At this time of year, right in the middle of the school summer holidays, there is really only one thing I’m coveting right now and that is peace and calm! However, I do so love the summer and despite the continual rush of children, the warm long days always make me smile. Everything I’m dreaming about right now is inspired by the season, as you’ll see below.
I like to think that I’m made most happy by the simple things in life but perhaps the indulgences in this feature tell a different story. So, let’s head onto the list of my current most coveted and you can judge for yourself.
Firstly, I’m absolutely lusting after a seriously unplugged getaway. After a fabulous summer trip last year with my son to Swallowtail Hill, and a sneaky getaway to Brickles Camp earlier in the holiday, I’ve got my eye on Jolly Days in Yorkshire for some late summer fun. The prospect of truly getting away from it all and winding down in beautiful surroundings is irresistible. I love the combination of wilderness and luxury and those late nights around the campfire with nothing to do but talk and no distractions to stop you listening are magical. Excuse me for a moment while I dream of Jolly Days’ deluxe lodge tent with it’s wood-burning stove, verandah and private roll top bath.
Another thing I love about summer is the food (who am I kidding? I love food all year around!) but the laid back pace of the school holidays gives me more time to cook with the kids and we all love baking. Despite already having more than enough cookbooks, I plan to take us all on a cake based journey with Claire Clark’s ’80 Cakes From Around The World’ and I also know I’m not going to be able to resist ‘Bake Me A Cake As Fast As You Can’ by The Great British Bake-Off finalist Miranda Gore Browne.
Cake images extracted from Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can by Miranda Gore Browne
Photography by Rosie Barnett
Whilst we’re still on the subject of food, I yearn for another cup of Anges De Sucre’s hot chocolate (the best I’ve ever tasted) accompanied by some of those heavenly marshmallows. These fantastically flavoured treats will make any day better, I promise you that. Also, as summer wouldn’t be summer without some indulgent ice cream and the Smart Scoop from Sage by Heston Blumenthal** needs to get itself into my kitchen right now so I can mix up all manner of treats. It makes sorbet and frozen yoghurt as well as gelato and ice cream but I’m very sure I’ll be working at the indulgent end of the spectrum!
Moving away from food, I’m utterly addicted to the brilliant Lucky Dip Club right now so am coveting a six month subscription. If you love the idea of receiving monthly boxes of handmade treats, this is for you. Each month’s box is themed and the contents range from personalised jewellery and stationery to keyrings, coasters and more. It’s like a little bit of Christmas in the middle of summer!
During summer, I like to keep skincare and beauty regimes as simple as possible (sunglasses hide a multitude of sins) but I’m never without perfume and ‘Hedonist’ is totally on my wishlist right now. After reading Susie’s great feature about wedding perfumes here on Love My Dress and chatting with her about scents, she recommended this to me and I’m smitten. Have you ever seen a prettier bottle?
Last month, I was lucky enough to be given some of Beyond Organic’s skincare products to try and, despite always being very sceptical of those promises of instant transformations, I have to admit that the difference these natural products made to my skin was visible within days. I now can’t wait to get my hands on the whole Ultra Radiance range – I’ll be a new woman by the time everyone is back at school!
Whilst these products might be looking after my body, my soul is being soothed by Kate Rusby’s new album ‘Ghost’. Kate is my total girl crush – her voice is just beautiful and her take ‘English Folk’ is just brilliant. I often work with her music as my backdrop and I just need to get along to one of her autumn tour dates for a real dose of musical heaven.
I’ll finish my covet list with another dream getaway because Fat Hen’s autumnal Gourmet Wild Food Weekend absolutely has my name on it. Cooking, foraging, glamping and feasting down in the wilds of Cornwall, learning to cook things like limpet linguine, rock samphire fritti, blackberry & elderberry biscotti and all manner of other delicacies in gorgeous surroundings, far away from the workaday world would be the stuff of dreams.
Love Tamryn x
Every Friday lunch time, we share a ‘Covet Love’ feature from one of our team members – a list of just some of the things we’ve been lusting after when we’ve not been swooning over beautiful brides. We thought you might appreciate the ‘it’s nearly the weekend’ distraction from weddings and work.
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