Wednesday Hammocking

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Is there anything more relaxing than hammocking?

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via here

You can hammock indoors or out...

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You really should hammock with a good book and a glass of wine...

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Hard to find time to hammock on a Wednesday - perhaps a goal for the weekend?

Happy hammocking.

x

Summertime (and the need for new cutlery)

Summer may actually be here. Last night we ate our first dinner outdoors, a regular Summertime treat.

We ate one of my favourite things to cook (because it's easy and tastes good. I'm not sure I can really call it cooking, as most of the ingredients come from a jar).

Cook a big pot of spaghetti.

Drain, and stir through diced, cooked bacon, basil pesto (I used it from the jar - lazy I know), a tin of drained smoked oysters, some chopped semi-sundried tomatoes and some marinated artichoke hearts.

Eat it with a salad to get your vege hit.

Here's to many more Summertime dinners.

(And yes, I have noticed my exceptionally dated cutlery. It was a wedding present but, even so, it must be time for an upgrade. Oh federation green....you should have stayed in the nineties.)

x

White Roses

A great time of year for roses...if they're not being blown away by the wind.

White roses look beautiful in any setting.

x

So sorry...so late!

Such a late post today. Sadly, I have been busy elsewhere.

I would much rather be in one of these wonderful outdoor rooms with a glass of wine.

Looking forward to a break soon.

I hope your Sunday has been relaxing.

x

pics via here

Something for Nothing...

 

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I recently left some old terracotta pots and two much-loved-but-now-too-small children's scooters outside my house, with a note saying 'free'.

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How lovely that people only took what they needed. Over the course of a few days, everything disappeared. Each time something was taken, the pile was left neat and tidy.

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I can't tell you how much pleasure it has given me to think that these things (which I loved, but had no need for any more) have gone to a friendly home. And that perhaps, it made someone's day, to pick up something for nothing.

x

Lemonade and Jasmine

My daughter is hooked on the domestic art of making lemonade. She made a huge batch yesterday, and it tastes summery and delicious.

Here's how...

Squeeze 1 cup of lemon juice.

Dissolve 1 cup of caster sugar in 1 cup of water in a saucepan on the stovetop.

Stir the juice into the sugar/water solution.

Add 3-4 cups of cold water and let cool in the fridge.

Serve with iceblocks and drink while relaxing (preferably in a hammock strung between two shady trees)

Another of the sights (and smells) of Summer...

My Jasmine plant is flowering, filling my little courtyard garden with delightful scents.

Can't wait for Summer to arrive.

x

The Outdoor Table

via here

I think I need to lift my game when it comes to outdoor table decorating.

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No longer will a candle or two be enough. These fishbowl vases are magnificent and the ribbons add a beautiful finishing touch.

via Martha Stewart (sorry, lost the link to the exact page and couldn't find it again)
Have a beautiful Tuesday.x

Time to make plans for next weekend...

The only way to keep the weekend alive come Monday morning is to make plans for next weekend. How about a garden party?

1,2,3 via Country Living

Complete with magnificent cupcakes.

4,5 via Martha Stewart

Roll on Saturday...

A little shop...

Introducing The Good Place@Etsy. Please pop over and have a look. (It is in its very early stages...more to come soon).

I hope the sun is shining where you are. My garden has finally realised that Spring is here.

The grass is always greener...

pics via County Living

These beautiful images suggest long afternoons, curled up with a good book, looking up once in a while to take in the view. Makes me want to take a long country drive - just me, a map, a picnic rug and a thermos of tea...

I love a beautiful garden (and a good quote)

a beautiful garden from Paul Bangay

A dear friend of mine sent me this quote today, by Roman Philosopher, Cicero.

"If you have a library and a garden, you want for nothing."

Just about sums it up really....

A Pinch 'n' a Punch...

The first day of Spring for those of us in this part of the world. Typically, it rained for most of the day. Comments about new life and lambs notwithstanding, the first day of Spring does appear to bring some kind of promise. This is the time of the year when I wish I had planted bulbs, as the only colour in my little courtyard garden comes from the stubbornly pink geraniums. So, as I promise myself I'll plant bulbs next year, I grab my umbrella and head out into Spring.