Attic24

Daily May # 13

Day 13 :: Tuesday

I went on my morning walk alone today as J said he didn't feel like coming as he still felt tired from our Dorset walking and travelling. Instead of heading into the woodland I decided to go to the meadow because it's buttercup season and I know how intoxicating the golden colour is first thing in the morning. I was not disappointed, it was absolutely beautiful.

We're not yet at peak bloom here in the meadow (that belongs to June) and the buttercups are just warming up their display. But what an incredible way to start my day, seven o'clock was most definitely golden.

Buttercups and cow parsley are growing in abundance right now - I never pick any flowers in the meadow because it's a conservation area and protected, but I felt it was OK for me to take a few wild stems from the hedgerows and grass verges on my way home from the park.

I have collected a few old glass bottles over the years, buying them from the collectors centre when I spot them every so often for a pound or two. They make the perfect miniature vase for teeny-tiny posies and there is something enchanting about creating these very small floral displays which I enjoy very much. They never last long indoors but that doesn't matter really, because it's the fleeting enjoyment that makes them so special.

I had a few errands to run in town today so I went out quite early this morning before it got too hot. The weather forecast for this week looks exceptionally good with no rain, actual heat and lots of sunshine - it's spring but feels like early summer already, and I am so here for it.

I decided this morning that I really should be more consistent at supporting local, so I called in at the florist to buy flowers for my table this week, then went to a small indie coffee shop for my morning milky cup. It was so good, I sat in a sunny corner listening to the upbeat music and had a little ponder on how I wanted to spend the rest of my day.

Did you notice the flowers I bought? Six beautiful iris stems, I just can't seem to stop thinking about these flowers, they've completely taken over my brain for some unknown reason.

The colours are absolutely beautiful. The only thing is that they are super tall and I don't really have a suitable vase for them. In fact, I don't appear to own any vases as I always prefer my flowers displayed in jugs so I'm not sure what to do. I've popped them into a glass water jug for now, but tomorrow I'll put my mind to thinking about whether to chopity-chop the stems to jug length, or whether to look somewhere for a pretty slim/tall vase.

I made myself a late breakfast once I'd come home from town, a sweet cinnamon/maple omelette loaded with greek yoghurt and a whole heap of berries. I've got two new candles on my table today (a budget supermarket buy), heavily influenced by my trip to Dorset. One is Jasmine, the other is called Beach Walk - I thought that was pretty appropriate and weirdly aligned with what's been in my mind the past few days. Ooooo, I wonder if you can get an Iris scented candle? #obsessed.

Cow parsley and buttercups with my breakfast....so very May-ish and bringing me lots of happiness today.

This afternoon I tidied up a bit in the back yard, sorting out the furniture and blankets and creating a cosy corner underneath the dining room window for afternoon loafing. It was hot out there, twenty two degrees, and I sat gulping down glasses of iced water while trying/failing to knit a few rounds of sock. Just too hot for yarn in the hands, so in the end I simply sat and allowed the sunshine to warm my soul. It was pretty blissful.

It would have been my Dad's birthday today, so he was on my mind a lot. I hope he is resting well.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

Daily May # 12

Day 12 :: Monday :: Dorset & home again

Today has been mostly taken up with the long drive north, and the inevitable re-adjustment that's needed after a trip away. Even though we were only gone for three nights it felt like much longer, and it's a bit strange to be back home again and straight back into my parenting shoes (flip flops). We arrived back in the mid afternoon and I immediately had to think about what to cook for the family meal this evening, go and do a quick food shop, then help unpack the car and sort out the various bags of clothes, bedding/towels and food. However, it's a small price to pay for the luxury of having offspring who are now old enough to take care of themselves, and being free to escape the parenting job for a short while is fabulous. So I'm not complaining, but....I guess I just feel a bit on the weary side after long hours of travel and the aforementioned re-adjustment process. What a wonderful time away we had though, it really was extremely lovely on all fronts.

I've been looking back through my photos and I think out of everything I've shared, my most favourite part of it all was our accommodation. We don't own a caravan but it's easy enough to rent one, and staying at this small, rural site nestled into the quiet Dorset countryside above the beach was absolutely dreamy. This was our second time staying (our first holiday here was two years ago) and I know that there will be more times to come.

I loved the early mornings sat with a hot cup of tea and taking in the expansive views, cosy under a blanket listening to the birds and the sheep bleating in the next field....

....but most of all I loved the evenings when we would walk down through the lush fields to the sea. It was unbelievably dreamy for someone like me who has these vivid fantasies about living a quiet coastal life one day - this was my chance to live out my dream for a short while and it made me so happy!

My crochet blankets always came with us on these beach jaunts because even though the weather was sunny and warm during the day, it's still springtime and there was often a cool breeze whipping along the beach in the evenings. Also, I admit I get a major thrill out of seeing my blankets "in the wild" and admiring the colours sitting in such scenic surroundings.

It was usually around 8.30pm by the time we were ready to head slowly back up the hill to our holiday home on legs, and the golden evening light and long shadows made everywhere look beautiful.

If you look carefully at the above photo, you can just see the caravans up on the side of the hill there - they are sitting underneath the sign that points to Hive Beach 2 miles further down the coast. It's such a lovely spot, close to the coastal road which makes catching the bus possible, and the elevated position ensures that the views are expansive and incredibly scenic.

It's a very quiet rural area with lots of open countryside and small village communities. The locals are very friendly too :)

At this point in the year, the sun disappeared behind the hills at around 8.30pm, and the first stars appeared about an hour later just as the sky was beginning to darken. Every evening I would step outside with my blanket around my shoulders and stand for a while to breathe it all in before bedtime. I adore the scent of the evening air in this little patch of West Dorset - to me, it's the deeply familiar scent of my childhood and tells me that my heart is home. It's a country smell, the scent of damp grass with an undertone of farmyard, plus a slightly sweet, floral something combined with the salty tang of the sea. I could not love it more.

And now I'm back in the Attic again, in my adopted Yorkshire home and all is well. I found a shell in my pocket earlier, and remembered that J had found it on our walk and had given it to me, a sweet memento of our time in Dorset.

It will come as no surprise to you that I am pretty obsessed with all things coastal, and did plenty of visual colour-collecting while I was walking along Chesil beach. I'm beginning to think about the possibility of designing another coastal-inspired blanket, where the colours of the sea and beach merge with the hedgerows, fields and wild flowers. Can you imagine how dreamy it would be??? ♥

The flowers I saw on this recent trip have really stuck in my mind actually, especially the irises. There were a good many different varieties growing around the beautifully kept caravan site, as well is in the village gardens where we walked. I totally fell in love with them - the variety of colours is magnificent. I mean --> (( LOOK!! )) Wow. I have most definitely fallen in love.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

Daily May # 11

Day 11 :: Sunday :: Dorset

Today was a day for J and I to spend together and involved one of my most favourite pastimes - coastal walking. We absolutely LOVE this circular route that we can do directly from the caravan site where we're staying and we were really looking forward to it. I've been sleeping well here and we both woke up early, so we were out the door at 7.45 with a picnic lunch, ready to cover some miles.

The start of the walk is a steady climb right up to the top of the downs above Chesil beach. The Dorset countryside is looking absolutely stunning, it's so lush and green in May and and the crisp, clear sea air gives everything a fresh glow.

From the top of the ridge there are magnificent views right out over Chesil beach and all the way along to Portland Bill. It's beautiful walking up here - breezy and open with an almost 360 degree view.

Eventually the footpath starts to descend down towards the picturesque village of Abbotsbury. In the above photo you can see St Catherine's Chapel sitting squarely on its hill above the sea, it's such an enchanting part of the Dorset coastline and I love it deeply.

We arrived into Abbotsbury just after 10am, and being a Sunday morning it was very sleepy and quiet. We did find a sweet little café/bakery open and enjoyed a cappuccino sat at a little pavement table in the sunshine.

The walk took us out of the village, heading south toward the sea, and was a gentle stroll along tracks and through fields.

We came across this magnificent old tree with a huuuuuge trunk and an absolutely massive spread of branches, the giant scale of it was honestly staggering. I recognised it as a plane tree by it's distinctive leaves, and later on when I had access to the internet I did a little searching to try and find out more about it. According to the word on the web, this is an Oriental Plane tree planted by monks over 300 years ago, and the trunk is over 6 metres in circumference. SIX metres!

I asked J to take a photo to show you something of the scale, it blew my mind just a little bit I have to say. Isn't it wonderful?

We continued our walk gently downwards, all the way to the long stretch of the beach, and came across a fantastic little café down there. What a gem! The coffee was insanely good, and the food looked mouthwateringly tasty too, definitely somewhere to head for if you're in the area.

We had a picnic with us of course, so we took our coffee directly onto the shingle beach and settled down amongst all the wild coastal flowers to eat lunch with a sea view. I'd made us ham, goats cheese and salad sandwiches, with some salty crisps, a crunchy apple and some dark chocolate to finish. Simple food but absolutely yummmm.

The weather had been wonderful all morning, but by midday when we'd stopped to eat lunch, a sudden squall of rain came in from the sea and sprinkled us with heavy droplets for about ten minutes, then blew on out along the beach.

You can see the dramatic rainy skies as we walked along the coast path after lunch. It wasn't cold and we only got a little bit damp so all was well, and I loved that we could literally see the rain moving ahead of us as we walked.

It was a joy to see so many flowers in bloom along the beach, they grow directly in the shingle and it's lovely to walk amongst them. Lots of pink Thrift and white Sea Campion, and the photo above is Sea Kale in bloom.

I was crouching down taking the sea kale picture and attracted a little companion who stayed on my hand for ages. He was the exact shade of the shingle!

I first saw these wild gladioli growing along this part of the coast two years ago and they are absolutely stunning in real life. I feel like I've been really spoilt with floral colour today, so much natural beauty all along our walk....

...including the beautifully kept gardens in the village of West Bexington.

This iris stopped me in my tracks, it was huge and had the most beautiful collection of colours running through its petals. Did you know that irises have a scent? I had no idea until today, but they smell delicious, like sweet honey. Who knew?! In Abbotsbury I went through the village with my nose stuck into a good many flowers - lilac, climbing roses and jasmine all making the air smell incredible as we walked past the most idyllic looking thatched cottages. It's been a beautifully floral kind of a day.

We got back to the caravan at 2pm and I felt as if my emotional cup had been topped up to overflowing with feel-good. Such a beautiful walk for the heart and soul, so many expansive views, beautiful flowers and glorious colour. It felt good to spend time enjoying Dorset in a way that felt quite carefree for a change, and it reminded me of past years when holidaying here was all about pleasure seeking and relaxation, and nothing to do with the strain of ageing parents and the stress that I've been coping with for the past four years. What an absolutely blessed relief, I felt that deeply today.

This afternoon we went to collect Lady B and gathered in some supplies to cook a barbecue dinner here at the caravan. It was lovely to see her and spend time reminiscing and catching up, and to feel reassured that she's doing OK. I've promised her I'll be back in the summer, this will always be my home place that I return to regularly throughout the years, and I'm so grateful for it. It's a beautiful area of the country to come and spend time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

Daily May #10

Day 1 :: Saturday

We slept in till gone 7am this morning which is rare for us and it felt delicious to wake up slowly to the sound of lambs bleating in the field across the way. By 9am we were out the door and walking up the lane to the bus stop : destination Lyme Regis.

If you've followed my blog over the years you will know about my love for this coastal town where I have a long history and lots of very happy memories. I worked three of my student summers in a tourist/icecream type shop owned by a family friend right down by the harbour, and I have old friends who live close by too so have socialised a lot in Lyme over the years.

Today we were gifted the most perfect May weather, a forecast of full sun all day and ohhh, the town looked so, so stunning with jaunty bunting flags strung across the high street and the most perfect sea view glittering down below.

J and I have a favourite coffee shop in Lyme Regis (of course we do) which has the sweetest little garden at the back. We called in to enjoy a mighty fine coffee and some toasted walnut bread with butter and raspberry preserve. In fact the coffee was SO good that we both immediately ordered a second cup as soon as the first was finished...mmmmmm....it really was delicious.

Late morning now, and we're taking a gentle stroll down through the beautiful gardens which overlook the beach and harbour.

The gardens are full of flowers and have a distinctly Mediterranean feel. We sat a while on a bench and just breathed in the expansive views and enjoyed the full heat of the sun as we approached midday.

We had a plan in place for today, and this involved taking ourselves down to the promenade to find a suitable spot to sit, have a drink and wait for some very dear friends to arrive.

It was super busy as it's the weekend and the weather had drawn in the beach loving crowds, but we were lucky to find a table outside the Harbour Inn where we could sit comfortably and wait. Our friends are staying further down the coast at Seaton and were walking the south west coast path to come and meet us for the afternoon. It was incredibly good to see them, we've been friends for thirty six years so as you can imagine we have the easy type of friendship where years go by and then you pick right back up as if it were only yesterday. We enjoyed a few beers in the sun, then moved on to have a late lunch in a beautiful eatery overlooking the sea. It was wonderful and I wish the afternoon could have gone on and on because it was that good, all of it, every single sunny second of it.

Travelling by bus meant that we had no option but to say goodbye to our friends and jump on the last ride back along the coast at 5.30pm - no late journeys here in rural west Dorset.

The Jurassic Coaster is a great bus service though, and there are terrific sea views almost the whole way. We sat on the top deck and enjoyed the passing scenery, and just over an hour later we arrived back to our home-from-home.

J suggested we walk down through the fields to the beach, and of course my little sea-loving heart was utterly delighted by this idea. It's about a half hour walk downhill to the sea (with a bit more oomph needed on the way back as the uphill is quite uppy)

It was so peaceful on the beach, just a few fishermen catching and reeling in glittering mackerel, and miles of open coastal space to feast my eyes on. I drank a little glass of wine and felt my heart expand with pure gratitude. This is the life I live, and I'm head over heels in love with it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ps a few of you have asked about my crochet beach blankets, I have two granny square blankies that always come on holiday with us and I love them to bits. They are both made from Stylecraft Special DK - left over stash busters made in simple join-as-you-go granny squares, nothing complicated at all, but it's the colours that really bring them to life. The one in yesterdays post is called "Colourwash Granny" and the one shown here I call "Patchwork Granny". Full details on colours etc are all here on my blog x

 

 

Daily May # 9

Day 9 :: Friday

A very early morning walk today, we were out the door just after 6.30am.

The woodland was incredibly tranquil and we saw the cutest little duck family with five floofy chicks swimming in the beck.

Today has been long - our coffee stop wasn't until 3pm, sitting beside the pond at Gloucester services on the M5.

After lengthy delays with heavy traffic we finally arrived at the south coast just after 6pm. It was an epic eight hour journey (it usually takes less than 6), but we are so happy to be here.

After a quickly thrown together salad dinner we went straight down to the beach to catch the last of the sun.

By 8.30pm it was just dipping down behind the hills.....

....and ten minutes later just a ruby red glow in the sky.  It's now 9.30pm and J and I are snug in our cosy home-from-home. The moon is shining brightly and there is still a beautiful post sunset glow in the sky. I'm really tired, but I'm going to wait and see the first stars appear in the sky above the sea before I flop into bed. Did I tell you how happy I am to be here for a  few days? Yup, happy me.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily May # 8

Day 8 :: Thursday

A day where I woke up with no plans as such, a day where I had the usual school morning routine but after that, a day for me to simply be Me. What a huge luxury that is, and believe me when I tell you I appreciate it massively.

I felt a bit aimless at first, wandering around downstairs, tidying up a little, seeing to laundry, taking the recycling out to the bin, watering plants. I looked at my very dusty mantle and thought about doing some housework and then came to my senses. No, no not today......

.....so I pulled on a scarf and my lime green coat (it was chilly today) and promptly took myself out for a coffee. It's true, you simply can't do housework if you're not in the house, and I felt quite good about that.

I stopped on my way home to pick up some groceries....

....and enjoyed walking slowly back along the side of the canal. No need to rush, this is a day marked clearly with a SLOW sign.

Ten thirty and I'm home again. Walking in the door I realised that in my haste to run away from the dusty surfaces I forgot to eat breakfast, and my tummy was rumbling loudly. I dithered for a stupid length of time in front of the fridge, trying to work out what kind of food my brain wanted. Sweet or savoury? Hot or cold? In the end I was tempted by a perfect avocado half (Little Lady cut and ate the other half for her breakfast), and some juicy little baby plum tomatoes.

I toasted a slice of seeded sourdough bread, smooshed the avocado onto it and seasoned it with a heavy hand. Added some weeny fresh basil leaves to my tomatoes and felt fancy. Berries on the side because the brain suddenly wanted both savoury and sweet. I lit a candle, because breakfast/brunch is my favourite meal of the day and I like the idea of making it feel special.

I am hard pushed to tell you what happened between 10.30 and 12.30 but I'm pretty sure it contained laundry, a quick run to the coffee shop to buy a flat white for J who was stuck at his desk doing complicated work things, and some chit chat with the eldest man-child. I'm sure the morning had more stuff in it, but I just cannot recall what it was - oh, I did some faffing with yarn pegs, and caught up with my emails I think.

It's early afternoon, and now I'm settled comfortably upstairs so that I can see to the important business of Self Care. I've made myself a mug of spiced ginger tea with lemon, and have a modest two-chunks of Rhubarb and Ginger dark chocolate to go with it (please note the impressive self restraint here. T-w-o small chunks only). I've got my crochet to hand, but what I really feel like doing is losing myself inside the pages of an inspirational magazine. I'm a relative newcomer to The Simple Things magazine and honestly it is an absolute and utter delight. The May edition is out and is full of beautiful spring imagery, flavours, recipes, outdoor gorgeousness and beautiful creative interiors.

I love everything about this magazine - the seasonal nature of it, the focus on slow living and enjoying simple every day pleasures, but mostly I love the sublime photography and styling. It's visually very beautiful and every page holds something to inspire. Isn't the above photo a thing of beauty? There was a credit given for the photographer Holly Jolliffe and I spent a wonderful time finding her on Instagram and then falling head over heels in love with her sense of style and beautiful photos. I drank in image after image and felt so uplifted and inspired, what a talent she is.

The rest of the afternoon was spent hooking, faffing with colours, photographing the faffing of the colours so I don't forget my thought processes, talking to the kitty and then catching up with Little B when he came home from school.

I can say that during a seven hour school day (8:45 - 15:45) the time passes extremely quickly. I can also say that I felt so much happier at 4pm than I did at 9am so I am marking this day of Self Care as a success. Slow walking, mindfulness, good coffee, wholesome food, creative inspiration and colourful yarn all worked their magic, as did the chats with the kitty and kids. I feel like my equilibrium has been restored and now if I can somehow manage to sleep well (got some crazy hormonal stuff happening at the moment) then I shall be very happy indeed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ps I'd love to know how you go about finding your own self care, does it look similar to mine? Is there yarn involved? Chocolate? A walk? Chat to me in the comments, I'd love to know your remedies xxx

 

 

Daily May # 7

Day 7 :: Wednesday

I had a lovely morning catching up with a good friend over coffee and then seemed to spend the afternoon dithering and wasn't able to settle down with any thing productive. I had to drop off a repeat prescription at the doctors surgery, then realised I was very late with it, and also that I've missed an important health review date that should have been on my radar at the end of April. It's nothing too serious (HRT stuff), but for a little while I confess I felt quite overwhelmed by it all. Of course all is fine, and it's just me feeling a bit confuddled and out of sorts. I looked at my camera roll earlier and realised I only had one solitary photo from today (a picture of the clouds), so I thought you wouldn't mind if I shared some more photos from yesterday.

I mentioned that I walked to the farm shop yesterday morning, and while I was there I took a few photos to give you an idea of what it's like. I think we are really lucky to have it as an alternative to the regular supermarkets, especially as it's been closed for a few years and only reopened its doors again in March this year. I can walk there through the park and it maybe takes about twenty minutes on foot from my house, so it's a good addition to my daily step count and I'm happy to have it back.

Robertshaws is a traditional farm shop with a great selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, a butcher, bakery, good quality groceries and also a fantastic deli counter.

Lots of the fresh produce is seasonal and sourced locally and the way it's displayed in wooden crates makes it look so beautiful.

There is next to no packaging (loose produce can be put in paper bags to be weighed) and oh just look at it!!! Isn't it a delicious feast for the eyes? It reminded me a lot of the markets you come across in Europe and it feels like a treat to be able to shop for food in this way. You know I buy most of my fruit and vegetables from the Saturday street market so I'm used to selecting fresh produce and getting it in paper bags, but it's lovely to have even more choice. I feel quite spoilt!

The first early grown British strawberries have landed and not for the first time I wish you could lean in and inhale the scent of them - absolutely delicious. They were quite expensive (because they're early) but honestly I found them totally irresistible.

I really appreciate the visuals of shopping - there is something so appealing about abundant shelves of good stuff. The fresh bread is reasonably priced, and on the bottom shelf you can see some gorgeous focaccia loaves which called to me quite loudly.....we didn't need focaccia of course, but for dinner yesterday I was making homemade meatballs in a tomato sauce to have with spaghetti and so the Italian connection was there.

As I was at the shop mid morning, I decided to go upstairs to the mezzanine café for a quick coffee before buying my produce and strolling back home through the park. It was ever so good I have to say and hit the spot nicely.

Up on the mezzanine floor, you get a really good view out over the ground floor down below. You can see the red tractor at the back where all the fresh veggies are, and there's also a whole section over to the left which you can't see - this is where the butchery and deli counters are, and is the thing that Robertshaws is most well known for locally.

I would love to know if you have anything like this where you live?

I didn't buy much, but what I did get I was thrilled with and I confess I felt oh-so-wholesome carrying it home in my own handmade woolly bag too. This is a recent make, and I'll be telling you more about it very soon as there's going to be a yarn kit coming for it (it's made from the most delicious pure wool aran).

Would you like to see my purchases?

Clockwise from the top, one of the expensive but irresistible punnets of strawberries, a rosemary and seasalt focaccia loaf, a bar of rhubarb and ginger dark chocolate and a yellow courgette. It seems that Choc Affair chocolate is my addiction, I have already polished off the Lime and Seasalt bar which I opened on Friday (please don't judge) and this special summer edition flavour enticed me yesterday.....oh, it is deeeeeelicious. Utterly scrumptious. The company is local (they're in York) and do amazing things with their flavoured offerings, I can highly, highly recommend (online shop here).

Pretty much all of the above has gone already, we devoured the focaccia loaf with our dinner last night and we've all been tucking into the strawberries (because they are irresistible). I roasted the yellow courgette to have with tonight's dinner, and the chocolate---well, I'm trying to show some bloomin' restraint where that's concerned. I've forced myself to break off small chunks and eat it slowly to savour the flavours, but the desire to snarf it weighs heavily. The struggle is real.

It's been fun sharing this simple jaunt with you and I hope you don't find my routine day-to-day content too boring. I do wonder at myself showing you my groceries and getting all giddy about the smell of ripe strawberries.

Before I go, let me show you another picture of my bag which I took in early April when we still had blossom in the vicinity....

...I am so pleased with it. It's a remake of my original big baggy yarn bag in a warm floral palette, with the cutest little blossom flowers added for decoration. I'll chat to you more about it very soon, I promise.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

Daily May # 6

Day 6 :: Tuesday

Back to our early morning walks today and it was such a mood-lifter being out in the bright sunshine at 7am. Chilly though, sitting just above zero degrees with a frost still lingering.

A stroll through the park mid morning (on my way to the farm shop) and this pink petal carpet stopped me in my tracks.

The blossom season is woefully short, but then I guess that's what makes it feel so special every year.

These cute little pansies caught my eye on the way home, this boat had so many flowers on board, not only here at the front but all across the roof too. It really made me happy to see this little floating flower garden.

I walked past a couple of lilac trees which are just coming into full bloom here in North Yorkshire. The scent is an immediate deep dive into my childhood circa 1975 and I was instantly transported back in time to my grandparents urban garden in south London. I remember being obsessed with their lilac tree and was convinced that fairies lived amongst the purple flowers (I was maybe seven years old and heavily influenced by Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies). Scent-powered nostalgia, it's a wonderful thing.

Tabletop Tulips are looking good, and alongside them today I created a very dinky little home grown posie. You can't see them very well in the above photo, but there are daisies, wild violets, herb robert and an alchemilla bud. It's the cutest little teeny-tiny flower arrangement you ever did see. I took a close-up photo to share with you......

....awwww, I mean, my heart is melting at the absolute sweetness of these tiny flowers, each one smaller than my thumb nail. Aren't they just so humble and pretty? Who knew self seeded weeds from my back yard would apparently make me feel so ridiculously happy?

My Yuletide blanket is in residence on the Big Chair, it's four months into borrowed time because I usually pack it away in early January with the rest of the Christmas paraphernalia. Lord knows I have enough blankets to cover every piece of furniture throughout every month of the year so I really should be more seasonally appropriate with my soft furnishings. Look at Miss Tilly though, she's been so happy today lolling around in endless sunny patches, rotating around the crochet blanket-laden furniture and living her best life.

I've been lolling around in my own sunny patch too, hooking up some rounds of my new blanket which has been wonderfully therapeutic on a day when I haven't felt my best. Five weeks on, and I have felt decidedly off kilter today, most likely an after effect of dealing with my Dad's financial affairs this morning. I feel weary in my soul this evening, so I think I am going to make myself a cup of tea and take myself to the comfort of my bed for an early night......I'm sure I'll feel brighter again in the morning xxxxxx

 

 

 

 

Daily May # 5

Day 5 :: Bank Holiday Monday, a walk at Bolton Abbey....

Today's diary is mostly brought to you by the colour blue. And green. Aaaaallllll the purply-bluey-greens. We had a gentle stroll through the woods at Bolton Abbey to see the bluebells this afternoon, an annual tradition that never fails to bring me all the good feels. As you can see from my photos it was spectacular with so much glorious colour and scenic views in every direction. It was beautifully free of people on the high path through the trees, with most of the holiday visitors staying down by the riverside. We heard the first cuckoo call of the season as well as a very enthusiastic woodpecker, but mostly I spent my time utterly obsessed by the floral offering. Honestly, it was breathtaking. 

These are true old fashioned native bluebells which range in colour from a very deep indigo blue to a paler lavender blue and are very delicate in the way the stems arch to allow the bells to hang down (different to Spanish bluebells which we mostly see in urban settings).

When I got home I couldn't stop thinking about the colours of the May woodland, it's my most favourite month by a mile with the pleasing combination of purply blues and fresh vivid greens. I adore it! I think a Woodland blanket (May edition) in these colours would be wonderful, and yes, I'm squireling that idea away in my Creative Mind. By the way, I am always open to hearing ideas for blanket colour palettes or inspiration ideas, so do feel free to chat to me about it.......!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Daily May # 4

Day 4 :: Sunday

I walked with J into town quite early this morning (well, early for a Sunday) and we called into Caffé Nero to enjoy a cappuccino together. If you're reading my daily blogs throughout May, then know that it's very rare for me to go a day without a strong frothy coffee so even if you don't see actual photographic evidence, you can bet that it has still happened.

On the way home we took a little detour to the monthly Artisan Market beside the canal as last month there was an amazing stall selling pastel de nata imported directly from Lisbon. Oh my goodness, I can't even begin to describe the utter deliciousness of those things. Sadly they weren't there today (waaaaahhh), but I did happen to see my very good friend Sarah who sells her crochet at this market and her stall looked amazing (you can find her online too, if you want to take a peek).

After being away last week and enjoying all the perks of hotel living for four days, I'm back to healthy eating now I'm home and really enjoying it. Fresh fruit and greek yoghurt is a regular bowl meal for me and I absolute love it.

The tulips on my table are slowly opening and the insides are so pretty....I think I will love tulips forever.

Ahh, not quite so pretty as a bunch of tulips, but this dandelion clock still caught my attention. Growing with many, many others in a wild tangle of long grass, I wish I could tell you that it was in the meadow or a wild verge out in the countryside, but no.....this was in fact the state of my little front garden. Past tense, because this afternoon J and I spent some time taming the beast and there was much satisfaction in seeing the results of our labour. We strimmed the out-of-control grass/weeds and gave the buddleia a hard prune, and although we've still got some weeding and general tidying up to do, it already looks a whole lot better.

We've had a sunny day day today but with a stiff breeze and chilly single digit temperatures. I wore sandals and cropped jeans (sunny weather optimism) but by mid afternoon I had to admit defeat because my toes were bloomin' freezing. I love these pretty socks which I knit over the winter months, finishing them in early February when I was visiting Dorset. I've worn them a lot since they came off my needles, they are ever so cosy and the mis-matched stripes make me smile every time I glance down at my feet.

I spent some lovely time crocheting more rounds on my brand new blanket today, but I've decided to create a proper introduction post to share my progress with you later this week. I am so in love with it already.

I went for a quick walk this evening after dinner, a stroll down through the park....

....and into the meadow.

It was such a beautiful evening with that delicious golden glow that makes me love May to distraction. The first buttercups are flowering in the meadow and I know that over the coming weeks I'll visit often to see them.

((waving hello)) - hi, it's meeeeeeeeeee! Just me on my ownsome, walking in the meadow and enjoying my own company, soaking in the golden end of a lovely spring day.

Tomorrow is bank holiday May Day, so no work or school. We don't have any plans - there will of course be morning coffee, but other than that I think we'll wait and see what everyone feels like doing. Sometimes I really get a kick out of waking up in the morning and not knowing what the day will hold, like a gift waiting to be unwrapped.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx