crochet on a summers day....

Well it's so hot here today that my brain has turned to mush and I thought it might be a good time to blog. Being that it has been about 3 weeks since my last post and perhaps the heat will melt any blocks that I seem to have. 

Today is the hottest July day on record. 36.7degrees at Heathrow. There's talk of possible thunder storms on their way tonight. I'm doing my weather presenter thing again! The crochet was from yesterday, so far it's been too hot to crochet today.

The other day I heaved my old swing seat out from under the exploding bamboo plant it seemed to be supporting and decided it needed to be used as a seat. I had to find an old mattress, cover it with cushions and a nice sheet and put it in a shady corner. I realize you can't really see all that here. But anyway, summer with a swing seat will be good, especially as I think we really will mainly be holidaying here this year. 

Although yesterday a bird dared to poop on my lovely sheet, whilst my back was turned, so leaving crochet casually strewn around is not a good idea. Thankfully it was not on the crochet!

This is my view of the climbing rose, so I can't complain! Isn't it lovely. Smells good too. I also have a rather huge and wonderful new bird table to show you soon, made for me by the teen as part of his woodwork lessons. We just need to varnish it and then think of some fun decorations, I'm sure he won't mind!

And the lovely common is truly in it's sweet place right now. All the meadow grasses and wild flowers. Beautiful. Like a painting. I feel very lucky to have this view. I don't feel so land locked I think because I can see the river in the distance, which is kind of coast line really being at the top of the Bristol Channel. I expect it's a little cooler at the coast today, perhaps.

It's been early starts this week, tying to beat the heat. I'm up walking here by 7.15 with the dog. By the time we're back at the car it's almost too hot. Although 2 and half weeks ago it looked like this! 

It always feels good to come back and blog....I don't know how the summer's going to go. I'm still really in the process of de-cluttering my life and also hoping to expand my shop and keep on making.

I have forever de-cluttered my clothes and my books. I've probably halved those now. The real job that I keep putting off is to sort out my photos, both in albums and on-line. I think I will feel considerably lighter once I've done those. And of course there's the daily dramas to negotiate.

I've decided to turn off comments, once I've worked how. We all have to try things out and find our happy place on here. I'm going to try it out, maybe for the summer. It's just to simplify things, which is really where I'm at at the moment. I need to step out from the spiral of expectation and hopefully things will feel simpler for you too.

So I am just trying it, following my intuition. I am quietly on instagram too. Maybe we will have a chat there, or flickr or facebook. So many choices!

Have a lovely summer, going to go and share the fan with the dog now.

♥

a few healthy summer things!

mean green juice

This is good! I've made a couple of these and have the ingredients for more in my fridge. I haven't done any juicing for a long time. This tastes zingy and healthy, and if I say here now that I will be drinking this later, I hope to stick to it! I found my way to this inspiring post from tales of ted and agnes, watched the film and found the recipe. If you want to try it follow this reciepe :-

                                      a bunch of kale,
                                      4 celery sticks,
                                      1 cucumber,
                                      2 granny smith apples,
                                      half a peeled lemon,
                                      ginger root.

Feels seriously healthy!

flowers from the garden

Remembering to pick flowers from the garden and bring them inside. It's all nice now, include some herbs if you can. I must try out some herbal teas, home made style. Yesterday I forwent my daily coffee. I have been feeling quite caffeined out in the last few days. Time to remember to drink some summer drinks instead of endless teas!

remember to breathe!

Yes, breathing is always a good thing.....especially after too much coffee....!
Oh and did I mention mercury has been retrograde for the last couple of weeks, please don't ask me to explain, because I don't think I can! but as the planet of communication, you may have found yourself talking utter codswallop. That should end and we will can all start making sense again!

thrifted sandals = happy toes

If you don't like toes, look away now!................

Thrifted sandals, love the little cross stitch. I'm very chuffed, almost new, my toes are very happy in these.

Happy little pink piggies........sorry!

   

homemade tick repellent

I have made a tick repellent. There really are a lot of these nasties around this year. Be careful walking through long grass, meadows and woodland. Cover up if you can or wear a repellent. There is a lot of talk of Lymes being spread, and this not a nice illness. It can be treated early if you notice a bite with a rash or white ring around it and have flu like symptoms with a course of anti-biotics. I found this natural tick repellent here. Apparently the ticks really dislike rose geranium. Thankfully I do like it and I have also added a few drops of lavender. I spray my legs before I go for a walk and also the dog. It makes a lovely feel good spray mist. Not for babies and cats though.

my view of the valley

I feel there may be some kind of pause here. The need to kick back and relax is there, as well as all the summer cleaning and maintenance chores which are calling. I've been having a little jig around here and would like to carry on straightening things up a bit, having a bit of tidy in all the places I seem to find myself, technology wise! I would also like to put more attention to my shop and grow this. There is only so long that is comfortable to be sitting in front of a screen in the summer I think. The need to move and stretch out a bit more is definitely calling.

I must tell you, this bag has become my summer outfit and I am really loving it. It's just adding that bit of summer brightness that I need. There may be no going back now. Homemade and handmade is the way forward. Dig out those vintage linens and create!

Hope you manage to kick back with some healthy moments, find a colourful rug and enjoy a summer view from somewhere,  drink long summer drinks. Breathe out. X

feeling creative right now!

feeling creative right now!, a photo by my little red suitcase on Flickr.

I don't know about you, but quite frankly, right now anything else which isn't me being creative feels like a chore! ...... there it is, it's the truth. So much for being present in each moment and enjoying the journey!

There is so much to do and so many ideas in my head. All I want to do is be making. Everything else just has to be done so I can get on with my real 'work' !

How about you? Is this the juicy summer energy kicking in leading up to the summer solstice I wonder!

be back later this week with a creative catch up post,

happy making, working, playing in these busy days,

Heather

X

thank you.....

first off I just wanted to say thank you,

this week and my last post has been a hive of activity,

it's been so lovely to read your comments and I've met some lovely new folks,

so a big thank you for all the support, especially my early followers!

these pink roses I planted this year in front of my balcony,

they are called compassion,

I hope they will climb and ramble as far as they can!

***

.......well, I've checked the calender and we have only two weeks left of holiday,

I'm trying not to feel panicked!

I feel like we have hardly done anything or been anywhere really......

except for the olympics of course,

it's just been a hanging out at home kinda holiday.

so what have I been doing?.....

well here's a few snipits,

eating juicy blackberries from a very brambly patch in our garden,

feeling very healthy.

I told my son these were natures happy pills!!

all those anti-oxidants......it's got to make you feel good, right?

reminding myself that I do know how to cook, at least a bit......

this is 'omelette with whatever you fancy',

I added cooked onion, peppers, courgette, tomato,

 indian cheese (paneer) and a good load of smoked paprika,

I had to finish the top off under the grill,

yum!

I have been chatting to the cows on the common,

there has been a mutual moaning about the weather!
although there have been some sunny days too,

I've been renewing my appreciation of dappled sunlight,
 appearing through shady woods,

not so keen on the squelchy mud though......

and slowly making more cushions,

I realise I simply have to finish all these cushions and do something with them,

I have been sitting and wobbling on the fence of indecision for far too long........

reading this little message left for me a while a go and remembering this is true,

even when other terrible teenage things are said........!

and today I am sorting out my craft room, I was up until late last night beginning, finally.

so my mission of the day will be this, it feels good to remember what I was doing, 

what I was in the middle of, 

what my ideas were.....!

so this is me this summer.

******

and I must also remember to thank Caroline of  scraps of us for awarding me with the liebster blog award!

The word leibster means dearest in German.

 This award is given to blogs that have less than 200 followers,

as a way of raising their profile and to encourage new bloggers,

how nice!

Anyone receiving the award can pass it on to 5 other blogs that they enjoy/admire,

and with less than 200 followers,

......if they would like to,

so I would like to award this to:-

Deborah of  happilicious...when your so happy you can taste it

Janie of  beeswax & broomsticks

Sassy of  muddle puddle

Trudy of  playing in the attic

Lizzie of  the pea pod

I hope you get a chance to pop over and visit them,

  have a good week,

Heather 

summer flowers

as promised here is my short and sweet post!

I need a burst of summer colour after being in London.

these lovely colours were found in our local park.

this little project was begun on the train and is coming along super fast!

and these are all the colours I have in this merino wool,

it crochets a treat.

I just love the whole crochet as patchwork idea!

will show you more soon.

Have a good start to the week now!

  

the week after camping.....

well the first thing I absolutely had to do after my camping trip
was move the furniture around in the living room!
life had just felt so much simpler living in a tent in a field.
with a break from the technology too....

I had just been waiting for my moment to do it,
so a huge tidy and de-clutter is in progress.
things being moved from one room to the next
 until finally into the garage or off to the charity shop.

the boot of my car is now full,
it really is a process all this moving and clearing,
 and yes I think it's going to extend to the whole house.

Clear   space    feels   so   good!

Here is my lunch time reading,
modern vintage style,
lots of great ideas and some lovely vintage crochet.

I have been counting my blessings in the garden too,
and believe me vegetable wise, there aren't many of them!!
It was either the weather or a complete lack of any attention from me.....
I will try harder next year,
and I might still try and grow some more salads and kale for the winter.
It's nice to have something green to eat straight out the garden.

I have been wearing my yellow sunshine ring,
I love it,
sometimes I get some funny looks......
but it really does ask to be worn when the sun is out.

I have finally brought new beach inspired towels, the pebbles are in my garden!!
I am really enjoying this sea foam colour.
It seems to be popping up all over the place......

sweet little jug found on holiday and some vintage buttons.

a very politically incorrect globe! found whilst thrifting,
I enjoyed watching the olympic opening ceremony
it was hypnotic. when I looked at the time that evening it was 1.40am.
I thought the clocks had broken!!
it was a global event,
but a very british ceremony, not sure that everybody got it,
Mr.Bean was hysterical.......!

enjoying this lovely pink geranium sitting in my blue jug,
lovely combination of colours,

and finally enjoying my new mug of coffee and flowers on the go!!
I love painted enamel flowers,
I have wanted one every since I saw this on tales from cuckoo land,
fortunately this appeared half price in the sale at the local camping shop.

I seem to rush around with one of these a lot......

what are you finally managing to get to now the holidays are here?

Heather

quietly camping

hello! I'm back,

this was my little corner of the world for three days!

lovely to have a break and with gorgeous weather too.

this was my summer reading, 

three magazines, elle, country living and red magazine, all for around six pounds,

can't say fairer than that!

the sun was lovely, but there is nothing I like better than a quiet corner with dappled sunlight under the trees.....blissfull!

this was my view of the oak tree leaves,

a lovely little campsite in kent,

it was really all I needed,

I had three nights before I needed to pick up my son again, so it was so nice to turn that time into a holiday......

of course I also managed to fit in some other things.......

a visit to Ightham mote, a national trust property,

have a look at that dog house there!

and several wanderings in the beautiful woods at Oldbury fort.

the deep peace in these woods was so very needed......

we discover this amazing oak tree

and passers by let us know it is called the holey holy tree.

fantastic!

and of course no holiday would be complete without some thrifting,

this was found in the nearby antique and collectors market held at Detling.

an absolutely huge and hot event which we drooped around,

happily leaving with this crochet cushion (yes another!!)

.

This is now brightening up the back seat of my car, along with my lovely thrifted blue blanket which travels with me,

always have a crochet blanket at the ready, that's what I say.......

another lovely purchase was also made,

something I have wanted for a long time, I will be showing you more of that soon,

enjoy this weekend,

hope you find a lovely spot in the sun or shade!

Heather

determined to be summery!

after seeing the sun on sunday morning,

 I set out to walk the dog feeling determindly summery!

I wore my cotton dress, my sandals, some suncream on my face, with high hopes
 of summer sun.....

I also carried my brolly, and had my mac and wellies in the car!

.....after all,

this is the british summer we are talking about.

we are ready for anything!

I love the canal, there is something about walking by the water that's just instantly relaxing,

 and I seem to walk along yawning.

It tried to be sunny, but basically it was overcast.......

but it didn't matter.

I enjoy seeing the different boats and the colours and names they have been given.

Lots of boats going up and down.

.......it looks great fun.

this is my favourite "dutch barge"

all board!.....i wish.......

look the clogs, do you remember them?

they have flowers in them now!

stopping at a garden centre on the way home

I took some pictures and feeling frugal..... 

 decided the flowers were just for looking at!

I even went home and made my own coffee

sometimes home is best.......

this weekend I am off on an adventure,

 camping in kent.

kent weather says it's going to be......

sunny!

I am an optimist

I'll go with that.....

hope you are managing to grab your moments too!

enjoy the weekend,

Heather.