Clover Yard

And the winner is...

{Drum roll} 

Heather!!  

If you'd like to email me at little_blue_door@yahoo.co.uk with your postal address with a little bit about yourself so I can tailor your "mystery gifts" and a brown paper package will magically wing it's way to you!

We're all having a holiday at home this week.  Little boy is going to spend his first night camping in the garden in a very small tent that daddy's feet stick out of.  I will of course be on standby at 3am with hot chocolate and cuddles when it all goes pear-shaped.

Back soon. x

Co-co the caravan from the Ladybird book "Tootles the Taxi" a childhood favourite of mine.  Leaves a warm glow, doesn't it?

50th post, a birthday and a giveaway!

It just so happens that this is my 50th post on Clover Yard.  I'm so glad I began this blog.  Apart from anything, it got me through a very dreary winter and it continues to be a pleasure to post about my weekly potterings.  The wonderful bonus of it all is sharing it with like-minded individuals.  There I was, going through life thinking that I must be the only one who loved, just for the sake of it, colourful ribbon, flowery pillowcases, faded eiderdowns, teapots and flowery china teacups...you get the picture, when all along - there you were, loving those things too.  I'm so glad we met.

As a small token of my friendship I am giving away one of the blue spotty Cath Kidston Eco bags from Tesco (minus the groceries!).  I will be including another couple of mystery treats too.  I know that in some parts of the country these bags have been a little hard to come by (probably because the Scottish contingency are snapping up 4 at a time - oops).  Just leave a comment and I will choose the lucky winner from a draw on Friday 18th July.

Special birthday wishes go to little boy who was 4 yesterday.  Didn't we have a lovely day little one.  The party is on Saturday but this was my favourite bit - tea, scones and cake at the kitchen table with grannies and granda and auntie, just like I remember as a child.

Where have the last 4 years gone? x  

Secret Gardens

There are some beautiful old houses in our village with walled gardens and as I walk by them I often imagine what is over those high walls.  I was in for a treat today as for one day a year, around 10 private gardens open their gates and let nosey parkers like myself have a wander around.  Some of these gardens were beyond my imagination, I really did feel like Alice in Wonderland.

I couldn't find the rabbit hole, but do mind your head on the little blue door...

Must stop and smell the apricot roses...

I wonder where this leads to...

Pretty cottage borders of blue delphiniums and fiery alstromeria...

I wouldn't mind a little peek in this window...

Let's stop for a rest at this dreamy oasis...

Such a pretty combination, aqua and pink don't you think?

A novel way of recycling those glass bottles, better than a poke in the eye!

Now just you sit down here and I'll be back soon with some cream teas. 

If I could just find that little door again...

Scary bag lady

I nearly had to request a paper bag to breathe into today as I hyperventilated over the gorgeous new Cath Kidston eco-shopping bags at Tesco.  At first I spotted a rather lovely flowery pattern at the end of the aisle and as I went to investigate I saw the Cath Kidston label - gasp! breathe! and then the checkout lady piped up "yeah aren't they great, there are blue spotty ones too".  Gasp again.  Three checkout assistants later, a holler from Sheila at the bottom till and a wave of blue polka dot bag in the air, I happily left with 2 of each design.  Kind of defeats the purpose of it being one bag for life eh?  I have heard that there may be more designs on the way.  At £3.50 each with 50p to Marie Curie Cancer Care and made from recycled plastic bottles, I think it's gonna be eco-bags at dawn ladies.  Get out and grab one while you can!

Whiskers on kittens

Boo is my name, being cute is my game. Aren't I growing fast?

Flowers from the garden

A lovely little cupboard bought this week.  New, but looks old.

The foxglove is for Heidi at foxglovesfabricandfolly.blogspot.com/ who tagged me during May.  I won't pass it on as I'm oh so late with it and you've all moved on by now, but I did promise a reponse.  Here goes...

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Hmm...that was sooo long ago.  I was probably fretting about my weight but no doubt was a good stone lighter then!  I was working as a "desktop publishing assistant" a rather 90's job title, in an IT company in Aberdeen, living with my now husband Derek in a poky tenement flat that had a blue kitchen that I'd repainted 3 times in so many months!  I was having a great time, partying with friends, eating out every weekend, spending far too much money and thinking how far off 10 years was.  How wrong I was!

2. 5 things on my to do list today?

It's Sunday, isn't it the day of rest? ;o)   Tomorrow, I will...

• Paint the outside table and chairs - Seagrass by Cuprinol (lovely green/blue shade).
• Borrow a kitten pen as fiesty little Boo is already precariously hanging from the edge of the basket in an attempt to escape.
• Go shopping and buy myself some quality "key pieces" for my wardrobe instead of the usual tat I come back with that still has tags on in 4 months time.
• Plan little boys birthday party.  Is going to be a family barbeque in the garden with a gazebo, lots of bunting and ice cream and jelly.
• Keep up the water drinking - I feel fab! 

3. Snacks I enjoy...

I enjoy chocolate.  I wished I enjoyed fruit more.  Does strawberries dipped in chocolate count?

4. Things I'd do if I were a millionaire...

I dream about this quite a lot.  I would cook now and then for pleasure, but most days would have delicious and highly nutritious food delivered each day - lots of tasty veggie dishes and organic chicken and fish.  If I were super rich, I would open and fund a chain of complementary medicine/therapy centres across the country.  Treatment would be free for all.  I'd buy a cottage by the sea and paint all the walls and floors white and buy some truly amazing fabrics to decorate it with.  If it were money they needed, I'd make all my family's dreams come true.

5.  Places I've lived...

Aberdeen, Glasgow, Strathblane, Edinburgh, London (only lasted 8 months!).  The best, by far, is where I am now.

Thanks Heidi! It's been a trip down memory lane for me.  Have a great week x.

Raindrops on roses

Lots of time has been spent outdoors this week, keeping up with the watering and weeding.  The roses are puting on a good show, in particular, the David Austin Gertrude Jekyll which makes a beautiful cut rose.  The scent is amazing, that really old-fashioned sweet rose fragrance.  This is proving to be a good choice as it's the one rose in my garden not suffering from the dreaded black spot.  The white Margaret Merril rose I planted last year has some lovely blooms but hardly any leaves left!

A quick root around the local charity shop resulted in a bag full of old Inspirations for the Home magazines that I salvaged some interesting how to's and piccies from.  It's amazing how little the country style has changed in ten years.  And, this lovely book which didn't even look as if it had been read.  Have to confess I bought it for the jacket illustration by Edward Ardizzone. Must find out a bit more about him.  Something I can read to little boy when he's a bit older.

And of course there was time for playing house too.  And while the children played, the mummies went crazy with the cameras!  Who could blame us! 

Oh, to be three years old again. 

A sign?

Something happened today that tested me.  It also made me smile.  It was my turn to look after the museum for the day and I took plenty of reading material with me.  A lady, Jo Middlemiss lives nearby and writes for the local paper.  She is a life coach and her column "Winning Ways" is really inspiring.  Recently, while hosting a group who were convinced of the power and influence of angels, she made a cynical comment, to which a girl replied that a feather would appear in an unusual and surprising place to get her to review her belief. And it did.  And she continued to ask her angel to send her signs.

I indulged myself for the rest of the afternoon, reading all her columns which were really heart lifting.  So much so that even the drudgery of having to hoover the museum at the end of the day couldn't have spoiled my mood.  As I got to work, I suddenly spotted a fluffy white feather, and then another.  In the end, I picked up five of them!   To this date, I've never noticed one single feather on the floor. 

Some of you may think it's nonsense, but I found this really comforting and I couldn't ignore it.  Maybe there is an invisible support around us.  I'd like to think there is.

Treasure trove

As promised, here are some piccies of my recent buys on holiday and some from the internet...

I've loved this red Greengate pattern for ages and picked up this cushion at House of Bruar.  There aren't many shops in Scotland that sell Greengate so I was delighted to be able to have a touch and feel of all their great stuff!

The Russian dolls are from Jail in Dornoch (where Madonna was married, not in the Jail but in the Cathedral nearby!), and it literally is a Jail, the cells have been converted into little boutiques with some great labels.

 

These bright green and pink glass tumblers are from a Danish company and I bought them in Jail's sister shop opposite and I think would look lovely with little summer posies in them.  The candles and the East of India ribbon were from Nutmeg in Dunkeld, a fabulous shop with French inspired country homeware (including Cabbages and Roses cushions and Vanessa Arbuthnott fabrics) and to my delight, some of Lisa's beautiful doorstops from her lovely business Primrose Hill Interiors.  Of course I didn't buy one because I hoped to attend her open studio event last Sunday but was too poorly to go!  Oh well, I will need to get one from her website.

These starry pate/butter dishes I spotted in a tea room in Cromarty that served the best hot scones straight out of the oven.  Think I'll use these as candle holders.

 

An internet buy this time, from Dream Acres a Scottish company.  These gorgeous fabric flowers with vintage buttons, and one of their famous Sleep Sacks filled with their own blend of sleepy herbs.  I also bought a bottle of the oil that can be used to scent the flowers too. Sweet! 

I had seen this needlepoint picture at a car boot sale and loved the shade of aqua used in the background but I'd completely forgot to go back for it before the sale ended.  Two weeks later, I spotted it in a charity shop window 6 miles away.  I couldn't believe it!  Had to be mine.  Not sure if I will paint the frame cream or reframe it altogether.  I kind of like the way the gold frame compliments it.  What do you think?

Finally, I wanted to share this sweet postcard with you that my little boy was sent from France from his Granny and Granpa.  Needless to say, mummy was more impressed with it!

Hope you all have a happy treasure filled week.  I will be back soon with a response to a tag from the lovely Heidi, and some progress on our little ginger bundle of fluff (yet to be named). 

A new addition

Our cat, affectionately known as Babas, is one of those Six Dinner Sid types, you know, lives at number 32 and 36, 38 and 40.  We assumed she had an owner and full-time home.  (Silly us).  She has been a regular visitor for over a year now, coming round daily for tidbits and cuddles and slinking off into the sunset to who knows where, returning faithfully to our windowsill next morning.  Last week posed a dilemma as we were due to go away for a week and I didn't like the thought of her going without so mum kindly came round to put food out.  When we got back we were overwhelmed with the welcome the cat gave us.  She wouldn't leave my side and purred and meowed madly all day.  It was quite out of character but I figured she'd just missed us.  Picking her up for a cuddle, her underside felt kind of bumpy, and it dawned on me what might be the trouble.  A frantic google search, run round to see my neighbour who works for the Cats Protection, and a mad dash to the vet confirmed my suspicions.  Yes, she was going to be a mummy!   He couldn't tell when, 2 days or could be 2 weeks.

Chaos ensued as I raced around borrowing boxes and litter trays and old blankets, not forgetting hot towels!  By this time she had firmly decided she wasn't leaving our house and all that meowing and strange behaviour was her trying to find a comfy nest to settle down.  All the time I was thinking that her owner needed to know and I must try and find out where she came from.  Posters issued around the village, I eventually calmed myself down and we settled in for the night.  Not a peep came from Babas and I rushed through at 6am but nothing had happened.  I went to work, I gabbled, I drank tea, I relaxed.

I came home, peered under the bed and saw this...

I KNOW!!! 

She is the most amazing mother, I am full of respect and admiration for her.  She has, unusually, had only one kitten but it is the most adorable, chubby little creature ever.  They are like chalk and cheese, her being so dark and the wee kitty with his (I think) ginger stripes. 

Now if you don't move too suddenly, and keep very quiet, I will let you take a closer peek...

I've had no response to my campaign so here they stay and are welcome to as long as they need us. 

Night night little one. x

A Retreat

Hello Blog, did you miss me?  Here's where I've been hiding for the past week...

A lovely seaside cottage in Cromarty on the Black Isle.  No phone, no internet, just the sound of waves lapping outside and this beautiful view to wake up to each morning...

Oh, and the most stinking dose of the flu I've ever had!  Oh well, can't have it all!  I have been feeling very sorry for myself as I'd be so longing for this family holiday and have spent the week being quite miserable. Not even the usual pleasures of tea drinking and cake eating could cheer me up although I did perk up a bit with a spot of shopping - I'll share my buys with you later.

It wasn't all bad.  One morning around 5.30am after no sleep, I wrapped myself up and went out for a walk along the beach and as I gazed out to sea I spotted 3 dolphins, gracefully rising out of the water.  They were so close I could hear them breathe through their blowholes.  Such a special moment, I kind of felt they had appeared just for me, to speed my recovery.

Back home now and earlier, as I finished unpacking, I could have sworn I heard the sea - it was so strange.  And little boy has just gone to bed saying how much he is missing our little cottage in Cromarty.  I think we will be back soon.