Due West

Off to our beloved Cornwall for a summer sojourn, stopping off in Devon to see Magpie on the way. Back when the weather has defeated us! How long is a piece of string!

Pip-Pip

xXx

July mood board

I have come over all "painterly" lots of things are inspiring me, especially the late flowering hybrid teas, so heavily scented.....and the washing line.....vintage Hermes scarves.....anthropologie......and a 1925 print called butterflies and blossoms.....

.....it's just the way I'm feeling....

Craft warming

Imagine my delight when presented with this very special box by my beautiful God~daughter "Katkin"

(I love the colour ORANGE, we must discuss this more another time. Orange when paired with pink or teal or purple is divine, it is a happy, happy hue! Sorry, yes.....another time.)

Such a brilliant thing to open up a box.....

What or who is inside?

Meet Mr and Mrs Bunnington-Lane

Aren't they gorgeous? Crocheted (is that a verb?) by Rabbit, Katkin's Mummy - I LOVE THEM!

Seriously lovely heart warming house warming craft with heart x

Oh and courtesy of Del some rather better shots of the barn all decked out for the barbecue!

Hope you are having a lovely week? Off to check in on what's going on out there in Blogland,

Love Sarah xXx

PS Did you notice the cool crochet dishcloths used as bedding? So brilliant!

Shindig

SHINDIG ( shindigs plural ) A shindig is a large noisy, enjoyable party

Yes indeedy, we certainly had one of those this weekend!

(As evidenced by my uncharacteristically erratic wobbly/fuzzy camera work)

And all of this in spite of the worst weather July in England could throw at us~

A lovely time was had courtesy of

Lamb by Jamie Oliver,

Bar and Barbecue cooking by Mr.Lane

Pudding Mrs.Long

Cheeseboard Madame Cholet

Hydrangea wreath by Rabbit inspired by Penny at le petit jardin,

Drinks for monkeys by LUDO

Artistic direction (bunting) by Del

Olympic rounders tournament THE CHILDREN

Well done team x

Off to take a couple more paracetamol, shhhhhhh.......

SHINDIG ( shindigs plural ) A shindig is a large noisy, enjoyable party

As promised......

.....I saw a ripe blackberry today.....I must write that down somewhere......sorry, mind wandering!

Here, as promised is my RHS Flower Show at Hampton Court debrief.

This year the theme was Alice in Wonderland, loved it - especially in the rose marquee. Anyway if you have a moment why not join me in a wander around.....

This hut is by Court and Hunt in Sandwich, Kent. It is definitely at the top of my "Most Wanted"!

Now to the Country Living Marquee ~ Always a highlight! This year proved to be no exception.

This year my absolute favourite find was Butterfly Blue . Purveyor of brilliant belts, buckles, Liberty print scarves/belts/sashes.

I fell in love with their Ribbon belts, check them out here alternatively you can see me modelling one badly below (sorry Justine!)

So fantastic, the prints are all really amazing Tana Lawn, as you can imagine I was a bit dumbstruck and dithered quite a lot! Now I am lusting after a Liberty belt buckle as well as a scarf belt .

Next, such a moment of serendipity! As I was walking through the centre of the marquee I spied the main Country Living area and displayed on the desk were some lovely fabric covered notebooks by Sophie Azimont. ( You will find her notebooks at Made in Hastings.). I let out a tiny gasp - and squinted my way towards said notebooks. The girls on the desk must have thought me quite odd. I reached out my hand and picked up one of the books, and yes it was......covered in fabric from Jonelle, circa 1970. You may remember my sepia seventies post and recall my penchant for the fabrics from my childhood. Here in my hand, a notebook covered in the fabric that adorned my parents bedroom back then, the fabric I saved from the charity shop, the curtains I recently nostalgically hung at the window of one of the bedrooms here Down the Lane!

My final treasure is a lovely tunic by Gabriella Knight , once again in Tana Lawn. Imagine my smile, when flicking through, YES Country Living on Saturday in their lovely fashion shoot the very same tunic in a different fabric!

Here you can see "notebook "and original Lane Furnishings reunited!

Such a lovely day, thanks for joining me x

Welcome, come on in, the kettle is on.........

Seems a lifetime since we left Kent and arrived here in our new East Sussex nest.

Seems an age since I last posted, and I suppose it is!

I have been floating along since the last removal lorry shuddered out of sight Down the Lane.

I must thank you if you have been wondering where I had got to and have checked in on me only to see I was still absent. Here I am! All bright~ eyed and bushy haired ( It's rained a lot!)

I owe you a lovely long, beautifully scripted post and instead I find I am a little shy and stunted as I feel uncomfortable blabbering on about how wonderful things are ~ seems a bit self congratulatory and being British that isn't something that comes naturally!

Instead I am offering snapshots of the first things that have captured my imagination here at the New Lane, and as always probably too many.

I will say that I can feel reams of words on imaginary tape tumbling from the very top of my head, out they spill, words of wonder and joy at being here, out and out they flow ~ concentric circles that express happiness, peace and gratitude.

I still think Alexander Pope had it when he said

"Happy the man whose wish and care a few paternal acres bound, content to breathe his native air in his own ground. "

Come back soon, I have much to tell, went to Hampton Court this week and I simply must tell you about the Country Living Marquee....squeak......so good!

Have a brilliant weekend,

Sarah

xXx