sick day sniggle...

finding a few benefits...

...to living in the UK. Apart from being married to the boy ('tis wonderful!), I discovered H&M Home today...and H&M Home online!! Ooh it's been tempting. But then being home in bed feeling poorly and taking advantage of a free health care system means I shouldn't be able to spend, yes?

Too late...

dreaming...

There are many things to enjoy about the beauty of a Scottish Spring time (although I still need convincing 12 degrees is warm), like huge blossom trees waving happily, laden with pink and white blooms, tulips and daffodils growing with gay abandon in the gardens, longer days with (lukewarm) sun drenched afternoons, and buying a kilo of strawberries for £3. Although I must say I'm a little overwhelmed with the sheer amount of strawberries that is one kilo.

But as the days get sunnier (in the Scottish sense), I find myself missing some beautiful things, and dreaming big dreams about what to do next. And here's some gorgeous inspiration from the incredibly clever people who started Bonpoint in Paris, Marie-France and Bernard Cohen! A beautiful flower shop, filled with other delicious home treats with profits going to a co-op that helps young women in Madagascar. The shop Merci, has closed down I do believe, but how pretty are their flowers!!?

'You see things; and you say, 'Why?', but I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?''

- George Bernard Shaw

Keep dreaming! Always. xx

beautiful books...

Hello my dear readers! Apologies again for the lack of posts, Easter has kept us good and busy over here. Not to mention the hot cross buns. Delicious!

I discovered these gorgeous hand embroidered books online a while back and have been bursting to share them with you, aren't they lovely!!! Definitely the kind of books to keep on a table with a pretty bunch of flowers, a steaming pot of tea, and some lovely china. Perhaps even some nice cookies. Created by the hugely talented Jillian Tamaki for Penguin Classics, I do believe they'll be available for your pretty little mitts sometime later this year. Excellent! Tis a set of three, but I do love these two the most.

I hope you have a wonderful long weekend my dear's, and to all those in Australia...lest we forget xx

a wee announcement...

Apologies for the lack of posting here my sweets, but I have the most wonderful news that has made this quite the emotionally tumultuous time!

I'm an aunty again!!!

Little Chloe Grace McKay was born in the wee hours of Sunday morning (here), and Sunday afternoon in that sunny place called Australia! She is perfect and cute and beautiful and very mucho grando loved by my dearest sister (who just by the by is my hero), and their little family. Grandiflora were the only choice to send some gorgeous bloomin to said dear sister, and although much smaller (my money tree has momentarily stopped shooting) and minus the naked lady, they looked a little like this. I can almost smell them from here!

So to my dearest tiny little new niece, my other dearest little niece (who is now a wonderful big sister), my big sister and her husband...congratulations! If I'd been able to bring them to you in person, I would have worn clothes xxx

image via grandiflora

inspiration board time...

It occurs to me that over the coming weeks I would very much like to set up a lovely little inspiration board. As much as I would love a beautiful office to call my own and cover with pretty wallpaper and photographs, we have approximately one room in our flat, and I do believe the boy might want some of this space. And so I have myself a wee cork board to make my very own. Delightful! And in the fashion of generous sharing of such information, I shall fill you in on a few other things I have learnt this week.

* Scottish weather is much like Melbourne weather. Stupid.
*Sweeties are much cheaper here, and my pants are getting tighter (that's the dryer, right?)
*The last Friends episode was on today, and tomorrow, they start all over again! Excellent!
*If a last name starts with Mac, it's Scottish, if it starts with a Mc, it's Irish...
*...and as hard as it is for me to understand a thick Scottish accent, it's just as hard for them to understand me. Blank stares all round!

It's almost the weekend and I am excited. Let's cross our fingers for some 'warm' weather! xx

love...

...like a river flowers, gently to the sea
darling so it goes, some things are meant to be
take my hand, take my whole life too
cos I can't help, falling in love with you...

-fools rush in

good plan...

nighty night! xx

rob ryan...

I believe it would be worth your while taking a hop, skip and a jump over to Rob Ryans website. Be warned, it may result in much money spending. I have a wee crush on the mugs. And this print. On many things, actually, but if I told you then this post would be really long.

xx

more auction FUN!

Monday night is just around the corner my friends, and I do hope you know what this means! Scottish Highland Dancing lessons! WOO! Erm, no. That's Wednesday night. Monday night is auction night!

Last weeks purchase was a gorgeous old Singer sewing machine, and the excitement is still alive and well! Mine came in a beautiful old curvy box, and came to the grand total of £6. People keep asking me if it works. I tell them it looks pretty.

xx

some golden cheer!

Good morning my lovely readers! It's Spring here, and there are fields...FIELDS of daffodils, lining every roadside, roundabout and pathway! So bright and cheery! Makes for a very happy looking countryside. And creates in me an up-till-now undiscovered roadside flower thief. Don't worry, I haven't let her out yet. I have myself some gorgeous scented jonquils to cheer up our flat, a gift from the lovely girls at the flower shop! When they die, we'll see what happens. Until then, the pretty and cheery daffodilly's shall stay on the roadsides, roundabouts and pathways! Which is a good thing for the general public. And, you know, legal.

Also. I have the windows open! Yes, my friends, I am in Scotland, and I have the windows open! There is news of an impending heatwave, what with all this 15 degree heat, on which I shall maintain my silence (apart from writing about it on my this blog), and for now, merely enjoy strolls along the riverbank breathing air that doesn't freezeburn my lungs. Excellent!

xx

pretty...

Well hello there! I thought it only fair that I share these gorgeous plates from the uber talented Nina Invorm . Excellent for tea cakes, Victoria sponge, shortbread, chocolates, cookies...they would also look absolutely delightful hanging on the wall! Which is much better for the waistline*. Pop over to her blog, it's wonderful!

*Someone please rope off the chocolate aisle in Tesco's, I don't stand a chance...

images via nina invorm

tis true...

...and don't you forget it xx

image via lelove

happy uk mothers day xx

Working a 60 hour, 6 day week at the local florist may not have been the most sensible way to ease my way back into working after being er, not working, for approximately 4 months, my achy back and dirty hands and sore throat will tell you (and me *sob!*) that.

However, as in different countries we like to do things in different ways (don't even get me started on that...Rexona/Sure, I'm looking at you) it turns out it's Mothers Day here today! So a little Sunday shout out to my Mum, who even from the other side of the world is the best Mum ever xx

ps - auctions tomorrow night...who's excited? Meeeeee!! xx

image of Shirley MacLaine - via the google

letterbox love...

'sir, more than kisses, letters mingle souls; for, thus friends absent speak.' - john donne

and i just might have the loveliest friends in all the world xx

ps - our letterbox isn't this pretty. it's a hole in our door. however! this done mean getting the mail in your pjs is much less...seen by everyone. excellent.