Corner of my Home..........

A quiet corner at the entrance to our home.

Beautiful Sweet Peas from the garden...........

Flat Nat..........my Spring Break stitching

I have been on holiday from work for one whole glorious week.  I took the time so I could be at home as our garden has been open for the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. 

We gained two awards.  The first being third place in the Family Garden section and a highly commended in the Cottage Garden.  We have had some lovely visitors to enjoy it with us.

I have only completed two small projects all year.  Now that the Carnival competition  is over and I am finally feeling settled in my job I just may get a little more stitching time in.  This lovely whimsical project is Flat Nat from Cinderberry Stitches.  I forgot to take a pic of the detail on the reverse.  A lovely little Matryoska Doll with a pocket to hold a very cute suitcase. 



I have had a lovely long week at home.  We've had a few visitors each day.  It would be nice to get some more, but we are happy that a few venture our way to enjoy the garden. 

There have been a couple of very windy days, but mostly it has been perfect Spring weather which I have enjoyed on my deck.



The best bit is, I still have the whole weekend stretching out before me to stitch and enjoy my garden.

Spring Garden

Spring is finally here.  Well it was last weekend, but it has disappeared to somewhere else this weekend.  Our garden is coming to life.  I just love this time of year.  Buds bursting to life and colour running riot in my garden.



We have entered into the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers garden competition again this year.  Madness I say.  But lots of fun.  We love our garden and being in the competition certainly helps us to bring out the best in our garden.  We love sharing our garden with any who wish to venture this way to visit.



This year we have entered into three different categories.  Our whole garden is entered into the Cottage Garden section.  The ABC Radio also has sections and for this we are entered into the Outdoor Living section and also the Family Garden section.

Last Sunday we were judged in the Cottage Garden section, then on Monday the ABC Radio judges came to see our garden for the other sections.  Thankfully, they all liked what they saw.



The potager is looking wonderful.  I love how it has all come together.  I just have to wait patiently for the wisteria along the fence to flower - it looks like it will be another year until I have beautiful wisteria to enjoy. 

When the judge came around the corner and saw the setting above, he thought we could have a wedding here - what a lovely compliment!  I can't wait to have our meals here on some lovely summer evenings.  

The sherbet coloured chairs is another project I have been working on during the winter.

We have to wait until Wednesday evening to know if we have won any prizes - fingers crossed.  Then, hopefully, we will get to share our garden with all who choose to visit during Carnival Week.  It's always such fun chatting with others who enjoy gardens as much as we do. 

Today I worked on another little project that I will hopefully show soon - blackboard paint and chalk paint pens - what fun!

I hope you enjoyed a little wander through my spring time garden - please come and visit if you are nearby - we would love to see you from next weekend onwards during Carnival Week.

Pasta fun...........

A new toy in the kitchen for us.  A pasta machine.  We so enjoyed making our own pasta.  It was delicious.

Can't wait to play again. 

A Little Linen Purse.............

 

This week, I finally managed to fit in some very lovely stitching time in my lovely sewing room.

This lovely kit came home with me a year ago.  Oh goodness, I have looked at this fabric so many times in the last twelve months.  I was finally brave enough and had the time to cut into my precious piece of fabric.  Always scary when you have such a tiny piece to play with.

I purchased it at the very lovely Hatched and Patched Store in Bathurst on a freezing cold winters day last year.

Such beautiful fabric.

Now just to go somewhere lovely to use it!

The Treasure Hunt...

Last Saturday morning, I ventured out into a freezing cold morning to a wonderful garage sale.

It was held at one of the beautiful old churches in the centre of Toowoomba.  

I was quite hopeful, as the last time they held a garage/hall sale I found some wonderful treasure.

And treasure there sure was........

The beautiful old stool was a wonderful $15.00 find.......

A really lovely Pyrex jelly mould ........... $1

A lovely English cake plate.......... $2

and a sweet little sandwich tray............   $1

At this stage the stool will receive the paint treatment and join the new chairs in the outdoor area.

It was certainly worth venturing out into a very cold and frosty morning.

The Potager Sink

The ongoing fascination with the 'Potager' continues for me.  I love my vegetable garden and the joy it brings to me.  Especially when I am picking produce and providing for my family.

For what seems like an eternity I have had an idea.  I found the most wonderful vintage cast iron hand basin in a wonderful pink.  I knew the instant I saw it, what it was going to be for. 

I love the idea of a potting table come wash up area within the vegetable garden - or as you are well aware by now - what I will refer to as my Potager - whether it is a true Potager or not, in my imagination it will be!

So, the hunt for the perfect table became a focus.  I have hunted high and low, to no avail.

I started to think I would never find my perfect table.  Too small, too big, too good, too expensive, wrong shape!  Everything but the one I needed.

A few weeks ago I went to a wonderful Op shop, one which I keep forgetting about.  

Down a little back street hidden away.

I had hunted around, when up in the back corner it caught my eye.  'As Is' $35..........

Perfect in every way, the right size and wonderful.  I will admit though, that I am still feeling most guilty for painting the beautiful timber and sending this lovely to live outside.

But it is going to be wonderful and beautiful and so worth the wait!

This lovely little table has now had two coats of lovely Antique White and looking most positively stunning!  But then again I am totally biased.

The final unveiling soon I hope.