Exotic packaging: Emma Bridgewater Shellfish Plates

Despite not eating shellfish I do think prawns and crabs and lobsters and things can be very beautiful. So I bought this 2 pack of pretty plates from Emma Bridgewater. One (the crab) is part of my world renowned Wall of Plates. Or you might really style it a kitchen of plates. The second I gave as a present.

Now that I have posted this beautiful packaging I can put into into the present box I keep stashed under my bed, and give it away next time I have a suitably shaped present. Not as a present! That would be mean.

A Little Bit of Chocolate Does You Good: M&S Storm Trooper Foiled Milk Chocolates with a Caramel Centre

Ever thoughtful with their product descriptions Mark & Spencer have produced a very tasty chocolate covered caramel sweet. Covered in a a piece of foil printed with a Storm Trooper. Nice. But don't look at these Storm Trooper chocolates upsidedown because you get q creepy smile!

I thought this was a BB8 themed sweetie but as you see - no. However, these little caramels do come in a BB8 shaped tin so you can see why I made that mistake.

A Little Bit of Chocolate Does You Good: Bad Brownies

The reluctant taste testers were given a box of brownies. Not strictly chocolate, but chocolatey and yummy. They come in all sorts of amazing flavours and are well worth a try if you are within reach of a shop or their delivery.

Take a look at their website.

Delicious. Merry Christmas chocolate fans.

Exotic Packaging: bread wrapper

This was the fancy paper used by our favourite Reims bakery last Christmas.

Isn't it fun?

Merry Christmas 2016

A Little Bit of Chocolate Does You Good: Cadburys Dairy Milk Buttons

Who can resist a chocolate button? This tiny packet has been sitting around on the desk for so long it's got rather dusty. There can't have been more than 10 buttons, but it's ages since I ate them.

10 isn't really enough is it?

I Really Love My Christmas Tree

No Christmas tree is complete without a London bus!

It's hard to photograph your Christmas tree. By night, even with a really good camera I struggle to get a good picture because the only lighting is fairy lights (or as they are now mysteriously named "string lights"). And by day, even at midday, the sun is so low in the sky, the light so slanting, that I didn't get much better results.

Platypus ornament from David Jones in Sydney.

The tree.

Emma Bridgewater jug.

Swan ornament from Fortnum & Mason.

In the background there's a clear glass bauble with a reindeer which came from Rome, a present from a friend who now lives in Sydney.

Cuddly zebra ornament from John Lewis.

Where did I get this glass bauble? Can't remember. Possibly Paperchase.

I think this oak leaf and acorns ornament is National Trust, but I'm not sure.

A ceramic buffalo ornament from Buffalo NY.

The green shoe on the left came from the V&A.

Oh look! a stormtrooper below a glass pine cone and a bauble from Venice.

I can't remember where this chunky blue glass star came from.

I remember this silver tinsel and red flower ornament from when I was 5 years old. 

A handsome Wedgwood bauble (get yours in the January sales like I do) and behind it, a home made bauble crafted from a Banksia seedpod. I picked this from a Banksia bush near a bus stop in Coojee, a suburb of Sydney.

You can see the midday sun streaming in and lighting another of the Wedgwood baubles.

This brass Loon (or Diver) came from a shop in Clapham in the 1980s, and everyone needs a Black Cab.

This British Museum ornament was a present.

A Little Autumn Colour 2016 (2)

This tall Lime is in a front garden

My neighbour's Japanese Maple

A big street Maple on a windy but very sunny morning

Even this huge Oak has nice autumn colours this year

Ash trees don't usually have such good autumn colour round here

Another lovely morning shows up this Cherry tree's autumn colour

Red Oak

Sumac

Now that we have reached December and winter London is in the grip of heavy frost. It seems strange to think how mild the weather was only the other day.