some finds

We love to rummage through car boots, and bric a brac shops, though we've been restrained of late, instead taking hold of what we've got. Our spare room has now been decorated, the walls painted and floor lovingly repaired, all by my Dad. At last some of our treasures have a room to call their own. I can't remember where we found the mirror now, it's been hanging around for a long while waiting to find it's spot. The trolley, D found years ago dumped behind where he used to work - covered in rust, it cleaned it up pretty well. The rug came from a car boot earlier this year, the mosaic dish from a bric a brac shop near here and the stool we rescued from being thrown out, back at the block where we lived in London. All the room needs now is a bed then it will be complete - a little retreat for friends and family to stay. Plus I'm sure we've still a few more treasures tucked away!

living off the garden

For the past few weeks we really have been living off the garden. 

our veg patch

Remember back here? I promised to share a bit more of our garden. Well I'd like to share with you, our veg patch. When we moved here it looked like this (top set, centre bottom), it's taken three years to get where we are now. We had a plan in mind from the start - three main beds, in which we'd rotate crops, plus two permanent beds. After three years they are all in place, with paths running between, eventually we'll fence around to keep bunnies and deer out (so far less trouble than the mole who's forever busy disturbing roots, despite a mole deterrent that rumbles away every few minutes). Getting here has been a slow journey, with fits and starts we've jolted forward one week, only to sink back amongst the weeds the following month. But slowly little by little we've got to here, the first year we grew quite a lot, our time spent tending precious seedlings meant progress was slow. The second year we sacrificed some crops in order to really move forward with 'the plan' and finally this year with all beds in place we are reaping a fine harvest. We learn as we go, we dip in and out of books, we take tips from the wise, we have success and the inevitable failures, we adapt and move on. Of course it's helps when you have company of the most beautiful cat (I am a little biased).

I'll share other areas of the garden soon.

happiness in the kitchen

Did you know happiness can lurk draws? It can for me, I'm not sure what it is exactly, a collection of things I like or just knowing I have everything I need. Whatever it is, for me these are a happy place. 

lately

• Tit and Pie peeking out from the plants
• pretty skies this time of year
• light piercing the room
• time spent waiting for trains
• on the underground, my favourite tiles 

Autumn is upon us now, and summer seems a distant dream. The light is changing, bright bursts fill the days while red skies greet us in the mornings and make way for the darkness of night. 

gardening inspiration

We've had our garden 3 years now, prior to that our only experience of gardening was watching and helping our parents when we were young, that and a few pots we kept in the shared courtyard of our London flat. We'd grown to love those pots and wanted to expand, which was the main drive in moving to where we are now. Our garden is a fair size, and we have high hopes for it. The neglected garden we bought is now starting to resemble our own dream. We work hard at it, most of the time, but sometimes we get little blips - when it just seems like a lot of hard work, and there are areas we struggle to get on top of at all. At times like this it's good to step back and look for inspiration elsewhere, that's what we did when we visited Docwra's Manor Garden it was a joy to explore, so many areas to wander through, so many plants, so many ideas to take on board. 

All of these images were taken at Docwra's Manor, I'll share more images of our own garden soon.

autumn colour in the garden

I popped out in the garden at lunchtime yesterday, between the showers of hail we had ten minutes of bright sunshine.

two years today

How time flies! It's two years today since I started this blog. I'm still enjoying it and hope you are too. Thanks so much for following along.

mr men

A few weeks back we visited Finchingfield [a pretty village, in the Essex countryside] there happened to be a flower show in the church, with the theme of children's books. I adored these Mr Men characters and also had quite a liking for this little chap from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, do you think he is Tweedle Dum or Tweedle Dee? 

And thank you Sylvie for nominating me for the Liebster Blog award.

lately

• waiting for the train to work
• dahlias from a roadside honesty box
• flowers for my moodboard
• rich pickings in the garden
• my kind of lunch
• sunset time of year

sweden - nature III

Just a few more from Sweden, it seems a distant memory now. Nearly the weekend, I can't wait. I'm tired this week and am looking forward to a bit of home time and hanging out with D. We've had a big clear out with the aim of doing a car boot fair, depends if the rain carries on of course. How about you, what are your plans?

[images by D and myself] more here.

lately

• Mousekin all stretchy
• Newport is a pretty station
• train floor
• misty fields
• flowers at the sink
• relaxing

Despite the glorious summer days we've been having my Instagram feed appears to have noticed a change in seasons, the dewy air at the start and end of the day, suddenly everything is looking a little misty and grey.