A Weekend at Hawthbush Farm

This past weekend we went to Hawthbush farm for a few days and had a really nice time. It's an organic farm in East Sussex that I read about last year when trying to find a shepherds' hut to stay in. How amazing are their shepherds' huts? So cozy! I wanted to stay there, but they were all booked up when I inquired. So I decided to plan ahead for a visit there this year. The farm looked so pretty and I also really liked the look of one of their cottages called the cowshed. The amazing light-filled kitchen in the cowshed is one of the reasons we chose it for the upcoming photography workshop I'm helping to host with Beatrice Peltre. I'm glad we were able to make time to stay at Hawthbush Farm this month for a weekend and explore the property and surrounding area, which turned out to be really lovely.

We stayed in the piggery, which is a one bedroom, charming cottage. Though it's small, it was just enough space for a weekend away with two little ones. 

Food Styling and Photography Workshop with Beatrice Peltre

What a beautiful photo, don't you think? It's one of many incredible photos from food stylist and photographer Beatrice Peltre, a great inspiration to me and writer of one of my favorite cookbooks. The last few months I've been working with her to put together a food styling and photography workshop this summer here in England and I'm so excited to be able to share that today! We will be staying at lovely farm to host the workshop. How amazing is this kitchen we will be using?!!

(photo above from farm)

Gone Glamping

For this past bank holiday weekend we went glamping in East Sussex. It was so much fun! (Okay, well, we are a family traveling with kids, so naturally it included a few tantrums, whining, spills, and general disagreements, but I imagine that's a given. But the weekend tilted on the fun side of the scale.) I had been looking around on the Cool Camping web site for a few weeks to try to find something that suited all our needs, mainly to be fairly close to London, near a train station, and with things to do in walking distance. It's not easy to find glamping sites that meet those requirements and are available on a holiday weekend with fairly short notice (I started looking about 3 weeks before the holiday weekend). But I happened to get a booking with The Original Hut Company because they had a cancelation. Lucky us!

Asheville Scampin'

I've been trying to write some posts for a few days now, but it just doesn't seem right after the recent shootings in Connecticut. I've felt terribly sad for the victims and their families as most people have. I can only imagine how the victim's parents and their loved ones must feel, and it turns my stomach inside out. Eventually I hope they will find peace in their lives. It's a tragic reminder to me that we have a limited time on this planet and to make the most of it while we're here, and in that vein, I'll get back to blogging and tell you about our recent camping trip. 

Glamping in France

Now that's my kind of tent! Does't it look wonderful to you too? That is a desert tent at Camping Les Ormes in southern France. I read about the campsite on My French Country Home a while back and made a note of it. A farm, restaurant, pool, lake, fun outdoor activities... it looks amazing! I'm more the glamping kind of gal than the rugged camping kind of gal, though I've never really been to a campsite so beautiful. I appreciate running water and toilets very much! I'd really love to go camping here this Summer. It looks especially great with kids. If you'd like to have a relaxing family vacation in France, this might be a good option. Here is the web site for more photos and information. Photos here are from their site. 

My mom arrives today for a visit, so I'm very excited! I have a lot planned for us in the next few days, so I hope to have lots of posts about our Paris outings.