Delicious

Hello, we made some of these muffins for my birthday party recently, they were delicious! I have the ingredients in the cupboard to make some more, I'm just not sure if I should! Enjoy your weekend, I'm working both days at my "real" job. Leah

Winter edibles

Whoops, I'm a couple of days late with this post. I spent the weekend cutting back the shrubbery along the front fence, digging out some bushes I didn't want and then chopping up the prunings and cramming them into our miniscule green recycling bin (I'll show you that some time... oh how you will laugh).

So I thought I'd show you how the edibles are doing at the end of July. Although the pumpkins above aren't exactly edible any more...

Would you believe I've still got blueberries? This is Blueberry Muffin, a self fertile variety.

Heaps of rhubarb is still poking through. Obviously this is a variety that doesn't die back in winter, yay!

Cauliflower Violet Sicilian. This photo makes it look a lot bigger than it actually is... in reality the head is only slightly bigger than a golf ball!

Leeks are leeking, but not very fast. I obviously sowed the seeds much too late. But once they start growing in spring they'll be great! I am still picking a few and having them as baby leeks.

But yay for pak choi... it continues to noticeably grow even on the cold days! I've put some crushed eggshells around mine to foil the slugs - it actually does work, and those little nibbles on the outer leaves have not been repeated.

Bright lights silver beet - another winter staple.

It's lovely and warm in the glasshouse and we often sit in here for afternoon tea and a snooze. Peas are doing fairly well in containers (a bit of black spot and mildew has just set in), and some rocket is slowly but surely getting bigger.

Last but not least - this is my new mandarin Clementine. When the weather warms up I'll plant her in a sheltered corner and cross my fingers that she manages some more fruit next year!

Oh - I got an apple tree - Baujade. I think I've even decided where to put it! Hopefully this weekend (or next) I'll get that and the feijoa finally put in place! Still debating about another apple variety to go with it.

Flea Market Finds

Hello, it has been quite a while since I have played along with Sophies' Flea Market Finds. I was very lucky to receive 2 of these chairs recently. My friend dropped them off at our house on the way to the flea market, he thought that he would just check to see if I would like them first, lucky me! I found 2 of these lovely cushion covers at the Red Cross shop during the week. Many more magnificent finds can be viewed here.
I hope that you had a Happy and Sunny Sunday today, we did! Leah

Small signs

I went for a wander in the garden today and was amazed at the little signs of spring that are stirring. Granted, they are not moving particularly fast, but something is happening, and I have photographic evidence to prove it...

The first daffodil! This is Hoop Petticoats. I've had the bulbs planted in a bowl for a couple of years and never had anything to show but the grassy foliage. So it's good to see that the plant actually knows what to do with itself.

Sweet little violas. Where would I be in winter without them. I love the painted faces on this self seeded variety, they remind me of vintage crockery.

Delicate blooms on a tiny winter's cyclamen.

Hellebore - rose of winter. Very difficult to photograph as they hide their faces under leaves and face the walls!
But gorgeous when the sunlight hits them just so.

Even my strawberries are flowering! I thought about moving them into the glasshouse, but figured that they are probably more sheltered where they are, being in a north facing position under the eaves. I kind of doubt any berries will come from this yet, but you never know...

To be honest, I'm a bit mad at these pink hyacinths. They are lovely, but they came up too early to be part of my carefully planned pastel colour scheme alongside the driveway (along with pale yellow earlycheer daffodils and pale blue star flowers (not sure of the proper name of those!) Also, they are pale powder-pink and not the deep cerise that I imagined would give a dramatic shot of drama to the display. *Huge annoyed sigh*

The blue star flower opening in another part of the garden.

Grape hyacinths in a perfectly mossed bowl.

My favourite wintersweet still has lovely scented blossoms.

Check back tomorrow to see how my edibles are faring...

Just a few of my Favourite things

My boy, our puppy and crochet ♥♥♥ Have a wonderful weekend! Leah

Gardening in the sunshine

Hello, the sun has been shining and Toby and I have been gardening today. I don't have any pretty pics of our garden to share but I love these from Country Living Have a lovely day! Leah

a Gorgeous Giveaway

Pop in and leave a comment over here for a chance to win this lovely little package. Have a wonderful day! Leah

unplugging...

i have so many things i wish to say.

but alas time has beaten me to it...

i leave for old blighty on tuesday,

Our #1 and my man staying behind to hold the fort.

i am tres excited to be going home,

but also a little nervous this time around.

for this time around i cross the pond as

a 'challenger of the utmost' kind!

and if ever there is a time when Mr Temptation will sit upon my shoulder

whispering 'tempting thoughts' in my ear

then this will be it.

but before i unplug, i wished to let you know,

without you, my dearest readers,

my little blog and my crafting would not be what it is.

once again i find myself thinking how fortunate i have been

to have your encouragment in all that i do.

you make me whole in a way i cannot explain

and for that i am thanking you kindly.

on my return in mid August,

i have an amazing adventure waiting for me and dottie angel

and i hope with all my heart,

you will come along with me on the journey

but for now

i have a happy cluster to share with you,

just to tide us over until we meet again...

i found several paper lanterns at the thrift store a few weeks back,

similar to these ones, the colors of mine were tres bright.

i hung them outside for a week or so, undercover so as not to get wet.

when faded to a perfectly perfect vintagey color

i bought them in, and pinned them into the ceiling,

next i spent a happy half hour adding little kite tales using my 'sprightly spring' scraps.

and voila! a lovely cluster of happy vintage looking lanterns,

simple but pretty,

with the ability to

make a corner of one's home feel most happy and summery indeed...

my happy lanterns are hanging above Miss Ethel,

i placed them there so she may feel loved whilst i am away.

knowing that i am thinking about her on my travels

and looking forward to spending quality time with her again soon.

she is wishing you all a peachy and perhaps a little silly month and will be back rambling on monday August 23rd ~ Tif x

40!

I had a big party last night, here is the gorgeous carrot cake my sister bought for me. It was delicious, there is only a very small slice or two left! Have a happy week! Leah

Apples

Today I went to the garden centre and ogled some apple trees. I've suddenly developed the urge to plant one somewhere in my garden - never mind that I already have 2 ballerinas in pots and a potted feijoa that I bought a couple of months ago and still need to find a home for. I'm sure I can squeeze in a couple more trees at least.

The dilemma is - which one to get? I've decided on the M26 rootstock, which is semi-dwarf. The trees only grow to 3 m tall (less if you prune them) which means you can fit more in, hooray! The three varieties I've managed to narrow it down to are:

Baujade - a new variety, like Granny Smith. It's got green apples which store well and is supposed to be resistant to diseases. I read somewhere that Granny Smith isn't good for growing in the south island, can't remember why though! But I haven't come across mention of that for Baujade.

Mother - an heirloom variety. It has red apples, late cropping, and is "highly recommended for every fruit connoisseur's garden! The flavor is excellent: sweet, perfumed and distinctive." It is a heavy cropper but doesn't crop every year apparently.

Monty's Surprise - the great cancer fighting apple. Large red apples, late cropping, good for eating and cooking.

Which one should I get though? I like the sound of Mother but I don't think I want a tree that doesn't crop reliably. Maybe I should get Monty's Surprise and see if I can graft Mother onto it. Hmm, decisions. What is everyone else growing in their back yards? Any recommendations?

The photo at the top of the post is of my ballerina apple "Waltz". It had a decent crop two years ago, but last year both my ballerinas blossomed, but didn't set any fruit. I thought perhaps a frost got them. I'll be lying in wait with a roll of frost cloth this spring!

silly in the city...

i was distracted this morning by a moth

whilst choosing my appropriate attire for our 'two thirds of a family trip' into Seattle.

i am quite sure i am not the only one to feel faint at the sight of a moth fluttering out of one's summer frocks.

i know he has a brother, a sister and several cousins enjoying the party too.

at the time of the sighting

i was unable to delve deeper into my closet to break the party up,

therefore i chose a frock

and pretended the whole unnerving event never happened.

i told myself better to be in denial,

for a moth is not a welcome house guest to a crafter...

all of this unnerving took time away from me looking in the mirror,

if i had done so, i may well have been aware that my knees were showing.

my knees rarely see the light of day,

but today my silly knees did and as it turns out my knees fitted the occasion pefectly.

for indeed we spent four hours in Seattle being rather silly

and on our return we remarked on just how lovely it is to sometimes take timeout to be

a little silly in the city...

she is wishing you a lovely weekend full of silliness ~ Tif

time to let go...

Our #1 arrives back at the shed late tonight,

she cut her vacation short so we could have a few extra peachy days together.

i am tres excited to know i have been given five extra days of us living together at mossy shed.

on friday she is taking me out to see 'her seattle',

from taking the bus into the city,

to the places she likes to visit

i will see it through her eyes.

before she left for the east coast over a week ago

we thrift store frequented like never before.

going to all our favorite ones,

reminiscing about our besty best finds

and both agreeing that thrifting will never be quite the same

without our thrifty buddy by our sides.

as i am tippity tapping this, she has just called from the airport,

waiting for her flight to say

"i have had such good luck mum and i had to call and tell you.

first i found $3 on the ground,

then everyone was really stressed out at the airport desk,

so i told the man not to worry i would come back with my question later.

but he said go ahead, so i asked him if i could change my middle seat out

and he said yes, as i asked so nicely.

then just now i was sitting on the floor reading

and a nice lady comes up and offers me her coupon for a free salad

as she was not going to use it!

so you see, i had to call and tell you mum,

because you are right after all,

i do have good luck, i just have to look for it every now and then.

anyhow got to go, catching my flight soon, i love you"

and i know it will be the same,

when she lives on one continent and i on another.

she will still be wanting to share things with me,

tell me regular everyday stuff.

it may take a little bit of creativity due to time differences

and her college life

but it will be okay in the end...

and the silver lining that keeps the clouds away,

ten years on from leaving old blighty and my family,

i am sending back a piece of me in the way of Our #1

she is thinking as any mother would, it is a wonderful gift to give ~ Tif

sorted...

"look on the bright side mum"

Our #4 said upon leaving the doctors office this morning after what appeared to be the longest wait in all my waiting history to date.

"it could have been a whole lot worse, it could have been my leg, now imagine getting on an airplane with a broken leg?" he smiled

after which he proceeded to sing 'always look on the bright side of life' from monty python all the way home.

and indeed, on thinking about his bright side of things, i see we are most fortunate to be heading to old blighty with only his right hand in a cast.

she thinks it quite obvious why she rarely asks to take her child's photo ~ Tif

The Dottie Angel Happy Hanger Tutorial

Hello, here is another tutorial to add to my list, I love this blog!
Thanks for dropping in ♥ Leah

thwarted by a thumb...

i had grand plans today to spend a little quality time with Miss Ethel

and then to pop on over here so i may tell about my lovely saturday morning.

but alas as per usual, my plans have been thwarted.

yes indeedy,

Thwarted with a capital 'T'

i am without doubt, you just sucked in your breath and let it go slowly,

your clans within your own nests turning to enquire as to what could have caused such a sharp intake of breath.

to which you reply

"must be big, must be something going down in mossy shed, for Tif has not only used the word thwarted but she has capitalized it!"

yes indeed dearest readers, a sharp intake of breath

and slight faintness at my capital 'T' did not go amiss in mossy shed.

let me enlighten you to the fact

i have been thwarted in my plans to stitch up a storm with Miss Ethel,

by a broken right thumb...

before you perhaps become too distraught on my behalf,

i must tell you, the thumb in question does not belong to moi.

the thumb that has thwarted my studio time

belongs to none other than Our #4.

the terrible mishap to befall his thumb happened late last night,

in the dark,

playing soccer in the back yard,

as boys are apt to do on long summer evenings.

earlier today he mentioned that perhaps his thumb was not behaving as it should.

on close inspection i felt a little queasy and i must confess a little guilty.

a trip to the doctors confirmed his thumb will be out of action for quite some time

i have rustled around in the kitchen drawer for my florence nightingale hat,

which is quite good really as i have had no chance to wash my hair

and voila! i now have the perfect disguise for my lanky locks.

i think right there, we can see every cloud does indeed have a silver lining.

and as if that silver lining were not enough to make me get over my thwarted 'fling' with Miss Ethel, i have another to think about...

all the waiting in various waiting rooms

which will continue tomorrow when we see the specialist

and not to mention

the sitting by his side in my florence hat making well meaning conversation,

fetching and carrying when needed

means i get to spend quality time with Mr Hook.

of course, as i tippity tap all my positive silver linings to what is quite a crappity crap turn of events for Our #4

a thought has suddenly dawned on me.

how on earth in the coming weeks, will he be able to keep his toenails squeaky clean with his newly found bookmark cleaning skills when his 'doing hand' is out of action?

she is off to study the small print in her florence nightingale contract ~ Tif

Summer dreaming

Winter is here. Today the weather was beautiful, but freezing cold. We hardly ever get snow here in Christchurch but we get some hard frosts - this morning's was -3 degrees. That was followed by a sunny day, but it was a winter's sunny day - the kind where if you step from sun into shadow, the difference is about 15 degrees. There's not much else to do but curl up (in the sun, of course) with a cuppa and a seed catalogue.

Luckily the new Kings Seeds catalogue arrived yesterday. I quickly whipped through it and circled all my wants. Last year I was so excited to finally have a dedicated vege patch that almost all I ordered was vege seeds, and I still have plenty left for this year. However, I miss my flowers! I want a colourful beautiful cottage garden, as well as a lovely decorative and productive potager. That's not too much to ask is it?

My flowery wants include:
Calendula sunset tones
Dianthus clove pinks
Gilia birds eye
Godetia azalea beauties
Lavatera parade

Of course, there are some more veges and herbs to try:
Bush basil
Coriander indian summer
Bean yard long dwarf
Bean sunset runner (with beautiful pink flowers, this one counts as decorative too!)
Carrot mini sweet
Pumpkin baby bear
Squash delicata

As always I'll be trying one or two different tomatoes. This year I'm going to order from Bristol Seeds. I'm eyeing up Amazon Chocolate, Brown Berry and Sunset's Red Horizon.

In the meantime, I'm looking at my photos from seasons past, and reading blog after blog. Northern hemisphere gardens are looking lovely right now, and I'm getting plenty of ideas for when the days warm up again.

Here's a mini cross stitch I've started. I was given the kit by a clever thrifter who spied this in the Sallies and thought of me. It's a great way to while away a winter evening. Hopefully by the time I've finished it, it will be time to sow seeds again.