MANCHESER MARKETS

The markets are on in Manchester at the moment, I bought this lovely necklace from this company the other day, have a look at their website they have a great selection of vintage inspired jewellery.


FATHER’S DAY
Men are normally hard to buy for, my husband has a birthday, wedding anniversary and fathers day coming in next few weeks so three different pressies he is actually quite easy to buy for dvd’s books etc, but browsing something original I came across these on line shops.

click to link to store

click to link to store

click to link to store

Hope these are some nice ideas

Windowshopping

VINTAGE/ CHARITY HUNTING

This week was a good week vintage haul wise found a fab chair in a local junk shop, left the dodgy cushions behind, it is just waiting for a bright pink paint job, and a rummage through the fabric stash to make some new covers.



Spotted this bureau in a charity shop in Bury mused how good it would look with a bit of TLC left it at that and thought about all night, so a mad dash back next day to buy, will post photos when done up.




This is it in situ waiting for it's make over,



this week other bits were some nice china and a bowl to match a vase acquired a while back



And this book oh to live by the sea !



SUNDAY AFTERNOON STROLLING

Last Sunday we enjoyed a walk around Turton Tower and Jumbles country Park a landmark small manor house not far from us in Bolton






THIS WEEKS RECIPE


LENTIL PIE

1 packet of ready made puff pastry [ life is to short ]
1 onion chopped
1 handful of cooked chopped celery
1 handful of cooked lentils [any kind ]
1 large handful of cooked carrots chopped fine
1 large handful of cooked courgettes chopped fine
1 cup of stock or marmite mixed with a little water
vegetable oil and herbs to taste I use a mediterranean mix
garlic

Heat oil in pan and add onion and stock until soft
add vegetables, lentils and herbs and garlic cook for about 15 mins
Let the mixture cool
divide pasty into three strips and place mixture in centre and roll up or make pasties
brush with soya milk and make a slit to let air evaporate and cook for approx. 30 mins at 180 degrees


MANCHESTER WINDOW SHOPPING

Nice window Fred Perry off King Street


Liberty is everywhere this Summer

See you next week, have a lovley bank holiday

Windowshopping

Friday Window Shopping Round Up

Scouting around the web looking for inspiration for new sampler, theme teacups
found these lovely shops

Teacup material

Teacup earrings

Wonderland teacup

Alice bracelet

Clock necklace

This weeks thrifty finds

Haul blowing in the wind

All ironed and folded

Looking for cottage for a week away this is Barmouth Harbour last June Heaven
how blue is that sea !

have a lovely weekend.

Windowshopping

VINTAGE HAULS AND CUSHIONS

Busy here at windowshopping but found time to make a new cushion to add to folksy shop.


Also found time to go vintage browsing which means buying lots of thrifty stuff.Bought this lovely collection of stuff,A Queens Silver Jubilee mug, a pretty flowery mug and saucer and a little ceramic dressing table tray, good for keeping buttons etc in order. Also a tray cloth which I might turn into a cushion cover, bags of buttons and a ceramic flower brooch.


I am in love with this cool seventies dressmaking book found at a charity shop in Withington Manchester some really fab retro designs but really easy patterns to use. On top of this fab retro seventies fabric bought from planet vintage girl were I also got this cool Mary Quant mug.


Here an other favorite recipe
MINESTRONE SOUP

1 onion finely chopped
2 sticks of celery finely chopped
a generous glug of tom puree
3/4 cloves of garlic minced
1 small carton of passata or half a bottle
1 pint or so of vegetable stock [ I use a paste one but powered are fine ]
a generous sprinkle of dried basil [ can use fresh but add at he very end ]a handful of small soup pasta or broken up pieces of spaghetti
finely diced carrots [ optional ]
frozen peas
a handful of any cooked beans i.e chick peas/ kidney beans /canneli beans

Cook off the onion celery and tom puree until soft and the oil has oozed out of the tom puree

Add the passata and vegetable stock bring to the boil

Add the carrots, beans and pasta cook for bout 10 minutes

Let simmer for 15/ 20 or so adding garlic, basil and frozen peas
Serve with crusty bread and a swirl of olive oil



Next week is full of more making foe Folksy adding some new items to the shop

Thank God its Friday hope everyone has a nice weekend
http://hipparis.com/

Windowshopping

Busy Week and new Folksy Shop

Hello sorry I have not posted in a while, crazy times have calmed down a bit and I am going to try to post more often from now on.Last week was busy on Sunday we went to the Mark Addy Pub in the newly developed Spinningfields area of Manchester, for a St. George's Day lunch and river cruise on the River Irwell.

We had lunch and were treated to a traditional lancastrian play, think Morris dancers acting.

Then we sailed down the River Irwell to Salford Quays.

(Photo Credit http://www.thequays.org.uk)

Now a quite and peaceful place this river once teamed with boats supporting thriving business along its small riverbanks. At the end is now the Lowry Outlet Mall, and the Lowry Theatre and the soon to be BBC’s new Media centre.

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The rest of the week was spent looking for inspiration, creating and setting up my new Folksy shop.

Click to go to store

Here is the link to my new folksy shop. Added a couple of things but more will be added this week.

Glad my Folksy shop is now up and I can spend some time making stuff for it and updating it regularly. It was only up one day and already my ‘Home Sweet Home’ print is a featured item on the main page, and my shop was featured in two lovely blogs

www.ilovehandmadeblog.blogspot.com and www.hatsoutrageous.typepad.com/blog

so happy!!! I am really enjoying creating and networking with all the other bloggers out there.

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Also back at ceramics after a long easter break. This bowl is new out of the kiln it is a pinch pot with a swallow stamped into the bottom it has been glazed and is now back in the kiln will post a picture next week.

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Wednesday’s dinner was a success with the family Vegan Cannelloni, so here’s the recipe.

Recipe
Six sheets of lasagna
pot of vegan cream cheese I use tofutti garlic and herbs (dairy cheese can be used of course)
1 head of broccoli (spinach works with this recipe as well)
1 onion chopped
2/3 sticks of celery
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
cup of passatasquirt of tom puree
3 cloves of garlic (I use more but we like it very garlicky)
Sweat off onion, celery and tom puree for a few minutes until soft
Add garlic salt and pepper
Add chopped toms and passata, cook for approx. 20 minutes on a low heat until sauce has thickened
meanwhile cook lasagna sheets in boiling water with a small amount of veg oil to prevent sticking when softened leave on one side to cool a little
Cook broccoli and refresh under cold water and mix with cream cheese
place a little of the tom sauce on the bottom of a lasagna dish, place a spoonful of the cheese and broccoli mix onto middle of each pasta sheet and roll up [can get a bit messykeep dish close by, lay side by side in the dish and cover with remaining sauce, bake covered with foil for approx. 40 minutes on 180 °c.

All it needs is salad and french bread and nice glass of red.

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Bought this book the other day at a discount book shop only just got round to reading it, if you can pick it up it’s a lovely book.

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The whole family took off for trek around Liverpool on Saturday, some window shopping as usual and the obligatory look round Cath Kidston. Bought some lovely stuff and some great materials for making more stuff for my folksy shop from Purlesque and Landbaby.

Rest of weekend was spent despite the bad weather laying the patios in our back garden. all in all a productive and happy week.

More to come about my happenings this week.

WindowShopping

LOVES Spring Daffs In Vintage Glasses

Pottery and Quiche

Pottery class yesterday, these little expresso cups need a little extra sanding, a firing in the kiln and then a glaze with maybe duck egg blue on the outside, white on the inside, will post pictures when finished.
Love Pottery class but will I ever be this good! beautiful ceramics from Pieter Stockmans studio in Belgium.

After class Into Manchester for a quick lunch with daughter, where we watched Leap Year, lovely romantic comedy with beautiful shots of the Irish countryside.

Tonight's dinner is tofu and broccoli quiche, new potatoes and carrots, this is basic recipe, which I tried out for the first time.

recipe

ready made short crust pastry

1 onion (I normally mix 1/2 & half with finely chopped celery )
2 cloves of garlic (again I add about 4 but it is personal preference)
approx. 1lb of cooked broccoli (or veg of your choice)
1lb of tofu
3/4 cup of soya milk
40z grated soya cheese
salt & pepper with a dash of english mustard and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice


Bake pastry blind approx. 15 mins and let cool
Sweat off diced onion & garlic in a little vegetable oil until just going soft
Mix all other ingredients in a blender till smooth
Pour into cooled pastry caseand bake on a baking tray in the middle of the oven for 40 mins on 180c.

Seemed to work out well and was a big hit with the family.

So just a quick update of the goings-on here at the Window Shopping home.

R&R London Style

Hello, welcome to my first post, thought I would take the plunge and join the blogging world.

Just back from a bit of R & R in the big smoke London town, we packed a lot in one day.
Morning coffee at Caffe Concerto, Regent St, Piccadilly

A bit more wandering, can’t resist an Apple store (nice just to go in without worrying how much our poorly desk top is going to cost, or waiting for genius to sooth away a problem.)

next Anthropologie divine !!!!!!
and a browse through Liberty & Co

A short stroll though Carnaby St. I remember being so awe inspired as a child at the wonder of this road (the 60’s & 70’s fashion scene did not hit St. Helens quite like this.)

Then onto Lunch at the wonderful Mildred's


I highly recommend this restaurant, as a vegan you get used to at anything from disinterest to hostile annoyed comments like ”well what can you eat?”, “its only cheese, chicken, milk etc,” or “we can take out the ham!”

I had a scrumptious mushroom and ale pie with fluffy puff pastry, and hallelujah! crispy not soggy half cooked fat chips (you know the ones that chef’s like to force you to eat instead of well cooked crisp ones, some things don’t need improving on) and homemade mushy peas, heaven nice to eat good food outside the house that I haven't cooked myself. All this with great fast service, and meat eaters wouldn't even notice it was a vegetarian place, it’s a proper grown restaurant, yippee long way to go for lunch or dinner sadly we don’t have anything like this in Manchester.
All in all a pretty good day and we upgraded to first class on the way home, mainly to avoid slightly drunk and excited football fan.

Anyway more posts to come, so see you then.

Photo credit -
http://www.patisserieconcerto.com -/- http://www.anthropologie.com
-/- http://www.businessoffashion.com -/- http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/23/anthropologie-london-shop-opens -/- http://www.nickelinthemachine.com/tag/pulling -/- http://www.mildreds.co.uk