I wish I understood why Blogger reduces some images and not others, like this hydrangea, I made it 10cm wide like I always do but it imported it tiny, even though all my setting are exactly the same as always. Then I have to stretch it and it goes all crappy and pixely. Hrrrmph.
Today has been a beautiful crispy sunny autumn day, no rain, so the fallen leaves make that nice crunch and rustle when you walk through them. I was sweeping and raking up piles of them for the heap, they really do make wonderful compost. I love raking dry leaves (not so thrilled raking wet ones) and I can never understand the appeal of leaf blowers, which are not huge in the UK but I have noticed them appearing more prominently in the last few years.
I can see they'd be fun for a minute, but then they just seem like another noisy gadget that spoils a beautiful day for the people around you. And so damaging to the environment, come on people, let's all get the rakes out and warm ourselves up in the process. Course, I realise it is often a 'men and their gadgets' thing, but let's face it, they need the excercise too! And before anyone compplains that I have a tiny garden and don't understand what it's like when you have 1000's of leaves, let me assure you I do know - I used to be a voluneer at the Botanic Gardens, and they have more leaves than anyone and more pressure to keep them tidied up, but it's all done by rake and brush.
If your a regular reader you'll have noticed me mention Papa Stour every few months. The online boutique sells a gorgeous range of handmade quality Scottish gifts including textiles, jewellery, ceramics, cards, something for those of you who love fabric birds and even a felted lambswool corsage. The product shots that Rosie styles for the website are really lovely too using her home (I'm guessing) and nature to show things off beautifully!
It was only after my first mention of Papa Stour that I found out Rosie studied in Dundee (this is an example of her work at Papa Stour), and realised she'd been in the year above me at college. She was one of those people that you look up to and aspire to be like, but, as a shy person, are too scared to talk to. Thankfully I'm not quite so shy now and emailed her in late Spring to say 'hi' and congratulate her on her gorgeous business.
But it's not just her business (and herself) that's beautiful, nope, her house is too as I discovered to my delight when I got the December issue of Living Etc. through the door yesterday (eternal thanks to my brother for the gift subscription). I was at the section where they feature 3 homes and was feeling a bit ugh about the 1st house valued at £8 million ($15m), then I turned the page and beamed at what I saw next, a vision of Scottish cosiness, and then realised it was Rosie's.
I just love her cottage, so full of things a country girl like me loves, painted wood floorboards, deep cottage windows, lots of different chairs and stools and, of course, wonderful little collections of 'things' many from the Papa Stour artists/crafts people and others from nature. The cottage is FULL of soul and personality, and she didn't need to spend 3 million dollars on it. I know which one I'd prefer to visit.
And speaking of visits, she has done up a cottage near Applecross (see pic below) in the North West coast of Scotland that you can rent as a holiday home, see some pics and get more info here.
It's a really lovely part of the country, when we were together Mr P. and I (yes, we were a couple many, many years ago) used to go to a cottage just outside Kenmore, north of Applecross. It had it's own bothy, it's own little bay AND it's own tiny island! A group of us used to have summer or winter holidays there for a few years. We'd go climbing in the mountains and playing on the beaches. Everywhere you go you see the mountains or the sea, or BOTH!
And the sunsets, west coast sunsets can be breathtaking. Since my health went downhill I can't often do the mountain thing anymore, but I still love a good beach. The pub in Applecross is so nice and cosy to go to after a wintery walk and after a summer walk a cup of tea and a scone are just the thing from the Flower Tunnel.
Often when the more serious climbers would go for a huge trek I used to enjoy just taking the rowing boat out and peacefully floating around between the bay and the little island with a glass bowl in the water so I could peer at the fish clearly. If you were very quiet the otters would pass nearby too.
I also loved making sculptures on the beach from whatever was lying around, the west coast is wonderful for strange things washing up after storms, and incredible pieces of wood just begged to be gathered and made into things. Sadly this was all pre digital camera so what very few photo's I have are all packed away just now. Some day I'll find some photo's to post, but for now, I'll simply enjoy the happy memories that are flooding back as I sit with my stove, my hot spicy drink and my magazine. Autumn bliss.
Top is a detail from my Diwali flip flops, bottom is a thrifted saucer, I can only imagine what the teacup looked like that must have once matched it.
My front door came completely off in my hands yesterday, I mean, right off. I spent over an hour in the rain trying to get it on (luckily the gale was blowing away from the door) bu to no avail. Today Mr P helped me with it, turns out it is unfixable, but at least we got it re-attached so I could lock it. I have to use my side door now, which is not so good as it lets all the heat out my house and sends the wind blowing right across my bed! But hey, at least I have a second door option so I'm happy about that.
Ooh, must dash, got a text to say food is ready, Mr P making his super tasty pasta. He used to live in Italy so his pasta is always beautiful and the best comfort food. Bye....
Hydrangea flowers on top of my stove. The black branches hang from the ceiling above my stove to make the whole thing seem less heavy as it's a huge thing in my white room (the walls only look pink here because of the pink indian fabric I hung at the window for Diwali). When the warranty runs out I'll be painting the stove white, can't wait!
Old lampshade on vintage cushion cover.
Table setting without flash, I was a bit rushed so I never got the second layer of smaller coloured flowers to go inside the white ones, but I was still pleased considering I had 10 minutes to rush something together.
Table staken with flash, but showing how it is reflected in the mirror to create a full circle, but again, the white flowers hardly show without their coloured centres, not that we were looking at the flowers, we were looking at the (top corners of shot) sweets! More pics soon, trying to sleep off the intense sugar rush.
It really was a lovely night, peple looked wonderful in their outfits and I had an unexpected guest that I hadn't seen for over a year, so that was extra special.
Best of all, it was warm and toasty, my stove was on top form (though it switched itself off 10 mins before people arrived!) and the music I had keyed up on my Mac went down really well, particularly as I finally found the cable that connects my Mac to my stereo.
The music was accompanied by some incredibly gorgeous photo's from the internet shown as a slideshow, they really gave a wonderful Indian feel to the whole night. Happy Divali.
4.30am, PMT (PMS) mania has helped me get lots done and I now have places for people to sit inside my house on Saturday. They forecast showers all day so probably no garden fire but no matter, I have my stove working! My house is all cosy now, what an absolute delight. Everything is all orangey glow which is psychologically so warming, if only pellets stoves weren't behind glass... I do miss the smell and sound of a real fire. The most recent filling of insulation seems to be making a big difference so it was worth being pinned under the ceiling the other day :0)
I'm looking out as many lamps, tealight holders and fairy lights as I can find to get the place lit up, the photo above was taken a few weeks ago when there were power cuts, I love the light and shadow it casts, especially inide hte bath as seen here. Whenever I see one second hand I buy it, I have 3 so far.
Look how lovely and frosted my berries got after they came out the freezer!
Yesterday I had to prune off the last of my oh-so-productive berry branches because I don't want my friends to get berry stained as they brush past. No great loss, there were only a handful of berries still to ripen and I have more than enough in the freezer to keep me in smoothies for a few more weeks.
I'm so enormously pleased with the bush, which was the one things that kept itself going even when I was ill in the summer (unlike the tomatoes, poor things). I've eaten mouthfulls (and often bellyfulls) of berries for nearly every day for about 2 months. I'm so glad I bought it instead of flowers when I moved here.
