About Me

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Hello! We are Denise Lever and Jacqueline Harriss, welcome to our shop Country Cousins Lifestyle. It is nestled in the heart of Hebden Bridge in the West Yorkshire Pennines. We sell English and French Country style furniture and beautiful items for your home. We have cushions and candles, lamps and linens, hooks and hangers to cards and clocks. Lots of artisan makes and unique finds from brocantes and flea markets. If you love Shabby Chic to Rustic Prairie a visit is a must. We also have a special hidden secret! Shabby Chocolat our rococo style chocolate boutique! Come and have a mooch! We are sure you will love it as much as we do!

Wednesday 3 November 2010

ITS A BIT OF A DOGGY DILEMMA!

Hi All,
Hope you have all enjoyed your pumpkin bashing and fireworks! I love this time of year, getting on the woollens scarves and mittens, hands round a nice hot mug of soup, especially the soup from Copra Cafe in Hebden its delicious and they deliver!
We have just had the Hebden Bridge bonfire and firework display. I'm sure it gets busier every year its amazing how many people come from all around to join in the fun.

The shop is hectic as you would expect at this time of year. We are getting ready for Christmas and have just been discussing how to dress the window. Last years was a great success and we had a lovely lady in yesterday who said she had just popped in to say she couldn't wait to see this years display! We do have some lovely customers.

This makes me think of one of our favourite customers of all time Poppy. She comes in with her owner Wendy most days and loves to have a wander round the shop whilst we chat with Wendy.
She is adorable as you can see. We have a little bowl of water on the sill outside of the shop with a note attached saying "free doggy refreshment". Poppy loves to have a little drink before she comes in, but today she was disappointed as were we to discover that our doggy bowl has gone!
Its probably due to some youthful frivolity no doubt but it did leave us in a bit of a predicament to find another bowl quickly for Poppy's drink.
We managed to sort something out though so all was well in the end. Poppy decided she would like to share a few photos with you so you can all ooh and aah after her as we do, so I hope you enjoy them!

Will be posting again soon with some pictures of the Christmas window.
Love to all
Denise





Monday 13 September 2010

RELOVED AND REHOMED!

Hi Everyone,

We have had some exciting times recently at Country Cousins. The individual pieces of furniture we source have been selling in a matter of days!

Last weekend we had three 1950 pieces painted in a gorgeous pale duck egg blue. Laura Ashley would have been proud! All three pieces went within two days.

What to do we thought, as between running the shop and producing our own handmade goodies, it would be hard to find enough furniture ourselves to keep up with the demand.



Then as so often happens when we are looking for a solution up popped not one but two! We were contacted by two different furniture restorers who had heard about us.

Now we have some wonderful vintage and reloved pieces that are selling like hotcakes!













We managed to get these photos before they went! If you would like to see more photos you can join our facebook group Country Cousins Lifestyle where we post pictures and snippets of Hebden Bridge life daily.

Lots of Love Denise and Jackie xx

Sunday 15 August 2010

ON THE WAY TO GRANDMAS HOUSE!


Hi All,


We have totally fallen in love with this gorgeous Little Red Riding Hood doll who arrived this week!


She really evoked some childhood memories for me. I wanted to be a mermaid, failing miserably not being able to swim, or to be Little Red Riding Hood. This I nearly achieved in a school rendition but was severly miscast (in my opinion) as the Grandma!


We loved to visit our Grandma as young girls, she always hade wonderful stories to tell and scrumptious cake to share.



We have also been busy making lots of new goodies for the shop, our handmade items are being snapped up by all you lovely ladies! We are constantly extending our handmade range as a result.


We hope you like our new additions pictured. These are our Snuggle Blankets from the Lily Hillidge linen range. They are so soft and cuddly and are backed with beautiful floral fabrics, they come in two different sizes. If you love Shabby Chic or Essentially English styles you will adore these!


Jackie is off to her beloved Brecon Beacons again for a few days whilst I am busy preparing our new newsletter which you can sign up for by emailing us at countrycousinslifestyle@live.co.uk and keep up to date with news, especially of our Country Club which we will be launching soon, where members will receive invites to special events and details of previews and promotions. Very exciting!


Well I had better get on with it!


Lots of Love

Denise xx

















Saturday 24 July 2010

CHICK CHICK CHICK CHICK CHICKEN!





There has been quite a bit of excitement in the air this week. Jackie has had a new addition to the family, well five actually.
As some of you may know a few months ago whilst out walking her dog Jackie was persuaded to take in an abandoned cockeral which had been left at a local stables. His crow maybe a bit rusty but Colin sure likes to strut his stuff! He has caused quite an interest in the hen house. Jacke went to collect eggs one morning and found five gorgeous little chicks all snuggled together.

Everyone has been fussing round them, they really are so fluffy and gorgeous. Although Mr Whiskers is not to impressed (the ferret not the husband!) As for Noodles the dog, well he can't understand what all the fuss is about.

We have had another amazing week in the shop having sold three of Charlotte's chairs already!
We have also got some lovely new little bird purses and bags in stock that are really sweet.
I am busy on the sewing machine making some more pretty floral tablecloths and aprons.

Our handmade items are selling out really fast, so much so that we are having a get together with some of our crafters to design more lovely ranges its all very exciting!

Sunday 11 July 2010

HEBDEN HAMPERS



Oh my word! Can't believe how fast time has flown since we last blogged! Sincere apologies.

We have been very busy though with some really exciting new ventures within the shop. We have now launched Hebden Hampers in a joint venture with Copa House Cafe. Amber is providing the picnic food, including her scrumdidilyumptious cakes and we are putting the yummy picnic into one of our lovely baskets together with beautiful vintage china, cutlery,doillies, pretty linen napkins, a picnic mat and throw. What a wonderful treat for boaty days, proposal days or simply lazing in the sun days!

We have also introduced Alice's Attic a range of mismatched vintage china for hire, which has been in such high demand that we have started to sell pieces as well.

The website should hopefully be up and running soon. How exciting! We will also be providing a newsletter subscription to keep you posted on events and offers.

We had a new star join the team of crafters this week, Charlotte, she upholsters furniture in the most gorgeous floral fabrics. One of her chairs had only been in a day before it sold!

Hope you are all enjoying this glorious weather we are having at the moment. Which reminds me better bring the washing in, just in case!

Lots of love
Denise xx

Wednesday 28 April 2010





Hi everyone, hope you all had a great Easter. The shop was nice and busy with lots of new customers. We closed on Good Friday and I took my daughter Sally to Nottingham as she is a member of the Danny Wallace Join Me group and many of them meet up for a social and of course a few drinks along with raising money for charity.
Last week saw me having a couple of days in my beautiful Welsh valley and the sun was shining and the lambs were out in the fields and all ws right with the world. I feel like I am a piece of elastic and keep getting pulled back there. When you see the photos you will know why.
Looking forward to our one year anniversary next Saturday 1st May and cannot believe how quickly it has flown. It has been a wonderful year and I would like to thank everyone for their support. If you are in the area please call in and say hello. We will be serving Cava and cake so thats a good as excuse as any to pop in.
We have also got some wonderful limited edition prints in stock and for one day only they will be available at a very special price.
Take Care
Jackie Hatton

Wednesday 24 March 2010





SPRING IS IN THE AIR!
Hello again everyone, well Spring does finally seem to be in the air, with the sunshine peeping through the clouds. One of my favourite things are the little spring lambs bleeting and jumping around the fields. They are the cutest things ever. What a lovely time of year.

Speaking of lovely times I can reveal the secret I mentioned in the last blog.
One of the local residents in Hebden Bridge is a lady called Joan, and she really is a lady, always dressed immaculately from head to toe, she has wonderful hats that she embellishes herself plus lots of gorgeous scarves and outfits. Joan has a sunny outlook on life and always lifts your spirits when you meet her.
She makes pretty greetings cards as a hobby and we sell some of them in the shop for her. Jackie and I thought she might be in her late seventies or early eighties. We were amazed when Amber from the Copra Cafe came and told us she was arranging a surprise birthday party for Joans 90th.
Amber worked very hard in getting it all ready, making a real english tea party with dainty sandwiches, tea and scones with yummy cream and jam, the best had to be the Birthday cake Amber made, it was a scrumptiously moist sponge caked packed with strawberries and cream. Delicious! Amber worked wonders!
We supplied her with some of our collection of vintage china, union jack and happy birthday bunting and some fresh rose buds for sprinkling on the tables.

Amber had also tied a red ribbon across the door for Joan to cut on entering and her daughter and friends were all inside waiting to greet her.
We had closed an hour early on the day of the party and joined Amy from Ribbon Circus haberdashery and other shopkeepers there for the celebrations.
It was a wonderful party with some lovely memories and stories shared from her friends. One lady had written a lovely poem entitled "ninety words at ninety" to describe Joan, Jackie and I were wiping tears throughout the reading, it was very touching.
Joan was overwhelmed and absolutely thrilled and thoroughly enjoyed her day.
She came into the shop a few days later with a lovely card for us and thanked us for our present. We had given her one of our china cups and saucers filled with loose summer tea all wrapped up in cellophane complete with a pink ribbon, we also gave her a Nina Campbell writing set as she has friends all around the world and is always passing on the way to the post office. She truly is the Queen of Hebden Bridge!
We will try and get some photos of the party for the next blog.

I have added a few new photos of the shop. Featured is one of our pretty rag dolls, a polka dot peg bag, one of our recent interior books, (some new one soon) and a shot of a recent window display.

Another exciting event on the not too distant horizon is our shops first birthday. We are planning celebrations and will keep you posted.

I have had two new sewing requests lately, one for a victorian pinafore and mop cap, for a lovely little girl narrating a play at school and another for a bicycle basket cover. I think I will have to get a sewing machine for the shop soon.

Jackie has been busy getting our website organised and putting things in place for a few new ideas we are looking at to add to our collection of goodies.
A few people have been asking after Colin the Cockeral and he has become quite a talking point in the shop. In fact we have had people coming in and asking Jackie advice on keeping chickens and ducks.

We recently had a lady with a St Bernard dog come into the shop she couldnt believe we let her bring him in. We have now put a sign on the door saying "muddy boots and paws welcome in this shop".
It is rewarding to see people smile when they read it and we now have regular little four legged friends coming in.
So if you wish to pay us a visit you can always bring your dog too!

If I can get Jackie to sit still long enough, I will ask her to post another update from her favourite holiday spot, the views are amazing and her wellies will be on again very soon!

Have a Happy Easter!

Denise xx

Saturday 27 February 2010

Freeeeezing February









































Hi all
Can you believe its the end of February already. I know its a short month but it has gone so quickly. I have just got back to the shop after having had a week off to catch up with some sewing and buying gorgeous fabrics ready for new ideas.

The results of my time off have now arrived in the shop, our own rang Heart to Home which includes tablecloths, aprons, vintage hair ties all in pretty floral fabrics along with reversible throws which are so soft and snuggly. My favourite tablecloth features a little bird and butterfly, I almost could'nt part with it!

As requested we will be having more Duck and Chicken oilcloth soon, as its our best selling design.

Jackie has been holding the fort, battling the elements and trying to keep warm, it really is freezing at the moment. She is also considering doing a rag rugging course, when she will find the time is another thing, she meets herself coming backwards as it is with all the paperwork at the shop besides looking after her chickens ducks and Colin the cockeral.
We have just had a delivery of Heyland and Whittle hat box soaps and room diffusers which are stunningly packaged. The fragrances are beautiful a favourite has to be the Neroli and Rose. It has been a busy week for our crafters too as they have been bringing in new stock. Mothers Day and Christening cards from Miss Millie her cards are so pretty and very popular they sell out very quickly.

More raggy hearts arrived from Indigo Heart, a lovely cream one which would be fantastic for a wedding gift.

Absolutely stunning were the new cushions from Jaygo along with her ever popular purses. The best as far as I am concerned were the absolutely delightful mittens that are her latest design. They are reversible and so snuggly and warm I just wanted to keep them on all day! They really do have the feely factor!

All our crafters are so lovely its a pleasure when they come in, we get so see all the lovely new designs and catch up with a good old chatter.

We have also risen to the Totally Locally Challenge, Jackie must take the credit for this one, it was her idea to put together our Tender Loving Care package of a wonderfully fragranced bag of loose lavender combined with one of Naturaleighs soaps finished with a little pink ribbon for a fantastic price of £5 and they look so pretty.

Totally Locally as the name suggests is a project aimed at encouring people to buy from their local shops in Calderdale and as there are so many lovely shops its not to hard a feat.

We will have a lovely story to share with you in the next blog. I cant say to much at the moment as its top secret!

So until then keep warm and have a nice cup of tea.

Denise x





























































































































































































































































Tuesday 26 January 2010

Christmas Bliss!





Hi everyone, Jackie here and this is my first attempt at posting on the blog, but it is lovely to be telling you about my recent holiday. For a few years now we have followed our lovely family Christmas with a break in our favourite spot in the heart of the brecon beacons. Letting in the new year in this mystical place is really special to me now and we have got to know so many lovely people here. Cordelia and Colin who own the cottage we rent always make sure that it is well stocked with logs for the fire and there are beautiful flower arrangements in the vases. There is a lovely deep free standing bath which is great to relax my muscles in when I have been out walking the dog, or our daughter Sally has had us shopping in Hereford or Abergavenny. Our dog Noodles enjoys it so much that if we say Wales now he thinks he is off on holiday.
As you can see in the pictures we did not escape the snow there this year. It did not stop us getting out for some good walks and there is always a warm welcome at the local hostelry with some hearty food and a good cider.
I will be blogging again soon or why not pop in the shop for a chat.

Saturday 9 January 2010

2010!


Happy New Year!
We are really excited about this year as we are introducing lots of new lovely goodies for yourselves and your homes.
Our dove hearts have sold out again but don't worry we have ordered some more! I managed to get a photo of one before they all went as you can see. How pretty is the stationery too. Its so nice to receive a letter in the post instead of emails and texts.
I am busy making more shabby hearts especially the pink ones to keep up with demand. They are proving popular for weddings and make an ideal valentines or Mothers
Day gift.
I am also working on a new idea for weddings which I will keep you posted on. Its going to be a busy year with handmade products for us. Its really good to see handmade items growing in popularity, Kirsty Allsop has done wonders with her handmade programmes and if you like them you will love our shop!
We have a new range of jewellery too from Indigo Heart, bracelets, earings and beautiful chokers.
We are sourcing more authentic french and farmhouse furniture too, its exciting to see it going to new houses that our customers have moved into, many of whom we have followed their excitement from first view to moving day. How much fun it is furnishing a new house and turning it into a pretty home. We have seen some lovely photos of pieces we have sourced for customers placed in their new homes.

Speaking of lovely photos Jackie took a break in her favourite hideaway over the Christmas season, and will be posting some pictures and telling you about it. She will also be introducing you to Noodles her adorable dog. We will be sharing stories of pets and family in our blog as they bring laughs, raised eyebrows and oohs and ahhs in the shop.
Well its time now for a nice cup of tea,a biscuit and feet up with my book.
Denise x