No Rest for the Wicked!!!

So I must be very wicked!!!!!! lol!!!!

Well I felt loads better yesterday and as I had been ill on the day I had promised to take the girls shopping for their wedding outfits, we went yesterday!!! Have you looked in the shops recently? My goodness just try and find an outfit for a teenager for a wedding!!! Nigh on impossible! Its all bright, 60's, Mary Quant, type styles (not that I remember of course!!) or very casual. Nothing smart, so it took us forever, but we where successful eventually. The girls won't let me post pics but K has a dress that will be fine for her summer ball as well and T is not wearing black!! but we still have to find shoes for her and she wants some opera length gloves to wear, which could be a challenge, bearing in mind the colour she is wearing so I think we will try good old Ebay!!!!
T has a drama exam coming up and she has to dress in a hippy type style, which fortunately was easy to accommodate bearing in mind the current styles and K found a top she really liked but what was really confusing is K chose black and T wore a colour and both liked there outfits so much, they where wearing them round the house which was very confusing for me because I kept calling K, T and T, K because they where wearing the wrong colours!!! I think I need a lie down!!!





They are so much fun to go shopping with and T is getting slightly adventurous, trying on clothes she would not normally look at, here she is in her hippy gear....



She asked me to buy a belt for her, I thought it was for her jeans, so was totally bowled over when she appeared wearing this....



Definately different for T who usually hides under big and baggy!!!!

I hope to spend today in the garden, which is coming along really well, I must remember to take the camera out with me!
Lee (K's boyfriend) is here and the car is now fixed so we probably won't see much of K over the next few days.
After our 'fashion show' of our wedding outfits hubby says I need a hat!!!!!!!!!!!
Gulp! so we are off hat shopping on Friday!!! Although I should probably go today as my hands are lovely and clean!!!!!!
I promise to post something about the garden tomorrow for the gardening buffs!! When the girls are off I'm always erratic about posting so normal service should be resumed next week!!!!!!

What been going on this weekend!!

Very busy day in the garden yesterday. I really must get on as I hope my sister is coming to visit over Easter, so it must be ready for inspection!!lol!!!



Bed one, all the beds had been previously dug over so needed a quick go over again and raking. Here I have put my garlic which has been in pots, around the outside as this is where I want to put carrots and parsnips!



Bed 2. Onions, I wonder if I have put these in to early??? They have been in the greenhouse for ages, as you know, and I have put them outside each day, but I am desperate for space in the greenhouse now, so they have 2 chances!!! I am putting a fleece cloche over them for awhile. If they totally die, I shall pop to Wilkinsons and buy another 'set' because last year these wheren't planted till later!!!

I will tackle bed 3 & 4 today, dig & rake. I still haven't totally decided what to put in them!! I fancy having a go at a 'three sisters bed' sweetcorn, beans and squash! As Carol talked about on Gardeners World on Friday!! I also intend to keep some outdoor tomatoes as well. Still to decide where to go Victorian Climbing Peas, climbing french beans , sweetcorn, gem squash, butternut squash, salads, spring onions, beetroot, potatoes (probably in bags)and Chinese artichokes! I have blackcurrant bushes to go in and a blackberry, strawberries and raspberries already in!

I am not normally a fan of begonias, but Ruth got me thinking so I kept my eye open and spotted these which I quite liked...



I have started them off in the greenhouse!



This corner which is southwest facing is lacking something. Apart from the fact its full of winter rubbishy stuff!!



Anyway Ruth's blog got me going again, (she is going to have a lot to answer for) then on Gardeners World on Friday, Jo planted one up, so on Saturday hubby and I went to good old Wilkinsons and found this



an ideal choice, I think you will agree!!!

After all my hard work in the Garden I was in for a treat, I had bought Tori a recipe book for teenagers, earlier in the week, as I am concerened about her looking after herself if/when she goes to Uni! Anyway after much enthusiastic discussion it has been decided that she will cook all the Saturday evening meals. Take a look at her first go



Chilli Con Carne!! It was lovely! I was really surprised that she would even eat it??



But she did and her response was 'its a bit bland'!!! As she followed the recipe to the book, I think I will get her to repeat the recipe next Saturday and show her how she can improve it, this could be difficult as she likes to do things by the book! So to speak! But we will see!!

Back Later!!

Spending spree and plans!

I left home at 08.00 hours this morning, I have returned now 12.54 with £252.47 less in the bank!!!!! What have I been up to???
Well I realised last night that I had a suspect tyre on the car so after dropping Tori off at school I then went to the tyre place!!! So 2 new tyres and the tracking £130 !!!!!
I then went on the long trek to Swindon as I wanted to shop at ASDA. I have started doing one big shop here at the beginning of each (housekeeping) month. So that cost me £103! Whilst I was doing my shop they announced they had just recieved delivery of the New James Bond DVD Casino Royal, price £7, this is a real bargain and as it is one hubby has wanted I decided to pop over and buy it anyway whilst I was in that part of the shop I spotted a 4 slice toaster £12.47, as ours has decided to trip the trip switch each time you press it down, and having checked the plug and found no fault, I thought I ought to buy a new one!!! Fortunately this is all budgeted for!!

I am sorry I have not been out in the garden recently, but when I was putting up my pallet fence at the beginning of the week I managed to hurt my hand. So I thought I had better rest it!! So it has until tomorrow!! Its flipping sore! I really want to finish the fence, I know what I'm going to do to make a focal point against the shed so it draws the eye down the garden. I need to relay 2 parts of garden the path and relay alot of the slabs around the shed, move 2 compost bins. Plant up and reorganise the flower bed. Remove the crocosmia from a bed beside the pond as its invading. I must find something to replace it with, I had thought about ferns but it is to hot and sunny there in the summer, any ideas??? Reseed the lawn, where the chickens have scratched it to death!!
Then up at the top I need to dig out an old fennel and angelica plant, replant with the new jungle plants and grasses I have acquired. Then jet wash the patio and as far down as it will stretch.
Make 2 new lids for the coal bunkers and paint the old one. Repaint the garden furniture by the pond!
I have been watching Ruth's blog and seen her rave about begonias, my mum loves them too. I have never liked them, but I want to find something different for my windowbox on the north side of the house. I have had some lovely displays there and have been surprised by what can grow in the shade. Busy Lizzies are really great, but I'm fed up with those, I tried surfinas one year and they where magnificent, considering they like the sun!!! Anyway in my favourite shop (Wilkinsons) I saw a begonia I quite liked, it doesn't have those big huge flowers but smaller daintier ones, so I thought I might have a go!!! Then again they had some lovely fuschia's. Mmmm Choices, choices!! I suppose I could put the begonias in the window box and fuschias in pots! Then I can have the best of both worlds!!!

So what have I been up to? Not a lot really, did a bit of research on hubbys family tree, someone made contact with us through genes reunited so we have yet another link!! I don't do as much research during the summer months except if its hot!! I'd much rather 'play' outside!!!

We watched the new series of 'Its not Easy Being Green' last night and we really must do something about rigging up some water butts to collect the rain from all our flat roofs! (Is it roofs or rooves??) The caster oil plant in the corner where the water butts would need to go has grown enormous now and has taken over the small water feature I have there



so remove all the stones and sadly the water feature which is lovely!!! Take out the Hibiscus plant to the right and the caster oil bush and re plant them further forward, hiding the water butts behind!!! What do I do with my water feature? :o(
Only problem, is hubby!! He really dislikes me digging things up and moving them around!! What do you think?

Right most go I have to travel the world now, visiting blogs!!

Out & About!

Last day of the holidays, and I always take the girls or should I say Tori out for lunch. Usually at Whitehall Garden Centre, which is the other side of Lacock and has grown from a tiny place to a massive place now. The quality of plants is excellent and they have a 5 year guarentee on hardy plants, no quibble either as my neighbour found out when her plum tree died! They can be found here.

I hadn't appreciated just how much rain we had, had until I saw this......





to the right of the above photo is......



a field with 2 swans and a cygnet swimming in it!!!

As you cross the bridge..


after all this when we got there the kitchen is shut for major refurbishment this week so off we toddled, back the way we came up to 'Blooms of Bressingham' Swindon which after we had, had a very enjoyable lunch I was able to buy alot of seeds at half price. This offer is available until the 31st January. In case your interested!!

Shopping, Haircuts, Builders and Surprises!!

Kathryn was out on the razz!! last night with her old friends from Chippenham College, they all went off to a nightclub in Bristol!! She didn't get back in until 4am. Then I had to wake her at 8am because we had hair appointments at 9.15am. Bless her, she was up bright and chatty! Meanwhile Mark had left for Winchester Family Records Office at 8am he had to find some descendants!!!!
After are haircuts, we did a bit more clothes shopping then we had to shoot through to Calne and deliver cards and presents before being back home for the builders at mid-day.
The builders went up on the roof to see where are leak was, and they found it, so have made good for now but will be back in the New Year to do a proper job!!!
I got a lovely phone call from my Mum. she was made up with the hamper we gave her, she just wanted to know why we hadn't bought her a cupboard to put it all in!!! I think it was a hit!!!
Then I had a surprise a parcel addressed to me, and me alone!!! So as it didn't say do not open till Christmas I opened it and it was full of........



lots and lots of goodies! It was from Mrs Nesbit, I was her 7000th person on her blog! Well I know what I'm doing with some of the material and when I've done it I will post a pic!!! She very kindly made me and my family a beautiful Christmas card. Now Lottie and I have enjoyed making some of our cards for Christmas but when you see Mrs Nesbit's you understand why she runs a very good card business....



As usual Mrs Nesbit your card is absolutely gorgeous thank you very, much, it is greatly appreciated!

After I blitzed our bedroom, Tori was working hard on some Science Course work and Kathryn had fallen asleep, curled up on the chair. I decided I would pop into the shops and see how busy it was as I had some last bits to do!! When I got there the car park was practically empty, and all the tills where open but not very busy, so in I went, round I whizzed with my list and trolley, filling it up with all the bits and pieces and then straight to a till, where as I unloaded onto the conveyor belt, it went past the checkout lady and was all nicely packed in my 'green' shopping bags by another lady, then I paid and left!!! Gob smacking I dont think I have ever gone round the shop so quick!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So that is it all done, dusted (well I will do that tomorrow!)presents wrapped, and under the tree and ready! The ham will go in soak tomorrow, the turkey and pork will be taken out of the freezer as well.
I'm getting excited now!!!!!!!!