Thrifting, treats and new socks.

Gosh, it's been a while since I last posted. L and E have both had exams and life has been a little fraught. L has now finished and is currently on a walking/climbing holiday in Wales and E has 3 more exams to go over the next week and a half, then we can all breathe out. I haven't really got a lot to show you, but it has been so long that I thought I'd just pop in and say 'Hi'.

I have a few snaps of the garden. The weather has been very muggy recently and I'm desperate for a good thunderstorm to clear the air. Looking at the weather forecast, there seem to be plenty about but, unfortunately, they keep missing us. R spent last weekend feeding the lawn and it was supposed to be watered in ............ we're still waiting! Anyway, here are a few of the flowers that have made me smile this week:

Foxgloves, I have foxgloves people! I have tried growing them a few times in our garden but something always seems to eat them (evidently, they're not toxic to everything!). This year, I tried planting one in a tub on the patio and Ta-Dah!

I'm so thrilled with them and spend many a happy while peeping inside the flowers at the bees - I don't know who is happier, me or them.

My herb tub has filled out nicely and is in full use in the kitchen. I do have a herb bed further down the garden but it's so lovely to be able to just pad outside onto the patio and snip a few.

 My Californian poppies always make me smile; they are such a cheerful little flower:

..... and I'm in a very happy rose place at the moment. I love this one for its glorious fragrance. Sorry, I can't identify it, I'm hopeless with plant names. Anyone know?

I've had a visit to a car boot sale and a couple of charity shops and found a few bargains. I'd spent a merry afternoon cutting some stuff out for E and commented that it would be so much easier with a guillotine. Lo and behold, the following day at the local boot sale I found this. Of course, now she doesn't need anything else cutting, but when she does, I'm ready!

This little sewing table belonged to a lady's 90 year old grandmother who had recently died. There is a bit of watermarking on the top but for the sum of £2 I couldn't resist bringing it home. I think it was partly sentimentality as, apart from my grandfather's war medals, I have nothing that belonged to my grandparents. I was rather surprised that she was selling it but maybe she doesn't sew or has a lot of mementos already. My intention was to paint it - I'm longing to try some chalk paint but every time I have something in mind, I'm vetoed by the rest of the family. I do love the oak but there's only so much brown furniture you can have around the place and if I don't paint it, I shall have to sort out those water marks. Maybe I could just crochet a cover for the top. What does everyone think?

My final boot sale find was a couple of galvanised buckets that I'm using as planters. They have just got pots popped in there at the moment.

 My trawl round the charity shops yielded an earthenware jug (it's really heavy!) and a book.

Also this week, I finally finished my Blue Tit socks. Sorry I don't have a photo of a blue tit for comparison. I find them quite tricky to capture on film anyway and the leaves on the cherry tree are currently hiding the feeders. Anyway, here are my socks. These are my second pair and they are still not perfect but I'm slowly getting better.

I've already cast on a new pair using this yarn. It's another British bird yarn from the West Yorkshire Spinners. Can you guess the bird?

 This one is 'Owl' and this is as far as I've got:

Finally, I thought I'd give myself a little treat this week (well, it is a stressful time with all these exams!) and ordered myself a new project bag from the lovely Jooles at Sew Sweet Violet. It arrived yesterday and I am thrilled with it. Her sewing is so perfect and she adds lovely little details like rows of kisses. I do love her blog and adore her choice of fabric.

 It's currently holding my Patchwork on the Go tins and the finished stars:

 They just fit snugly inside and I find that I'm desperate to go on a train journey, so I can take it along.

Anyway, that's all for this week. I am still popping by to read about what you have all been up to, even if I don't have as much time to comment at the moment. It will get better, I promise.
Have a smashing week.

Toodle Pip for now. x