Books and more lovely books

"Reading takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere."

I just love books and I find that along with magazines I just can't stop buying them, we are off on our holiday in a few days time and look what came through the post

My OH has been trying to get his hands on it but I don't know about you but I always want to be the first to read a new book or a magazine and get quite possessive about them. This book is full of lovely images

Look at these lovely fabrics I am getting really excited now about the prospect of these lovely markets in the Provence!

My favourite books are usually ones on design and about the home but one of my favourites that my Father bought me many years ago is The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill, it is all about a year living in a Village in Oxfordshire, it is a book that I can pick up and read over and over again.

I also love old books and a few weeks ago on a visit to Bridport Market my OH surprised me with this lovely book on Bude (near where I live) There is such lovely photos including a photo of The Shack that I wrote about in my last blog .

and inside this picture of what it used to look like in the 1930s - I think it was a Tea Room then.

and this morning while I was in Waitrose I picked up another of my favourite magazines (oh no sigh from OH) and guess what is on the front cover!

I hope you like the photos that I have interspersed with mine they are from http://www.weheartit.com/

Do you think it will be okay if I take this many books on holiday with me!!

Just a last note before I go back to getting ready for my holiday, ironing seems to come out of nowhere!! but thank you for all the comments that you have left, I would love to hear from more of you so please leave comments if you visit my blog.

Sun Sea and Sand

I think one of the best things about a beautiful sunny morning is to go into your garden and enjoy your own private space, this morning I was pleased or almost delighted to see that at long last my wisteria is out

 and not only were the flowers blooming but something caught my eye and there on the leaf was this beautiful dragonfly.

It was one of those lovely lazy days where you read the paper, drink wine and move around the garden trying to find the shade (this doesn’t sound like England does it!) but of course not only do I enjoy the garden but I love my local beaches!

One of the beaches we visit is so lovely and remote and has this lovely holiday place to hire called The Shack and here are a few photos of it as well as some of the interior!

 I would love to stay there and of course there is the surf! You can find it at http://www.millook.com/

This is a lovely beach called Crackington Haven, well lets hope that summer is here now and we can all enjoy it!

A Beautiful Island

Well its been a while since I was here! But you know what its like life seems to overtake you, as well as troublesome sewing machines!!! But I would like to tell you about one of my favourite places in France and that is a lovely island just off La Rochelle called Isle de Re.  We have been often and I would like to share some of our photos.

This is the town of La Flotte lovely port.

Typical street on the island

 

Every street has lots of lovely holyhocks although they are not quite out in this photo!

 

Don't you think this is a great idear for a door knocker.

We stay at this lovely hotel called Le Senechal in Ares en Re

 

It is a small hotel but just excellent lovely decor!

 

It is small but beautiful

 

And the bedrooms are just exactly what you expect from a lovely French hotel

 

It is so beautiful worth a visit http://www.hotel-le-senechal.com/

But of course the British weather hasn't been too good especially today so guess what

 

Thank you once again for all your comments I so love reading them.

A Time for Myself

Time to myself means time to sew and tinker with little pleasures like this lavender bag that I made today

I used a small little madonna in the middle which I bought from my friend at The Art of Confusion and some lovely old linen from France

I really enjoy sewing and as well as making these lovely lavender bags I also make cushions which at the moment I sell on ebay and I am pleased to say seem to go before any bidding seems to start, I keep meaning to start a website but that is another story - I seem to have got hooked on blogging and my website has gone by the board

I spend quite a lot of my time searching for vintage french fabrics, and I am really looking forward to my trip to France in a few weeks time to look for more fabrics (although I think my husband thinks we are going for the wine food and sunshine!!)

My most popular cushion covers are the Union Jack style that I make from french vintage fabrics

and a stunning black and white toile cushion cover

and to match this

This was a lovely old toile fabric and so soft I just wanted to keep it but alas it sold!!

I have been so inspired by the lovely blogs that I have visited you are all so talented and give me such inspiritation and I thank all of you fellow bloggers that have left me such encouraging comments.  I would love to hear from more of you.

A surprise garden!

Sunday afternoon and to stretch my legs after a marathon sorting out of summer clothes - I am sure everyone knows what I mean!! we decided to go for a walk along the coast path, but on our way we happened upon one of those yellow signs to the Garden, well I can't resist a garden especially to nose around other peoples so we followed the signs

After a mile we were guided into a field and walked up to the farm where the garden was, apparently a young couple decided to take over their parents farm garden after going on a horticulture course

Behind the farmhouse there was quite a surprise

I think they were hoping the plants would be a little further on but they were better than mine!

As good as Chelsea maybe!

lovely blossom

and beautiful big marshcups (I hope thats what they are)

and they have built this lovely natural water feature

and there will be a vegtable patch to die for!

and then a lovely walk along the river

and just so that we didn't forget who was in charge!