do you mind if i knit

A Flower Cake.

Hello! A bright and cheery hello! So sorry to be absent yesterday, my usual blogging time was spent visiting my Sister-in-Law, Tamsin, because it was her Birthday, and we wanted to deliver her card and gift, and ended up staying for a glass of celebratory bubbly, something I can never say no to.

I hope you all had a good Halloween weekend? My only experience of Halloween this year was the night before Halloween.

Every year we get opportunists ringing our doorbell before Halloween night, (it used to be up to a week before). The little blighters will be wearing a mask which they have bought, and made no other effort to dress up. They'll do the 'trick or treat' thing. Well, we get sweets in for Halloween, to give out, not the night before, and certainly not a week before. And not to some lousy chancer who's made no effort.

So, my Halloween experience is this.

Last week, the night before Halloween, the door bell rings. I think it must be the postman with a late delivery, thoughts of Halloween do not cross my mind. I open the door. There is a boy, of about thirteen, standing on his own, in jeans, and a hood pulled over his head, and the most SCARY mask on. He mumbles something. But I'm in shock, and also taken unawares, and scared. I have to admit, a shocked expletive came forth from my mouth, and I slammed the door shut. Just like that, not thinking, just reacting.

So there you have it, my Halloween experience. I'm just not used to seeing a hooded lad in a bloomin scary mask on my doorstep, that's all. 

Anyway, back to the main theme of my post for today, my Flower Cake.

A few months ago, I was passing my favourite florist, The Flower Room. Julie, who runs it, has a wonderful eye, and is very creative, and I just love going into her shop, (but try not to do it too often, it can end up being draining on my purse). The next best thing to going into her shop, is to gaze at the window displays. And the  picture above shows one of her displays I particularly loved.

When I saw the flowers, made to look like a cake, I rushed home to get my camera.

Julie was tremendously accomodating with allowing me to take photos. While I was snapping away, and thinking, "how WONDERFUL is this!" I was also wondering how Julie had done it. I thought I was fortunate enough to be allowed to take photos, and that asking how she'd made the flower cake would be a bit cheeky.

I was desperate to ask, but didn't!

And actually, I didn't have to ask, because Julie volunteered the 'how to'. Wasn't that nice of her? I'm thinking you might like to know the 'how to'? Would I be right?!

O.k. here you go: Take your block of florists foam, and cut it into a block smaller than your cake stand, or whatever you're going to put your flower cake on. Whilst it's still dry, you need to shape it, round off the edges, to get a domed effect, (keeping it flat on the bottom so it sits on the cake stand). Now you want to soak it in water, so just put it in a bowl of water for a few hours, or overnight, untill it is all soaked through. Julie used Chrysanthemum's for her display, and I chose to use them too, because they are long lasting. Place your wet florists foam block on your cake stand, and start cutting the stems of your flowers. I think I cut them to about five centimetres, but see what suits you best. Now start pushing the trimmed flower stems into your foam. You'll want the flower stems to stand out from the foam, and the idea is to keep pushing in flower stems to create a domed effect, or whatever shape it is you want. I was a little paranoid about my florists foam drying out, so I think I watered it too much over the following two weeks. I think that foam can hold a lot of water, so it doesn't need watering every day.

And that, dear readers, is your Flower Cake done!

I chose to go for BRIGHT in my Flower Cake, surprising hey?!

Thought I'd show you the other little arrangements Julie had in her window. She'll have used the florists foam for this little number.

I imagine there's a small bit of florists foam in this gorgeous tea cup too.

I like the idea that you can apply the big flower cake making principles to the smaller scale creation above. It would be a lot cheaper to create this one, but still be splendid.

I must admit, presenting this as someone's Birthday cake could be a mistake, unless you were presenting it to a die-hard lover of flowers like me. Can you imagine the looks of disappointment, as faces full of expectations for something edible and yummy, had this very inedible creation placed before them?!

It would make a lovely table decoration at a wedding though, don't you think?

Oooh! I forgot to mention the weekend. Saturday was sunny, so I ventured out in to our neglected garden/jungle, and started trimming/hacking back. Gosh things have grown this year. This summer, I did very little gardening. There were very few sunny days on weekends. Oh, and we were very busy visiting other people's gardens, as part of the open gardens for charity scheme, as I recall. And there were all those country fairs too. My poor garden. Well, I'm paying for it now, because there is a HUGE amount of tidying up to do. And what about Sunday? Ah-ha! Sunday! Well, that's something I will reveal another time, as part of another post. To give you a hint, I've started another hobby, and I've been doing a course, to learn how to do it, and you will never guess in a million years what it is. (It is crafting, that's all I'll say). Oh, and I'm loving it.

Dear readers, I have to go now. Thank you so much for popping by, and thank you so very, very much for all the lovely comments you've been leaving me.
Ta-ra! Love Vanessa xxx

I'll move in tomorrow thank you.

This teacup. This teacup, I want it! The saucer is lovely, but I want the tea cup!
Sorry! Hello there, just launching straight to the point today.
I suppose this tea cup sums up the garden we visited on Sunday. Beautiful.  We did have high hopes for this garden and the tea, because the house and garden are owned by Jane Lovett. 

By the time we arrive at the open gardens we visit at weekends, we're often gasping for a cup of tea. While everyone else heads for the plant stall, we head straight for the tea and cake table. (We have to refresh ourselves for a leisurely stroll round the garden you understand). As Jane Lovett is a professional chef, we thought it might be well worth tasting her cakes. Those cakes. Delicious. Hugo paid for the option of a cup of tea, and a selection of three items. I paid for a cuppa, and one item, plus a taste of Hugo's three items.

This garden contained a series of 'rooms'. Whilst ambling around the garden, we stepped through a gate, or an opening in a hedge, into yet another immaculate 'room'. The garden was big, but not so big that it was daunting. Very liveable in, I thought, very gardenable. Very, very covetable! If we lived in that house, which would be nice, Hugo would have to have one of those lawn mower tractor things, and he wouldn't be able to work, he'd just have to spend all day, every day, mowing the lawns.

I'd be happy to tend to the borders. That is, whilst I wasn't sitting drinking tea and doing a bit of crochet. The garden was full of little places to sit and read a book, or, as I say, do a bit of crochet, or knitting.

This arbour has a nice little bench to sit on. Very secluded, very restful.  Could see myself sitting here. Crocheting. Or knitting. Probably crocheting, whilst listening to radio 4. And watching Hugo mow the lawns.

There are two benches to choose from the other side of the hedge in this photo, above. They were very popular benches. There was a moment when one of them was empty, and beckoning to us. Hugo thought it might be nice to get the paper from the car, and sit on the bench to have a read, and enjoy the view. Then he noticed two little old ladies who were looking 'determined'. Determined they were going to occupy the bench. Short of running at break neck speed towards the bench and pushing the ladies aside, there was very little we could do to occupy it. We knew we didn't have a hope in hell of securing one of the benches, so we slunk off, and found a bench that had a bit of a view, but was very exposed to the wind, and the noise of a car alarm that kept on going off.

Despite the bench disappointment, we could appreciate the views, we didn't need a bench for that. The views were uninterrupted. For miles and miles. How often do you come across a view like this from a garden hey? Not that often!

And the colours! The colours Jane Lovett had chosen for her garden were beautiful, just the right amount of zing!

I felt I fitted in to this garden! With my bright orange pumps, and Cath kidston bag. Yes, I felt almost at home.

My shoes even matched the chard growing in Jane's vegetable garden. Not often you can make that sort of claim, is it?

Matching shoes and Chard aside, I still hanker after owning that tea cup. The solution to that, my dear readers, is for me to do a little painting of it, don't you think? Then I'd have a reminder of it forever.
I'm off to my weekly Wednesday night knitting group now. Wednesday has come around again quickly, hasn't it? Good thing too, I love going to my knitting group. Ta-ra lovely readers, and see you tomorrow. Love Vanessa xxx

Petersham Nurseries.

Hello! Are you looking forward to your weekend? I am, she says with a big happy sigh. I'm sitting here nibbling on some chocolate, and drinking a cup of tea. The chocolate has come out of a drawer within a cupboard, in the kitchen, and I think Hugo puts it there thinking that if I can't see it, I won't raid the drawer. The chocolate is for both of us, but when Hugo buys it, I think he has it in his mind that the chocolate will only be eaten by him. Sometimes he arrives home after work, thinking he fancies some chocolate, only to find there isn't really much in the way of chocolate to eat, because I haven't had time to replenish the stocks after eating them. So that might explain why Hugo used to hide chocolate around the house. In places he thought I would never look. But when I need to eat some chocolate I become very determined.  It never ceased to surprise Hugo that I found his hidden stashes.  I once found some chocolate that Hugo had hidden and forgotten about, it was old chocolate by the time I found it. I didn't eat that.

Oh it is nice to have a good chin-wag. I'm feeling frazzled from the days torment of doing my accounts. Very neglected accounts. It always feels like I did my accounts a few weeks ago, when in reality, it's been months and months. So I never cease to be unbeliveably surprised at how much I've got to do. I tell myself every time that I will be more organised in the future. But time has a habit of whizzing by. Months feel like weeks, weeks feel like a couple of days, and days feel like I've only just got up, before I have to go to bed again a few seconds later. There are little piles of paperwork covering the entire floor of my studio, and any other free space. I had a moment of sheer panic , and, "I can't face this", earlier on in the day. Luckily I can talk myself out of those situations. I tell myself to take it one step at a time, and just plod on. I have to tell myself that when I'm doing the ironing too.

Today was another of those whizzy days, where the hours feel like minutes, so it's a good thing I had uploaded these pictures for you the other day, waiting for me to enter some text. I took these photos at Petersham Nurseries. We went there with my sister and her family, because we were staying with them for a couple of nights on our return from our Greek holiday. I'd been gently mentioning how much I'd like to go to Petersham Nurseries for years. Every time I went to visit my sister in London, infact! And at last we got to go there! I'd built it up in my mind as a mecca of beauty, and it didn't disappoint. The only down side was the cost of everything. It's bloomin expensive. I think the gorgeous Venetian glass tumblers in the photo above, were over £100 each. The thought of drinking out of a glass that cost over £100! Well, if I happened to be drinking from one, and I thought of the price, I might actually drop it.

We probably shouldn't have subjected our husbands to Petersham Nurseries when I think about it. They were bound to look at the price tags on everything, and use such words as "ridiculous!" or phrases like, "whoever buys these things must have more money than sense", and "I know where I could get that cheaper!"

Still, I enjoyed myself! We had a delicious lunch, in the cafe, which despite being the cheaper of the two eateries, was bloomin expensive, as our husbands pointed out. I must admit, I was quite relieved that my sister took packed lunches for the children, because Hugo and I were buying lunch for everyone.

Everything was displayed beautifully. Like fresh lemons in a smoky green glass jar, just because. Everything was just because. Just because it looks good.

This is the expensive restaurant, in the photo above. I didn't look at the prices on the menu, but our husbands told us the prices were ridiculously expensive. By that point in the afternoon, I didn't really care if the prices were ridiculous, I liked the idea of eating there.

O.k. I have to admit, some of the garden furniture was rusty, and did have a bad case of woodworm, and was a surprising price, taking those factors into account. But sometimes people want that aged look, that vintage charm. I don't know for sure that woodworm would be on my list of desirable attributes. But I personally love all that 'antique' garden furniture, it's got such charm and character, and is like nothing you'd find in a chain of garden centres.

I had a lovely afternoon, window shopping. Well, I did buy one thing, a ball of stripy white and green string. Ridiculously expensive it was!

I hope you've got a weekend of nice things to do ahead of you? We haven't got anything planned. I love Friday evenings. The anticipation of two days to do with just as I please! Bliss! Hugo is mysteriously banging around down stairs, it sounds like he's making something, for something................ I've just got a bit of time to do some crochet, before we go round to Hugo's parents for supper, what a lovely way to start our weekend! See you on Monday my lovely readers, take care, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Love Vanessa xxx (Now I can hear Hugo's got the circular saw out!)

Garden colours that make me go "woo-hoo! Yipee!"

Hello my ever so lovely readers....... You really are the most fab readers leaving me such wonderful comments you know! I love feeling happy, which I do most of the time, but you all make me extra happy with the positive, warm hearted and complimentary things you say. Sigh of happy contentedness................... 

I've been looking forward to showing you these photos I took last Sunday, when we visited an open garden.  The colours are so..................... whizzy! And happy, and very very jolly. 

Just as an aside, while I'm on the happy subject, I once succombed to my curiosity, and did something I'd always sort-of wanted to do, visit a fortune teller, who read my palm. Bloomin expensive it was too, £10! And you know what? She barely looked at my palm. She spent most of the time staring at my face, which I was trying to keep expressionless, telling me things like, you'll have three children, (no I bloomin will not), your husband doesn't listen to you,  (doesn't he?! I never realised that!). Actually, she kept on repeating that one, probably because when we were outside her caravan, she'd been watching intently as I said to Hugo I really, really wanted my fortune told, and Hugo said it was a waste of time. Then lastly, she said something that really surprised me, she said I was a happy person! It really took me by surprise! I honestly didn't think of myself as a happy person. Well, I've cradled those words inside me like a fragile egg, ever since. I think that has to be one of the best things in the world, to be a happy person. After she told me that, I'm afraid I squandered away the rest of the time my £10 should have bought me, by asking her loads of questions about herself. Couldn't resist! I mean, fortune tellers, they're fascinating, don't you think? I can't really remember what I asked her................ I had a sense she was a bit surprised! I remember leaving her caravan, feeling ecstatic that deep down, I'm a happy person!

This open garden we visited was beautiful, in parts. The lady of the huge house the garden surrounded, does the garden single-handedly. Apparently she moved in to the house about five years ago, and has been trying to restore the garden to its former glory. She's doing an amazing job of it, and what she's done is beautiful. There were a lot of areas that looked newly planted, like, the week before.

I took a few photos in a walled garden that had been in quite good repair when she moved in. Gosh it was gorgeous.

There we go, I've been itching to put this mosaic of photos in! I've long admired how other people put mosaics of photos on their blogs, and have been wanting to give it a go myself, so today I found out how to do one. It's been a bit like getting a complicated new toy. For those of you who would like to do a mosaic on your blog, I did mine through Big Huge Labs. There are loads of different things you can do with your digital photos.

Oooohhh I did so love those bright pink poppies. I don't have what it takes to pinch seed heads from gardens, like I know some people do  : ) , so I was relived to see they had a poppy for sale on the plant stall. I'm hoping to have these lollipop pink sweeties all over my garden next year!

Yep, I was on my knees, photographing these beauties, for quite a while.

Here was the view from the house. It was raining at this point, but as I said to Hugo, while my precious new camera got wet, "We're British, we should be able to have a good time in the rain".

I adore foxgloves. (I'm letting them seed themselves around our garden at the moment). So I was thrilled to see foxgloves had been allowed to grow everywhere. And they were all flowering beautifully.

Although foxgloves love to be growing against a sheltered wall, they will grow in exposed places too, and in shade or sun, how useful is that?

O.k..................... that's my last foxglove photo today! Sorry, I can't stop myself including lots of photos of foxgloves, I just love foxgloves! I'd like to have them positively rampaging round our garden.
I took more photos, while we were having a cup of tea at the open garden. They were of the table cloths covering all the tables, the beautiful table cloths! But I'm going to save those for tomorrow, because now I'm going to go and have supper, and do a bit of joining of my crochet squares, the one's I've been crocheting for my crochet blanket. Yes, I'm starting to turn my pile of squares into a blanket! Yipee! See you tomorrow, for a bit of special table cloth spotting! Love Vanessa xxx

 

 

 

New traditions.

It dawned on me this Christmas that my Mother-in-law, Susan, has started a new family tradition. This Christmas was the third year running I received a pot containing Hyacinth bulbs planted up. So I think I can safely say this is a new, and rather wonderful Christmas tradition, don't you? I like this gift................ A bit like magazine subscriptions, it extends my Christmas present. Hugo gives me a subscription to Selvedge magazine every year, and each time I get my new copy in the post, it feels like receiving a gift. These bulbs were marvellously slow to start growing............... talk about suspense! You see I never know what the colour of the flowers will be. After waiting a month, they suddenly started to work their magic, and their colour was revealed.............. White this year. Last year it was pink, the year before, blue. I love them all. I also love it when they first start to grow, strong and sculptural. When the the flowers appear, and the perfume is released, it's heady............... they're really quite dramatic plants aren't they? .................When the flowers start to bend precariously, I always feel that is the moment they need to be seen in all their glory as cut flowers. And this is when they take on a new kind of splendour............... in a vase. It's like they've evolved into a bouquet of flowers, and that's like receiving a bonus gift. This gift............. the generosity of its duration............... makes it a very meaningful tradition. What a great idea this new tradition is. If my five year old Niece Millie didn't live so far away, it would be the sort of tradition I'd love to start with her. When I visited recently, I gave a bunch of daffodils as a gift, which had not yet opened. Millie asked me each morning if they had opened yet, and when they would open. I loved her fascination and excitement over the daffodils opening up. It surprised me too. So that's what makes me think Millie might like this Hyacinth tradition. I think there has to be some way around the distance problem, don't you?

Apologies.................

My sincere apologies................ I have been an atrocious blogger the last week or so................ just disappearing................. not letting you know what's happened, and not replying to your lovely messages.................. I'm very, very sorry.
The thing is................ I've been snowed under ..................with decorating................. And now that the workmen have all gone, (because the building work is finally finished!), I have been removing thick layers of dust from what seems like a million books............ boxes and other things, and finding new homes for them.
Do I really own all this 'stuff'?
It's felt like that point when you move house, and you're unpacking.............. I feel quite ashamed my how much stuff I have............... But of course, when it's all put away, that sense of shame will soon evaporate............. Yes, I do need all those knitting books, yarn.............. crafting stuff................. all essential purchases.................. When they were bought....................
As the basement is in a bit of a state, there are no photos yet.............. sorry................
When things are less chaotic, and I feel like I'm coming up for air.............. I'll reveal all............
Wish me luck on this last stretch..................

I'm taking some time off..................

....................I'll be back blogging beginning of July....................... Cheerio!..............................

If I had the funds, our house would be full of fresh cut flowers from a florist all the time.....................
Being realistic................. and trying to be innovative................ I present to you an alternative to expensive blooms from the florist.................
........ Wild flowers from the wayside................. in this case, with a colour theme of 'dark and gold'.
When I returned home from having collected my flowers, I arranged them in a vase like a florist might, with blades of grass adding a bit of 'pizazz'. I liked the way they were turned into something out-of-the-ordinary................. a fancy bouquet of weeds!
......And this one is my 'Fancy Weeds', more casual, 'plonked in a cup' version...........
As I've said before.............. I love nature's freebies..................

Following on from yesterday, and the blaze of colour of the daffodils, I want to introduce you to a slightly different floral experience..................
..............The world of Primulas..................
......................While Daffodils charm with their bold colour, Primulas are exceptional for their delicacy of flower and form.
...................Narcissi sometimes have the fragility of Primulas, and the dashing bright colour of Daffodils, both traits complementing each other perfectly.
.........................When you are given detailed information such as the date of sowing, they make you realise just how involved and caring the owner is..........................
These plants have been nurtured with love, and the utmost care ................ just imagine how important this one little plant is .......... the time spent examining each leaf and flower petal............. all I can do is marvel at the involvement, and admire the dedication from afar............

Sometimes, something comes along in life that makes me feel especially happy.
The Spring show at Alnwick Gardens was one of those things............
I'm not sure I want to know how these perfect blooms were coaxed and created............ .............
.....................It all looked perfect to me................
Such a profusion of bright colour was gripping................. flowers on a stage.............
...............Giving their best performance for the audience.................
This show looks like it might have been the  daffodil equivalent to to a performance at the National Theatre, in London.......... all the actors in the play of the highest calibre............
..................I can't remember what category this was................ 'daffodils in a basket'............?
Whatever it was, there was something charmingly old-fashioned about this display.
...................First prize in this category was well deserved.......... I love Snakeshead Fritilleries, and Grape Hyacinths.............. and I'm also partial to that more 'informal' style of display that has been used here..........
................The one lone stem........... so much to prove all by itself........... the scrutiny..........
The effect this Spring show had on me was ..........tipsiness............ I walked out the door drunk on colour........... as experiences go, it was very uplifting.
.....................I felt I had been in the presence of greatness...................