Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Some mail, some sunshine & a birthday

A wet rainy afternoon "Hello" to you my friends,

Hope you are all keeping well out there & managing to stay warm.
  This past week bought a couple of days of welcome sunshine & a chance to get outside & do a few jobs.  The start of the week bought some surprise mail - my friend Elaine & I had  ordered some primitive decorating magazines from the United States - isnt it just sooo exciting when overseas mail arrives!!?? :-)  the thought that it has travelled all that way from another far-away country . . .
 These magazines are sooo mouthwatering & I do really love looking at other peoples homes decorated in different styles.
Anyway - one of the pictures in the gardening section - (sorry I have forgotten to photograph it for you)  inspired me to go outdoors & rescue an old rusty tricycle from the back corner of the garden & add to it one bucket that a certain person had run over accidently in his ute . . . 
you can see the big dent at the bottom of the bucket - adds character :-)
Weed the tray of the trike, wash well & line with black polythene . . .   go to Mitre 10 Garden Centre & buy a selection of pansies & a punnet of violas  . . .    add one most unhelpful, unwilling & able  dog to the proceedure  . . . 
And viola . . . a little bit of bright cheeriness to the dreary winter landscape  . . .
Imagine how lovely it will look when the violas grow & spill over the bucket sides
The mail-lady also bought another surprise in the post - just the recipe for these cold wintry nights by the fire . . . 
These mags are always packed full of lots of good reading material.

The rains came after a couple of days of sunshine & we were forced back indoors.  I hauled out the rest of my enamel ware collection, washed it all (it was sooo dusty) & displayed it on my pot rack.
And I hung up my new (old) picaninny plate - this little face smiling at you first thing in the mornings always brightens my day . . . 

 I also finished hemming a little curtain frill for above my french doors & under the wooden shelf that my son made for me . . .  




On the weekend I had a birthday - I turned 52 :-) - we just had a very small celebration - its hard to get inspired to do great things when its the middle of winter so we had pizzas for tea with the family - which was lovely with the fire roaring.
I did get some lovely gifts from friends & one of my absolute favourites was this amazing string holder from my good friend Sandy - I have never seen one before & I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it . . . 
It has the most lovely little pair of wire scissors on a hook on the side
It is a heavy solid piece & I will treasure it - thankyou Sandy :-)

Some other lovely bits & pieces I was spoilt with  . . . 
this beautiful woven teatowel from my friend Elaine
Lets hope 52 is a good year ! ! !

I hope wherever you are in the world you are happy & safe & warm & cosy (if its winter in your climate ) - take care out there friends, wishing you a week filled with wonderful things - this little verse was written in a card from my friend Carolyn & I loved it 

     "a friend is the person who - in a mechanical emergency always asks you (very gently)
       whether you've switched the thing on . . . ? "
 Loving thoughts to you all -  always,
Julie X x x x   :-)

5 comments:

  1. oh you make me miss winter badly!!
    i long to sit by a roaring fire with family

    Happy Birthday and hope the sun comes back soon for ya. Lord knows I am trying to get rid of it here. lol.
    Amy

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  2. Hello Julie dear! Happy, happy birthday week!!..rainy or not. Of course 52 will be a charmed year ; ) I adore your little tricycle inspiration..just wonderful. How fortunate just such a bucket should have been run over like that! I do think that I love the cream & green enamelware best of all too. What a grand collection you have. Thanks for reminding me about the new Good mag that's just come out. I love the colours on the cover already. I'm sure you'll find your string very useful & aren't they darling string scissors. Well I can't say that I'm sad to have some rain really..I had the sprinkler on in all my gardens last week..just not sooo keen on the 9 degrees today! With much love & friendship Catherine x0x0x

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  3. Hello Julie, Happy birthday. Much love Shirley

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  4. Hi Julie, glad you liked the birthday gift. I thought it was perfect for you to add to your collection of treasures. Love your new kitchen. It's a delightful space with lovely colors.

    Sandy xxx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sandy - thankyou for your comment - lovely to have you "back" again - & thankyou sooo much for the string holder - I treasure it :-)

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