Drip, Drip, Drop Little April Showers...

Update: I've just realised that this is my 500th blog post(!), so just wanted to use it as an opportunity to thank everyone who stops by, be it regularly, or once in a while...You make it all worthwhile. I am so grateful for all the friends that I have made and the knowledge I have gained from the ideas and experiences that we all share on the www.
Once again, I'm sorry that I find less time for Blogging these days...the starting up of my new business from scratch, all on my lonesome, does mean time to think of my next post, or to comment and visit others, regrettably has to be way down on my to-do list...
Thanks for your kind understanding...These are for you!
Niki x

I returned from a short buying trip around lunch time today, by which time the rain that was forecast had begun to fall. Dare I say it, but it was quite welcome after such a long dry spell. The garden seemed to relish it and was soon looking very perky. As soon as the rain cleared up, I went out to snap a few shots of the lush new growth that seems to be springing up everywhere just now...

Call me sentimental if you like, but this week has been the first week that I have been out into our back garden since loosing our hens. They were all such characters and I had got used to gardening around them. They would always follow me when I was in the garden and would be there in any hole that I dug in the hope of me uncovering a worm or delicious grub! Freshly planted seedlings and plants regularly got dug up by them too, so it was always a bit of a battle.

Gardening this year should be a lot easier without their unhelpful input! - But I do miss them.

One feathered friend that is still with us is this collared dove who nests under our raised decking every year. She's quite used to sharing the place with us and isn't too frightened by our presence.

I've planted four new foxglove plants this week, of lavender, apricot, cream and pink. Can't wait to see them in flower later next month.

The grass has had its first trim of the year...and looks like it will soon need another one very soon.

And there's plenty of spring colour in the borders to make a heart sing.

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If you love gardening, you'll know what great therapy it can be. I'm looking forward to spending many more hours in mine when I have the chance this year.
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Now, back to that buying trip that I mentioned...

Once again antique fabrics found their way into my shopping bag and include these wonderful floral ones fresh from France.

And did you spot the necklace? You may have seen it being modeled by Flossie on Lizzie's blog here. I would imagine it dates from the 1930's or 40's and has been hand made from sea shells which have been painted to resemble anemones. I just LOVE it!

Funnily enough, a few weeks ago I bought myself this booklet, which included some instructions to make sea shell flowers. I did wonder at the time if anyone actually ever attempted to make them...and now I know that they did!

(There are lots of other types of flowers to make too from other materials, including leather, wool, fabric and even glass.)

I also bought these lovely old millinery flowers today, as I want to have a go at recycling them along with some other vintagey bits and bobs to make some interesting little brooches. I wanted a little project to sit and sew by hand in the evenings, and this should be perfect.

Other finds from my morning's foray include a c1930's monkey pyjama case...

Pretty china...

Glass plaques, Deco vase and some beautifully polished shells.

Hope you've had a lovely weekend,

Niki x