Last week the sun was shining and we decided to visit the beautiful Trentham gardens. Situated near Stoke on Trent this wonderful historical garden features fairy sculptures, a lake designed by Capability Brown, wild flowers and a statue of Medusa getting her head cut off-it really is quite something.
We have been all about fairies recently as Nicky has been working on a brand new fairie design for a tee-shirt. For the last few months, old Victorian photographs, dried flowers and lots of pictures of iridescent wings have been strewn around the house.
My Flower Girl
As luck would have it the first batch of tees had been printed the day before we visited Trentham so me and Baba snatched them off the printing table and wore them for our day out. It turned out a tee-shirt was just what the witch doctor ordered as it was a glorious day. Clear blue skies with a gentle breeze. A perfect English summer day.
Getting my fairie fashion on
I completely understand why Alan Titchmarch called Trenham a "must see"garden-it really is quite magical. We walked around the lake, kept company by gliding swans and chirping birds and did our best to find all the hidden fairy sculptures dotted around the plants and trees.
Standing in a fairy ring
Other than the very modest entrance fee we didn't spend a penny, we ate a picnic of squashed sandwiches and warm cola under a tree and felt like we were in a Jane Austin novel (Mr Darcy didn't come out of the water in a white shirt sadly) Sometimes the simplest days out are the best.
Lady of the lake
I'm loving this faerie design-the green tees are made of bamboo-another eco friendly material-how clever is that? they are so soft as well.
My skirt is an old hennes one and Babas was made by the very talented A Rose Like this. You can buy the new Fairie design here Its free P & P today too.
I also filmed our visit for this weeks vlog which can be viewed here
Brand New eco and vegan Designs over at Nicky Rockets Printed on climate neutral, fair trade tees in water based ink.
All content (text, photos and other) are the property of Perelandra Beedles unless otherwise stated. Please refrain from copying any material without recognition of the author and a link to the source on this blog
When I was recently in Brighton I visited the Vegetarian Shoes shop. Nicky already owns some of their boots and I was keen to get a pair of my own.
The store in Brighton is a lovely space full of fabulous shoes all created without using animal products. Although a lot of shoes on the high street are "accidentally" vegetarian as they are made of plastic, you can never be sure what glue is used and of course you have no way of knowing what conditions they were made under. All of the Vegetarian shoes are made in English and European factories where fair wages and good working conditions are standard.
Cool shoes made in good conditions-its a win/win
This is particularly important to me, remember that in China where so many running shoes are made, authentic trade union activity is illegal and the working conditions of many factories have been exposed again and again to be almost inhuman. And its not just trainers. various high street shoe brands have found themselves on the Burma Campaign UK’s ‘named and shamed "Dirty" list (The
‘Dirty List’ exposes companies that are directly or indirectly helping to
finance Burma’s brutal military dictatorship) its hard to get too excited about this seasons "must have" heals if you suspect they were made in misery. Being able to shop for shoes that will harm neither beast or human is an absolute joy and I spent a very enjoyable hour trying lots of styles on.
I was after another pair of trainers and after trying on a few pairs settled on the Veg Supreme Hemp Lo Tops
My new trainers, already covered in mud and dog hair-standard
As the name suggests these sneakers are made from hemp canvas with a fake suede heel to toe bumper.The soles are made of rubber and they are incredibly comfortable.
Looks wise as with most of the range they are very simple (which works for me) but if you like your trainers on the blingy side you may find the brands aesthetic slightly too functional. For anyone who needs a wider shoe (I have very chubby feet) these are nice and wide so would be fine if you usually opt for a EEE fit.
Price wise these are just a smidge under £75 so comparable with a pair of Nikes. I've worn these on my feet most days since we came back from Brighton and I'm a total convert. I suspect these wont be my last pair of Vegetarian shoes. My outfit is a striped jumper by Hennes which I picked up from Oxfam and a cord New Look skirt which was an ebay bargain. My bag is from Asos (last season)
After a bit of a slow start I feel I am really finding my ethical fashion groove. Its really not that hard and knowing that I am doing my little bit to make the world a less horrible place makes me so happy.
Would you wear vegetarian shoes?
Shop Similar
I often film lookbooks and clothing reviews over on my Youtube channel-take a look
Brand New eco and vegan Designs over at Nicky Rockets Printed on climate neutral, fair trade tees in water based ink.
All content (text, photos and other) are the property of Perelandra Beedles unless otherwise stated. Please refrain from copying any material without recognition of the author and a link to the source on this blog
As Vegans visiting any new place you need to plan ahead. When I booked a short stay in Brighton I immediately consulted the Twitter Hive Mind to find the best vegan restaurants in Brighton and the response was amazing. Brighton is a veritable hub of plant based, vegetarian and vegan eateries and for the few days we stayed in the beautiful seaside resort at the fantastic Premier Inn and sampled as many as we could.
Ready to eat our way around Vegan Bighton
Here are my recommendations: The Loving Hut North laines
I'm kicking off with my absolutely favourite. The Loving Hut is more bistro/cafe than restaurant but the menu offers everything from a full cooked breakfast, to burgers and sushi.
We ate there a few times as it was delicious and the service is just brilliant. Definitely our top dishes were the Peking style mock duck and rice, the sushi and the shared platter which included spring rolls and their version of prawn crackers called "Little clouds" If you eat in one place in Brighton make it here. Waiki kamoo kau North Laines Staying on the North laines we nipped into Waiki Kamoo kau for drinks and highly recommend the fruit smoothies.
This cute little bistro offers tons of vegan options but it was the Vegan smoothies which really tickled our pickles. I particularly enjoyed the "Big 5" which included all the greens including kale and pineapple. Delicious and perfect fuel for a busy day of shopping. Purezza 12 St James Street Brighton No vegans visit to Brighton would be complete without a visit to Purezza the UK's first plant based pizzeria.
Since becoming vegan we have really craved pizza and it can be hard to find a decent vegan pizza. Purezza serves amazing plant based pizza magic and we loved it. Baba had her usual marinara, Nicky chose the Quattro Stagioni which included Artichoke hearts, Black olives and chestnut mushrooms and I went for the Hawaiana which is your classic pineapple with (Seitan) salami. Service was quick, the pizzas were delicious and our Simpson inspired pizza cravings satisfied. V-Bites 14 East Street Brighton if you are looking for some great Vegan Burger action in Brighton then V-Bites is definitely for you. This light airy cafe is only minutes away from the Lanes, has a fab fast food vegan menu and plays some very cool music. Nicky couldn't resist the Elvis burger which includes peanut butter and fried banana. Its a real showstopper-very fitting for a tribute to the King. if you order this prepare to not need to eat for the rest of the day.
I ordered the Hickory Chick which is a BBQ style burger and Baba went for the hotdog. Everything was really tasty, the service was friendly and the milkshakes and smoothies are awesome.
Which concludes my whistle stop tour of Brighton's Vegan
eateries. There were so many others I wanted to try (RootCandi was recommended
again and again) but we simply ran out of time. We do plan to visit again soon
so let me know where I should go next.
The Premier Inn
Enjoying the most comfortable bed at The Premier Inn Sailsbury
I filmed our stay in Brighton which includes these restaurant visits over on my Youtube channel-take a look. I also stayed at the Premier Inn at both Stonehenge and Brighton and couldn't recommend them highly enough.Central locations, great size rooms, big comfortable beds and super friendly staff
My totally vegan breakfast prepared by the lovely guys at The Premier Inn.
They even made sure I was able to eat a totally vegan breakfast They have a little book to quickly check all items & even cooked my mushrooms in rapeseed oil rather than butter. All done with zero fuss. Brilliant! If you are looking for an affordable, clean friendly hotel I could not recommend them more.
Brand New eco and vegan Designs over at Nicky Rockets Printed on climate neutral, fair trade tees in water based ink.
All content (text, photos and other) are the property of Perelandra Beedles unless otherwise stated. Please refrain from copying any material without recognition of the author and a link to the source on this blog
Thrifted and second hand fashion is often viewed as the preserve of the "quirky dresser". Beautiful bohemian waifs who make 1940's tea dresses look like they are straight from the catwalk or eccentric art teacher types who clank gently under the weight of wooden beads and bobbly shawls. This may well have been the case until a few years ago but increasingly dedicated followers of fashion are using charity shops to create on trend looks without purchasing new stuff.
Fashion Can be Fun And Ethical
I decided at the beginning of this year to try and buy less new things and shop more ethically but at no point did I want to give up on my love of fashion and trends. The art of dressing ( and done well it is an art) has been my passion since I first rocked a vintage corduroy jumpsuit at age five and decided it made me feel like one of Charlie Angels. Clothes tell a story and I want mine to be like something penned by Anais Nin not Chat magazine.
How to achieve on trend looks whilst shopping predominately at charity shops and on auction sites? Well for me it all comes down to creating a list. Having taken stock of what I already own I now make actual wishlists (pen on paper, no skimlinks) of clothes I would love, pieces which would help me put together coveted looks.
Its easy to have a scatter gun approach when looking in charity shops (after all part of the pleasure of thrifted finds is the surprises they throw up, the beautiful pieces that just jump out) but if you plan to buy the majority of your wardrobe from the pre-loved world then some structure and planning is required.
Creating a wishlist for my charity shop adventures
I carry a small notebook around with me which has wishlist items written inside. Some of them are fairly pedestrian (a soft cardigan in pale grey, a black quilted bag with a long strap I can wear across my body) and some are very specific. This dress is one such example.
I have wanted a candy striped sun dress for a while. I've seen a few on fellow bloggers and in fashion magazines and knew the colours would work great with my pink hair. Last weekend I was in the beautiful Oxfam in Brighton and there it was. Hanging beautifully on a wooden hanger, in my size and a perfect fit. This isn't a one time thing, earlier in the summer I fell in love with camouflage jackets and within a week of writing it down in my notebook had found one in my local Age Concern shop which was Army Dreamer perfection and has barely left my back.
If bra straps are showing they must always be clashing
Sure I could have just as easily have filled my Asos basket up and with a few clicks had a very similar dress at my door within 12 hours but by biding my time for just a few weeks I found what I wanted at a fraction of the price and contributed to helping people in countries who are devastatingly poor. I also saved an item from the landfill. I wore this dress on the beach with a clashing bra and a belt from ebay. My bag is also from a charity shop. My clothes may have been purchased the slow way but my look felt super cute and very fresh. Shop Similar
I often film lookbooks and clothing reviews over on my Youtube channel-take a look
Brand New eco and vegan Designs over at Nicky Rockets Printed on climate neutral, fair trade tees in water based ink.
All content (text, photos and other) are the property of Perelandra Beedles unless otherwise stated. Please refrain from copying any material without recognition of the author and a link to the source on this blog
Over the last few months I have visited some great cafes that offer tea,cake and sandwiches for hungry vegans. Its wonderful to see so many local cafes starting to offer vegan options and wherever we can me and my band of brown eyed plant lovers like to support these places. So without further ado here are just a handful that have been keeping us fed and happy recently. My picks of the best Wirral vegan cafes. Lovelocks Unit 6 Old Haymarket, Liverpool This is such a cute little cafe. It isn't exclusively vegan (and isn't Wirral as its at the Liverpool end of the Birkenhead tunnel) but offers a great vegan soup option, a yummy pulled pork style jackfruit sandwich and on the day we visited a delicious banana bread cake. It also has such a good atmosphere, live music, attentive staff and very cool 1970's style crockery. Small but perfectly formed.
Hardy's Kitchen is just around the corner from me, so when I heard they were offering a Vegan afternoon tea I had to check it out. This is a really nice coffee shop and the afternoon tea although on the pricey side (£12.50 per head) you really are presented with a feast. We went the first time they offered it and apart from a slight hiccup at the beginning when they gave us dairy milk for our tea, the rest of the meal was beautiful. Finger sandwiches, scones and a really moreish carrot cake.the staff are so nice and for a bit of a treat I would definitely recommend booking.
Blooming Skulls 138 Bebington Road Wirral
Only opened for a month Blooming Skulls offers a fantastic selection of coffees and herbal teas (fairy wing tea anyone) and some good options for the vegan diner. I ate avocado on sourdough toast and had a banana and peanut butter flapjack that was rather nice indeed. Cool books and artwork feature as well as some rather good tunes. Bebbington must wonder whats hit them.
New Brighton is becoming such a lovely place to visit nowadays and even more so that there is Blackberry grove which offers vegans so much choice.
I visited there for the Sunday lunch and it was really good. We also ate an incredibly rich chocolate cake which was amazing. We have been back since and sampled the jack fruit burger too which is also good. Its so heartening to see so much choice on offer for Wirral vegans and if you visit any of these places after reading this review please let them know you have eaten there because they offer vegan options.
You can even order these great little cards to leave next to the tip jar. Let me know your favourite places around Merseyside for vegan food-I would love to discover more and if you are a cafe or restaurant offering vegan options do get in touch with me *I wasn't paid to eat at any of these places, nor were my meals complementary. My review is simply based on how good the food was, how nice the atmosphere is and how affordable.
I regularly feature vegan recipes and reviews over on my Youtube channel-take a look
Brand New eco and vegan Designs over at Nicky Rockets Printed on climate neutral, fair trade tees in water based ink.
All content (text, photos and other) are the property of Perelandra Beedles unless otherwise stated. Please refrain from copying any material without recognition of the author and a link to the source on this blog
