Happy Hour

Blackberry Gin Fizz

Happy Friday!

You've made it to the end of the week... so why not celebrate with us at House Curious and make one of our favourite tipples. This month we're serving Blackberry Gin Fizz! It's so refreshing and your guest will be suitably impressed. Blackberries are in season, so if you're game, go out and forage for your own blackberries.

Ingredients

3 Fresh blackberries

50ml Gin - we love Silent Pool Gin 

Lime juice

1 Teaspoon of sugar

 Club soda

Ice

Blackberries and thyme to garnish

Instructions

This recipe is based on making one cocktail. The more blackberries you add the darker the colour of the base. Three blackberries will give you a beautiful purple colour. If you use more berries it will be darker and more red in colour.

Place 3 blackberries in a glass with sugar. Muddle together until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the juice of 1 or 2 limes. Stir to combine.

Add ice cubes followed by 50ml of gin.

Slowly pour in the the club soda.

Garnish the cocktail with fresh blackberries, edible flowers and a sprig of thyme. Stir and enjoy!

Happy weekend x

August

Running out of ideas of what to get up to this summer? Well I have pulled together a few suggestions of what you can do with or without the kids!

Brockwell Lido

Swim…

Forget forest-bathing, feed your soul (and your social life) at Brockwell Lido’s newly announced Lido Lates events this summer. Open-air moonlit swimming, Floats, Boats and Fountains.

If you don’t fancy a swim, you can stick to glamorously lounging on striped sun-beds, sipping cocktails or snacking on the eclectic street food menu devised by acclaimed in-house chef, Lily Ferguson-Mahan, accompanied by a carefully curated soundtrack. Those feeling the chill will find a cosy nook to warm up and chill out in the wood-fired aromatherapy sauna, surrounded by custom made blends of fragrances designed to enhance and stimulate the senses.

Yolkin

Eat…

Beat the heat this summer and instead of a bar crawl - Go on an Ice Cream Crawl – sample some of the kooky, crazy ice creams out there. From ice cream sandwiches using Bao buns to Macaroons and some of the quirkiest flavour including rhubarb/ fig and black sesame. There is sure to be something for everyone!

Keep the kids entertained…

Why do the Summer holidays seem sooo long?! We’ve been getting out and about with the kids exploring parks, going on bike rides, checking out food markets.

There are also some awesome creative workshops for the kids to get involved in. And if your kids are totally obessed with The Greatest Showman then why not let them have a go on a trapeze themselves.

Fistral Beach

Festivals…

We love music, arts , tasty food and delicious drinks. Plus with this amazing weather we're having there is nothing better than being outside. So last but not least here are, our top picks for Summer Festivals in the coming weeks.

8-12th August – Boardmasters

17-18th August – Rize Festival

6th,7th,8th & 9th September - Festival No.6 

Turn your dead space into a happy space

If you missed how I transformed this dead space into a vibrant happy corner, then head over to IGTV to see how I did it. We all have corners in our homes that are looking a bit bare or unhappy and here are my top tips to inject some life into them. You can also apply these tips to when you’re designing a whole room.

1.    As a starting point think about how you want to feel in that particular space. How do you want to feel emotionally? Happy, energised, moody, calm etc I find this always helps me select colours, materials and accessories. 

2.    Then think about how you wish to use the space. Is it a place you want to unwind, work, have a cocktail or hang out with your family? This should help you select the type of furniture, accessories and lighting you need. Do you need mood lighting or task lighting?

3.    Look at the whole aesthetics of the room and make sure it compliments and ties in with the rest of the room. Can you repeat a certain material that has been used in another part of the room or another area of the house? Do you need to introduce softer and more tactile pieces of furniture and accessories?

4.     Layering is key to get a finished look. Always use a rug under a table, chair, sofa etc Side tables are great for housing layers of books and candles, as well as being functional for drinks. Having books on display is a gentle reminder to sit and take some time out so I always use these when I’m styling. Add a throw or sheepskin to chairs or sofas for extra cosiness. 

5.    Plants are my favourite accessory and instantly breathes life into any space plus they are also good for purifying the air. Always use a variety of plants in different textures and heights. I like to house mine in different pots and baskets for a more eclectic look.

6.    Lighting is also something that is very important and will help lift a tired corner. Again, think about varying the heights and position. Ask yourself, do you need task lighting or mood lighting?

To get the full download check out the video on my IGTV here.

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