It’s warmed up significantly here since my last post. I can’t quite believe I managed to post it though! We’ve had another week of doing not much at all. I feel so unfit from having sat in the house, coughing, all week.
A very cold Easter
We didn’t dye our Easter eggs. We didn’t make our usual Easter tree. The paints and dyes are still in the box – put aside now for next year when we won’t all have the flu! The girls loved their Ostheimers though, and the Easter Bunny was good to them this year. Thanks to the day-before-Easter sale at Burford.
Easter weekend we did get out of the house and to the wonderful Blenheim Palace. It was quite possibly the coldest day of the year as everyone huddled on the sweet little train that chugged us up from the kids area up to the main palace. The girls were pretty happy to see Mike the Knight and Little Princess. But we were all very happy once we got back in the car and into the warm at home. I am super excited about their upcoming flower show in June.
Spring appears
Towards the end of last week, the sun made an appearance. On Fridays we usually go up to Chipping Campden to the sweet shop. Sweet-shop o’clock for the kids. It was cold, but the sun shone, and we did our usual high street jaunt, the girls running along the up-high footpath while I walk next to them telling them not to fall off.
And then we had the most amazing weekend because the sun stayed with us!
On Saturday we queued up at Daylesford for the lambing tour – as Rosie said, well worth the wait. We were rewarded with a brilliant tractor trailer ride across the farm to their lamb maternity unit over in Bledington where we watched two lambs being born. We drove over the railway line and even quite a big river. The sun shone. The lambs gambolled. People were happy!
Saturday afternoon we headed over to Broadway for a look at the shops. There’s a great little interiors shop called Cotswold Trading that stocks Cath Kidston, Orla Kieley and some fabulous and very well priced bedding by Biggie Best. In our search for a loo we happened upon the best playground we’ve ever been to. A lovely green rolling field, surrounded by horses and romantic Cotswolds hilly farmland. That with some sunshine equals heaven.
Sunday saw us back in Broadway at the playground, then a hop over to the most beautiful village on the planet, Stanton. Very cleverly not signposted! We liked that. Kevin can’t even find it on Google maps. Even better. And because the sun was shining a drive back down our way to our favourite pub, The Feathered Nest, to sit and enjoy a pint while the kids do their colouring in, eating salt and vinegar crisps (and still coughing).
The local deer family
Last Friday on our way to Chipping Campden we saw the deer that live in our area. Sometimes I see them walking across the valley when I’m in my office, but often they’re all in the field up by the Daylesford farm. For once I had my camera. Sadly not a paparazzi lens but you can make out the little fluffy white bob tails yes!
Into week two of the holidays
Tomorrow we’ll get the Stockmar paints and the watercolour paper out. The girls love painting day. Then we’ll go for a walk at Foxholes, the girls will play in the magical clearing. A fun place to play on old fallen trees, where a little babbling brook runs. We’ll say hello to the Donkeys and sigh again that we forgot carrots. If the weather holds we’ll go to Foxholes every day. We saw some good walks around Stanton so that, or Snowshill, or Chastleton will be on the cards this week.
A new shopping ritual
I’ve got a new shopping plan – and that is to ditch Ocado and Abel & Cole (apart from our bulk nuts and grains from Goodness Direct) and shop once a day at Daylesford. With a budget of £10. So far I’m averaging £12 but we are eating wonderfully and it’s truly liberating having a perfect tidy, almost empty fridge. Truly.
I’ve had The Silver Spoon out – my favourite cook book. Time to expand my cooking repertoire!
The book
Not a lot has happened on the book since the holidays began. Just before they broke up I printed it all out and put it into kraft Muji folders. And I took delivery of the tablewear I’ve finally decided on using after my inital art direction plan was scuppered. Once the girls are back at school I’ve essentially got a term to shoot it all. Most days I have two and a half hours, and my bumper day, Thursday, I get four and a half.
House update
We’ve slowly been putting the curtains up now we actually got around to buying a drill. Why didn’t we do this months ago?? And because the walls only have one coat of paint my MT tape is pulling paint off the wall left, right and centre. So I’ve got a bit of Polyfilling and painting to do before I shoot the rest of the kitchen. Which will be soon once the blinds arrive.
The H&M linen duvet cover arrived and it seems perfectly good to me considering it was a quarter of the price of other linen duvet covers. I’ve also discovered The White Company. Discovered is the wrong word, I have, until now, always thought The White Company was very mature and not really me. Obviously when you hit forty The White Company becomes quite appealing. I’ll vouch for that. Have you seen their dresses?
Next weekend after a tip-off from Bodie and Fou, we’re heading to Baileys Home and Garden to plan the interior for our future home. I can’t wait!!
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