Life, Laundry and little bits....

We have had a few foggy, frosty mornings here in Northumberland

And some fabulous sunsets,

But today has been a sunny one...

Warm enough for Miss Ottie to cool down on her morning walk.

The birds are singing, the snowdrops are through and Spring is in the air.

Bookings are coming in for the Bastle, 

And all seems well in my little world. 

Kindness from someone who just "gave" me this Knole sofa,

And deep sadness at the passing of my Dad in January, following a long illness and the final fractured hip that gets so many elderly people in the end. 

But we all have to continue on with life and work... 

We have to..... but at the moment I keep getting caught out and forget he is no longer here. He did get to hear from his grand daughter in Paris about her exciting news and was immensely proud.

 More of that to come in the next few months x 

So, onwards and upwards on the Cloth Shed front.

I bought some more French linen smocks this week and having washed them all in readiness for the dye pot, it was interesting to see the different colours of "natural"  as they hung on the line.

From cream to grey white...

I am thinking maybe...indigo blue, grey or even black to match the hound? 

A pair of bold, vintage curtains, screen printed in a vibrant indigo

A decorative French lamp with gold insides to the shades. Re wired now with an English plug and beautiful when lit in the evenings.

A Matisse style oil painting from a flea market in Paris, with fabulous thick paintwork and distressed frame.

And finally, the fab, shabby chicness of old French shutters, with rusty hinges and locks. 

They were taken from the "Wendy house" in the garden of a Chateau in Brittany, hence so skinny.

I would have loved to have been involved with that house clearance!

Enjoy the sunshine and birdsong whatever you do today...and look after your loved ones x

Back with you very soon,

Julie x