It's The Simple Things, Mossie Alert, Marbellous, Nifty Nightwear, Glorious Food, Pigs And Pots & A Good Deed !

It's The Simple Things, Mossie Alert, Marbellous, Nifty Nightwear, Glorious Food, Pigs And Pots & A Good Deed ! Good Morning! What a strange week it has been - roasting at the w/e and freezing on Monday/Tuesday! I stayed in Hove on Saturday as the weather was so beautiful and thought that I would share a couple of Beach Huts that made me smile as we walked the Prom! 'Hove Actually' is a famous, indignant reposte when locals are asked if they live in Brighton!  If there is anything positive to be learned from this horrendous period it is, perhaps, that the pandemic has caused us to pause and look up (or down in my case!). One's perception, caught up in the frenetic pace at which we have been living, can become clouded and this period of isolation has certainly brought me perspective and more than a modicum of gratitude for just how lucky I am and how beautiful the world can be, even in the midst of chaos. As I type this morning at 5.30 a.m. I am looking down from my bedroom window at Peckham Rye Common and a patch of wild flowers, including poppies and cornflowers, that have just burst into blossom and are swaying in glorious sunshine. They are spectacular and epitomise what I mean - it's the simple things that matter. Shop Now - Mrs White's Unstung Hero (EdC) Mosquito Repellent - From £15 I came back to London to bottle our 'Unstung Hero' and it arrived promptly first thing on Monday morning. Four enormous palettes of it, taller than I am, and it look hours to unwrap and carry the 3000 bottles to the stockroom. We were all absolutely shattered, however I was so relieved as we were down to our last 24 bottles and my friend Emma reported a mossie at her home in Winchester last week so they have hatched in the UK already and are about to begin biting!. We send 'Unstung Hero' to clients all over the world - one lady in Singapore always sends for 4 cases and we have a huge fan-base from Monaco to Italy and beyond. I am unsure if Hove will have a mosquito problem (East Dulwich most certainly does!), however it has been so warm of late that I am not taking any chances and 2 bottles will be coming back with me as I have to tackle the garden, currently a mass of dandelions, and mosquitoes have a habit of biting me during the day when disturbed.  It looks like Roullier White may re-open its doors in June, which will be a relief - both financially and emotionally - I have missed it so much and being back has just reinforced how much I love what I do and the people who help me do it - my wonderful team; The Lovely Lene, Designer Dusty, Lady Ange, Olfactor Olivier and The Marvellous Miss Middleton (our latest recruit), whose kindness, enthusiasm, energy and loyalty make every day at RW a pleasure. And so, after I finish bottling, there are the floors and shelves to paint as I want to open with the store feeling fresh and vibrant and then I must install some safety measures to ensure that our staff and customers are protected. Then, and only then, I shall embark on a modest spending spree and purchase some of the really great pieces I have been itching to get my hands on since the Design Shows at the start of the year! Shop Now - Marble Dish With Copper Detail - £60 I will confess that I have bought something new for the apartment again this week ! I know, but I couldn't help it as am having so much fun decorating somewhere new and so we are now the proud owners of a HUGE (33cm diameter!), white marble dish which now sits on the  coffee table. I love marble - it is glamorous, timeless, elegant and feels wonderful beneath the fingers. This has a lovely copper band accent and looks magnificent in the centre of the room. I loved it so much that I have purchased 2 for the store - again the designer is only making a few so it is a now or never purchase! Shop Now - Mens Lawn Cotton Pyjamas - £43 This week we have been concentrating on the bedroom with a new brass bed, side tables, lamps and a decadent  bedspread in deep blue velvet. I absolutely love the results which are contemporary, but the brushed brass softens the lines and warms the effect - there's nothing worse than a cold, clinical boudoir! As I was admiring the results I realised that the only thing that looked messy in the room was me - the result of eight weeks without a haircut or beard trim (I am beginning to look like the missing link!) and my winter P.J.'s which needed an overhaul. As my barber is currently inaccessible (oh how I miss her) I could only tackle the P.J's and am really delighted with my new, lawn cotton in Royal Blue stripes. Lawn cotton is much lighter for Spring and I favour a classic P.J. rather than the contemporary T-Shirt variety which always reminds me slightly of the Star Trek uniform! We also have these in Sky Blue and will be introducing a new design with shorts a little later in the year - I don't think it is quite warm enough yet! Like everyone we have been cooking a lot more than usual. We fantasise about going out for dinner almost daily, however until this is allowed we are enjoying experimenting and broadening our culinary repertoire. Cookbooks have become a passion and we devour them(!), cooking almost every recipe before moving on to the next. The GD is experimental and goes off-piste if not monitored however I follow the plot faithfully and my new favourites are 'The Quick Roasting Tin' and 'The Veggie Salad Bowl'. I prepared the most fantastic salad from the latter on Saturday evening after an hour of walking along the seashore in a blistering 24 degrees; crunchy fennel, mango, pomegranate, chilli, walnut halves and lime etc. It was so refreshing and full of little explosions of flavour that I'm sure it will become a staple this summer, plus the book will provide me with a path to shedding the 'lockdown lbs'!  Shop Now - The Veggie Salad Bowl - £9.99 I served it with my favourite roast potatoes - the simplest and most delicious recipe; slice medium potatoes lengthways, crosshatch the surface and smear across with butter - place in an oven dish, season with sea salt and pepper and bake for around 35mins at 180 degrees - keep your eye on them as this will vary according to size. They emerge golden brown and utterly delicious. This combination will also be an excellent choice for a summer lunch party when we are able to host them - I would advise you to pile up the potatoes as they are wolfed in seconds! Shop Now - The Quick Roasting Tin - £16.99  'The Quick Roasting Tin' is not a vegetarian/vegan book however it does have enough recipes in there for us and the GD is a huge fan. We have prepared a quick cauliflower curry and a crispy thyme, leek, mushroom and tagliatelle bake this week, both of which were scrumptious and took just minutes to prepare! It may be a while before we can visit our favourite restaurants again so new and exciting recipes are a great way to enrich our dining experience at home and stimulate the tastebuds! Shop Now - Rustic Olive Wood - Pinch Pot With Lid - £12.99 Shop Now - Emile Henry - Salt Pig - £27.95 I took my pinch pots to Hove as I now find them indispensable when cooking. Good salt and pepper is essential for almost all recipes and I got so tired of milling salt over pans of pasta water or grinding pepper over scrambled eggs. It is never quite as good as a generous pinch. Having returned to London I reached for them last night and realised that they were missing so had to resort to mills - I shall ensure that this situation is remedied today! If you do not use salt pigs or pinch pots I do heartily recommend them - they are a speedy, efficient and less messy way of delivering flavour, plus there is an almost visceral pleasure in the physicality of the action! Shop Now - Exfoliating Soap Pebble - Bergamot & Mint - £14.00 Yesterday I was pleased to welcome back our exfoliating soap pebbles. Made in the Lake District, the pebble consists of a handmade, cold pressed bergamot & mint scented soap enriched with cocoa butter, olive and coconut oils wrapped in natural wool from local Herdwick sheep to gently exfoliate the skin without being too harsh. This unique product is made by people who are visually impaired, have disabilities or are otherwise disadvantaged and the current situation has made me more determined than ever to support philanthropic retail like this wherever we can. My skin is definitely looking somewhat ashen so I shall be giving it an M.O.T. with one of these beauties over the weekend. The GD and I are staying in London as I have to tackle the garden which has rebelled in my absence. We will then choose a good recipe from one of the new cookbooks and settle down to an evening of Netflix or BBC iPlayer - we have been enjoying the Art and History documentaries, in particular Dr Lucy Worsley's  'The Age Of The Regency' which includes our new home! I wish you all a safe and fulfilling w/e - remember it's the simple things! My very best as always, Michaelx Copyright © *2017* *Roullier White LTD*, All rights reserved. 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