Keep calm and carry on and support your local business's.

La senza. Another HUGE high street company has gone into administration. This is not a surprise to many people as everyday in the news we see more and more big business's closing, the country's debt rising and more unemployed people. We are living in a frightingly scary economy, I waked down my local high street the other day and every other shop seems to have been closed. This is a thriving town centre I'm talking about!.

 It makes you wonder if the big companies cant cope how will the small ones?. But the thing is now is the time for a small business to thrive. Customers are trading their big stores for smaller business's. Which can now offer more and more with online shopping, cheaper items and personalised customer service. As a country we need to support our small, local business's as these are what will save this country from financial collapse!.

 I do my job because I LOVE IT!. Therefore I put everything into my work, juggle motherhood and running a family home, and I never tire from it. Which is why I am still open for business and will hopefully go from strength to strength this year.

 I want to help other small business so I am offering 1 month free advertising on my blog. There is no catch. Send me an email at lauren_sutherland@hotmail.co.uk with your business and advert and you can be featured on a new side bar. Hopefully this little step will help other companies drum up business and have a successful 2012.

 Lets all pull together, put our best foot forward, shop local, spend wisely and make Britain Great Britain!.

 

 Lauren x

A little sunshine goes a long way.

Feeling a little spring inspired today, took a drive to the village to see the house and its progress. It felt so amazing. The sun shining, I could hear the most beautiful birdsong. The house was incredibly bright and just had the most amazing feel. It may look a little lacklustre in its exterior appearance but inside it already feels like home.
 The boys room is almost finished, Poppy's room has been plastered and electrics done. And the plastering is now being done in the bathroom.

 I'm already imagining the spring/summer and I just want it here now as I know once Spring arrives we will be in our new home. Been reading my grandads gardening book see here and lots of interior magazines. Imagining the garden parties, lazy summer evenings, bunting and pimms, vintage sandals, long walks, beachy hair. I can almost feel the sun on my skin!.

Sourced from visitalltheworld.com

Sourced from countryliving

Sourced from re-nest

Ahhhhh I can feel those January blues fading already.

 Lauren x



Dig For Victory!

 I pretty much daydream about our house day in, day out. It is NEVER from my thoughts. As you all know I am obsessed with it!. I can already imagine what its going to look like and how we will sit in the garden in the summer, drinking pimms amongst the herb garden and sunflowers. Which has lead me to this post. THE GARDEN!.

 Possibly the only part of the house I haven't scrap booked about.  But that doesn't mean I have forgotten it. I really want to try and incorporate 1940's values and ideas into our family home life, see my larder of love post  see here so of course I want a little vegetable patch and herb garden. Dig for victory!.

  I'm no gardening expert but I so want to have a go at my own veg. I think there is nothing better than popping out to the garden picking some of your home grown produce and then eating it!. DELICIOUS!.

 I'm going to be honest here, I have pretty much no experience. BUT, my beloved late grandpa and my wonderful nan had serious Green fingers. I can remember playing in their beautiful, perfectly manicured garden. Filled with the most stunning colours and smells!. I used to call it the fairy garden, it really was quite magical. A little oasis amidst the concrete.

 When my grandpa passed away I was lucky enough to have been given some of his things. Among them was this book. I feel like this is his way of saying, 'Go for it!' It really is a nostalgic, interesting read and packed full to the brim with everything you would need to know. Whether it be a vegetable patch, keeping chickens, flowers, garden pests right through to bee keeping!. I think it was first published in 1947 and this defiantly looks like a 1940's style book to me..Swoon!.

My grandpa's book.

 As I was flicking through the book I found a page my grandpa must have bookmarked. Madly enough it was the diary of the year-which vegetables were in season, how to grow/look after. All the information one might need to grow their own!. Set in monthly pages January right through to December.
 At this point I had a little cry. This book mark was so meant for me!.

 So with my best land girl attitude and my grandpas book I am set to have a garden to make him, and my nan, proud. Tonight I am all set with a cup of green tea, a long soak in the tub armed with the book. Hoping to soak up some of unknown territory that is 'Pratical gardening and food production, in pictures'.

If anyone has any tips, advice please get in touch, I need all the help I can get!.

Lauren x