With travel looking unlikely this summer, why not bring it home! The luxury feel of relaxing outside, eating drinking, listening to the sounds of nature and the smell of...hopefully BBQ!
How to create a mood board to inspire your creative projects?
A mood board is a cohesive collage using images, text, and other objects that define your though processes and communicate your ideas. More than a sticky mess of all sorts, a moodboard doesn’t confuse it provides clarification, and helps bring things into focus, like your vision, identity, and the emotions you want to convey. It must be curated and thoughtful.
NOMAD - celebrating 5 years of trading with the launch of a new collection
Introducing Nomad, active designs evoking travel nostalgia, holiday happiness and inspiring creativity. Nomad is Ruth Holly’s 3rd collection to date, a celebratory NEW collection - marking 5 years of trading. Nomad is inspired by change, the changes the business has gone through in 5 years and how that has changed Ruth as a designer and the changes nature goes through during each season.
Quick Easy Meal ideas... Aubergine and Red Lentil Bake
Hello community, hope you are well and safe and are finding ways to navigate these unprecedented times. It’s the 4th Saturday of lockdown in the UK, and I’d like to say it’s getting easier, but in fact it’s getting a little more daunting!
That said, I have been organically finding things to keep me entertained and occupied for the majority of the time. Never one for rigid plans and structure, I have been gentle with myself, allowing things to naturally develop rather than forcing myself to learn a language in 3 months or crochet a new bed spread! One thing that is beginning to emerge naturally, is my new found love of cooking.
The forced lockdown has meant that I am shopping in bulk more, shopping to last at least 2-3 weeks, then not going to the supermarket again until I have to. This has made me plan ahead more and schedule meals, making ingredients work harder and longer, and making sure I am eating well to feel well. Eating ready meals and convenience foods was never going to work long term, and would have had a negative impact on my physical and mental well being.
With more time available, cooking has become a hobby, rather than a necessity. I am experimenting with ingredients and ever the maverick, I’m being creatively rebellious with recipes! More free time has meant cooking at my leisure, other than at meal times, then freezing and batching meals for the next few weeks.
But this new ‘Nigella-me’ isn’t just thanks to Covid. In February this year I finally decided to give up meat for good. I had been toying with the idea for a long time, having never really been a huge meat eater, (but sometimes enjoying the odd bacon sandwich!) so it forever seemed a possibility. After researching the environmental impact of meat production, paired my huge love of animals, I decided to finally commit. I am now pescatarian.
I thought you may find it useful or inspiring to read a few of my most favourite recipes, so I will be logging these on the blog in the next coming months. Please do try some, and let me know your thoughts, and if you have any vegetarian or pescatarian favourites you would like to share, I would love to hear from you.
Aubergine and Red Lentil Bake
Aubergine and Red Lentil Bake served with rocket salad
Honestly, smells and tastes unbelievable! This recipe was creatively adapted from a BBC Good Food Moussaka recipe, but as always I go off-piste and didn’t have all the ingredients so here’s my version below, you will have to use some ‘executive judgement’ for your own measurements and amounts.
Serves 4
2 large mugs of red lentils
1 large aubergine
dash of virgin olive oil
large dash of tomato puree
salt and pepper
3 cloves of garlic
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 red onion
1 large mug of frozen peppers
dash of chilli powder
dash of cinnamon
4 new potatoes
1/2 small block of cheddar
Add lentils to a pan of water and boil till absorbed and thick, then rinse and drain.
Chop the aubergine into rounds and toss with oil, add salt and pepper then pop under grill until browned on both sides.
Cook the onion and peppers in a large frying pan or wok for 3 minutes until browned, add the garlic and tomato puree and mix.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cinnamon to the onion and pepper, simmer for 5 mins.
Chop the potatoes into rounds and do the same under the grill, add a splash of oil and salt and pepper, part cook them.
Add the lentils to the tomatoes, onion and pepper, mx together and leave on low heat while the potatoes cook.
Use a oven proof dish to layer up the lentil mix and aubergine slices, and then top with the potato slices
Spinkle grated cheddar on top and cook on gas 4 for 30 mins, until cheese is nicely melted and brown.
Serve with a healthy rocket salad.
Staying connected and sharing joy!
COVID LOCKDOWN - help to navigate these testing times...
HOW TO WORK FROM HOME DURING COVID-19
When I first started to work from home, I was excited and frankly in my happy place! (literally) my home is my sanctuary, as it is for many of you. I felt incredibly privileged and lucky, yet I had no idea how self motivated and structured I would have to be in order to make working from home as effective as it can be. Below are a few pointers to help set you up for the next few months ( hopefully less! )
TAKING CREATIVE, SOUL - PLEASING ADVENTURES!
Well hello there to those of you who have a peep on here regularly, (or annually!) - how are you all? how has the winter treated you? A difficult season for many people; Christmas, a challenging time for some, and the flurry of storms we’ve had presenting challenges left right and centre, along with the dark nights sometimes limiting our energy and motivation.
I struggle personally with winter, constantly striving for continued productivity, but lacking energy and drive and usually, after some pretty tough internal battles, I surrender to hibernation mode and being gentle with myself, sitting hopes and expectations on the fence until Springtime, and this is ok for me.
This is the exact reason why I’m only just sharing my Berlin adventure with you! Other things have taken precedent, I was fortunate enough in November to travel to Germany, unknowingly, at the time of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, “mauerfall”. We had planned to eat and drink our way around the capital, but the additional surprise of the anniversary celebrations made fr a very memorable trip indeed.
Taking inspirational trips away, be it a city break, a longer beach break, or a day trip to the UK coast, really soften my soul and relax my mind, allowing a little bit of energy to be restored and rejuvenated. Here’s to adventure and experience, and a slow and simple Spring-time. xx
#wellness #wellbeing #inspirationaladventures #creativebreaks #soulpleasing
GIVE INDEPENDENT AND SHOP SMALL THIS CHRISTMAS
Black Friday, Cyber Monday - Take it back Tuesday!
This time of year is a crazy one for many folk, the pressure to create a perfect ‘all singing all dancing Christmas’ can often force you to make quick, unconscious decisions in attempt to get a ‘good deal’. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the whirlwind frenzy of consumerism, feeding into our ‘not enough’ human failings, driving us to buy quick, buy more and buy cheap, because “you deserve it!”
No. Think again. What you deserve is far more than that, you deserve peace and joy, the traditional blessing of Christmas.
In this short blog post I hope to make it easier for you to access relevant information on the topic, and to help you make informed, and conscious shopping decisions going forward.
Slow down for just a minute, zone out of the hype, turn off the TV and the radio shouting at you to buy and just find that inner magic inside you, what are you grateful for this season?
What you and your loved one’s really deserve, is a healthy, magical, thoughtful Christmas, one that is considered and curated with attention and care. Find unique products that aren’t seen in every retailer in the UK, uncover unusual hidden gems that make the receiver feel like they have something truly special.
Independent designers and makers put their heart and soul into their goods. We won’t settle until we have created something we are proud of, we don’t just churn things out. We won’t inflate margins in order to make it look like we’re than cutting the costs dramatically, our prices are true and honest all year round. We design to express, and that expression is something you can’t buy anywhere else, guaranteed.
Here are a few links I have found on the topic, that are a joy to read…
The Independent on “How to Shop Better this Christmas”
The Guardian on “How to have a green Christmas”
To find unique gifts and support small, you can use the following website links, my round up of fave goods from these sites are below.
I can’t put it better than 91 magazine, their ethos mirrors mine, this article is well worth a read…
91magazine.co.uk/blog/2019/11/25/slow-living-at-christmas
… and they have great sections dedicated to independents on their blog;
91magazine.co.uk/blog/category/Shopkeeper+Spotlight
91magazine.co.uk/blog/category/Meet+the+Maker
You can also keep an eye on my social media accounts, which will feature markets and fairs I attend all year round.
Wishing you a peaceful and conscious pre-festive period.
Ruth Holly xx
BEYOND A BRAND
something different, something special...
Hello friends, my new tableware is now available and LIVE on the website. Table runners, napkins and a tea towel refresh! 100% cotton, with wide hem detail, using prints from both Signature & Aspect collections. Celebrate everyday dining.
My tableware collection was born out of a desire, and growing trend to really slow down and take care and attention when dining. Creating a community spirit with your family and friends, coming together & feeding your soul with nourishment.
Sitting at the table to eat was something my mother would always encourage as a family, and it's something that I actively try and do for at least 2 meals a day. Sitting down, dressing the table and caring for your environment, automatically creates an air of calm, allowing you to respect your home and in turn, yourself. x
