I am never short of inspiration when I have a stack of old magazines on the coffee table. I hoard them like family heirlooms and constantly refer to my favourites when I need to give my creative juices a bump start.

And with my brother living in America I was able to get my hands on a new stash when he flew over to visit last weekend. I just have to share these three with you. Beautiful presentation, jaw dropping photography and elegant prose to ponder over.

First up is Hearth. A heavy weight, fine art bookazine that you save forever. A success Kickstarter project that is printed as quarterly volumes and evokes a super cool but completely accessible nature. Photo essays to get lost in, a magical literary world of stories from artisans, makers, doers and dreamers. 

There is a definite style that resonates through the magazine but the content is so varied no one feature feels the same. Striking black and white images, dreamy pastels and colourful recipe shots. The thing I love the most about this publication is it's ability to leave you calm but positive in an effortless way, despite the great amount of effort it must take the editorial team to bring together. 

I found a copy of the Queen of craft's magazine Living in a WHSmith last Summer but haven't found it since. So I ordered a few back issues and I cannot put them down. Bursting with colour, this is one to bend to read in the bath, get sandy on holiday and read with a notepad and pencil next to you. 

I read Martha Stewart's monthly publication with my eyes popping, at the colour, the divine food photography, and I find myself inspired to jot down tens of blog post ideas. One issue has a great downloadable flower wrap idea which made me instantly think of blogging some of my favourite floral photographs and turning them into a download for you, to give as a posy wrap to your mother for Mother's Day. It's ok to be inspired and take an idea and make it your own. Developing your own ideas from something you've seen, heard or tasted is all part of a creative process.

Living is heavily influenced by florals and 5 minutes thumbing the shiny pages makes me want to reach for my camera and get snapping for no reason other than to capture something pretty!

You can download digital versions of Living which is fab. 

Lastly is Darling Magazine. In magazine terms this is a big one! A larger than A4, thick paper bookazine. It's my mission to collect all the issues over time! I LOVE that they talk about the empowerment of women. The magazine focusses between 8 female characters; The Dreamer, The Hostess, The Confidant, The Stylist, The Explorer, The Beautician, The Intellectual and The Achiever. I think one of the reasons I adore this magazine is that I can identify with all the attributes of each character in any given week. And it feels like a magazine to savour, to wait to read until you are going to be completely undisturbed by general, everyday life. Not one to get wet or sandy, but one to completely immerse yourself in. 

Who are you? I guess I feel most affinity with the hostess. I love filling our home with guests. I love welcoming them, spoiling them and enjoying other people's company. My cooking skills could improve though! This magazine is one for stunning photography lovers, mothers, makers and creatives.

And if you don't take my word for it, read this. What makes Darling Magazine different. 

You can download digital copies of Darling for just $5 so head over here. 

What are your favourite magazines for inspiration?

I feel we were slightly trying to trick Spring into making an appearance last week for the #capturingcolour week of yellow.

The days still seem so grey and I am desperate for warmer weather and the house to be filled with sunshine. As nice as roaring fires are, I long to be in flip flops and pretty dresses!

For me it was all about pops of yellow. Sunflowers on the coffee table and making up ideas for the lovely people joining in with the #springtimesurpriseproject. Everyone now has their partners and I hope, are busy researching a little parcel for their swap buddies.

If you missed it this time head over to SurpriseProject.com and register your interest to join in with the #summertimesurpriseproject. There are over 260 joining in this time - I am so thrilled!

It was a joy to see all the daffodils flooding the #capturingcolour feed and every day felt like a burst of Spring cheer when I scrolled through the gallery.

I loved the way everyone captured yellow slightly differently, a hint and a full on hurricane of vibrance!

But my favourite this week just had to be this perfectly simple yet stunning post from @RarePearStudio. I adore Shani's gallery for colour inspiration and this mushroom stole my heart!

Now come and join in our week of RED!

#capturingcolour is a weekly theme on Instagram. Tag your yellow photos this week. Favourites will be featured next Monday :)

Happy Valentines night! How do you fancy a Red Velvet Caketail?!

I love the idea of caketails, and the boys are currently going through a red velvet cake phase. (I know we are about 2 years late to the Red Velvet craze!)

Cocktails just make me think of celebrations and we love Valentines! The house is full of cards, oh yes, we do family Valentines, little cards of appreciation rather than outpourings of romance and I adore it. When my Grandpa died, every year we sent my Granny a card on Valentines Day and it's a tradition that has just stuck.

So here's to a new tradition of a new cocktail recipe each year!

Ingredients: Serves One

• Ice
• Single measure of Vanilla Vodka
• Single measure of Chocolate liqueur
• 3 measures single cream
• Splash of grenadine syrup
• Red food colouring

For the glass rim:

• Buttercream frosting
• Red glitter sprinkles

Using your finger, spread the buttercream frosting around the rim of the glass. Tip a handful of sprinkles onto a plate and slowly dip and roll the edge of your glass into the sprinkles. You can do this in advance if you are making these for a larger number.

Pour over ice the vodka, chocolate liqueur and single cream. 

Add the grenadine and stir. Add a few drops of food colouring, add as much as you want to get the desired red colouring. 

Serve immediately. Enjoy!