Friday 30 September 2011

The joy of shopping in local shops!


For quite some time, I having been cutting right back on shopping in supermarkets. I like the idea of  going back to the way our Mothers and Grandmothers used to shop. The supermarkets have become a place of convenience but at what cost! More and more village shops have closed and the same has been happening in towns. It is becoming harder to find villages and small towns where you can find everything that you need without having to go to a supermarket.  
Supermarkets lack soul and atmosphere. The endless rows of tins, packaging makes it all feel very industrial and  encourage us to buy things we don't really need.  Supermarket shopping is not a pleasurable experience for me and I am reluctant to give money to such companies, I prefer to support smaller shops and individual traders. 

Where do I go to do my shopping?


One of my favourite places is Castle Cary. It is a pretty little country town.
This morning, just after dropping off my daughter at school I went there and did some shopping.
I cannot imagine anyone going there and not liking it!

There are many individual boutiques selling a wide range of things



This little lane leads to the post office


Isn't it just stunning! Castle Cary is full of beautiful architecture.

Looking back from the Post Office



Market place



This is a fantastic stall, "Alex's Salad". Alex is well know locally and his Friday stall is a great success. All the produce is home grown, no pesticides. The quality and taste are excellent, so much better than supermarket ones. I always buy organic but even the organic fruit and veg bought from supermarkets don't taste as good as home grown ones.

 Today I bought some curly kale, beetroots, spinach, plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, salad, little yellow round cucumber, yellow and green courgettes and celery.










You really have pretty much all you need when it comes to shops and places to eat! They are all so varied and interesting. What I like most is that they are individual. 
The town retains a very traditional feel with a lot of character and that is why I like it so much. 




Lovely shop.....So lovely that I will be doing a blog post about it soon. 







This antique shop is not always open but when it is, it's really worth having a look. The owner always finds such beautiful and unusual things.











 I hope you enjoyed the little tour of Castle Cary, it has given you an insight of where I go to do some of my shopping. I had so much more fun than if I had been to the supermarket!

I am loving this beautiful weather. The colours of the trees look amazing in this warm mellow light.

Enjoy your weekend!

P.S: Don't forgot my GIVEAWAY if you have not already taken part


bientôt!

Isabelle X


Sunday 25 September 2011

Introducing my new blog: Tiny Tidy Cottage & Giveaway

Please click HERE to visit my NEW blog: TINY TIDY COTTAGE and to enter the giveaway.

Thank you

Apologies for the difficulties some of you experienced when clicking on the link. I typed in the wrong link...all rectified and working now!

bientôt!

Isabelle X



Monday 19 September 2011

Indian Treasure Trove - Glastonbury


It's already Monday again! 

What did you do at the weekend rest, work or go out? 
The weather was a bit hit and miss at the weekend, sunny one minute then sudden heavy rain the next. That didn't stop us from going to Glastonbury on Saturday to stock up on supplies from the health food store.

I went in to Dilliway and Dilliway with Miss P whilst Alan waited outside. THE shop for all things Indian for the home. Although most of my house is decorated in a vintage French/English/Belgian decor, there are other styles of decor which I absolutely love. My three other favourites are Indian, Moroccan and Gypsy/bazaar style.

This beautiful open tent setting was a real inspiration. Miss P loved it!





I love that cranberry coloured lantern



 What I like about the Indian decor are the colours and designs, so vibrant and pretty. Not at all garish, just beautiful. They are happy colours. I went in search of some Kashmiri things but they had sold out of most of them, more on the way though...




One the other shops to be found in Glastonbury

 All this shopping brought on an appetite, we had lunch at La Terre on the High Street. I had a beetroot soup, Miss P a tomato and basil soup and Alan had a beetroot risotto. He was relieved to find something that didn't have any of the ingredients he can no longer have.

The risotto tasted a lot nicer than it looked :-)


Alan captured a hint of a rainbow for me whilst I was driving

We got back home just before another downpour...no wonder Somerset is such a green county!

I came back feeling very inspired by the colours and beautiful Indian decor I saw in Dillaway and Dilliway. I have three more rooms to decorate in the house, our bedroom and our walk in wardrobe/office are two of them. Dare I decorate one of them in bright colours using a mix or Indian and Gypsy style? I am very tempted....What would Alan think? I know that Miss P would approve, she would say: Hurray, at last you have seen sense, a vintage free room! 
Perhaps it could be the walk in wardrobe/office as the bedroom should ideally have calmer more peaceful colours...I'll let you know when I have made a decision. I want to make sure that I still feel the same way about it next week, next month.

bientôt!

Isabelle X