Post Of The Month Club: July

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

It's here, it's here!

Time for another

Post Of The Month Club Meeting :)

Today our Club will meet in a summery space,

perfect for these mid-summer days

(or mid-winter for some of you)

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Look, I wore something special for the occasion

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Here's a drink of sunshine for you

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and a little virtual party favor for joining today

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Alrighty then

To our meet & greet

- Bloggers, just link up your best post of the month -

And see, you've already done the work

- Share the love by visiting a few other blogs and say 'hi',
if you can -

- Would you like to add my button to your lovely sidebar so more can join the fun? -

Yep, we'll do this the last day of each month

- Don't forget to become a follower here too -

Don't be shy
Jump in :)

Happy August Blogging, you ray of sunshine you

Smitten

Does it get much better? I think not.

la cornue

If you're as besotted as I am, you can choose from one of twenty five standard colours, or maybe have one of the La Cornue artisans create something just for you. Oh, and did I mention they'll also colour-coordinate your other appliances too? All the good stuff here.

Curiosity Shop

It probably comes as no surprise that I love vintage books. My favourites are those on natural history, and I love scouring dusty old bookshops for these treasures. And I guess it's a natural progression that some of my favourite painting subjects come from nature. I'm preparing for a solo exhibition later this year (very exciting! I'll share all the deets soon) and now that I'm almost rid of this rotten flu (three weeks and counting) I've been experimenting with some new ideas. Here's a look at a little watercolour study I've just finished:

'Petit Papillon'
watercolour on paper
210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
prints for sale now in my Etsy shop

This is the first in a new series, and there are lots more to come. The colours are so gorgeous, and as well as these beautiful blues, there will be vibrant yellows, oranges, black and white - something for everyone. To me, these look best en mass, and I'll be framing the originals with simple, streamlined black frames to really make the colours pop. There are quite a few surprises that I'll reveal closer to the exhibition date (think big, bold and beautiful!), so if you'd like me to add you to my mailing list, drop me a line or message me, and you'll be the first to know.

I've found a few pretty pics to give you an idea of how you can use paintings like these to make a real statement.

via decor8 - so pretty

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 source

 more restrained and curated

via my good friend Martha....and look, there are some feathers too.

Now I realise these aren't butterflies, but the repetition and symmetry is what really works here, and those prints could be any subject - botanical, sea plants, specimens....you get my drift. By Stephen Gambrel

Thanks for everyone who emailed over the past few weeks - I'm back in the land of the living again, and I really appreciate your concern. On track again and looking forward to getting stuck in to some new projects - can't wait!

Going Local: Buy British

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

Poppies Amongst The Wheat

Driving through Kansas,
you drive countless miles before you see where one farm starts 

and another begins

It feels very corporate

Yet in England, farms are small and family-run

You easily see the walls or hedgerows that mark
where each farm begins and ends

Cotswolds countryside with sheep, horses, and crops
(and rain)

There is tremendous encouragement to 'Buy British' and 'Grow Your Own'

Clearly Will & Kate made an effort,
for an impressive number of Royal Wedding elements were British

A supermarket giant, Waitrose, has a campaign to support British farmers
by offering what appears to be only British produce and meat when possible,
bringing the idea of global Fair Trade to a local level

This helps protect the countryside I have come to love

You often can buy direct from a farmer at the garden gate or at a farm shop

And because so many things grow well here,
the country provides well for itself

From beekeeping & henkeeping to gardening
many are doing it successfully on a smaller scale
in their backyard,
more widely than in the US

***

Time for another Post Of The Month Club day - yea! 

It is a great way for you to promote your best work

and meet other fantastic bloggers

Join me July 31st & Aug 1st

Yep, right here :)

Ooh, wouldn't this button look lovely on your sidebar?

You can grab the code from my sidebar :)

All bloggers are welcome to join

It wouldn't be the same without you!

(more details here)

- all photos by me -

A Weekend In The Cotswolds

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

I am blessed with the dearest family 

that is willing to go on another Mommy Adventure

This time to the Cotswolds

Last Autumn we visited the Cotswolds region that spans 6 counties

for our fabulous Feather Down Farms tent-camp experience (here)

This time we were back in search of a special NGS Open Garden in

Ashton under Hill in south Worcestershire

I'd read about in my latest The English Garden magazine

Home built of typical Cotswold limestone

It is a rural area of quaint villages and farms

Typical town from car window

Why go so far to see a garden, you ask?

{ I'd go farther actually }

Well, the whole town of Ashton under Hill has pulled together for the past 33 years

to open private gardens to the public (24 gardens this year)

With more than a hundred people in the village involved,

you see folks selling tickets, ice cream, tea, & plants

and assisting with traffic and parking

It really is a village-wide affair as a fundraiser

for their local church and community center

Don't you just love it already?

Each garden was unique

ranging from formal gardens to meadows

(Below) Curiously it seems common throughout England to buy a bag of compost or manure,

cut a hole and plant into it

I was most excited about this garden (below)

I don't know if it is new, or just new to me

but these swimming ponds seem to be gaining popularity

As it was explained to me, 

a California style swimming pool looks out of place in an English garden

but a pond's appearance can be enjoyed year-round

and fun for taking a dip when the weather is warm enough

Water plants such as water lilies and iris flag are planted in an underwater shelf

Newts, dragonflies, and other creatures hangout at the pool

(no fish)

Although there is filtration, there are no chemicals

They say it is like swimming through fresh rainwater or milk

Artificial Swimming Pond

Sounds heavenly, and I love the look

Don't you?

{Sigh} It was such a perfectly perfect weekend

filled with tadpole catching and delicious local food

Thanks for coming along with me, my buttercups :)

- all photos by me -

 

Another Listy-Loo

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

Time to post my ongoing list of differences between

the US and England

 There is actually a reason for me to adopt the English accent

Automated prompted calls can't understand my American one

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A Stag & Hen Party is a bachelor & bachelorette party

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'Yummy Mummy' is a common term for a pretty, fit, well-dressed mother

*

Many houses have names, not numbers for their address

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Jumble sale = Rummage sale

Boot Sale = A gathering of cars selling stuff out of their 'boot' (car trunk)

*

All signs are in English only (not in French or Welsh also)

*

There are no fire hydrants here (water tapped into main line under manhole cover)

Have a wonderful weekend!!

- all photos by moi -

Black + White

I've been laid low with the dreaded lurgy for the past couple of weeks, which, as well as being totally inconvenient, has meant that I've had little energy for anything other than coughing and spluttering (and, if you ask the clan, they'd probably add whingeing as well). But I digress. One good thing that's come from my convalescence is that I managed to find the designer behind a room I've had saved in my files for ages.

source

I had a lovely message from Brissie designer and fellow blogger Daryl Wark, which in turn led me to his gorgeous blog. As I settled in for a good read, I came across this post on South African designer John Jacob Zwiegelaar (which, coincidentally, Daryl found through Judy at Verandah House), and there was the black and white room I'd had saved for ages. Even better, it lead to this website, which was full of stunning, black & white interiors.

love

 even the pooch is colour matched

all images via John Jacob Interiors

What I love about a black and white (and neutral) scheme is that you can always throw in some colour when you feel like a change, or go completely monochromatic - the options are endless. Take this last room - it would look equally great with some mismatched cushions, an abstract painting or two, and a few bright accessories. I love colour, but my fickle nature means I always stick to a neutral scheme for the bones of a room, and add pops of colour with pieces that can be changed quickly, and relatively inexpensively - artwork etc. Thanks Daryl for the heads up, and seriously, do yourself a favour - head on over to Daryl's blog - lots of goodies there, let me tell you. My fave post - how to keep your vintage Louis Vuitton looking great...but not too 'new'. Fabulous to the max.

Pheasantly Surprised

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

I have been surprised by how many pheasants I see running around in the wild

Such colorful gorgeous birds in the countryside

with a very distinct call

Apparently the Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) was first introduced 

by the Romans and Normans in the 10th century as a game bird, 

originating from Ancient Colchis (now Georgia).  

It became 'extirpated' (locally extinct) from most of the isles 

in the early 17th century due to over-hunting.

It was a rediscovered game bird in the 1830s, 

and has been reared extensively by gamekeepers ever since. 

Although 30 million pheasants are released annually, 

most survive less than a year in the wild. 

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is trying to increase the wild population 

by researching improved breeding methods.

Hunting was formerly an elitist sport, and to an extent it still is

 of game birds, hares, and deer. 

Fox hunting has largely been made illegal. 

Many past Kings and Queens have been avid hunters; 

although Queen Elizabeth II does not hunt, Prince Philip does.

Fox in our backyard
Known for stealing shoes & scavenging rubbish bins

Which leads me to the interesting topic of UK gun control. 

With one of the strictest firearms legislation in the world, 

the UK has one of the lowest rates of gun homicides in the world. 

Handguns have been almost completely banned for private ownership. 

Police officers routinely do not carry a firearm.

Interestingly, even Great Britain's Olympic shooters fall under this ban, 

who can only train in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands,
the Isle of Man, or abroad (namely Switzerland).  

Although the government granted special allowance 

for the shooting events for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, 

only 5 permits were given to Olympic British Shooters to train in Great Britain. 

- photos by me -

Source: Garden Birds, Wikipedia 1, 2, 3

 

Trip To France: Provence

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

So it was a bit of a stretch to drive 

from the Cote d'Azur to rural Provence for a day trip

But my husband being the superstar he is

drove 31/2 hours to get me there

(we got a little lost, so it took extra time)

All grown in pots

To be honest, I was surprised how barren, open, hot & dry this area is;

I've become accustomed to the cozy villages of England

With a bit of a shift in my view

I was ready to see what Provence offered

especially photographically :)

Gordes

Many of the villages were perched on hills

to provide safety during periods of turmoil in the Middle Ages

80% of the world's lavender comes from Provence

The lavender is in full swing July - September

Vineyards, wheat, lavender, sunflowers

Crop land, yes, but no livestock

View from Bonnieux
Lavender Fields (left side)

This home decor inspiration location

has attracted people by the bus-loads

Literally

Of all the towns we visited, Bonnieux was my favorite

due to lack of crowds

Artisan Village
Saint Paul De Vence

I should have researched the road less-traveled

But it was a lovely road nonetheless

in Roussillon

Multi-layered tiled roofs are common in Provence

As are shutters to keep out cold winter Mistral winds

and baking summertime heat

If you close your eyes,

perhaps you can hear the background music of the cicadas,

a symbol of Provence

Have you grabbed your glass of wine yet?

You cannot miss the flavor of the area

And although the land did not provide much color

The human prints definitely did

Not to mention 

fresh produce sold everywhere

Yum

Fresh Radishes & Lettuce For Sale At Market

I'd like to return in Spring to see 

the flowering almond & cherry trees

and fields of poppies

Provence,
my camera & I will be back

one day

- all photos by me -

Trip To France Series

Part I: Monaco & A Royal Wedding (here)

Part II: Cote d'Azur (here)

Linking to Modern Country Style