See You Soon x

Good morning sweet people.  Are you well?

A very half-hearted bee fell to the ground near my foot.  It lay there for a minute.  Knackered?  Contemplating what to do next?  It took a few slow steps then stopped again.  Mustering up the energy and enthusiasm from somewhere, it suddenly took off and flew to a nearby flower.  A small flurry of buzzing and bee-type activity ensued and then it fell back down to the ground.  It lay there for a minute.  Knackered?  Contemplating what to do next?

I daresay this pattern would have continued for a while but I got bored watching and went back inside with my cup of tea but not without realising that I feel a little like that bee at the moment!  Small flurries of activity interspersed with lots of sitting down, knackered and contemplating what to do next!

This really won't do as we are heading off to Poland for my little brother's wedding in a few days!

We're driving most of the way, stopping for a couple of days in Brussels and then Berlin.  Oh yes, this is a holiday with a difference for us.  We are normally to be found stretched out on a Spanish beach, liquid refreshment and trashy novel to hand.

So am I rushing around, washing, ironing, bleaching u-bends and winding down the food stores?  Am I heck!  I'm saving all that for the day before we leave!

I always, always come home from a holiday with a renewed determination to be more organised, finish works in progress and start a hundred more!  Despite not actually having gone yet, I've already started a new project list!

So I shall be back in a couple of weeks dear friends, refreshed, a little more worldly wise and full of tales of the wedding.  'Til then, I wish you long days of sunshine and moments to treasure.

Hxxx

Just Add Flowers ...

Good morning.  Hope you're all well.

How strange it is getting used to this summer holidays business.  It's taken me a few days to stop clock-watching and settle into it.  The weather doesn't help.  Blondie son had one of his friends here for the day yesterday - there's really very little for them to do when the weather is foul.  We ended up going swimming.  Trust me, if I'd not instigated that little venture out, they would have happily spent hours in front of the Xbox while the wind rattled the windows.  Ah me ... in my day ...

In fact, it's been so blustery here, look ...

Even my poor windmill hasn't coped!  The red petal has completely disappeared.  Taken away on a particularly strong gust to distant climes, never to be seen again.

Unless of course Bertie ate it?!

I do hope the weather improves for the weekend.  I'm helping host a street barbeque (inspired by an Eden Project initiative) on Sunday.  :-{

Anyway, I wanted to show you my cute new Noa Noa bag.  Remember, my brother's wedding in a fortnight?  Well, it's first outing will be then but afterwards I shall use it every day.

It's just gorgeous, with a dear drawstring lining too.  However, I had to add a little floral flourish ...

Aah, that's better.

Bertie kept positioning himself in front of the camera as I was taking these pictures so gratuitous spaniel shot if you don't mind ...

Talking of adding flowers, Handsome Hubby went to the British Grand Prix on Sunday and came back with this coolbag.  He'd been given it packed full of picnicky lunch bits as part of a 'hospitality thing' ...

Very uninspiring huh?  A few minutes, a quick wipe with Dettol All In 1 and a dozen or so pink decals later ...

Vast improvement!

My interest in my jools has re-emerged and I spent a lazy afternoon wire wrapping some freshwater pearls ...

I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but these are wonderfully juicy pearls.  They're so lush, I just love them.  I've since starting knotting them, with tiny silver charms, onto a length of grey silk ribbon.  I have a dark grey strapless sun top that I'm loving wearing at the moment which will look great with my new creation!

Ooh, I must just tell you about Saturday.  About a dozen houses on one road near us, all had a garage sale.  How great is that for an idea?  People were selling all their unwanted items from large items of furniture to books and bric a brac.  We spent a lovely hour or two pottering from front garden to front garden and browsing in the sunshine.  I bought a large pine dresser top/shelf unit for £10 which I'm going to sand and paint!  We have so much clutter we could sell; it definitely started my cogs whirring so I'm going to arrange a 'Garage Sale Sunday' in August and rope in as many neighbours as I can.  I've already got three signed up!!!

On a final note, this made me smile so I thought I'd share it with you ...

Take care all.

Hx

How Clever Am I?

Wednesday afternoon was possibly, nay definitely, the proudest afternoon of my life so far!

Blondie son was presented with his Academic Scholarship award at the school's annual Speech Day.

That is why I have been so excited of late!

However, unbeknown to us until the actual event, both of our blondies also won Outstanding Academic Achievement awards!  Only three such awards are presented per year group.

Dear reader, I don't mind telling you that Handsome Hubby and I were both puffed up to twice our normal size and in tears.

It's been an emotionally draining week as Blondie son has now completed Junior School and starts at Senior School in September.

We now have two months of school holidays.  I daresay I shall want to wring their necks after a couple of weeks of bickering and "I'm bored"s but, for now, I'm still congratulating myself for making two such beautiful and incredibly clever babies.

Hx

Bertie ... The Second Attempt!

Ooh, I did relish letting off steam in my last post and thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments :-D!  All I'll say for now is that a very plain and pitiful woman at school has decided to show her true colours (predominantly green).  She rounded on me unprovoked and I think, was quite unprepared for my backlash.  Anyway, all will become apparent a little later this week.  Needless to say, I don't give a s*** about her and I'm so excited about Wednesday I could jump up and down and screech with joy!!! ;-)

I heartily recommend having a chunter on your blog!  Seriously, normally I would have gone to bed all churned up and livid but by letting it out on my blog I got closure!  It was brilliant!!!

Back to today, I was kicking my heels a bit so Blondie daughter and I decided to have a lovely painty afternoon ...

I had another go at painting Bertie, this time from a photograph ...

Remember, keep it loose and free ...

So I did.  Room for a little improvement but I'm so much happier with this one.

Blondie daughter had a go too ...

Pretty damn good for an 8 year old I say!

Enjoy your weekend lovelies.

Hx