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.

Fortune Cookies

Have rediscovered the random joy of fortune cookies - but can anyone decifer these fortunes, which come courtesy of an old sage called Blue Dragon.

'Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open'.

'The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese'.

and our personal favourite: 'Even the squeaky wheel gets the grease'.

Wise words indeed. Any other pearls of wisdom always appreciated at Little Miss Sixpence.

Lovely Lavender Biscuits

Been baking again.

This time a seasonal treat as my lavender has just finished flowering. Inspired by chef Valentine Warner's BBC 2 programme on what to eat now (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dnk0x) - thought I'd give these a go. They're v tasty and same recipe as the cookies I made earlier on the blog. You just need to pick off the lavender flowers and mash them up in a pestle and mortar before adding to the mix after the egg.

Apparently you can also try lavender ice cream and meringues. Give them a go and let me know how you get on!

Autumn Winter Trend 09

I'm into upcycling this week.

It's a word I keep seeing on stateside websites which I think us Brits have actually been doing for a while without knowing it.

Think adding some quirky antique lace to your dining table, some country style quirky checks to your kitchen decor or renovating those tired but cute chairs you found at a sale...

Charity shopping is just a part of it - finding and reinvigorating vintage style accessories for your home to save on buying brand new, Far East replicas of the things Britain made well in the first place.

My only advice is to keep a cool head when you're shopping and ask yourself will it really fit in / add something to your home? The main mantra here is 'if you love it then buy it'.

The thing is, it's cheap, fun, you're giving back and best of all, the final product is unique to you.

The perfect trend for Autumn / Winter 09.

Inspiration...
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/second-hand-store

Feathers and Frills

I have spent many a lunch hour lost in a Marylebone High Street shop called VV Rouleaux. Full of beads, accessories, ribbons and feathers. They're the perfect way to embellish a bag, hat, shoes or anything really. What more can you ask for to brighten up your day? www.vvrouleaux.com

One to add to the Avoca http://www.avoca.ie/ and Urban Outfitters http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/ type shop - lucky friends who go to the States often rave about http://www.anthropologie.com/ - a quirky clothing and homely place. Have a look at the bed making movie - loving the vintage style.

Grow Your Own

Veg that is. Luckily the mother in law has been doing just that, and is now offering fresh purple sprouting broccoli, peas, lettuces, sweet cabbage and cauliflowers to all those willing to cook them.

The taste is so different to anything you can buy and plus it doesn't cost as much.

Oh, and new potatoes. That's the one I forgot and definitely the favourite flavour so far.

Greens have never tasted so good...