Treats

This months copy of The Simple Things magazine and a cute cotton jumper by TU at Sainsbury's for £18. Perfect treat on a dreary day.

Eats - salmon & broccoli lasagne

I love pretty much any pasta dish and this week I felt like making lasagna. Of course traditional is good but I felt a fishy alternative was called for this time, salmon and broccoli to be precise.

Ingredients serves 4

4 salmon fillets
225g broccoli florets
600ml milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp vegetable stock powder (Swiss bouillon)
2 tbsp cornflour
115g sliced mushroom (I used chestnut)
50g grated cheddar cheese plus extra for sprinkling
handful of chopped fresh parsley
225g non pre-cook lasagna sheets
salt & pepper for seasoning

1. Preheat your oven to 190C/375/gm5
2. Cook the broccoli in salted boiling water, drain and set aside.
3. In a pan over a low heat gently cook the salmon in the milk for about 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool and then remove the fish and flake it on a plate, taking care to remove all the skin and any bones.
4. Reheat the milk, adding the stock powder and mustard to the pan. Then slake the cornflour with a little cold milk and add to the pan, stir well to prevent any lumps.
5. Next add the mushrooms and grated cheese, mixing well. Simmer the mix gently until the sauce is of a coating consistency. Adjust with milk or cornflour if needed. Stir in the parsley and season the sauce to your taste.
6. In an ovenproof dish place a thin layer of the sauce and cover with lasagna sheets (not overlapping them). Add a layer of salmon and broccoli. Repeat this and finish with a layer of sauce on the top. 
7. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbling hot. After 20 minutes of cooking sprinkle a little more cheese over the dish.

Have with a side salad and garlic bread for dinner or on its own for lunch.

This dish was adapted from a Rosemary Conley recipe.    

typically.pretty.pinned 01/13

Today I'm sharing some of my favourite Pinterest finds of the last week...

ART

Jessica Hogarth, Andy Warhol 

DESIGN

According to Panda, crateexpectations.com, Oh, Hello Friend

EATS

Chantelle Grady

Visit - BAM February Market

Come along to the Valentine and Chinese New Year market on Feb 10th xx

Make - fabric covered frames

For absolutely ages now I have been thinking what to do with a whole heap of fabric scraps I have saved, they are too small to make anything substantial with but are too pretty to throw away. Then inspiration struck! A while ago I picked up some cheap wooden frames from B&Q for my market stall, I stamped them with descriptions and used them to display my silver jewellery. But I have since upgraded the frames and these older ones are going to waste.
So what better way to use up my scraps than to cover the frames and make them into a colourful patchwork frenzy to surround some photographs of my friends and family.

I used copydex to stick the fabric as it doesn't show through and it shouldn't yellow the fabric like some glues can. This is such a simple way to dress up anything that needs a little attention, why not have a go yourself. I will probably put some different pics in to hang them (these clearly don't fit!) but I had them to hand to show you the results.

Explore 52/4

To honour the love fest I have been having with Les Mis this week my 52 project is celebrating the fact that film makers of the world flock to my city to let it shine in their movies. I love that the stunning architecture and history of my home makes it not only a UNESCO world heritage site but also somewhere that fires the imagination of creative types of all genres, especially those ladies and gents of Hollywood and the like. The city and the surrounding area have been promoted by the Bath Film Office  to great effect and movies and major TV dramas have been being shot here for over 60 years.

So here is a tiny selection of films that have been shot using the Bath area as a backdrop...

For the film Javert was seen standing on North Parade Bridge which is opposite Pulteney Bridge seen here, and it was cut to look like he was standing over the weir.

 Vanity Fair shot many scenes around the city including Great Pulteney Street and Beufort Square, but when I saw Reese filming she was outside the Holborne Museum pictured above right.

The Duchess again used a lot of the city including the interior of Assembly Rooms and of course the iconic Royal Crescent.

Johnny Depp has often been in Bath saying he loves our little city (his pal Nicholas Cage also bought 2 properties here). Chocolat was filmed along the river Avon that flows through the city and it was great to see Dame Judi Dench chilling in the coffee shops in town.

Others include Hot Fuzz, The Other Boleyn Girl, Remains of the Day, The Titfield Thunderbolt, Cranford, Larkrise to Candleford, Pride and Prejudice (the 90s series and the film), Persuasion, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Harry Potter, Dr Dolittle and Dracula to name but a few!

Film posters, river scene and royal crescent are free images taken from web so apologies for the quality.

treats - thrifted tops

Look what I picked up this week. Whether it's thrifting/charity shop chic/flea market foraging, whatever you like to call it, finding little gems like these is always a treat.

Eats - butternut squash & carrot soup

With all this snow and ice around I have just wanted warm comforting food and soup is always going to fit the bill, especially when homemade with winter root vegetables and served with warm bread!
Here is an easy butternut squash and carrot soup recipe for you to try if the mood takes you.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 butternut squash
• approx. 300g carrots, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp oil
• 900ml vegetable stock

Firstly you need to roast the squash, do this by cutting in half length ways and placing cut side up in a roasting tray. Drizzle the squash with half the oil and sprinkle with some favourite herbs if you like. Roast in a hot oven for 40mins (or until tender). When cool enough, remove the seeds and scoop the flesh of the squash into a bowl. 

When you are ready to make the soup heat the remainder of the oil in a pan and add the garlic and onion. Cook on a medium/low heat until softened and translucent.

Next add the squash and the stock and bring the whole thing to boiling point, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 mins.

Let the mixture cool and blend in a food processor or with a stick blender, season to your taste and reheat when ready to serve (or freeze for later).

You can add extra flavour by sprinkling with a few dried chili flakes, some crumbled goats cheese or drizzling with a little coconut milk.

Serve with warm crusty bread, de-lish!

Enjoy xx

explore52/3

The snow has dictated my 52 project this week as last night the heavens opened and it was just too tempting to avoid the studio (everything was pretty frozen out there) and go for a walk today. Although I can say I am a city girl, it's a bit of a lie really as Bath is surrounded by countryside and it is a matter of minutes before you are walking across fields and through woodland.
Here are a couple of instagram shots taken in the snow with my iPhone.

Have a good weekend xx

typically.pretty.wish list - 02/13

After browsing etsy and folksy yesterday I thought I would share these little delights with you, some things to pretty your home.

1. journal from felt feelings
2. apron from mellor wares
3. polaroid coasters from pixel grin photography 
4. print from handz
5. cushion from little birdy cushion 

Eats - quick pasta lunch

I thought I would share a simple pasta recipe with you today, it is great if you don't have much time and you want something that isn't too rich. It is a carbonara of sorts but is in no way made in a traditional manner, it is is my lower fat interpretation.

Recipe

serves 2-4 depending on portion size

• Any dried pasta you want, cook according to packet
• 600ml skimmed milk (2cups)
• 1 tbs corn flour, slaked with a little milk
• handful of mushrooms - I use chestnut - diced
• 4 rashers lean bacon, trimmed and cut in to small pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 60g parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving

Crack 1 of the garlic cloves and place in a pan with the milk over a medium/low heat to warm through, let the garlic infuse the milk with flavour, stirring occasionally to stop it catching.

With a little oil or low fat spray soften the onion and other garlic clove (crushed) in a pan, when they have become translucent add the bacon and cook until it is slightly crisp. Reduce heat and add the mushrooms, cover and let the mushrooms cook gently, stirring occasionally. 

Remove the garlic from the infused milk, season and bring to the boil. When at boiling point add the corn flour and whisk until it thickens. When at desired consistency melt in the parmesan and stir in the bacon and mushroom mix.

Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and serve immediately.

Enjoy xx

Selling Second Hand

I decided to throw a few things on eBay today and when taking the photo's (sorry still only able to use the phone!) I wanted to give potential buyers some idea on how the items could be used/worn. So I thought I would share a few tips with you, drawing on my time as a visual merchandiser, on how to make something more appealing. 

Obviously your main shot should be of the item as a stand alone piece as your customer will want to see exactly what they are buying. But, to draw people in it is always good to give some lifestyle shots, showing how an item of clothing could be worn, for example. If you are lucky enough to have a mannequin you can show clothing as part of a whole outfit, accessorise with jewellery or a scarf, and pin at the back to give a nice line.

For bags it is always best to stuff them so they look full, sheets of tissue paper works well loosely screwed into a ball. Then to show the bag off place a book/purse/scarf etc in it to give your customer an idea of they would use it. As long as you clearly state that these things are not included in the purchase you can style the item in whichever way shows it at its best. 

I hope you find these basic tips helpful, and by the way Les Miserables was great, emotional, but great!

Excited!

Morning campers, I don't normally post on a Sunday but I just needed tell you how excited I am to see this tonight! First of many visits me thinks. I will be singing along and looking out for the bits filmed here in Bath. I will probably shed a tear too as when I saw the stage show I blubbed a fair bit!

Will let you know my opinion in the week xx

Explore 52/2

For a short while yesterday the sun shone, it was one of those cold bright days that just feel good. I went to town to meet a friend for lunch (sashimi and kaiso salad, yum!) and walked through one of the many parks here in Bath. So here I took some photographs for my 52 project to document Bath in pictures. Henrietta Park is pretty quiet and peaceful and many people don't realise there is a lovely little garden there. The garden was introduced in 1936 as a garden of remembrance and has since been turned in to a sensory garden for the blind. At this time of year it admittedly may not look it's best, but still has a charm all of its own. I will try and remember to document this park later in the year as well.

Any secret gardens you know of?

Explore 52/1

Hey, so it seems that everyone is about the 365 or 52 project and I thought why the heck not join in. I am in no way disciplined enough to stick with a daily project so I'm going with the weekly option and I am going to use good old instagram to do it.
I feel that my project should reflect my 'resolution' for 2013 to explore life more and appreciate my city and what it has to offer. Therefore, my photographs are going to document those places around Bath that I have always known but not always appreciated, the places that sometimes get missed by the hoards of tourists or just things around my town that catch my eye.

I also realise that I am a week late in starting my project so here is an instagram I took a few days ago (technically still in week one of the new year!).

This is possibly my favourite coffee house come bar in Bath and it is kind of my local. There is a small chain of Lounge bars now, but The Velo Lounge on Moorland Road is one of the first and still full of independant charm. Each of the bars has a different pre-fix to it's name, often relating to the building it's in and the Velo Lounge used to be a bike shop - get it?
This is the place I go to meet friends, chill out with a cuppa and a book or grab an evening of great food (tapas and burgers to die for), scrabble by candlelight or a pub quiz. It is a cosy hangout with a friendly atmosphere that isn't on the tourist radar, happy days!

Where is your favourite hangout?
Join in my instagram project with #explore52

typically.pretty.wish list 01/13

I'm still in love with chunky knits and it's clear the sun isn't heading to these shores anytime soon, so here is a look at some new items in store that I am coveting! I particularly heart the idea of bringing the leather look leggings out again to wear with a long sweater and biker boots.

1. Denim trapeze dress from Topshop
2. Utility jacket from New Look
3. Knitted clean v-neck sweater from Topshop
4. Basic tee from New Look
5. PU cuff legging from Urban Outfitters
6. Gene cuban ankle boot from Allsaints 

Have a good day xx

Make... An Order Board

Hello friends, sorry about the quality of photo's in this post but I only had my phone camera and poor lighting available to record my make today.
I am very excited that I am writing this on my brand new MacBook Pro, but this wondrous machine has highlighted how much I need improve my photography skills!

For my first make of 2013 I am bringing together functionality with the fun and frivolous. I was given these stag pegs (below) for Christmas and I am going these on a design memo board that I have in my workspace, but they have also inspired me to make another board for my order list (I do like my space to be organised).

So, what is needed to make a clothes peg memo board? Well clothes pegs are a good start!

6 wooden pegs

selection of washi tape

vintage buttons

piece of wood

white emulsion paint

ink stamps

staze-on ink

hot glue gun

nails/hooks and string for hanging

The first thing you need to do is give the wooden board a wash of the paint and put it to one side to dry.

Whilst this drying you can decorate the pegs, do this by sticking your tape to the flat edge of one side of the pegs and trimming to a neat flush finish. You can then use the hot glue gun to stick on your buttons,  layering smaller ones on to larger ones to give some nice detail.

Once your paint is dry you can ink stamp whatever you want written across the top of the board, I chose the word orders with some added detail of a button image I have on a stamp. Staze-On ink really is the strongest you can buy, so be confident of your design as it's not coming off once you have stamped it!

Finally hot glue gun your pegs along the bottom edge of your board, tap your pins or hooks for hanging on to the back, attach your string and voila, you are done.

Have fun xx

Looking Forward...

It's late and I have been a little lacking on the blog this week I'm afraid, and I have to be honest it's because I've been trying to work out what I want from the year ahead of me. Now, I'm not going to do the whole resolution post as it just doesn't work for me and if things don't go quite to plan, it's OK, I can adjust and move on.

The thing I am going to focus on is to 'explore' and I have decided to apply this wherever I can in the year ahead. Of course I want to see more of the world, appreciate where I live more and spend time with interesting and inspiring people (friends and those yet unknown alike). But, I also want to work on my business, and to do this I need to explore new avenues and be more confident. This applies to other areas in my life as well (read single), and those who know me well are always telling me to be more open to things (the favourite phrase is "eyes up Atwell") and say yes more. I do have major self belief issues and I going to try really hard to work on this. 

I also want to spend more time exploring my creativity. I am happy to finally call myself an artisan, a designer, and I would like to spend more time in the design stages of my work. I have always rushed through that initial stage of the design process when it comes to my jewellery. I am so keen to get started on the make, that I often don't spend much time on my sketch books. 

My photography skills and writing are also going to get more attention, I really want people to discover this blog and want to return. I do find it hard to know what to talk about all the time, but I'd like to think I'm connecting with the world a little. I am always thrilled when people want to say hello, and if they then want to look at my work and like what they see, bonus.

I hope I've not been too self indulgent with this post! What would you like to work on in 2013?

New Year, Old Traditions

Happy New Year! For the first day in weeks the rain has ceased and the sun is shining so I am taking that as a good omen for 2013. Let it be a bright year for everyone.
New Years Eve was spent with family and friends and we revived an old tradition to see out the old and bring in the new. Our family always dressed someone as Old Father Time to see off the old year and a child  dressed as the New Year Fairy to bring in the new, they would appear at midnight to start the obligatory party poppers and singing of Auld Lang Syne, and now the new generation of little ones have joined in.
Frighteningly in the old photo's at the age of 3 I appear to look exactly the same as I do now with my fringe cut back in!

 How did you celebrate and what traditions do you follow? xx