lately

• Pie and Tit standing guard [behind I've been planting the raised bed Dad built]
• waiting for the train, back in the mac as yet again rain is forecast
• lunch at home [taramasalata on toast and tomatoes]
• pretty table sweepings 
• Mousekin having breakfast in the sun
• more time waiting for trains
• looking out the window
• grey days in London
• tasty dinners [fish, cheese and salads]
• lunch at home [salad, toast and cheese]

Lately we've been spending spare time in the garden; making the most of the light evenings, sowing seed in the vegetable garden, weeding the flower beds and planting a new rasied one. We've rummaged through car boots for bounty and prepared delicious food to share. The weather has been pretty rubbish and we've consoled ourselves booking breaks away - first to Berlin and then to Sweden [Stockholm, Gothenburg and in between]. So please if you have any tips for cool things to do, must see places, places you love to eat, foods to try, shops to browse or anything you love please do share.

Images all from Instagram you can follow me there @nicekindofblue

nature in the home

Joining Lou again and her 'nature in the home' series. This week Lou set us a green theme, foliage and flowers. When it comes to green nothing beats euphorbia, or spurges as it's often known, it's zingy green (not all species) flowers and foliage are a riot at this time of year. I absolutely adore it and am slowly filling the garden with as many different types as I can. Sorry Lou, I didn't manage to stick to green entirely and found myself adding a few splashes of colour here and there. 

[note - euphorbia has a nasty side too, it's an irritant and poisonous so always take care when handling and wear gloves]

audley end [II]

A few more pictures from our visit to Audley End. These are taken in the Victorian kitchen, laundry and dairy. I loved these rooms, the shiny copper pots and pans, the cool of the stone work surfaces, the sheen of the tiled walls and the white of the folded laundry. 

I also promised to share some more links to favourite blogs of mine, click here, here and here - these are all especially good when you need a little in the way of colour [a favourite therapy of mine].