Ragged Roses

Bright Be All Your Days!

2011-12-23T19:14:00.001Z

And happy may you be. With very best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year x

Paris At Midnight

2011-12-21T15:23:00.009Z

Well if Santa is going to be doling out any pressies around here this year, I certainly deserve prize for world's worst blogger. Not sure what's happened this year, I just can't seem to sit down and write a decent post. Apologies all round, I will try harder in the New Year. Note to Santa, "Please, if you're reading this upon your travels and happen to find my blogging mojo, please return and I'll make sure there's an extra mince pie waiting for you at bottom of the chimney".

Looking over my blog I can see that the last thing I mentioned was a chocolate pumpkin and an earlier post on my eldest's 18th birthday. Well the two are sort of connected - and I'm not inferring that my Big Sister is in anyway related to Cinderella....
On the evening of her 18th we promised her a party and recklessly agreed to leave the house. We went to see Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris", hoping that in some way it would a) take our mind off of what was going on at home in our absence (it did, kind of), b) offer picture perfect glimpses of one of our favourite places (it certainly did), c) mark a return to form for Mr Allen (it almost did) and d) whet our appetites for a forthcoming holiday in Paris (it certainly did).
We sat through the film oohing and aahing at the most romantic nighttime shots of Paris, recognising most of them and vowing to revisit them. We gasped when we saw our favourite restaurant featured in the film (not the 'posh one" but a little bistro where much of the pivotal action happens) and vowed to retrace our steps on our return.

So this time in Paris, again we were blessed with wonderful Autumnal weather, bright in the day and mild at night - we walked and we walked and we walked. Paris at night is heavenly, and definitely very very romantic. Up and down the cobbled streets of the Latin Quarter, along the Seine, over Lover's Bridge (Pont des Arts) which is covered in padlocks symbolising lovers' everlasting love, we walked our socks off.

Not being in a position to do any shopping (boy was it expensive in Paris!), we indulged in late night window shopping along the Boulevard St Germain, choosing our favourite macaroons and designer clothes. As it was just before Halloween the windows of the chocolatiers were resplendent and it was there we saw that chocolate pumpkin.

Our eldest daughter had taken a literary guide with her and by day we followed in the footsteps of F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway (who, incidentally lived for a while in an apartment opposite our hotel). We traced their steps through the Jardin du Luxembourg to cafes and shops along the way to visit Gertrude Stein at her 'salon". We were lucky enough to visit the most wonderful exhibition at the Grand Palais of the many fantastic works of art collected by the Stein Family again at night.

We pounded the streets in search of Oscar Wilde's final resting place. We walked from North to South, in search of the Beat poets, Samuel Becket and many more. We finally were able to take the girls along to visit the beautiful Pere LaChaise Cemetry and the one at Montparnasse too. It was not morbid at all just very, very interesting.

We visited our favourite ever bookshop again.

We ate our lunches at 5pm and suppers at 10pm. We stumbled out of bed just in time to catch the last of the breakfast in the hotel salon (we stayed again in the same pretty hotel as last time),

bathed our feet and somehow steeled ourselves for more miles of walking. We visited museums, markets, bakers and took shelter from the most dramatic rainstorm I have ever seen, and learnt that the very best way to see this beautiful city, apart from in that Woody Allen film, is on foot in the Autumn, at night when the light and romance fills the air, or during the day when the history, culture and determination of an 18 year old to complete her literary tour makes you forget your blisters and savour it all.

Waiting For The Oven....

2011-11-04T18:38:00.005Z

Hello!
I'm sitting here waiting for the oven to warm up, so it can be nice and toasty for my carrots to roast... not good at twiddling my thumbs and the rest of supper is taken care of . So thought I'd just let you know that Dottie and I have got our skates on and opened the Grotto, and with a loud and jubilant "ho ho ho!", I'm happy to say you can find it HERE.

We're also over the moon to say that you can also find it mentioned in this month's edition of Homes & Antiques magazine too.

I'm off now to spice my carrots and crank up the heating, have a wonderful weekend and I will be back soon with tales from The Left Bank

and
Vintage gramophones....
and, the biggest chocolate pumpkin I have ever seen

x

Ned's In The Nursery

2011-10-20T09:33:00.009Z

Over at The Emporium, we were slightly perturbed yesterday to hear the clippety clop sound of hooves and wheels on the Nursery floor. Imagine our surprise to find this little fellow, settling down with all the other vintage toys and games.

This 1950s Chiltern Toys donkey on wheels seems to have trotted over seeking pastures new. We have both taken a bit of a shine to him and have spent rather too much of the past 24 hours smuggling carrots into the Nursery. In good condition for his age too, he really is hot to trot!!!

Worry not, he's not completely alone, along side all the other gorgeous cuddly vintage toys, it's fair to say that Stocking Stitch Suzie has taken rather a shine to him ... those big beautiful blue eyes of hers have come over all bashful...

Elsewhere in the Emporium, there are crinoline ladies in the Scullery (just perfect for afternoon tea) - who could resist a set of "Pinkie" tea plates?

And as Autumn takes hold and the evenings and mornings become decidedly "brrrrrr", there are recipe books full of home recipes and this gorgeous Duck Egg Blue Casserole Dish for your Autumn casseroles.

We refuse to say goodbye completely to summer and there are lots of summery florals in the Attic at the moment.

1940s calendars to decorate your walls (and allow a spot of daydreaming), pictures and paintings aplenty.

If you can't bear the thought of wellies and woollies, then how about a spot of armchair gardening - vintage of course!

Or childhood nostalgia or adventure - Enid Blyton style?
Judging by the sound of rolling wheels, I expect Ned and Stocking Stitch Suzie have trotted along to view the Library shelves too - hope they've found something good to read...

Just thought you might like a quick peep at what's been going on over at The Emporium recently. Lots of new goodies and the odd giddyup!

(Thank you all so much for all the lovely birthday wishes for Big Sister. She had a wonderful day and night! And has plans to do more of the same for a good few weeks to come!

Seems Like Yesterday...

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000Z

Eighteen years ago today my beautiful daughter was born. I don't know where the time has gone, but I do know we have been blessed.
Open that window wide my darling, the world is yours, go and embrace it.
We love you - Happy Birthday!
x

Food For The Soul

2011-09-21T08:24:00.027Z

Readers, get your paniers! Mornings like this call for some serious retail therapy. When its wet and grey, when an unexpected school run forces a very unpleasant contretemps with a rude and surly man in a van, when you've already drunk your daily quota of tea and feel like your never going to feel warm and dry again, a touch of shopping is just what's required.

No, we're not talking ordinary trundle round the supermarket, trolley, purse and reward card at the ready -

we're talking a gentle stroll through the Provencal streets that are so hot that you're grateful of all the dappled shade you can find. Reader, on a day like this, can you imagine that?

Against the sunbleached ochre walls of shuttered buildings underneath an azure sky, let's take some time choosing our meals today...

no need to hurry, time is on our side and there's always tomorrow as there's a market every day here in Aix.
A kilo of this and a kilo of that, a bunch of basil, multi coloured tomatoes,

baby aubergines, zingy zesty fresh mint.

How about some olives?

Spices?

Even the peppercorns are colourful today...

Some crockery to brighten the kitchen table.

Sunflowers against Provencal tablecloths, carrier bags echoing their golden hue.
The summer sunshine increases as the morning progresses so we shall wander slowly, breath in the scents and sounds and savour the delights.

A gentle nod to Autumn as we discover the stalls of mushrooms, fresh and dried.
Nothing pressing to do, just wander and taste ... some goats cheese and figs for lunch perhaps?

Ratatouille and salad for supper maybe?

Definitely an ice cream on the way home...

But don't worry, we can do it all again tomorrow (and believe me reader we did! A morning didn't pass without a trip to the market) - now wouldn't that be nice ....

Three trains, one underground & a whole lot of scenery...

2011-09-12T10:26:00.014Z

We had to wait right until the end of the summer for our holiday this year, but it was worth the wait. Amidst much excitement, anticipation and adrenalin which covered how very tired we were at starting the day so very early, we set off to catch our first train. Up to London via train and underground (never a good experience with luggage) at the crack of dawn to catch Eurostar. Laden with luggage, books, magazines and croissants we boarded the train at St Pancras and before we really had time to adjust to French time we were in Lille.

Just enough time for us to decipher where we were to board our TGV southwards (we had forgotten just how stressful this bit can be). Searching desperately for your coach number, locating the boarding point along the very long platform, negotiating the stairs, lift and escalators with 100s of other passengers and somehow managing to watch aghast as our youngest daughter disappeared with her luggage in one hand down an escalator whilst we stood waiting for the lift. I will never forget the look of horror on her face as we set off as fast as our luggage allowed in hot pursuit of her!

Excitement over, we somehow managed to hurl ourselves and half of the girls' wardrobes onto the train and sat back ... and relaxed... and smiled ... and ate ... and smiled ... and read... and smiled ... and played cards ... and smiled.

And all the while the everchanging beauty of the French countryside surrounded us. Through flat green fields, lush green pasture lands, through rain showers, clouds and brilliant sunshine we headed south. The alps to one side the Massif Central on the other as the landscape grew more dramatic, the temperature rose. Medieval hilltop villages, olive trees, meandering streams, majestic rivers flowing through Provencal cities. Plane trees, poplar trees, cypress trees and olive trees.

When i was at University I spent summers driving up and down the length of France and had vowed to do the journey this way ... I think the other passengers could gauge by the squeals of delight coming from our table just how happy we were.

Five hours and hundreds of kilometres later we found ourselves on a blisteringly hot Provencal train platform, negotiating once more the stairs, lifts and escalators ... a quick bus trip took us to our final destination and after the obligatory "I think it's this way, no that way, no, this way" walk to our new home which took a good half an hour longer than necessary, we arrived at a huge 19th century wooden door that would be our front door whilst we were there.

We arrived to half locked shutters, with tantalising glimpses of the view beyond

Views to the left of an already setting sun from our terrace against the bluest sky I had seen in a very long time

And just looking to the right stood the most beautiful 13th century church that would waken us each morning and frame our glorious view across centuries old chimneys, balconies, shutters and weather worn and sun bleached terracotta tiles.

Stuff happens....

2011-07-05T14:24:00.003Z

that keeps me away from here. But NOTHING could stop me wishing my gorgeous youngest daughter the very best of Birthdays!
I will be back soon I hope x

Oh I Do Love To Live Beside The Seaside

2011-05-03T10:55:00.012Z

So just let me be beside the seaside

I do love to stroll upon the Prom Prom Prom

Eat my chips beside the sea

Stand child-like in front of the merry-go-round

Enchanted by the myriad of colours

Remembering days when the girls were small enough to be picked up

and carried on to their chosen horse, where they would cling desperately, wide grins beaming across their smiling faces

And indeed, days when I was little and trips to the seaside were the highlight of my summer.

Local Colour

2011-04-02T16:25:00.024Z

I love the ordinariness of Saturday mornings - the lazy start to the day, the gentle waking up to the start of the weekend, the chance to wander round in your pjs, the stark contrast to the buzz and frenzy of the week. I love days when a stroll round town, following a familiar path at a leisurely pace with one or two of my family by my side, avoiding the crowds brings me comfort from its very ordinariness. Spring days when its not quite warm enough to pack a picnic and head for the beach, just a little too early in the year to wander round a country house and marvel at the gardens - days when its best to savour the familiar and enjoy the colour on my doorstep.

Our Saturdays have changed slightly recently, Big Sister has just started a Saturday job and so we find ourselves no longer glancing at the clock watching the day disappear as she languishes in bed till noon, these days she's up and ready and out of here and our family party becomes a party of three.

We follow a well trodden path down into town, noting today the many armfuls of flowers being taken home for well deserved mums tomorrow (even my youngest can't help but smile and notice the many dads looking rather harassed in the shops, surrounded by children desperately seeking the perfect gift).

The spring flowers and tables on the streets lighten my step as you can honestly smell the scent of Spring in the air.

So we wander through The Lanes into the local street market, which these days seems home to nearly as many cupcakes as flea market finds,

still I'm not complaining, it all adds to the fun of it.

It's great to know that if you get too hungry looking through the pile of old books there's an Oreo cupcake with your name on waiting for you on the next table!
The vegetable stall becomes more colourful each week as the choice of produce increases,

We buy a bag of mixed salad leaves from the old tin bath and I stop to admire one of my favourite shops.

This really is a good one, full of vintage inspired items, wonderful household goods and gifts.

A quick walk past the shop where Big Sister walks and try not to press our noses up to the window to get a better peep at her ... onwards towards the Pavillion where we are surprise by yet more stalls and discover a food festival taking place. Oh I wish this blog was in smellorama, the wafts and fragrances were really mouthwatering...

huge vats of curries, handmade chutneys and pickles, cheeses, baklava,

olives (we had some of those),

baker's stalls with piles of rustic bread and patisserie (almond croissants and pain au chocolat for Mother's Day breakfast)

and we couldn't resist, and nor would you, buying some of this delicious ginger beer. It's not, I fear, the kind advocated by Enid Blyton, this is of the alcoholic variety and I'm not sure the Famous Five would have solved nearly as many a mystery under the influence... and as I sit here typing, i am trying really hard not to open a bottle now as it is so darned tasty...

To round it off a very unexpected and lovely treat from Mr Roses - lunch in our favourite - Bill's. A riot of colour and a feast for your tummy and your eyes.

So I guess in many ways not quite the ordinary Saturday morning that we envisaged and full of enough local colour (and ginger beer) to last a weekend or two.

Fanciful Friday

2011-03-25T08:28:00.002Z

Today feels like an Amelie kind of day

Hope you find some sunshine too

Tulip Thursday

2011-03-24T15:20:00.005Z

Not so much a 'Tip toe through the tulips" kind of Thursday, more of a "saunter into town, meet a friend for coffee and take time to smell the roses" kind of day...

Wednesday - Finding my Glee

2011-03-23T14:57:00.001Z

My kind of Glee - 1940s style...

Same Again Tuesday

2011-03-22T12:09:00.004Z

Not that I'm complaining! And so happy to hear that I'm not alone at the prospect of washing being able to dry on the line again. Never thought I'd do a post (let alone two) about my dirty washing ... oh the whiff of freshly line-dried washing....!

This Week - Good Morning Monday!

2011-03-21T11:34:00.004Z

The perfect full stop to a sunny Spring weekend. Wall to wall sunshine. Time for some gardening, spring cleaning, catching up with some old friends over a glass or two. The gentleness of a Spring Sunday that allows you to nurse a hangover, spend time together, do some more gardening, get the homework out of the way. Open all the windows and let the sunshine in.

In short, the kind of weekend that makes you not mind about airing your washing in public!

A lot to embrace...

2011-03-16T13:30:00.006Z

It's been a very domestic kind of week here. Lots going on, dance shows, concerts, usual homework stuff and all of this unfurling against the tragic backdrop of what is happening in Japan. It is so hard to comprehend the magnitude of this disaster and I sit typing this with one ear constantly listening to the very sad and unnerving updates on the radio.

It has been a week of sunshine and grey skies, mist rolling in from the sea days followed by spring in your step kind of days. The sunny days are of course what I have been waiting for, the chance to go out into the garden, feel that sun on my face and start to unfurl from my winter hibernation. In corners of the garden, hidden under winter foliage, the primroses are starting to appear, their creamy hues adding a much needed boost to the tired, neglected garden. Underneath the apple tree the daffodils are blooming and the old, discarded hyacinths that sat on my fireplace last year have popped up to keep them company.
All of this has brought a much needed smile to my face.

Last week my eldest daughter finally had her braces fitted. After seven years of trips to an orthodontist and a year in which she had to have 8, yes, 8, teeth removed she was finally referred to the local hospital for her treatment. The staff have been lovely, thorough and her treatment has been remarkably quick in coming.

But it hasn't been easy. I had no idea what a painful process it was. Watching your child cry and not being able to do anything is the worst, isn't it? For three days we were counting the hours before the next painkiller could be taken.

Two days after they were fitted, with a mouth full of ulcers and blisters, she had to stand at the front of a stage, grinning inanely with her mouth wide open for a drama piece she is working on at college. I don;t think I could have done that...

In a desperate attempt to get some carbs down her the other day, she grabbed a ball of bread and threw it down her throat which resulted in a very scary moment with me attempting a very poor heimlich manoeuvre on her (she is at least eight inches taller than me, and were it not so scary at the time, it must have been very funny to see).

What has impressed me so much this week is her complete embracing of the brace. She has tried to see the funny side of things at all times. she has not once tried to hide away in self consciousness and I am incredibly proud of her. I know that deep down inside she must be counting away the days till the darned things are removed and hoping that they will be off before University. And I spend my days planning calorie filled meals that are as sloppy as they come and that will keep my beautiful girl smiling.

For Lily

2011-03-06T09:21:00.006Z

Mr Roses bought me this bottle of Lily of the Valley perfume from Penhaligon's for Christmas. Whenever we are in London and near to the shop we pop in for our fix of heady, floral scents. It is like walking round the most delicious greenhouse or woodland walk in the height of Spring. Each time we visit we daub ourselves in various aromas and spend the rest of the day trying to decide which is our favourite and, more importantly, which scent our favourite actually was...
You might remember that we bought Bluebell for our eldest daughter's 16th birthday and that for my birthday a couple of years ago I was lucky enough to receive Elizabethan Rose so we are well on our way to recreating our favourite cottage garden smells... But on this visit, I stumbled across the little bottle of Lily of the Valley and was immediately transported back to my childhood.

Not only did I fall in love with its deliciously sweet but fresh fragrance but it conjured up so many memories for me. Past Christmases of boxes of Lily of the Valley soaps, talcum powders and bath salts piled up in the bathroom or in my mother's bedroom. At the side of her dressing table were two little cupboards where she kept her perfumes. I remember so vividly the pretty packaging and fragrances that would fill the air each time I opened the cupboard doors... for me as a child, it was the equivalent of having my nose pressed up against the sweet shop window. Dreams of growing up, luxuriating in lily of the valley scented baths before putting on a new dress, applying my make up and spraying myself in some new scent would fill my head.
The scent was very much part of my early years, even my mother's handbags would offer up its beautiful fragrance when they were opened as she always sprayed her hankies with perfume before putting them in amongst her purse and keys (oh how times have changed).

Strangely enough Lily of Valley is purported to strengthen the memory and in the language of flowers signifies the return of happiness. So it seems very apt that today on what would have been my mother's birthday (her name was Lily), I bring out my bottle, take a sniff and remember.

A Right Royal Do...

2011-03-02T11:51:00.005Z

Well if ever there was a reason to get me trying to knit again...

Failing that, I'd be more than happy to attend - got my woolly tights, twinset & pearls, favourite conga shoes at the ready... pass me a knitted tiara someone...

PS I have it on very good authority from somebody in the know that there's more on this one - fast forward for scenes from the Royal Knees Up after wedding party

In search of some rays...

2011-02-23T12:06:00.014Z

A lazy, rainy, grey half-term so far. A trip up to London to see some lovely paintings and a lot of much needed lazing around at home.

The sun's gone AWOL, the clouds have taken over and whilst we're all snuggled up at home watching the rain pouring down the windowpanes, I find myself in desperate need of some colour.

So please indulge me whilst I just post some colourful pics from around the house, nothing special just splashes of much needed colour...

And today I added the most colourful eiderdown I own to our ""princess and the pea" of a bed...

Oh and some lovely images from some goodies in the Emporium right now that again have nothing to do with anything in particular other than they're full of colour and make me smile...

A Thing Of Beauty...

2011-02-14T10:06:00.009Z

Well, it seems very apt that I share this book today on Valentine's Day. A romantic treasure that I found a few months ago, at the bottom of a pile of books on a shelf, going for a song... how could it have been overlooked?

An 1895 edition of the collected works of John Keats that I love for so so many reasons.

Its beautiful bronze leather covers embossed with gilt lettering. The golden branch with bird (a Nightingale perhaps?).

The tissue paper that protects the photograph of John Keats at the front of the book.

Its foxed, browning pages illustrated with beautiful Pre-Raphaelite pictures.
The smell, the weight and age of the book.
And then there's the words

The beautiful words, the achingly sad poems to his love Fanny Brawne - it's better than any black and white weepie that I know!

Blue Is The Colour

2011-02-08T14:04:00.005Z

Weatherwise it wasn't the best of weekends. Back to back grey with drizzle and gale force winds thrown in for good measure. After braving the elements on Saturday morning and returning home drenched and frozen, I decided to throw anchor and stay put for the duration.

The girls had plans aplenty and weren't deterred by the bad weather. Left at home I took stock of the million and one jobs that had been left half done or unstarted around me. Paint pots and brushes in the hallway, sandpaper in the bathroom, the sewing order that needed to be finished and sent off and all the goodies that needed to be photographed for the Emporium...
Well I've always been more than a bit of a procrastinator and will find a thousand odd things to do rather than the one that matters most. Which led me to the cupboard under the stairs. The dreaded cupboard understairs where nobody goes unless it absolutely necessary. It'a an 'enter at your peril' kind of place, the sort of cupboard that explodes each time the door is opened. The kind of cupboard where our cats have been known to disappear without a trace for hours on end...

Like a woman possessed, I grabbed bags, piles of cushions, sleeping bags, camping kettles in search of my prey. And there it was in an old plastic bag, the rather worn, stained old woollen blanket that I had managed to hide from the ruthless Mr Roses. Well this blanket takes the word "pre-loved" to its limits, you would have to be truly smitten to take this blanket to heart, to wrap it round you and enjoy its comfort. But there were bits worth salvaging, I was particularly taken by the blue striped edging and grabbed the sewing machine whilst nobody was looking.
In the time it took Mr Roses to go and buy some tomatoes, a newspaper and lose his umbrella, my cushion was made. A quick encounter with some lavender water to freshen it up and a casual chuck onto the blue armchair in the living room and, hey presto, nobody would ever know...

Well, there were no protests from Mr Roses about the smelly blanket from under the stairs, the cats love it, there is a bit more space in THAT cupboard and whilst I may not have touched the sewing order that should have been number one on my priorities list, it did bring a smile to my face to see it finally sitting there soft, blue and finally re-loved.
And if that wasn't enough, look what's going on here today

Blue sky!

Like a siren calling to me this morning I couldn't sit still until I'd gone out for a walk in all that glorious sunny daylight. As I said to a friend, it was like the world was a huge box of chocolates, urging me to open the door and tuck in. And tuck in I did.

A Spot of Daydreaming - January's Good Things

2011-01-31T15:01:00.005Z

It took a couple of weeks but I finally managed to turn the cold, grey days of January to my advantage. Instead of sitting and staring at the steamy windowpanes and wishing and wishing for some sunshine and fresh air, I succumbed to a little daydreaming...
We bought this poster from a junk shop last year on the Isle of Wight. An auction poster for the contents of an hotel (incidentally just found via Google that the hotel remains). It's easy to be swallowed up by those words, how I would have loved to have been at the auction. What would I have bought? One of the 17 black and brass bedsteads - maybe. Definitely if the bed came with the bedding - I bet there was some wonderful lace linen and the odd eiderdown or two on offer...
Probably indulged in a marble washstand or two and wouldn't have said no to some of the garden chairs either.

But what I know for certain I wouldn't have been able to resist is "The Bathing Tent". If I'm going to be daydreaming about living in an Edwardian seaside hotel I would just HAVE to have the bathing tent. Visions of Queen Victoria in "Mrs Brown" emerging majestically in her swimming garb from her bathing machine have filled my thoughts this past weekend. I'll have to settle for a bathing tent rather than a bathing machine, but would make sure mine was striped, candy striped or if the Edwardians didn't run to that, then definitely billiard green and clotted cream in colour.

And then this weekend as the temperatures dipped, I gave in to it, Totally gave in to doing nothing. Washing, ironing and cooking either completed or ignored, I took refuge under a pile of blankets and eiderdowns and filled my head with thoughts of 1930s country homes and stately piles, sensible tweed skirts and permanent waves, debutante balls and love's young dream. My eldest daughter, who had miraculously done her homework, gave in to it too and she sat on the opposite sofa her head full of Scott Fitzgerald, glamorous dresses, cocktails and chandeliers... I remembered how my mother use to call me "Dolly Daydream" and for the first time I understood why, but then if you can't indulge in January, when can you?

Just Behind The Marmite...Still More Good Things In January

2011-01-20T11:04:00.008Z

I'm still on my quest to look for the good in January and with the arrival of some very much needed and unexpected sunshine this week, I haven't been disappointed.

What a relief to have some daylight, proper unadulterated daylight, two or three days of clear blue skies, longer days and the hint of birdsong. Am I deceiving myself by thinking that the birds are definitely getting chirpier these days? I'm trying to keep things in perspective here and not assuming that Spring has sprung or anything like that but when the indoor flowers start to bloom and their fragrance fills the rooms, it does make my heart skip a beat or two.
Sunshiney yellows can never fail to make you feel just a tad more optimistic.

If you're going to have the blues, best make them the hyacinth blues variety, mix them up with a few books about the great outdoors, some odds and sods from the sewing basket and yes, you can see, I'm getting excited...

But best of all, this morning, when putting away the breakfast things, behind the jar of marmite, in the corner of the cupboard where no hand ever reaches, I notice something -

- a packet of my favourite biscuits that Mr Roses bought me a while ago, forgotten in the chocolate frenzy of the past few weeks. So I'm sitting here with my morning cuppa, with each sip revealing more of the lovely little blue Swallow painted inside, savouring every mouthful of sweet aniseedy biscuit naughtiness, turning a blind eye to all the housework, washing and sewing that I know is ganging up behind me, and just savouring the moment. Marmite, you either love it or hate it

Roses Grow On You (More Good Things in January)

2011-01-14T08:11:00.002Z

Happy Birthday darling Mr Roses! Hope you have a wonderful day and are able to find some fun and sunshine!
Love you
x

Good Things In January...

2011-01-10T13:50:00.002Z

I have to hold my hand up high and say out loud "bleugh" to January. After the excitement of New Year's Eve, the promise of a New Year, the last few days of the holidays and resolutions already on the wane... it is the dark, dark mornings and dark, dark evenings that seem to be taking centre stage.

However, when days like yesterday come along, when the skies are blue, the air as fresh as fresh can be, the grass green with a dusting of frost and you are able to go out into the beautiful countryside with your family, there's not really that much to complain about.
Perhaps the fun is in the searching - whilst January's treasures might not be as apparent or as flamboyant as other months - once discovered they are to be savoured all the more for finding them.

So for the next few days, when I am in my car and the low, low sun makes driving something of an extreme sport, I shall try and remember how beautiful it was to stand in a field and feel that very sun on my face, listen to a robin sing and know that there would be quite a few more bunnies in the field in the next few weeks...
Well I'm gonna give it a go anyway...

One Week...

2011-01-06T13:07:00.009Z

Seven days...

A New Year...

And a whole lot of this in between.

Happy New Year everyone! Sorry this is a bit late, it has taken me a while to emerge from my wintry coccoon. We had a wonderful Christmas, lazy, long days enjoying each other's company, just as it should be. The house seems very quiet at the moment, not that deliciously muffled silence that blankets you on a snowy, wintry walk but the stillness of rooms that just a few days ago were filled with laughter and chocolate wrappers.
Hope you're all embracing the excitement of January (tongue slightly in cheek here) and, like me, are enjoying having absolute control of the chocolate box!
x

PS For any of you who might be in envy of me and the old chocolate box, just like to say that I too am left with only the dreaded soft centres for company!

All Is Calm...

2010-12-24T10:32:00.004Z

All Is Bright...

Well, here at Ragged Roses HQ, we've reached the point, at long last, where Christmas can begin. The run-up has been fraught with lack of hot water, lack of heating, flu, coughs, splutterings and general inertia...

but now, I can safely say (with my fingers crossed), that the pressies have been bought, almost all wrapped, food is in fridge, carrot ready for Rudolph (but alas no mince pie), fires stocked with logs, shelves stacked with chocolate, grins gradually broadening and the house almost, but not quite, tidy and we're ready and oh so excited ...

Let the Festive Orchestra begin, the curtains rise and the wonder of Christmas commence....

Wishing you all a wonderfully Happy, Peaceful and Memory filled Christmas
xxx
See you on the other side!

Baby it's cold outside....

2010-12-14T13:46:00.011Z

Brrrrrrrrr it's cold! Even colder here at the moment since the boiler has taken it upon itself to break down. So here i am typing away frantically trying to move my fingers in an effort to generate some heat. It seems that more snow is on its way too...
A White Christmas would be lovely but I really hope that I get a chance to go into town beforehand to get some much needed Christmas shopping done. To say I have been in denial over the whole Christmas business this year is somewhat of an understatement....

Over in The Emporium, we have been geared up for Christmas since Santa came and opened our Grotto weeks ago. Snow has very kindly settled on the rooftop and snowflakes are settling on the windowpanes of the various departments. There's even a robin happily chirping away next to the chimney top (best make sure Dottie and I don't light too many fires in the stockroom!). This is our second Christmas at the Emporium -where has the time gone? We have been fortunate enough to have been featured in Homes and Antiques and have had so much fun filling the shelves with festive finds.

If, like me, the thought of all those crowds in town, leaves you cold (pardon the pun) or you're simply at home waiting for the boiler man, please pop over to say hello to us in the Stockroom, we've added mince pies to the custard cream tin too. There's something for everyone from dear Auntie Ada to fussy Cousin Cecil.

We have ripping yarns in the Library, sewing yarns in the Sewing Room, dear little bears in the Nursery, or dear little deer in the Grotto. Bohemian glass in the boudoir or Butterfly Blues in the Dovecote..not to mention the odd fairy or two to add to the magic...

We're Strictly Tourist...

2010-12-08T13:59:00.027Z

Well you can't visit Paris without a trip to the old Eiffel Tower can you? After 24 hours roaming the streets of Paris, despite all of the surrounding frenchiness, Little Sister still insisted it didn't feel like Paris because she hadn't seen the Eiffel Tower close up. So our day was planned around her wishes.

After a yummy breakfast at the hotel we strolled along the Seine over to the Right Bank and wandered around the very pretty old streets of the Marais district.

Big Sister wanted to visit a couple of vintage shops that she'd heard about and who was I to say no! Vintage fix fulfilled we headed for the Jewish Quarter, queued in the fastest moving most efficient queue ever for the best falafel in town. Gosh they were delicious.

We stopped at a Jewish baker's for some apple strudel and really loved the jostle and history of the area. If you haven't been it really is worth the visit. I wondered what it must have been like in this area during the war... there were many plaques on walls and we sat beneath the walls of an old Jewish school and read about the tragic fate of many of its pupils.
Tummies full of falafel and strudel we headed for the Rue de Rivoli for some window shopping.

Along and along and along we strolled, past the Louvre to the tearooms that I wanted to show the girls

- Angelina's tea rooms, a favourite haunt of Chanel in her heyday. We stood noses pressed at the windows and savoured the rows and rows of delicacies, each a work of art, the glistening marble worktops, the sparkling chandeliers and the very chic Parisiens taking their tea...

This whetted our appetites for a spot of Chanel hunting so we went along to the Place Vendome to take a peep... none of us finding the courage to enter of course - our woolly berets and scarves didn't seem to quite cut the mustard. Still it was good to daydream...

By this time (a full six hours of walking) our legs needed a rest. How lovely the Jardins de Tuileries are. Having only visited them before in the summer i was so surprised and delighted to see them in their Autumn glory. It was very easy to imagine the area centuries ago, an Impressionist painting come to life. We sat for a while and decided to stroll around the fountain ... but my what was this

This beautiful lady had to avert her eyes...

But he was not the only one,,,

They were all at it....

A hasty retreat and several laughing fits later saw us at the bottom of the Champs Elysee looking up towards the Arc De Triomphe. Never have I seen such traffic and yes, of course, Mr Roses, decided to stand in the middle of it all to take yet another of his 100s of photos of the Arc...

We were truly weary by this point but there to our left on the horizon was the Tower, enticing and calling us. Further and further we walked and larger and larger it loomed.

It is a beautiful thing, I think I appreciated it beauty much much more this time around. Surrounded by the autumn shades of the trees, it just is magnificent. We posed and took photos and posed some more... for Little Sister it truly felt like our Parisian adventure had begun.

Too tired to walk back to the hotel we decided to take a batobus along the Seine towards Notre Dame. Never have my feet felt so relieved and it was lovely to see the sights from the comfort and beauty of the river.

I think, or would like to think, that the sun was just waiting for us to arrive at Notre Dame before it set, for there in a matter of seconds the whole cathedral was bathed in the most glorious golden light of early evening.
More strolling around in the evening followed, a lovely meal in a wonderful little bistro next to the Pantheon that made us feel like we were at home and a last evening walk around the beautiful Latin Quarter. Incredibly, it was so mild and we were so lucky, that we were able to stroll around without our coats eating beautiful flower shaped ice creams, it doesn't get much better.

Paris may well be the most romantic city of all, but trust me, after a day of walking there is NOTHING better than to slip on your PJs, run lukewarm water into the tiniest bath in the world, nab a corner of the bath to sit on with your daughters and to dip those aching feet ...

The next day the rain cleared whilst we were having breakfast,

we reluctantly said farewell to our lovely hotel and headed

north to Montmartre. We arrived in brilliant sunlight,

the crowds thronged,

the sites were as beautiful as ever and it may remind you of every postcard

(The shop in Amelie)

you've ever seen but there is something oh so special about this little village on the hill.

The old alleyways, the plaques everywhere that remind you of its history, the climb up to the top of Sacre Coeur, the breathtaking views of the city and finding the time to sit on some steps to take it all in.

And believe me, there was an awful lot to take in!

PS - for those of you who asked here is the link to the
hotel.

Bonjour Paris!

2010-11-18T12:41:00.023Z

I still can't believe that it is 23 years since I was last in Paris with a young Mr Roses on a very romantic weekend break. It feels like yesterday...
Fast forward 23 years, two daughters and five cats later, and we're back in one of my favourite cities. Never ones to rush into things, we certainly took our time about returning but it was so worth the wait.

Our last visit was pure indulgence - young and child-free we roamed the streets and river bank till late in the night. This time with the girls in tow we decided to let them choose. Anticipating a very different stay in Paris, we were surprised to find that once again our days were full of walking - walking here, there and everywhere, from early in the morning till late at night. And the four of us found it just as romantic as ever.
As we were only there for three days, we knew we had to cram in as much as possible and as much as little legs could manage. So, grab a cuppa, put on your comfiest walking shoes and join us...

We decided to stay once more in the Latin Quarter, our favourite quartier in Paris. Just a few streets away from where we stayed all those years ago, yes, you see, we are creatures of habit. The wonderful thing about Paris, and there are many wonderful things, is that you never know what is going on behind those doors, doors leading onto courtyards, gardens, wonderful centuries old apartments, giving no hints of the secrets they hold.

We had of course seen photos of our hotel before arriving but were rather apprehensive when we saw the closed doors on the rather nondescript street. Well, we needn't have worried - open the doors and we were transported to provincial France, we could have been anywhere.

Cobblestones leading us into a pretty hidden courtyard, pink washed buildings with shutter framed windows on all sides and the autumn coloured leaves framing our view.

It was perfect! Our bedroom turned out to be very French, so glad we did not have to much of the vin while we were there as we would have experienced serious difficulties distinguishing the soft furnishings from the wardrobe!

A view out on to shuttered rooms,

the house where Ernest Hemmingway lived opposite and the one where James joyce finished writing Ulysses just a couple of doors away. We were truly steeped in Parisian history and we hadn't even left the building!

So, less than two hours after stepping off Eurostar we began our Grand Tour. Through the gorgeous, gorgeous streets of the Latin Quarter we skipped, marvelling at the beauty that was everywhere.

Spotting as many Metro signs as we could. Grinning as we watched the very stylish Parisians going about their business, speaking their beautiful language.

The girls wanted to see Notre Dame so we made for the river.

I really wanted to see the Seine above everything else. For me, you don't really feel like you've done Paris until you've walked along the riverbank.

Well Notre Dame wove its magic, a truly spectacular building. Looking even more beautiful on this sun kissed autumn afternoon. We walked down to the River Seine and strolled along the banks, I know people tell you about visiting Paris in the spring, well I've been in the spring and in the summer but Paris in the autumn is gorgeous! Really gorgeous!
Because our youngest daughter had never been before, everything was special and this made it special for us too. Slowly she lost her shyness and the new french words she was learning at school began to flow.

We headed along the river to the Musee D'Orsay to see some paintings, making use of the late night closing on Thursdays.

.Aware that we wouldn't have the time to see them all, we headed for the Van Gogh, Renoir and post impressionist paintings. I was surprised at just how moved we all were to see the Van Gogh paintings, they were truly stunning.
We headed back along the river towards the hotel and literally collapsed on our beds! We needed food and we needed it fast!

After eating at a lovely little restaurant near Notre Dame we went back towards the river and fell in love! If you ever get to Paris please go to this bookshop = Shakespeare and Company.

It is steeped in history and possibly one of the most romantic shops I have ever visited.

Mr Roses said that it is probably the easiest place to imagine falling in love, bumping into somebody as you chose a book from the old wooden shelves, chatting, chatting and then going for a stroll along the river...

We tore ourselves away from the old books and managed to squeeze in a walk along the river before bed.

I remembered the last time we'd done this, Mr Roses and I, and told the girls that it had been oh so romantic until I realised that the black dots I'd kept noticing were really rats and I truly scarpered. Not to be put off this time we set off for our moonlit stroll, until Big Sister of course noticed the scurrying in the corners once more turned out to be rats and we legged it as fast as we can back towards the hotel.

We strolled along the Boulevard Saint Germain,

past famous cafes,

did a spot of window shopping and just soaked it all up.

We were of course really tired but oh so excited about being there, and decided to take the girls to see the Pantheon at night. I fell in love with this building even more, lit up like this, it looked so majestic. I can't remember how many times I strolled round and round it.

So we reached our hotel room, our little legs even shorter than when we started and we closed the shutters, shut out the French singsong that was our backdrop and had one of our best sleeps ever... knowing that there were two more days ahead to savour.

Lest We Forget...

2010-11-11T08:49:00.002Z

Guess....

2010-11-02T12:40:00.010Z

Where we went during half term?

How about another clue?

Just to make sure.... (please watch this, it'll bring a smile and some sunshine on even the greyest day, and we did spend three whole days singing it as we strolled round the beautiful city)

And when my little legs have recovered from the 12 hours walking a day that we did, I shall be back to tell all.
Au revoir mes amis!

Turn left down memory lane

2010-10-24T09:38:00.007Z

I think it was sometime in early September that I heard a feature on Saturday morning Radio 4 about sound sculptures. Listeners recalling sounds from their childhood that are so special, that awaken lots of feelings and emotions in them. Now, if I were to be chosen to take part in Desert Island Discs (Haha), I would find it impossible to come up with my definitive list of songs. I am sn impossible chooser, will dither and dither and never feel fully satisfied that I have included all my favourite choices. I am absolutely hopeless at that kind of thing. But for some reason, as soon as I heard that feature on the radio, I knew immediately what mine would be. It's a sound that takes me back to my early childhood, that offers me a sense of security and snugness. A sound that I can hear in my head as if I just heard it...
The sound of the indicator on my parent's car. Not the sound of car indicators these days, they're far too sleek and purring. No, the slighty clinky clunky, automated tick tocking that I would hear whilst sitting in the back seat on a car journey with my parents. I don't know why it conjures up so many memories but it always does, and it always makes me feel happy. The thought of it makes me remember weekend evening journeys home from visiting aunts and uncles, driving through London dark, late and exciting. The murmur of my parents' chatting in the front and me cosy in the back with the pillows and blankets that they would always pack for the home journey for me. I would snuggle down (before compulsory seat belts!), my head a mix of excitement and woe at the thought of the oncoming school week, watching the streetlights whizz past. lulled into a gentle sleep by the sound of my parents conversation and knowing that whilst feeling this snug, school felt like years away. All of this accompanied by that gentle ticktocking of those indicators...
There could be nothing better - except perhaps the sound of those gentle clicking indicators against a background of rain, gently falling on the windscreen, now that's pure happiness! Of course nowadays, the sound of rain whilst I'm driving does nothing for me except make me slightly nervous, but I have noticed a similar look on my daughters when they were younger, bundled up in the back of the car, excited, contented and cosy.
I'm not sure if this is just a family thing. The other day in Sainsbury's the man at the till was talking to me about the rain and telling me how comforting he finds the sound of it and I told him about my indicators and how the icing on the cake for me and my indicators would be rain and I waited for the baffled look he would give me, but instead he broke into a broad smile and said "yes, I know exactly what you mean - but it has to be at least 30 year old indicators!" ... at least I'm not alone.
Do you have a sound that takes you back? That's there without you even thinki ng about it, that's easier to conjure up than a list of songs to take to that Desert Island?

Young and Sweet, only 17...

2010-10-14T00:01:00.001Z

So. judging by the candles in the photo, there's a birthday round here...my they come round fast. Surely not 17 candles lined up in a row? No. I'm not going to go all gushy, though I easily could. Just want to wish my darling beautiful girl the bestest of birthdays and the sweetest of years. And in the words of that 17 year old "Dancing Queen", have "The time of your life." Love you x

Come On In...

2010-10-08T08:12:00.023Z

Ooo I wish this was my very own home that I was showing you round! I have never ever walked into a building and immediately felt so 'at home"' (wishful thinking) and relaxed. It may have something to do with the sheer relief of finally being away on holiday but I think there is something very special about life at "The Mission", the atmosphere is so special, 'chiled' is the only word that springs to mind.

We made a deal on the journey, well, to be honest, I begged and begged to be able to take photos of the place before we unpacked, before the flotsam and jetsam of holiday luggage took over, You don't really want to be seeing our kagools, flip flops and wellies all over the place do you?

One photo I wish I had been able to take was our faces when we walked through those big red doors... We felt as if we had stumbled upon a photo shoot...

so unlike our own home, very 'grown up'. We squealed as we ran from room to room, marvelling at the rooms and the detail.

Kitsch, retro, eclectic, vintage but so so so comfortable.

We had booked this wonderful place for a week.

A last minute cancellation meant that this gorgeous home, intended for eight, was ours.

The four of us in this huge building,

daughters sleeping in what was the old Sunday school building attached to the Mission Hall,

us sleeping upstairs in the wonderful white cube in the centre of the beautiful wooden hall.

We danced around the sofas, Big Sister singing Ella Fitzgerald at the top of her voice,

we cosied up on the sofas around the woodburning stove (no, we weren't blessed with the best of weather, but you can't have it all).

We battled on the table football, determined to beat Mr Roses.

We took turns reclining underneath the icons,

posing on the old cinema seats.

making a feast of every meal.

We sat curled up on cosy chairs and read (what a treat that was)

We played games

In short, we had fun, good old fun, together as a family.

Thank you Helen and thank you Mr Roses
x

Mission Accomplished

2010-09-29T17:05:00.008Z

As you know, the Roses' summer wasn't the best on record, it was a very up and down affair and by the end of it we all desperately needed a holiday. We hadn't actually been away together as a family for five years and were beginning to feel it... At the end of every week, M and I would have this long chat about whether we would/wouldn/t be able to manage a short break away and as my dad's health was so up and down we felt that the answer would inevitably be no...

So you can imagine my surprise when two days before M was due his annual leave, my father gave the thumbs up to us going away, our dream holiday destination had a last minute cancellation and it seemed that the "Holiday gods" (to coin a phrase from the incredibly funny book "The Tent The Bucket And Me" by Emma Kennedy) were smiling down on us.
So we set out on a wet, dreary Friday 13th on our summer adventure...

And I should have known as soon as I saw the front door everything would be alright. With its colours resembling our very own Emporium and a sign waiting to greet us, I knew it was meant to be...

To be continued ...

Sweet peas, honey bees & daisies

2010-09-22T14:39:00.007Z

If I type this very quietly maybe nobody will notice that I'm not behind my sewing machine, beavering away. I promised myself a sewing day but I Just wanted to say that I hope you are all having some of this beautiful sunshine today. Sun shining from the moment I sprang out of bed (well 'sprang' not really the word, since I seem to have broken yet another toe!), all day long and I even managed to eat my lunch in the garden too.

You could almost be forgiven for thinking it was summer - the summer that never was... There is of course the whiff of Autumn in the air and we have woken up this week to seamists, the whiff of changing seasons in the air and holly trees bedecked in frosty jewelled cobwebs.

So when days like these come along, you have to seize them and enjoy. Almost as much as I am enjoying these lovely posters that we have recently added to our Emporium - let the sunshine in indeed!
Enjoy your week.
PS Holiday photos have been uploaded! And some time between now and Christmas at this rate I'm going to share them with you. Here's a clue - we went on a mission....

Almost tea time...

2010-09-16T19:41:00.003Z

I sat down this afternoon, put the kettle on, put some cupcakes in the oven to bake, found the magazine I'd been wanting to read all week, planned out what I was going to share with you about our holiday in my next blog post and in true "Would you believe it?" fashion, the phone rang, my youngest daughter was feeling poorly and needed collecting from school.
Apart from being one of the longest sentences I've written, it goes to show you that you just can't have your cake and eat it ... well not until you've driven to school, the tea's gone cold and you've spent an hour or two administering calpol and run out of time to read your magazine.
I WILL, I WILL get those holiday photos uploaded - promise!

September Sunshine

2010-09-06T08:16:00.005Z

Thank you all so much for the lovely and kind comments on my last post. I am very relieved to say that my father seems to be on the mend, although it is a very slow process. Unlike the hands on the clock which seemed to have whizzed round this summer and we now find ourselves in September...
Whilst it may not have been the best of summers for us here at the Ragged Roses house, there have been many, many reasons to smile. Days of sitting on a sunny beach were few and far between but moments of sheer happiness have been savoured:

Seeing my father last week, up and dressed and being his usual naughty self...

The sound of my eldest daughter's voice when she rang home to tell us her GCSE results - amidst all the doom and gloom, her hard work had been rewarded, her dream results were achieved and the maths calculator banished! I don't think I will ever forget the sound of her voice on the phone that day...

Mr Roses surprising us gals with a very unexpected return trip to see "Wicked". A show made to make your spirits soar if ever there was one. Only to be matched by the size of the beams on my daughters' faces when the curtain rose...

Watching Little Sister trundle off on her first day to Secondary School last week. Completely swamped by the size of her schoolbag and PE kit and returning home relieved and just a little bit older...

Spending the day with her yesterday as she completed her first bit of homework. Rewarding ourselves with a batch of homemade brownies and a much awaited cuddle on the sofa whilst singing along to DVD of Mama Mia...

Emails and phone calls from friends who have been so kind to me this summer and, yes Dottie, what would i have done without you?

The first evening of our holidays when I started to laugh hysterically and realised that I hadn't laughed for a very long time... Oh yes, we even managed a little holiday and i have lots to say about that very soon!

Nothing But Blue Skies...

2010-08-13T07:03:00.004Z

Hello! Remember me? Sorry for the silence it has not been the best of holidays so far - my father has been in hospital and I have spent my time with him and returning home now and again to see the girls. Apart from feeling miserably tired and worried, I have been suffering from that age old problem of guilt - trying to be both a good daughter and a good mother has been very difficult, and I have felt that I failed miserably at both.
But the holidays are not yet over, it may be grey and wet outside but let's hope there are blue skies on the horizon, sandcastles waiting to be built, cuddles on the sofa, days spent together and many happy days to remember. Wishing you all Bonnes Vacances - speak soon x

Now We Are One...

2010-07-23T11:40:00.004Z

Well almost..

On the 25th July 2009.. Milly and Dottie put on their starched pinafores and smiles and opened the doors to their exciting new emporium.. otherwise known as Milly & Dottie's Emporium.
We have had great pleasure in welcoming visitors from far and wide, many who have shared our journey through this first year of enterprise
We would very much like you to join us in our 1st Birthday Celebrations this weekend... by putting on your best party frock and a fresh ribbon in your hair. There will be jellies and ice-cream, sticky buns galore, cucumber sandwiches and a delicious iced birthday cake with 1 pretty candle to blow out.

To celebrate our 1st anniversary we have a whole new exciting department to browse with the party occasion in mind.. 'Pass the Parcel' which has all kinds of everything to provide for your own vintage party.

Would you please join us in singing...

Happy Birthday to us
Happy Birthday to us
Happy Birthday dear Milly & Dottie's Emporium
Happy Birthday to us..

Hurrah !!

It's party time !

Petal Power

2010-07-14T12:22:00.013Z

A few weeks ago amidst all the sunshine and flowers (before all the petals falling from the leaves in the rain) some friends came round for an evening, It was quite a last minute thing and it was such a hot day that we just couldn't bring ourselves to go to the supermarket. So Mr Roses trotted off to the local Turkish shop to buy all manner of things - olives, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes etc and popped into the offy for a bottle of Pimms. I set to work making some Greek salad and chopping up a melon we had in the fridge, I knew the kids would want something sweet and treaty so I made some cupcakes and, because it was such a perfect summer's evening and reminded me of summer's evenings when I was little. I decided to make some rose petal syrup to add to the icing. Oh how I love collecting the petals and filling the house with the gentle scent of rose, so so many memories for me. The cakes were a success, not too sweet and just rosy scented enough not to be too cloying, or maybe by then the Pimms had set in...

We have this year been making a concerted effort to grow more veg in the garden. I bought Mr Roses a raised bed and polytunnel and all the gubbins for his birthday and we have been feasting (or rather, sharing with the slugs and snails) on salads and chard and strawberries. The other week I caught sight of our first courgette flower which was just so beautiful. I was tempted to fry it in batter but couldn't bring myself to for fear of no others appearing and a complete lack of courgettes. I shouldn't have worried, the plant hasn't stopped flowering every since and we are looking forward to 101 ways to cook a courgette...

At the end of June, lovely Emma from Sew Recycled joined me on our second elderflower picking excursion. Following last year's adventures, who knew that picking elderflowers could be such fun, we decided to give it a go again.

This time we chose a swelteringly hot day to saunter up onto the Downs and whilst the scenery looked beautiful bathed in the sunshine, it did make us even slower than usual, or was that just all the nattering I wonder?

Emma, fully armed

Armed with our secateurs, bucket, walking sticks and gloves we braved the nettles and hills and set forth. It wasn't the heat that was worrying us as much as the thought of the grass snakes which explains why we were found every few minutes to be tapping the ground noisily with those walking sticks - Indiana joneses we are not!

It was hot and thirsty work and we had a lot of catching up to do, so as soon as our buckets were half full we sat in the shade with a bottle of ginger beer and some baklava that our friends had brought to our rose cupcakes and Pimms evening. It wasn't quite Enid Blyton with the baklava but the ginger beer made us giggle and it was good to be chewing the cud with my lovely friend again.

Once more the day ran away with us and we were up against it time wise to get the elderflowers steeping in the sugary syrup before we had to collect our children from school. Once more we grappled with the measurements and finer details but felt confident that all would be well.

The next day Emma came round for the grand bottling. Armed this time with doughnuts we were prepared. Perhaps we did not have enough mishaps as we did last time round but the one huge mistake was pouring the sweet sticky ambery liquid into the bottles whilst eldest daughter was in the shower. Under strict instructions from her, not to turn on the hot tap, we were left covered in sticky sugary syrup for what seemed an age, the taps were sticky the work surfaces too - so that's another thing we've learnt for next year.

However, the rewards were sweet, very sweet and lemony and flowery. We took the first two glasses with our doughnuts into the garden, sat on the bench and enjoyed the fruits of our labour. Mmmm, here's to next year!

Times For Elevenses

2010-07-05T08:01:00.005Z

So today is my youngest daughter's birthday - today she goes to spend the day at her new secondary school. A taster day for her and a tester day for me! A big letting go, a huge step forward and lots of birthday cuddles.
Eleven years! Eleven years! Round and round like the horses on the roundabout, the months and the years have flown past - birthday parties have come and gone until we found ourselves yesterday partying on the beach with a bunch of her friends, shrieking and giggling and eating and wondering at how that little bundle of mischief has grown over the past eleven years.
Happy Birthday sweetpea, may your day be full of giggles and friendship

Love you xxxx

Friday Smiling Faces

2010-07-02T12:54:00.004Z

Thank you all so much for the jelly love! It's good to know that I'm not alone in enjoying a bit of a wobble every now and then!
I've just caught sight of the time and realised that I won't have time to write the blog post that I intended (nor indeed catch up on all your lovely blogs and news) - so I'll share with you some photos of my daughter's windowbox taken this morning.
A box full of brilliantly smiling floral faces greet her in the morning as she pulls back her bedroom curtains. A myriad of colours to dazzle and brighten her day. All the better for her having chosen the seed, planting them and tending them herself.
Too good to keep to yourself don''t you think? Please enjoy them and hope you find some smiling faces of your own this weekend.

(Sorry too that the photos may be out of focus, I'm not very good at dangling out of high windows, camera in hand!)

Time For A Wobble?

2010-06-25T12:12:00.001Z

What is it about jelly? The shape of it? The taste of it? Its texture or just simply the way it wobbles? Whatever it is it never fails to bring on a case of the giggles whenever it is served at this house. Not that it is served that often and maybe that's something I should remedy because a serious fit of the giggles is never to be sneezed at!
I heard the other day somebody mention that they were going to make a special supper for their eldest child after an exam and that there would be jelly. Big Sister who was at that time, just embarking on the long and intense timetable of GCSEs that lay before her, needed cheering up. What a brilliant idea, nothing better, she's loved jelly since she was tiny.

What could be easier than making a jelly. I've made and eaten dozens of them, I could say I could make them blindfolded but that's the point, I almost did... Never, ever make your jelly without your glasses on. The oh so simple task of adding hot water to the contents of a packet is deceptively tricky if you can't read the measurements on your measuring jug. There was I gaily adding water and stirring and pouring contents into mould after mould, wondering why a) my jelly seemed to be resembling the everlasting porridge pot and b) questioning the thermostat on the fridge as the jelly just remained as liquid as the day it was born... Several hours and watery jelly moulds later I found my glasses, emptied the bin to retrieve the jelly instructions and realised my mistake. Poor old Big Sister came home in such a mood that I daren't even tell her the story of the jelly that might have been...

Last weekend I not only remembered to buy some more jelly but set to make them with glasses and magnifying glass at hand. Do you know what? This time the jelly only filled one mould! How simple was that? Not that simple, because basking in my reflective glory and smugness I forgot to get the jelly out of the fridge and give it to anyone. It was only the next day that it was found wobbling in all its glory.

Sunday night we had our jelly. Shimmering, jewel like, resplendent in its wobbliness it sat on our table. And then the laughter began... the first little wobble, the first squelch, the sight of the little domes... need I say more?

The exams are now over here, thank goodness. I don't think I have ever seen my daughter work so hard and feel so tired. She asked me the other day if I was proud of her - I couldn't begin to say just how much. It's not the marks that matter, it's the fact that she got through it with more smiles and maturity than we ever imagined, the fact that for hours she sat revising subjects that she neither really understood nor liked and, sorry huge proud mummy moment here, that whenever I look at her I am filled with the deepest pride and love. I only wish there had been a jelly and some of her little sister's mischievous giggles to greet her after every exam.

(We have a selection of jelly moulds in our Scullery

So now the exams are all over, the summer lies ahead and I for one am stockpiling the jelly and waiting for the jelly jokes... you don't need to have an exam to have a wobble!

Why not?

2010-06-21T09:15:00.010Z

There shouldn't really be any need to find an excuse to add some magic to your day, but just in case:

Because it's Monday
Because, for us, there's just one more exam to go...
Because when your garden is full of little sweet floral treasures, you need to make the most of them
Because our days could do with a bit of sparkle
Because 21st June just wouldn't be 21st June without a bit of this
Because Big Sister couldn't bear the thought of not
Because it's what Cassandra does...
Because what would be the point of having the longest day without celebrating it?
Hope you find some magic and mischief today, maybe we don't really need to find an excuse after all...

Pink & White & Blue All Over...

2010-06-15T08:20:00.008Z

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on my last post. We are on the home run on the exams front, my father's operation has had to be postponed for a while, I have finally managed to catch up on some of the sleep that has been eluding me for the past couple of months and, this weekend, instead of taking my father into hospital, I had the unexpected and very welcome prospect of some time at home.

We had a lazy weekend, each doing something we wanted and, most of all, just being kind to ourselves. Indulging in little things that make big differences. For me this meant time with my family, in my garden, reading, watching the match, and, on Sunday going for one of our long walks in search of blue skies.

Sometimes you feel there's just not enough of you to go round yet when you're out there on the hills, underneath those big blue skies you cannot fail to believe, even if for the few moments that you are out walking, that things will work out well in the end.

Well it worked for me anyway...

I love Sussex. I love its velvety hills, its Downland,

its meandering rivers

and its hedgerows.

I even love the way it makes my legs feel after walking through it.

So, yes, in many ways it was a good weekend, in many ways it was a "just what the doctor ordered" kind of weekend. Some sleep, sunshine, peace of mind and my first bunch of roses from the garden. I picked some to put with my raspberry rippled peonies and they fill the room with their gorgeous scent that conjures up so many memories, and there they sit, pink, no longer rambling, but very rosy.

Playing Catch Up

2010-06-08T20:34:00.008Z

It's a bit of a fraught time here at the Roses house. Big Sister is in the middle of her exams, toughest week so far, my father is
poorly and I have been feeling the stress with a capital "S".

Lots of things I'd like to write about but I don't seem to have the energy, so please enjoy the poppies - they've been a long time coming this year and I'm hoping they'll last the week with all this rain about.

Even when things aren't that good they still bring a smile to my face. Just like my daughter, who in the midst of her history revision is making me giggle with her 100 ways to wear a headscarf routine. I'll be back soon I hope. x

PS, there's a new blog post over at Milly and Dottie's , no poppies I'm afraid, but a lot more words! Have a good week.

A Walk On The Wild Side

2010-06-03T07:41:00.012Z

On Bank Holiday Monday we decided to make a picnic, go out for a walk and get some air. Particularly needed for Big Sister who has spent most of the past month or so in her room, turret-like, poring (or not) over her books and computer in the name of revision. So the plan was lunch on the Downs, a brisk walk up and down the hill and back in time for an hour or two in the garden. What's that saying about the "best laid plans..."
It felt so good to be back on top of the Downs again, to look out towards the horizon, to see big skies,

fields of rape,
green fields, knowing the sea was just a twinkle away (as were the bank holiday crowds)
We literally scrambled down the chalk paths, it was good to be walking arm in arm with my eldest daughter (I've missed her recently, having lost her to exams).
We sat amongst the hills and ate our lunch and laughed and were silly in a way that only a family can be, those silly family jokes that are too embarrassing to share with anyone else...

Fortified by lunch we decided to venture further and walk into the village.

We've done this walk a million times and could do it blindfold but that would be pointless as we would miss all the wonderful delights that nature had in store for us.
Past hedgerows of billowing cow parsley and corn cockles,

fields of horses and rabbits

A chance encounter with this fearsome creature that conjured up all sorts of Withnail and I quotes

Past pretty cottages dressed in their very best

An unexpected greeting (very unexpected) from a canine friend

And then a look at our watches reminded us that time was slipping through our fingers

On our way back, our feet not being quite so light of step, Big Sister spotted a path we hadn't used before...

And then it all went downhill (well only in a figurative sense, because it seemed very much uphill from that point).

All seemed well for a while, we crossed fields of buttercups and daisies
And more fields and more...

As the temperature rose and the blisters increased, Little Sister decided to gather dock leaves and stuff them in her pockets as our stings grew and the nettles were everywhere. The laughter began to wane and I heard whimpers ahead of me "This is the worst day of my life... why did we listen to C?... it's all her fault... I hope we've got enough dock leaves, I know we're going to need them...I've got a tummy ache, my feet hurt".

At this point we would have used semaphore to get the attention of this man, but our arms were to weary to be waved.

We literally stumbled into this gothic pile, and felt like we had walked onto the set of "Atonement". But alas no sign of Mr McAvoy.
No cars could we hear, no roads could we see, nothing except those darned stinging nettles...
Finally, finally we found a stile that led us to a path we recognised.
I mustered enough energy to stride on ahead of everyone as I seemed unable to speak AND walk and Little Sister had developed the nasty habit of calling my name incessantly for the last fifteen minutes which she found very very amusing.

Five hours later, can I say that never, ever has our own front door looked so sweet...

Away Day

2010-05-31T08:44:00.009Z

On Friday Mr Roses and I had an away day. We felt like two children playing hooky, two adults taking a "Sickie". Eldest Rose was sitting an exam and the youngest Rose was at school so the two of us oldies decided to have a much needed few hours together away from the daily routine.

We took the train to St Leonards (I love this train journey, across the beautiful Sussex countryside and then chugging alongside the sea) and walked along the seafront to Hastings. It was just what I needed, the calm and quiet, the breeze from the sea,

the chance to look out and to look up.

The chance to notice beautiful buildings I had never noticed before.

The chance to be just a tad self indulgent and wander through the streets of the old town, admiring again the lovely old houses, dipping in and out of the antique shops.

There seems to be always a quiet street here, wandering past the beautiful old houses and cottages,

just a stone's throw from the bustling seafront.

We went to the baker's and bought our picnic lunch. We sat on the beach in the fishing quarter with the sea in front of us, the fishermen's boats to one side and the old fish smokehouses behind us and devoured our sandwiches and cakes and glugged our bottles of lemonade. If it weren't for the very cold breeze, I think I'd still be sitting there....

We strolled a little more and stopped at the sweetshop to buy some little white bags of goodies - milk bottles, toasted teacakes and giant strawberries to share with the girls when we got home (although I have to admit the toasted teacakes didn't last the journey home).

So all in all it was a very quiet day, doing nothing that out of the ordinary. But a very special day, a day away from the normal routine, a day spent just a few miles further along the coast line but felt light years away from my normal Friday routine. Thanks M, I needed it. x

Milly & Dottie's Jolly Good Read

2010-05-26T08:02:00.006Z

Just a quickie to let you know about a new competition we're running over at The Emporium - Milly and Dottie's Jolly Good Read.
As our thoughts to turn to Summer Holidays and the inevitable pile of books that will be accompanying us, we decided to compile a list of favourite vintage books chosen by you.
What we would like to know is, what kind of book tickles your fancy? Is it flora and fauna? Meringues and macaroons? Kitchen sinks and afternoon teas? Jolly good adventures or a mystery or two? Is it Aunty Fanny's fruit cake and a Famous Five mystery that ticks your boxes or a touch of blackberry picking with Milly Molly Mandy? Please let us know...
For further details please see our blog and send all entries to us via our email. So if you're feeling bookish we'd love to hear from you and one lucky winner will receive a jolly good read as a prize...

Sunshine o'clock

2010-05-24T13:59:00.011Z

Well the sun finally came and boy did it shine! What a wonderful weekend - sunshine, lazy days and blue skies. On Saturday morning we visited a local plant sale which is held at the end of the festival and filled our bags and baskets with flowers and veg. By late morning we knew it was going to be a scorcher and made plans to lie low in the garden.

Even with the beach on our doorstep, the garden seemed the perfect place to be. Our new plants sat for a while on the garden table as we waited until early evening to plant them. Cushions, blankets, newspapers, books and games were scattered across the garden and all we had to do was sit and turn the pages, throw a dice and stagger in for a drink or two.

I found a recipe in the paper for a cake that sounded so tempting and, surprisingly for one that I found I had all the ingredients. I mustered enough energy to slink into the cool of the kitchen and make this very tasty cake, which was very easy to make, even on a sweltering day. Perfect for eating under the apple tree.

We took it turns to lie on the hammock. I looked up at the sky and marvelled at its colour next to the slowly returning leaves of the ash tree at the bottom of the garden.

At times it was just too hot and we all took shelter, the sky being even bluer than the parasol.

Little Sister reclaimed her favourite spot for reading, up in the apple tree. Big Sister managed to perfect her tan and revise (oh how I hated having to revise when I was younger, it was always on the hottest days, when all I really wanted to be doing was swimming or lying in the sun doing nothing at all).

And the sun brought out the Dr Dolittle in Mr Roses. Using the bird calls that I bought him for his birthday, he decided to "talk" to all the birds in the neighbourhood and it worked! Within minutes we had a semi circle of birds in the trees around us all chirping away, one very happy Mr Roses and two very bemused cats...
But what was best of all about Saturday was that it was a day that passed at its own pace - no rushing around, no shopping or crowds, no noise apart from the birds and Mr Roses and a sense that the day had been truly savoured and yet nothing much had been really "done".

Friday Flowers

2010-05-21T13:53:00.010Z

On the walk to school this morning I passed by a front garden filled with brightly coloured wallflowers, the colours of your favourite boiled sweets in an old fashioned jar in an old fashioned sweet shop. Amongst them sat forget-me-nots, their delicate heads nodding in the gentle breeze. As I walked past the air was full of the scent of those wallflowers and I was immediately transported back to the field at my primary school.

They must have been planted somewhere amongst the trees or in one of the borders, for the scent of those flowers took me back immediately to that field amidst the daisies, playing with my friends on what seemed to be very hot summer playtimes. They also conjured up the colours of the sashes we used to have to wear on Sports Day to differentiate our teams, I was always yellow and the sight of us all lined up on the field with our coloured stripes reminded me of the ribbons hanging from the maypole that we also used to dance round at this time of year.
All this from a few seconds passing a front garden...

Today has been a glorious day, Beautifully hot, lovely and still and a chance to savour the garden, listen to the birds and to sit in the garden, on the bench and dangle my hand indolently over the cat's tummy as she lies belly up slowly melting in the sun.

At the back of the garden the ceonathus has really taken off this year and looks so lovely against the ivy covered walls.

Under the apple tree the last few remaining bluebells sit.

The alliums are coming out to play for the weekend

and stand majestically amongst the muddle of the borders.

I managed to save a lone anemone from the slugs and placed in a vase and brought it

I picked the first two peonies from the front garden to accompany it
And photographed them to share with you

Have a lovely weekend and especially for all of you who are in the middle of exams
and, moreover, for all of you LIVING with people taking exams - take time to smell the flowers.

Window shopping

2010-05-17T09:28:00.016Z

A few weeks ago when we went up to London to visit The Transport Museum, we indulged in a spot of retail therapy... for me this involved a visit to two of my all time favourites and whilst no pennies left my purse I left the shops feeling as happy as if my shopping bag were full.

There are some shops you dream of owning, some shops you can't wait to leave, some shops you visit out of necessity and some out of curiosity. Well, Persephone Books and Penhaligon's belong firmly in the first category in my book, excuse the pun.
I love everything about a visit to the Persephone bookshop in Lambs Conduit Street, from its soft dove grey, modest exterior,

to the book lined shelves, the poster covered walls, the soft draping fabrics, the mugs,

notebooks and parcels waiting to be sent. I hear that they have had a bit of a turn around lately and the book covered table has changed but I can't imagine this making me love the place any the less.

There is a quietness and domesticity about the place that makes me feel instantly "at home".

The feeling that the women working in the shop love the books as much as the customer, that each title is revered and stands alone and really doesn't need much in terms of publicity and hype.

I could browse all day and even Mr Roses succumbed this time and left with a new book to add to his collection. Huge thank you to the staff for letting me take some photos to share.

Just off the hurly burly of Covent Garden sits Penhaligon's in Wellington Street. A beautiful old fashioned shop with wooden shelves filled with the most marvellous, marvellous scents and packaging. It's hard to refrain from trying them all, even Mr Roses left with his hands daubed in lily of the valley handcream and wandered round the streets and sniffing his hands and proclaiming loudly how good it was! For my eldest daughter it is the home of her dream perfume, Bluebell, her 16th birthday present, the chosen scent of her literary heroine, Cassandra from "I Capture the Castle". For my youngest daughter is a chance to smell as many flowers as possible and imagine herself camping in the woods, so evocative are the scents. For me it is a chance to indulge in my memories, on this last visit I was overcome by smells that reminded me of my mother's handbag and the staff told us that this was a frequent happening. People often visited the shop to smell again the favourite scents of lost loved ones, so strong and evocative is the association.
It is a very old fashioned shop with really friendly staff and if. like me, you don't have the pennies to indulge, this needn't stop you going along to take a sniff...

As we walked along the streets of Bloomsbury we gazed at the old beautiful Georgian buildings and did a spot of plaque reading, here lived Lytton Strachey, member of the Bloomsbury Group. We walked round the squares and followed their footsteps...

At lunch we sat and gazed out of the restaurant window and looked out onto the beautiful quintessentially English buildings through garlic string curtains.

And finally I popped into this shop, Anthropologie, not so much for me, but for all the blog readers that have fallen in love with this place.
It was a riot of flora and fauna, the shop window,

lighting and exotically planted walls were a sight for sore eyes, just amazing.

But if I had to choose, I'm sorry to say it would be the quieter shops that take my fancy. Give me a Persephone any day...

New Shoots...

2010-05-12T12:19:00.004Z

Ooo I'm very excited, those two little minxes, Milly and Dottie, have started their own blog! I knew they were up to something, there was a lot of giggling going on in that stockroom... Do pop along and say hello, I think it's going to be fun!
x

Happy Mondays...

2010-05-10T11:13:00.005Z

So today is my eldest daughter's last day at school... how can that be? Wasn't it only a little while ago that she stood in the hallway dressed proudly in her Primary school uniform swinging those pigtails gaily in the air and smiling rather nervously for the camera?
Days and years waiting for her to come out of school doors, invariably clutching a note in her hand, displaying her love and her newly found writing skills...
Days full of laughter and intrigue, head bent over books, thirsty for knowledge, devouring every book.
Evenings spent worrying and fretting, sympathising and agonising.
Homework and coursework completed, triumphs and despairs.

And now today, the start of a new week, a new beginning, college and a step nearer to your dreams...
Good luck my darling, you have made us so very proud and in "those' words - "never have a Plan B". xxxx
Happy Mondays

Glimpses...

2010-05-05T14:12:00.013Z

I've come to the conclusion and I probably am one of the last to do so, that this city was born to party! And it all seems to reach a culmination in the month of May, the festival begins, the sun tries to shine, people are on the streets, doors are open, the trees begin to blossom and the fun is there for the taking...

(resisting the temptation to paint over the gorgeous hidden colours of this old bracket)

I am in danger of taking all of this for granted. Living up a hill from the city centre I tend to gaze eastwards for trips along the coast and inland for walks along the Downs. I come down the hill for a bit of foraging and leave my seaside strolls along the Prom to the winter when all is quiet and the sea mist envelops the piers and muffles the sounds of the waves...

However, come May, it would be foolish to ignore all the wonders that are on offer.

From the wonderful, wonderful Children's Parade that kickstarts the Festival into action, to the most amazing piece of theatre that we visited on Saturday... I can't say more about it, other than if you are in the area, go see it, it truly is dream-like, enchanting, not what you expect and the best use of the building space you could ever imagine. It's so good that I'm going again tonight taking Big Sister but I won't divulge anymore as I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Also this weekend we took Little Sister and her friend to the theatre and were back home again in time for lunch!

The following day we went down to see Brian Eno's 77 million paintings exhibition

and sat on sofas and watched,

captivated...

Excuse the poor photos,

they really are no substitute for the real thing.

(a special dress...)

There are so many things to visit and see, fabulous Open Houses, go along and see Emma's if you can, themed walks around the city, jazz (saw some of that on Tuesday), the only problem I'm having is finding the time and money to fit it all in (I hate to say it but I fell asleep twice at the concert on Tuesday and was practically horizontal by the encore).

(up on the kitchen shelf...)

And as the sun shines through the windows here I have decided to look up and around in different directions, places that I wouldn't usually see and share with you some glimpses...

(a glimpse of Spring from my bedroom window)

TheBrighton Festival runs until 23rd May and the Open Houses are open at the weekends.

All Aboard!

2010-04-27T12:32:00.013Z

During the Easter Holidays we went up to London to visit the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. We had visited before but only for a cuppa and a mooch around the gift shop. We had always intended to spend more time there and this time there was the added incentive of visiting the exhibition on Suburbia, which I had been meaning to visit for a long time.

I must say that I am not into cars and transport in general.

I grew up on the outskirts of London in a suburb and getting a bus or tube into and around London was something I took very much for granted.

I didn't even notice the art deco tube stations that I travelled to and from each time. This trip to the museum awoke so many memories for me...

Seeing the old tubes and sitting in the old compartments (not as old as this one)

reminded me of trips to London with my parents to see the lights at Christmas time at Regent Street, to visits to the theatre and to Hamleys to choose a doll or toy on a special occasion.

The greens and reds of the upholstery and the wooden trims serve as many a backdrop to my memories...

When I was older, I had a Saturday job in town. The tube journeys seemed to last forever, taking up a sizeable chunk of my weekend. By the time I went back into town on a Saturday night I would have already done four trains journeys back and forth... (but it was worth it as I clutched my earnings and headed off for some fun).

After leaving University I worked and lived in London and the daily rush hour did little to improve my view of public transport. Nowadays, living down on the coast and away from the rush of the city, I love travelling by train. I savour them, even tube journeys, as they are now not the norm for me.

Walking round the exhibition I fell in love, as I knew I would, with all the beautiful posters designed during the Underground's heyday. With the advent of the Metropolitan line London as we now know it started to form. It sprawled out from the centre following the lines of the tube... Suburbs were formed, people were encouraged to come into the city centre for work, for leisure, entertainment and shopping.

The power of advertising was taken seriously, artists were employed to design posters and leaflets and people were encouraged to hop on a train and explore...

It all looks so inviting doesn't it...

Days out in the Spring

Shopping Trips

Trips to London Parks

A world away from the hurly burly that we now associate with the big city.

By the buses I stopped and stared, I remember travelling on buses like the one in the middle. The bus conductor and his ticket machine handing out rolls of purple printed tickets that would smudge in your hand. I always held on to mine tight as I sat next to my mother going up and down Oxford Street, always worrying that an Inspector would get on and i would have dropped my ticket...

A few months ago whilst reading an old copy of The Provincial Lady in War Time, I found a bus ticket tucked between its pages. A child's ticket from during the war, was it used as a bookmark? Had the mother put it there for safe keeping? I hope the child hadn't sat there worrying that her ticket had been lost...

We spent the rest of our day at the National Portrait Gallery, vintage prom dress shopping and ending our day by letting Little Sister choose one thing she wanted to do before going home. She chose to visit a shop in Oxford Street and as we sat on the bus heading for our destination I looked at her face and recognised that expression...

Lazing on a sunny afternoon...

2010-04-22T19:10:00.005Z

It seems llke I'm not the only one enjoying this sunny weather...

Ssssh, don't encourage her ...

What our weekends have been waiting for...

2010-04-19T16:21:00.012Z

A chance to sit and stare and think and smile

An impromptu picnic on the beach with all us Roses together
The warmth of the Spring sunshine shaking off any winter blues

A solitary boat sailing across the sea

Silent skies and dancing sunrays

The first toe dip of the year into the cool, cool water

A need to savour the last few days of the holidays

Romantic outdoor suppers "A deux"

Sunday morning breakfasts in the garden

Pottering

Having enough time to notice the smiling celandines

Sunday papers on the garden bench

It has been a weekend worth waiting for...

Getting into hot water...

2010-04-13T08:25:00.008Z

I took Miss Blossom out into the garden for this morning for an airing. Poor old thing, stuck in the corner of the room all winter long, she needed some air and a new apron too. She remained taciturn but I could tell the fresh air did her good. I left her in the garden opposite the line of washing soaking up the morning sun.

I wonder just how many frocks she's worn in her lifetime? It's rather a shame that after all these years of modelling fancy frocks she ends up next to the ivy wearing a ration book apron! I think she looks rather fetching - fit for a purpose, utility wear at its best. I'm hoping she might help around the house with the multitude of spring cleaning jobs that seemed to have reared their head since the sun decided to shine on this little house...

A week before Easter our boiler broke. We had no hot water and four disgruntled Roses. Our neighbours offered us the use of their shower and so we trundled up and down the road, washbags in hand, and returned home feeling fresher with dripping hair and shiny faces. Our water "rationing" took its toll by the end of the week, it wasn't so much the lack of hot water for bathing, I could manage a quick wash and feel clean, it was the hair washing that got us girls down.

Our plumber told us it would be fun, just like "all those years ago when we washed our hair at the kitchen sink". Well we tried, we really did ...

Even when Little Sister, head bent down into the kitchen sink, peering into the plughole shouted "Yuk I can see pasta down here" we carried on. I had to admit defeat when it came to my turn and I had to shout for Mr Roses to come and lend a hand - I just couldn't manage the boiling of the kettle whilst my head was shoved in the sink, the pouring of the said boiling water into a jug of lukewarm water and then aiming successfully at my head.

So Mr Roses aided and abetted and in a few moments transported me back to when i was a little girl - to hair washing nights with my mum. To days when our very temperamental boiler had to be primed hours in advance to guarantee any kind of hot water emerging from the taps. To days when my mother would insist cutting my hair shorter and shorter in the belief that it would make my hair thicker (it didn't), to days when she would try lemon and vinegar as a rinse on my hair as a friend had told her it would make it shine... to days when the smell of vosene would fill the bathroom. But best of all to days when she would wrap my hair up in a warm soft towel, give it a good rub and me a huge hug...
A week later the plumber came back like a returning hero with the spare part that would magically transform our cold taps to hot. I wonder if there was a water surge in the city that night, never have any of us (except perhaps for that first night back after our first camping trip), spent so long in the shower.
The very next day the sun began to shine and the dust and hidden yuckiness that had accumulated in the corners of our home over this very long winter began to surface. So, slowly, rugs have been washed and aired, cupboards are being sorted and buckets of hot water are being used...

Elsewhere, in our Emporium we have been having a bit of a Spring Clean too. We have opened up our Cellar to store some bargain items and filled the shelves with lots of new goodies.

If you're on a cleaning mission, you'll find in our Scullery a vintage gem of a book packed full of vintage laundry "how to's".

Our Dovecote is crammed with Spring loveliness, tins, books, linens and toys and right on the top shelf is this little embroidered picture of a the most darling house, which may or may not have running hot water (I suspect not) but where the sun seems to be constantly shining!

Have a good week.

A certain enchantment...

2010-04-07T11:12:00.021Z

On Easter Monday, April showed signs of being truly enchanted.
Its sunshine and early blooms took us out for a walk around the garden.

I wish I could say that the view from the back of the garden looking up to the house was ours

That the view from my study was this

That beyond our pond, if we had one, this is what I could see

That hidden amongst the wilder patches beyond our walled garden were snakeshead fritillairies

That clumps of daffodils grew beneath the trees that framed our views of the Downs

That in amongst the foliage

Entwined in the trees

Were magnificent statues.

And in our painter's garden hellebores in various shades of dusty pink sat blooming in the Easter sun

That this beautiful circle of flowering euphorbia was mine

That all the joys and hints of spring and summer found in these photos belonged to me

That this house was my home

That this beautiful pink door belonged to me and that I could open it wide and welcome you all in to show you the myriad of treasures inside...
Of course I can't lay claim to any of the above, but you can go and visit Charleston Farmhouse yourself and let it weave some of its magic on you... it's my favourite daydream.

Spring in my Steps

2010-04-02T11:03:00.000Z

Well, to quote the song - "It may be winter outside, but in my heart it's Spring...". The clocks may have leapt forward into Spring but the weather seems to have lurched back into the gloom of winter...
But I will not be deterred, we all wish for Spring so much at the moment, it's been a long, long winter.

So I shall pick the hyacinths from the garden

Contain my birdwatching to the pages of an old lovely book

Dream of all the lovely Spring colours that will soon be around (I spotted my first tree in blossom yesterday)
Keep my fingers crossed for some sunshine and time in the garden
Content myself with gorgeous little snippets of Soring from the Persephone book I am reading at the moment, "Hostages to Fortune" by Elizabeth Cambridge.
Be eternally grateful to a lovely friend, who, as I type, is queuing in the baker's for me for the best Hot Cross Buns in town!
Hope that we can get in at least two Easter egg hunts this weekend...

And wish you all a very Happy Easter x

Two For Joy...

2010-03-29T10:24:00.006Z

Well if the two magpies that were sitting in the field had stayed put whilst I fumbled for my camera and tried to find them through the lens then the title of this post would have made sense! However, it does kind of sum up how we all felt yesterday when we went out for a walk. Perhaps my floral wellies will make up for the lack of magpies...

I did actually manage to photograph one of the magpies but then that would have meant "One for Sorrow", not the kind of post you look forward to reading really is it? Certainly not on a cold, dreary wet Monday. Yesterday, however, was a different story. Spring had sprung, the clocks had gone forward, we all lost an hour's sleep and welcomed in the new season. We had long promised ourselves a walk in the countryside to celebrate the end of our winter's hibernation and no amount of lack of sleep, grey sky or unco-operative magpies was going to deter us!

I'm so pleased we stuck to our guns, my it felt good to be out in the fresh air, walking up and down the hills, getting stuck in the mud and cow poo! Swinging on the gates, listening to the birds, looking up through the trees to be greeted by blue skies and small tiny green buds, feeling our cheeks grow rosier and tingling in the Spring sunshine, stretching and unfurling from the winter's cocoon And oh doesn't that cup of tea feel good after a long walk...

Have a good few days and thanks for all the daffodil love.

Daffodil days...

2010-03-26T19:07:00.002Z

I looked up at our window boxes as I parked the car this afternoon and was smitten by these blooms - they are so pretty, it made me feel as if our home was smiling back at me. A vibrant, sunshiny grin.
Two more sleeps then the days will be longer, the birds will be chirpier, the cats will be perkier and it won't just be my window boxes that are grinning...
Have a wonderful weekend.
x

It's In The Bag...

2010-03-16T14:40:00.010Z

Hey, hey, hey, the sun is shining! We have Springtime! What a boost to the spirits it is. It's been a week of highs and lows, days when I've been feeling decidedly down in the dumps and days when I've awoken to birdsong and wanted to spring out of bed. The pressure of exams and hiccups at school (not literally because they're never really problems, unless like me you would be seized by a fit of giggles at school whenever anyone started to hiccup and inevitably the stern gaze of a teacher was sent my way) have left us feeling all a little bit, well, worn out I suppose.

But then on Friday the sun started to shine, school was behind us for two days, there was a trip to the theatre to be taken (Rosamund Pike in Hedda Gabler, fantastic!), a very special meal out with some very special friends for a very special celebration, and, of course Mother's Day...

a day full of flowers, chocolate, being spoilt rotten, cuddles with my girls and a quick trip into town to buy some goodies and a return home with this gorgeous carrier bag from Carluccio's which just about sings Spring to me! Birds, pansies, blue sky, buds and blossom, delicious!

There has also been sunshine on grey days too - a much awaited trip up to London for a staff jolly with my partner in crime, Dottie, certainly made up for the two years since we last saw each other! Yes, two years! How is that possible? We speak every day, our emails have their own very well worn path through the ether and of course, there's all the custard cream sharing that goes on in the stockroom, but how can it have been two years since we last saw each other?

Well it may have been two years and a lifetime of phone calls since our last face to face, but we chatted and giggled our way along the pavements of London. My goodness we can talk! Thank you Dottie, it was a jolly to remember (and you know what I mean). Let's hope it's sooner rather than later for the next jolly, although I'm not too sure if it's safe for us both be out alone together... maybe next time we should take a compass.

And today, well today, my mind has been pulled in two directions - the garden was calling to me as was poor old Janome my much loved sewing machine... A mental promise to spend the weekend in the garden digging and planting allowed me to get behind the old sewing machine again.

It's been a while and I have been waiting and waiting to make this cushion and somehow today the sunshine galvanised me into making it.

And as I sat sewing I realised that it wouldn't be long before the hedgerows and countryside and the beautiful Downs would be full of these kind of flowers, poppies and corncockles, scabious and orchids...

I could literally feel the sun on my face as I sat and imagined myself walking out over the hills, Mr Roses and my daughters being able to escape the pressures of work and school with each deep breath of fresh Spring air - now that's something to look forward to!

The Times They Are A Changin'...

2010-03-06T09:00:00.000Z

And I'm not just talking about the lengthening of the days, change of seasons or month. But while we're on the subject, isn't it lovely to have some sunshine, proper daylight. A day that doesn't abruptly end at 4pm but gives you a couple of hours extra playtime. It's not so much the cold weather that I don't like, it's the greyness of the days that has got to me this past winter.
Here in the Roses household changes are afoot.

The hands on the clock seem to be moving ever faster, Little Sister this week found out where she will be going to Secondary School in September, now how did that happen? A friend came to visit on the day the letters came home to parents informing us of the new schools and she couldn't believe that it had been nearly eleven years since the day she was born. Eleven years since she came round to take Big Sister out for a special treat whilst the midwives called to check on the newest Rose... That day was a day that time stood still, a day of dreaminess and sunshine. So now I have one daughter counting the days to start secondary school and the other counting the days to Sixth Form, it's rather like being Wonderland at the moment, I get the distinct feeling that they've both drunk from the "Drink Me" bottle and have got too big too quickly...

But there have been signs along the way - the days of pink are no more. Her pink bedroom had to go apparently (a sure sign if ever there was one of a blooming Rose), so one weekend, whilst she was at a sleepover I had the Mad Hatter of an idea to paint her room to surprise her. Saturday night and Sunday morning found me spattered in blue paint, well actually "Summer Medley" to be precise, eager in my anticipation to see her face at the grand reveal.

She was delighted and i have to admit so was I. Her room does feel more "grown up", but deep down she's still my little squirrel...

In the same week that March arrived along with the new school place, there came her choice not to be Alice on School Book Day, but the Mad Hatter (and the Johnny Depp one at that) , a sign if ever there was that my little girl is growing up. And I have to say a mighty fine Hatter she made too.
Perhaps I'm turning into the White Rabbit, constantly looking at the clock and wondering where the time has gone... some days it certainly feels like I have fallen down that rabbit hole and time seems to be galloping ahead of me.

And today to celebrate the school news we are off to see THAT film, to marvel at the March Hare and Mad Hatter, wonder at Alice and relish the White Rabbit and that watch of his ... and I can't wait!

Digging For Victory

2010-02-23T10:23:00.034Z

During Half Term us Roses went for a ramble up to London to the Imperial War Museum (I can't believe I have never been there before), to see a wonderful exhibition "The Ministry of Food". Little Sister wanted to see the World War 11 children's exhibition, Big Sister wanted to visit the Holocaust exhibition and Cold War exhibits (she is our Modern History buff!), Mr Roses was quite happy to take it all in and I, well, I just couldn't wait to jump into all that Home Front ephemera...

We have been lucky enough to have had a really good exhibition locally about Land Giris and having just looked at the leaflet, I notice it's still on so if you get a chance it's really worth it if you're down on the coast over the next few weeks... We went to see it went it first opened last year and found it absolutely fascinating and it fuelled what was an already large interest in 1940's England. I have to admit it's not the military side of things that get me (perhaps that's why up until now I haven't 'done' the War Museum, but the social history just grabs me every time (and, moreover, those Land Girls uniforms that we got to try on are rather fetching!). What was fascinating about this exhibition was a film made featuring former Land Girls talking about their experiences and you had to notice just how remarkably well they all looked, there must be something in all that fresh air...

A few weeks later Emma (Sew Recycled) and I attended a study morning about 1940s Christmas' which we found entertaining (maybe for all the wrong reasons...) and in between our giggling and naughty schoolgirl acts we gleaned some more snippets to add to our knowledge.

So all this is a bit of a preamble I know to our visit last week but it kinds of describes the anticipation that I had been experiencing as our visit drew nearer. Of course we had to choose the busiest day ever on official records to visit the Museum (I am not joking) and the queues were seemingly endless (try and go out of the holidays if you can).
Lots and lots of photos to share and fewer words you'll be glad to read I'm sure!

So obviously at the start of the war we as a nation were encouraged to "Dig for Victory", grow your own, eat healthily etc.

At the heart of the entrance to the exhibition was a beautiful mock up 1940s greenhouse, full of the most wonderful gardening ephemera.

Posters

and posters abound ...

As the campaign to grow and eat more vegetables gathered momentum its influence was soon seen on fabrics etc

"Utility" housecoat made from gorgeous "mushroom' fabric

Delicious chair back showing Land Girl digging for victory

The oh so attractive Land Girl Uniform

Campaigns to make us eat more vegetables grew more and more playful with characters entitled Potato Pete and Dr Carrot.
The importance of women during the war came to the fore and they were encourage to play their role, signing up for National Service, becoming Land Girls, working in munitions factories and actively taking part in life on the Home Front.

Leaflets were produced by the Ministry of Information for women on the best use of rations, health and nutrition as they waged war on the Kitchen Front,

keeping the nation fit and healthy.

I could go on and on but then this post would turn into an essay... so I'll just let the photos do the talking...

A mock up of a 1940s grocer's

With ration size chocolate bars

A tea urn and cakes (perhaps we should have something of that size in our Stockroom) used in canteens and workplaces

Imagine tea being rationed!

My youngest couldn't believe that sweets had been rationed too and she read incredulously of children's accounts of going to the sweet shops after rationing had ended.

Suffice to say I could have spent all day in there!
In the "Children's War" exhibition we experienced life on the Home Front through the eyes of children. Photos and recollections of being evacuated, achingly sad letters from children sent home to their parents, examples of wartime clothes, childhood, and for me, the absolute highlight, a complete reconstruction of a 1940s home.

A three bedroom house

bathroom (my aunty had those tiles)

complete with kitchen
( well, I could have stayed in this room for hours if it were not for the queue forming behind me)

Living room (note the little toy dog by the chair Dottie!)

A bit of "Make Do and Mend" going on in here

Delicious firescreen

And an inside shelter housed in the backroom, looks frighteningly like a cage a "Morrison Shelter"

Examples of wartime ingenuity and resourcefulness in Make Do and Mend - an outfit made from cloth maps...

I could go on and on ... if you get a chance to see it, grab it with both hands and listen very carefully to all the people reminiscing around you, I learnt even more from the snippets of conversations I overheard from fellow visitors' first hand experiences of life during the Home Front. I was born just a decade after rationing finished (it lasted for fourteen years, ending in 1954) and its fascinating to see the advice of growing your own, eating healthily and the basic tenents of recycling, reducing the number of imports and the "War on Waste" are still as pertinent today,

I'm off for a word with Potato Pete and Dr Carrot... Enjoy

Now We Are Six (Months)...

2010-02-12T12:12:00.011Z

Yes indeedy! Dottie and I are both officially six months old (well a bit more than that actually but I have been suffering from severe blogophobia and it seems that I am very tardy with this post...). When you're young whenever you're asked your age you always have to add on the months to your age, I think my youngest daughter who is ten has just stopped saying "9 and a half", or "nine and three quarters..., as a mother of a new baby you take great delight in knowing just how many weeks, days and even hours old your baby is. In a relationship you know exactly when you were first asked out, your first date, your first kiss etc and Dottie and I, well we know to the very minute when we were born so to speak... and speaking as a "proud parent" we've had a lovely, fun and adventure full childhood!

The Emporium is taking bigger, more confident steps each day, that's not to say we've not had a few wobbles along the way, our enthusiasm for finding new treasures in not waning and there is always, always a sense of fun and mischief in what we get up to.

It is perhaps time that we stuck to and followed most closely the rules of our new staff handbook - ssssh don't tell Dottie but I am going to give her a copy very shortly. Being important business people (tongue firmly in cheek here) we do need to keep up to date with all the new goings on in the world of commerce and this thing they call the world wide web. So I am sure this little book will more than pay for itself...

For example, did you know, and I bet you didn't, that ALL these things are available on the internet? Well, well, well...
This book will teach us all about "cookies" (no, not the custard cream I kind, of which I think we are now connoisseurs), it tells us that Dottie and I are now "e-tailers", it explains what a "portal" is, not the kind in Harry Potter apparently, and, perhaps, most scarily that my fridge or dustbin will be able to update my shopping list in the very near future (but don't ask me how).
Written only ten years ago my how times have changed...

As for Dottie and I, these past six months have taught us an awful too -
1. Give things a go... if you spend hours and hours, months and months chattering to each other about your fantasy shop, then why not make it a reality?

2. Never press a button unless you know for certain what it does! (Dottie will know exactly what I mean here...).
3. If you press a button and you're not sure what it does, then be prepared to spend hours, days, weeks on the phone putting it right again.
4. Always be surprised by the patience and understanding of your customers after you have pressed the said button and the lack of patience and understanding by those who are meant to be "solving the problem."

5. Be prepared to 'meet' lots of friends along the way... how lovely it is to have returning customers, to gradually build up conversations with them and have some idea what it is they're looking for.
6. You can never have enough tissue paper, string and brown paper...
7. Dottie can never have enough sellotape...
8. Thank heavens my phone contract allows for limitless free phone calls to my partner in crime as the need to chat hourly is of the imperative!

9. Take photos while the sun shines... you never know when it'll be sunny again!
10. Realise how lucky you are to have such supportive friends and families, who understand why you "need to check your emails" and are now used to your morphing into your alter egos and now call you "Dottie" and "Milly" too.
11. There are never, ever, enough custard creams in the biscuit tin...

12. And finally, I have learnt, that I couldn't have chosen a nicer person to hold my hand and share this adventure with - thank you Dottie x

Have a great weekend, I hear that love is in the air, hope it blows your way too
x

Way To Blue

2010-01-22T14:09:00.004Z

Last night we went to a concert. A much awaited evening that didn't disappoint. An evening that moved me to tears and has left me feeling very emotional. An evening that touched me with its beauty in a way that I hadn't expected. I have always loved the music of Nick Drake and was slightly hesitant about hearing it being performed by others but I was so wrong, it was one of the most beautiful and moving concerts I have ever been to. I had never in my wildest dreams expected to see Green Gartside (Scritti Politti) and Robyn Hitchcock standing side by side on stage singing his lyrics nor could i have imagined Lisa Hannigan's version of "Black Eyed Dog." I'm not a critic and I can't even begin to describe or do justice in words to the beauty of last night. The beauty, tragedy and poetry of Nick Drake and his music were allowed to shine. It was an evening of such specialness shared with some very special people. If you get a chance to, go and see it please do, and listen very very carefully to the haunting words of "Fruit Tree"...
Have a lovely weekend

PS Here's a link if you want to find out more - it's a minute or so into the broadcast.
x

Mr Rose's Big Day

2010-01-14T00:01:00.001Z

Well Mr Roses! What a very big day indeed! Happy Happy Happy Birthday to you from all us Roses, we love you lots and lots.
x

Winter's Wonderland

2010-01-06T10:31:00.013Z

What a mixed start to the new decade we've had. January for us began, not as the expected bleak midwinter, but as a beautiful clear night in our friends' home overlooking the sea, watching fireworks from the beach and Chinese Lanterns filled with New Year's resolutions floating upwards into the ether.

The first few days of our New Year were crisp and bright. The kind of weather that beckons you from the sofa to pile on those extra woolly layers and venture out into the winter sunshine. Long walks to clear the head, unfurl from your Christmas hibernation and to take strides, great strides, into the fresh year ahead.

The winter's sunshine can be as dazzling as that of summer and, unlike the haze of summer which often bleaches the colour, these rays only seemed to intensify the gorgeous hues of our wintry backdrop.

Majestic trees loomed high against a bluebell coloured sky

The romantic greens of moss and ivy entwined along an old flint wall

A village church that has stood for years and years witnessing many a new decade and century, looking idyllic in its setting

Yet January has more than one side, I awoke this morning to a monotone landscape - all colour leached from it by the falling snow. A silence falling steadfastly across the greys.

As beautiful and as inspiring as its technicolour version just a few days ago. For me it is a chance to love the unpredicatable, a chance to breath out all that has gone before and embrace all that is to come.

The Day Before...

2009-12-31T12:38:00.002Z

May the next 365 days be as pink and rosy as the flowers in the photo! Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Fun Filled New Year - see you on the other side xxx

Twelve Days...

2009-12-24T10:39:00.018Z

Magical festive fairies

Hand made cranberry hearts - gifts from a friend

Golden glittery moments

Snow covered trees

Roses on holly

Feathered friends hiding amongst the holly

Carols & baubles

Rosy robins

Cheeky chaps

Christmas Greetings

Childhood decorations

Heartfelt Christmas wishes - Have a wonderful, wonderful Christmas with a sprinkling of magic each day

xxx

Four More Sleeps...

2009-12-21T16:05:00.005Z