onion, peeled and halved
1/2 litre brown malt vinegar (like the stuff you find in fish and chip shops)

Add all ingredients into a large heavy bottomed pan and simmer down for about 3 hours until you have a sticky goo with not much liquid when you push the back of a spoon with it. Then it's ready to pot into clean jam jars.

This definitely gets better with age - you can leave it for months to mature - enjoy with white cheeses like cheshire and Wensleydale, in sandwiches and especially good on cheese and toast in winter.

Credit Crunch Shopping Part II

Yes I know this post is supposed to help you save money, but there are a few things out there at the moment which have inspired me. All full price - but sometimes you just can't compromise...

Cavallini stationary - I picked up the Paris wrapping paper and will frame it for my wall it's so beautiful. Vintage art at a snip of the price (excuse the pun). http://www.cavallini.com/ Hooray a cost saving for you. Also love this set of rubber sea life stamps - so original.

Visited Primrose Hill in London this weekend - so pretty and no wonder celebs like Kate Moss live there - it's full of fab, family owned shops and great pubs as well as being next to the quirky Camden Market and the oh so lovely in summer Regents' Park Canal.

Ooh and don't forget if you go to visit Primrose Hill itself for great views over London town. Nearest tube is Chalk Farm on the Northern Line.

My favourite shop by far was the Primrose Hill Bakery on Gloucester Avenue - full of beautiful cupcakes and treats for mums and toddlers.