There are many things that make a house a home, but for me, my home doesn't feel 'right' if there are no flowers dotted around, or puddles of books waiting to be read. I'm not into gadgets so owning something like a Kindle isn't something I'm interested in. I'm sure it's fabulous, but it's really not for me. I need real books in my life.
Recently,I found out that there was a [Ladurée] recipe book available.
I have a soft spot for macarons, and just KNEW I would have to buy it. So I did. It's rare for me to spend so much on one book, but it really is worth it. It comes boxed. The book is wrapped in violet tissue paper and the pages are gold edged. It is, quite simply, the most beautiful book I've ever owned.
I wish all books were presented in this way, makes them feel so special, and very luxurious. I know without the slightest doubt, that the vast majority of the recipes are way beyond my cooking abilities. I'm sure I'll try making the macarons at some point, as I made some last year for the first time, and they turned out pretty well. Even if I never try out any of the recipes, I'm more than happy to just leaf through the pages, and enjoy the photos. If you love cookbooks and want to treat yourself to something really special, then this is a book for you.
I love to have fresh flowers around the house. I don't like to see a room without flowers. In summer I can pick them from the garden, the rest of the year I rely on the supermarket. I'm also happy to use silk flowers too.
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, the price of (red!) flowers will go up to a ridiculous height this weekend. I always tell the husband to not buy me flowers, instead he buys me books, choccies and bits and pieces that I will find useful. Might not be romantic, but to me it's perfect.
Over the weekend we went to Dunelm-Mill to buy my Valentine's pressies, I wanted to buy cookware and silk flowers (see? useful! I have a book and some pink champagne truffles to look forward to too).
I spotted some small arrangements of pink peonies, in vases slightly larger than shot glasses.
Loved the flowers.
Loved the price.
Loathed, hated, despised the yukky glass vase the flowers were set in. 
I edited the colours in the photo to try to make it *SCREAM* to show the horror of the vase, but has actually made the vase look quite nice! In real life it is not, the glass is cloudy and just looks nasty. Having silk flowers tied together and plopped in a vase in this manner shouts from a mile off that they aren't real. I knew they could look much prettier, so bought three, and two jars of these ..
'water beads'. I've never seen them or used them before. I filled a rectangular vase with them, separated two bunches of peonies, and put in the vase. The third bunch of peonies I put in a smaller vase.
They looked nice before (apart from the vase), but now they look much nicer. I shared this with you to show just how simple it is to alter shop bought arrangements. No skill needed, just pull them out of the clear gel, snip away at the ties, and rearrange into vases of your own choice. After saying recently that I don't really do much in the way of decorating for Valentine's Day, I seem to have done quite a bit of it!
Since making the heart decorated with violets last week, I have developed a bit of an obsession with making them.
I changed the wreath on the door of Gingerbread House after deciding the previous one was too fussy. This one is made of silk sweet peas.
Delicate, and much prettier. One made up of silk red roses has gone on the front door. I never have a Valentine wreath on the front door, but have to say, I rather like it!
I shall leave you with more flowers, a group of snowdrops huddled closely together. Probably to try and keep warm, it's been frightfully windy lately. 