Peruse Fair Trade

Something useful for Christmas – a recipe!

caroline — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:24:44 +0000

Gløg – Gluhwein – Liquid Mince pies

Gløg is the Scandinavian version of mulled wine and is very much associated with Christmas.

To make a perfect Gløg rake through all your cupboards and look for any mulled wine essences or mixes that you might have. Bin immediately if you find any.

The Gløg mix can be made in advance and will last for years. You will need,-

100 ml of Vodka

10 g whole cinnamon

20 cloves

1 small piece of ginger

1 level teaspoon of cardamom

Peel from half a Seville orange

Break up the cinnamon sticks and put all in to an airtight jar and leave for a few days or at least overnight.

Pour one bottle of red wine into a saucepan; add 300ml of sugar, one level teaspoon of vanilla sugar, a handful or two of raisins and peeled, coarsely chopped almonds.

Gently heat the wine until hot and the sugar have dissolved. Now add the filtered premade vodka spice-mix. Don’t overheat as we don’t want to lose the alcohol.

Serve in glass cups with a teaspoon to help you getting at the raisins and almonds.

Take a taxi home…

OH NO!

caroline — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:25:35 +0000

Apparently, my website has been bouncing people off when they tried to pay, and telling them that they didn’t know where they lived! I’m so sorry! It’s fixed, I promise! There’s still time to shop for Christmas, and I’m turning parcels around on a same-day basis at the mo!

To cheer you from your fury with things technological, here’s a happy elf to brighten your day!

Crazy Christmas Shenanigans!

caroline — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:12:37 +0000

Well hi! It would appear Christmas shopping fever is upon us! I barely have time to unload a delivery at the moment before it gets snapped up by hungry shoppers – so apologies for the silence this end – I promise to get new photographs on this week, honest!

This last weekend I held my Open House event – I thought you might like to see a picture of a shy, but very happy customer in her new sloopers – thank you Alice, for being such a lovely model – I’m glad you have Happy Feet!

Speak soon,

xx C xx

Hot heads!

caroline — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:49:33 +0000

I think hats are very much a personal taste thing. I know which hats suit me – I like brim hats (Beautiful pictures benefit from good framing, girls!) and I like pull-on hats. I’m not the right person for those ear-flap ones though – I look a bit like a bassett hound in ‘em. Rachel, however, looks great in hats. And that’s why I borrow her head to show them to you. Here she is in a gorgeous little purple number!

Cubist's heaven!

So, the winter bags and hats are in. Slowly but surely I’m adding them to the website – watch and DROOL!

Sunshine and Sloopers!

caroline — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:39:06 +0000

sloopers start at size 18/19 - perfect for a new walker!

Isn’t it hot! Who would have thought we’d be sitting in the garden airing our wobbly bits at this time of year! Someone told me we’re getting snow in October – that’s the day after tomorrow in my calendar, so I’m making the most of the heat!

Well it’s been a while since I wittered at you – and no wonder – busy, busy, busy this end! Lots of autumn shows, and lots of shopping. This weekend I’m going to the Earth Day at Bransford Fold, which looks fantastic, followed by a day photographing the new stock that’s arriving for the winter season: bags, hats, jewellery and fab (shhh!) Christmassy bits, too. I’m fully stocked with new Sloopers, so there’s no excuse for cold toes this winter either, folks – not even next month’s promised deep snow!

Slipper Season Approaches!

caroline — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:21:41 +0000

Well it seems a while since we chatted last. Autumn’s on it’s way – don’t you love September? My garden is so full of fat fruit I’ve run out of jamjars – as have my friends and neighbours! We’ll be eating jam and jellies until 2020 at this rate!

Yesterday I took the poochie and her pals for a walk (swim!) by the river. It was glorious sunshine. Dragonflies, twittery birds, the lot. Then I came home and designed the Christmas stand for the new delivery of pixie slippers. Very strange to organise Christmas in a heatwave! I’m expecting 100 pairs of super Slooper slippers to arrive this morning. (There goes my spare room!) Mind you, they’re so gorgeous and cosy, and they make you bounce for joy, like Tigger, whenever you wear them.

They look like this :

Sloopers for an average-sized pixie. They go down to newborn, and up to a 45!

Aren’t they fun? If you fancy a browse through the colours, start here - http://www.perusefairtrade.co.uk/shop/cosy-feet/sloopers1/little-sloopers-up-to-size-25/

Catch you next time! Cxx

What do you buy for the man who has everything?

caroline — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:01:52 +0000

It’s my Dad’s birthday in a week. He’ll be 85. I got the usual text from my sis this morning… “what are you getting Dad for his bd?” It reminds me of that old joke – what do you buy for a man that has everything? Penicillin. This year I’m sorted. Have been since Guildford festival – but I’m not telling you – he may read this!

So what DO you buy for the man that has everything? Easy. Socks. Not just any old socks tho – how about these? Handmade from recycled cotton and Lycra, these mismatched socks are the comfiest thing ever – and if your man suffers from feet (You know what I mean) – they’ll definitely help. And hey – life’s too short for matching socks!

http://www.perusefairtrade.co.uk/shop/cosy-feet/odd-socks1/daffodil-socks/

Mad Social Whirl!

caroline — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:46:43 +0000

In fine voice at the Royal Welsh Show 2011

Hi! I’ve just spent five days in deepest Wales at the Royal Welsh Show, and it barely rained at all – a couple of years ago I was a mud monster, but not this year! It was great fun, as it always is – I was opposite the WI stand – and spent an inordinate amount of time giggling. I’ve now added “Good afternoon” to my meagre Welsh repertoire – I can’t SPELL it, but I can say it, so I can greet people all day long now!

So, today I OUGHT to be unpacking the boxes, and getting new pictures on the site – but I’ve got to help get an engagement party ready here, for 70 people, tomorrow. Timing, or what? If I look pale on Monday it’s because blowing up the bouncy castle was harder than I thought – I wonder if I’ve that much puff?

Have a great weekend!

Time Flies..

caroline — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:26:43 +0000

Why would you time a fly? And to do what? Hoover the living room? Bake some almond flapjacks? Do three circuits of the sugar bowl? Don’t you just love reading things wrong? In Guildford on Saturday there was a man with a sign – it read “Large leather jacket sale – 1000 for £55.” As my son commented, that has to be a bargain if you need a thousand large leather jackets…

Yes, as you probably guessed, I have a thousand things to do before I go back to Guildford Craft Week on Thursday. And because I’m so busy, I thought I’d write to you.

That, and time flies…

Speak soon!

Wrapping it up!

caroline — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:22:59 +0000

I’m packing scarves for Guildford Craft Week at the moment. Well, not EXACTLY at this moment, obv, but this morning. It’s amazing the things you have to think about – can I take lace scarves? Will they blow away if there’s a gale? (I have a tendency to suffer terribly from wind (!!)) Should I take silk? What if there’s a torrential downpour? One year it rained so hard I expected to see salmon jumping up the pavement, looking for a spawning ground! What about the patchwork ones? Would the good folk of Guildford like those? Might they seem a bit too country-cottage?

Ah, the heck with it. I’ll take the lot. If there’s room. The car already has the gazebo, the weights, the tables, the superstructure for displays, the jewellery boards, the chair…

There’s bound to be room for a BIT of stock..

Hope to see you in Guildford folks! I’m outside Ernest Jones on the High Street till Sunday afternoon – come and say hi!

Have a good one

Cxx