The most FABULOUS competition and celebrating an imperfectly, perfect, laid table

Now bear with me on this one! True, the table cloth needs an iron, the crockery doesn't quite match, the paper napkins are from Ikea and the cutlery could do with a polish. BUT here's the thing. I walked through the door at about 5pm yesterday, the sun was shining but fading, we had a fantastic burrito dinner planned and I felt that spring might just be in the air, so I decided that all of these things were worth celebrating, albeit in a slightly imperfect way. 

Table cloth Cleverly Wrapped (£48) Flowers from Peony Flowers Glasses from Oliver Bonas similar here

I could have waited until next weekend when the light wasn't fading, when I'd sorted the crockery, when I'd ironed the table cloth and found some fabric napkins - but then the moment would have been lost, the time investment would have been disproportionate and it may have created pressure. Hec I may not even be around then!

So this post is about looking beyond the imperfect (other than the flowers which are TOTALLY perfect and which we will come to in a minute) and seizing the moment. Everyone who sat at the table - from the 10 year old to the three teenagers and my husband, noticed and appreciated it, so it was worth the effort. But to be fair even if they hadn't, it made me happy! Plus I'm pleased to report that the new table cloth (which was gifted to me by Cleverly Wrapped at a recent event and which can also be used as a beach throw or a wrap) survived the onslaught of tomato sauce spillages and chocolate sauce being dripped all over it. 

So what was bunged onto the table in addition to the obvious? Bottles of gin of course. Rhubarb, lemon and elderflower to be precise. I love the colour of the labels and also of the contents. A bowl of lemons and limes, a candle from Neon Beach Club which kind of worked with the flowers and the Easter eggs that my Mum has wrapped up for the children for Easter.

But let's talk about the flowers. Oh how gorgeous are they? I met Julie from Peony at QVC on International Womens' Day. We shared a dressing room and got chatting about all sorts of things.  I had seen Julie before, and I knew about Peony Flowers but I hadn't really investigated them. To be honest I just don't think I'd ever really thought about faux flowers. Oh what a mistake was that?  Hello lightbulb moment!

Subsequent to our meeting, Julie sent me this beautiful hydrangea arrangement, together with a stunning bouquet, both of which instantly transformed our room. I think that I messaged her straight away telling her that I hadn't realised that this was just what the room needed. Mr SG is very impressed with the flowers. He's slightly mystified by them and he keeps on taking a look at them, and feeling them, to see whether they are real.

And in her kind and generous way, Julie has offered this Lily arrangement (which retails at £160) as an Easter gift in a competition that I have already launched on Instagram but which I would love everyone to be able to take part in, whether you're on Instagram or not and whether you're able to leave comments on the blog or not.

So really it's very simple. If you're on Instagram please hop over to my Instagram page here and tag a friend who you would like to receive this gift. You can tag as many friends as you like. If you're not on Instagram, just leave a comment below, mentioning the name of a friend. And if you can't leave a comment, please just email me at mail@bethgoodrham.com with your friend request. And that's it! The winner will be announced on Easter Sunday - and believe me, this lily arrangement will be far better than any possible Easter egg ever could be. Good Luck!

The one thing that we all need in the winter...

If there's one thing that keeps us warm in the Winter, adds interest to our outfits and lifts our spirits, it's a gorgeous Winter scarf. And that's where Cleverly Wrapped comes in. Set up by Harriet Cleverly in 2015, Harriet hand picks the best pieces from scarf designers around the world and brings them to Cleverly Wrapped. Harriet has always loved scarves and is known amongst her friends for rarely being seen without one.

As former Operations Director for the GAP UK and Head of Retail at the White Company, Harriet knows a thing or two about retail and customer service - and all of her scarves come beautifully wrapped, making them the perfect gift. Some of her designers have been with Harriet since Cleverly Wrapped's inception  but she also likes to include up and coming brands, plus she has recently launched a signature range of cashmere scarves.

A few weeks ago now I was invited down to Cleverly Wrapped's HQ in Hampshire for the launch of the new A/W collection. It was a lovely day out and I was treated to a tour of the premises plus the most delicious lunch. I was in great company meeting other bloggers and you know me - I always love a little bit of "behind the scenes."

As part of the event, we were invited by Harriet to choose a couple of pieces from her new collection that we particularly liked - which is an important disclosure point!

I immediately fell in love with this Rose & Rose leopard print wool scarf (£95) in Himalayan navy. It's a gorgeous piece because being made of wool it's really warm. It's also long but not too wide, meaning that there's not too much bulk - which can sometimes cause problems with winter scarves, slightly limiting their appeal to the outdoors only.

The blues in this scarf are lovely, along with the leopard print of course. The tassels around the edge stop it from being too full on "wintery". Which is of course a very well known fashion term.

I'm starting to wonder just how many pieces I can collect with the word  "LOVE" written on them. I think that I could quite potentially go on forever. In fact if ever I was going to have a tattoo, that would be what it would say as I know I will never tire of the word. But I'm not convinced that a tattoo is for me, so I don't think that it will be happening any time soon.

However, as an alternative having "LOVE" tattooed across my knuckles, these Quinton and Chadwick grey wool "LOVE" gloves (£35) mean that I can have the word emblazoned across the back of my hands for the entire winter instead.

I love the grey/coral combination and if I'm going to have to wear gloves in the winter, I want to LOVE them. They also come in this lovely, fiery red.

In this picture I'm wearing the lovely "LOVE" gloves as well as this brightly coloured Quinton and Chadwick scarf from Cleverly Wrapped (£73).

And along the same theme, there's this absolutely beautiful "LOVE" silk print scarf (£135). I adore the versatility of a scarf like this, whether it's worn at the neck, or tied to a bag, worn as a triangle with the point at the front, or the back and of course silk is perfect for those who can't wear wool.

"LOVE" silk print scarf (£135) - aren't the colours just stunning?

For anyone who would like to buy either themselves, or someone else a gift from Cleverly Wrapped, there's a 10% discount with the code Beth10% which is valid up until 24th December.

Even more so than a new coat or a new jumper, a new scarf can lift your winter wardrobe and add some print and texture to create interest. I really love writing about newer, niche brands on here, and I would love to hear what you think of the Cleverly Wrapped collection.