Handmade for the holidays...

I have always been obsessed with vintage French linen. Now mostly found in the attics of old french chateaux's and the cupboards of textile enthusiasts, I am drawn to its slubby softness and irregular weave and I am always on the lookout for a pretty little bundle. I dream of an old armoire stacked high with piles of neatly folded linens, interspersed with soft, floppy lavender bags and tied with ribbons and twine. I spend a LOT of time hunting out the real deal, and if I find a piece with a red stripe and a hand embroidered initial thrown in there and I am near passing out with joy.

Naturally, lots of the gifts and cards for sale at Verity & Thyme this Christmas have been made from treasured pieces I have saved up for my favourite time of the year. I have spent many a chilly autumn evening hand embroidering festive motifs onto tea cosies and cards, and have not been surprised that both these and the embroidered lavender pillows have flown out the door as fast as I can make them!

For the tea lover in your life, one of the jolly hand embroidered french linen tea cosies would go down a treat this Christmas and with a limited supply left at the pop up, you best snap one up quickly. Made from a vintage french linen sheet and trimmed with handmade french lace, they will look pretty as a picture next to the Christmas cake this December.

The lovely soothing scent of lavender is one of my favourites, and this natural relaxant fills the little plump pillows seen above. Made from old french linen tea towels and adorned with handmade lace and a button (either a 1930's glass button, mother of pearl or a piece of a vintage chandelier) they make lovely stocking presents, perfect for placing on your pillow before you go to sleep. Alternatively pop in a drawer or wardrobe and enjoy it all day long as it lightly scents your clothes.

Also filled with lavender are the stocking and heart handmade cards. The perfect card-gift combination, the sweet little stocking or heart can be taken off the card and hung as a decoration on the tree or a door handle to be enjoyed all year round. The lavender is grown by the lovely people at Long Barn in Hampshire, as I believe it is important to support our very own hardworking farmers here in the UK.

And finally, tied with ribbons on festive red and white check linen from the 1930's, these lovely long cinnamon stick bundles are ready to be placed on the mantlepiece or the Christmas table to release their warming scent. 

Don't forget the pop up will be open over the weekend too as Oh Me Oh My serve up lots of festive afternoon teas on Saturday and Sunday, so pop in and pick up a few one-off gifts for your loved ones!

There is also still time to order a lovely fresh festive arrangement or two for the ladies in your life, but if you can't make it this weekend then pop your details in an email and I will get back to you.

Charlotte xx

December Greetings

Good gracious, I can hardly believe December is finally here - we are in the last month of 2014, how did that happen so fast? The Verity & Thyme pop up shop is now open and the final countdown is on to the 25th - what a wonderful time of year indeed.

On Sunday, serenaded by live acoustic music and happy chatter, the first of the Christmas wreath workshops took place at Oh Me Oh My with a lovely group of ladies with a lot of talent. Having mossed the wreath rings, we set about choosing the right foliage for the look we wanted to create (we did both traditional and romantic) and then added lots of french lace, ribbon and flowers to finish off. It was such a joy to see the ladies leave with a fresh wreath and a smile on their face!

Alongside the festive wreaths, fresh floral table centres are available to order in time for the 25th (for collection a few days beforehand) in the soft romantic pinks, greys and whites V&T loves so dearly. I have always found inspiration in Scandinavian design and the emphasis on the beauty of the natural world, and I have added my love of muted pinks and fresh whites to give a feminine edge. Layers of lace and tulle add a touch of whimsy, and there are a few strings of sparkling pearls draped from candles too - it is Christmas after all! Perfect as your Christmas day dinner centrepiece, or as a gift for the host, all you need to do is light the wicks and enjoy the flickering candlelight and scent of winter foliage as you feast...

Fresh arrangements start from £35 and will be available to pick up from Oh Me Oh My on Water Street or The Garden at Fact on Wood Street before or on Monday 22nd December.

If you would like more information on the arrangements mentioned above, please feel free to email Charlotte at verityandthyme@gmail.com, or pop into Oh Me Oh My this December and have a little chat...

xx

Christmas is coming...

See you there... xx

Christmas at Verity & Thyme...

I am the biggest fan of Christmas. As I type, I have a Christmas episode of one of my favourite programs on in the background and most of the films on the Christmas film channel are already pre-recorded. The minute I am back from my summer holidays I am already planning the festive season, much to the annoyance of my loved ones. I do, however, try to pace myself until after we have enjoyed bonfire night in all its woodsmoke and caramel-y glory or I fear I might burn myself out before the first advent door is opened! 

I have been sketching and planning and dreaming of Verity & Thyme's first Christmas in Liverpool for some time now, and I am so excited to be able to share it with you finally. The lovely ladies at Oh Me Oh My have welcomed Verity & Thyme into their arms this December and it is such a pleasure to spend the festive season in such a beautiful venue.

I am delighted to be running a handful of Christmas wreath making and table arrangement workshops this year; a place I hope you can come to escape the madness of the high street and spend some time creating something really beautiful for your home amongst the twinkling lights and relaxing music of Oh Me Oh My. I have been collecting bundles of vintage french lace, luxurious velvet ribbon and all manner of sparkly bits and bobs to adorn wreaths and table centres for the workshops, and selecting the loveliest foliages and herbs to incorporate into them too.

'Old English romance' is the phrase I often find myself using when describing the Verity & Thyme style, and those beautiful soft pinks, muted greys and silvery foliages I am so often drawn to will be at the forefront of my Christmas colour palette this year. However, it wouldn't be Christmas without the more traditional red and green of the season, so expect to see deep wine reds and fresh forest greens amongst the fresh arrangements and gifts too.  

If you are unable to make a workshop however, the great news is that Verity & Thyme will be at Oh Me Oh My for the whole of December! From the 1st - 22nd, you will find handmade wreaths, home decorations, gifts and cards for sale at our pop-up from Monday to Friday, where you will also be able to order any fresh festive arrangements or wreaths for your home. Come and enjoy a cup of tea and a festive treat whilst browsing lots of lovely Christmas wares, surrounded by the glittering Christmas tree and happy chatter of this grand tea house.

I have no doubt it is going to be the most wonderful time of the year...!

The month of October

Just some of the things I love about the month of October...

Charlotte xx

'Then came October, full of merry and glee'

I love the change in seasons; a whole new colour palette to work with, new textures and shapes to get excited about and blooms cropping up at the market that I haven't used yet this year. Autumn gives me that excited 'back to school' feeling and I can't help but be attracted to chestnut coloured brogues, cosy check scarves and pinafore dresses.  I start planning seasonal feasts in my head too - warming soups and pies alongside mulled ciders for bonfire night and fireside suppers for the long, cold evenings ahead. Every night I stick my head out the window and breathe in the fresh cool air (ignoring the weird looks from my other half) which I find totally refreshing, and get excited about all the seasonal celebrations to come in this half of 2014.























And of course, the change in flowers. Deep red antique hydrangeas, plump ruby rosehip berries and trailing forest green foliages, alongside fluffy grasses, wheat stems and oats replace the pastel palettes of summer. Let us not forget the wonderfully nostalgic dahlia in bright yellows, oranges and reds too - a real showstopper this time of year.
























It has been an unseasonably warm September, which has been a godsend for all my lovely brides - you lucky things! There has been a big and blowsy sunflower wedding, a beautiful photoshoot in both Liverpool and The Lakes, as well as a formal dinner at the Town Hall and lots of seasonal bouquets and vases sent out across the north west. It has been fun, exciting and exhausting, and just as it should be.

Happy autumn... xx

The wedding of Mr and Mrs Percy...

I am hanging my head in shame as I type, knowing that I gave myself a right talking to in the last post about not writing enough - and look where we are now! However, can I be forgiven by making my last post of the summer a bit of a blinder?!

This weekend was THE wedding. The wedding of Mr and Mrs Percy; two of my most favourite people in the world. Family weddings always involve a lot of clubbing together as the day draws near to get everything ready for the big day, and this weekend was no different. Victoria had chosen a palette soft pinks and dusky lilacs for the wedding with touches of silvery foliage, and matching flowers to this brief was a rather lovely task. I chose garden roses in these soft hues paired with frilly little spray roses and lots of trailing jasmine and foliage as well as lots of textured bits and pieces. Homegrown lavender, mint and rosemary also featured, collected from the gardens and allotments of my mum and nana - a family affair indeed! The words 'Old English romance' bounced around my head the day before as we filled the car with blooms and set off for rural Yorkshire. Armed with pinnies, scissors, vintage ribbon and lace and a collection of beautiful plain and mercury glass, I set to work creating an array of ceremony vases, table centres and of course (my favourite bit) the bridal party bouquets and buttonholes. By my side all weekend was my very own mum, who worked like a trooper and is an absolute floral legend in her own right, as well as Ross' mum who collected all the offcuts to fill mini bud vases that were dotted around the tables.

It was lovely - not only getting to work with my family but also being able to enjoy all our efforts the next day. I am usually creeping around delivering bouquets and table centres well before the 'I do's ' and always end up leaving just as the celebrations are beginning, so it was such a pleasure to see everything in place and see others enjoying them too.

Below are a few snapshots I managed to take the day before, and I promise to share more photos as they appear.

So as we wave farewell to a very great summer, I happily say hello to September and all it has to bring. I love the seasons we have in this country; the predictability of whats to come and the new flowers, colours and textures of the season. I love the change in the air, those crisp but sunny autumn mornings and the comfort of blazing fires and woodsmoke. I am already planning my perfect bonfire night menu (something my sister-in-law and I get stupidly excited about) and have already been in discussion about Christmas workshops at Verity & Thyme - stay tuned!

Autumn, I welcome you with open arms...

Wedding season

Is the title of this post enough to explain my blogging absence recently?! When realising the date of my last post I had a stern word with myself for letting a whole month (and the rest) go by without writing. The sentence 'its wedding season!' has cropped up in far too many of my conversations this month, and my family and friends have graciously accepted it as an apology for not responding to their calls, falling asleep on the sofa mid sentence and burning the dinner.

Beautiful photography by Claire Penn

It has been glorious though. Summery flower crowns, milk churns overflowing with blooms and buttonholes made from entirely homegrown flowers and herbs have taken centre stage, and already the professional photos are being dropped in my inbox as a happy reminder. Delivering the bridal party flowers and presenting them to the bride has to be one of my favourite parts of my job; utterly nerve-wracking but absolutely worth it when she jumps out of her seat to throw her arms round you with joy! My vintage lace and ribbon supplies used to bind bouquets, crowns and buttonholes are running dangerously low but I am already looking forward to replenishing the basket as soon as I have a breather.

Beautiful photography (left) by Claire Penn 

Beautiful photography by Amy Faith

Whilst this heat wave is certain to bring an extra cause for worry to any wedding florist, I have absolutely loved July's sunny days and balmy nights, and it has felt like the summers of my childhood - at last a sunshine filled summer! Homegrown sweetpeas have filled the house with their sweet scent and fresh herbs and edible flowers have found their way into cool drinks and suppers. To top it off, I am heading back to my favourite place in the world next week, the beautiful Cornish coast. I will be resting my tired hands and eating more cream teas than one really should - perfect!

Before then however there are two more weddings, white french linen bunting to be cut and vintage ladies handkerchiefs to be sourced - all will be revealed soon...

Charlotte xx

Happy Hen

It is officially summer by my watch. I have had numerous ice lollies, worn floaty dresses with bare legs for the last week and the windows and doors have been permanently thrown open to let the summer air drift in. It is heaven.

It is an absolute joy to be a florist in these beautiful summer months, when the flower markets are jam packed with huge blowsy blooms in every colour and the sunshine brings even the most stubborn of tightly closed peonies to life. I adore summer weddings; the soft romantic hues of roses and delphiniums, long trestle tables covered in pretty tablecloths bowing under the weight of a wedding feast and the last light creating a golden glow over the happy bride and groom. On my work table I have the odd bee drifting in and resting for a while on fragrant lavender, the gentle evening breeze ruffling garden roses and a few accidentally snapped flower heads floating in bowls of cool water.

(Please note: the life of a florist isn't always such a breeze - someone please remind me of this blog post in December when I am crying into a bowl of soup, wearing 5 jumpers and still unable to feel my hands or toes...)

Floral arches, flowers crowns and birthday bouquets have featured so far this June, with vivid two-tone Vuvuzela roses stealing the show. A very special hen do took place this weekend where delicate floral crowns replaced the usual flashing headbands and fancy dress - the perfect way to treat an elegant bride-to-be! Bountiful birthday bouquets in bright corals and pinks have adorned tables set for afternoon tea, alongside pretty little jam jars tied with twine.

Romantic urns filled with cottage garden blooms have been created for Oh Me Oh My, sitting pretty on the bar area and in the marble entrance hall. Sister venue Leaf has also had a floral facelift, with galvanised tin buckets of more exotic blooms framing the bar and stage areas. The next project involves 30 mini hanging vases filled with flower heads suspended from branches above the long communal tables  - watch this space!

Charlotte xx

Milking it

You know wedding season has well and truly begun when a whole month flashes before your eyes and you have barely had time to stand still and take it all in. There have been multiple birthdays and bank holidays, interspersed with wedding parties and celebrations galore.

I did manage to sneak in a visit back to the shire the weekend before my very own birthday, which ended up being exactly what I needed. We went on countryside walks, ate cream teas watching the cricket (oh how very British) and had such beautiful weather that we ate every meal in the garden - a distant memory today as I watch the rain lash down outside. My birthday bounty included another great big vintage tin bath, a selection of beautifully inspiring wedding flowers books and a LOT of rose chocolate - I was a very happy girl. The tin bath has already been filled with lavender, foxgloves, lettuces and sweetpeas amongst others and I just love it. 

Driving back with a car full of cow parsley from the hedgerows, I spent a happy morning filling up my new milk churns with it at Oh Me Oh My and taking a few photos to show what an impact this simple vase can make. I also spent my bank holiday with the lovely ladies at OMOM preparing for the beautiful wedding of Heather and Ian, with a dreamy palette of white and seafoam green. Using peonies, hydrangea, flowering mint and roses, I filled a selection of vintage bottles at the base of their washing line table plan and to compliment the bride's and bridesmaids bouquets. Please click here for more photos and details on hiring the table plan.

With June on its way, I couldn't help share this lovely little poem from a book I found tucked away in an old bookshop this week. Let's hope this weather cheers up in time for all of June's brides...

' A cloudless sky; a world of heather,

Purple of foxglove, yellow of broom;

We two among it, wading together,

Shaking out honey, treading perfume.

Crowds of bees are giddy with clover.

Crowds of grasshoppers skip at our feet,

Crowds of larks at their matins hang over,

Thanking the Lord for a life so sweet.'

                                             - Jean Ingelow

Charlotte xx

In the kitchen

Sometimes I like nothing better than a few hours pottering in kitchen on a sunny afternoon when I have the time, throwing a few bits into a mixing bowl and seeing what comes out of the oven an hour later (which doesn't always work!) This week I was desperate for something sweet mid-afternoon on Monday and fancied some quick and easy shortbread, which I decided to flavour with orange blossom and some rich dark chocolate.

Perfect for a late morning pick-me-up, and afternoon treat or just to get you through piles of paperwork with copious cups of tea, the quick and easy recipe below is ideal for making a small mountain of shortbread for yourself or to share (mood dependant)...

Dark Chocolate and Orange Blossom Shortbread

Approx. 10 squares

Ingredients:

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

50g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling over

125g unsalted butter

80g dark chocolate, chopped roughly into chunks

1 teaspoon orange blossom water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170c/gas mark 3. Mix the flour and sugar together in a mixing bowl and rub in the butter with your thumb and forefinger. Add the orange blossom water and chocolate chunks and mix together, forming a ball of dough. Roll out or pat with your fingers until it is roughly 1cm thick and transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. If you wish to make the shortbread easier to cut into squares once cooked, score some lines into the shortbread to go over later when cooled. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until it is a lovely light golden colour. Once cool, pop the kettle on and make yourself a cup of tea whilst you sample* the shortbread. Enjoy!

*eat all of

With wedding season gearing up for the summer, I have enjoyed many meetings with lovely brides and grooms discussing their ideas and drawing up flower plans for their upcoming weddings - and what a lucky florist I am! Summer colour palettes of sunshine yellow, cornflower blues and cheery coral with lots of fluffy garden roses and skyscraper delphiniums have been discussed, alongside pretty vintage palettes of chalky pink, soft champagne and parma violet for a more romantic edge.

Luckily my order of milk churns arrived this week, and so I am waiting for the weekend to fill them with flowers and share my love of this old fashioned vase. Perfect for adorning entrance ways and aisles, the laid back charm of the milk churn creates a simple yet striking arrangement and gives that 'country feel' to any venue! For more milk churn inspiration, take a look at my Pinterest board by clicking HERE.

I will be heading down to leafy Buckinghamshire for some birthday celebrations over the weekend, taking full advantage of the blossoming hedgerows and countryside, and my mum and nana's gardens and allotment - I aim to return with a car full of floral goodies!

Charlotte xx

May It Be...

I seem to say this every time the first of each month appears, but I love the month of May. The cow parsley is springing up in the hedgerows, the peonies are out in all their glorious blowsy beauty and flower headbands seem a more acceptable hair accessory (or is that just me?!). With two bank holidays at the start and end of the month, it is easy to see why so many brides choose this month to say 'I do'.

Just as the last daffodil heads are drooping, we are welcomed into May with gorgeous blooms such as sweetly scented stocks, classically elegant lily of the valley and early scented garden roses jumbled together in mis-matched vases, milk churns and buckets. Soft hues such as ballerina pink, sage green and soft champagne mix together beautifully to create a relaxed feel to the celebrations, as the bunting is casually thrown over tree branches and round pillars to add to the party feel.

With pretty ideas such as these whirring around in my head, I find complete joy in collecting all my inspirations on either the Verity & Thyme tumblr or every bride's best friend - Pinterest. Below I have gathered a few of my favourites that I think epitomise a May wedding, I hope you like them as much as I do...

Charlotte xx

N.B None of the above photos belong to Verity & Thyme, but please find the links on Pinterest and Tumblr.