So much to do!!!

Well its that time of year when you start making lots of lists but just don’t know what job to start first. I have been very busy this last week, sewing cooking and visiting 2 lovely places the first was Donna Flower lovely house where she had one of her opening days

 – I did have my camera but I always feel a little conscious of taking photos at these events, so not many photos but did buy some lovely fabrics which I will show you later.

her lovely kitchen where coffee and tea was served.

I then went to a  Christmas Fair at The Cowslip Workshop, so many very talented people with lots of goodies to buy and inspire you at Christmas – sorry once again no photos.

But I have also been busy sewing and making things for Christmas as well - I have this idea of finding a branch painting it a very subtle white (perhaps primer paint will be fine) and hanging tiny lights and little stars that I have made with vintage fabrics.

You can just see my clove covered orange as well as the stars I made.

I have also made bunting made with hearts and the fabric that I bought at Donna's - although it wasn’t Christmas fabric I think the bright red rosy fabric looks pretty.

Then there is a job I always  love doing in the evening a very sticky and time consuming job but the end result fills your house with Christmas smells – the job well it is sticking cloves in an orange until it is almost completely covered, I find it easy if you use an old darning needle to start the hole before putting in your cloves. I left a small line for a pretty ribbon. They then dry and leave a lovely warming smell and can be kept for quite a while.


Then I made mincemeat (for anyone that doesn’t know what this is – it is a combination of dried fruits, sugar, apples, suet and lots of brandy) I think it tastes so much better than shop bought and of course I made my first mince pies, some didn’t make it to the freezer can’t think who ate them but he has the initials of OH.

Well I have more orders this weekend so its back to the sewing machine but also more list writing I love writing lists but it is always so satisfying if you actually achieve ticking off all the tasks (never happens in this house as I have  too bigger aspirations then I can actually achieve).

I also have something very exciting to tell you all but this is just going to have to wait for another post!!!

No I can’t wait we have a new addition to our family - well my son’s Oliver, he has been waiting for a long time now to get a Guide Dog (Oliver is blind) and last week a lovely black labradour called Ottis arrived and he is now giving my son so much happiness and company as well as making him feel so much safer when he ventures out. I will let you have a peep at him in future posts.

Calm before the Storm!

Well the weather man promised us a nice day on Wednesday so I had to make the most of it - so off to the North Devon Coast to a place called Hartland - after a pub lunch at The Hart in Hartland (amazing beef sandwiches made with devon ruby beef - sorry any vegetarians!!) we were all set for our walk.  We parked at Hartland Quay

 and headed towards the lighthouse. There are spectacular views towards Lundy Island

 - it is really stunning and after a while you come across this lovely cottage called Millhouse part of the Hartland Abbey estate.

But we are not the only ones that think what a fabulous location as this cottage was used in the BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.

As you can see they altered it a bit by added a false front door. But doesn't it look pretty, we then continued our walk to the village of Stoke,

 we came across this amazing tree across the path

you had to crawl underneath it to continue and then the first signs of christmas a holly bush with loads of berries on it. 

 We ended up although a little muddy at the lovely church in Stoke,

 it had the most amazing ceiling

It was such a beautiful walk and as I look out of the windows today I am certainly glad that we took advantage - no sewing today the house is looking a little neglected!! Off to a auction tomorrow in a small village of Hatherleigh so hoping I can find some lovely things!! I will let you know.

The Sense of Smell!!!

Sometimes a certain smell can take you back to a place and a time. I think smell is one of the best and most precious of our senses. When you go to the South of France the smel l of wild herbs just wafts through your car windows as you take your first breath of Provence air, you then visit the markets and the smell as you walk past the olive stall is so evocative. The smell of orange blossom as you arrive in the Greek Islands just divine.

But I think smell is a very important thing in your home, first of all I love to bring flowers in to the house in the summer that smell so sweet, and in the winter it is usually the lovely smells from the kitchen that tickle your tastebuds, when I make my Christmas Cake in November the smell that drifts through the house is just mouthwatering.

When you peel open your first Satsuma of the Winter you are taken back immediately to Christmas’s round the fire peeling fruit, or stuffing oranges with cloves.

But sometimes these natural smells need a little help especially when you live where I do – the farmyard has a lot to answer for!!!. So I adore to light my perfumed candles, now I have a few favourites but I have to say that top of my list has to be The Winter Candle from The White Company,

followed very closely by a Diptyque Fig Candle I light them every evening and the smell around the house is divine.

Nothing is better than lying in a bath surround by beautiful candles, well its okay until the OH comes upstairs and switches on all the lights and asks if I am saving electricity – they sometimes just have no romance!!

My favourite candle for the bathroom is this one from Nom de la Rose shop in Paris

and of course this lovely home made soap from Odds and Sudds in Tavistock Devon just sets the scene.

Well just a little word about my weekend we have my very bestest friend and her husband to stay, so we went for a lovely walk to Spekes Mill ( a beautiful waterfall by cliff-top)

in North Devon and then I promised them a cream tea but the café was closed – much groaning!!! And then I treated them to a Moroccan evening, they were a bit disappointed that I didn’t get dressed up!!! Sorry about the picture, but I was trying to take it in too much of a hurry.

 I hope you all had a good weekend, and have a lovely week ahead of you.