A highlight of the Easter weekend was heading along to the Dalegate Spring Market at Burnham Deepdale. We've been along several times to the Christmas market there and always enjoyed it so I was intrigued by the premise of this springtime event. The market spanned the full four days of the long weekend which is particularly convenient as it spreads out visitors that bit better which made browsing that bit easier. We weren't sure of our plans for the weekend and it was good to know we had plenty of opportunities to pop along, we rolled up on the Sunday afternoon. The weather had been turbulent all day and as we parked the car the most enormous downpour erupted so we waited a minute until it passed. Minutes later it was blue skies and sunshine!
We needn't have worried about the weather as the majority of the time we were undercover and would only have only needed to nip out for a few seconds anyway.
The smells within the marquee were delicious; sweets, chocolates, soaps and tea. I was very impressed with the smell of the chocolate tea from Nelson & Norfolk Tea Co.
There was a gorgeous display of glass art jewellery by Hazel Millington and I spent a good long while deciding which one to buy. They were all so beautiful.


The blue kingfisher piece was one that really caught my eye!

What a delightful display of colour!
You can find all of the stalls if anything piques your interest.
Needless to say the So Sweet chocolate stall was very popular! I spied honeycomb and bought a pack. Delicious!
The Dandy Lions Apothecary offered a beautiful display of colours and scents, I was drawn in. Soaps, creams, beard oils and more all natural skin and hair care products.

We admired the fantastic pieces of driftwood sculpting and inspired upcyling from Reclaimed Time.



So what did I buy? C bought potatoes (practical as ever)
I bought Paw Restore from the Dandy Lions, it smells like roses with a fresh grapefruit twist and it's perfect for my dry hands. I'm going to be using this through spring and summer

 This was my necklace of choice from Hazel Millington. It's pretty and shiny.
 I adore this gorgeous apron from Folk Who Bespoke, the material is so pretty and the cut and piping really makes it special. It's going to get a fair bit of use as I love to wear an apron while cooking and baking (I'm notoriously clumsy). They hand make all they sell and offer a bespoke service too.
Have you been to Dalegate Market before? They have their permanent shops and pop up shops open throughout the year too, not forgetting the cafe, so it's always worth a visit.
Sophie

Not only are Corkers down the country road from us, in Ely, but they grow the potatoes, wash, grade and cook them all on site too. The flavours are excellent, a good hit of taste with every mouthful but my favourite thing is the proper crunch. Vegetable crisps are something of a treat for me. Given the choice I'm sure I'd veer towards the vegetable packs every time and that's probably due to my sweet tooth. In a selfless moment I offered to share the sweet potato, parsnip, carrot and beetroot pack with C. We carefully took turns in taking out a few crisps and ensuring that neither took too many in each go. They were divine. I'm keeping the sweet potato with chilli and the parsnip with honey and black pepper to myself. The rest of the potato crisps can be C's in lieu. Fingers crossed that's enough.

Have you thought about making the most of what's on your doorstep?

Sophie

Thanks to Corkers for sending me a lovely box and to NorDEVcon for the t-shirt. All content and opinions my own.

Once in a while I make a real gem of a discovery; recently I was introduced to Uncommongoods who are to date the very most inspirational brand I've had the pleasure to find. What's so special about them? Well as well as having an amazing selection of nature based jewellery (you have to take a look here) they have hearteningly high ethics as a brand; committed to increasing sustainability and working with suppliers to continue raising 'green' standards. None of the products sold contain any fur, feathers, leather or pearls and instead the emphasis is very much more on including recycled, reclaimed and handmade pieces that have a story, a purpose and that radiate beauty.

There are not all that many companies that impress me on an emotional level but I was honestly quite touched to read all about the way they work, ethical is the way forward and Uncommongoods are leading from the front. There is a lovely introduction with each product about it's background and about who makes it, I spent ages reading and thoroughly enjoyed finding out how concepts for individual pieces were conceived.

What's tickled my fancy? Well, plenty! I'm somewhat smitten by their range of necklaces, in particular this lemon balm leaf impression pendent by Neena Jhaveri as well as this love birds locket by Britta Ambauen.

There are so many necklaces that are exactly my cup of tea; like this beautiful locket and my favourite – a perfect one for me at the moment, pendent with strawberry leaves pressed into clay.

How delightful are these Starfish and Bird lockets by Catherine Weitzman? This simple silver necklace handmade by husband and wife team Rhonda and Elijah Wyman is something I would wear all the time.

Nancy Nelson believes that jewellery should evoke an emotion and tell a story; this leaf birch cuff in brass is so natural, in sweet aesthetic juxtaposition Lisa and Sean Reico have created a cuff which fuses modern minimalism and pure nature together by sandwiching fern leaves between two panels of eco-friendly resin. Remarkable!

You can explore the full range of bracelets here.

I don't know about you but I'm blown away by the creativity on offer. This set of 7 bracelets representing the Story of the Earth by Lis Giròn is absolutely me; simple yet meaningful.

Having a quick peruse around the rest of the site I was drawn to this beautiful forest birds mobile and this raindrops mobile but there are literally hundreds of things I'd love to make mine (don't mention the stationery section!).

Are you as bowled over by Uncommon Goods as I am? What catches your eye?

Sophie

This is a sponsored post put together by myself, all opinions my own as always.

Well, the weekend we've just had was dull and drizzly but winding the clock back 7 days it was a completely different story; the sun shone and it really felt like summer had arrived.

As I'm getting older I find my mind-set is changing and evolving with priorities changing. As a teenager I was always after cheap things, so I could get loads of stuff for my money; clothes, shoes, accessories and bags. Sure, I got quite a bit but it never lasted long. It's essentially poor quality materials put together on the cheap and without respect for the environment or human input. I'm a bit embarrassed about being so selfish.

Now that I'm becoming more aware of the wider world and consequences my choices are becoming different, more educated, more responsible. Buying second hand clothes is better than 'fast' fashion in my book, donating clothes I no longer wear back to charity or old materials to the recycling bank.

I want to talk to you about my green Penelope necklace which as well as being a gorgeous piece, is also part of a wonderful collection from Caliz London which is entirely eco-friendly and ethical. Colombian born, London based designer Martha Lizarazo is the founder of Caliz and it's her passion for conservation of elephants which has motivated her to create her jewellery out of vegetable ivory; a responsibly sourced seed which as well as being beautiful is an environmentally friendly choice and is part of a Fairtrade initiative.

The necklace is really well made; sturdy, precise and neat, the colours are vibrant and the fastening drawstring is actually the best design I've seen as it allows the length to be adjusted from a choker to a much lower necklace. It retails at £45 which makes it a step up from high street prices but you are buying a piece of jewellery which is made to last, working with the planet rather than at the expense of it.

You can find Caliz and 299 other independent jewellery brands online in one place. JewelStreet is a huge online marketplace which sells quality pieces which range in price from small and affordable items to pieces that will be passed down through generations. When JewelStreet got in touch to ask me if I wanted to try out their site I was keen to get involved. First off, it was liberating to search through so much choice, there are so many brands, each of which have different styles. I didn't know specifically what I was searching for, other than something that was 'me'. I think I looked through around 20 designers' pages, each of which was individual and inspiring. Had I been looking for something specific (which I will be next time), I would search with a relevant term, look through the likely range, head straight back to Caliz or browse the 'new in' page. I took another look today and slightly fell for this love hearts ring, feline spirit bracelet and this Emmy necklace.

I'm really impressed with JewelStreet and recommend them as an easy to use site with a vast selection. Perfect for buying a gift for a loved one or treating yourself to something special.

Sophie

This post was written in collaboration with JewelStreet, all content and opinions my own.

We're in the midst of trying to buy a car at the moment, which in honesty has been brewing for the past two years or so but now it's become more of a pressing matter. Chris' car is on it's last legs and we'd really prefer to have a replacement with us before his finally expires. To me, they are essentially just tin boxes on wheels; for which my criteria extends to good fuel economy, cheap insurance and tax but it's not the same for everyone is it. It seems that nothing out there quite fits the bill as far as Chris is concerned; the performance, styling, colour, time level and spaciousness rules out many and those which meet all of the above soar far above our reasonable budget.

Car shopping is a bit like I imagine therapy to be. Meeting a smartly dressed and 'friendly' face, exchanging small talk, being left to reflect a while, being asked how you feel about thing with irritating regularity.

Please tell me I'm not the only one fed up of shopping for something I don't care about at all?

Sophie

It was an exciting evening a few days ago when I went along to the Norfolk Boutique Autumn preview. There is something really inspiring about entering the new season and going shopping for all the new pieces that will be added to my wardrobe over the coming weeks. This season it's all about the richer earthier colours with a good amount of black, white and grey thrown in. A good splash of red goes a long way.

I had a good look round the new season clothes and have to say it was thoroughly delightful; so many pieces that could have merrily come home with me! The fine knit jumpers were soft and warm - something I really need to get to grips with this year. Both the raspberry red and the houndstooth ones both catching my eye; to be worn with a pair of leather skinny trousers or some worn in jeans. The thicker cosy patterned jumper looked so warm I could maybe just hibernate in there 'til Spring comes back around and my favourites (not pictured) were the the thick cable knitted jumper dresses in cream as well as navy. Just give my opaques and a belt then I'm fit to go.

It wouldn't be right not to mention the pretty, pretty dresses. The black and white lace dress absolutely stole my heart with it's elegance and simplicity, I kept going back to have another look (we've all been there) and hold it up to the mirror with my hopeful face poking through. The red lace dress was a stunner if you're not afraid of a generous dose of colour, certainly one to lust after for sure. The twenties style dresses were quite the unusual pieces - definitely safe that nobody is turning up at a party in the same dress and perfectly modest. The Masato dress was a stunner, such a quality piece; someone is going to feel a million dollars wearing that number.

LOVE

Of course there were skirts and trousers too, with some gorgeous blouses and tops. The white lace top is a dream, isn't it?

And lastly, aside from the beautiful scarves which I shall continue to moon over, the handbags and clutches. What can I say? I'm turning into a handbag addict. The green one was a beauty and the LAMB bag I loved so much before is now down to under £100 - why didn't I just buy one and be done with it?! Such a love for it. I didn't leave empty handed but can you guess what I couldn't leave without?

The waterfall coat is such a classic, quality piece which would last a lifetime; looking good year after year so if you're looking to invest in a coat then this one is my top choice. The black jacket was another piece I couldn't resist, the details make it unique and it felt like such a warm comfortable outer.

If you want to feast your eyes on the new collections at the Norfolk Boutique then you'll find them on the High Street, Coltishall b near Norwich NR12 7AA

On Twitter keep up with all the latest @BoutiqueNorfolk or call for specific enquiries 07786 167724

Sophie