MSH Backup

If you, like me, have a comparatively uninventive, desk heavy job, it can be pretty tricky to find the opportunity to injection some creativity into the mix. At the moment, my life is more or less a series of to-do lists, and like a lot of people, I often struggle to find the time to do things for myself which used to come as second nature- whether that’s reading a book, running a bath or even plucking my eyebrows! Having said that, this year (and more so now with winter in prospect), I’ve been making much more of a concerted effort to take some time out to embrace activities which are about as far away from my weekday routine as possible, celebrating creativity and taking inspiration from a very special source:  I fell in love with calligraphy about eighteen months or so ago now, and it’s always something which I find really helps me to relax and channel my energy in a different way to the standard slog of typing and sending email after email. I’ve not really been swept up in the ...

There are few things more synonymous with the arrival of spring than seeing everything burst into bloom again. Only a few weeks ago, I was thinking about what to start potting up in the garden, and now find myself pleasantly surprised at how many flowers from last year have made it through the winter! Whilst I’m still waiting for some of my favourite blooms to re-emerge after hibernation, I’ve been keenly keeping things floral inside the house too, thanks, as ever to Bloom & Wild’s wonderful selection. Last Friday's delivery- still going strong after a week- is the one of the first of their peony drops of the year: How beautiful are these? The mood-boosting power of plants never ceases to amaze me, and these coral peonies are happiness in floral form. The colour is fantastic, and they sprung to life so quickly too- definitely worth sizing up on the vase front! The whole bouquet is just as beautiful as you’d expect, with Sweet Williams, Snapdragons and Scabiosa all sitting toget...

As the garden lies dormant during these chilly winter months, I always find myself really missing the opportunity to get out in the fresh air and cut some fresh flowers. Whilst it's lovely to see things slowly springing back to life, it'll take a little while for everything to come into full bloom, which is why I've been filling the floral void with some other options. As well as snapping up some succulents, last week I was lucky enough to receive a very special delivery in the post: Regular readers will know that I've been a big fan of Bloom & Wild for a fair few years now, and their recent collaborations with Nikki Tibbles of Wild at Heart have set the bar for bouquets seriously high. This selection of blooms, named New Romance, features peach roses, ranunculus, scabiosa and all sorts of glorious greenery, and is perfect for bridging the gap between winter and spring- especially as the flowers are wonderfully fragrant too. As well as being a lovely weekend treat t...

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that there are few things in life which make me happier than a fresh bunch of flowers. Whether freshly picked from the garden or picked up on the way home of a Friday night, I always feel at my most relaxed when I'm arranging beautiful blooms in a vase- and if I had to choose an alternative career, I'm pretty sure it would be in floristry! Needless to say, the biggest treat of all is having a bouquet delivered to your door- which is why I'm such a big fan of Bloom & Wild- long lasting flowers which are perfectly put together. They've recently created a brand new bouquet- The Maisie- which for a limited time only came delivered with some bespoke beauty favourites from Birchbox: Benefit's The Porefessional is a real hero product which I've been using for a fair few years now, and an absolute godsend at this time of the year! Contenting with the elements has left my skin looking a little bit weary, so at the moment I'm...