sunday loot shoot and a grain sack giveaway!

A giveaway just for the fun of it and because I've been lucky enough
to find a stash of grain sacks recently!
There's no fun in finds like that if they can't be shared!

After the give away you can ready about my Sunday loot shoot.

A great grain sack with bold letters and logo  is up for grabs.  To enter the giveaway just tell me you're a follower.  To enter twice, talk about the giveaway on twitter, facebook or your blog, come back and tell me and you enter again !

Here is my Sunday loot shoot, a nice fair, a bit wet with rain, but still worth going for.  My favourite finds were the soup dish for flower arrangements, the chic dish cloths, the sheets (of course!) and the old French postal bags.  Oh yes, and I really like the tiny glasses, I love to use these as individual vases, they look great lined up down the middle of a summer table scape.

cute candle holders

If there's anything here you'd like to buy but don't find in the store, send me an email.

Wishing you luck in the giveaway, the draw will take place in a week's time.
Have a happy sunny Sunday!

happy camping

I'm not what you'd call a happy camper.  Generally speaking if you show me a tent and a sleeping bag I will turn tail and check into the nearest hotel.  In fact the only time I have ever really savoured camping was in a tented lodge in the middle of a Nepalese jungle, where my bed was turned down for me each evening, cocktails were served early and we showered with ladles of hot water ... but that is another story...

Here however is a camp in France that might have changed my mind, especially had we found it when our children were young.  Le Camping des Ormes is in the pretty Lot et Garonne region and has been created by a Dutch couple.

Relaxed living combines with fun for the children, elegance for the parents and good food for all.  Plenty of space to run around,  fishing rods on loan, a nearby farmer's market. 

What do you think?  Could you fit in here?

puppy love

First of all you mustn't think this is turning into a puppy blog !  My life doesn't always  go to plan, or rather doesn't always have a plan to go to, and at the moment - quite unexpectedly - my daily routine is rather dominated by puppies.

So just when I thought there was a danger of me getting bored ... you know, not enough to do.... spending hours reading magazines and sipping wine ... the stuff we all do all the time !  LOL!

Just when we were getting into a routine with Gibson the Great , Gibson the Glorious - we find ourselves with two puppies at home!

Enter ... Ghetto !

Yup, I know he's small, exactly one tenth of Gibson's weight but between the two of them it was love at first sight.  Gibson is showing himself to be a true Golden, generously making room for Ghetto in his bed, pretending to be pulled over by the midget dog in tugs of war, letting Ghetto climb all over him and chew his ears. Amazing.

Puppy love?

In the meantime when Gibson needs a break from nursery school
he takes my son Jim out for a walk to the village shop!

PS  Just realised I forgot to tell you the breed - Fox Terrier YAY!!

playing with vignettes

Apologies, I'm hardly touching ground today 

so please forgive me if all I have to offer is 

some vignettes I played with last week.

Tomorrow I'll do better ! :)

Not a good idea!

THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!!

Pretty?  Yes, but still not a good idea.....

One of our large wisterias is in full second bloom of the season, 

and is threatening to drown my laundry room! 

Hate to think how much weight there is on the roof ... oh dear !

I love the second flowering on a wisteria, more subtle than the first flowering that appears before any leaves, but even I have to admit that this baby is getting out of hand - it has ideas above it's station and will have to gently, or not so gently, be  brought back under control  ... Sigh ...

The only place I have seen a whole building covered by a wisteria is at the entrance to the  famous National Trust garden of Hidcote (below) in the UK.   The year the roof needed repairs, they found a company willing to suspend the wisteria by crane,  re-tile beneath the wisteria hanging in mid air then gently relower.  Needless to say  the National Trust and I do not enjoy the same budget !

mid-summer in our valley

At the height of the summer and the valley is looking pretty.  The advantage of having a narrow valley with a big river is that there are side streams running everywhere that seem to create natural vignette shots.  Some of my favourite shots of our valley through the summer months.

satisfied and happy?

This weekend I was chatting to a girl about a mutual friend whose energy I admire.  I'll call the friend Jane.  Jane is  ambitious, dynamic, fit and healthy.  She has a great husband, two adorable children and her own small but successful company.   I have noticed though that Jane rarely appears satisfied.  I always guessed that her  lack of satisfaction was her driving force, but sometimes I'd like to see her relax a little and simply enjoy all she has.

The girl I spoke to this weekend surprised me when she said, "Jane will never be satisfied, she refuses to accept happiness" .....

Is that it?  Do we have to consciously accept happiness like we accept a birthday gift?:  - unwrap, say thank you  and enjoy ? ...

If we relax and count our blessings, what will we use to motivate us to try harder and improve daily?  Where will we find the inspiration for wanting the best for our children; for giving our all in our work; for  creating the homes we long for ......

What does a sportsman do to get to the top?  How does he combine the enjoyment of his discipline, of his gift, and the drive required to perform well?

Did you know that there are schools in the UK that have added 'being happy' as a subject to the high school curriculum?!

How do we bloggers balance the enjoyment of chatting and sharing, without becoming hung up on follower numbers  and growth curves? !!

If we ask too many questions about happiness, delve too deep, shall we all end up reliving Eat Pray Love and touring the planet looking for joy?!

I seem to be starting the week with a head full of questions, 

I'd love to hear your answers !