Chateau de Saint Paterne

What feels like a lifetime ago, I had the true pleasure of staying at Chateau de Saint Paterne in Normandy France, courtesy of Eurotunnel after winning their #Petlovers competiton (which you can read here.)

Chris, Harry and I travelled down in our car via the Eurotunnel and couldn't quite believe our luck when we arrived. Set on acres of land, this was pure heaven and the perfect place to be for three nights over a bank holiday!

We'd been told we were staying in the "Orangerie" room. known as the best room at the château and couldn't believe our luck when we first set eyes on it.

This room was just heaven and everything I could have wanted and more. The décor was gorgeous, mixing the new and the old in an eclectic look that really complimented the room. The back drop behind the bed was an antique stage back drop used in the Barcelona theatre back in 1885 and was just stunning. Everything had been perfectly styled and teamed with the light coming through the huge french windows and doors, it was a blogger's heaven!

There were also subtle hints that this place was definitely dog friendly, with these paw imprints in the bathroom and doggy treats on the room service menu which Harry was ever so pleased about.

I must admit I'm always slightly sceptical of "dog friendly" accommodation, assuming that we will get a shabbier room because of our four legged friend but here this certainly was not the case!

Our stay included a complimentary bottle of champagne each day so after jumping around and squealing like kids on Christmas (this was mainly me), we quickly unpacked and took our champers to the pool side!

We were lucky enough to be the only guests at the pool, having the whole area to ourselves and taking in the beautiful surroundings. Harry even did a spot of sun bathing on my lounger before sniffing away at all the plants and new smells.

The owners of the Chateau were very welcoming and more than happy for Harry to roam around the grounds whilst we relaxed, which put our minds at ease and he was soon making friends with their resident westies.

I can't begin to tell you how content I felt here and how relaxing the surroundings were but I think this photograph sums it up rather nicely. We spent a few hours chilling by the poolside but soon it was time to get ready for drinks and dinner.

Another interesting feature to note about the château was their honesty bar. In the drawing room and by the pool were a vast selection of drinks for you to help yourself to and in return they asked that you wrote what you'd had in the honesty book to then pay at the end of your stay. I loved this idea and how it added to the laid back feel of the place because grand as it was, there wasn't anything that made it feel pretentious or snooty and I loved that.

Harry again was able to join us for both aperitifs and dinner in the dining room which he loved and sat by our side like a noble stead!

The dining room was again beautifully decorated and welcoming. The food was also something else...I mean I like chicken but this was amazing. Infused with herbs and garlic, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it and Harry was terribly chuffed that we let him have some too! They even brought seconds out which Chris was incredibly pleased about. I was in love with the fact that a) it was a four course dinner and b) course number three was cheese and salad, with the real emphasis for me being the cheese! All the food was locally sourced and prepared to perfection which pleased my food baby greatly and each night we had something freshly prepared and cooked to perfection.

Before we knew it, the dinner service was finished and we were drinking into the small hours with some wonderful people also staying at the Château and then it was time to hit the hay.

Waking up in the Orangerie to these views is something I'll never forget. It's just. so. beautiful...!! We had been asked whether we'd like breakfast in the dining room the next morning or in our room so we opted to enjoy the room and have breakfast sent over.

Breakfast here was sooo good, with plenty to choose from and enough to keep you going all day. Of course I went for cheese, my excuse being I'm on holiday and it'd be a crime not to eat cheese in France. Am I right?

The rest of our stay at the Château was extremely relaxing, being treated to a full body massage and lots more poolside time, champagne and eating gorgeous food. All three of us had simply the best time and I cannot recommend this place enough. It's a little peace of heaven and the perfect retreat for a long weekend for both dogs and humans. I've already made Chris promise that we'll come back to visit as I've got a bug for the place now which isn't usually like me. I like to travel to lots of places and have never felt the need to return anywhere until I came here which is saying a lot.

We were genuinely sad to leave the château, Harry in particular and we will certainly be returning!

Also check out my vlog snippets from our stay to see more of the chateau:

 

The Handmade Fair 2016 and Exclusive Ticket Offer!

Calling all makeaholics, crafters and DIYers. It's that time of year again to grab your tickets for Kirstie Allsopp's The Handmade Fair!

This year Kirstie will be getting creative with the likes of Patrick Grant, Annie Sloan and many more fellow experts and creatives so sharpen your craft knife and get your paintbrush at the ready for whats set to be another amazing year.

The fair will be returning to The Green at Hampton Court Palace from Friday 16th - Sunday 18th September and gives you the opportunity to try your hand at everything from gilding to lino-cutting, shopping for unique, hand crafted items as well as craft materials, and of course fabulous food and drink. 

Having attended The Handmade Fair 2015 and The Handmade Christmas Fair and meeting Kirstie herself, I can safely say I'm hooked and incredibly excited for this years too. There's so much to do an see and will certainly get your creative juices flowing.

You can feed your creative cravings in areas such as the Super Theatre, Skills Workshops, and Grand Makes, which are packed with names and brands like Fiona Cairns, DMC, Rosy Nicholas – and of course, Kirstie Allsopp who will all be imparting their wisdom and creativity. Plus there’s the chance to try something new – from mug painting to block printing, willow weaving to needle felting, it’s all covered! Then there are the shopping villages, packed with beautiful gifts, ingenious ideas and quirky wares, and all the delicious food and drink you can manage – it’s everything you need for a fun day out with family, friends or both.

Your exclusive ticket offer – save £5!

Yup, you heard right. As a reader of Laydey Katabella, I’ve got an exclusive offer for you!  

Full Experience tickets – including entry, 1 x Super Theatre session, 1 x Skills Workshop and 1 x Grand Make – usually cost £32, but you can get yours for just £27 – saving £5 per person.

Simply quote LAYDEY27 when booking at www.thehandmadefair.com or via the ticket hotline on 0871 230 7153.

*Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. Booking fees apply. Offer ends 23.59 on Wednesday 31^st August 2016 or when sold out.

I really hope you all enjoy the fair as much as I do this year and be sure to check out my previous posts on the fair to get a feel of what you're in store for.

If you're attending and see me mid-make, eating cake or with glue in my hair, please come and say hello! See you there? 

En Francais

Salut! What seems like a life time ago I took a trip to France for the weekend and with the dreamy scenery and glorious weather I couldn't resist taking some outfit snaps.

Bardot tops are my new found favourite thing for the summer wardrobe. They're so easy to wear and effortlessly feminine. They go with so many things too and I love to pair them with jeans for day outings.

There's something about being in France that makes me want to want to don a floppy hat and red lippy. Is it just me? These ASOS shoes were again a brilliant pair for looking chic but being comfy.

Top - Tesco (similar here)
Jeans - Abercrombie & Fitch
Shoes - ASOS
Hat - eBay
Sunglasses - eBay

So this is one of my holiday outfits. I have another one coming soon and a post coming on the chateau we stayed which won't be one to miss!

And finally can I say a big thank you to my hubby for taking these snaps? He's getting a bit more patient with taking them for me and I think he's done a ruddy good job!

Are you loving bardots this season?

Tennis Yellow

Sunglasses - eBay

Jacket - Thrifted

Top - New Look

Jeans - Abercrombie and Fitch

Back pack - New Look

Shoes - ASOS

Watch - Danish Design

When the summer days are gloomy, which they regularly can be in Britain, I like to add a bright bold colour to an outfit, in particular this amazing chartreuse colour. 

This long line jacket was actually brand new with tags but thrifted for a measly £8 from the charity shop! A true charity shop gem and one of the perfect examples of why people should delve into their local charity shops. You never know what you'll find!

I’ve gone off dresses a bit this year and have warmed to jeans again with a blazer or jacket chucked on top for some structure.

These black pointy shoes are also super comfortable and easy to walk in due to their perfect heel height and add another element of interest to my outfit. Well done ASOS for designing such gorgeous shoesies but apologies to my other half for the ever shrinking shoe space in our wardrobe. Ahem…

Still feeling thrifty with my money and with the ongoing saving for a house, these sunglasses came from eBay at the price of just £2.89!! I love the modern cat-eye shape and they’ve finally steered me away from aviators.

What are you wearing for the wet start to the British summer?