This post is being entered into the ‘Watch Hut’ outfit of the day competition to win £300 worth of John Lewis vouchers via the MAD Blog Awards!
The inspiration was the gorgeous summer weather we are having at the moment and how much I would love to simply jump up, pack a picnic basket full of homemade food (and a few cheeky bottles of wine) and traipse off to a hidden corner of the countryside to sit and enjoy the solitude and the beauty of the countryside.
The collage was made using Polyvore which is something I have never used before but my goodness – it’s amazing! 🙂 I am certain we will see it again on this blog!!
The outfit…
Sticking to my frugal ways everything is currently on sale or a good price so would actually be feasible for me to purchase (although not this particular week) except maybe the Watch, which although it is a very generous (!) 9% off is still over £400.00! eek! definitely an investment item!
- Watch: Burberry Ladies the Utilitarian Watch – £446.00
£495.00(www.thewatchhut.co.uk) - Top: Louche Margarita Lace Blouse -£15.00
£35.00(www.joythestore.com) - Skirt: Vintage Black Floral Swing Skirt – £35.00 (www.ladyvlondon.com)
- Shoes: Office Milton Chelsea boots – £28.00
£68.00(www.office.co.uk) - Sunglasses: Selected Sfmartine Sunglasses – £16.00 (www.selected.com)
- Hat: sur la tete Milan Boater Straw Sun Hat – £15.95 (www.hatsandcaps.co.uk)
- Necklace: Large Owl Necklace – £3.80
£4.50(www.ringsandtings.com)
The location…
‘Cholsey to Wallingford – Bridge over a stream’ – Image used under Creative Commons license from Laurie Lopes via Flickr
Would have to be the countryside where I used to live near Wallingford in Oxfordshire. Home of Agatha-Christie Mallowan and her archaeologist husband Max Mallowan during the later years of her life – you can actually visit her gravestone in the churchyard in Cholsey if you’re a Miss Marple or Poirot fan like myself.
Perfect foraging territory out there as well with some amazing apple trees on the roadsides on the way to Cholsey (we used to live off those apples when times were tough!) As well as blackberry bushes and all manner of other bushes and elder trees as well.
The picnic basket…
As we’re daydreaming – my perfect items for a picnic hamper would have to be:
- apples – the fresher the better!
- homemade scones with a little pot of jam from our pantry
- cold meats and a huge circle of brie
- homemade chutney – we made a gorgeous chutney from a glut of green tomatoes and giant marrows a few years back using the Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall ‘glutney’chutney recipe as a basis
- a couple of fresh baguettes
- a punnet of home-grown tomatoes and berries
- some cold crisp sparkling wine – maybe even veering down the classy ‘lambrini’ route if desperate! 🙂
The competition is open until 11 July 2014, wish me luck! Still awaiting my first competition win – ever!!!! 🙂
What would be your perfect weekend?
x
Cottage Retreatist 