Gorgeous gourds

This is the time of year to celebrate the gourds. They come in so many different shapes and colours and are a great way of decorating the home.

You can find these prints in my Redbubble shop on a variety of ready-made items. It looks great on this throw blanket. A great way of accessorising the sofa and keeping warm in the long winter nights.

Other accessories for your sofa include this fabulous scatter cushion.

It looks great as an apron and is the perfect gift for the foodie in your life.

And your foodie can drink from this fabulous matching mug whilst they are cooking up a storm.

 

Sushi samba

 Make a statement at check-in with this scrumptious sushi passport cover. It's lightly padded and lined with a red and white cotton polka dot fabric. The perfect gift for a food lover or Japanophile.

Shop Now

Charcuterie board

Following on from the foodie theme, I decided to enter the latest Spoonflower Design Challenge which is called Charcuterie Boards. I got pretty hungry whilst designing it! A charcuterie board typically includes cured meats, cheeses, fruit, olives and nuts, so the design choices are pretty wide-ranging.

I included everything from cheese and salami to figs and pomegranates, some are served on slate platters and some are served on decorative crockery.

Cheese is one of my favourite things in the world. The stronger the better! I've included soft cheese and hard cheese with a selection of crackers and grapes.

Asparagus is best served simply with butter, freshly ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Figs have the most amazing colouring, both inside and out. Figs are associated with fertility due to their plump shape, luscious texture and abundant seeds. They are known to strengthen bone density, control blood pressure and even help to create healthy, shiny hair. 

The stunning colour of these pomegranates looks great against the blue of the plate. Pomegranates are also  seen as a symbol of fertility due to their abundance of seeds and they contain more antioxidants than most other fruit juices. They can keep blood pressure in check and are good for easing digestion too!

Check out my Spoonflower shop here.

 

Mexican adventure - brunch at Eno

Monday morning started with brunch at Eno in Roma. We sat outside and soaked up the atmosphere. I ordered huevos enmarcado en pan brioche which roughly translates as eggs framed in brioche. It was topped with parmesan cheese and was scrumptious!

First night in Tokyo

So here I am! My first night back here in Tokyo and it feels like I was only here last week. I've already managed to have a beautiful don buri lunch in Food Show. This consists of a rice bowl topped with raw tuna and is gorgeous! This was followed by a rummage around the wonders of Loft in Shibuya - a haven for all stationery items. Needless to say, I picked up a few items.

This evening's meal was spent at a local yakitori restaurant in Naka Meguro. Yakitori is a style of food grilled and served on skewers and ranges from normal pieces such as vegetables, chicken breast and thigh, to gizzards and god knows what else! It's a small restaurant and situated around a bar where you can watch the chefs cooking up a storm.

We wandered back home past the fabulous Happy Pudding place along the Meguro river where you can pick up all sorts of amazing creme caramels in different flavours.

There is always a wait at the yakitori restaurant, but it's so worth it!

I chose a tiramisu flavoured Happy Pudding with a mint leaf garnish.

Each pudding is beautifully wrapped with a paper lid.