My Little Dream... Cake Storage tins

If you havent got that beautiful cake stand, or you have more than one cake, or you need to take one to a party,  Cake storage tins are perfect!
There are so many wonderful designs now that there is no excuse for using that recycled plastic christmas biscuit box.

With the exclusion of  Marks and Spencers (of course) who make some absolutely gorgeous tins for their biscuits!

Did you see the one to commemorate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton last year?

Its absolutely divine!

This tin can still be found on ebay... but are selling for around 20.00 GBP!!

Debenhams have a really cute retro range of tins... they are currentLy selling a collection of 3 tins for 17.00 GBP  this includes sweets, biscuits and cakes.

In addition to these lovely tins!

Debenhams also stock Tea, Coffee, and Sugar storage jars as well as a selection of spice jars in the same pastel colours and design!
Very very sweet!




There are so many gorgeous tins around its hard to know where to start... and i love picking up vintage ones from Car boots and craft fairs with old adverts on and things... especially the old cadbury ones...

Tala do another retro design of cake tins and they are avaliable on Amazon and from The Range for around 15.00 GBP i really like the polka dot in the three colours.

Shying away from the gorgeous cake tins... and thinking of storage in general my all time favourite has always been the originality of
Alessi Gianni!

You have to check out Alessi's website http://www.alessi.co.uk/
just to work out how the jars work as well as his other fascinating original items!

I originally discovered these jars in John Lewis a long while ago... they come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. Whether you are looking to store spaghetti pasta, sugar or spices! Here are some examples of different shapes and colours below...

Im not sure that with storage jars though... you can even beat the traditional Kilner Jar... these can be found all over at boot sales, kitchen shops, craft shops and i once got some for 1.00 GBP in Asda.
These come in so many different shapes and sizes now and are so popular... you can even buy them with different colour lids! and you guessed it theres lovely duck egg blue ones on amazon!



Jamie Oliver also sells them as part of his range and they are great to make up presents for people.

My sister absolutely adores shortbread but has no idea how to bake... i got a Kilner jar filled it with the mixture for shortbread and put some chocolate chips at the top and attached the recipe as a tag!

Fantastic simple gift!

My Little Dream... Fridge Freezer

Since i decided to flee the nest at mumsys... theres only ever been one dream fridge freezer! Even when i moved into my first little flat and i couldnt afford my dream i was very very picky about my fridge freezer.

I dont know why? maybe its because it takes up such a huge space in your kitchen that it has the potential to be a complete eye sore or a beautiful focal point.

The place we are currently renting in New Zealand came with a hideous fridge freezer that i have covered with magnetic photos of friends and family! Which is actually a really nice touch if you cant afford your dream fridge yet!

We picked up the magnetic frames from Boots for 2.55 GBP for a pack of two.  You can also get them on Amazon for as little as 1.99 GBP for a pack of 6 depending on the sizes you want.

Im afraid the fridge i want is over 1000.00 GBP which is ridiculous i know! especially when you can pick a fridge freezer up on Ebay from 50.00 GBP but this isnt a blog about what i can afford... this is the dream!

Drum roll please...

The ulimate dream fridge of all dreams goes too... the pastel blue SMEG!! pictured in these gorgeous kitchens!  and it come in pink too!

My Little Dream... Tea Cosy

So... now ive purchased my gorgeous little "fake cornishware' $5.00 NZD teapot! i want to keep it snug.

Tea Cosy's are supposedly easy to make yourself,  and there are sewing and knitting patterns all over the internet.

There are so many different delightful and quirky tea cosies around. From Houses to Santas Clauses and Chickens to Robots! and the great thing about making your own it can be completely individual!

A simple google of 'make you own tea cosy' brings up so many different patterns! i always use google images and then you can click on the image of the one you like.
Martha Stewart has a simple handmade sewn Monogrammed Tea Cozy  Pattern (pictured left)

Kirstie Allsopp's gorgeous little house Tea Cosy is knitted. (pictured right)

It is avaliable in her book 'Kirsties Homemade Home' but if you dont want to spend pennies on the book most of her crafts are avaliable online and some even come with follow videos!

Although i probably should have knitted or sewn my own... with inspiration from these girlies!  I found exactly what i wanted on Felt!
Felt is a website in New Zealand devoted to HomeMade arts and crafts.  http://www.felt.co.nz/ its well worth a look even if its for your own inspiration.

My tea cosy was made by 'Gerty Brown' www.facebook.com/gertybrown from recycled coffee bean bags! It was $19.50 NZD which is abit pricey but i love it... and each one is different! See mine below!

My Little Dream... Mixing Bowls

Can you really go wrong with a Stoneware mixing bowl?

I love the traditional old brown colours of the stoneware (pictured above) these are usually avaliable in most kitchen shops and you can even get them on http://www.amazon.co.uk/ which depending on size vary in price between 8.00 - 25.00 GBP


You dont have to stick with the brown if you dont like it though... these bowls now feature in a variety of colours including two tone blue/cream, pink/cream  and many more

My personal favourite are actually porcelain and from Willow & Stone http://www.willowandstone.co.uk/ Willow & Stone is a small company consisting of our two lovely shops off the harbour in Falmouth, Cornwall! and at 17.50 GBP per bowl  thats not half bad at all!

My Little Dream... Recipe Box

Ahh... Baking! nothing can beat the smell of a freshly baked cake or muffin and thats why those gorgeous cake stands featured earlier in the blog are so important to display your triumph or show off an amazing shop brought cake! mmm...

A baking essential is the recipe box... especially if you are anything like me and constantly forgetting things!  I fell in love with Martha Stewarts Recipe Box and at $11.00 USD what a bargain it is! the only catch is its only avaliable in US and is exclusive to Macy's.

This recipe box comes with recipe cards and dividers for Appertisers, Pastas, Fish, Meat and so on! 
A great gift... if you know anyone off to the states!

If you dont... like me you may be searching for the perfect little box at boot sales, markets and craft fairs to design your own! Its easy to do! a wood box would be the easiest as it would be simple to paint whatever colour you want? and then you can buy the little Q cards at any stationers! simple!

I thought this little homemade one (left) was cute!

My Little Dream... Poole Pottery

Continuing the duck egg theme... Poole Pottery do this gorgeous 'Seagull' range

Although Poole Pottery's website http://www.poolepottery.co.uk/ doesnt recognise the searches for 'seagull' you can still get this around.  It is a twintone tableware with duck egg and cream however it does come in a variety of other colours including lemon and again that pale pink! Check out these twin tone pots

There is plenty of this range avaliable on sites such as http://www.ebay.co.uk/  and a dinner plate will range from 4.00-10.00 GBP so if you just want individual pieces of this the prices arent to bad. If you want the whole set it could get pricey!

You can get hold of job lots via auctioneers (like this one above) and i have even seen this in New Zealand Antique Shops!

My Little Dream... Robert Gordon

I only discovered Robert Gordon on a trip to Cambridge (just outside Hamilton, New Zealand) when i took mumsy on her brief visit here in February 2011.
We stumbled upon this little shop in the town centre called 'My Style' http://katefitzpatrick.co.nz/

I found this picture from another blog http://atthefarmhouse-suzyq.blogspot.co.nz/

I love the small floral patterns and the colours it brings together...

Robert Gordon is a 30 year old Australian brand, coming from the son of renowned Australian Potter June Dyson's son Robert Andy Gordon.

You can see an online catalogue of all Robert Gordon's website
http://www.robertgordonaustralia.com/

Another great website for purchasing home and outdoor goods in New Zealand is http://www.greenwithenvy.co.nz/  they stock various items from Robert Gordon  (including these gorgeous items below) and many other great brands.

http://www.greenwithenvy.co.nz/2tier-cake-stand-xidp316806.html $54.95 NZD

and i adore this fluted pie dish but at $64.00 NZD i wont be purchasing any time soon...

My Little Dream... Johnson Brothers

Johnson Brothers- Greydawn

 My gorgeous friend Sammy introduced me to Johnson Brothers  China when she brought it for me as  a housewarming present for my first home.

4 gorgeous plates and 4 gorgeous bowls. This china is inexpensive as it was mass produced and is extremely hard wearing and to top it of the colours are amazing.

Since Sammy's first present i have purchased over 20 plates and a gorgeous milk jug. You can pick Johnson Brothers up in various charity shops, at boot sales and especially on ebay and things like that... the likelihood you know someone who has Johnson Brothers in their home already.



Greydawn is a soft blue colour (not quite duck egg) but it also comes in a  pale pink version which is called 'Rose Dawn' which i think complements 'Greydawn' beautifully, and... obviously my friend Sammy does too... this is a picture of her gorgeous dresser in her home, taken from her amazing blog http://cafedesammy.blogspot.co.nz/

My Little Dream...Cornishware

Cornishware

Cornish Kitchen Ware was first produced in 1926 by T.G.Green & Co in Church Gresley, Derbyshire, a county famed for its pottery. The range’s special characteristic came from the lathe-turning process, which cut clean bands through its beautiful blue slip to show the white clay beneath.
It was apparently this that inspired the name, since it reminded one T.G.Green & Co. employee of the clear blues and white-tipped waves of Cornwall.

Cornishware has come back into fashion recently as like me alot of people like the idea of pale pinks, blues and creams in my kitchen (that would definately be my theme).

I recently brought a little teapot for $5 on http://www.trademe.co.nz/  (the New Zealand Ebay!)

Its very similar to TG Cornishware, but it clearly isnt as you can tell by the price!
I have seen replica tea pots slightly larger than this one up for sale for $50.00 NZD so there is clearly a market for them and youd only know the difference if you looked at the bottom! Plus i like it!

Due to its popularity of late Cornishware has gone through the roof 'price wise' and there 'Betty' Teapot retails at 55.00 GBP http://www.tggreen.co.uk/gift-service?load#cat=cornish-blue&prod=teapot-blue


The real stuff is presented beautifully on the dresser below.

.

 

As you can see from the picture above Cornishware is absolutely gorgeous...  If you are looking for cornishware be sure to check the stamp (pictured left)

The lime green cornishware is the most sort after as it is the most rare of all the colours and is no longer produced! So rare i couldnt even find a picture on the internet to show you!

But you can check out the colours that are still made on the Cornishware website:
http://www.tggreen.co.uk/gift-service?load#cat=cornish-colours

My Little Dream...Nigella, Donna and those gorgeous Cake Stands

Nigella and Donna

Two Queens of the Kitchen Nigella Lawson and Donna Hay (Australian Masterchef) have the most amazing duck egg blue and pale pink kitchen ranges from gorgeous plates, to cake stands and lemon juicers.



Nigella Lawson's selection is avaliable on her website http://www.nigella.com/

But... i have seen a few things in TK Maxx and on Ebay! so its worth keeping your eye out.

Both of these ranges do gorgeous cake stands... and every cake needs a stand. I love the idea of coming home from work and seeing the cake in its glass dome on the kitchen side and cutting a huge slice and sitting down with a cup of tea!

Cake Stands

I found this little one on Etsy a while ago, but by the time i sorted postage and packaging from US it wasnt worth it... plus it has sold now.  This is a wooden candlestick painted and attached to a cheese dome... i think its quirky and original. Although im not sure how safe it would be depending on the paint you used in direct contact with food.

I was on a mission for a while to do this myself... you wouldnt believe how hard it is to find a wooden candlestick!

Etsy is a great website for finding vintage and handmade things. Although you pay for originality. It is an international website so make sure you put in where the postage is going to or it can get costly. You can also put together your favourites and etsy will send you messages of things, shops and sellers you may like! http://www.etsy.com/

Nigella's comes in three colours: duck egg blue, cream and pink and sell for around 20.00 on ebay.

However, Nigella also does a cheese dome which i think would be fantastic for a cake stand! if only they sold the glass dome and the stand individually it could be perfect!

Donna Hay on the other hand does... although its expensive the
stand and glass dome are $100 each!
Nigella's Cake Stand is pictured right...

It is worth a visit to Nigella's website to see the rest of her 'cookware' and check out her recipes.

She even does a cookalong video, which is really useful for us novices!

My Little Dream... Kitchen

I have scowered the internet for a picture of MY dream kitchen, but of course my dream isnt anyone elses... but i can show you something similar below!

I am in love with the idea of a cream kitchen with wooden worktops... so it is light and airy, but as im sure you will learn to discover through this blog i am also  in love with anything and everything duck egg blue!

Its like im immediately drawn to the colour it could be a tea towel or a potty and i will want it!

Sometimes i sit and  google search 'duck egg' just to see what will come up! sad i know!


The print here is from Sterling Furniture.co.uk  and is 35.00 which is a little pricey... but if you love it you love it! and i am a firm believer that if you do like something spend the pennies on it!

My Little Dream... Decision

Living in New Zealand currently i am always dreaming of one day returning to England and having my dream country cottage... i am always searching craft fairs and boot sales for gorgeous items for the home that one day will be part of my own gorgeous home.

After collecting a few things in New Zealand i came to the disturbing realisation of... "how on earth will i get this all back to england?" will i have to make sacrifices and get rid of things one day? if so how will i choose what to keep and what to sell.

I have now made a decision to create this blog which will feature everything i absolutely love from the big wide world so i know what i want and where i can find it when the day of buying my dream cottage actually comes!