Wednesday 22 January 2014

Some Spring colour.................

Planted up a pot today with some Springtime colours -


 
Cheerful, isn't it?
 


 The snowdrops are out in the garden now - I love them -

 
Noticed this Ceanothus is starting to flower too -
 
 

And this Virburnum smells gorgeous - although it's only a small plant so far -
 
 
There have been some 'good skies' here recently - at night and in the morning. This was tonight -
 

 
And this was sunrise the other morning - through the mist in the fields -
 
 
And a cheeky pic of Tilly! -
 
 
Hope you're having a good week!
 


Sunday 12 January 2014

Flowers in the house..............

Linking with Jane at Smallbutcharming    for Flowers in The House -

I expect florists think they're a bit 'naff ', but I love Stargazer lilies - bought some this week  -




Bought some new cushions too - lovely velvet material - the lilies and the cushions look happy together -




Love to have hyacinths in the house in gloomy January -



And a friend brought this pretty cyclamen last week -


And a daughter bought me some deliciously fragrant Paperwhites -


The next flower's a bit of a cheat! It's tucked away on my little shelves -

It's a paper flower I bought a while ago -


 It was only fairly recently that I looked at the text of the book pages used to make it! -



Hmmm?!  Not exactly romantic!  I wonder if it was deliberate?

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And here's the tiniest posy in the world, possibly!  With matching plate -



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And - for bonus points (as requested by Jane) an old picture of me - potty-training our youngest daughter on the banks of The Seine in Paris on a camping trip (that's our VW) many years ago. We were en route to the former Yugoslavia.


Happy Days!!

Monday 6 January 2014

Behave - or beware!


Got a rather wonderfully illustrated book from the Oxfam shop today - 'Cautionary Tales' by John Hay-Mackenzie.  It's a children's' book, but I think you'd be unwise to read it to a sensitive child! Perhaps lots of you know the book?  I've never heard of it.


From Amazon - "An illustrated children's book with a wicked twist that will make it just as appealing for adults. Twelve slightly deranged-looking soft toys have provided the inspiration for watercolour artworks by the author, and matching 'cautionary tales' that each have a moral or lesson, from obeying parents and following the rules for crossing roads, to eating well and caring for others. Why should you do as you are told? Does it really matter if you litter? Who cares if you're a spitter? Here lie the tales of twelve wicked boys and girls who found out - too late! John Hay-Mackenzie reveals their awful fates in his deliciously dark cautionary tales".

The characters are very Julie Arkell-like. This is Geoffrey - 'a stupid little bloke who thought it really cool to smoke' -

 
And this is Eric - who was 'a little brat and in the street he often spat' -

 
Then there's Louisa -


 
And Ingrid - now 'dead meat' !! -


 
Mary Rose used to pick her nose, until it just fell off! -


 
These are the twins, Ned and Fred, who set their pyjamas alight and are now 'brown bread' !

 
This is Kathy who wouldn't share her toys and ended up in gaol! -

 
This is bad-tempered Richard who ate too much junk food (now dead!) -

 
And poor old David who poked a python at the zoo and was crunched to death -
 
 
I love the characters! -


 
Hope you're dry and cosy!