Beautiful Homes and mini gardens

Note to self do not make jokey comments about bodyparts and losing them!!!

Toby had to be taken to A and E on the afternoon of our May Fayre because he managed to run into a deckchair and split his ear! No sooner did we get that mended with glue did he then lose his tooth whilst digging into his lunch and proceed to swallow it!

I have spent this week clearing out and reorganising my workspace in order to achieve some sort of inspiration for new products to sell at the shop. I am sure this has been aided by my avid viewing of Kirsty Allsops homemade home! I love it and especially loved it when she furnished her children's playroom with a wooden toy carousel that we sell, it is made by a local craftsman. It is as bright and colourful, as it looks on the programme, a real toddler pleaser!

I then realised that we actually sell a few of Kirsty Allsops products, her style whilst doing up her Devon cottage is definitely in keeping with the THB teamstyle. We have her lovely retro sewing kits, picture hanging kits and tool kits which are full of useful but beautiful items essential for any new homeowner or refurbisher. The candles are divine they make my workroom smell gorgeous and I haven't even lit one yet, they come in a box with a matching set of matches an absolutely perfect gift or treat to self!

For the younger aspiring house owners, of which my children definitely are, I think I may have biased their TV viewing so that now they avidly watch Kirsty, Grand designs and Jamie Oliver!

The Moulin Roty sewing kit is a must, it is another one of those products that is just so beautiful and nostalgic to look at but also usable.

The children spent a busy weekend making mini gardens because they want to enter the Cath Kidston competition to win £100 of products. Ellen said she would give me half the prize and Molly spotted the tee pee tent that sleeps 6 and has decided she would buy this. It does look very lovely, it is almost a grown up, mummy version of our children's tee pees. I think it would be great to have the large version surrounded by a little camp of kids ones in the garden for the Summer.

Poor daddy was also being creative but he instead was creating a penthouse run for the ducks, I declared that I would not be able to sleep the night we move the ducks out of the house and into their own house in the garden due to the fear of the dreaded fox! So we (that is the royal we!) set forth to make a run that would include the new pond that Toby dug out for the ducks, as well as their house and thus be completely predator safe. It is nearly complete and will be quite plush when finished but I have to say it does look a little like the house that jack built at the moment. I am sure the ducks are going to absolutely love it and I will be able to sleep soundly knowing they are safe. The ducks are now grown up and have the purest of white feathers, they waddle into their run in the morning, skipping underneath the ponies legs on the way, much to Ellen's horror and then in the evening they come and stand by the back door ready to be let in for the night.

My veg patch is doing well, I was joined in it by the ducks at the weekend and puddle proceeded to play in and out the dusty bluebells with the canes I had just put up for the peas I had planted. It was hilarious! I will endeavour to take some photos of this event next time it occurs!

Happy Days !

Happy Days!

What a glorious day we had last week, the sun shone and the whole family set to work in the garden.
Dad moved and repaired the hen house that had been abandoned by the previous house owners in the paddock next to our house.

I spent an incredibly satisfying couple of hours digging over my veg patch , adding manure ( made for us by our two ponies moon and sunbeam!) and then finally planting the potatoes. I am really hopeful of a bumper crop this year because my friend whose family have a biodynamic farm assures me that this was the best day this year to plant potatoes!

I could not have done this job without my great leather gardening gloves, they appear to fit all members of our family, as I spend much of my time retrieving them from whomever has borrowed! them for the particular job they are tackling at that moment.

I am feeling the need to turn my vegetable patch and greenhouse into a bijou chic working space that is not only full of wonderful homegrown vegetables but also looks really cool. I will keep you updated on how I get on but I have a feeling alot of it will be sourced from all the great gardening products we sell at the shop, as well as other vintage finds. I am starting some sweetpeas off in an old enamel flour tin and I of course have all my seeds stuffed into my seed tin!

Meanwhile Toby and Molly have started to transform the old hen house into the ducklings very own bijou residence. Ellen is busy keeping the little ones happy, they think she is their mum and follow her or Molly around the garden, it is so sweet to watch.

Following our happy day in the garden, I had a lovely evening joining the ladies in our village at the village hall for our flower arranging night. The girls asked to come this week as it was the easter holidays and they didnt have school the next day. So we all went off together to do a really nice creative girlie thing together and I am sure you will agree they did a great job, in fact I think they actually achieved better results than I did!

Molly's Display

The hand felted egg cosies on either side of my display were also made by the girls in handwork class at the Waldorf Steiner School they attend, I've a feeling I am going to be regularly outshone by their crafting talents from now on.

Ellens Display

Sam's Display