The Kitchen Appliance I couldn't live without

 Hi Everyone

This week's blog is a yummy one, I had to tell you about the kitchen appliance you won't be able to live without once you have one!!

And I’ll be showing you how to make my famous and favourite lemon drizzle cake that never fails to make your mouth water!!

FULL POST COMING SOON!

All the best

Nicky 😊

BLACKPOP - DESIGNER WALLPAPER | LUXURY FABRIC | BESPOKE FURNITURE

Hi there

"UNIQUE, TIMELESS & QUINTESSENTIALLY BRITISH"

WHO ARE BLACKPOP?  Originating in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales, Founder and Design Director, Maxine Hall (seen here with the rather good looking woofer on her lap!!) first launched Blackpop in 2013.  Blackpop is a unique, luxury British label specialising in designer wallpapers, fabrics and bespoke furniture, all manufactured here in the UK.

Meet the Blackpop Team

The Blackpop team is made up with an abundance of talent and uniqueness, with each team member bringing their own special 'pannaz' to the table, helping to form the most incredible collections of intricate patterns, unique designs, opulent textures and vibrant colours that define the Blackpop label. 

Since 2013 Blackpop has enjoyed steady growth and as it approaches it's first 10 years in the business it would be fair to say is quickly becoming one of the UK's most respected and daring design labels.

How about a tour of the Blackpop Showroom to give you  a taster of just how breath taking and unique this company is:

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT BLACKPOP

“The National Portrait Gallery is delighted to be working with Blackpop on The Tudor Collection - Deconstructed, and excited by the creativity displayed in these beautiful designs.”

Nicola Saunders, Head of Business Development, National Portrait Gallery

“The Decorex judges were particularly impressed by the collaboration between Blackpop and the National Portrait Gallery. In taking their inspiration from Tudor paintings, Blackpop have created an exciting, relevant collection that is both traditional in reference and contemporary in colour palette. Intelligent and sensitive designing.”

Simone du Bois, Brand Director, Decorex International

"Blackpop Studios has designed a range that is nothing short of breathtaking. While they look like they could have been stripped from the walls of stately homes there is something uniquely modern and fresh about them too."

Design Lovers Blog

"Collections so beautiful and opulent, they transcend both a modern and vintage era."

little BIGBELL

THE COLLECTIONS

VIRTUAL LANDSCAPES	DAMNED DAMASK	PARADISE
THE COLLECTORS	HOMAGE	BIRDLAND
THE TUDORS – DECONSTRUCTED		VINTAGE INSPIRED

BLACKPOP LOOK BOOKS

If you're looking for inspiration and ideas pop over to the Blackpop Website and take a browse through the online Look Book, crammed with beautiful pictures of all the collections staged for full effect, this Look Book will not disappoint.  Click HERE

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

2016: ‘Best Licensed Product Award' - Association For Cultural Enterprise. Won in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery.

2016: 'Digital Innovation' - The English Home Magazine’s ‘New Years Honours List’

2015: ‘Best New Product in Show' - Decorex International

QUALITY AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL

When it comes to quality and detailing, it would be hard to rival Blackpop's approach.  Take for example the making of their sumptuous velvet cushions, all hand made by a wonderful lady named Elaine, no mass produced unethical products can be found at Blackpop.  Even down to the fabric which is sustainable, being made from recycled plastic bottles is printed locally using water based inks to further lower the carbon footprint.  See for yourself with this little film featuring the lovely Elaine:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wallpaper, Patterned Fabrics & Home Furnishings (@blackpopuk)

THE BLACKPOP BESPOKE APPROACH TO SERVICE

It is worth pointing out the outstanding level of service available from the team at Blackpop whose approach is to offer the level of support only a small independent brand is able to do, with such a personal touch and genuine interest in their customers bespoke projects.  Contact the studio to discuss your ideas and let them create something special with you.  Add in the comments anything you'd like to share on the blog, it would be amazing to see and hear about your own projects.

MY OWN BLACKPOP PROJECT

This might be just the time to show you my own little project.  It was because of this upcycling project that I first came across Blackpop and instantly fell in love with the company.  

With sustainability in mind for the project, it was especially pleasing to choose from their Sustainable Polyester Velvet (FR), I could not resist the "Hampton Gold Fabric".  A product inherently FR treated, suitable for domestic and commercial projects including upholstery and drapery.  I however was planning to line the back of my glass fronted cabinet!  This sustainable velvet is fire rated and made from 100% recycled plastic water bottles diverted from landfill.

"Hampton Gold"

Collaborating with the Sir John Soane's Museum and directly working and reworking architects' drawings, paintings and objects d'art, Blackpop has undoubtedly created one of its most opulent and dramatic works.  

From 'The Collector's Collection' which consists of 5 wallpaper designs, 3 fabric designs and 2 hand woven rugs, each with its own story to tell.

Every purchase supports the Sir John Soane's Museum - what's not to love about my choice!

Note:  Cabinet pictures will be improved asap!!

As part of my upcycling 'How To' posts and video series, you will be able to see how I upcycled this cabinet and attached the velvet to the backboard.  However, at the time of publishing this blog post the series is not yet available but will go live at the end of July 2023 and a link will be added!

WHERE AND HOW TO FIND BLACKPOP

The showroom, studio and workshop are based in the historic village of Wirksworth, Derbyshire and the team at Blackpop are always happy see their customers visiting to plan out their projects, so if you are local to the area then why not drop into the Showroom for inspirational ideas and to see for yourself their incredible collections.  It's worth noting that if you would like to discuss in detail any of their collections then consider making an appointment to ensure their undivided attention and time.  The contact details can be found HERE

I hope you enjoy this post, I love receiving comments so don't be shy, pop below even if it's just to say hello!

All the best

Nicky 😊

Slow-Cooker Roast Shoulder of Lamb with Crispy Roast Potatoes

Hello there

Well, if like me, you found yourself looking at ways to save money on electricity this year, I read quite a lot of articles on how to do this.  I decided to dig out my Slow Cooker, something I am sorry to say has only ever been used a few times in the past 5 years of me owning it!! 

It may interest you to know that the slow cooker is one of the most economical ways to cook, using much less electricity than any other kitchen appliance when cooking meat, roasts, stews, casseroles and baking, etc.

But before I ramble on, I thought I’d just show you a little video of my method for cooking a roast shoulder of lamb in the slow cooker to wet your appetite. 

Now for those of you with a keen eye, you may have noticed a few discrepancies in my recording of the video, which I have to admit I've not mastered yet, but I’m working very hard to rectify as speedily as I can!!! you will notice that I served it up with roast potatoes but in the video showed you a saucepan of lovely green broccoli and gravy!!  As it would be rude of me not to share with you, my secret ingredient in producing these gloriously crispy, light, crunchy, golden roast potatoes that never fail to make your mouth water, I have added another video for just that!

It’s definitely worth remembering that this method of cooking the lamb works perfectly with beef, pork and even chicken. Only have a shallow amount of liquid in with your meat and vegetables, so as not to boil the meat as opposed to cooking it slowly the dry method.  By putting herbs, spices and seasoning on the top of your joint, it will allow the flavours to penetrate into the joint during the cooking process.  And as with the lamb once the meat is finished cooking in the slow cooker, you can always brown off your finished joint in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes just to give it a more colourful and crispy appearance.

ROAST POTATOES WITH MY SECRET INGREDIENT!

Ingredients: 

Maris Piper Potatoes (enough for the number of people you are serving.

Salt and pepper to taste.

2 TBLS of Semolina

Sprig of mint

2 x TBLS of Duck fat

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

As mentioned before I needed to cut down on the amount of electricity I was paying for because like most people in the UK, I was horrified when my electricity bills tripled in price. I’m happy to say that it’s been a really worthwhile exercise to do and I thought I would share with you some of the things I have learnt in doing so.

With a passion for food, I wanted to investigate different costs of cooking methods. I thought it would be fun to finish off with some energy efficient, mouth-watering solutions to conventional oven cooking.

Well as you can see, the Slow Cooker is a clear winner in costs and now that I have mastered more ways to use it other than casseroles and stews I find myself using it almost all the time.  Funnily enough it has freed up so much more time for me once I have done the preparation and set it up, I can literally get on with my day knowing my food is being cooked for later!

I really hope you enjoy the blog and try out the recipe's for yourself.  If you have any fantastic recipes that you use in your slow cooker I would be thrilled to hear from you in the comments.  Let me know if you have a go at adding "Semolina" to your roasties!!

Take care.

Nicky :) 

Nobody's Child - Eco-Conscious and Affordable Fashion

I recently came across Nobody's Child an eco-conscious and affordable fashion brand, thankfully through following the lovely Fearne Cotton on Instagram.  Fearne has a collaboration with Nobody's Child and you can read all about that below.  I instantly fell in love with this brand and their wide range of beautifully designed collections.  Read on and I have a personal code for you to use at the checkout if you would like 20% off, this offer is for a limited time so scroll on down.

Nobody's Child

The ethics behind this company are truly inspiring and ticks a number of boxes for me personally.  What's not to love about their Responsible Statement:

Responsibility is in our fabric:

"Nobody’s Child is a responsible brand on a mission to bring beautiful fashion to every woman, everywhere without costing the Earth. Passionate about lower impact fabrics, we’ve spent the last eight years running away from materialism. Nobody’s perfect. We’re proud that our spring/summer 2023 collection is our most responsible yet. It’s designed in-house at our London-based studio and is made from over 95% organic, lower impact or recycled materials. 

Our unwavering commitment to sustainable fabric innovation has driven us to prioritise responsible materials alongside promoting ethical sourcing and continually improving our practices. Believing strongly in the power of collaboration, we work with NGOs and industry experts to share the knowledge, critical expertise and oversight needed to further our mission. Our employees, the very backbone of the brand, are deeply engaged in our sustainability initiatives. Similarly, our customers play a crucial role as advocates of sustainable fashion. It’s your demand for responsibly made clothes that allows us to do what we do. 

Finally, we work closely with our wholesale partners, supporting them on their own paths to sustainability, creating a ripple effect in the fashion industry as a whole. Nobody’s Child isn’t just about us. Every step we take is a collaborative effort."

Nobody's Child, 2023 

My Recent Purchase!

Their clothes are bright, comfortable, well made and fun to wear.   The prints are divine and I am thrilled with my own recent purchase of the White Fruit Print Starlight Midaxi Dress, this will almost certainly be a style that will stay in the fold for ever, it's such a flattering shape.  I wish I had taken more note of their advice on sizing down if you like a slightly closer fit because I am afraid I had to replace mine as I ordered wrongly.  However, without any hassles at all I was able to return the dress and order a replacement size straight away.

This iconic dress is made from plant-based fibres blended with a touch of organic cotton, I particularly love the fruit bowl print. The quality of the sleeves is incredible with double material to give soft puff gathering, the buttons are covered and add a lovely touch to the very flattering shaped front and oh my goodness it even has pockets!!

• Low v-neck
• Short puff sleeves
• Covered buttons
• Pockets
• Panelled waist designed to flatter
• A-line skirt that skims the body

White Fruit Print Starlight Midaxi Dress

Fearne Cotton and "Happy Place"

In September 2022 Nobody's Child partnered with Fearne Cotton, English Broadcaster and Author and together created "Happy Place" a joyful collection of clothing incorporating Fearne's unique easy to wear style with the sustainable, eco-conscious branding qualities of Nobody's Child.  This is truly a superb collection.   You can shop Fearne's collection HERE

Here you can catch up on this interview with Fearne:

Where can you shop Nobody's Child?

Nobody's Child flagship store is situated on Carnaby Street and is definitely worth a visit if spending time in London.  This year you can also enjoy to search through the collections in a number of London Pop-Up's.  I am happy to pop below all the information for you.  If however, like me you enjoy to shop online, the service is great and ordering is easy so you can pop directly to www.nobodyschild.com 

Nobody's Child Shops 2023

  Carnaby Street                Covent Garden                 Kings Road                   Spitalfields        

Rent from Nobody's Child!

Wow, did you know that you are able to rent the latest trends from Nobody's Child!  Rental is available for everything from women's dresses, jumpsuits and casual wear on repeat, the perfect option for an occasional piece.

RENT NOBODYS CHILD HERE

You can:

Rent 2 items for 4 days for £35 using code 2FOR35 at the checkout.

Rent 3 items for 10 days for £50 using code 3FOR50 at the checkout.

NOTE:  This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discounts and Items rented using 2FOR/ 3FOR codes and capsule orders are not eligible for rental credit.

OFFERS

At the time of writing this post there is a 50% off Sale on the website.

If what you fancy is not in the sale, then, for a limited time only you can click my link to get a 20% Off code to use at the checkout. 

(this offer ends 1st August 2023)

CLICK MY LINK FOR 20% OFF HERE

What does the future look like at Nobody's Child?

Live gently upon this Earth. Be Kind.

We’re on a journey to transform our business so it’s completely circular, giving back what we take away. We’ve highlighted three goals below that we’re focusing on. Our plans are underpinned by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Here at Nobody’s Child we align our activities, goals and reporting to these SDGs.

1. Introduce circular design principles into 75% of our range by 2025

We’ll train our design and buying teams on circularity. In fact, we’ve already started. We’ve introduced specific training for our design team and we’re developing tools to ensure circular principles are incorporated into all our clothes.

2. Make every collection from 100% responsible fabrics by 2025 

Responsible fabric alternatives will be continually assessed for all product types and integrated into our material mix regularly​. We’ll continue to always choose the most responsible versions of all key fabrics and stay up to date with the latest innovations in the industry.

 3. Be a climate positive business by 2025 

We’re in the process of updating our carbon footprint with the overall aim of becoming climate positive. This goes beyond achieving net zero emissions to create an environmental benefit by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

Nobody's Child, 2023

I think the future of fashion is in safe hands with intelligent, forward thinking company's like Nobody's Child, I for one will be watching their journey with huge interest and will happily support them along the way.  

I hope you have enjoyed reading the blog post, I also hope you will enjoy to investigate this gorgeous brand for yourself.  I love to hear what my readers think of the posts I publish and also about the brands I am blogging about, so please feel free to comment below and share your thoughts, be kind!

Thank you and take care.

Nicky :)