Purchases....

Some new purchases of the 'non bloomer'  kind.

A sweet, little leather suitcase in great condition and with the added bonus of a key.

A bundle of blue bound, Georgian books with hand cut pages....

Fab labels... and articles on giant snakes...

Architectural plans,

And pages of algebra...which still go right over my head as it did way back in the 70's with the terrifying maths teacher Mr Robinson (Robbo)

Really....what was the point of it all?

A mystery object made of zinc with 16 removable pots.

No idea what it is for and neither did the dealer I bought it from.

Any suggestions would be most welcome....

Hope you are still enjoying this gloriously warm Summer weather ( in between the odd downpour or two )

The locals are content....

And the roses are giving the best display in a long time...

From a warm and humid Northumberland...

Bye for now,

Julie x

Sans-culottes....

 A pair of Edwardian bloomers...grande taille ( big and comfy ) with a draw string waist....

And broderie anglais detail on the legs.

Worn with a linen pinafore....

Ooh la la!

I am now on a mission to find some more  pantalons to dye in different colours... Grey, rose pink, indigo.

Or even a pistachio colour which I have been experimenting with....

This steeped bundle of napkins and tablecloths will be coming to Hartlepool tomorrow when I have ironed and priced them. 

I think it is going to be a muted, ice cream inspired display for my stand with pieces of my favourite Annie Sloan colour...'Coco' ...painted furniture too.

Very Girly.

Hope you are all enjoying this lovely Summer sunshine here in the UK.

Long may it continue...

Julie x

Oscar....

Bonjour from sunny Paris....don't you think I am one handsome puss chat?

My human parent has been taking fuzzy photos of me being naughty... then sending them back to the English "family" for acknowledgement, approval and occasional sniggering.

No idea why....I never sleep on her laptop... Honest.

When I am really relaxed I can contort myself into a sausage...

But most of the time I like to watch her making my supper from the high shelf....

It gets very warm up here....

So warm in fact, that it makes me a little sleepy.

Zzzzzzzzz.......Dreaming of salmon supper...

A bientot,

Oscar xxx

Stone, cobbles and flagstones....

The outside path as it was when we first bought the Bastle.... Grass, bits of old Tarmac and hidden flagstones.

Years of dumping stone and rubble from inside the house... ( It is amazing how much stone comes out of a wall when re-opening windows ) the flower borders were trashed but the peonies and astilbes were rescued and replanted at the back.

Time for a big clear up and definitely long overdue.

The stone was used to build a dwarf wall at the front....

The grass was lifted and the flagstones saved for re positioning.

A flagged area for sitting out in the afternoon sunshine was created and bordered with laurel to provide privacy. 

Kept clipped and compact it will be a good wind break too.

A flagstone path set on a dry mix down the middle....

And either side, cobbles set in a deep bed of sand, tight together to stop them moving.

Starting to look really good!

The final few to go in, a small cobble edge...

About to disappear in a top coat of sand.

All done ......hurrah...

And now taken full advantage of by the local ramblers association as they pass through the village.

I'm thinking of serving tea and scones next time with tables and chairs down the cobbled path....

A new career perhaps?

Julie x