Sunday 24 May 2020

Our Lives in Lockdown - Day 64 & 65


On Saturday morning (day 64) I awoke to the sound of a cat purring loudly and, when I looked across the bed to check the time, saw Frank wedged into Jon's armpit. Somebody was feeling better! It was only 4.45am and I managed to get back to sleep for an hour or so then, wide awake, selected a book from the pile next to the bed and started reading. When Jon woke up he saw to the lads, made tea and brought it back to bed where we stayed till 8am.



Jon went downstairs to start breakfast & to administer Frank's medicine while I stripped and changed the bed, gave the bathroom plants their fortnightly feed, loaded up the washing machine and fed the houseplants downstairs.


After a coffee, I dusted and swept our bedroom before sitting at the kitchen table and devouring a veggie sausage sandwich and a second mug of tea.


Before getting dressed I cleaned the bathroom.


As I was pegging the washing out on the line our lovely MyHermes driver turned up with a parcel containing the fabric we'd ordered last weekend, some textured green vinyl from a car upholstery supplier we'd found on eBay. Jon had every intention of spending the day working on Gilbert but it was still very breezy so he decided he'd reupholster the kitchen chairs instead.


I gave the patio plants their fortnightly feed and sat at the PC browsing the internet with a mug of tea. Claire had received her parcel and had shared a photo of her repaired Anokhi harems on Facebook. 


The postwoman saw me through the window and indicated that she'd left a parcel on the step. I excitedly ripped it open and discovered the wounded Indian cotton dress I'd bought as a project from eBay last week. The seller had been extremely honest about the condition of the dress but despite three huge rips and a missing button, I loved it on sight. Leaving Jon to his hammering, I took the dress upstairs to the spare bedroom, turned the radio on and with Frank snoozing on the bed, keeping me company, I set to work.


Since I'd clicked Buy-it-Now I'd been pondering on what to patch the dress with but inspiration struck and I remembered the 1990s Miss Selfridge Indian cotton blouse I'd found for £1 in the charity clearance shop before lockdown, it could be sacrificed for the cause.


Three hours later, the tears were sorted and I'd managed to make myself a covered button using a similar sized one from my stash. I've wanted one of these quilted bodice sundresses for ages but the ones I watch on eBay sell for £££s, if I bought one at that price I'd be scared to wear it. Having a repaired version means I won't feel the need to save it for best.


Before.....and after!


Meanwhile, downstairs Jon had finished reupholstering the chairs and had also given the frames a coat of satin varnish. The makeover cost us a grand total of £10.


Tea was couscous with cheese, pickles, cucumber salad and crusty bread with olive oil, eaten at 4.30 as we'd not had lunch.


We spent the evening watching Morroco to Timbuktu, a travel documentary and the series finale of the wonderful Norwegian drama, State of Happiness. With it being Saturday night a few rums were consumed.


This morning (Sunday, day 65) I was up first and, as Frank was back to his usual self, let him out for the first time since Wednesday morning. Stephen Squirrel had been spooked since Frank's surgery, spending all his time outside, hissing at him and barely eating. Thankfully, he was also back to normal, happy to share our bed with him, wolfing down his breakfast and accompanying him for a stroll around the garden. I brought tea back to bed and we read until 8.30am.


Jon made toast for breakfast and scribbled down a list of groceries we were running short of. After he'd dressed he braved the shop for supplies whilst I cleaned the lounge.


The wind we'd been battered with for the last couple of days had finally dropped so I raked up the debris blown down from the neighbour's enormous lime tree that overhangs our garden.


After our lunchtime noodles, Jon, having scrubbed them down when he got back from his shopping expedition, painted the legs of the kitchen table.



I watered the patio plants and topped up the bird food outside.


This week's lockdown nails are Barry M's Salt Lake.


The contents of my pots surprise me on a daily basis. Other than the pansies, which I had delivered from a local garden centre a few weeks ago, my plants are at least a year old, many are annuals which are only supposed to live for a season before they die off, I'm glad I'd resisted the temptation to chuck them in the garden waste bin at the end of the Autumn.



Jon planted some seeds - red cornflowers, calendula and black-eyed Susans.


And I, determined not to let that bloody blackbird get the better of me, devised a bird scarer to keep the thieving creature off my black and redcurrant bushes. My creation involved garden twine, scrunched up kitchen foil and (thanks, Anne in Ireland) a few unwanted CDs.


Meanwhile, in the greenhouse....we have tomatoes, tomatoes and even more tomatoes. Just as well we like tomatoes!



The grey clouds that had filled the skies for most of the weekend had burned off leaving us with some glorious sunshine & much welcome warmth. I grabbed my book and Iranian bedcover and finished my book while lounging on the lawn.


Frank was happy to take it easy in the shade,


And watch Kitty, next-door's crazy tabby cat, play the stick game with Jon.


Tea was mini veg samosas & a handful of potato lattices from the freezer, coleslaw and a salad of cherry tomatoes, grapes, green pepper and cucumber drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with flat-leaf parsley, mustard, curled cress and summer savoury (all home-grown) followed by an ice-cold lager on the lawn with all four of us squeezed into a tiny patch of sunlight.


Tonight we'll continue with an incredible documentary we started to watch last night, The Changin' Times of Ike White, the story of a long-forgotten artist who released an album whilst serving a prison sentence for murder in California in the early 1970s. We've just got to where Stevie Wonder was petitioning for his release. I've no idea of how it will turn out or even if he's still alive, but young Ike was certainly easy on the eye.

SOURCE
Thank you so much for all the wonderful and heartfelt comments and messages you've sent me in the last couple of days, a few have brought tears to my eyes, I'm so touched that my posts are bringing you cheer during these strange times. I promise to get back to everyone very soon.

Much love to you all, Vix
xxxx

67 comments:

  1. As usual another beautiful post . Love the new dress and the kaftan. Wow your teas put ours to shame, such healthy eaters. I thought those chairs would turn out fab and they have! We have been finding an old hidden pathway down the back of our garden today hard hard work but it will be worth it! Love the nail colour and the house looks great as usual. You really are helping a lot of us though lockdown!x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! What a lovely comment,thank you so much.
      I'm very excited to read about your hidden pathway, it sounds like something from my favourite childhood book, The Secret Garden. Good luck with uncovering it and watch your backs!
      The chairs should be loads more practical with the vinyl, I'm desperate to get the kitchen painted now but Jon likes to take his time and get the job done properly unlik me who rushes at things like a bull in a china shop.
      We try and be fairly healthy although Jon did come back from the shops with the biggest bag of popcorn known to man yesterday! xxx

      Delete
  2. Another lovely post! I too have over done it with tomatoes this year as have many plants grown from seed but I hope to get a good crop, last year wasn't great. I can always can some of them if I have too many. Well done on you saving that dress, only you could fix it and make it into something lovely again. Jon's redo of the chairs look fabulous too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm excited about all the tomatoes growing, it seems a crime to thin them out when we've grown them from seed. I'm supposed to thin out my turnips and broccoli but keep putting it off, it seems cruel!
      I did wonder if I'd bitten off more than I could chew when I bought the dress but once I got stuck in I lost track of time.
      Those chairs should match the kitchen perfectly when it finally does gets painted! xxx

      Delete
  3. Writing from San Diego here, and I am so enjoying your posts, I ask myself in the morning - is this the 'every second day' that Vix writes? I really love your beautiful photographs and your amazing home and style you so generously share with us! I really appreciate having something so cheerful and inspirational to look forward to reading, and you've inspired me more and more (I've been reading your blog for years) to wear lovely things always and surround myself with beautiful items, just like William Morris says! Thanks again, wishing you and Jon and the pets all the best!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sending love to San Diego! Jon's favourite place in the USA.
      I'm so glad you've commented after years of reading, it's lovely to "meet" you and know you're out there reading my ramblings.
      Yes to wearing lovely clothes and filling our lives (and homes) with beauty. Out with the mediocre and the practical and in with the fabulous!
      Love and virtual hugs to you. xxxx

      Delete
  4. What a great job you did on the repairs to that dress - I can't wait to see how it looks on you. I quite like the "visible repair" method (I've seen Ann in California doing this), as it acknowledges the garment's history with another owner, and shows the life going forward. Nice.

    Very happy to hear of purr-meister Frank - sounds like he is much happier now, and Stephen also relieved that his bro is better. That neighbour cat is a character! Very jumpy!

    I am lusting for your bed's head and footboard/couch! Oh my, that is amazing. Vizzini would live on that. Well done on your "new" chairs - the green vinyl is amazing! Hope you had a lovely weekend, dear Vix!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sheila! Ann's really good at mending, isn't she? I love a visible mend, it shows that an item is beautiful enough to be worth saving and you're right, it does acknowledge a garment's previous life, vintage clothes are more than just garments, they're social history.
      The boys are back to their normal selves now, thank goodness! Frank did try and bite Jon yesterday and then stopped when he realised that he'd had his fangs removed, we shouldn't have laughed but we did!
      I bet Vizzini would do the same as Stephen Squirrel and use the bed and ottoman as a scratching post, we've had to recover it due to the cat scratches - it's very glam though, isn't it? xxx

      Delete
  5. Yes, your posts are a day brightener. I'm so happy Frank is himself, and life with his siblings back to rights. Nice work by Jon on table and chairs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your posts have indeed been something to look forward to in these scary times. We have only had 1 new case of "It" in about a week in New Zealand, hooray for Jacinda Ardern our Prime Minister. The economy is not good, but everyone included homeless were given the dole and somewhere to live, if they weren't employed in essential services or working from home. Frank is looking one very happy cat. Moi? I am drooling at your mending of your beautiful new-to-you dress. It's so clever. Proof that dressing well is not about the money.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Ratnamurti! Yet again the nation is in awe of Jacinda, keeping her cool during that earthquake when she made her speech in the Beehive, what an incredible woman she is - in contrast to our incompetant lot.
      In normal times mending is all about doing it quickly so the garment is saleable, taking my time on something for me is so enjoyable! xxx

      Delete
  7. A welcome and beautiful post Vix, thank you so much.
    You brighten my day enormously.
    Love from Pam in Texas.xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for those kind words, dear Pam! xxx

      Delete
  8. Cats are incredible at sensing things and especially when their companion cat is sick. When we have Edward and Benjie and he was diagnosed with a heart condition often the first sign I had that he was under the weather was Benjie hissing and running away from him. I figure it's their inbuilt self preservation. I channel hopped and found that Ike White documentary, a talented but I thought deeply unpleasant man.
    The table and chairs look fab.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cats do have a strange sixth sense, don't they? When Frank was so ill last year Stephen barely left his side but the dental surgery really did freak him out, he couldn't even stay in the house at the same time.
      That documentary was a real shocker, wasn't it? I can't comment just in case anyone hasn't seen it yet, it's definitely a mesmerising 75 minutes! xxx

      Delete
  9. You did a miraculous job on that dress. The garden is getting better by the day-can't wait to see it in the full of summer.
    The birds will move on once other things are growing in the wild. They're either nesting or feeding fledgelings now, but with any luck you should be ok with the exception of the berries. If you want any for yourself, netting is the way to go, but be prepared to be freeing birds that only saw the net as a challenge. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, I did worry I'd not be able to save it but once I'd rememebered that top it was pretty straightforward.
      I bet that's why the birds are all so frantic, feeding younsgsters and attracting mates. The hedge is in dire need of trimming but we'll have to check it really carefully, much as the blackbirds are a pain I'd hate to destroy a nest. xxx

      Delete
  10. I love the green chairs, and I done a little redone on chairs.
    Coffee is on

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Dora! I'm really pleased with that green vinyl! xxx

      Delete
  11. Hello Vix. Lovely to see you and more of your colourful home and garden.

    What a great job you've done repairing that dress. It's going to look gorgeous on your petite frame.

    Love that shade of green vinyl you've used to upholster the chairs. Jon's definitely a man with many skills.

    Glad to see Frank has recovered well. Get him and Stephen to chase the birds out of the trees! Lots of CD's will do the trick, but so does a few plastic snakes twirled around branches.

    How fantastic that your crop of tomatoes is thriving. I love them too. We're having a burst of broad beans coming through in our patch. Can't wait!

    Have a lovely week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Suzy!
      Normally, at this time of year, every room in the house is given up to festival preparation, bags of clothes, rails, coat hangers and laundry cluttering every corner. It's a revelation to have a tidy house that I can clean easly!
      Plastic snakes? That's interesting. Something to look out for if your charity shops ever reopen again.
      I'm very envious of your broad beans, I must try growing some next time.
      Much love to you. xxx

      Delete
  12. You have worked magic again girl on that dress ! Part of me would have said no step away from the dress if I saw that on eBay. But part of me would have would have would have wanted to have a go. I have just ordered some vintage kitchenella from the UK eBay web site as I bullied Paul into buying some shelves , except I ended up painting them in paint pot Samples. And they look quite cool. They just need putting them up now !!!!
    Love the chairs, mine are buried lol I really need to sort the back room out ! The garden looks great. Take care and keep safe the both of you. Cuddles the the pets.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Alison! I hit Buy-it-Now and then thought, what the hell have I done. I was surprised the dress was as good as it was when it turned up, the seller had painted a very grim portrait of the condition.
      Paint samples go a long way, my freestanding yellow craft cupboard on the landing was a single 99p tester pot!
      Paul will soon get your shelves sorted, it's the perfect excuse to play with his tools!
      I wonder how long theyour Ebay treasures will take to arrive? I've got a list of things I'm waiting for at the moment, I love ticking them off!
      Take care! xxx

      Delete
  13. the blue sundress is so very pretty - and you did extremely well rescuing it with the art-like mending method!
    wonderful shots of your garden and house - and how cute are the cats incl. dancing kitty :-D
    we had lots of rain this days and my knees are in heavy, weather induced pain - but our garden and the surrounding forest are happy and lush green..... so i will not complain.
    and GREEN: loooove the new upholstery for your kitchen chairs - fantastic color and the material will be easy to care for.
    <3 xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! the seller had suggested just cutting off the ruffled hem and using it to patch the hole at the back but the proportions would have looked terrible, all sundresses need a ruffle.
      I bet your garden is gorgeous now you've had rain. Your poor knees though. Jon's really struggling with his at the moemnt, he's due a steriod injection but all regular medical procedures are cancelled until further notice so he's ordered some CBD oil. xxx

      Delete
    2. poor jon! he should cover his knees and keep them warm!! thats what i do and it helps. xx

      Delete
    3. I'll tell him - thank you! xxx

      Delete
  14. I am really loving your blogs and love seeing what you have been up to each day.It gives me ideas of what I can up cycle and reuse in my garden.The steps from my decking have rotted away over the years...we have an old caravan step there at the moment,lol...so I am going to lay some heavy pallets there that were recused from next door when they were leaving.It saves me from having to have a carpenter in!You made a great job of that dress,it will look amazing on you,xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Debi! You're a girl after my own heart, mending your steps with what you've already got lying around. What a great idea to use an old pallet, I much prefer wood with a bit of wear rather than something pristine, it looks too new amongst the greenery.
      Much love to you. xxxx

      Delete
  15. Jon's done a wonderful job upholstering the chairs - what a champion he is.

    I love seeing your rings and nail polish. Blue really suits you. Whenever I paint my nails blue or green, I seem to look like an alien!

    I'm glad to be part of this online vintage community - it's great catching up with everyone virtually, especially through times like these. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He's quite nifty with the staple gun, isn't he?
      I know what you mean about the nails, I feel the same with normal colours like pink and red but I'm making a concerted effort not to just stick to blue like I usually do. Hooray for Barry M and special lockdown discounts on their website!
      Our online community is so kind, encouraging and thoughtful. I wish we could all meet! xxx

      Delete
  16. Blimey, that poor dress was sadly misused to get into such a state. Glad you rescued it. Great job on the chairs too by Jon.I so love your bed. I've been watching a lot of 'Escape to the Chateau DIY' on my enforced furlough/isolation. I love all of the furniture that they adorn their ivory towers with but think to myself 'how on earth are they going to keep up the maintenance of 12 bedrooms when they're all in their doteage'?!!Must have a look at the Ike White docu and of course what can I say about 'State of Happiness'?Might watch it again!Have a good week, both. xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That Indian Cotton is so delicate, they command hundreds of pounds in good condition as so few survived! The ones I already own are like painting the Forth Bridge, as soon as I've repaired one the next one develops a hole!
      I haven't seen that chateau programme, I'm not keen on Angel & Dick, although their home is rather lovely! That book, The Ripening Sun, was written by a woman who'd bought a vineyard & house in France and ended up tending it to it alone when her marriage broke down, her life sounded absolutely exhausting!
      Wasn't State of Happiness a joy? I wouldn't mind seeing it again.
      The new series of French Canadian cop drama Cardinal starts on BBC2 on Saturday night, if you haven't seen it you can catch up on the previous series on the i-player - highly recommended, great plot, breathtaking scenery! xxx

      Delete
  17. You have so many things in your house that i would happily give house room to , wasnt up at first light this morning so i cant go for the morning cat stroll and skip dive..lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IYour taste is as weird as mine!
      Hope you had some success with the skip diving, I've still got my eye on the Edwardian doors with the beehive handles but the builder's security fence is still thwarting us! xxx

      Delete
  18. I, too, have noticed my cats running from their fellows returning from a hospital stay. A vet tech suggested a wet towel bath for the patient, prior to entering the house, would wipe away awful smells that might cling to fur and offend the patient's housemates. Worth a try?
    The Ike White story reminds me that there's no accounting for which men women will choose to father their children. I once worked with a woman who boasted of her father having sired 23 other children in the neighborhood -- and hosted BBQs "so's they could all share the love."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a good idea. It's funny, Stephen was wonderful when Frank was so ill last year, foregoing his usual sleeping places to lie alongside him, there must be something about teeth (or lack of them) that freaked him out!
      That ex-colleague of yours and her 23 siblings - urgh! Goodness knows how many Ike White had, what a shock for his poor Russian wife. xxx

      Delete
  19. The chairs have really come up well and you’ve done a great job on the dress too. I’d forgotten about the Ike White documentary, I’ll have to see if I can find it on the box somewhere. We’ve been watching some great train journey programmes. I think I would have liked to have been a rich Victorian and travelled around the world on a train.
    Looking forward to Grayson Perry again tonight. It’s my lockdown favourite.
    You two continue to be such an inspiration during these strange times. So glad I can keep popping in xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lynn! make do and mend, that's our philosophy at the moment, who needs a shop when you can repair, revamp and refashion stuff you've already got?
      Have I ever told you that I hosted a dinner party for Michael Portillo back in the day? In front of the camera he's charming and engaging, don't be fooled, he's probably the rudest person I've ever met - the train programmes are fasciniting though! xxx

      Delete
  20. Frank looks very chilled on your bed and it's lovely to see him and Stephen Squirrel together again.I didn't remember Ike White so I googled him and I'm sure I do now-I should have watched the programme as I'm sure I'd have enjoyed it x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Flis! They're both back to normal now, thank goodness!
      The Ike White documentary is still on the i-player, watch it if you get a chance, it's quite shocking. I didn't know anything about him but 6Music keep playing his one hit, Super Duper Plastic man, which was really funky, his voice was very similar to Stevie Wonder's. xxx

      Delete
  21. Love the nail colour! And the chairs are really fab - they look like new.

    You have done a marvellous repair job on the sundress and I hope you gets lots of wear out of it. And we have sundress weather - yay! Loved the kaftan, too.

    I'm very pleased Frank has fully recovered and that Stephen Squirrel is behaving normally again - peace and harmony is once again restored.

    The Ike Whit programme sounds interesting; I'll be checking that one out.

    Enjoy the sun and stay safe.
    xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Vronni!
      Those chairs do look better with their car vinyl, more comfy too as they're quite squishy and bouncy. The sundress was a real labour of love, I really enjoyed mending her. I've got my eye on another ruin on eBay and I'm hoping it'll scare the other bidders off!
      Frank and Stephen are back to normal again now, bullying me for cat milk, treats and prawns!
      The Ike White film is definitely worth a watch, very unexpected! xxxx

      Delete
  22. It always amazes me what you are able to achieve even before you've had your breakfast. I'd be exhausted if that's what I did in a day! We are generally early risers, but not as early as you too, and it usually takes me a while to get going. In think it might be due to the relentless hamster wheel of office life, which I'm not getting out of my system. Not sure I ever want to go back to full-time! Your kitchen chairs look absolutely amazing reupholstered in that delightful shade of green. Mending that dress was a true labour of love, well done on bringing it back to life. It's lovely to see the lads together and Frank chilling in the garden, back to eating prawns and all :-) Your garden continues to thrive and I'm happy to see last year's survivors. We've got a couple of those as well. They might be considered annuals here but might be perennials in milder climes! You look absolutely amazing in that gorgeous blue maxi! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I live on a different timezone to everyone else! I'm often up a couple of hours before Jon and get loads done when I have the downstairs to myself - as long as I do it quietly!
      Several of our friends say the asme thing, they're not sure they want to return to work full-time now they've had a taste of what life can be at home.
      The chairs are all ready for the kitchen now - once we start it, a daunting task! xxx

      Delete
  23. Those chairs came out well, what a brilliant idea using car upholster fabric! and making something look that good on a budget makes it all the more enjoyable I would think :) I love looking round your house, like me, you like lots of colour… your houseplants do so well, mine always need bigger pots and I am running out of ones big enough! hence they are on the patio! I love the repair work you did on that smock dress, it looks brilliant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Betty! The idea came to me when I woke up one morning - as they generally do. I remembered Jon ordering some vinyl when he converted our festival campervan and how easy he said it was to work with. It's great value, too!
      Your houseplants look so healthy and lucious, no wonder they keep outgrowing their pots. xxx

      Delete
  24. It is so great to see Frank is feeling better! I have such a case of color envy -- both your house and garden! I was wondering about your kitchen floor... what type of surface is it? And those chairs turned out great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's such a relief to have him back to his old self, shouting for prawns as soon as the fridge door opens and purring so loudly in bed that he wakes us up!
      The kitchen floor is laid with quarry tiles - made from clay - possibly added in the mid-part of the 19th Century when the house was converted from threedwellings to a sngle house. They look good but they get grubby very easily! xxx

      Delete
  25. So glad to read that Frank is feeling better and purring and even going out!. Lovely that you've been spoiling it with prawns!, ;DD
    I'm loving every picture of your delightfully colorful home and I'm a huge fan of your lounge, the color of the walls and all the patchwork pieces. Such magnificent colors!
    The kitchen chairs look amazing, their new seats have such a beautiful color and this upholstery fabric looks easy to clean (extra points!).
    And I admire your mending skills, and how you've restored this ragged dress and bring it to a new life!. This inspires me to give it a try.
    Lovely to see you enjoying your garden, all these flowers blooming and you looking so fabulous in your kaftans!. This 'Salt Lake' nail color is particularly gorgeous!
    besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Monica! Frank would love to pay you a visit and share some of the wonderful tapas you've been serving up lately - there's probably more chance of him getting on a plane than us at the moment!
      I wanted green chairs and the fact that I could clean that vinyl made them all the more appealing!
      Isn't Salt Lake a lovely colour? Barry M ship to Europe now - just in case you fancy a treat! xxxx

      Delete
  26. It's good to know Frank is feeling much better now and it must be such a relief for you and Jon.
    You've done a wonderful job with the dress repairs, I wouldn't know where to start on the delicate fabric, although a few years ago I patched some of Lily's jeans using some denim flowers I made, which several people commented on thinking it was part of the original design. I might try and do something like that again, just for fun.
    I'm also admiring Jon's chair renovations. For a while now I've been thinking of replacing one of my dining table benches with some chairs. It used to be that people would give old chairs away but I haven't seen any on offer for ages. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jules. it's a big relief to have Frank back to normal, we even missed the constant mithering for prawns!
      The great thing about visible mending is just making it up as you go along, the wonkier the stitching the better! love the sound of your work on Lily's jeans!
      Dining chairs are usually super cheap or free, one of our chazzas used to pile them up outside for people to take away - those were the days! xxx

      Delete
  27. So glad Frank has recovered and back to himself. Your Home always looks so Cheerful and Inviting. That Tomato Grape Salad looks delish... I will have to replicate it.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love the chairs, they're a fab colour and the job you've done on the dress is amazing.
    I'm glad you've got the better of that pesky blackbird. I'm waging my own non violent war against seedling attack, mine are now all inside on the kitchen windowsill. xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved repairing that dress so much I'm eyeing up another ruin on Ebay!
      Really pleased with the chairs, just need the kitchen painting now - not thet we want to waste time indoors when the weather's like this.
      Good move with the pesky blackbird, he won't get the better of us! xxx

      Delete
  29. Oh so cute photos, interesting book
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ah very inspiring and helpful such a charmed life, thanks for posting :)

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. You made a great job of the wounded dress. It looks lovely. I don't think I'd have known where to start. The chairs look fab after their makeover too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Once I remembered that Miss Selfridge shirt it all fell into place! xxx

      Delete
  32. As someone who accomplishes absolutely nothing before I've had breakfast, I am in awe of the amount of stuff you get done in a day. I really enjoy your posts and the colourful photos of your garden. I'm glad Frank is feeling better, and that Stephen isn't freaked out by him anymore. That often happens in multi-cat households when one of them goes to the vet. Must be the smell?

    Nice work on the blue dress, and the kitchen chairs look great with their new Spring Green seats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shelley! I think it must be the vet smell although the cat box being brought down from the top of the cupboard in the utility room also puts the fear of god into them! xxx

      Delete
  33. So happy Frank is feeling better. Your home looks amazing.
    That blue dress is so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix