Magic beans

It's not a topic I've ever written about before and I probably wont again.  But it's something that is so magical that I couldn't not share it.  I was feeling very sorry for myself last week.   We were about to fly out to France for a Cub-free 48 hours -  our first holiday with friends in forever -  and I woke up feeling horrendous.  Shivery, sore throat, headache.  Death's door.    So I took two of my new little fizzing magic discoveries and  - I know I  exaggerate -  but I'm really not when I say half an hour later that I was a new person. I've since been doling them out to anyone who will listen and they too are dumfounded by their miraculousness. I cannot believe they are legal.  They're not even guarded behind the counter, they're found just hanging out in the aisles with plain old 16p paracetamol. 

I wont go on but just to say my magic cure is called Aspro Clear.  You can get it anywhere and it'll be the best £2.50 you'll ever spend.

Camilla Franks

I've got one of my best friends, my brother and my sister in law's weddings this year.  That's a lot of good outfits.  I don't really feel I can recycle dresses for any of them.  Each one deserves a new creation. When it comes down to it Im sure there'll be a melt down and my trusty green Chloe will be worn to all three.  But for now, I've got six months to hunt down some serious sensations.

Nothing's really been exciting me until I came across Camilla Franks' new Gypset collection.  Slightly Altuzarra meets Mary Katrantzou.  Wild in the aisles, colour, fringing and patterns.  Right up my street but slightly concerned about distracting from the brides.  Maybe if I left the Maharaja stylie hat behind....

www.camillashop.com

Her collections are available in Harrods in the UK

Liberty and Nike. Again.

I feel like I've written fifty posts too many about flowery Nike trainers but I'm afraid I just can't help myself.  Here are Liberty's newest additions.  

My faves, Pepper Liberty print Air Max 1

£145

Capel Liberty print mid rise Nike 

£110

Capel Liberty print Roche Run trainers

£105

www.liberty.co.uk

A raffia stripe

I love a stripe and am mad about raffia.   Put the two together and the excitement can barely be contained.  I caught a glimpse of these Paul Smith beauties rushing through an airport last summer and I still regret not splashing out every time I head to the beach.  

The blue Balenciaga is way out of my league - the King of the straw bag Kingdom if you like.  But it's nice to have aspirations...

My recent finds are these ones from 'mar y sol'.  A total malgamation of the two - and with a pompom thrown in for good measure.  They're the only ones still in production which also slightly helps. And they come in a yellow and a turquoise.  

www.shopmarysol.com

Tulip Fever at Worton

Last weekend Chaz and I were given a tiny taster of our what our pre-Cub life used to be like.  We had a lie in and then had until lunchtime 'off'.  It was extraordinary. With only an hour left, we managed to tear ourselves away from watching Saturday Kitchen in bed and headed off in the sunshine - a miracle in itself - to my favourite place on the planet, Worton Organic Garden.  

They were having a 'Homage to Sea' weekend surrounded by more tulips than I've ever seen.  

If you can get there this weekend I can't recommend anything more highly; I'm sure the tulips will still be as ravishing as ever.

No early bird catching the worm here - it's not open until 11am 

www.wortonorganicgarden.com

Marmalade & Mash

When it comes to buying clothes for the Cubs, I'm pretty unadventurous.  Before they arrived I imagined I would spend hours trawling the shops for tiny, wonderful creations.  My own obsession with clothes might wane and be transferred onto their wardrobes rather than mine.   I would be changing them three times a day so we could fit in all their perfect little outfits type thing...  Dream on.  

They're lucky if they get a new outfit three times a week. They're permanently covered in cheese, mud, banana... whatever they can find.  It's like they think they're auditioning to be in the 'before' scenes of one of those washing powder adverts.   

On top of the dirt issue is the fact that there really is very little out there that I like.  Everything has some sort of hideous logo/picture/slogan on it.  Even my usual, tried and trusted  GAP, Zara baby and H&M aren't guarantees anymore. 

So it was a huge joy when I found out about Marmalade&Mash;  the most brilliant, British, simple, logo-free children's clothing company. They're all about traditional, old school clothes - there's lots of bold stripes 'reminiscent of times at the seaside' for the boys and floral, floaty frocks for the girls.  I can't wait to get the Cubs into the green stripy shorts for shrimping in the Scilly Isles this summer.

 Marmalade & Mash are offering my readers a 15% discount.  

Just put WILLOWROSE15 in the special box when you're checking out.

www.marmaladeandmash.co.uk

Michelin Birthday

I got taken to the mega swanky, Michelin star holding, Harwood Arms for one of my best friend's 30th birthday lunches last week.  I had no idea it was so swanky.  I was fully expecting a cheeseburger and chips and instead got the most delicious pan friend guinea fowl in it's place.  The idea of going  somewhere with a Michelin star has never really been that appealing to me; I've always imagined them to be places where you have to whisper and it's all a bit pretentious.  The Harwood Arms is the total opposite.  Light, airy, relaxed.  No whispering aloud.  And, it's run by one of my old friends Ed. Another unexpected bonus. And they have the best home made scotch eggs I've ever tasted.

The guinea fowl 

 Scotch egg sensations

Sisterly love from Clem and India

www.harwoodarms.com