Our top 3 people we would love to meet

Here at the Ruby Orchard we are inspired by lots of different things and people.  We follow blogs and Facebook pages about design, furniture, soft furnishings, decor - all sorts of things!  We love to celebrate people who have taken a leap of faith and followed their passions and are living their dreams because we are doing the very same thing here, and it's lovely.

Here is our list of people we would love to meet:

1.  Heather Moore - Skinny La Minx - a much celebrated self-taught illustrator & designer. Heather started Skinny laMinx as a hobby in 2006, & now sells her range worldwide.  Cushion covers, purses, napkins, tea towels, bags - all sorts of goodies - and we stock them here at the Ruby Orchard..  Follow her on Instagram for regular updates on her gorgeous things.

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2.  Lisa Swerling & Ralph Lazar - Harold's Planet - this UK based team draw and design a funny and sweet range of cards and stationery.  I love their fabulous imaginations and their dedication to wine and chocolate!

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3.  Cath Kidston - the creator of the brand: Cath Kidston was inspired by her English country childhood.  Her brand covers accessories, fashion, bags, wall paper and stationery.  Her success story is such an inspiration - the Cath Kidston brand is 20 years old this year!

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Our 5 favourite things about spring

Spring is in the air.  It's the most delicious feeling knowing that soon the days will be filled with glorious sunshine, the grass will be emerald green and soft and cool beneath your feet, the skies will be endlessly blue and in the afternoon - the magical summer thunderstorms roll in and clean and refresh everything, ready for the next day.  I can't wait!

But until then, we have the lovely newness of spring to enjoy.  Spring is all about renewal, revival, refreshment - it's when colours are new, light is softer, sun that little bit warmer.  Days are full of promise of what's to come.

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Our 5 favourite things about Spring are:

1.  All the new babies!  Calves, lambs, foals, ducklings - too cute for words
2.  The weather - it's warming up, it's brighter - what's not to love about that.
3.  The smell of jasmine and honeysuckle in the air - absolutely delicious
4.  Slops/flip flops - we can wear them again.  Yay.
5.  Colours are back - bright, beautiful bursts of colour announce the arrival of Spring

What are you favourite things about Spring?

Pinterest Inspiration

Inspiration comes in many forms.  It can be found in a colour, a shape, a shadow.   Inspiration can be found in the pages of a book, a photograph in a magazine or the words of a song.

One of my sources of inspiration (and very guilty pleasure) is Pinterest.  I love it.  I love it so.  I admit to having used up ridiculous amounts of data simply by trawling through the millions of pins that appear daily in my feed. 

I have used it for delicious recipes (ok mainly for the cupcake recipes), for essential oil tips, for the amazing photography tutorials.  I have pinned hundreds of decor ideas for my 'one day' house.  I have a fantastically inspirational sewing and DIY board that I use often , have a dream holiday board, a health and fitness board and many, many others.

Here at the Ruby Orchard we regularly check in with Pinterest for a healthy dose of ideas and inspiration for the shop. We have our own boards dedicated to all sorts of lovely things, like Baking, Bags and Accessories, Kitchenware, Ceramics and many more - filled with lots of the beautiful products that we sell.   We also have 'Boards of Inspiration' - filled with all sorts of pins relating to kitchens, what to create with washi tape, ceramics, windows and doors, upcycling - things that we have found beautiful and interesting and inspiring ourselves.

So why don't you follow The Ruby Orchard on Pinterest, take a peek at our boards and be inspired yourselves!

Our perfect day in the Midlands

Ahh ... the Midlands.  The little green belt of KZN.  One of the best things about living in the Midlands, is that there is SO much to do and see.  There really is.  We are spoilt for choice with amazing restaurants, coffee shops, gift shops, lodges, Spa's, out door activities - the list is endless and it keeps on growing.  From Spring through Winter, there is always something to do!  How lucky are we to have that on our doorstep.

This is a rough guide to my idea of a  perfect day in the Midlands.

To have a Breakfast feast

I love a good market, and the Karkloof Farmers market is the perfect place to visit for breakfast on a Saturday..  Fresh fruit juice, coffee, egg and bacon brekkies, tarts, pies, sweet treats, fresh treats - it's a foodie heaven and a lovely start to a morning with lots of little stalls to browse through while you fill up.

To be outdoors.

I once climbed the famous Dargle mountain - iNhlozane.  I did.  It was tough and there were a few moments where I questioned my sanity as well as my 'planning' (there was none) but once I got to the top - incredible.  The view was stunning and so worth the effort and the, at times, hard going.  On a clear day in the Midlands, you really can see forever.

To relax in good company

My secret perfect meal is pizza with an ice cold beer.  It's true.  I love it and I have found the most amazing place right here in the Midlands that serves both!.  Il Postino, out on the Dargle road, serves up the most delicious pizzas with fabulous topping combinations.  I love the atmosphere there, it's local, lekker and a great place to meet old friends and make new ones.

On the bucket list...

For the Midlands, is to visit Rockwood Forest Lodge in the Karkloof  Nature reserve.  It looks beautiful and I think could be the perfect place to relax and as they say - choose to be as active as you wish!   

Support Handmade

Is buying handmade more expensive?

Yes it can be and that's why we feel this pretty image sums up exactly why some of the crafty little products in our store may need a little more of your investment than any of our others products. We source quite a few of our ranges from local Creatives who spend many hours coming up with their unique products. And so when you buy their products you are not just buying their product you are buying a little piece of their imagination and their Sunday afternoons spent timelessly experimenting with new and exciting designs. 

**I found this a while ago, saved it in my Ruby Orchard inspiration folder and now unfortunately can't seem to find the resource. We hate using images and quotes on our blog or social media accounts without ensuring we have the original source to reference and praise the person who created it, we apologise and thank the creator in advance but something like this really was too good for us not to share! **

Edit - 5.9.14 Thanks to helpful, lovely person... we found the source of this image... check out her illustrations on her facebook page... its simply lovely! 

How to tie a scarf: The Simple Knot

How to tie a scarf: The Classic

How to tie your scarf: The Fashion Knot

How to tie a scarf: the Loop-D-Loop

Here are a few of Jenny's Favorite things...

Jenny is the brains behind the accounts side of The Ruby Orchard.  Jenny's top 5 items in store at the mo...

Blue Ceramics, Red Fruit colander, Wooden people, Red Kitchen scales, Window Mirror. 

Nicola' favourite things

Look how we have changed...

Last week a lovely lady came into our shop and admitted, with utter honesty, that on her first visit to The Ruby Orchard almost a year ago she thought 'Oh another shop in the Midlands - this won't last', but to her surprise we are still here and still going from strength to strength.

And so we've put together a few before and after pictures to show you how much can change in just over a year...

Our framing days - how uninspiring

 The beginning of The Ruby Orchard - look at those empty shelves

Before & After

Today - June 2014...

 

Mama I love you!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Our Easter opening times

Easter in the Devonshire sunshine

Nicola Tweed has taken the reigns and is keeping The Ruby Orchard thriving whilst I visit friends and family in the UK.  Here's some British countryside for you all to enjoy.

Daffodils & Tulips & Spring sunshine = Easter!

Enjoy your Easter preparations! 

Our top 3 home decor blogs to follow

Decor8

This blog has been a firm favourite of mine for as long as I can remember, it's simple, clean and ticks every single home decor inspiration box. Decor8 is a resource to over 48,000 readers a day. Wow! A few years ago I was lucky enough to meet the inspiring woman behind it all at a blog meet up at the Regent street branch of Anthrapologie. Chocolate cake, hot chocolate, bloggers and very wise words of decorating wisdom filled the gorgeous upstairs room of the store. If you are looking for fresh decorating ideas, beautiful interior spaces, independent art and more then this your go to blog!

Elle Decor

What I love about Elle Decor is that comes in both blog and magazine form.. for me magazines will never ever go out of fashion! Elle Decor gives you inspiration that really is accessible and easy to thread into your own home no matter what your budget. On the blog there's also a nifty 'Shopping' section that gives you great hints and tips on buying furniture.

79 Ideas

Total Pinspiration! This Bulgarian blogger has a pretty eye for detail and has created 79 Ideas which is a collection of all the lovely things that she discovers on and offline.

We'd love to know what you favourites are too.. share them in the comment below so we can also indulge!

Baking inspiration

The kids have been on holiday for almost a week now and I bet we guess right when we say they might just be (already!) driving you up the wall and making you wish it was school time again... so how can we help you get over that?

Well by providing you with some much needed baking inspiration with our nifty heart cookie cutters.

 

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No? And why not?
 
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By signing up to our newsletters you will receive a monthly email jam packed with exclusive sneak peaks of new product arrivals, special offers, discount vouchers, information about up and coming sales, invites to events and much much more!

Our first newsletter will be landing in our exclusive Ruby Orchard shopper's inbox on Friday so if you aren't on the list, best you get on it today!

It's Pancake Day!

In England, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day is quite a big deal. Growing up, on Pancake day we didn't have an evening meal, instead we ate pancake after pancake with lemon juice and sugar... delicious, it was always one of the biggest treats of the year! When I arrived in SA pancake day came and went and nobody mentioned it.

Why Pancakes?? Pancakes are associated with the day before Lent, it is the last night of eating rich foods. Pancakes use up the rich foods like eggs, milk and sugar, before the 40 day fasting of lent begins.

This year I am making an effort to bring pancake day to SA!

Here's my recipe for you...
// 2 Eggs
// 6 Tablespoons of plain flour (cake flour)
// 10 Tablespoons of milk (add more milk if needed to make the batter a gravy type consistency)
That's all.... don't add sugar!

Top tips:

• Whisk all ingredients together and chill in the fridge before cooking 
• Use a medium - high heat, a non stick pan and a spray sunflower oil 
• The thinner the pancake the better 
• Tossing is essential! 
•  Serve with lemon juice and sugar

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Woowwee Washi!

We are now stocking Washi Tape

We had so much fun selecting our stock... we love it all!  R34 a roll

Decorate, create, craft, design, brighten.

Parties, stationary, cards, wrapping... and so much more!

Here's some ideas for you to get crafty... 

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Check out Andreas amazing ideas and washi projects on her blog - Clever bird banter

I LOVE what she did in her girls bedroom...

Enjoy!