Frugal Finishing touches

With hubby at work, and it being too nice to "play indoors", I sat outside "faffing". My old kitchen table - that we never used and now have no room for is now our outdoor table - as the outdoor table collapsed at the end of last year. The chairs will be getting a makeover in the next couple of weeks. Using the inner piece of the Christmas wreath ring (stripped of the holly etc), I wound around some ivy that I had trimmed from the garden, and some beads threaded onto wire.

For one very brief moment, you could have wandered into The Swenglish Home! I wish!

How does your garden grow?

After a late start, my garden is now bursting into colour. The Viburnum that I treated myself to last year has thankfully survived the cold winter and is treating me to some beautiful scented pompom blooms.

And my investment in a bag full of bulbs purchased in November has paid off too.

The violets have spread further and further,

and I had forgotten how many of these I had planted. Note the sad Bay plant which doesn't look like it has made it - but I'm giving it chance to recover - just in case.

My early Clematis is full of flowers and has crept further and further over my apple tree,

which is starting to burst into blossom also.

Its always about 5 degrees warmer around the front of my house - illustrated perfectly by these tulips - round the back.....

...and around the front!

How is your garden doing?

Colour

The weekend was very dull - infact outside on Sunday at mid day, it was as if the world needed its lights switching on! But there was plenty of colour to be found inside my home.

Ingredients ready to be oven roasted to make Ratatoulle and Pasta Sauce for the week ahead. I'm trying to eat more fruit and veg and lose a few inches too!

And this little beauty bought for £1.99 on my local market - promising to burst into full colour any time soon.

Christmas Decorations

I'll show you a few of my Christmas decorations.
This used to belong to my Grandma and Grandad. It was displayed every year on top of the TV. It doesnt have the original white deer around the base, but it does still play "Rudolph the red nose reindeer" and reminds me of my Grandparents house, and the brilliant happy Christmas party's they held every Christmas Day, every time I look at it.

Also from their house - a 1950's Santa,

and a huge paper bell.

I'm hoping to get some serious snogging done under this!

and I made a "Holly and the Ivy" wreath (and added a few rosehips too!)

And the tree.

We had to wait until the dancing queen was home from Uni before it was decorated as she is in charge of the operation.

I think we can safely say Christmas has arrived.

When Mr Darcy comes calling.

I had a very busy Sunday planned - lots to do, but was almost thwarted when I discovered "Pride & Prejudice" the tv series featuring Colin Firth was being shown back to back on "Yesterday" channel first thing in the morning.

However, I still managed to turn a bag of these - 29p(??!! - who decides the pricing policy?) for a full carrier bag from the garden centre....





into these. Green Tomato chutney with ginger and chili added - just to spice it up a bit.

And this - bargain at 30p (from my special shop and its not Waitrose)........

into Delia's Chicken Liver Pate. Totally delicious. You'll never buy Pate again if you make your own. I used red wine instead of brandy.

And with help from this - much cheaper (and easier to use)than Farrow & Ball

I turned this - used to be in my daughters bedroom but has been in the garage for the last 7 years, unloved and battered .......

into this - now destined for my bedroom I think.

But I didn't get time to turn this - a bargain at only £3 from John Lewis, and there's plenty of it
- into cushion covers. So I'll have to make time later on.

After all - when Mr Darcy comes calling one has to make the most!