Where is my John Wayne?

Paula Cole 

The Dawson's Creek soundtrack.......

This year I intend to decorate the front of the shop with a fresh Christmas garland.

I am hoping that no-one steals it, but given the wreath i left outside last night was still outside this morning, we may be ok.

I've been assimilating things to go in it, asparagus fern so very Downton Abbey, poplar alba, hydrangea, and blue cypress and viburnum tinus.

I imagine supplemented with rose hips, pussy willow and the like.

There will be a how-to, maybe on Thursday of next week.

I normally make them on bicycle brake cables.

It's a mugs' game

We now have our very own mug.

I've wanted to do one forever. I like a good mug, and still have all the ones from my childhood, mainly the ones that came with Easter eggs, or on the very rare occasion when i found one with my name on.

These may or may not be in The Mother Hen's garage, do you still have a box at your parents? With all the things that you don't want at yours, but nor do you want Mummy to get rid of.

"But that's my childhood, how can you bear to part with it mama?"

Or that loaded question of, "Shall i keep this cot of yours, are you going to have any children?"

I digress...........

This one you'll definitely want in your home, illustrated by the ever wonderful Anna Wilson Patterson and printed right here in Stamford. It features The Hound and I, and flowers, and The Heron.

Perfect for soup or coffee or tea, or gin. Whichever

Or flowers, or pencils, or pot it up with bulbs.

Dishwasher safe too.

You can buy one now for £9.00, choose from red, purple or mustard.

Currently only available in the UK, but if a test parcel to Virginia gets it's way through American customs in one piece, we'll open delivery worldwide.

If it makes you happy

It can't be that wrong

Sheryl Crow

Yesterday a survey was published. it said that florists and gardeners were happier in their work than anyone else.

They painted a picture of us all cartwheeling with joy. I can't cartwheel or do a handstand, the splits yes, but cartwheeling, no. My BAGA career was short lived. I think I got the first badge for doing a forward roll.

I'm curious as to who they asked.

Most of the florists i know, are racked with self-doubt and just generally frustrated that they made a big arrangement for the window, and forgot the window isn't that big, and now it's just sitting on the shop floor mocking them.

or maybe that's just me?

It also said that bankers and IT workers were the least happy, which leaves no hope whatsoever for Cityboy1. Poor chap.

These 2 ladies from The Brown Flower shop look relatively happy, I first thought that they were British, given that the girl appears to be driving on the right hand side, but we don't have any roads that go up to 2820.

Cherish the thought

Of always having you here by my side (oh baby I)
Cherish the joy You keep bringing it into my life (I'm always singing it)
Cherish your strength You got the power to make me feel good (and baby I)
Perish the thought Of ever leaving, I never would
Vintage Madonna provided the soundtrack to this make.

I have never understood why brides want photographs of the getting ready bit. Hair in rollers, pictures of lipstick being applied that sort of thing. I think this stems from my mother's teachings that one should maintain an air of mystery, and that a womans' appearance isn't a mathematical exam, nobody needs to see the workings.

But now I get it.

At one point before this wedding, I was sitting on a bed, pinning a Blue Peter badge to the bridal bouquet. The most amazing hairdresser ever was beguiling us with tales of celebrity, there was a little concern that the flower girl might actually burst with excitement, we made good use of the verb to lipstick, and a bride kept an ear out for the arrival of an E-Type bearing a groom. Bridesmaids put on "love" stockings, we all decided you can't beat a good flan, a father-of-the bride hovered at the door, and Cara was there to photograph it.

I now completely understand why you would want this captured.

and so Mrs Beard is now just that.

Such joy.

and it's perfectly clear i should never undertake a career in wedding photography

so we'll just keep hitting the refresh button on Cara and Nye's blog.......

Christmas part 1

We are calling it disco woodland 

Gold, white, grey and wood. 

Glitter and sequins feature heavily and I have specimen 3ft Christmas trees, if you like me you like to have one in the bedroom they are perfect.

I'm over austerity, I want bling albeit with a modicum of subtlety

and I wrestled The Hound into some tinsel. Look how pleased he is.

Next week I'll bring you things you can actually buy, online, including sequin covers for your vases and some how-to's for the things that you can't.

but for now, i have the small matter of Mrs Beard's wedding to attend to.

One of our own is to be married on Saturday.

Until next week, or Sunday if you read our floral coalition.

xx

and I'd give up forever to touch you

'cause i know that you feel me somehow.

 Goo Goo dolls 

 Last night whilst watching election coverage, I fell down the rabbit hole that is 90's music.

These are the Instax pictures from the weekend. I took 297 digital pictures, and these 5 Instax.

I'd never used one before, I bought one in a charity shop which was a dud, and didn't have high hopes for this one from a sale room, but it worked.

Out of all the photographs i took, these were my favourite. I have developed a terrible habit of taking far too many pictures and hoping that at least one is half decent. Invariably the first one is the best, and the rest just clog up my hard drive.

You can't do that with an Instax, for one, it's enormous and you feel  a bit of a plonker, and secondly you have to buy the film.

but such wonder of having actual photographs, I have carried them in my pocket, and shown them to everyone that will look. I can be annoying like that.

and now I would very much like an SX-70, so that I can be just like Jen and Jen.

Do you do instant photography?

Also thank you America.

God's own county

That's how people describe Yorkshire
North Yorkshire of course the bit we grew up in, the best bit.
The dales and the moors and the coast.

and so The Mother Hen, The Other Miss Pickering and I set off on a voyage of reminiscence, in The Captain's brand new, only had it 3 days car.

Thank you xx

It was the most amazing weekend, full of laughter and wonder at how little had really changed, and also how cold it was, and a chance to spend time together, which considering we all live very close to one another is rare.

Robin Hood's Bay is where we spent summers as children, it is still one of the most precious places in the world to me. The best fish and chips in the world, except it's not open on a Monday in the winter.......

and called in at Pickering on the way home. Obvs.

Thank you to Mother Hen and TOMP, it was brilliant.

also The Hound went to kennels, they adore him, and were a little reluctant to hand him back, he's howled the shop down this morning, they could have kept him.

and we stayed here, glorious grounds, amazing service, and popular with the shooting fraternity and giggling blondes.

If anybody knows why there is a polar bear on top of Whitby's Holland and Barrett, do shout.