Just Gardening

Today has been mainly a case of getting on with the garden, we go through phases I think where we believe we are on top of it and then we leave it for a while and there is nothing in the pots and the weeds creep in.  So while we have it fairly low maintenance anyway it was time to put a bit of colour in, and pull a few more of those weeds.  Hottest day I think so not the easiest task but there will always be an excuse so we got on and did a bit, there is still a lot of topsoil needed for a bed down the side but that was not something to be bought at the local garden centre.  It can be bought cheaper and delivered in a larger quantity I think.

We didn't go too mad, we bought a couple of dahlias yesterday and another today and a few packs of bedding plants at 3 for £6.  It has made the front of the house look a bit brighter and filled a couple of pots on the back, I still need to do the hanging basket, there are plants left for this but we decided the actual basket had seen better days so we need o source another in the next couple of days.

A few on the front

A dahlia for each side of the door, I already had all the pots.

There is actually a grape vine in this pot that never has any grapes.

Amazing what a difference a few flowers can make but of course the sun is also shining and that always puts a better light on everything too.

I have started to re-read The Miracle Morning which I originally read and said it wasn't very good but now it feels altogether different, funny how that happens sometimes and the saying goes you are not who you were a year ago so this time around I am getting something from it. It does make me wonder about all those books that have gone to the charity shop though because I thought they were rubbish, maybe if I had held on to them  I would have enjoyed them at a later date.

That last thought however brings me on to something I was thinking about earlier in relation to clutter. The bottom of my wardrobe seems to have got out of control and I was tidying it and adding the shoe racks when I thought 'what happened to getting rid of an item a day?'  Now that was something I started a while ago as a war on stuff but it has somehow been neglected, so I am beginning again to remove one item a day (it doesn't matter how small) of useless stuff from my life.

Charity Shop Finds

What a scorcher it has been today! We have only just walked the dogs as it has been too hot all day but really it is still baking out there now, I am not complaining it has felt like being on holiday today. I was outside drinking tea and reading at six this morning, washing out, exercise done and house all vacuumed before nine.  It makes me wonder why I can't be more productive every morning, I will try and keep it up.

We didn't go that far today but had a lovely time, we called in the charity shop to drop some items off and I saw this lovely dress, it's a size twelve so will need taking in a bit and also maxi length so I will cut a lot off the bottom but the fabric is gorgeous.

Just a quick photo on the chair before it went in the machine, but you get the idea.

I  also spotted a shoe rack for a couple of pounds which is amazing because I was just staring at the jumble of shoes in my wardrobe yesterday and thinking I need a shoe rack, and I came across one just like that.  Now to organise them, some are boots and trainers but it will be easier to keep tidy with them stacked.

We popped in the library to return a book and got these two from the new books shelf...

Hot Milk has been started already as I sat outside in the sun grabbing a bit of vitamin D, it is off to a good start.  Lunch was also outside but in the shade, you have to make the most of these sunny days. There was also quite a bit of weeding and a couple of plants bought for the pots which have been empty for ages, we need to get a couple more cheap and cheerful ones tomorrow. It is one of those things, I like to see the garden looking nice but when you buy the plants and they seem to have a short life it makes me grumpy.  Hopefully the few we buy will give a bit of colour for a good while. 

A Dress for June

Today I finished off the dress I started with the material I bought in Devon, it cost a grand total of five pound so nice and thrifty the way I like it.  I already had matching thread and it evolved somewhat as I went along.

It began quite a bit longer then I decided I don't like them that length and chopped off the bottom, the sleeves were also longer, then one had elastic but that that didn't quite work with this fabric so out it came!  Then I shortened those as well, I tried it on and decided the neckline was a little dull so I cut a line down the front, faced it with some cotton and added some ribbon loops and a ribbon tie.  The loops were made from the hanger tabs you get at the shoulders in clothing but no one ever uses.

I have taken a few photos some on the mannequin and some on me.  It is a light fabric so I may add a quick skirt lining using some cotton or satin I have already, I like my skirts to feel like they won't blow up or even if they did to have a lining safely underneath so it is likely that is what I'll do.

It has an elasticated waist so can be worn without a belt.

After taking this photo I made a little loop for my belt as the excess was annoying me when it kept falling down.

Now I do like dresses and especially summery ones but the reality of it is we only get a short time to wear them here in England, so I will definitely be making a top of some sort with the other piece of fabric then at least I can wear it with jeans on a dull wet day with a jacket on if I go out.

Sad news for the day is that I had another disaster from Vegan food magazine.  This time it was buns, they looked good again, the ingredients looked promising but as I was mixing it I thought the consistency looked wrong. They were just like rubber, awful!  Right now they are in the bin and I am annoyed at the waste of food again.

Now I know that they weren't over cooked as I tested them at the required time and they were still catching on the fork so they just had an additional few minutes.  I know it is harder with specialist flours but even cakes I have thrown together myself with GF flour have come out better than this, grrr!   They were almond and cherry in case you were wondering.