Dormouse and The Teapot

Reading After Lockdown

noreply@blogger.com (Carol) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 11:23:00 +0000

I have always loved reading.

I live in a house of readers.

The first trip my son had following his birth, was to the library to get his library card.

As a child I had read all the books in the children's library by the age of 10.

Imagine my confusion during lockdown when I felt like I could no longer concentrate to read. Not a book, nor a magazine. Nothing at all. Prior to that date I was reading two or three whole books a week, it was like someone had switched out a light.

I tried all kinds of books but never could get past the first few pages, the time that I had to read was extensive but I just couldn't settle. The day before lockdown I had rushed to the library and taken out my full quota, some brilliant fiction. It sat there looking at me, it was frustrating.

It has taken me twelve months, twelve unthinkable months to read again, and do you know what helped me back into reading? Audio books. It is almost like I have regressed, that I have had to start at the beginning to be read a bedtime story.

I was lucky to have lots of access to audio books, as my library offered this facility. Audible are also offering a special deal at the moment where you can have a free trial or a three month subscription for 99p after which you can keep your books for free forever. There's thousands of books to choose from, so you are bound to find one to suit you.

Since I rediscovered audio books I have listened to lots of different authors. Many whom I would not normally choose, I am rediscovering my appetite for a good tale. I still haven't picked those library books up, but I am reading e-books on my phone. I know I am going to get there soon.

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Vintage chose me

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 23:00:00 +0000

I am often asked why I chose to run vintage business, why I chose what may be viewed as transient field as my livelihood.

When I think about it though, it wasn't really a conscious decision.

You see vintage chose me...

From a very early age I remember, being inordinately proud of a particular dress that came from the charity shop. I told countless admiring strangers that 'It came from the Sue Ryder shop' with a pride associated with an evening dress from Biba. I am talking about the seventies here and believe it or not there were not that many second hand shops around, people were slightly taken aback, it was a little bit shocking even. Up to that point most of my clothes were made by my mum, so I suppose my 'vintage' probably 50's dress rocked my little world. From that point I was addicted, books, toys, you name it if it was old and interesting and in one of those shops I would probably be spending my pocket money on it.

I remember some of the early car boot sales in our area, huge affairs, unbelievably exciting. A real event to go to with no need to advertise no new goods or no trade. Shopkeepers took Sundays off.

When I was a sixth form student I would make extra money by buying clothes from the 50p stalls at the bottom of the local flea market and then sell them to the 'alternative' stalls at the top of the market for 10 or 20 times the price, maybe more depending what the item was. I would get up super-early, I had an eye, and I had earned myself a packet before even getting to my first seminar of the day. All through college I dressed in vintage clothes, I looked the part, at what was really very conventionally dressed college. I suppose I really stuck out like a sore thumb but it got me noticed and it made me friends. Again vintage was working for me.

It was only when I bought my first house, I fell in love with ceramics. My self expression was directed into my home. I bought cup after cup, serving platters, cake stands. This was a time when no one had really heard of shabby chic so I had my pick. Over time my passion took over and it was time to stop or create something bigger. Dormouse and The Teapot was born.

It is hard to explain to someone who doesn't feel that vintage passion, when I see a perfect item, I cannot breathe, the world falls away , my heart beats faster and I am compelled to go to it. I am under it's spell, I have fallen in love. I don't care about fashion or crazes but until that feeling stops, vintage me will be here to stay.

A Grim and Ghoulish Tea for Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Carol) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:08:00 +0000

It's coming up to that time of year again when our thoughts turn to ghosts, ghouls and bumps in the night.

Here at Dormouse we have been dreaming up some fantastic ideas for an atmospheric afternoon tea - after dark. Here are some of our evilest ideas...

Devilish Decorations

Carved pumpkins or gourds, black tea lights and a spooky soundtrack (think Evanescence or Mike Oldfield) all set the scene. Send out your invitations written in blood (red pen) and seal with wax.

Sand-witches and Sinful Savories

Why not try dirt and worm sandwiches aka prawns in marie rose sauce served in German black bread.

Or serve deviled egg eyes - cut 6 cold boiled eggs in half, mix yolks with 1tsp dijon mustard, 4tbsp mayo and mash with a fork, refill eggs. Make pupils out of black and green olives by cutting a ring of green olive and placing a dot of black olive in the middle and placing on the egg yolk. For a blood shot sprinkle with paprika for a blood shot look.

Poisionous puddings

Devils food cake would go down a treat alternatively spiced pumpkin cake is a great way to use up all your lantern inners.

Or make ghoulish cupcakes by making minicakes to your favorite recipe and smothering them in white roll out icing, decorate with black icing to make ghosts and spiders etc.

The Beast's Beverages

Hot or iced tea with a few drops of red food colouring served sans milk can be subsitituted for blood for the Vampires amongst you, serve in goblets for authenticity.

Alternatively make a witches brew by mixing cranberry and orange juice and popping in a few jelly lizards, frogs and snakes.

Don't have nightmares, eat well! Mwa ha ha haaa ...

Half term is looming

noreply@blogger.com (Carol) — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 12:53:00 +0000

Half term is looming and Little D will have a full week off from school. He is doing a lot more work at school these days, year one is very different than reception and although he is enjoying it, I think he is excited about the potential for a bit of a break.

Usually I wing half term, but this time I have a few things planned. We will be doing our usual swimming of course, but as a special treat Brewers Fayre have invited us to pop in afterwards for some Halloween fun with their Brewers Scare event ongoing in the Play area. They have a specially themed ghoulish menu that I think Little D will really enjoy, watch this space for a full review later on in the week. We will also be popping into to visit the spooky Saturday event at Oldham Market Hall the Weird ‘n’ Wonderful Creepy Crawlies’ roadshow will be there and live street entertainment, including a giant robotic spider, vampires and pumpkins. We will also pay a visit to the new vintage book shop selling Oldham's ex library books to new audiences.

Daddy has different holidays from us so we will be having a Mummy and Little D day. Bless him he is so excited about a trip to The Entertainer and the promise of a Chocolate Babbicino, I am going to take him to see the fantastic decorations at a local town centre which have been themed to Halloween. Little D fully intends to seek inspiration from this and I am under instruction that following a trip to the pound shops we will return to the house and decorate it from top to bottom, and Daddy will be SO scared. After being sworn to secrecy, he himself let our Halloween makeover slip to Daddy in the car this morning. Shh Daddy don't tell Mummy I've told you.

Family visits are also on the cards with trips to see both sets of grandparents, time flies past so quickly and we are so busy with school and outside school events, we don't get as much time to spend with family as we would like.

To finish off a trip to Chadderton Hall Park on Halloween itself we are told that there will be a treasure hunt, spooky sports and arts and crafts. Then back home for a Halloween Feast, worm sandwiches anyone?

The 'mouse returns!

noreply@blogger.com (Carol) — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 14:06:00 +0000

Hello everyone, we've been missing in action for a little while but we are glad to say we are back. We are going to be easing back into things however and will be blogging just a couple of times a week, until we get our blogging groove back on.

There's been a few changes while we have been quiet. Little D is not as little but still just as cute and has hop, skipped and jumped his way into school life. We on the other hand have been busy with the business, in particular our hand stamped goods which have taken off a storm. So much so sales are nearly out stripping china.

Renovations are apace at our little cottage on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, we are beginning to see the wood for the trees as we begin work on the kitchen. In amongst the craziness we are tea slurping, hammer toting, vintage writing - nothing changes really does it?

Well that's us how about you? Have you missed us?

Review: A Scaretastic Trip to Brewers Fayre

noreply@blogger.com (Carol) — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 20:41:00 +0000

On Saturday after swimming we popped into our local Brewers Fayre at Clayton Green in Chadderton. It's just ten minutes away but we've never been and we were interested to see their new Beano themed play area and try their children's menu as part of their Brewers Scare event that is taking place all this week.

We had kept it as a surprise for Little D so he was very excited when we arrived. The play area is in the corner of the restaurant and in a separate room do you don't have to visit or even sit near it if you don't want to, so if you have come in for a quiet meal you can have just that which is good. Of course we did want to try out the play area, so we chose to sit actually in the play area so Little D could enjoy it whilst waiting for his meal and in between courses.

£3 for 90 minutes play was good value especially as the ladies held a treasure hunt for sweets and Little D came back with a huge haul! There were two slides, some climbing steps and bars and lots of tunnels, Little D made a couple of friends and they had a great time finding the sweets and playing chase. In the play area there is also special party room which the ladies were laying out for a party later on, this looked very exciting, again it was Beano themed with special tablecloths cups and plates.

Little D was even given a copy of a special Halloween themed Beano to take home with him as part of the Brewer's Scare event. This was a huge hit and has lots of activities to keep him busy over half term. Whilst we were there extra Halloween decorations were being put up for a disco that was taking place that evening. We were told that during the October half term, kids Halloween themed activity mornings also will take place every Monday-Friday with arts, crafts, colouring- in, puzzles, games and other spooky goings on.

There is a wide choice of food, as you would expect this is mainly of the pub grub/ fast food variety which we wouldn't normally choose as it's not really our kind of thing, but there's everything from burgers to steaks to fish and chips. There's a huge selection for children with an opportunity to swap your sides so you can have mash, veg or even salad instead of chips. Prices are on a par with most pub restaurants, but there are some really cheap mid week deals on all courses which would make it much more affordable. The children's menu is £4.99 for three courses it was all themed with pictures of the food so it was easy for children to choose exactly what they wanted.

Little D started with garlic bread which he loved while we shared a portion of nachos which were huge. Little D plumped for the popcorn chicken which was surprising as it was something he has never tried before, whilst we chose a mix grill and a steak from the grills menu. We finished up with Apple Betty, Oreo Cake whilst little D devoured a chocolate Ice-Cream Sundae. With a Orange Capri drink and refillable Pepsi's the bill came to just under £50 which is probably average for this type of establishment.

After our meal we headed off to our local town where Spooky Saturday was taking place. so the Halloween fun continued. Little D had a wonderful day and it made a great start to the October half term.

We were guests of Brewers Fayre but as ever our opinions are our own.

Elizabeth Shaw Easter Egg - Review

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 21:51:00 +0000

We love Easter at Dormouse and The Teapot. The bunnies, the lambs, the spring flowers, the chocolate...

Which brings us on to the subject of Easter eggs.

Believe it or not I can be a little funny about Easter eggs, I can't have the chocolate ones in the little shells in the house they make me cringe, I are even cringing about the tiny shell-y little things as I type. Urgh. I also don't like the ones that resemble a real raw egg, erk how horrid, eating a make believe raw egg, but people love them you say. Great I say, more for them!

Ok, I am rather picky.

However when I was contacted by Elizabeth Shaw to review one of their lovely eggs none of these fears crossed my minds. I just thought yummy and I was gladly proved right. I was lucky enough to be sent a large flute selection egg just like this...

The smart looking box box contained a lovely scrummy milk chocolate egg and two packs of delicious chocolate flutes Milk Chocolate Amaretto Flutes and Dark Chocolate Orange Flutes, so there is plenty to choose from, as believe me this egg is big enough to share with all the family.

The Amaretto flutes were delicious, as I expected being big fans of Amaretto I made a bee line for these. The only problem was it was a little difficult to stop eating them so only open them if you are feeling particularly restrained or planning an all out chocolate fest. My husband had most of the chocolate orange as he is a dark chocolate fan, and my little boy devoured the milk chocolate which was simple enough for his tastes whilst still being of decent quality.

Another major selling point was that Elizabeth Shaw chocolate is mainly made in the UK, we try and support British business so we were very pleased that this was the case. Overall we were quite impressed by this egg, a good choice for giving to a couple or family.

Elizabeth Shaw Large Flute Selection Egg (385g) is available from Sainsbury's and Ocado.

We received this Easter egg free of charge to review but as always our opinions are our own.

Our New Venture - Everything Lovely

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 16:23:00 +0000

You may have noticed that we have been quite quiet of late at Dormouse and The Teapot. Well good reason, we have been very busy these past couple of months with a special secret project.

At last we are proud to announce that on 4th April we will be publishing our very first digital magazine Everything Lovely. The first edition will be a free taster, with a full paid for edition coming in the Summer.

If you like everything vintage, handmade and up-cycled, Everything Lovely will be right up your street.

We are very much looking forward to sharing our new venture with you, and hope you are just little bit as excited as we are.

Bio Green Lassi

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 21:57:00 +0000

It may surprise you to hear that the team at Dormouse and The Teapot love Indian food. The hotter the better.

So, when we were offered the chance to try Bio Green's Lassi Yogurt Smoothies we jumped at the chance. As soon as they appeared in the post we couldn't resist, we whipped up a lovely Rogan Josh curry for dinner, complete with Nan breads and rice. We opened up the Sweet Lassi that was infused with gorgeous cardamon and poured it into a large glass with lots of ice. It was super-thick and in our opinion really authentic tasting, just like you would buy in an Indian restaurant. This is not surprising when you hear that it has taken Bio Green 25 years to perfect. Absolutely delicious, we would definitely buy them in the supermarket.

The great thing about Bio Green Lassi's is that they have a really good shelf life so you can keep them in the for a couple of weeks or more. We have yet to try the passion fruit version, it is sat chilling in our fridge waiting for when the moment takes us. It's low fat(just 3.5g of fat in a 250ml bottle), full of calcium and filling and would make a great treat as part of a weekend breakfast. Other flavours in the range include mango and lycee.

Bio Green Yogurt Smoothies are Stocked across supermarkets nationwide in the refrigerator cabinets with an RRP of between £1 and £2.90

We received Bio Green Yogurt Smoothies to try free of charge but our opinions are totally our own.

Getting ready for the festive season

noreply@blogger.com (Carol) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 22:16:00 +0000

Here at Dormouse HQ we have been busy getting ready for the festive season.

Sadly we have no helpful Elves (apart from Little D and he is more of an imp) to assist us as we bang away stamping spoons and selecting tea sets, but we have been sent some delightful goodies to keep our strength up.

We loved these delicious Cranberry & Orange limited edition bagels from New York Bagel Co, they were simply delicious smothered in butter and served up with a lovely cup of tea. I am not normally a fan of sweet bagels but these ones were fruity, spicy and gorgeous. Perfect for a pre Christmas breakfast or as a afternoon treat instead of mince pies. Buy some before it is too late! Available in most supermarkets at around £1.60 for four bagels.

We were also sent some gorgeous teas from Tea Pigs. We experienced something we have never from a packet of tea before, it scented the whole house before we had even opened the packet. The culprit was the very seasonal fragrance of Spiced Winter Red Tea, combining rooibos with orange, cloves & cinnamon. It just reminded us of Christmas markets, mulled wine and relaxing by the fire on a winter evening. Tea Pigs are available at around £4.48 for 15 tea temples from Tea Pigs. We have a Tea Pigs special offer (and competition see below) for our readers. Use the code XMAS13 on ordering (until the end of December 2013) and you will receive 20% off your order (excludes cheeky deals, mix & match and sets).

Aldi's Specially Selected Mince Pies are perfect if you fancy a luxurious Christmas snack. Each pie wraps a gorgeously spiced mincemeat filling in deliciously naughty crumbly butter pastry. Add a dash of brandy and you have a really lovely festive treat. Warning you won't want to share these. £1.69 for a pack of 6

We received samples of bagels, mince pies and tea but as ever our opinions are ours alone.

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A sweet tale of two vintage books

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey! Angel Adoree has done it again with a third delicious publication.

The Vintage Sweets Book published by Mitchell Beazley is a complete triumph. Guiding you through Angel Adoree's life via her love affair with confectionery. From her earliest days encouraged by her nana in to a world of glorious sugary temptations.

The book covers Softball, firmball and hardball sweets as well as soft crack and hard crack sweets for when you have got some sweet making under your belt. Learn how to make Toffee Bonbons, Liquorice, Gumdrops, Marshmallows, Rum & Raisin Fudge, Edinburgh Rock, Toffee, Nut Brittle, Rhubarb & Custard Sweets, Rock, Sherbet Dips and other glorious delights.

As well as plenty of offering for kids (and big kids alike) there are ideas for gifts for friends and family as well as naughty treats for when the sun is over the yardarm - sweetie cocktails anyone? Sample amongst others the delights of a rose lollipop Cocktail, gin Fizz, rocktail, Parma Violet Cocktail, Sarsaparilla Cocktail or a Cough Candy Toddy!

As ever the book is beautifully photographed by Yuki Sugiura with inspirational styling under creative direction of Angel herself. It really is a gorgeous read with stunning illustrations and detailing throughout. Most exciting of all, this time you can buy a normal sized book or a smaller sized version which perfect for little gifts and stocking fillers.

The Vintage Sweets Book by Angel Adoree, published by Mitchell Beazley, Hardback, £16.99 www.octopusbooks.co.uk

The Vintage Sweets Book by Angel Adoree, published by Mitchell Beazley, Mini Edition, £12.99 www.octopusbooks.co.uk

We received this book for review purposes all opinions are of course our own.

Review: Fancy a FruitBroo?

noreply@blogger.com (Carol) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 11:11:00 +0000

I'd like to tell you about a new type of tea on the block, one that comes in a bottle (!), but believe it or not still manages to taste pretty darn good.

FruitBroo is the brainchild of Mike Brehme, the man who previously set up Clipper teas, they are specially blended fruit drinks designed to be served hot. At only 15 calories a cup and no caffeine they are a healthy choice for your cuppa. Best of all they they come in cute little bottles (100ml £2.25 RRP) just big enough for 15 cups, and small enough to pop in your handbag or even in your pocket.

We were sent two (there are six in total) flavours to try Lemon and Ginger and Apple, Ginger and Spice. We found the apple flavour simply delicious, full of warm apple and cinnamon flavours, but the lemon FruitBroo was unfortunately too tart for us, though it might work well in a hot toddy. The drinks were really easy to make, just two teaspoons in a cup and pour the water over, hey presto! As well as tasting good they smell good too with the apple variation reminiscent of cosy Christmas markets.

At just under 17p a cup they are an affordable treat and would make a great stocking filler too.

FruitBroo available to buy at Sainsbury's or direct on the FruitBroo website.

We were sent FruitBroo free of charge for review but as always are opinions are totally our own.

Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts EventCity, Manchester 12-14 September and a little prize competition

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 21:42:00 +0000

We are very excited that the Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts show is returning to EventCity, Manchester from 12-14 September.

We love crafting and shows. Even though we are not terribly gifted at crafting ourselves, we are kind of crafting groupies, buying up crafts for presents, lurking round Mollie Makes in the supermarket, and sourcing and stashing ribbons and buttons for fun in our vintage china.

One of the shows features we are most looking forward to, is seeing the costumes from Simon Callow’s version of the hit Broadway musical, ‘My Fair Lady’. Created by the well known fashion designer Jasper Conran and royal favourite milliner Philip Treacy. Taken from the amazing Ascot scene, the flower theme will be vividly brought to life with huge hats creating a stunning garden in the shape of roses, tulips, pansies and lilies.

The floral theme continues with the world’s first life-sized Knitted Garden hand-worked blooms will jostle with bumble bees buzzing around their hive and ladybirds scuttling over a plant pot. Created by the UK Hand Knitting Association, this unique knitted masterpiece will be a sight to behold with everything from a deckchair, vegetable plot and garden shed to a pond, tasty picnic and watchful gnome.

Apart from these highlights visitors to the show can share their passion for crafting.With everything from sewing, knitting and quilting to papercraft, cardmaking and beading, meet the experts and stock up on supplies from more than 150 exhibitors with the very latest products, ideas and innovations from the crafting world. Visitors can also enjoy a free programme of Quick & Easy Workshops, Talks and Demonstrations each day of the show.

For more information and to buy tickets, please visit www.ichf.co.uk you can also follow on Twitter @thecraftshows or find them on Facebook – ICHF Events.

ICHF generously supplied us with ten pairs of tickets to give away in return for this article, all opinions are of course, as ever, our own.

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CBeebies? There's an app for that!

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:43:00 +0000

Yesterday myself, Little D and Mr D were lucky enough to be invited to MediaCity for a very special preview of a brand new CBeebies product.

The free CBeebies Playtime app launches officially today, and we had great fun trying out the games and features. After we had created our profiles (each player is represented by a customisable hot air balloon), we had a go at all the games featuring some of Little D's favourite characters Alphablocks, Octonauts, Tree Fu Tom and Something Special's Mr Tumble.

The first game we tried, Alphablocks Word Magic, aims to help young children develop confidence in reading and writing by learning how to spell a range of words. They simply tap on a picture of an everyday object and spell it out by choosing the right Alphablocks, in the right order. The words get progressively more difficult as the game goes on. Little D was surprising good at this game, and we thought it would really help him with learning letters and later words as he develops further.

In Octonauts Cadet Training you help the Octonauts in a variety of missions to rescue sea creatures who’ve gotten themselves in a pickle. Shaking the device to remove rubble and calling out to lost Orcas are just some of the ways children can help them out. It aims to help develop listening skills and teamwork, as the Octonauts guide them through a series of underwater adventures, as well as finding out more about the world around them. Little D thought it was great fun, quickly getting the hang of pressing the right buttons in the correct order to complete each quest.

Little D's favourite was Something Special Paint Pop where you play along with Mr Tumble and his friends, who need some help decorating their clothes and accessories. Children colour them in by tapping the screen to pop paint bubbles as they pass over the items. This game is suitable for all children, including those with special needs, allowing them to have fun and develop confidence. Little D had great fun decorating Mr Tumbles bow tie and Aunt Pollys handbag.

Tree Fu Tom Chuckleberry Chase was a very exciting arcade type game. Join Tree Fu Tom on harvest festival day after the Mushas have stolen all of the chuckleberries. Children can cast the super speed spell with Tom and help him race through Treetopolis to catch the Mushas and save the day. The game allows children to practise fine motor skills, helping to develop their movement at a crucial time of their growth. This was probably better for older children (Little D is three) but he still enjoyed himself moving the tablet and dragging Tom across the scene with his fingers to complete the challenge.

As parents we loved the fact that once downloaded that the game does not need internet access and even if the device is connected to the web, passcodes prevent little fingers from straying too far. Refreshingly the app is completely free to download and play with no in-app payments that may add to a phone bill. We explored the dedicated ‘Grown-ups’ area where you can record special messages for your little ones, find out about each game’s learning benefits, and access useful tips to help their children get the most from the app.

Little D? Well he was happily gathering a fine array of the reward bugs, that you can collect after successfully completing a game. The app is currently live in the Apple and Android app stores and will go live in the Kindle/Amazon appstore later today.

This is not a sponsored post.

Vintage-style is alive and kicking in Manchester Arndale

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 15:25:00 +0000

Dormouse and The Teapot were really excited to be invited down to the Manchester Arndale Centre the other week to view four stores summer homeware trends.

Manchester Arndale Centre may not usually be synonymous with homeware or vintage-style but believe you-me there is a lot more in store than fashion. First of all if you are setting up home for the first time, the thing to know is that everything you could possibly need can be purchased from these four stores. Great if you are a student or buying for your new house. The second great thing is these stores offer lots of items in vintage-style so if you are a collector of true vintage like me, the things you need to buy new won't clash with your orginals.

We were invited to have a good look round Clas Ohlson, Wilkinsons, HomeSense and Argos to see how they had interpreted the current season, and we were really impressed with what we saw. So what did we love?

Wilkinsons gave us the lowdown of their five key themes of the season Wilde (gothic), Dreamweave (Moroccan bazaar), Sustain (70s garden), Hourglass (soft feminine vintage) and Balance (oriental). Each have a separate style but can be mix and matched to create a personalised look. We particularly loved the botanical style insect elements of Wilde along with the mauve and silver tones of Hourglass and thought they would fit into the vintage / shabby chic home perfectly.

Next stop was HomeSense we noticed some real differences since our previous visit. The shop was looking fantastic as ever, but there were lots of new vintage-style items crying out to be bought (quick hide our purse). It is obvious that the store has a fast turnover and the fact that thousands of new items come into store weekly, means that there is always something to draw your attention. We really loved the recycled chickens, that would look great in a conservatory sadly they would get a little soggy outside.

Clas Ohlson was a real eye opener. We had always had it down to be a mans store,and we were pleasantly surprised to see a very girly outdoor range. We didn't know what to look at first, their gorgeous dotted ice cream tubs with dinky little spoons or useful but pretty oriental style solar powered lanterns. Our absolute favourite thing was this gorgeous polka dot chair though, safe to say we will be dropping in again very soon indeed.

Last but of course not least is Argos. This was my first stop when I was a student *cough* quite a few erm years ago. For vintage-style we honed in on the Inspire range which interprets the trend for birds and birdcages beautifully. This stunning cage would look amazing on an afternoon tea table filled with old fashioned roses and herbs and is an amazing bargain to boot.

To sum up when shopping for home we will definitely make Manchester Arndale a stop on our list. There is a good range of homewares for all tastes and pockets plus we managed to get a pretty decent cup of tea, even if it wasn't in a china cup.

Home Sense opens in the Arndale Centre Manchester

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 30 May 2013 18:07:00 +0000

Dormouse and The Teapot were lucky enough to be invited along to the launch of the new Home Sense store which opened in the Arndale Centre, Manchester today.

Coronation Street's Antony Cotton cuts the ribbon and opens the store

If you are not familiar with Home Sense they stock a wide range of eclectic branded homeware at up to 60% of the RRP. The new branch stocks a mind boggling 50,000 items for the home with 10,000 new items arriving each week, just in case you needed an excuse to pop in more than once.

As ever we had our vintage goggles on and found that Home Sense the perfect place if you are looking for vintage-style items to give your home that shabby-chic look.

We tried to restrain ourselves, but here are some of our top catches, as well as a couple that simply got away ....

These sprinkles were in such cute little jars, we could imagine them on display pride of place on our vintage dresser.

Boxes, boxes, boxes. Did we ever tell you how much we love pretty boxes? Just look how gorgeous these ones are, and starting at under a tenner too!

This little pink hamper was snapped up fast, shame as it would have been perfect for those lovely summer picnics in the park for two.

What a lovely, interesting book and perfect for Fathers Day. Shhh!

Last but not least, we were desperate for this head, an incredible creation made out of recycled magazines, but sadly it was too heavy for us to carry home on the Metrolink.

Oh well never mind,we will be back, no bull!

This is not a sponsored post.

My grandmother’s tea set

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Tue, 28 May 2013 10:17:00 +0000

Today's guest post comes from Rachel Tripp of Corner by Corner. Finding a purpose and bringing to life every area of her home...

My Grandmother's Teaset

“And no one wants an old tea set now, do they? I asked if someone wanted Nanny’s old set, and they didn’t. Shame, really.”

I confess that as I was chatting away with my grandfather, I had perhaps very slightly lost concentration, but this pulled me right back into the present.

“Nanny’s old tea set?”

“Yes.” He said, sadly. “It’s all packed up in a box. But no one wants it.”

I frowned. “Grandad, I would like it. Please. I would love to have it.”

He visibly perked up. “Oh. Wouldya?”

“Yes. I really would.” My head swam with images of a huge dresser, displaying an old tea set, in a big family living space littered with children and toys and the detritus of family life. Quickly, the reality of my tiny London terrace, and our lack of children, interceded. “I mean, I don’t really have space at the moment. But one day, if – when – we have a bigger house, I would love to display it.”

“Great!”

I can’t honestly remember how long ago that conversation took place. It must have been at least six years ago. At the time, the idea that we would ever afford to move into a bigger house seemed hilariously unlikely. But Grandad was as good as his word. He gave me, via my Mum, the carefully packaged and wrapped-in-newspaper teaset, all snug in a cardboard box with ‘this way up’ and ‘fragile’ written across it in rambling marker-pen letters. I took it carefully, and put it up in the attic of my tiny terraced house, and dreamt of having the space to get it down again.

Time passed. We had a baby. We moved. We moved to exactly the road I’d dreamt of living on, in fact. We carried on with our family. Pieces of the jigsaw fell into place. Then I started looking with dis-satisfied eyes at the alcove at the side of our chimney breast, and tapping into ebay search terms like ‘welsh dresser’, and walking around purposefully with a tape measure. When the dresser was delivered, I got the tea set out practically the same day, and arranged it on the shelves.

There is something comforting about old things. Something homely and right about collections of items, some with sentimental value, some expensive, some cheap, all loved. Through blogging about trying to improve our house, I have started to conclude that ‘jolly eclecticism’ might be my guiding design principle, however ludicrous or unstylish that sounds.

I set some of the teacups and saucers out on the shelves with a few other items that I wanted to see every day: some coasters I bought Oli with our initials on them, scrabble-style. A photo of our eldest being a flower girl. A ‘crystal ball’ that I bought once just for the hell of it, because I liked how it looked.

I have long been suspicious of beige pack-a-flats, full of bland furniture from high street stores and unmemorable items of homeware. The mushroom wall. The abstract triptych in teal. The leather sofa. The tall cream vase full of twigs. Nothing wrong with any of those things in themselves (in fact, several grace my home) but all together, with no happy patchwork of picture frames accumulated over several years, with no pleasant mishmash of kitchenware that’s been baked with and loved, with no smattering of souvenirs from holidays, in a room that is entirely beige with no colour discord whatsoever…. Well, where’s the pleasure and the comfort in living like that?

I love my grandmother’s teaset. I love it because I loved her, and because I miss her. It was a practical item for her; I imagine her saving for it, pouring out the tea carefully, and washing it lovingly by hand. It is decorative for me. I sometimes put small items in the cups if I need to keep them safe: a pound coin, a small wooden animal, a single curtain ring. I may one day make some teacup candles in some of the cups, melt in soy wax and essential oils, and light them in the evenings.

The design is just old-fashioned enough to be decidedly out of fashion, and thereby somehow to be coolly fashion-less and above such things. It sniffs, not unpleasantly, at the johnny-come-lately mug fashions which come and go: the pantone mugs, the Emma Bridgewaters, the tiny black espresso cups. It knows it will outlive them.

I like the elegant shape of the cups. I love the gold trim along the edges. I was in my late teens when my grandmother died; I gave my second daughter her name in tribute, but I know she will always be theoretical to all my children, despite how much she would have loved to meet them. So I like to have those cups, sitting quietly on my dresser in the front room whilst the carnage of preschoolers plays out around them. They look both backwards and forwards: back to a childhood sitting on my grandmother’s knee, and forward to my children growing up, and the uncertainty of what around us will remain, what will prove transient, and which of the things we choose and love we might pass on to our own grandchildren one day, for them to use in new ways, and perhaps even, if we are lucky, to cherish as I do this teaset.

Home sweet shed

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:41:00 +0000

I've got a shed and I am moving in....

If I am truthful I have had it a while, it's actually been up over twelve months. Last summer Dad and I managed to paint half of her before the weather set in. Since then she nearly took off in a storm and has been screwed with industrial bolts to the concrete base. In case you are wondering my shed is called Alice, this is in memory of my great aunt who was a ~~hoarder~~, sorry bargain hunter like me, if you could see the contents you would realise it's entirely fitting.

I've been to see Alice three times this week. She is now looking a lot tidier than she was and I just need to finish off the paint job, get the curtains up and bring the rest of the china down from the spare room and lay some flooring. Not much if you say it quick but it's a labour of love.

Today I lugged up the chimnea and we had a winter picnic with homemade tomato and rosemary soup, and an improvised bread pudding cooked in the belly of it. Little D had great fun playing with his sand table and making endless pretend cups of tea.

I think it is going to be a great work and entertaining space. Do you have a shed that you love?

Does Three Constitute a Collection?

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:05:00 +0000

Another guest post this time from the lovely Louise of Creating and Baking, home of beautiful paper crafting and some pretty yummy foodie treats. Today she is giving us a little peek into her world, what we wouldn't give for a shed like this!

Does Three Constitute a Collection?

“Ask and it will provide”. This is what my husband frequently says to me when I ask “have you got x, y, or z in the shed?”

Our shed, the family storage facility, is slightly ramshackle but over the last five years or so has proven to be an Aladdin's cave of usefulness. From it we have gleaned numerous items including a large Blue and White dish, various glass bottles and dishes, plus original wooden crates and tins. Some of these have found a home in our spare room, this is decorated vintage style complete with roll top bath, and others can be found atop my kitchen cupboards along with other finds.

Please don't get the impression by husband is regularly found with this head in a skip, however he came across the contents of one on a building site coming home with a French, leather briefcase to add to my collection. I truly believe one girl's rubbish is another girls riches. It takes a bit of searching to find that something special, then again you can just be very lucky and happen upon a gem.

I am continually envious of the items I see at American flea markets on the internet and in magazines - such goodies! The US are frequently derided for lacking in history, compared with the UK for example, but I feel they retain historical items of Americana much more enthusiastically and seemingly treasure such things more so than we do, unless it is classed as an antique and not vintage! If you have never seen “American Pickers” on the History channel take a look and you will see just what I mean.

So to my original question, does three constitute a collection? I currently possess three vintage Oxo tins, one from the '70's and the other two from the 1950's. I feel if I can't class myself as a collector then I am a lover of scrummy old stuff. Stuff which, call it vintage or not, makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside and brings a certain charm to the quite modern interior of my old house.

A Valentine's Day recipe - John Waite's Raspberry and Rose Crème Brûlée

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:05:00 +0000

What could be a more delicious and luxurious dessert than Crème Brûlée?

As a little treat for Valentine's Day eve we have a special foodie guest post with a romantic twist, from the winner of The Great British Bake Off, John Waite.

John Waite's Raspberry and Rose Crème Brûlée

I think Crème Brûlée has to be one of the most romantic things you could possibly bake. Breaking through that caramelised sugar crust, and plunging into the set custard is nothing short of lovely, and if you served this to your valentine, I can guarantee that they'll be around for more a year later. My rose and raspberry version is so delicious, that it would stop even cupid in his tracks.

Ingredients - Serves 2

About 10 raspberries

250ml whole milk

50g caster sugar

1/2tsp rose water (or a little more to taste)

Pink food colouring (optional)

3 yolks from large eggs

2tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2 and divide the raspberries between two ramekins.

Put the milk and half of the caster sugar into a medium saucepan and heat gently until you can't quite hold your finger in it. Remove from the heat and add the rosewater, tasting to ensure it is perfectly perfumed. Add a drop of food colouring, if using, and mix to a pale pastel pink. Set aside until needed.

Place the egg yolks and remaining caster sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk together until the eggs turn a little paler and the sugar has dissolved into the eggs. When the eggs are paler and fluffier, slowly pour in the milk mixture whilst continuing to whisk gently. Divide this between the two ramekins and place into a roasting tray or dish. Fill the dish with enough hot water so that it comes halfway up the side of the ramekins, then place into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the custard is just set with a very slight wobble in the middle. Allow to cool completely before refrigerating for at least two hours.

Just before serving, remove the custards from the fridge and sprinkle each with demerara sugar, shaking the ramekins so that the sugar is evenly distributed. Using a cook’s blowtorch, caramelise the sugar until it melts and chars slightly.

If you don't have a blowtorch, simply place the custards under a hot grill until the sugar has melted and darkened, being careful not to burn it too much as this will make it very bitter. Serve immediately.

John Whaite will be featuring at Cake International - The Sugarcraft, Cake Decorating & Baking Show taking place at EventCity, Manchester from 8-10 March. We will be going along too and covering and exploring the latest ideas, supplies, competitions, demonstrations and workshops from the industry’s experts.

For more information visit www.cakeinternational.co.uk, tweet @thecakeshows or find them at Cake International on Facebook.

Cake International Manchester is back

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Has your secret passion for pastry or craze for cake decorating taken over your day to day life?

If the answer is yes, then Cake International – The Sugarcraft, Cake Decorating & Baking Show is just the ticket. We have teamed up with the organisers to offer a lucky reader a chance to win a pair of tickets to this fantastic show just enter the easy competition at the bottom of the page.

The show, which is taking place at EventCity, Manchester from 8-10 March, will feature celebrity bakers and TV personalities Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry and 2012’s Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite who will be appearing at the show and meeting their thousands of fans in a question and answer session. As well as this, visitors can discover their top tips and baking inspirations in the Bakery Theatre.

Other features include over 80 exhibitors from across the globe offering cutting-edge cake decorating and baking supplies; Competition Classes for all ages and abilities; two Demonstration Theatres with the greatest talents from the UK and abroad; Paul Da Costa Greaves taking centre stage in The Bakery Theatre; Tracey Mann showcasing her latest project, a giant cake construction of Life Under The Sea; A Taste of Sugar Workshops for newcomers to sugarcraft and much more!

For more information and ticket details please visit www.cakeinternational.co.uk

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Birthday to The Hazelnut Bakery

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:55:00 +0000

Dormouse and The Teapot are so lucky to have the most amazing specialist cake shop in the next village next to us.

The Hazelnut Bakery set up a mere twelve months ago but in that short time it has become a local institution.

Hazel and Chris Jenkins have built a fantastic reputation not only for their beautifully designed and crafted cakes, which are made with incredible attention to detail, but equally for delicious tasting baked goods made from the best locally sourced ingredients.

It has been a memorable year for the pair, who have created hundreds of cakes in their first year of trading including cake models of BAE Systems in Chadderton and Greenfield Primary School, elaborate personalised wedding cakes, and delicious celebratory dessert buffets. Their services are now so in demand that they have received bookings as far in advance as the summer of 2014.

As well as their imaginative themed birthday parties, popular with children and grown ups alike. Hazelnut Bakery have also hosted monthly cake decorating classes, so that Creative Director Hazel can pass on her sugarcraft skills to budding amateurs and professionals wanting to learn new techniques. She said “People love making cakes at home, and we can show them how to decorate them to a professional standard. Having our own shop gives us an ideal space for teaching classes and we also now stock a wide range of cake decorating equipment”.

Best of all every Saturday they open up their shop as a little cafe serving sweet treats to enjoy with a pot of tea, or take away to share. The cafe is just about to launch a new menu so in addition to their ever popular cupcakes and cake pops they will be combining the indulgence of sweet treats from the USA, delicate French patisserie, and great British tea time treats to provide something for everyone. As well as individual tarts, brownies and cookies they will be offering gourmet doughnuts loaded with exciting flavours, home made ice cream and vintage-style afternoon teas.

More information on their cakes, classes and parties can be found on their website www.thehazelnutbakery.co.uk or by visiting the bakery in Delph, Saddleworth which is open Wednesday to Saturday.

Can Daxon fit our vintage style ? (and become VIP fashion blogger)

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 15:20:00 +0000

When we heard Daxon part of Redcats (the 3rd largest home shopping network in the world) were offering an opportunity become one of their VIP fashion bloggers. We just couldn't resist taking up the challenge.

Daxon specialise in top quality clothing, for all occasions, to give you effortless style. They aim to find the perfect fit for you and don’t believe in compromise when it comes to fashion!

We sometimes struggle to find clothes that we like from high street shops, so online stores are perfect for us to try out something new without the embarrassment of taking it into the changing room and finding it doesn't work.

Daxon has lots of choice for all shapes and sizes and options for all ages and budgets. We are in our late thirties and like modern clothes with a vintage twist or items we can dress up to give a vintage look. Would Daxon have something that would be suit us? We challenged ourselves to put together the perfect outfit for an afternoon tea at under £80.

We particularly love this classic dress which we think is a steal at just £24.00. This could be dressed up for an evening out but it is equally a perfect smart-casual option for an afternoon tea with friends. Best of all it has built in tummy panel which means you can have an extra slice of cake and it won't show.

We also spotted these amazing forties style shoes that come in silver, gold or black. At £28.00 a pair we thought these were good value for money especially as they have been made with comfort in mind.

Finally we selected this pretty necklace £12 which would give a fun look to the whole outfit with bows and beads giving a vintage 1920's flapper feel.

These are just a sample of the wide range of items on sale. There really is something for everyone, though some of the clothes are aimed at an older audience there are lots of options for younger women on their website.

For more details of how you too can apply to be a VIP Fashion Blogger, click here successful applicants are rewarded with a £50 Amazon voucher. Be quick though as the closing date is 31 December.

We were given an Amazon voucher in return for our time in writing this article but we did like Daxons products. All opinions are as ever our own.

Cooking up a storm in the make-believe kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 15:54:00 +0000

When I was a little girl I dreamed about having a little cooker of my own.

I love baking and my gran had always encouraged me in her own kitchen. I used to help her making buns and cakes which my sweet toothed granddad demolished and always praised.

My mum tells me that my dad made me a little hob from wood which I adored. I have no recollection of this but then again that was quite some time ago!

Little D is not yet three but already he has shown an interest in cooking. If I am going in the direction of the kitchen he will ask if he can be 'a little bit of help' his words not mine and I do encourage him where I can.Together we have made buns, omelettes, scrambled eggs and most recently gingerbread.

So when Little D was offered a toy cooker for review, he jumped at the chance. Up til recently he has been using an adapted cardboard box, which has some rings drawn on for a hob but the milk bottle top knobs have dropped off with overuse and it might have been sat on one or two times.

There is no such fear with the Le Toy Van Honeybake Oven and Hob it is beautifully made of wood with proper rings and knobs that really turn and even an oven shelf and a door that closes. It is painted in jolly blue and red making it perfect for a boy or a girl.

To Little D's excitement the cooker came with an oven mitt, that was a big hit, and was accompanied by the solemn warning phase 'oven hot hot burn, mummy!' on each use. Also included was a saucepan with lid (sock soup anyone?), a frying pan, utensils you can hang up, and a tomato, bacon and egg.

Because it is made of wood I think it is actually quite good value for money, even though it is on the pricey side at £52.99. Little D has used it daily and as it is made of wood it is really robust and should last a lot longer than the plastic versions.

The other bonus is that it's small size means it can be easily tided away. It's height makes it perfect for toddlers and even big teddy to join in.

Little D loves it, he has played with it every day and it has also provided handy storage space for all his toy food and pans and things. Only problem is that he is insisting on cooking Christmas dinner this year. Anyone know where we can get a wooden turkey and several pounds of plastic Brussels spouts?

The perfect present for a lucky toddler this Christmas.

We were sent the Le Toy Van Honeybake Cooker free of charge for review, all opinions are, as always, our own.

Making your vintage wedding about you

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:50:00 +0000

It is hard to believe that when I got married back in 2006 vintage wasn't really that popular. Cupcakes were something quite exotic. As for a cake pops they were almost unheard of.

Today of course it is a different story, adding a touch of vintage to your celebrations seems almost mandatory with brides really going the extra mile to bring something old to the party, so to speak. There are lots and lots of companies (mine included) that can help you plan such a celebration or supply the perfect items to give your guests a taste of yesteryear.

If you are getting married I think it is important that your wedding should reflect your personality, what is the point of having a double decker bus for example if you drive a sports car and wouldn't dream of normally travelling on public transport?

I must admit it does make me sad when I see the identikit vintage wedding complete with bunting, vintage china, country flowers all held in a city centre hotel suite. It just looks odd and very theme-y. Of course we can't all afford the perfect venue but sometimes it is best to just work with what you have, there is no reason not to bring a touch of vintage but look for eras that would fit rather than clash.

Another way you can bring in vintage is work to a colour scheme our main colours were white, green and black. We hired a 1950's white Cadillac as our wedding car which fitted in with this and the fact our honeymoon was to be in Las Vegas. Our guests loved it too and spent a lot of time having photos taken with or in it.

Think about what you have time for and what your guests will enjoy, we had hired a swing singer that fitted in very well. But our guests enjoyed the jukebox we had hired in a moment of excess much more and we actually let the singer go home early.

Don't worry about everything matching. Our wedding a real mix of this and that but it worked because we didn't overdo the vintage and it was all about us. So long as you stick to what you love and what you are known for it shouldn't look like an explosion in a vintage factory.