Functional ..................... but still beautiful .........................

Greetings dear friends & readers

Although I like things to be functional, I think there is no reason whatsoever - why they can't also be beautiful.
(Or aesthetically pleasing as some might say)

First thing last week - I cleaned my Laundry.
A really, really good deep clean that included the walls, the ceiling & the floors.
The net curtain at the one window in my laundry had long ago seen better days. 
 I remembered about a piece of fabric I had purchased from this gorgeous French Shop last year when I visited with my lovely friends Sally & Jane

A gorgeous vintage piece of linen imported from France - the odd tiny mend in it too 💕 
I had washed it but done nothing with it - it had sat in my sewing room shelves.
I decided to make up a new curtain for my window so I added a casing to the top & then threaded it onto an old length of rod  .  .  .  .

Although it was not really the colours I had in mind for my Laundry - it fit perfectly at the window.

Next I decided to make a new peg bag as the bottom had fallen out of my old one quite some time ago.
I knew I had a nice piece of red/white ticking fabric that would be large enough but I felt that I needed to try & bring in the oranges & blues in the curtain piece.

I also decided I needed to try to use up some of the hexie flowers - an Op Shop purchase from This Post
Luckily enough I had, not one but two helpers for this exercise

Miss Pip helped me choose colours & then Blackie very kindly pressed them all flat for me
I added in some Tilda fabrics as I knew I had some oranges - as well as some vintage embroidery pieces that were torn or tatty on one end

A bit of a faff .... but it turned out very pretty & functional & beautiful .  .  .  .

.  .  .  . and I managed to combine the oranges & the reds & the blues all together 💗

I removed the plain centres of the hexie flowers & fussy cut some Tilda fabrics to replace them

I LoVe my new peg bag ...... & it is functional but still beautiful in my eyes.

During Lockdown Sid's parents have informed me he no longer has a daytime sleep - so I decided to take down the cot I had in my spare room.

This left me a space to bring in the drop leaf desk I had in my Cottage.
I never particularly liked this desk but it held all our paperwork & everytime I needed a receipt I had to run out to the Cottage to look for it.
It would be much better inside the house.

After painting I lightly distressed all the edges with sandpaper

I begun to paint it with chalk paint but very soon ran out - so I finished the entire desk using my acrylic wall paint - Dulux Cottage Cream
I liked it but I didn't Love it  ......  something was missing.

I had ordered a pretty transfer from Paint Me Vintage a few weeks ago & this week, when our Country moved to Level 3 Lockdown we were able to receive parcels again.
I thought the transfer might be perfect to bring the desk to life some what.

I was able to cut into it & use 2 sections - I just love the way it has turned out & given the desk such a pretty 
french vibe
Functional ...... but still beautiful 💗

Another special delivery to arrive last week was our brand new grandaughter (my step grandaughter) 
 We welcomed to the world little Juno Elizabeth weighing in at 8lbs 10 ozs 
By that I mean we welcomed her via cyber space as she is allowed no visitors just yet - but I can't wait to give her
 a cuddle 💗

I was delighted when The Mr arrived home from the Farm supplies shop with a bag of potting mix for me the other day!
It just goes to show how the simplest things can give you pleasure.
I have been potting up lots of small cuttings & growing them by the French Doors at the end of my lounge which is like a little hot house area for plants.

The Mr has several stray cats at the farm that come & go at various times, sometimes increase in numbers, sometimes decrease

Their names are Friendly Cat 1, 2 & 3 (!!!) 

He feeds any that are there as they keep the rats & mice down & also help prevent the birds constantly building nests in the tractors & diggers - such a fire hazard
Although they are quite wild, some have become tamer over time. 
 He sent me this photo yesterday of 3 of them in the back of his Ute when he came back from shifting the cows.
I have promised Not to show Miss Pip the photo (!!) 😉

Thanks So Very Much for your visits here today dear friends,
I hope you are being kind to yourselves & to each other,
With much love & friendship to you all,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x