Marie Reynolds - Hot Toddy Candle

One of the things that we seem to collect at The Amazing Blog's HQ are candles - they sit on our desks and we light them being extra careful (we're too scared of ruining our computers and phones with wax). As soon as Marie Reynolds' candle in Hot Toddy arrived to the office I had to grab my lighter and burn the wick, especially after reading some lovely reviews on the company's products. Due to my clumsiness and my fear of setting the whole office on fire, I decided to take the candle home with me and sit it on my bedside table where the rest of my candles live. Marie Reynold's candle in Hot Toddy is one of the most delicious candles I've burned. Marie Reynolds' Hot Toddy is warm and sweet; its bold smell is the result of mixing spiced apple, mandarin, satsuma, peach, cinnamon and nutmeg - and it's part of the Aromawax range, rich in Argan Oil and a blend of pure essential oils. The Aromawax range is made from ethically sourced organic soya wax; creating a clean and safe candle burning experience. The one thing that made me love this candle (apart from the delicious smell), is the fact that you can use the melted wax as an actual massage oil that adds a beautiful gold sheen to your skin. This is due to the candle's low melting point so can be ‘scooped’ from the glass jar and massaged into the skin, giving a hydrated, silky soft result and leaving the skin as nourished as the richest body butter would.

At The Amazing Blog we'd love to try more fabulous candles by Marie Reynolds, as Hot Toddy has impressed us very much (and it's left my bedroom smelling amazing). You can purchase Marie Reynolds' whole range of candles from their website. Hot Toddy can be purchased in two different sizes: 135 gr and 50 gr - they retail for £30 and £8 each.

James Wong's Homegrown Revolution

Gardening is something my mum's always been interested in; when I was a little girl she would spend two Sundays a month looking after her plants and our neighbours' too. I've never been too fussed about plants and gardening - the only thing I know for sure about the subject is that sunflowers are my favourite plant and that if I could, I'd love to grow strawberries in my imaginary backyard. When I came across with James Wong's Homegrown Revolution, I decided to give the whole gardening world a go; as I was sure it wasn't as boring as I pictured it in my head. The popularity of "growing your own" has never been higher, but strangely the actual production seems to be stuck in time; with spuds, swedes and sprouts as the classic choices. None of the gardening books or allotment starter kits suggest growing much that isn't available in the same quality and at a far cheaper price in the supermarkets. James Wong suggests us to grow and fill our gardens with exciting things, such as fruit and veg that cost a fortune in the shops but that we can grow easily and in our unpredictable English climate.

James Wong has spent the last two years growing 120 edibles in his own garden, without the help of greenhouses or propagators. The experiment took place during two of the poorest summers and harshest winters on record, yet most of the crops were far easier to grow and gave much higher yields than traditional fare. All the edibles tested in the book have been double-tested personally by James and can be grown in any garden with great success.

James Wong's Homegrown Revolution features instructions on planting, care, harvesting and eating. It also contains Jame's 10 Commandments for the maximum yield with the minimum work recipe ideas for many of the fruit and veg featured. At The Amazing Blog we've enjoyed very much James Wong's book - gardening lovers will love it and people like me who don't really mind about it will find it interesting for sure.

James Wong's Homegrown Revolution is published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and it retails at £20, the ebook at £10.99.

The Spirit of Christmas Fair

Looking for a fun and productive weekend activity? With November just beginning, and the cold weather setting in, people are starting to think about Christmas shopping and getting frantic about the holidays. Since the holidays are quickly approaching, what better way to kick off your shopping by heading to the Spirit of Christmas fair happening this very weekend. The fair started 30^th October and goes until 4^th November. Whether you are looking for some gift inspiration or Christmas present ideas, or even just want a fun day out with friends, the fair offers an abundance of options to tickle your fancy.

Throughout the day numerous workshops are held. You can learn anything from decorating cupcakes to gift wrapping. Food and drink will also be served at the fair. You can have a delicious bite from Mosimann’s Winter Restaurant or sit down for a glass of champagne at Louis Roederer’s Champagne Bar. Hundreds of companies will have their gifts displayed, and will include fashion, interior accessories, and gifts for men, children, and babies. The fair includes a unique array of gifts that you can not ordinarily find on the high street.

Be sure to check out one of our favourite gifts at the fair…Possmere. Possmere is a luxury brand of knitwear for men, women, children, accessories, and interiors. All their products are made from 40% Possum fur, 50% New Zealand Merino wool, and 10% Nylon. Possmere products are so incredibly soft, light, and comfortable. It even provides more insulation than cashmere. These products are truly one of a kind. Who wouldn’t want to bundle up with one of Possmere’s products this winter?  We sure do! You can find them at stand F86.

Really Wild Clothing was another favourite. Their stand located at G31, offers an array of country clothing for men and women. The brand originated by designer and founder, Natalie Lake, who wanted to create stylish shooting clothes for women. This was a success considering her whole line is cute but casual. They have a versatile collection of tweed wear as well that offers a trendy, but comfortable look for the city or country. Really Wild Clothing is offering great deals at the Spirit of Christmas fair that you won’t want to miss.

Looking for some great skincare products to give as gifts? Rhodes to Heaven has an array of natural skincare products that appeal to all skin types. For Christmas, Rhodes to Heaven has put together a kit of their most loved All in One products. Each one is packed with all natural ingredients which are great for the skin and help give a radiating and natural look. Packaged in their signature Little Black Bag, these beauty products are a must have for this Christmas season. Be sure to stop by their stand at G81.

We at The Amazing Blog love this fair and know you will too! The Spirit of Christmas Fair is located at the Grand Hall, Olympia Exhibition Centre, Kensington, London. See their website here for details regarding times and ticket prices. We hope you enjoy the fair and even get some inspiration or make some purchases for this holiday season.

If unfortunately you can't make it to The Spirit of Christmas Fair, do visit Spirit Boutique - a natural extension of the Fair which changed the concept of Christmas shopping when it launched at London's Olympia in 2001.

Our Spooky Picks for this Halloween

This time of year is always crazy with the holidays quickly approaching and a bitter cold winter around the corner, but today is the one day of the year where you can dress in crazy costumes and acceptably eat as much candy as you desire. A day filled with spooky ghosts and blood-drinking vampires, Halloween is a fun treat for all to kickoff the start of the holiday season. To get into the Halloween spirit, we at The Amazing blog have found some fun themed goodies that will be sure to add some excitement to this unforgettable day of the year.

The American drinks brand, Royal Crown Cola, has launched a limited edition drink for this spooky holiday. The Dracola is a fizzy blood-red drink that is perfect for any Halloween party. Not only is the drink appropriately themed, but the label of the bottle is glow in the dark to give a twilight effect. You can get a 2 litre bottle of this “fang-tastic fizz” for only £1. You can even mix the drink with other delicious ingredients to create a Dracola ice-cream float or even to make a bowl of punch. The drink can be purchased at over 217 Asda stores throughout the UK.

Whether you’re celebrating Halloween or Mexico’s Day of the Dead, why not pick up one of Alhambra’s festive skull cushions. It is believed that the origins of Halloween trace back to the Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts believed that the spirits of the dead would return at this time of celebration. Today, although the holiday is much more about wearing scary costumes to “ward off ghosts” than it is reflecting about the dead, these cushions are a fun way to decorate your home. Alhambra’s colourful skull cushions are inspired by this holiday as well as Mexico’s Day of the Dead. They have a range of designs to choose from. The cushion covers are £14.50 plus p&p and the stuffed pillows retail from £18.50. The cushions can be found at their website here.

One of our favourite beauty products from LUSH fresh handmade cosmetics is their Twilight shower gel. Having a mysterious lavender scent, this shower gel shimmers like the night sky while hydrating your skin. Packaged in a black bottle, this shower gel is meant to calm, relax, and sooth while taking you from day to night. Add this product to your bathing routine for only £4.25/100g from LUSH’s website.

A big part of Halloween is all of the fun treats sold in stores. We came across this cute bag of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat. The Little Bag of Horrors includes Zingy Zombie Eye Truffles, a chocolate ghost, and a Tiddly vampire. The Little Bag of Horrors retails for £6.50. You can purchase this spooky bag of chocolates from their website here. Hotel Chocolats also offers other Halloween related candy for purchase on their website. There’s nothing like a sweet treat to celebrate this day with.

Ever wanted to break out a pair of funky red pumps to wear on a night out on the town? Fury has launched a new pair of heels that would be the perfect accessory to any outfit including a fierce costume for that Halloween party you have coming up. Fury’s designs combine aggressive studs with a feminine shape for the ultimate trendy shoe. These shoes are scandalous and have a rock n’ roll feel to them. Fury’s red pump combines multiple runway trends from this season onto one shoe. From leather to studs to python print, these heels are guaranteed to turn heads. Fury’s new line starts at £275. They can be purchased at their website.

From head to toe be decked out for Halloween. Paperself eyelashes’ Rocky Punk Collection contains the perfect mix of a mysterious black appearance with real figurines that will spook anyone who takes a look at them. You can choose from the Scorpion: Fatal Attraction or the Spider: Mysterious Power. What a perfect way to accessorize your costume with these funky false eyelashes. They both are on sale now for £10.00 on the Paperself website here.

Why not deck yourselves and even your homes out this Halloween with our spooky picks. Happy Halloween!

Blinds, Curtains and Cushions

At The Amazing Blog  we were discussing the merits of being able to sew in these recessionary times. Personally, I find sewing a bit challenge; it seems to require my total concentration and is a rigid combination of mathematical equations and fragile paper patterns that offers absolutely no margin for error. However, that said it has also been a case of ‘needs must’ when I moved house a few years ago and had no curtains. This is when I first discovered Merrick & Day and  The Curtain Design Directory. In fact, it was so useful that I also lent it to my Mother who proceeded to use these templates of curtain designs for her whole house.

I’m currently returning a home office back to a bedroom and recently attended The National Home Improvement Show to get some inspiration from the Interior Design Guru Susan Llewellyn. She in turn  introduced Rebecca Day from Merrick & Day who talked about her stylish curtain treatments. I managed to track her down afterwards to ask a million questions about her curtain designs, which is when she recommended her book Blinds, Curtains and Cushions. It is beautifully illustrated book with a combination of photographs and clear explanations making it the perfect step-by-step guide.  I have since read it eagerly from cover to cover and am using all the top tips and tricks to make some roman blinds and ahem… perhaps some curtains when I have a little more time! If like me you have great aspirations to be a curtain maker then you can go along to one of the Merrick  Day workshops. The next one starts on 12^th November 2012.