Miss P. and the case of the missing tree

We put plants and things outside the shop to make it look pretty.

This is demonstrated by the amazing painting of the shop by my friend Joanna Aldred.

Last night i left a tree outside the shop. This happens a lot.

The tree was rescued by a kind lady called Sarah, and taken to the pub for the evening, where it was bought a pizza and a jug of ale.

Then it was returned this morning by the landlord Will.

That's the thing about Stamford, it is just full of lovely people.

Tomorrow is happening, you can get the excitement first on Twitter (sorry Becca), and i will try and get here too and fill you all in.

The Hound has gone for a shampoo and set and a spray tan. I am listening to Hall and Oates.

Pale and interesting

Will you forgive a very hurried post? Things are happening here which are very exciting and i shall share on Friday.

Do you think you might chat amongst yourselves today? Or take some time out to have a look over at the blogroll.....

Much Love
Miss P.
xxx

Button it

Buttonholes of ranunculus, dusty miller and kangaroo paw, from Saturday's wedding.

The groom wore brown.

The days of boys wearing a rose and 3 wired ivy leaves are over, and the carnation and asparagus fern wrapped in tin foil........i secretly wish this would make a come back along with the bride carrying a horseshoe. More brides should carry plastic horseshoes.

Ribbon bows are good, bare stems very good, peach is the new pink, don't be afraid to express yourself.

It will be in all the photographs for the rest of your life/ length of marriage - delete as applicable.

Alys in wonderland

We were following in the footsteps of the lovely Alys Fowler this weekend. Her tip of nosying on over to a car boot sale in search of vegetable plants, turned out to be a good one.

I was instantly befriended by a old man who showed me the best people to buy off. Plug plants of spinach, Russian kale, purple sprouting and beetroot, were purchased. The sign said £1, but i wasn't really sure how they came, or how many you got, and i was too embarrassed to ask.
I came home and planted out 80 plants, I don't even like beetroot.

I will assert myself next time and just ask for half a bag.

Then we tweed up some daisy plants by putting them in a zinc bath, and filled a "vintage" vase with coral peonies.

The Hound planted out some dried peas, he used marrowfat is that right? Pea shoots are still en vogue he said whilst watching Great British Menu.

Was your weekend shot on a super 8 in sepia too?

1 florist, 3 photographers, a caravan and that proposal

So you will remember these flowers?

Well they headed to a the wonderful Emily Quinton, who took them to an undisclosed location to shoot her first ever wedding clients Charis and Owen in a caravan. Then Charis and Owen who are now also photographers shot Emily who wanted to create the most amazing proposal photographs. Confused? Yes me too all you need to know is...

1. Emily Quinton photographed the first 2 images and is getting married
2. Charis and Owen shot the last 3 images and are already married.
3. All of these photographers are very talented.
4. Emily has set a new world standard for proposals
5. When i use the term "shot" i mean with a camera not a gun.

Cash in the attic

I have just found these old newspaper posters in the back of an old washstand. I have been having a jig about as the table still remains au jardin.

The back fell off this a while ago, and i have only just realised it had some paper attached to it. Does anyone know who Gilpin was? Does anybody want to buy them? There are more.

This is today's lunch, austerity is the new cake.

The Other Miss Pickering is on route home to Rutland, she will return home to find her front door sealed with "welcome home" banners - because that's what sisters do.

Have a rather marvellous weekend, wear sun cream, take a sunset walk with a lover, wear the highest of heels and if you can't wait until next week you can always follow us on Twitter.
xxxx

The Hunk Off Who wins? You decide.

Whilst the boys have been drooling over Miss Dahl, Channel 4 and BBC2 have provided us girls with a little eye candy.

In the blue corner Landscape Man
Likes Monstera
Has a penchant for leather
Can drive a digger
Isn't Tommy Walsh

In the red corner Monty Halls
Has a Land Rover and a dog

Cast your votes.

Get your freak on

get your freak on
get your freak on
get your freak on

repeat to fade.

Making fancy with tulips and turkey

You can put outdoor things inside, let's just get that straight. They may not last as long, but there is nothing to stop you.

You could fill your home with swathes of cosmos, or box balls if your heart so desired.

Perhaps though you should start with tulips. Bought in the green i.e. growing, and placed in plant pots at home. For the window vase i had to unpot them, and plonk them in. What about drainage? Well if you happen to be the sort of person that has grit lying around, by all means chuck a handful in the bottom. If like me you run a grit free house, just don't go mad on the watering - it ain't rocket science, but looks beautiful.

Also last night i made turkey burgers, it is a great way to use up old spices hanging around in the kitchen, I used an old tin of ZATAR, loads of herbs, breadcrumbs, and an egg to bind. Chargrilled and served with sweet potato fries and an avocado.

I made them because the turkey mince was reduced in Waitrose. I ate half the baguette whilst waiting for them to cook.

In other news the airspace is open, with possibly enormous thanks to Willie Walsh who had the chutzpah to just send his jets headlong towards Heathrow, it must have scared the living daylights out of air traffic control, but somebody had to do something.

He will doubtless of saved himself losing another £20 million today.

Having the balls to act and save his company from more debt? One wonders if he is doing anything on May 6th?

The Other Miss Pickering is to be returned to us on one of his jets on Friday. The Stamford Hen is however definitely going to qualify for US Citizenship........

I think this is the first outing of the word chutzpah on this blog.

Can you imagine

spending all night worrying that the chandelier might fall on the brides head?

No? Of course it wouldn't it was firmly attached, but that doesn't stop you worrying.

These pictures were taken with a point and shoot, which i can't use because it takes 3 hours between depressing the button and the shutter going. So we will have to hope the pro pictures are good.

Why is there a pergola in the marquee?

Well the marquee was on the terrace of The Finches Arms overlooking Rutland water, by the time i went to clear the wedding the morning after, it had gone, and they were ready to serve lunch with what must be one of our area's greatest views.

In all of this excitement we forgot to discuss the McLaren 1,2, or talk about how some women accused us of stealing the flowers, and called the flower scissors we had in our pockets "lethal weapons"

Have any planes left yet? Will i ever see my sister again?

There was a wedding

This was always going to be a rather marvellous wedding. The bridal consultation was held at the venue, in the evening, on the terrace, with wine.

If you are buying me wine, I'm doing your wedding.

It was glorious weather, and no volcanic ash fell from the sky.

There were a few hiccups, running out of diesel outside the church the night before, thankfully I came equipped with The Mother Hen, who not only took me in search of fuel, but filled up the can as well, as i was too scared. Camera battery dying was another one, I think i might dye my hair a different colour.

Later i will endeavour to bring you pictures of the reception, more of the church and a floral chandelier.

Keep voting, an awful lot of people are reading this because we are at the top of the leader board. Let's hope they get us, our little gang of twee.

Did you all have a good weekend? What the devil did you get up to? Have you seen any ash?

Blocked view

This has been my view all day long. The Hound right in the corner of it. Whether planting out sweetpeas, reading the paper or just eating lunch, The Hound has been in my face, right in my face.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much to everyone that has voted, we are at the top of the leader board, I can't actually believe it, now we have to stay there until the end of the month, so keep voting. It would be a terrible thing to peak early.

I think you can only do it once each, so find another computer, ask your neighbour to borrow theirs, or pop to your nearest internet cafe.

The prize is an eggcup.

The Hound has written his winners speech, expect a full on Gwyneth Paltrow, he has gone to look in his wardrobe for something "sparkly"

xoxo Wedding tomorrow



p.s. airspace may re-open tomorrow, The Other Miss Pickering and The Stamford Hen might be back before they qualify for U.S. Citizenship.

Miss you so much.

To whom it may concern

A very kind soul has nominated this blog for a Dorset Cereal blog award. Who was it? Please let me know.

The Hound and I are very touched.

You can vote for us here. It takes 5 seconds if you are quick at typing, 10 if you are a bit slower and only use one finger. Tell all your friends, and get them to vote too.

Click on the button. Thank you



Wedding pictures will be here just as soon as i reunite the camera with a charged battery. I cried when i saw the bride, quite a lot.

You were like my lover and my best friend

all wrapped into one with a ribbon on it.

Last night we listened to a lot of Rihanna, I like Rihanna, and Mr JT in the shower. I am that shallow.

Then there was a political debate, I hoped for more arguments, passion for their policies, fist slamming and name calling, but it was all a bit manicured. The fact that it happened at all is a good thing for British politics. Mr Clegg is the best looking, but Mr Cable would have a better chance of winning. Surprisingly Mr Brown came over better than Mr Cameron, who really needs to run his fingers through his hair. didn't he see Hugh Grant in Love Actually?

Onwards with the wedding, i cannot wait to get to the finishing touch bit, and snap away.

Dear Iceland,

You are probably the least popular country with the Brits at the moment, what with the banking fiasco and now the volcano. Could we have our airspace back? The Other Miss Pickering would like to come home from Chicago, and The Stamford Hen from New Orleans.

Merci Beaucoup or whatever

Miss P.

More pics of TheBoy Wonder over on his blog.

Blogging is my first love

and it will be my last. I just wanted you know that my heart belongs here on blogger with you, before i tell you that i have re-activated my Twitter account.

I promise you there will never be a Facebook Fan page.

I have been resistant to Twitter, but thought i should give it a go before dismissing it completely. I fear repetition, i fear Twitter in general, but I am looking at it as the It Takes Two, to the main Strictly Come Dancing Show. I shall ask Claudia Winkleman to present it.

I prefer blogging because it is image driven, rather than short sentences which encourage bad grammar. There are a lot of faces made of apostrophes, which i can't do, and things like LOL? So you can follow me struggle with it and find it hopelessly endearing or irritating.

I give it a week.

Follow me now, right this very minute.

xoxo

p.s. we have a wedding on, the shop is full to the brim

If I lose the highs at least I'm spared the lows

Note to self: Stop getting emotionally attached to customers.

Yesterday I had a morning of tears, I had the honour of doing the funeral flowers for a marvellously glamorous lady, who was also one of my customers, and like a lot of my customers became a friend. A friend who would admonish me for not wearing heels, or having my finger nails painted

"Wear them now whilst you can, because when you get to my age you can't" she would say.

Today, I am starting a wedding for a bride who has also become a friend, and doubtless i shall cry when i see her in her dress. I really need to toughen up. This is another thing that nobody tells you when you open a flower shop, it's all hatches, matches and dispatches.

Thank goodness for Lancome Hypnose drama mascara, it isn't waterproof, but it is tearproof.

Whatever happened to Will Young?

A Spring evening

1.Still loving daffodils
2.Ribes, a flash of bright pink in spring, and cuts - who knew? RHS types are probably rolling their eyes, but It smells of blackcurrant,whats not to love?
3.Another old camera......
4.The Boy Wonder (he's eyeing up the roast chicken we had on our plates)

Do you know any good gardening blogs?

These tips for rural bliss made me laugh, please don't wear Dubarry boots, and apparently lurchers are all the rage. The Hound doesn't want to be a rage.

Lunching au jardin

There were flowers in jam jars and pressed glass vases, trout I caught myself baked in a salt crust, and The Hound stood about looking pretty.

Mr Naylor, and My Beloved Boys were in attendance, we talked of flowers, weddings, interesting encounters at the goose fair, jam jars and Land Rovers.

I had planned more fancy details name cards and the like, but i had a problem with the table. I decided to purloin a table from the shop, it seemed innocent enough, but somehow got itself wedged in the laundry room. At one point The Hound was trapped in the garden, and I was trapped in between the table legs. It took an hour of cursing a few tears to free us both. We can do without the table in the shop, It is staying where it is for the moment....

The Hound was well behaved, lazed about on his sheepskin rug (he doesn't really like to lie on grass/dirt) and generally behaved in a cool and elegant way, until he had a mad 5 minutes and demonstrated why i don't have a lawn anymore. Rudolph Nureyev one moment, Tasmanian devil the next

I love these men, I wanted to lock the door so they couldn't leave, but i think that could be construed as kidnap.

Coming around again

I buy pot plants and strip them for their foliage.

I tripped up 2 old ladies in the market to get the last pound of purple sprouting broccoli.

Somebody brought me a cream cake because they thought my curves looked a bit smaller.

I have worn heels in the shop today.

School's out, enjoy
xoxo