Picture This - Four Days in Photographs

Thank you so much for all your kind words, messages and advice about Jon's back. On Friday, after a horrendous couple of days, with the assistance of the National Health's 111 advice line, he was able to get an emergency appointment with his notoriously-hard-to-get-an-appointment-with doctor's surgery and after a weekend on scarily strong drugs he's starting to see some improvement. It's times like this that makes me feel bad that I can't drive (although a taxi to the surgery, a couple of streets away, only cost £4) but also hugely relieved that we live so close to the town centre, meaning that after Jon was drugged up and safely left on a chair at home I was able to leave him and nip down to Asda to buy some food. I wore a vintage Corky Crag of California maxi dress (a gift from Krista when she came to stay), and my 1970s car-booted sunglasses.  

WEARING: Embroidered cotton off-the-shoulder top (retail, on sale, 2017), vintage Ulkrike, Sweden patchwork maxi (eBay, 2011), silver woven basket (charity shop) 

On Saturday after I'd got the patient up, fed and comfortable I popped down to our corner shop to pick up a parcel. The last time I'd bought brand new bedding was back in 2005 when we'd first moved to Stonecroft. It was starting to look very tatty so I took advantage of La Redoute's* half price sale (where I bought our last lot from) - delivery is free if you opt to have your order delivered to a designated collection point. Although you can buy cheap poly-cotton bedding on the high street I prefer pure cotton and I think 13 years of constant use is testament to La Redoute's great quality. Their underwear is fabulous, too - well worth keeping an eye out for their flash sales.

*I'm not being sponsored to say this, I just like La Redoute. 

Saturday wasn't sunny but it was warm so our new bedding was washed, line-dried and ready to adorn the bed in a few hours.

A couple of weeks ago I bought another vintage doll's house which came complete with accessories. The stable block, this is Lundby's poshest house, the Stockholm, contained lots of horses, some were too small in scale to be used so I turned them into disco horses and before you ask no, I haven't been taking Jon's drugs!

WEARING: Vintage Levis' cut-offs (nicked from our festival stock), crochet bikini top (part of a set made for me by a friend), 1970s deadstock sunglasses (Moseley Vintage Fair), vintage tooled leather belt (car boot sale). 

Sunday was hot and sunny (yay!) so on went the shorts and bikini top and outside I went to tackle the garden.

Assisted by the beasts!

The garden waste bin is due for three weekly collection on Wednesday which serves as a great incentive to tidy up and get it filled. I raked and weeded the area by the pond, prepared the raised beds (made using some wooden pallets thoughtfully fly-tipped over the fence) and planted some seeds. I had done my planting a few weeks earlier but some naughty four-legged animal had decided to dig up all my hard work so let's hope my second attempt and rudimentary beast-proof covers will do the trick.  If you're interested I'm attempting to grow spinach, beetroot, rainbow chard, kale, tomatoes, rocket, three varieties of lettuce, dwarf beans and ox-eye daisies - we'll have to see what happens!

Last week on a local selling site someone was offering a job lot of old Lundby lighting, they weren't sure if any of them were working but at £3 I thought it was worth a gamble. I've joined a fantastic Lundby enthusiasts group on Facebook and reading through some old posts I learnt how to rewire and install them and now Rasmus has light! I've ordered some 4 volt extension leads so by the end of the week I might be able to show you a couple of illuminated rooms. (The 1970s crystal chandelier was missing a couple of cups and candles which I substituted with black press-studs and cocktail sticks.)

Today I'm wearing a 1970s cotton trouser suit which my friend Claire gave me and which the lovely Hermes delivery girl was been in raptures over.  Did I say delivery? Oh dear...my currently in progress Lundby house is rapidly becoming a tower block!

Jon's much improved today, the osteopath is pleased and says that, as long as he takes it easy this week we should be okay to trade at Vintage Village at Stockport on Sunday (we've invested in a sack truck so no lifting will be required) and now he's a lot more mobile I'm off to dye my roots, I've got a date with a mate tomorrow!

See you soon.