Fantastic News!!!! Today the sky was blue! There were cute little fluffy white clouds! There was actual, real, bonafide sunshine! There was also rain this morning, but after the rain had been and gone we were left with a beautiful gem of a day. Thank goodness! It's been wonderful to go out without a rain coat on, to feel some gentle warmth in the air, to feel light and happy and summery all of a sudden.
To celebrate, I picked flowers. Flowers with no soggy petals, flowers that looked and smelt of the sweetest summer day.
This little jar contains a mix of summer flowers from my back and front garden.
Alchemilla, sweet peas, nasturtiums, honeysuckle, rose and blue marguerite. Oh, and that clumpy green foliage on the right is an unopened hollyhock flowerhead which a mean and nasty slug/snail chewed through. Yes, there was bad language, a whole stream of verbal abuse came forth. I don't expect the flower will open in my jar, but you never know. Pesky molluscs.
Aren't they beautiful? So so so beautiful. I look at this modest arrangement in it's little glass jar and the sight truly moves me. I am such a sucker for simple, vibrant flowers.
Whilst gazing lovingly at my Jar of Summer this afternoon, it suddenly struck me that during the past week or two I've been crocheting those exact same floral shades right into the end of my ripple blanket. Aren't the colours remarkably similar? Funny to think that this blanket is now spanning all four seasons :: it started in Autumn, passed through Winter and Spring, and will end in Summer.
Now do you want to see something funny?
Well not funny as such, but definitely illuminating.
I want to show you the power of macro photography, combined with artistic cropping.
The above photos are all so lovely don't you think? They make my heart sing when I look at them. They are all close-up studies of a small object in a small area. There is, of course, a reason for this.
And that reason is quite simply that my house is in a huge, chaotic mess!
Look...............................................................
Crikey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, there's a bit of honest reality for you. It's not pretty around here at the moment.
Righty-ho, lets move swiftly back to the subject matter, that Jar of Summer.....where is it in amongst the mess?
Gosh, that's better. The table is now clear(ish) cos I had to sweep everything off in order for us to eat dinner.
Isn't this a delight? It was about 5.45pm and the sun was streaming in through the dining room window lighting up the flowers. I felt like I wanted to stop time and just sit and worship the visual gorgeousness of sunshine, shadow, petal and leaf.
The colours of nature are truly wonderful ♥
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Very pretty flowers.
Posted by: Lucinda Lynx | December 07, 2019 at 02:17 PM
Hi Lucy ... LaVerne here, Victotia, Canada. Went to your site via an ad in Cross Stitcher. Want to see if you had the pattern for the 'bloomingmarvellous' cushion. Spent a lot of time, looking at your travels around England. Made me nostalgic as I was there June 2011 visiting a freind in Grimsby. Had a wonderful two weeks, and saw lots of beautiful country side. Enjoyed your ramblings. But alas no pattern!
seatta@shaw.ca
Posted by: LaVerne | August 20, 2012 at 07:26 PM
Beautiful flowers, the rose looks especially pretty. I intend to plant some roses for next year after seeing so many lovely gardens full of roses whilst on holiday. Gorgeous photos.
Posted by: anne@andamento | July 17, 2012 at 11:12 PM
The flowers are beautiful! I can just imagine how heavenly they smell. I loved them next to your ripple blanket! And - I loved the picture of your home - getting real! It was wonderful and shows the love you have for your family!!! I always remind myself when things feel chaotic that it means I am very blessed to have so many under my roof to care for. If it were perfectly neat... that would mean I would be by myself... so I am trying to enjoy even the chaos!!!!
Posted by: Bari Jo | July 17, 2012 at 02:10 AM
Lucy, I wonder if you know how wonderful it is to read the blog of someone as inspiring as you are and realize that I'm not the only one who can ignore clutter and focus on the beauty in the midst of it!! I love, love, love the ripple you are making- -just looking at the beautiful colors is calming!! Thank you so much for allowing us to visit the attic and to continue to be inspired by your creativity!
Posted by: Penny | July 15, 2012 at 11:08 PM
Dearest Lucy, I love your pictures, home and crocheting, caothic or not...You are my crocheting inspirator :).
Love, Unn
Posted by: Unn | July 15, 2012 at 02:03 PM
Beautiful flowers! And your colorful house is really such a happy place. I love visiting it in your posts.
Posted by: Jenny | July 15, 2012 at 04:12 AM
Beautiful jar of summer. The one day of sunshine was wonderful ,hope we get a few more very soon.
Carol xx
Posted by: Carol | July 13, 2012 at 10:37 PM
How lovely ... I do love your posts!
I have just put some budlia on my table. its so lovely having hand picked flowers in your house ... that you've grown!
Kate xxx
Posted by: GrannyTaughtMeToCrochet | July 13, 2012 at 04:22 PM
You do a great job taking photographs. I love the colorful chaos. Who wants to live in a museum anyway? lol
Posted by: Julie2 | July 13, 2012 at 02:47 PM
très jolie fleurs, ton blog est magnifique
Posted by: lechevaldo | July 13, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Hilarious! Hod bless artistic cropping. If only housework was actually that easy! Thanks for sharing the reality as well as the beauty.
Posted by: Bettina | July 13, 2012 at 07:09 AM
Phew. I can't thank you enough for showing the mess! Makes me feel a wee bit better about our house.
Posted by: OC | July 13, 2012 at 06:41 AM
I love your beautiful flowers & I'm jealous too. :) My yard is too shady to grow flowers.
Posted by: Jennifer | July 13, 2012 at 04:48 AM
I love it that our dining rooms both face the same compass direction at suppertime. Another connection that makes me feel so good.
Posted by: Susan Houston | July 12, 2012 at 11:28 PM
Beautiful flowers! I love your honesty photo too. It really resembles my house! x
I'm doing a giveaway on my blog if you're interested? xx
http://whatpeggysaid.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/giveaway.html
Posted by: Kim ~ What Peggy Said | July 12, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Lovely,lovely flowers,and your ripple.I've been knee deep in cleaning lately,it does pile up!Never ending job.Here's to more sunny days for you :)
Posted by: angela-southern USA | July 12, 2012 at 10:27 PM
Oh Lucy,
Love the photos of the hooky work & flower jar. As for your house and it's condition of "Well Lived in Early English Creative Clutter" I LOVE IT! Helps people like me to know that clear around the world there is someone like me. A person that is taking time to be creative. When that happens somehow the clutter happens & tidiness goes out the window with it! Yes we must remember to not let it get out of control. But the untidiness will be there tomorrow. Ones creative flow may not be! Thanks for the honest views that help us know we all are not Wonder Woman! Kids, House, Husbands, Crafting. A woman wears many hats in this life. Thanks for sharing all you do with us adding yet another layer to your life. You are amazing! Hugs from FL Donna
Posted by: Donna | July 12, 2012 at 09:28 PM
Your house looks better than mine, trust me! I'm also annoyed at the slugs this year as they've eaten all my sweet peas. I planted them a few months ago, looking forward to beautiful pink and cream and lilac flowers, and have nothing but chomped stems!
The ripple blanket is looking lovely, by the way.
Posted by: Emma | July 12, 2012 at 08:05 PM
Good afternoon Lucy! I knew exactly where to go on the internet today for a bit of cheering up. My sister goes in tomorrow for some extensive cancer surgery and I've been rather "blue". Hardly been able to laugh lately and I must tell you that when I scrolled to the photo of your kitchen table I actually laughed out loud and said: "Leave it to Lucy to bring laughter and joy" - you, my dear, do exactly that. Thank you so very much
Posted by: Rosanne - California | July 12, 2012 at 08:03 PM
Actually those pictures make me feel so much better...things are always so lovely on the blogs it makes me feel a bit down! But its nice to find s bit of pure loveliness even in the day to day ummm "disorder" thanks Leslie
Posted by: Leslie | July 12, 2012 at 07:40 PM
Beautiful photos. We've also been enjoying the sunshine today too, after all the rain. xx
Posted by: Kelly | July 12, 2012 at 07:25 PM
Hi Lucy! I would like you to visit my blog as I have written something about you... http://eskuartean.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/crochet-tourcerrado-por-vacaciones.html
Thank you very much for your bog, I love to read it all year round and enjoy everything you do and write!
Have a very nice summer, see you around here!
(and excuse me if my English is not perfect...)
Posted by: Maite | July 12, 2012 at 06:46 PM
Beautiful flowers but even more beautiful is the way that you describe them. Your writing inspires me and just makes the whole world seem more colorful. Thank you!
Posted by: Eileen Collingwood | July 12, 2012 at 05:47 PM
Your simple glass jar of flowers reminded me of my wedding reception, we did exactly the same for the tables. I do so love Ladys Mantle that acid green is such a contrast with the other flowers. lovely
louise x
Posted by: louise | July 12, 2012 at 05:18 PM