Wealden Times Midsummer Fair

I'm so excited to be included in this years Wealden Times Midsummer Fair in June as this is my very favourite type of setting in which to showcase my range of children's cotton nightwear. I think this love of the 'quintessentially English fair' must go back to my childhood. Both sets of my grandparents lived in Devon and many summers were spent holidaying there. I still remember the thrill of dressing up in my summer frock and heading off to the village fete with my holiday pocket money. The sun was always shining and my granny complete with her 'clip clasp' handbag, would guide my sister and I through the crowd, buying a raffle ticket here or a jar of jam there. Sometimes it was the village fair and sometimes the local hospital fete. I remember the wonder of winning an embroidered green cushion when I was about seven, but just so elated that I had a winning ticket and had won something! There was always an ice-cream or a huge slice of cake and of course some homemade treasure such as a lavender bag or a knitted toy to take home.

Well, times were simpler then and things have moved on considerably, but don't we just love the charm of a good old fashioned country fair? The cream teas, the WI homemade preserves with their gingham covers, the wellies, the cooking shows, the smell of the marquees, the fluttering bunting. This fair promises to be jam packed literally with the most beautiful hand-picked array of artisan stalls and vendors selling home and garden wares, fashion, gifts and jewellery. The tea tent will be a highlight and foodies will be in their element with local farmers, producers and wine makers selling delicious products in the food avenue. There will be gardening experts on hand sharing their knowledge of growing flowers and vegetables and top chefs at work in the kitchen theatre. All this will be set within the  grounds of the lovely Hole Park in Rolvedon, Kent.

E tickets for the fair are now on sale and you can claim your exclusive discount code by quoting EXS14 when purchasing tickets on line before midnight on 30th April 2014. This entitles you to 25% off the gate ticket price. The ticket price includes free entry to Hole Park Gardens so this promises to be a fabulous day out for all the family.

I can't wait to tell you all about it in June. And no, I won't be needing my wells because the sun is going to shine!

Janne x

Easter gifts

The sun is shining! It's official... Spring is well and truly here and so is the arrival of some lovely new items to our online shop. With a Facebook giveaway and 20% off until April now is a great time to take a look round some of our new gifts and children's nightwear ranges.

A bunny isn't just for Easter so if you have a new Spring baby due in the family, or perhaps looking for a christening or first birthday gift then look no further than Bo rabbit. He (or he can be a she) comes beautifully presented in a hat style gift box, making a lovely keepsake. Designed in England by toy company Ragtales he is soft enough to snuggle and handsome enough to sit on a bedroom shelf. There is even the option to kit him out in a pyjama or nightdress set too. He also has a little brother in the form of mini Bo who also comes beautifully packaged in a smaller keepsake box.

Joining the beautiful quilted mouse house play set , we now have a gorgeous home for bunnies! This lovely quilted and lightly padded rabbit house play set decorated with embroidered flowers and applique bunting makes a lovely Easter gift alternative to chocolate! It comes with two little sister mice just perfect for imaginative play. When not being played with, it makes a beautiful hanging decoration in a bedroom.

We have one of these adorable rabbit play sets in this months Facebook giveaway so please take a look and enter to win in time for Easter.

If you are ordering online this month then don't forget we have 20% off using code SPRING14

Have a great week everyone,

Janne

A good nights sleep

Who's had a good nights sleep this month? We've got the fan on, the duvet off, windows wide open, but each night is a challenge in this weather. We all want to stay cool during these hot summer nights and with little ones feeling uncomfortable and irritable in this heat, it's really important to choose the right nightwear for them to sleep in. All our beautiful nightwear is 100% cotton. We don't do polyester or manmade fabrics which can cause existing skin conditions to flare up. A cool breathable and natural fibre, cotton is probably one of the best options for sleeping in this heatwave. All our nightwear is machine washable and is easy to dry. If you want to skimp on the ironing then a light tumble dry is all that is needed. 

Loose fitting nightwear is best and as all our nightdresses are based on traditional victorian designs so there is plenty of room for movement. This Powell Craft Rosie nightdress is one of our best sellers in summer with it's vintage rose print design.

Loose fitting pyjamas or nighties allow for circulation around the body so slim fitting all- in-ones and tight fitting pjs are not ideal in our hot and sticky July!

We have lots of fun designs for boys too, but these classic lightweight stripe pjs are great for both boys and girls. 

Wishing you all a good nights sleep this summer!

Janne x

£25 February Giveaway

It's February and time to shake away those January blues and definitely high time for the first giveaway of the year. We have so many new products coming in soon that I can't  decide what to give away. So, the lucky winner can select from lots of lovely goodies using a £25 voucher. Anything from pyjamas to teddy bears and with free postage thrown in too. 

To enter you  just need to 'like' us on our Facebook page (unless you are a friend already) Please share the giveaway post with your friends on your profile or page if you would like to. Leave a comment below so that we know who you are and that you have entered.

1.The competition will run for two weeks and end on 15th February 11.59pm 2013. 

2.The winner will be drawn using the random.org number generator once the competition has ended.

3.The winner must purchase from the www.myheartandhome.co.uk using a £25 voucher code that will be sent to their email address. They must use their voucher by March 15th 2013. 

4.The competition is open to everyone , but free postage and packaging only applies to UK residents.

5.To enter, participants must like My Heart and Home on Facebook AND leave a comment below or on our facebook page to say they have done so.

Good luck everyone and thanks for entering!

Janne x

New season photo shoot part 2 - Nightdresses

It's been a busy couple of weeks here at My Heart and Home. Busy in a good way with family staying, but that invariably brings lots of extra washing, ironing and cooking! I realised I haven't even shared half the photos from the August photo shoot with Vicki Knights so thought I'd show you some of the beautiful nightdress scenes in this blog post.  Vicki is used to working with small children, but not always with animals at the same time! Austin the cat was always destined to star in our shoot, but Alfie the labrador was determined to get a look in too.

There's nothing like seeing your little poppet brushed, scrubbed and ready for bed in a pretty white nightdress for a hint of nostalgia.(big sigh) As a Mum of 9 year old Eloise (featured in this photo shoot with her friend Scarlett), I know there is only a fleeting few years in which to enjoy 'fairy stuff', before nightwear decisions are out of our control!

 All our Powell Craft nightdresses are 100% cotton and have been modelled on Victorian designs which were always white, with high necklines and long sleeves. Well, the shapes might essentially be the same, but I prefer nightdresses with a little more whimsy and these  feature owls, fairies, mice or angels. Edges are trimmed with lace and each night-dress has hand finished appliqué or embroidery detailing. As the festive season approaches lots of Mums, Grannies and Aunties will be wanting to see their own real life angel under the tree on Christmas morning! You can see the nightdresses we stock here which start at age 2-3 years.

We were lucky enough once again to work with Surrey lifestyle family photographer Vicki Knights to shoot some more lovely nightdress photos for the website. You can read the 'Secret Garden' blog post about last years photo shoot here. 

 If you have any questions about the nightdresses and sizing don't hesitate to get in touch!

janne@myheartandhome.co.uk

Janne x

Picnic tea party

I've been waiting for a little ray of sunshine before sharing this blog post, but as the summer races by in a grey mist, there is no time like the present. Besides you cannot fail to feel sunny when you see these gorgeous pics from a photo shoot with Vicki Knights Photography late last August. They cheer me up every time I look at them.

If you are regular visitors to my site or facebook page you will have seen these photos over the past few months. I am only just sharing them now because a) I've only recently started a blog b) I was waiting for summer and c) they are simply timeless. Just beautiful summery photos that capture the innocence of girlish play. Truly whimsical and dreamy just like the nightdresses.

When presented with tea sets and cake stands the girls just sat down to play naturally and with the perfect back lighting from the evening sun the images of the girls are beautiful.

I do love a vintage tea set and luckily my in laws have a shed full. They should have gone into the vintage china hire business years ago!

This timeless Jenny nightdress is still the customer favourite online and at gift fairs. White with a  pretty rose print, lace trims and mother of pearl buttons, it is a suitable nightdress that little girls, Mummies and Grand Mothers can all agree on!

Charming, adorable, gorgeous are all words customers use to describe the nightdresses and I think Vicki truly captured the spirit of the girl's nightwear range in these photos. I am so excited to be working with her again this August. We are planning another outdoor photo shoot with the emphasis on our boys pyjamas this time and I can't wait to share!

You can see previous blog posts about this shoot here and here and on Vicki's blog here.


Janne x

Nighties and Wellies

There is something rather appealing about waking up in the morning, sun streaming through the windows, early morning dew still on the grass and rushing outside to gather eggs and feed the chickens........all this whilst still in your nightie! This was the atmosphere Vicki and I were trying to recreate in this photo shoot named 'nighties and wellies'. Wellington boots go with absolutely anything don't they? And just lately, they are the only thing we've all been wearing!

Many of the nightdresses on my site are taken from original Victorian designs and hark back to a time of childhood innocence when we like to imagine life carefree, relaxed and happy. Summer days stretched out forever and adventures were to be found at the bottom of the garden, in the vegetable patch...secret gardens were created. Who needed to get dressed? 

We had The Medicine Garden all to ourselves when these photos were taken in the hazy, sunny days of late last summer by family lifestyle photographer, Vicki Knights. These girls certainly ran around enjoying the attention and the pretty nightwear.They were amazing little models! We were allowed to sneak into this derelict green house, (now restored and transformed into the most beautiful cafe) and as you can see the light was stunning when these were shot at about 6pm.

The Victorian walls of The Medicine Garden were the perfect back drop for the white cotton nighties. I love the contrast in colour and texture.

I'm often asked what length the nightdresses are meant to be. That is entirely down to choice. I quite like them full length so there is still plenty of room for growth. If you are buying for a three year old or younger then I wouldn't go that long You can see more nightdress styles on my site here.

You can read my first blog about this shoot, 'The Secret Garden' here. 

Janne x