Autumn Giveaway

MY AUTUMN GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED, AND THE WINNER IS... DRUMROLL PLEASE...

Sash from Inked in Colour

Sash just so happens to write an amazing blog, filled with colourful images of her gorgeous daughter Bo, adventures from her globe-trotting travels and thoughtful posts about love and daily living. Pop on over to Inked in Colour if you have the opportunity, it's a delightful way to spend a lazy winter morning with a cup of hot tea.

Congratulations, Sash! I hope you enjoy the giveaway items.

Anyone can enter, this giveaway is open to everyone, everywhere!

This giveaway hints at the seaside with beach towel striped dipping bowls and tropical gardenia natural soap. There's something for everyone if you love to cook, picnic outdoors, entertain friends, dine on the beach or celebrate with family. This Sea and Salt giveaway celebrates good health, home cooked food, natural and eco friendly products, and motherhood, which is fitting because it's Mother's Day after all.

As some of you may know, Byron and I are wanting to expand our family. You will find natural products in my giveaways that I would use for my own baby (believe me, the stockpile is growing for baby goods!).

Giveaway items:

1. Natural rubber soother (large) made by make U well. The rubber used in this eco-friendly product is a natural resource and the supply is replenished through a tree replanting program. Rubber used for this soother is grown in Malaysia from renewable and sustainable crops and packaged here in Australia. Natural rubber is free from allergy causing substances, BPA (Biphosenol-A), parabens, PVC and phthalates, artificial colours and chemical softeners.

2. Jack n' Jill Silicone Finger Brush is suitable for baby's first tooth. Made from soft, flexible 100% medical/food grade silicone, it's easy to use, gentle on gums, non-toxic and BPA free. Convenient for travelling and safe to sterilise. Double Sided: Use 'brush' side for gentle cleaning of baby's teeth. Use 'dimple' side to massage gums - great for teething gums. Jack n' Jill also produce naturally flavoured toothpaste with organic calendula.

3. Four petite dip bowls, perfect for guacamole and hummus. They make a bright addition to your outdoor picnic, are lightweight for travel and dishwasher safe. Chase the summer with brightly coloured bowls full of healthy dip and beach campfire dinners.

4. Four short polypropylene drinking cups in yellow, lime green, soft blue and pink. Lightweight, fun and perfect for an outdoor picnic or road trip.

5. 20cm (approximately 8 inch) round silicone Bellini cake pan in pink/grey. This clever non-stick silicone cake pan is ideal for baking as it is stain resistant and can be used in the oven, microwave and freezer. It is dishwasher safe, will not absorb odours or flavours and has been developed for durability and longevity. Suitable for temperatures up to 230 degrees Celsius (approximately 440 degrees Fahrenheit), this cake pan is flexible to allow you to easily remove your cake and has a wide brim to grasp without oven mitts!

6. Beech wooden spoon. Perfect for plunging into a pot of crème anglaise to test the flavour. Yum!

7. Silicone spatula. This cream coloured spatula is has a smooth, easy grip texture and is dishwasher safe.

8. Cinnamon Apple candle, measuring 7cm (2.75in) diameter x 7cm (2.75in) height. This sweetly scented candle will have you thinking a gorgeous apple cinnamon pie is baking in your oven. Best lit during a rainy cool Autumn afternoon when you have guests over for hot tea and homemade cake. Burning time approximately 30 hours.

9. 100g Natural Tropical Gardenia Soap by Tilley Australia. A gentle soap crafted using vegetable oils, and no harsh ingredients making it a moisturising soap that is kind to your skin.

10. Heart-shaped Wiltshire cookie cutter with easy grip, great for kids. Think Valentine's Day, birthday, Mother's Day, baby shower, bridal shower, Anniversary, any day heart shaped cookies. Love!


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Disclaimer: All items have been purchased by myself, without any monetary reimbursement or discount for featuring these items. I do not have any sponsors and I am not affiliated with any of the brands or companies of the items listed here, nor have I been paid to feature the listed items.

HOW TO ENTER

Two Required Entries:

1. Follow with Bloglovin' and comment "Followed with Bloglovin'", follow by clicking here:

2. Become a GFC follower by clicking 'Join this Site with Google Friend Connect', then post the comment 'Joined Sea and Salt' (Current followers need to post the comment 'Joined Sea and Salt' to complete your entry).

Optional/ Additional Entries: I encourage you to enter as many times as you like, but the more times you enter, the higher your chance of winning! Please leave a separate comment for each entry, each comment will be counted as a single entry. You can only enter once for each of the listed methods of entering the giveaway.

+ Like Sea and Salt on Facebook



+ Follow seaandsalt on instagram



+ Repost this giveaway on either IG / FB / Blog and comment "Reposted on (social media site)".

Overall that is five ways to enter (including the mandatory Bloglovin' and GFC entries')! A winner will be drawn at random on Sunday 16th of June, 2013 (That's one entire month to enter ladies and gents!!!) and contacted shortly thereafter. I will post the name of the winner in a blog entry on Monday 17th of June, 2013 (four short weeks away).

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Lots of love, and GOOD LUCK!!!

Bella xxx

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Cold-Pressed Soap and Middle Eastern Food

I forgot to mention I finally made the cold-pressed soap. I have to cure it for another five weeks but in the meantime, here is a little pic. I was concerned I used too much scented oil but after I cut and stamped it, realised I may not have used enough. One batch is cinnamon scented, the other vanilla.


The colour reminds me of a small cube of honey-scented soap I purchased in Aix En Provence a few years ago. The strange thing is, whilst I was home for Easter I found that very cake of soap and it immediately took me back to the cool, overcast day I spent in the French markets in Aix, purchasing lollipops and soap. Another sniff and I was in the crowded cafe, scribbling the day's events onto the back of an already overcrowded postcard, wishing my mother could enjoy a mulled wine with me as I stared out at the silver sky. It was a beautiful day. Isn't it funny how a scent can send you tumbling backwards to a memory your thoughts haven't visited in years?

The other interesting thing Erin and I did recently (but neglected to blog) was to go to a Middle-Eastern themed dinner party at our friend Iyrri's house, the kind of dinner party where everyone brings a dish. The food was incredibly appetising, every palate imaginable would have been stimulated and I tried my hand at making traditional baba ghanoush.

On a passing note I have (finally) decided to open an Etsy shop. This is a work in progress and will require more planning on my part but I look forward to it.



I'm just off to make myself a tea and find a warmer scarf as the winter freeze of Armidale is almost upon us. I'm not sure how I feel about that just yet.


Bella x

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A Warm Welcome to the Blogosphere

It is autumn, mid-morning. I have debated the past few days on whether or not to create a blog and after having decided to bite the bullet I find myself on my bed, wrapped in a grey cardigan and cream knitted shirt, loose charcoal pants and odd socks. My laptop rests on my legs, in my lap funnily enough…

This is my first web log. I have no idea what lies ahead but I hope to create for myself and you, my reader a place where we can escape the grit and grind of daily life and take a moment or two to reflect on the simplest pleasures in life.

And now, a little bit about me…
I’m an Australian girl (still not used to calling myself a woman, despite being in my early twenties), born in Sydney, New South Wales and have lived most of my life in small towns dotted along the NSW east coast from the southern shores of Dolphin Point to the northern town of Lismore. I currently reside in a quaint, though beautiful Europeanesque town called Armidale in the Northern Tablelands. The picture here is of Booloominbah, a heritage building at the local university. This photo was taken at the Carols by Candlelight held by the university in December. Despite the fact that it was summer, the air was crisp and cool as we huddled on the lawn with a blanket, and cracker and cheese platter.

As many of the trees here are deciduous, such as the giant elms lining the drive to the university, Armidale glows vibrant golden yellow and orange from now right up until late April. The recent days have been warm but I do find myself fumbling about in the dark for that extra blanket at the foot of my bed during the night.

This weekend I enjoyed the Autumn Festival parade and markets with my friend, Erin. It was the perfect day to stroll about town, I honestly did not see a single cloud and it was the busiest town centre I have witnessed in quite some time. It was nice to be able to wander about in the sun before the cooler weather sets in as the winters here seem to chill you to your heart’s centre.

I have just received a phone call from Naomi, the sweet lady at the health food store who has informed me that the coconut oil I had ordered has arrived. I will bring my own container and she will weigh one kilo for me as I select some scented oils. This weekend I am going to make homemade cold-pressed soap and personalise it with some rubber stamps I found in the markets.

As you might have guessed I have several projects going at the moment, which is the usual for me. Not content with any one thing, my attention often drifts between my passions for science, my love of cooking and travel, and my desire to create. As a result, you will find images of my work and journeys posted here from time to time…just as soon as I find a suitable digital SLR camera to capture images of my art and of course the warm hues of autumn in Armidale.

Now I’m going to stretch and make myself a white hot chocolate.

I will post more very soon… please feel free to stop by at any time…

Bella xx

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