Posy

E-bay goodness

Just a quickie to show you some treasures bought from e-bay in the last 2 weeks.

I maybe going to use this edging for trimming a lamp shade..not sure yet.

And look what came from the USA...yep it's another version (sort of) of my tin!

But I have bought the prettiest tin ever on Sat so I am looking forward to getting that - and when I do you'll be the first to know!

Life in Devon

I couldn't resist posting this picture..I took it about 3 weeks ago whilst on a school trip. I carried my enormous D50 around all day, which was some feat trying to control 30 small, excitable children - clip boards and all! I did use it to take some lovely photos of the children to make a display back at school but I also managed to sneak in a few of my own! Like this..I just have a thing about gates. What you can see in the distance is Torquay and can you notice the red of the soil? This area is renown for its red sand/soil...but I don't like it - it makes the sheep orange!

Anyway, regardless of red soil or sand, I was so pleased the other day. I happened to glance out of the window and saw Alice lying on the grass. Great. I have always tried to insist that my children should spend a part of their day, however small, lying on their backs gazing up at the sky. I used to love doing that as a child (& bigger girl!) and would try to imagine I was falling into the big blueness or studying the clouds. I looked closer. There she was not on her back but on her side with my beloved camera infront of her face!

Well, I couldn't really be annoyed that she was using it..after I saw this lovely self-portrait!

 

Daddies x3

Today is Father's Day and I would like to pay tribute to the 3 fathers in my life.

First, my father..

I have spent over half of my life not living with him but as I am getting older I seem to be turning into him. So? I hear you say..well the remarkable thing is that we are so, so totally opposite. Our personality traits are completely different as I am more like my mother. But I am finding as I am getting older that I am slowly appreciating some of the things (old people's things! Like 'The Antiques Roadshow' & choral music) that he likes..but worse, much worse...I'm beginning to look like him!

These pictures were taken at 6pm..the time he pours himself a gin and tonic, and they capture him perfectly. He is very tolerant when we 5 plus Posy descend on him on our visits to Ludlow. For that we are all grateful. He will cook all of the meals - wonderful meals that take him a long time to prepare.. and for that I am really grateful because cooking is my pet hate. I am allowed just to sit and sew and that truly is a blessing to me. He wont read this because he has no access to a computer or know what to do with one, but I still want to declare my thanks and wish him a very Happy Father's Day!

The other father in my life is my step-father Robin. He has been such a source of strength and support to my mother that I want to thank him for all that he does for her. He has had to put up with the family's lavatorial sense of humour and our habit of retelling funny stories just to fall about laughing like we had never heard it before!

Now Rob does have a computer and probably will read this so..Happy Father's Day Wib/Red/Pops! I hope you have a lovely day and that we will see you soon.

The final father is the father to my children - and what a father is he! I won't go on about how wonderful he is and how much we all appreciate him as I have done many times before. He is off to see Elton John tonight with my youngest brother Matthew so he has a lovely day planned. Deservedly.

Me? Well its back to my HLTA course work...we had our final training day on Friday where we had to bring our drafts of 4 of the 8 assessments. We had to go through each others and be critical...ummm...lets say paranoia has crept in and I am re-doing them again...my deadline is the 14th July and I'm in the middle of a 3 day migraine which keeps receding only to come back more fierce than before...

I have had some time on ebay this week and have bought a few bits which I will try and post this week. I love ebay..the thrill of winning something is beginning to appeal to me just a little too much! I can spend hours looking for things if I let myself. I suppose that's the downside of having too many interests and passions.

Oh but the joy!

Busy

I know, I know you haven't heard from me for awhile but I have been doing my course and not much else...I know that I shouldn't have spent all my half term painting and sewing - and now I'm paying for it. I have to have completed 4 (at least) assignments by this Friday and it is taking me ages to finish though today I  feel at last that I can see a small chink of light at the end of this tunnel. I'm really not cut out to do study - does it take others so long I wonder?! When I look at what I have done I'm pleased with it ..but does it take 8 hours or longer to do one task!! I keep changing it and rearranging!

My last 'job' last week before I returned to my studies was to add some cerise lace and shorten a Cath K hand towel.

This now is our new bath mat!

Please accept my apologies to not returning e-mails etc and I promise in a week or three I hopefully will be back to normal...ummm...me normal...I'll rephrase...back to sewing, shopping, hunting (treasure of course), painting, laughing, my camera, reading, Coldplay (yeah I've gone at least 3 days without losing myself in Chris' beautiful songs) gardening...me!

Enjoyment

This isn't officially my mantlepiece - it's our kitchen windowsill but I'm sure you will look past this, this time!

Is it only me who loves Cow Parsley? I do get such strange looks when I stop the car to pick some on the verges. It grows wild and free, is full of creepy crawlies and smells disgusting but I love it's simple beauty. It used to be known as Queen Anne's Lace (I think..) and I used to enjoy reading about it in

Little Grey Rabbit Makes Lace when I was a tiny girl (and now as a not so tiny girl!). Those Little Grey Rabbit books are simply wonderful and I urge everyone to read one (at least!).

To mask the horrid smell I have discovered these plug in air fresheners. Well discovered is not quite the right word. ..I have always had plug in air fresheners because, as you know I'm a sucker for scents; but they have brought out a new type.

It has 3 separate scents which it changes every 45 minutes. I'm really enjoying them especially as they were half price!

I'm also enjoying my crosswords at the moment. I have just started taking Tom to his drum lesson and it means a 30 minute wait in the car...by myself....alone..for uninterrupted me time! I take a drink, put on Radio 2 (forgive me Chris Martin) and sit and try and do the 'Mail On Sunday's' You' magazine crossword. It has become a highlight of my week and all day on Tuesdays ( with thirty 4/5 year olds) I remind myself that I will have a full 30 minutes of peace later on!

So, if you're in sunny Torquay and happen by a blonde lady sitting alone in a red car (with a Cath Kidston sticker) on a Tuesday from 6.30 to 7pm - nose buried in a book....give me a knock as I'm probably stuck on a clue and would welcome an interruption!

Summer at last..

One of my greatest loves are hollyhocks and foxgloves. In summers gone by, the house has been surrounded in towering hollyhocks and the sight of them would make me smile - especially as none of our neighbours have gardens(well a massive flowerbed!) in front of their houses - except us - and those wonderful hollyhocks would stand tall and proud and, if I'm honest, would look out of place in an urban street. But I so loved them as they symbolise me and what I love and it was just one step closer to actually living the dream of my cottage smothered in hollyhocks as opposed to a small average 3 bed-semi. Anyway, despite being supported with numerous canes; living on top of a windy hill in a coastal town was just too much for some and I would arrive home and find that one or two had fallen over blocking the pavement and passersby would have to duck their heads and tut disapprovingly!

I would lovingly attend to every plant and even came home in my lunch break once to see if the very first one had flowered (sad I know but I was glad to report back that it had!)and I couldn't wait to see what colour each one would be! The deep burgundy, almost black ones are my favourite.

Anyway this year I sadly don't think I will have any that will be in flower but I have a number of foxgloves and they never fail to thrill me.

Here is the first sweetpea. Now usually they look much bigger and healthier but this year's crop-to-be looks rubbish. Probably the dreadful weather.

Just look at my climbing rose - the one lone flower has been joined by many.

I can't quite believe they belong to me as it is the first time that I have grown a climber!

The sun has proved too much for some though as I discovered Posy in an unusual spot for her..

she went from this...

to this ...!

Today is not too sunny - typical British weather and I am going to treat Lucy and myself to the cinema to see Poseidon as she has helped me all week with the painting. I love going to see a movie but the best part is the pop corn -- I am simply obsessed with the sweet pop corn and just cannot control myself from shoving it in my mouth in a very unlady like manner! This 'problem' then is unwittingly brought home because when I am getting undressed for bed at least half the box of pop corn falls out of my bra! 'And what do you do with it?' I hear you ask.....

...eat it of course!

Almost finished!

Firstly my apologies for the quality of this photograph - I'm not quite sure what has happened but it all looks abit blurry! My camera is either sulking over the lack of use it has had over the last week - or the heat has got to it! Yes, you have heard correctly..heat.. we are having our first hot day this year and where am I? I'm inside doing my assignments and regretting that I had spent all my half term painting and not getting on with what I should have! Doh!

Well, what do you think? We haven't put up all the samplers up yet so we still have bare walls - very white bare walls! I spent yesterday finally sewing my cushion from my Greengate T towel.

This is one side.

And this is the other!

It is sitting on our painted monks bench, which I actually am pleased we have painted. The only other thing left to do is put back all my printers tray items which again looks better painted white.

During the week I had bought an old tin from ebay and have put it on the small shelf by the front door.

Tomorrow I will post some pictures of the garden and who knows - I may even get a chance to sit in it!