Skirts and Flowers

I am, unashamedly, a huge fan of all things pretty.  That may be pretty colours like pink, pale blue, aqua and lemon or it could be country cottages with roses climbing round the door or it could be a pile of old books with a vintage teacup and saucer balanced on the top.  I don't care, I love Pretty!

And yesterday it came in many forms...

 It began with the natural beauty of my handmade chamomile and lavender soap.  It had set well over two days and I was able to de-mould it and slice it into cake sized pieces.  The smell of the lavender essential oil and the softness of the dried chamomile flowers made me smile as I cut into it.  It will spend the next six weeks curing in a draw in my bedroom, then it will be ready to use.  I cannot wait!

Later on in the morning, Pea had had enough revising for exams and as the sun was coming out, though still a bit on the breezy side, (so what's new?), she and I took the dogs out for a long walk, sans moaning boys.

 The meadows are all beginning to burst into Spring beauty now and there is a slight fuzz of greenery in the hedgerows.

Closer inspection reveals tiny beauties nestled in the grass, sheltering from the wind with faces turned towards the warming sunlight.

 Shy violets are one of my favourite early wild flowers.  They tell me in their quiet way that Winter is over and Spring, though it may still be chilly, is here and things can only get better.  Thank you Violets.

The joy then of beholding a cluster of Lady's Smock in a damp verge held no bounds!

Yep, no doubt about it,  this is Pretty all right!  So delicately pink it almost looks as if it is blushing.  The sheer delight of wild flowers to me is their fleeting visit into the open.  If you look you will find them, but on the next walk you take they may be over for another year and forgotten about under the damp earth.

Filled to the brim with contentment that all was right within our little world, we set off for the less than gorgeous delights of the town.  I use this word in it's loosest form as it comprises half a dozen shops and little else, but it was all we needed as my main objective was to purchase a new toaster.  We mulled over the advantages of this toaster against that and my heart fell completely for a gorgeous retro looking model in cream.  It was huge and very expensive.  I fought briefly with my conscience and told myself that if I bought this beast, I would never need to buy another toaster ever again.  It would be used several times a day; would save on electricity as the grill on my oven takes an age to heat up; would enable my family to easily feed themselves at moments of intense hunger (all the time, then) and best of all it would look gorgeous in my kitchen.  BUT..it was a tad too expensive, so I lowered my sights a teeny bit and eventually bought the item below.

It has already been used rather frequently and I suspect that now toast and all things toasty will be the main focus of meals in this house, at least until the novelty wears off a bit.  My plan for next week is to make jars of marmalade and lemon curd with which to spread on said toasted things.  Goody, I can't wait!

After all that excitement I was ready to go home, but Pea had other ideas.  We set about buying clothes.  I have lost some weight over the last six months or so, mainly through so much walking and also because the children eat far more than I do so there is usually not that much left to nibble on, so the need for clothes that actually fit me and don't make me look like a bag lady was pressing.  Pea had been working hard and deserved a treat.  As I said, there isn't a vast choice of shops here and you would find the same sort scattered all over the British Isles, but we managed to find the most beautiful skirt imaginable.  I think Pea and I saw it at the same time and both cooed over it for a bit before my persuasive daughter uttered those magical words: 'Buy It!'  No, no, no, I must not.  I have just spent a small fortune on a toaster and have an electric bill waiting at home large enough to feed a small country for a fortnight.  I have skirts, but rarely do we have the weather in which to waft about the countryside in them.  But my romantic side sauntered to the fore and said, 'But you will wear it every day and look most becoming when hanging out the washing.'  So I said, 'Oh, OK then!'  And here it is.

 Move over Jane Austen!   Yes, I expect it will be most attractive to wear whilst making apple pie, soaps filled with rose petals and watering my herb garden.  Hmm, that's a thing, I will need a suitable watering can now...

I did think it would look quite pretty with this jumper my Nan knit for me years and years ago.

And pink wellies.  Most definitely!

But not today; today it is raining again and leggings and a sloppy jumper are my garments of choice for this Sunday morning while I prepare dinner (roast pork and rhubarb crumble) and then laze about the house drinking tea and eating toast.  Lots of toast!

Have a lovely relaxing day, where ever you are in the world and if you get the chance to do a bit of romantic wafting about, enjoy the moment! xxx