red................

During the school holidays the children and I naturally spend a lot more time together at home and the big benefit is that I haven't got the time to do any housework. This is the last summer holiday where Kit is still a pre-schooler so I'm determined not to spend the time hoovering and getting cross about the mess created by two little people. The sun has been shining all week and it's been bliss. The paddling pool is out and the water is now a beautiful sludge green, although the children don't seem to care. We've had trips to the library, the local lido and the park and generally enjoyed each others company (and got on each others' nerves quite a lot). Being at home so much makes you take notice of all the little details around you and I've noticed just how much red has crept into our home, from tea towels.................................

to stuffed pears.....................

from tins holding embroidery threads................................

to tins there for no purpose other than being pretty....................

from Kitty's first wellies that she wore constantly........................

to a Greengate cruet set...................

from my old ironing board and apron.................

to the children's rice bowls..................

from Kitty's new dress....................

to my favourite summer food, avocado salsa..................


The sun is still shining today (hooray!!) and we're off to a neighbours tonight for a barbeque. I'll leave you with a picture of something else we've been up to this week....................

..................henna tattoos.

See you all soon.................

Have to start with a picture, here's the children's favourite meal - jambalaya - cooked in my latest car boot treasure. You'll either love it or hate it!

Claire tagged me about a week ago with the following :: write a letter to yourself at 13. After reading Claire's fantastic and very funny letter I was, to be honest, a bit daunted. But here goes :

Dear Julia,

You're now older than your mum, and you'll never believe how quickly the journey here has been. It won't seem like five minutes since you were sitting in your Laura Ashley bedroom, listening to Paul Young and gazing at the ugly bloke from Depeche Mode adorning your walls.

With 40 fast approaching you'll find yourself in the midst of the most contented time of your life. Casting off all the insecurities of your twenties you'll enter into motherhood in your thirtieth year (no party then!) and finally find the "career" that has eluded you so far. It won't be highly paid, fast paced or earth shattering but it will bring your more satisfaction, happiness and fulfilment than any bonus ever could. Enjoy your midday lie-ins, they'll become a thing of the past, as will going to the toilet alone and leaving the house in less than an hour.

Give up now on the "Princess Diana" haircut, it does nothing for you and the amount of hairspray you're using will be contributing to global warming (don't worry, you'll soon be learning about that). A healthy diet does not consist of chunky Milky Bars and chipsticks. Appreciate what you've got and know that you'll never be a size 10 again, but also that you won't particularly care.

Try not to get too upset if the Valentines postie at school never delivers that huge cardboard card from Sean in the second year, by your mid twenties you'll have had your fair share of boyfriends and you'll have forgotten all about him. In the summer of '96 a man sporting a rather suspect purple and jade green fleece will laugh his way into your heart at your first meeting. 12 volatile but happy years later he will still make you laugh and look after you like no-one else could.

Friendships will come and go. You'll learn that some women never actually leave the school playground. Let them go and instead concentrate on the steadfast ones, those with whom you share your highs and lows, your tears and laughter, those who make you a better person, the ones you couldn't imagine life without.

One of your greatest pleasures will be your home. Just as it is now, it will be a bolthole, stuffed with your ever expanding collection of other peoples' cast offs, a place full of laughter, noise, tantrums and eighties music.

Try to understand your parents and their concerns about your whereabouts, their hopes and fears and their expectations. The screaming fits won't change anything and it will all become very clear later in life and you'll repeat the whole experience with your own children, but they won't have the freedom you do.

You'll still recognise yourself at nearly 40, there'll be a few more lines, and your skin won't quite exude that healthy glow without a bit of help, but overall you'll do. All around you women (and some men) will be injecting themselves with toxins, waxing away all body hair and lifting, removing and tucking in various bits of their bodies but you'll embrace you late thirties, with its' receding gums, grey hairs and wobbly tum and laugh your way through it, looking forward to the next 25 years!

love from Julia

Now I have to nominate some blogging pals so it's going to be Lucy, Fiona, Steph and Carol. Over to you ladies, if you feel like it..........

I'll end with a few shots of our French holiday which feels like a million years ago. I didn't have a chance to tell you much about it but one of the highlights was a trip to Honfleur, just looking at these houses made me want to move there..............

See you all later in the week............

tagged again...............

Lovely Lucy over at attic24 has tagged me with the "5 facts about you" tag, so here goes.......

:: along with most builders but almost nobody else I take sugar in my tea. I love these sugar cubes we got in France, they have the exact quantity of sugar..............perfect.

:: I briefly attended university after a gap year in which I worked in both insurance and banking, exciting eh! I decided in my infinite wisdom to do a degree in social work a long way from home, it didn't work out, I was working in a grocery shop by Christmas. Still, at least I got free satsumas!

:: I wet my pants in New York. We arrived carrying two incredibly heavy rucksacks and I sat on a very low wall and couldn't get up. I laughed so much I lost all control..........and that was before children!

:: I have to have my chocolate straight from the freezer, even slightly gooey, melted chocolate makes me feel queazy. My teeth won't thank me for it in later life, I'm sure.

:: My brief glimpse of a career in the late 1980's came when I moved to Middlesex (the nearest I ever got to London) and worked for a large multinational company. It didn't last long, the relationship I was in broke down and I scuttled home to my parents quick sharp. Get the impression I'm not really a high flier?!

So, there you go, a few snippets about me. I forgot to pass on the garden tag so I'll lump the two together and ask Lesley, Suzie, Claire, Anna and Sairer. Choose either one girls because I know some of you have already done one...........................

See you all later in the week!

Room with (not much of) a view..........

So, it's Saturday morning. Ian's away, Jack's gone up the road for a drumming lesson, Kit's asleep in our bed feeling not entirely chipper, the breakfast dishes are still on the table and I've got 5 mins to fulfil (one of) my tag duties, the view from my kitchen window. Here goes, don't get too excited..................

As you can see the gazebo is still up from Kitty's party and will probably still be there come September. It's a nice place to sit in the shade from the sun - pah, what sun. Handily it also shelters you from the rain, jolly useful in the current weather we're enjoying.

As I've said before we live in the middle of a terrace of Victorian houses so we don't have a large garden. Our kitchen is nearly the full width of the garden so it doesn't have any windows down the side, it's sort of slotted between our neighbours' houses. The view from the french windows is of the whole garden, warts and all. It has two sheds, both of which are full of bikes, paint, garden tools, you name it, a large climbing frame and slide which dominates the view and numerous gorgeous bits of brightly coloured plastic.

I've been admiring all the other gardens on view whilst visiting other peoples' blogs and feel mine is definitely lacking. Basically, I'm not a natural gardener. I'm full of good intentions but I never actually see them through because in reality I can't be bothered. I want a garden to look fab without any work and it's not going to happen. I kid myself that I want a huge garden so I can wander around wearing a floaty skirt collecting vegetables and flowers but I'm more likely to be sitting in it with a cuppa and a good book ignoring the grass waving around my knees and the dandelions peeping at me from the flower beds. I have attempted to grow some broad beans this year but I swear I can hear the millions of aphids gorging themselves on them laughing at me so I've given in!

That being said I do like Jack's little apple tree next to the bench, the only tree in the garden, it's got a few years to go before I can hang a swing off it! I also like my lanterns dotted about the place. Actually I quite like the whole garden because most of the time it's filled with children's laughter and mess, the grass is dead in quite a few places where various toys have sat for weeks, and it's lived in and loved by both my children, what more could I want really?

Finally, at last vindication that I alone am saving the planet. Now I have an excuse for sneaking out of the house on a Sunday morning, unwashed and at an unearthly hour, sporting my eco bags. I'M BEING GREEN, Country homes say so - Hurrah!

Pride comes before a fall!...............

Hello all, hope everyone is well and the rain here in the UK isn't getting too depressing. Wednesday it poured all day and was horribly reminiscent of last year when we suffered terrible floods over here.

Anyway, onto more fun and mildly amusing news. Yesterday was our summer sale, held here as I mentioned in my last post. Wednesday I frantically tidied away toys, socks, cuddly toys and all the other bits of crap that normally litter our house in order to be ready to set up all the stock on Thursday. The day was slightly manic because we had Kit's sports day and Jack's friend to tea, but other than that was going pretty well. Until, that is, I went along to sports day and with last weeks 2nd placing in the mother's race still glorious in my mind (there were only 5 running mind you!!) I lined myself up with about 20 other parents and sprinted off....................only to stop after three steps having either pulled or torn a muscle in my calf and in agony. Nobody really noticed me trying to hop off the race track, other than to advise me to move along because I was in danger of being mowed down by the returning sprinters!

Friends who were watching the race realised that I wasn't joking as I hobbled back to the classroom looking more Thora Hird than Zola Budd, wondering how on earth I was going to get home on my bike. Having never injured myself in sporting activity before, as I avoid exercise at all costs, I had no idea what had happened. Thank goodness for my lovely friends who drove me home, rubbed tiger balm into my calf, cleaned the kitchen floor for me, made my lunch and took Kitty off my hands for the afternoon. One of them who's about 6 months pregnant wheeled my bike home with her pushchair strapped to it - I hasten to add I didn't ask her to do so, she just turned up. When things like this happen you're just so glad to have good friends like that and I'm really grateful to them.

Anyhow the sale went on, I sported a delightful blue support bandage and dragged my gammy leg behind me like an extra from Michael Jackson's "Thriller". And what a success it was, the Pimms went down a storm, the rain held off and we had a great night. So great that I felt justified in treating myself to a few goodies from Andrea and Liz.................................

................the most gorgeous Greengate quilt which I have been after for ages. Andrea has a couple more of these reduced from £150 to £100 so if you fancy one give a me a nod.

Liz makes the most glorious handmade brooches and so far I must have bought at least eight of them, I just can't get enough, they're pinned to everything. Sorry about the odd view, blogger has decided to turn some of my photos around and I can't work out how to put them the right way up. I made a few of these little fabric coasters which went down well. I have a few left so if you'd like a set (4) they're £5, drop me a line if so.

Andrea has taken Kit off for the for day so I'm off to put my leg up, eat the leftover meringues and read my latest Country Living. It's hard being injured y'know!

Have a lovely weekend!

Confessions of a bag lady.................

Hello,my name is Julia and I'm addicted to shopping bags...................

Seriously, I can't resist. I've got the whole lot, jute ones, fabric ones, ones made from recycled bottles, you name it I've bought it. I pretend it's because I'm an eco warrior but really it's because they're irresistible. I've never been bothered by handbags, I'm the sort of person who's far too disorganised to have more than one bag on the go at once and I also feel a bit sorry for the one that's been replaced by the new bag on the block. Labels don't concern me and I couldn't justify the cost of a designer bag.

These are the current favourites, both a couple of quid and so much more attractive than plastic bags don't you think?

But the overall winner has to be my good old string bag. Not the prettiest but it fits into any bag and you can squeeze loads into it. It's also worth taking out just to embarrass my gorgeous teenage niece who looks like she wants the ground to open up and swallow her whenever I take it out in the shops!

Did I mention they're also great for car booting, believe me you won't believe the goodies I've crammed into them. This is one of the latest acquisitions, 50p from a lovely man (didn't fit in the bag though!) A coat of paint and a scrap of oilcloth and another addition to the VH household is born.

A couple more things before I go. I've been tagged with the view from my kitchen window by Emma but it is absolutely pouring down here and has been for days, so I haven't forgotten and will participate as soon as the sun comes out, if it ever does!

Lastly I thought I'd mention that Andrea and I are having a little summer sale here this Thursday evening. We've also invited another lovely lady who makes the most gorgeous felt brooches. Really it's just an excuse to get together, eat strawberry shortcake and drink Pimms but any of you who are nearby and would like to pop in, drop me a line.

Better go, I should be cleaning and sewing. Bye all!

Drum roll please..................

Finally, the winner of the "Marie Claire Idees"............Very short on time so I decided to ask Jack to write a number between 1 and 34 down and he came up with 18 - the number of pirates he has. So Lizzie, it's you. Could you email me your address and I'll post your goodies off asap.

Quickie post tonight. It's a bit of a mad week. Mum arrived Monday, Kitty's birthday today and mine on Friday. I planned a lovely al fresco roast chicken birthday tea but Ian managed to amputate one of the chicken's legs, thus leaving only one, which went to birthday girl, leaving eldest child in a state of near hysteria resulting in Mummy totally losing her rag and shrieking in a not particularly flattering way in the back garden whilst Daddy made a hasty retreat. Sound familiar to anyone or is it just our family that's totally dysfunctional??!! Sometimes I wish for a detached house in which to vent my anger but I think my neighbours are all used to us by now!

Anyhow, birthday girl (4 today - how did that happen?) loved her presents which included the following ::

This dolls house was found in a skip outside a house in a very nice neighbourhood. I had to swallow my pride and knock on the door and ask if it was going begging, and it was. A coat of paint, wallpaper to be added yet, and some Sylvanian families and we have a very bijou little residence. I'm thinking of asking if I can move in, I'm sure there's no chicken leg warfare going on in there, it's far too civilised!

The deckchair was part of my car booty this weekend. We came back laden with stuff only to find that Ian had coerced the children into a walk around a fishing lake and locked me out. One of my lovely neighbours had to climb into our incredibly untidy bedroom, over the teetering pile of washing to let me in again. A quick coat of paint and some flowers and we have a very cute little chair, which I had intended to sell but once Kit has set her eyes on it, it became hers.

Last but by no means least, the lovely Sairer has awarded me the following and I must pass it on. Ho hum, it's such a difficult choice but here goes................

:: Fabulous Lucy at Attic24. A relative newcomer and a joy to read, especially those yummy recipes. I also copied the :: from her because I like it!

:: Gorgeous Kim at Ragged Roses. So eloquent and beautifully written and the most fantastic photos.

:: Witty Ali at Domesticali. Honest, funny and thought provoking. Ali has the brain I wish I had and I love all her posts.

:: Lovely Suzie at Suzie Sews. One of the first people to ever comment on my blog. Lovely thoughts on motherhood (and boy, is she a good mother!), crafts and life in general.

:: Fantastic Catherine at Mollycupcakes. I've mentioned her many times but you really should visit, she's a joy!

There are so, so many more I could mention but take a look at my faves to see who I love - reminds me, I must update it asap.

Thought I'd finish with my usual house shot. Ian has purchased a snazzy new camera which means we can take evening shots without a flash - what a revelation! It has far too many gizmo's and extra bits for me to have got to grips with yet but I can't wait to give it a proper go.


Thanks for reading, I'll be back soon. I will be visiting you all but probably won't have time to comment this week. Take care all........................ xx