Catching Up .............. Post # 1

Greetings dear friends & readers

I have been missing from blogland for over two weeks ... the words & the photos just go around & around in my head & I've been unable to find the time to write anything down.
So I have decided to do another series of Catch Up Posts this coming week, probably three of them 😊

Today is Mother's Day here in New Zealand ... I want to wish all the Mother's out there, be it two or four legged ones, 
A Very Wonderful Day  💗
(If you manage to stay with me til the end of this post you will see the "very kind & generous gift" that Miss Pippi presented me with this morning)


Quite sometime ago I entered a wee Giveaway over on Raewyn's blog
There were two draws, one for a book & one for some thread -  & I was lucky enough to win the book.

I had quite forgotten about it as Raewyn informed me it had to come all the way from the States - so it was such a wonderful surprise to receive it in the post last week.
Thanks so much Raewyn for the opportunity to enter your generous Giveaway.


In my last Post I wrote about the Winter Wreath Workshop my friend Sally was holding at this amazing Venue *here*.
Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to go with my friends Sally & Jane to visit the Venue, while Sally did some prep for her upcoming Workshop

We were lucky enough to be given a tour of the house & the gardens & I rather promptly fell in love with all of it.
Although I think I took about 50 photos, I have just shared a very few with you here

The formal dining room where Sally was to host her workshop

                                            The photo to the right is the scullery

Some of the outdoor areas

The statue is called Guardian of the Garden.  The far right photo is some old pet gravestones in the garden.
We also had a bit of a Girl's Day Out shopping but I will share my purchases with you in another Post.

Last week I stood in my kitchen & made lemon dusters.
This is a recipe from my book The Natural Home by Wendyl Nissen
I had some old cloth nappies which I had purchased from the Op Shop - these make perfect dusters.

Lemon Dusters are simply equal quantities of water & white vinegar + lemon essential Oil,
Soak the dusters in this mixture then squeeze out, roll up into lengths, then roll into a ball - they look a bit like cinnamon scrolls!
I like to put pieces of lemon peel in with them - the fragrance when you take them out of the Jar is just wonderful!
Now that we have started having winter fires, the dust is incredible & these are ideal for giving the mantel a quick wipe over.

Silver Trays that had rust or imperfections in them that wouldn't polish out

I have been painting/upcycling some more projects for the St John's Op Shop - these were done using the 
grey chalkpaint - Quarter Absolute

I really enjoyed doing this corner shelf above but .  .  .  .  

Chalkpaint Voodoo Molly Vintage - Colour Sandstone

.  .  .  .   I did Not enjoy doing the rattan tray above - it took so many coats to get a decent coverage.

Yesterday was my youngest son's birthday - I got up early & made him a chocolate cake as I was going for 
morning tea.
I stopped on my way there & bought a box of smarties to decorate it.
 I cannot believe my son is 34!   Where did those years go to I wonder??!! 

I posted on Instagram last week, how when The Mr comes in from the farm each night, he stands in front of the fire 
& takes his smelly/dirty socks off & tosses them on the mat.
Miss Pippi makes a beeline for them & then spends the rest of the evening rolling around in them & sleeping.
There's just no accounting for taste in some folk 😉

And speaking of Her Royal Highness ... here is the Mother's Day gift she so kindly left me this morning under my gardening shoe!
Still alive & moving I might add! 😖

Thanks So Much for staying with me through this lengthy post dear friends,
I hope the coming week is good & kind to you all,
I shall be back soon with my second Catch Up Post,
With much love & friendship to you All,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0