Emily Sutton card, available here

I’m thrilled to see a set of 6 new cards by the wonderful Emily Sutton. They are all based on vintage china, and, by coincidence, this particular loving cup is one that is gracing my kitchen windowsill right now with a pot of parsley inside! I’ll be ordering all 6 cards soon, as I love to have a stash of special cards to send to friends and family.  - Miranda 

All of this Great Gatsby hype has got me in the mood for a bit of bling. At one of Jay Gatsby’s parties, more would definitely be more; I think this necklace fits the bill perfectly! – Rachel

Having constantly moved whilst growing up, my possessions are dispersed between Long Island and Dorset, and sadly, I have gone for years without seeing most of my book collection. Recent circumstances, however, have meant that my Mum has been clearing out the attic in Dorset where some of my books are stored. I was thrilled to discover a first edition of Lady Rose and Mrs Memmary, signed by Ruby Ferguson, amongst the numerous boxes. I had completely forgotten that I owned this, as I must have bought it as a teenager whilst still living in France. I had adored Ruby Ferguson’s Jill pony books as a child, and had clearly seized the opportunity to buy a book signed by her, knowing nothing about her novels for adults. Who would have thought that, years later, I would read it whilst working for Persephone Books, who republished it as their 53rd book, and end up recommending it avidly to Rachel? Life can certainly take some interesting twists! Anyway, I am overjoyed to be reunited with this forgotten treasure and can now appreciate it all the more. On a related note, Jane Badger has written some fascinating pieces on the real Ruby Ferguson. Do have a look!  - Miranda 

I got some lovely presents for my birthday, but this little jewel is probably my favourite of them all. I love Felicity Cloake’s failsafe recipes for classic dishes that appear every week in The Guardian. I’m not of the Heston Blumenthal brigade when it comes to the kitchen; I like simple, strong flavours, and much prefer traditional meals to fanciful concoctions. Felicity Cloake shares my approach to food; she gathers a range of recipes for commonly cooked dishes, testing them all until she finds a perfect, gourmet version that will brighten up the everyday person’s dinner table. From fishcakes to flapjacks and chicken pie to chocolate mousse, Felicity shows how to make simple favourites that little bit extra fabulous. I can’t wait to cook my way through Perfect; I don’t think I’ll ever need to buy another cook book! – Rachel

Apple Blossom, Fenton House Orchard

I love spring and wish I had the time at the moment to truly revel in the beautiful flowers and blossom that seem suddenly to have appeared overnight. One of my favourite places to visit in the spring is Fenton House which has a glorious orchard and garden that are a delight to visit. I took this photo last year, and it always reminds me of my very favourite childhood books, the Betsy-Tacy series. The want-to-be writer Betsy gets into an argument with her disapproving high-school English teacher as to the colour of apple blossom described in her stories, and her future flame, the aloof but fascinating Joe Willard, comes to her rescue:

“Rosy apple blossoms! Rosy apple blossoms! Whoever heard of rosy apple blossoms? Apple blossoms, my dear young lady, aren’t pink. They are white.”

Betsy’s blushes receded. She turned, in fact, a little pale.

“I think they are pink, Mr Gaston….. It’s the under part of the petals, ” Betsy said falteringly. “They’re pinkish, sort of.”

“Pinkish, sort of!” Mr Gaston mocked…..”if you were a little younger, I’d ask you to write a hundred times, ‘Apple blossoms are white.’”

Joe Willard turned from his study of the trees beyond the window and raised his hand.

“It is my opinion, Sir, that apple blossoms are pink.”

Mr Gaston was silent, stunned. 

“Pinkish, rather,” Joe continued. “I think Betsy’s word ‘rosy’ is excellent. They’re colored just enough to make the effect rosy.”

I think my photo proves Betsy quite correct: apple blossoms are most definitely ‘rosy.’ - Miranda 

I’m currently having a love affair with the woodcut; I never cease to be amazed at the intricate detail that can be created from merely chopping away at a piece of wood. The talent and skill required to excel at this art form is phenomenal, and it seems a shame that woodcuts are not more valued by the establishment. Clare Leighton is one of my favourite woodcutters; her illustrations have a crisp vitality to them that is so resonant of their era. She also has an interesting role in literary history; her brother Roland was the doomed fiance of Vera Brittain, whose brilliant autobiography Testament of Youth is dedicated to his memory. As a birthday present to myself, I bought a first edition of Leighton’s gorgeous Four Hedges this week; I can’t wait for it to arrive so that I can revel in its beauty! – Rachel

My Dad came to visit over Easter, and kept up his tradition of leaving fabulous gifts in his wake, by supplying me with a new iPad. I am absolutely thrilled with it, and one of the things I’m enjoying most is the subscriptions to The New Yorker, The New York Times and Vanity Fair. With such little reading time at the moment, I appreciate a quick dip into an interesting article as a pre bed time read. Do any iPad users suggest any other magazine subscriptions as particular favourites?  - Miranda  

Hilda Fearon, 1916

This is one of the most engrossing books I’ve read in ages. It’s a wonderful exploration of child psychology, and a haunting evocation of a lost world of British interwar life. There seems to be an interesting number of early 20th century writers who gained fame for their children’s books, but whose real talent lay in their books for adults that are about children. Saplings by Noel Streatfeild is an excellent, if heartbreaking example, alongside Lady Rose and Mrs Memmary by Rose Ferguson. I wish these were better known and more widely read; to be known for jolly-holly-sticks children’s stories when you have such brilliant masterpieces gathering dust in your back catalogue is a real shame. If you can find any of Richmal Crompton’s out of print adult novels (aside from Family Roundabout, which Persephone have republished) then I can assure you that you will be in for a real treat. – Rachel

Farm at Watendlath, Dora Carrington, 1921

Our Charleston trip inspired me in so many ways, not least to find out more about various members of the Bloomsbury Group. I’ve been fascinated to discover the work of Dora Carrington, who was passionately in love with Lytton Strachey, a key member of the Bloomsbury set. I think the above painting is utterly stunning, and I am hoping to get a chance to visit the Lightbox Gallery in Woking, as their exhibition, The Colourful Lives of Artists, features some of Carrington’s work.  - Miranda 

Image from here

I love a good old fashioned walk on a sunny day; with no destination in particular, I strike out for a bit of fresh air and scenery, and usually I find something of interest along the way. Today I went into the wood across from my house and I found a beautiful carpet of bluebells beneath the trees. The dappled light coming through the canopy of leaves made them luminous, and I felt like I was wandering amidst a Victorian children’s book illustration. I found this list of good places to see bluebells when I got home; if I didn’t have to spend my days at work, I’d quite happily do a tour of them all! – Rachel