Monday 10 December 2012

......And breathe......


At this time of the year......

When each hour only seems to have fifty minutes......

When our homes are being decorated to within an inch of their lives.....

And we turn cooking and shopping into an Olympic sport.

Just stop, and take a minute to appreciate some of the simpler things in life......

Climbing into a freshly laundered bed......


Source:4bpblogspot

Candle light.....


Source:Belgian Pearls

The wonderfully evocative scent of Paperwhites......



Source:Tara Albrecht 


Your favourite hat on a chilly day......


Source:Inspired-design

There's something about lights on a string......


Source: Thatkind of woman

And the silence of a snowy scene from the comfort of your own home......


Source:unknown-sorry


I know its easier said than done, but lets just enjoy the simple things.

Hope you have a lovely week,

Liz x




Saturday 1 December 2012

Who stole November?......

Where did that month go?

I can't believe we are now at the beginning of December.

Real life has overtaken 'blog life' and I have barely managed to keep up to date with my favourite blogs, let alone sit down to write one of my own.

So what does December hold for us?


Source:Bel Mortimer via Pinterest 


Of course we can now use the 'C' word with gay abandon.

Christmas......

Source: Amanda E Wilkerson via Pinterest 

Bringing nature inside to decorate the house......


Source: Kirstie Bird via Pinterest 


Source:Erbara.cz via Pinterest 

Candle light......


Source: Lacey Dawn via Pinterest

Twinkly lights - everywhere!......


Source:Brown dress with white dots

And colder weather - often bringing with it scenes of beauty......


Source:Brown dress with white dots


Source: Michelle Bouk via Pinterest  


It's going to be a busy month.

I love it!!



Source: Petersham Nurseries

Have a lovely week, and keep well.

Liz x

Monday 5 November 2012

Jet lag, what jet lag?......


Boston...... Fab,

No.1Snowdrop...... Happy and healthy,

Beacon Hill...... Cool,

Clam chowder...... Yummy,

Hurricane Sandy......  Interesting,

U.S Election TV coverage...... Bonkers!!

We had a lovely time, and it was great to see our son in his new College home.  Thank you for all of your good wishes.

As I get older, overnight transatlantic flights get harder and harder.

But I'm learning that for me I have to go straight to bed, even if its just for a few hours.

There's nothing like your own bed, but here are a few others I wouldn't mind climbing in to!


Source:Desire to inspire 



Source:Amber Interiors 


Source:Jolie Marche 

Source:Kimberly Taylor 

Source:LeeCarolineArt

Source: PlumPrettySugar 


Source:ZsaZsabellagio 

Glad to be back.

Hope you have a lovely week,


Lizx 







Thursday 25 October 2012

Just a quickie......

......post that is!

Just off  to see Number 1 Snowdrop who is at College in Boston.

Oooh, I can't wait!

The lovely buildings, the shopping, delicious food, great people......

Oh, and I get to hug my hoodie!

Back soon as......


Source:Brown Dress With White Dots 


Hope you have a lovely week,


Liz x

Monday 15 October 2012

Loving Real Fires......


We had the first real log fires of the year on the weekend.

I love everything about them......

The order of the log store......

The warmth and cozy glow......

The smell......

I don't even mind the clearing out of the grate the next morning......

Here are some wonderful images of some impressive fires and fire surrounds.  Some grand, some quite simple.



Source:Splendid Sass 




Source:Brown Dress With White Dots 





 Source:Seventeenstyle 

Source:Sometimes Black 



Source: Layla Grace 



Source: Internet 


I love them all - do you have a favourite?


Hope you all have a lovely warm week,


Lizx



Wednesday 10 October 2012

Fifty Lovely Shades Of Gre......


......EEN.

Isn't this the most glorious colour?......


Source: Fanciful Floras 

Autumn is well and truly upon us, the leaves on the trees are rapidly turning russet and brown, and before we know it they will have gone and we will be left with the bareness of Winter and all that that brings with it.

Source:Gabba Gabba Gorgeous

I have found some beautiful images to remind us what an optimistic colour green is.

Dont worry, there aren't fifty of them!......

Muted......

Source: Zsa Zsa Bellagio 



Pretty panelled......


Source:Delmont Drive 


A vision......

Source:Belle Moonlight Dancer



Back to nature......


Source: Simple everyday glamour 



New glass......


Source: Atlanta Homes 



Old Glass......


Source:Brown dress with white dots



Aaah perfection......



Source: Tumblr



Michael Kors I believe......


Source: Dust Jacket Attic 



Mmmmmm......

Source:Dyptique



Until next summer......



Source:Green Like Bathwater


Hope you have a lovely week,


Lizx


Wednesday 3 October 2012

Sketch - London


I am so happy to have been part of the very first (I think) Bloggers tea party.

Organised by the lovely Laura from Happyhomemakeruk, 10 game girls and myself met at the wonderful Sketch restaurant in Conduit Street, London.

Source: hjonesyfeeds.com 

I must have walked past this restaurant/bar about one hundred times, never finding an opportunity to visit.  I am so glad I have now.


The whole venue, consisting of five restaurants in all is a work of art from the moment you step inside.

From the blood spilt/red central staircase leading up to the Swarovski encrusted bathrooms(I kid you not!) to the wonderfully individual decorated restaurants and bars. Part nightclub, part country house.

And so to the Glade, where we had an afternoon tea to remember.

Source:sketch 









It was  wonderful to get together with  so many like minded ladies.  In blog years I was the youngest, but not in real years! but everyone was delightful, we chatted and laughed and cooed over Sarah's (moderncountrystyle)lovely baby.




As I'm not a restaurant critic, I can't really do justice to sketch here, but I urge you to look at their fabulous web site, or if you get the chance to visit, go! Suffice to say the food was yummy - and there was a lot of it!  The waiting staff looked gorgeous and for the charming Irish manager (sorry I didn't catch the name) nothing was too much trouble.  That included kindly taking the same photo with ten different cameras!!

And if there is another Bloggers tea party, try and come, it's great fun.

ps: If you think I've gone 'link' mad, you're right!  I've just learnt how to do this!!
Next I'll be crediting photos correctly, selling advertising on my blog, attending conventions...... I might have spawned a monster!!

Hope you have a lovely day,

Liz x

Thursday 27 September 2012

It's been a disaaster daahling......


Not in the usual way when bad things happen to good people.

More in the Simon Cowell low ratings sort of way!

So......

Back in May, I planted another job lot of baby box (Buxus Sempervirens) on our front driveway.

Four months on things aren't good......






About one in five of the young plants has died, the colour of the leaves has been totally stripped away leaving very sorry pale cream specimens in place of lovely green healthy young plants.



I have been keeping an eye on them for the past four weeks or so, making sure they are fed and watered, and having the odd chat a la Prince Charles. But to no avail and  they are getting worse.

I can only think that they got either too dry or too wet-given the strange weather we have had this year.
Or the wall and existing trees have stripped all goodness out of the ground.
Or, maybe I bought a bad lot. I still have another tray that I didn't plant and they have started to go as well.

Any way, I'm just about to pull them up and replace them with a new batch, and I'll be watching them as if they were my own children. I'll keep you posted!

......And breathe....

Just to bring some happiness into this post, I had to find some images of some successful box planting before everything goes to sleep for winter - any excuse!!

Source:Imminent Environment 


Source:Waterproof Valentines 



Source: L'extravagence 


That's better!!

Hope you have a lovely week,


Lizx