3's

Why is it things seem to happen in threes? It's all very strange. If your washing machine plays up you can bet your bottom dollar that your toaster,kettle or fridge will too in a short space of time!
Anyway, we have had quite a few 'threes' this month but before all that, I'd just like to say a massive thankyou to all you lovely lot for your messages and emails,I've only recently been able to read them and I have appreciated each and every one of them.
If there is one sure thing in this world...it's that boys fight and will fight for as long as there are boys on the earth..its an animal thing and boys are part of the animal kingdom,(stinky hairy monsters if you ask me!) the only difference nowadays is that the other boys parents will wants to sue you..properly...like in courts and all that.A previous Friday was spent in a police station for 3 hours being told so. We're talking about boyish 'fisticuffs' here, nothing more..but the less said about that the better.

I hadn't meant to be away for this long, my computer decided to be ill...very virusly ill, ill to the point of it having to go to the computer hospital and have a very expensive operation that I'm yet to find the money for( how guilty am I feeling now about all my recent purchases!! arrrgh!)

My lovely, lovely eldest sister gave me a spare laptop as a present only for me to trip on the wire and watch it drop onto the wooden floor..I was mortified...MORTIFIED..Beside myself that I had had this wonderful gift..given just for me to use and then go and break it the very next day. It works when it decides it wants to and when it doesn't it's very stripey and bleepy and does all sorts of other scary things that someone as computer illiterate as me finds terrifying. Today it wanted to work with a bit of twisting and several restarts so here I am..for now..but I may disappear again!

I sometimes think there must be another 'Sairer' living a fun filled easy life in a parallel universe somewhere!
I've just had a sad end to a nice start of the week as a lovely lady I garden for, had to have her second Great Dane put to sleep this month..so sad, Parker was a beautiful boy as was her other Dane,Dexter. It was done whilst I was there and was very upsetting to say the least.One of my little grey hens died last week too, for no apparent reason ..poor little Violet is lost without her friend.I think that's why death is so sad,whether it's a person or animal who departs this world, sad for the ones who are left behind..the ones who are left feeling a bit lost.

Gosh, I'm sounding a tad morbid now..let's get on to some nicer stuff!

Monday saw a visit to this wonderful place..Eastnor castle in Ledbury.


Its a fascinating place and although it looks medieval at first glance, it is actually early Victorian, a Gothic Folly that's belonged to the same family since it was built and lovers of William Morris style or Pugin will really appreciate it. It's the only castle I know that is a real family home, dogs are allowed inside and on the grounds and modern-day family photos are scattered amongst the suits of armour and victoriana, it was a lovely day out and the grounds are super,especially as it wasn't that busy...it's only 5 minutes from Ledbury..and Mrs Muffins tea shop..yum!!! I've also had an award and a tag..(well three awards actually...but I didn't want to boast!!) one from Sharie at sharies view to the hill one from Lisa at knitty ,vintage and rosy and the other from Carol at Katherines dream..thanks so much you guys, this big sparkly award is very much appreciated!

If there was an award for the most appreciated e-mail then I would give that to Carol and she knows absolutely why!! thanks Carol x

The tag is from Julia at Vintage Heaven for 5 random things you didn't know about me...you may wish you didn't ask,Julia! so here goes.. .

1. My real name is Sara,but I changed it to Sairer when I was 10, I spent my whole life before the age of 10 telling people my name isn't pronounced SARA (like Zara) but SARAH, it made it easier to spell it phonetically...SAI-RER.
It stuck.It's on all legal documents and my passport. Now I spend my life saying "no, not Sarah with an H, but an I and an E". hmm..only the logic of a 10 year old.


2. I'm the only one in our house that likes tomatoes.I could eat them til the cows come home,but I'm also the only one who hates cucumber, I can't have it anyway near anything as I can pick out the taste immediately. yuck.It's the devils food

3.I have a tattoo of an orange tiger-lily (just like this one!)..but shhh, that's a secret.I hate it. luckily it's somewhere where I can hide it!
4.I once fell down a manhole in Birmingham.(A little worse for ware I might add). Red and white tape around a hole means stay away..well away.

5.My best friend committed suicide when I was 23. I had known him since we were 8. we did A'level art together and were inseparable for many years.I will never get over it. Ever. But he is currently grinning down at me from my pin board and knows I forgive him. He would have loved all this blogging malarkey and Internet stuff. (I swear he has been reincarnated as Gok Wan)


So there you go..a bit more about me! I'll have to have a think about who to pass that tag and award on to...

I'll leave you with this quote sent in an email from my big sis..it seems very apt at the moment!

"Whenever God closes one doorway he always opens another,even though sometimes, it's hell in the hallway"

Pretty...Reds favourite walk

There has been a bit of stressful 'stuff ' going on at home at the moment with the oldest stinky boy that is giving me a few sleepless nights to say the least..It seems we have been down this road before...and just when I was begining to really like 2008 after all the stress of the last 2 years, something would go and happen to spoil it all... if I dissappear for a bit, you'll know why.. So when the stress gets too much..we go for a walk here...quite often, as it happens.

"you're going the wrong way,Red"I said "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!.."(hes a bit deaf)

Three quarters of the way up one of the hills is a lake. I love this place,especially when the tourist have gone home (we know who they are as they're the ones that dont say hello) and it's just me,the dog ,the fish and the birds....Bliss.

It was one of the many dissued quarries that were used to quarry the Malvern stone which makes up many of the Victorian houses around the area. The silence here is eerie and any sounds echo around the stone cliffs surrounding this rugged little beauty spot.

Red did a spot of swimming (he's paying for it today though..not as young as he used to be) and the resident mother duck with her troup of babies watched on..
Even on a damp, dull evening, I love it here...

...and so does Red.

Make hay while the sun shines?

How about "Make cushions whilst it pours down with rain"?...

Don't you just love the weather here in good old Blighty at the moment? hmmmm.... not good news when your a gardener and your mower decides to pack up in mid-mow because it's got too wet..grrrrrr

Maybe if we all wish hard enough the sun might come out.... well, we can live in hope can't we!

I've made a few cushions for my blogshop... I'll be making a few more but have run out of some essential bits and bobs at the moment but they'll be added as and when I make them! (if it keeps on raining there may be lots!!)

Have a great weekend x

Pretty...Stonehouse cottage gardens (and a pretty shop!)

Usually for our Anniversary,Pete and I go to an open garden or house somewhere ...we are definately not your roses and a romantic meal type..a cup of tea and some yummy cake does for me and we would rather spend money on something nice for the house than on expensive cards.(more on nice housey things later)

I'm sure I'm not alone..well I hope I'm not or you'll think I'm really mean!!

This year we went to

Stonehouse Cottage gardens and nursery

It's not very far from us in Malvern, near Kidderminster and for £3 it's certainly worth a look...

You may have seen it featured in a magazine.I first saw it in 'The English Garden' but I think more recently it was in Country living (or Country homes?) It's a walled garden with towers and follies, all hand built by the current owners out of reclaimed bricks..

You can climb up the very narrow spiral steps in one tower (a bit scary to say the least) and take a peek out over the three quarters of an acre gardens...

...which are truly beautiful..and very English.

They are not overly immaculate gardens,the roses needed deadheading and the lawn edges and hedges needed a trim, but when you think just one lady looks after all this by herself and runs a nursery selling all the plants from the garden,they are pretty amazing. (My photographs really don't do it justice)

We were the only people there (apart from the owners friendly Collies after a bit of fuss) and timed the weather perfectly as we had blue skies and sunshine..lovely!

Afterwards I dragged Pete off to Hereford (in the pouring rain!) for some retail therapy..I'm sure the Child benefit is meant to be spent on things like school shoes ,food or actual children..but hey-ho never mind..I'm sure the stinky boys will appreciate all my new goodies :0)

We went specifically to Hereford to go to one shop...

Berry Red

the most fantastic little place tucked away down an alley.

Our wedding anniversary gift to ourselves, little teeny love birds in a tin (ok this is about as soppy as we get!)
A new address book

( which must have taken me 15 minutes to decide between the 3 different ones..Pete has the patience of a saint!)

A pretty Greengate beaker for the bathroom.. which matches the new mat I got last week!
I love Greengate things..

...and a wire letter tray.I really like these..next time I'm going to get the one that hangs on the wall.

My wonderful mother-in-law bought me the 2 new Cath kidston Tesco bags,they seem to be sold out everywhere and going on eBay for up to £24 (they are £3.50 each) I must admit I have a problem with that..they are after all, for charity and a cancer charity at that, I think the eBay sellers should donate all their profits, imagine what Marie Curie could do with all that extra money..The stripey one at the back is a 99p one from Somerfield..they have three very similar styles to the Cath Kidston ones if your interested!

I must just add this little bit (it has been a bit of a long post, sorry!)....today I'm the proudest mum EVER...my big stinky boy has got a place at college..not on his exam results...on his own merit! He's had such a tough time with school, the last few years have been a bit of a nightmare to say the least and I can't tell you how pleased we are..well done George!! (you do realise you will have to build our extension when you are qualified?!!)

***

Have a great week! x

Faffing about with rooms (again)...and a tag

I've been tagged by Emma at sew recycled to show you the view from my kitchen window...

this is the view from my back kitchen bit window (from the room with no name but it houses the fridge and dresser..)

a little more exciting than this..... the view from my actual kitchen window! although if this was smellyblogging,you would have the lovely scent of my neighbours jasmine wafting through the window.

This is from the dining room window..which will eventually be french doors from the kitchen..our house is built back to front so in theory this should be the front garden..but it isnt!

Unfortunately July is the worst month in my garden..having seen this photo I had a big cut-back and clean-up....by the way,if anyone wants to join in with this tag, please feel free to..!

We've had quite an eventful week with one thing or another..firstly the stinky boy and I had to go to the cottage hospital to see a surgeon.It's a lovely Victorian building on the most beautiful crescent with a green in the middle..so,so pretty.
Unfortunately the surgeon had had a sense of humour bypass and stinky and I had the giggles..especially when drawings of appendages were produced. oh dear.. it made it worse when the Dr. kept asking what the matter was (how embarrassing!)I dont think I'll ever grow up at this rate!
I also had to have my little black hen put to sleep she was a very poorly girlie..then we decided to take the house off the market..we had so many people looking round but no interest at all,people want a house that they can do up from scratch or that's finished and this is neither.It's definately the wrong time to be selling at the mo, so that's it for now..to celebtrate we ripped up the carpet ready to sand the floorboards down and painted the dining room for the 478th time.You know,like you do......it's now ivory instead of blue! And yep, you've guessed it,I still dont like it!! I really think its those blessed wonky Cath kidston curtains that I still havent hemmed! Maybe I should make some roman blinds from vintage Linen but with a red stripe, like in the other stinky boys room..I quite like those.. We've actually now decided to knock through at some point to the teeny kitchen so we have a nice big kitchen to eat in..but I have no idea when the tree at the bottom of the garden that grows money is going to produce..so it may be sometime yet!

The relief of having no-one poking around your house is wonderful..now it can get messy and it doesn't matter..yay!! I hate change and I hate selling houses..so I'm pleased really.

Knowing we are now going to remain poor and overdrawn for the next 22 years,we went off and made a few unessessary purchases from the strange junk shop down the road. You can only get in if you are a size 8 and have a trained monkey on a lead to rootle through the piles and piles of tat.. did find some pretty 1930s china though, scattered around all over the place..there's probably more in there somewhere!the whole lot for £3..

a wooden standard lamp that will be painted cream and a £4 chair for my desk..it was FILTHY and after a thorough clean I realised it was actually red and not brown..even better!

I like the curved shape of the arms, I think I might cover this in a red and white polka-dot oilcloth I have,but I'm a bit undecided still..I find it so hard to keep to one look, I like so many! It all has that funny charity-junk-shop-smell to it..know the one I mean?

Just what is that smell?!!

It's our 11th wedding anniversary tomorrow, (and my mum & dads 5oth) so hopefully I'll be off to somewhere nice to show you on Monday..but don't hold your breath..Pete is about as romantic as a flea..so it may be sanding floorboards instead!

Have a great weekend.. oh and happy 4th July to all our American bloggers! x