Country Style Christmas

Just a sneak peek at the table and my new dining chairs! 

I will post a more detailed look later.

I hope everybody had a fantastic Christmas! 

We all had a wonderful day.

Merry Christmas All!

 

  

Merry Christmas All!

The forecast looks good and the dining room is set.

I am off to decorate outside..............

tie the bows on my posts I have been meaning to for weeks.

A big thankyou to Julie-Ann at The Decorating Forum for featuring my blog last week!

 

Christmas in the Dining Room!

This year we are having Christmas at my house! 

I am not all organised but the tree is up with Ollie's beautiful decoration he made at school right at the top.

It will be lovely, just 8 adults and 4 little children plus baby Hugo!

Due to the 'normal' numbers we are going to have it in the dining room.

If it is a beautiful day I will open the french doors to the verandah.

In The Shed Today....

I have had a much needed whole weekend at home! 

Today I deadheaded the roses then headed straight to the shed for a big reshuffle, to unpack my new stock and to make way for more new arrivals this week. 

We have been fortunate enough not to have been too effected by the rain so are reaping lentils, thoughts go to those farmers who have been less fortunate in other areas.

Adore Magazine Feature!

Very very excited to be featured in the super stylish new issue of Adore Home Magazine!

If you haven't already subscribed please pop over and do so it is just gorgeous.

Big thanks to editor Loni Parker for the beautiful layout of my feature!

Also to local girls Kelly Dyett of Black Sheep Photography and Susan Pointon of Lemon Tree Photography for their stunning photographs of my house.

Busy Times!

My Winchester Cathedrals

 Harvest has started (slowly), the roses are out.............deadheading required, Christmas Trading is in full swing with new stock arriving all the time, I have been helping with the Choreography for my son's first school production on this Thursday night and I have just had my first stall at the Maitland Art and Craft Fair.

Life is busy but it is amazing what you can get done when you are so busy!

Really looking forward to the show on Thursday night.

Special thanks to lovely Bec from Life In the Country Lane for helping me move my stall out of the weather Sat. lovely to catch up in the flesh!

Oh Fiddlesticks!

 

Don't you just love a talented friend.............

  I am so excited to introduce to you Fiddlesticks Design by my gorgeous friend Sarah Hollams. 

This lovely lady is a local girl, mother to 3 beautiful boys, a dedicated farmers wife and one of the most talented decorators I know! (You should see her house!)

She was so shy when she first showed me her designs.

As soon as I saw them I just had to have them in my shop. 

I absolutely love Sarah's style and they compliment my wares so well.

For more take a look in my store!

Pop Over for Some Honey and Fizz

Pop over to Simone's gorgeous blog Honey and Fizz where she takes a peek in to my home this week.

Thanks Simone!

Accessorise Outside!

This beautiful weather has got me out in the garden and playing with my outdoor accessories from the shop!

In My Garden Today

Winchester Cathedral

English Box & Icebergs

My garden is no 'Fawley' but now in its fourth year it is finally starting to take shape!

I had a lovely stroll around the garden in the beautiful weather this afternoon and took these snaps to share.

Fabulous Fawley

Ruth & the Girls

The Veggie Garden!

The Parking Space!

The most beautiful tennis court ever.

The topiary garden- not as good as Simon Griffith's photo!

Ruth & the Girls behind the Pierres full of buds!

I was very honoured indeed to be able to take my YP Garden Girls to see the magical garden of Fawley,an Adelaide Hills property belonging to dear family friends Ruth and Mal Hemmerling. 

Now I have been there many a time over the years but even I still get excited every time we head on up the plane tree lined driveway!

I had explained to the girls that it was a rare treat but there is no real way to even describe this property's true beauty.

You may have seen it pop up in the Real Estate section of SA Life, in last months Country Style Magazine or in the newly released book Rural Australian Gardens by Myles Baldwin and in my previous post.

On entering in to the French Provincial style kitchen via the gorgeous mudroom we all looked at each other and said "lets go in together and buy it............can we please?"

Ruth had made us a beautiful cake, coffee and we sat down to chat about gardens and where we were from and at with our gardens. Mal pulled out the album of before photos when Falwey was merely a house on a hill surrounded by paddocks.

Then the stroll around the garden escorted by Ruth. With the girls gushing and 'asking what plant is this?' It was truly evident that Ruth is a real gardener with a huge amount of knowledge and experience.

I didn't want to leave (never do) but we headed off to the Woodside Providore for a gourmet lunch and a bottle of Adelaide Hills Sav Blanc to cap off a perfect day out!

I purchased my copy of Rural Australian Gardens from Matilda Bookshop (the most quaint and inviting store) at Stirling, the last copy in the store and I was not disappointed.

Thanks Ruth & Mal for sharing and inspiring us.

The photos say the rest!

 

Lunch with the Ladies

Just a little peek at a lunch I recently hosted for my sister in law Jo's birthday and for us all to have a little catch up before Hugo Maxwell arrived!

Nine mothers and twelve children, including a set of twins and a newborn...........we had it all.

On the menu were chicken, mushroom and leak pies with rocket pear and parmesean salad, dressed in a sticky balsamic, follwed by individual lemon and sour cream cakes for dessert.

 

A fun time was had by all, both mums and babes which proves you CAN entertain with children! 

The next day I did it all again but this time for four ladies and no kids.

I love an entrance!

 

I love an entrance! 

So many farm houses have one but nobody uses them............what a waste.

When we were building our house I deliberately set up our round driveway to make visitors enter through our front door and into our entrance hall. 

I think first impressions are so important.

What is your entrance like?

Thanks to Susan from Lemon Tree Photography for taking these pics for me.