Welford Snowdrops

The Snowdrops at Welford will be open for visiting from 28 January until 28 February (closed on Mondays). If you haven't been before it is well worth a visit. Opening hours are from 11am-4pm and it costs £5 or £4 for concessions.

There is a website for more information www.welfordpark.co.uk.

I see from the website, that they are having Special Artist Days on Tuesday 9th and Tuesday 16th February, when you can take your paints, chairs and easels. There are some lovely spots to take it all in. What a great idea!

(The photographs above are from one of my previous visits - don't forget to take your camera).

Blue skies

It looks beautiful today with the bright blue skies. Schools are still off and Budgens is running out of milk, but the postie made it through and it looks like there may be an attempt to get back to normal tomorrow.

The snow arrived....

Woke up to a Winter Wonderland, about 5 inches. Very thick and crunchy. Ever so quiet out there too. Don't forget to leave out some food and water for the birds!

Happy New Year!

I feel we are just waiting for the snow to come and cause chaos again .... I've been food shopping this morning and am starting a mail-out of class dates whilst inside the warm kitchen.

Just before I took my youngest to school today, the sky was an amazing pinky red, which could be a big contrast to the white world we may wake up to tomorrow morning!

There are a couple of watercolour classes on this month for me to mention:

Art for Beginners on Wednesday 20 January
Banish the Winter Blues on Friday 29 January

Both are great start to 2010, and will get you going again with your paintbrush.

Happy Christmas from Treetops

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, see you in 2010.

Spring Cookery

We have 2 new Cookery dates for you to put in the diary for next year:

24th February - Tasty Thai and 18th March - Spring Entertaining.

Both classes are with Chef Vanessa Miller from Top Nosh Cuisine. Running from 9.30am-3pm the classes cost £75, this includes all your ingredients, tea, coffee, home-made biscuits, a 3 course lunch of all the food cooked, the recipes and you will make something to take home with you.

The new Thai class presents an opportunity to learn more about this delicious, fragrant and fresh cooking. Ingredients such as coconut milk, lemongrass, coriander and kaffir lime leaves help create wonderful simple dishes as well as creating beautiful smells in the kitchen! Delicious in it's simplicity - come and learn the basics with us.

The popular Spring Entertaining class provides plenty of ideas from Vanessa to help you with your entertaining this Spring and Easter time. Perfect presentation ideas, timely tips and delicious combinations for you to impress your guests and family.

GIFT VOUCHERS ARE A GREAT IDEA FOR CHRISTMAS!

Festive Flowers

Susanna from Tiger Rose returned for 2 classes last week, with an abundance of foliage, sea holly, berries, eucalyptus, roses, hydrangeas ..... there were also dried fruits, fir cones, walnuts, cinnamon sticks and ribbons.

Considering how everyone had the same raw materials to choose from, the wreaths couldn't have looked more different! I am hoping that I will soon have some photographs of them "in situ" on their doors, so will post them on the blog shortly.

Susanna showed spoke about flower trends, looking after flowers, how to make the wreath and other Christmas ideas, and after lunch made a fantastic arrangement. Also on display were cute little flower cup cakes, oasis inside silicone cupcake cases with carnations arranged on the top.

The house smelt of pine, cinnamon and eucalyptus, mixed with the smells of lunch; spicy winter carrot soup, the apple and cinnamon cake from Tuesday and the Gingerbread cake from Wednesday. I think the house is now pine needle free until I bring in the Christmas Tree that we bought yesterday!