If You Can't Ask Your Friends

So if all of you remember, I met this lovely couple, The Growers, at the Chelsea Flower Show last summer when they won a Gold Medal for their auricula display.

Since we have gotten to know them better, we have found out that the Grower Husband is a dab hand at DIY and wood working.  He has a keen interest in entomology and has collected and preserved many different species of insects and butterflies over the years.  He showed us individual glass-topped display boxes that slot into a beautiful cabinet, all of which he made.  In addition, he restores antique garden tools and they all look almost new again.

I had been hankering after a full-length shabby chic chalkboard for quite some time and when I couldn't find one for love or money, it seemed logical to ask the Grower Husband to make one for me!  We provided the materials but he did most of the work.  P did go over to their place a couple of times to help out with painting, waxing and distressing the finished product to give it some character.  Me?  I contributed the most important element to the entire process i.e. artistic direction.

It is over six-foot tall and about 18 inches wide:
(Click on any of the photos to enlarge them)

And a detailed photo of the wooden frame:

I am really happy with how it turned out and now have a real talking point in the kitchen diner.  Apparently, the Grower Husband spent hours working on it.  His wife was telling me that the other day, both she and their son was looking for him.  They checked the garden, the study and anywhere else they could think of but he was nowhere to be seen.  About an hour later, he strolled back into the house and when they asked him where he was, he said, "I've been with my chalkboard!"  Ha ha.

Something else that I have always wanted is a vintage bird cage on a stand.  Again, it was very difficult to find but I finally located one I liked...in the Land of the Free.  There was a big hooha with the seller on shipping and I even considered asking an American friend to bring it back for me on one of her trips.  But after much to-ing and fro-ing, it finally got it to Brrringland via post and into my living room!  And doesn't it look right at home here.

Separately, I found a pair of vintage glass feeders that fit:

Needless to say, the bird cage has a real 'wow' factor and everyone who sees it says...wow!  I believe it is Victorian but don't know for sure.  Regardless, it doesn't matter.  I absolutely love it, especially the clever mechanism of the three owls on springs which hold the top and bottom parts of the cage together.

My next purchase for the house is wire work planter for the garden.  It is still being made so all will be revealed once the weather is better.

In the mean time, Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Merry Christmas 2012!

A Summer of Epic Inspiration and Minor Irritations

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you'll know that Blundon has been awash with sport this summer.  The city has hosted both the Olympics (fab, except for the crowded trains) and the Paralympics (even more fab, but crowded transport was still an annoyance).

Before the Paralympics started, both P and I didn't think we'd be that bothered about watching the coverage. We were all 'sported out' after two weeks of the Olympics.  However, once the second round of games started, it was virtually impossible to stop watching.  We were all at once blown away by the immense courage, spirit and talent shown by the disabled athletes.  Competitors with no limbs, dwarfism, cerebral palsy and other degenerative muscular diseases, various levels of blindness and so on were performing at a level that most able-bodied people can only dream of reaching.  I mean, one swimmer with no arms won his heat!! Wha-what?!!  The games opened up the eyes of many people in this country, and I hope worldwide as well, as to what disabled people are able to achieve.

There were some moments during the games when the athletes really touched our hearts.  In spite of how much more difficult life can be, most are indomitable, humble and kind to each other.  It's hard to put into words but often when we were watching the games, I felt almost unworthy. I know I wasn't the only one who got emotional when a 14-year-old Ukranian swimmer with an advanced muscular disorder went up on the podium to receive her gold medal.  Because of the severity of her shaking limbs, she could barely take a few steps on her own.  Yet, when the silver and bronze winners congratulated each other, she leaped across and threw her arms around the both of them.  Even the male broadcasters were audibly moved.  When P went to work the next day, one of his colleagues told him that his wife was crying her eyes out over that incident and that the guy himself couldn't speak as he was so close to tears.

It was all over the media about how the disable athletes were an inspiration to the rest of the population, so much so that it almost became a cliche. However, even the most hardened cynic was humbled by what was on the TV every day, regardless of the sport. The stories that came out during the games were the most awe-inspiring of all.  Men and women who have faced immense adversity in life but are still positive.  Just in the pool, there was the Iranian with stunted limbs who was adopted by an Australian woman, the American Naval Officer who was blinded in Afghanistan only a year ago, the young American girl with no legs who won a fistful of golds and believes her purpose in life is to be a role model to people...the list goes on.

And on a more frivolous note, my perception now is that it is cool to be a Paralympian!  I mean, just take a look at Oscar Pistorius.  Can anyone deny he's anything other than at the top of his game, well-spoken, a role model and ahem..hot?!!  P did laugh at me when I was ogling some of the more, shall we say, well-built Paralympians. But the way I see it, I'm just appreciating all the wonderful and unique people that God has created. :-)

One profound effect of watching the amazing athletes night after night was that it made me less patient (not one of my strong points at the best of times anyway) towards the idiotic people I work with.  At the office, it is constant politics and drama from the senior manager managers in particular.  When you chase money as your God, you become less caring and more self-centered.  It's often all about 'me, me me' with those guys. Unfortunately, I have bills to pay so I still have to put up with that BS.  But I do try to focus on the positives in my life outside of work and I LIVE FOR FRIDAYS!

The weekend that just passed was fabulous.  On Saturday, we were invited to the Wisley Flower Show by our friends the Growers.  They had a marque and as the weather was so warm, there were lots of visitors and they sold loads of plants!  We had a lovely morning chatting with them, walking around the gardens and looking at all the beautiful wares on offer.  On Sunday, I went shopping in Wimbledon and picked up some nice clothes for work, so all in all, it was a perfect weekend.  Now if only every day could be a Saturday or Sunday.  Well, one can dream!

The M Walk Motel

I can hardly believe it has been four months since my last blog. So much has happened and P and I have not stopped. Neither has the rain to be quite honest. Although we have had a few days of sunshine in between, it has been a very wet summer. Nonetheless, we have not let it spoil our fun and the visitors have been coming thick and fast.

In mid-May, my dad, stepmum and her sister visited for two weeks. Along with my stepmum's nephew Dr J, the six of us drove up to the beautiful Lake District for a long weekend. We rented a lodge with a deck that overlooked the stream and spent many an hour admiring the birds and drinking in the tranquility.

We also did lots of walks and enjoyed a cruise on Lake Windermere.

After we got back, we had a girls' day out at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show. My mind was completely blown by the amazing show gardens and floral displays. We didn't like some of the gold medal winners as often, they design to win and not to appeal to one's heart. But more often than not, most of the winners were very worthy.

This collection of auriculas literally took my breath away when I saw it:

I joked with my stepmum and her sister that when I was young, I used to get excited about hot guys or designer handbags.  Now, it takes a bl**dy good plant to get my blood pumping!  Auriculas were very popular in Victorian times and collectors used to display them with a black background to show off the amazing colours. The specialist growers of this display have been going to the Chelsea Flower Show for 20 years and although they have been awarded loads of Silvers and Silver Gilts, this is the first year they have won a Gold Medal.

After the show, I purchase some plants from them and this is my version of the auricula theatre:

I openly acknowledge that it will be some time before I reach the Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal standard but we all have to start somewhere!

When we picked up the auriculas from the Growers, we got along so well that we decided to invite them over for dinner.  Although they are almost 70, they have never had Chinese food before!  In addition, the husband does not like anything with sauce or gravy.  So last weekend, they came round and I made roast soy chicken drumsticks, prawn omelette and steamed vegetables in oyster sauce...which I then had to drain off for him ha ha.

We also invited another set of close friends and had the most wonderful evening.  The Grower Husband has deep knowledge covering many subjects so it was really fascinating to hear him speak.  He took a tour around our garden with P and me and made several suggestions on how we could improve it.  For example, he told us to round the edges of flower borders as it is more pleasing to the eye.  He also suggested planting ferns in a shaded corner next to the shed where nothing else will grow.  He told us of the history of florists and many other Victorian plants.  We all hung on to his every word.

In their 20 years at Chelsea, the Growers have met many famous people including members of the Royal Family.  However, more importantly, they have promised to introduce me to Alan Titchmarsh the next time we are at a show together!  For all of you who don't know, Alan is a gardener who has been on the telly for decades and now has his own radio show.  I can't wait!

We feel really fortunate that we continue to meet wonderful people here in Brrrringland and long may it continue.

If all this excitement was not enough, we then had the Canadian family visit us at the end of June for five days.  We ate lots, drank more and had a fabulous time.

It is hard to believe that their two children are now 16 and 18.  When we met, they were 8 and 10 and very sweet.  It's funny seeing your friends' children turn into teenagers, who are the bane of parents the world over.  They are great kids but I'm glad to see that even they are prone to backchat and smart alec remarks!  We did a couple of day trips and one was to Rye, a quaint ancient town:

My only complaint was that the Canadian family didn't stay with us for long enough.

Almost as soon as the Canadian family left to enjoy the rest of their European tour, we had a wedding to attend in mid-July.  Three people from the wedding party stayed with us.  It was a wonderful day but as is often the case with close friends, we helped out a lot so it was quite tiring.  I made sandwiches for the bridesmaids and helpers and P drove them to the venue to decorate.  We also stayed on after the wedding to take down the decorations and took most of the items back to our place. The next day, we brought them all to the groom's parents's house, where we enjoyed a delicious brunch on the sunny patio.

This month has been just as busy.  The whole city has been caught up in Olympic fever and we are no different.  Although we haven't been to any events, we have watched a lot of it on telly at home and with our friends.  I'm glad it's over as I was starting to get a bit of 'sports overload' but then the Paralympics start shortly!

P and I are on holiday this week but so far, he has boarded up the loft (for extra storage space) and re-organised and cleaned out the garage.  I have steam cleaned the whole house, defrosted the freezer and cleaned out the fridge.  And next weekend, we have our close friends from Northampton coming to stay.

Then at the end of September, Dr J will be with us for a few days before he heads back to the Small Island after his year-long research course.  I can't believe it has been 12 months since he first arrived here.  I think being in Blundon has been a great experience for him, but I also know that his family and friends are looking forward to him going home.  I am sure he is going to be spoilt with lots of yummy homecooked food!  Jealous much?!!  Yesssssssssssssss!

In a way, it's quite sad that the summer is almost over and we haven't had any good stretches of warm, dry weather.  But nonetheless, I always look forward to our yearly trip in November to Northampton to spend the day with friends.  We also always have a great time with another set of friends over the Christmas and New Year period. I'm well equipped to face the winter this year with a new North Face coat and a pair of gorgeous waterproof boots.  So with lots to look forward to, I go into the fall with a spring in my step (no pun intended).

If after reading about the last four months of excitement and you too want to visit us, all you have to do is get in touch!  There are two guest rooms awaiting...

The Rules of Rain

We have lived in our house for almost two years and during that time, we have made do with a cheap wooden table and chairs to use on the back patio. As they are not for the outdoors, P and I have had to move them in and out of the garage and shed whenever we've had guests. With the temperamental Brrringlish weather, there have been occasions when the sky has opened up while we were mid-meal and we've not only had to usher our guests indoors, but dismantle the table and carry it all under cover as well!

So this year, we finally had a little bit of spare cash and decided to splash out (no pun intended) on a proper outdoor furniture set. As it is my nature to do intensive research before any major purchase, I read up on the benefits of wrought iron vs wood vs aluminium before making a decision.

With my penchant for shabby chic, I longed for an ornate white painted wrought iron antique set. However, many I found were incomplete sets or only sat four people (we normally have at least eight for our barbeques).

I love the look of wood as well but they turn from a nice mid-brown to silvery grey in the elements. They also have to be cleaned every spring and then oiled again. Too much maintenance, so a big no no.

The best option then seemed to be recycled aluminium, which isn't heavy like wrought iron and doesn't rust. After searching online, I finally found a beautiful cream painted octagon table with eight chairs. As it was quite expensive (I'm more used to antique markets and eBay where I can pick up great bargains), it actually hurt my heart (and not to mention my bank balance) to purchase it. But after much discussion with P, we decided to go for it as we have some important guests visiting us in May and June.

So here it is in all its costly glory. It even comes with chocolate brown seat pads and a matching parasol:

As sod's law would have it, it has rained EVERY SINGLE DAY since we bought it. In fact, the last full sunny day was the Friday that the furniture arrived at the end of March and it took P and me five hours to put it all together.

After speaking to one of my Brrringlish friends, he advised me of the three things you can do which will guarantee prolonged heavy rainfall:

1. Purchase an outdoor furniture set
2. Impose a hose pipe ban
3. Buy a barbeque

Believe it or not, many areas here are in 'drought' at the moment. I use that term lightly as we have had several severe thunderstorms and howling winds over the last few weeks. I don't want to speculate on how inefficient the water companies here are...but put it this way, they are much better at leaking water than storing it.

The major water companies have been enforcing a hose pipe ban since 5 April. So while you are not allowed to wash your car or water your plants and lawn with a hose, you can still use a bucket and watering can. It doesn't bother us as we have not had any need to use our hose pipe. My umbrella however, has been in use pretty much every day.

I haven't given up hope for the summer yet though. I have been praying every day that warm, dry days will return soon. But once the rain finally stops, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are P and I going to buy a new barbeque, not even if our current one falls apart!

Opportunities and Opulence

It has been very quiet on the blog front but that has definitely not been an accurate reflection of our lives.

Recently, my boss was asked to take on a new roll pulling together various customer and complaints teams within the bank. His success will depend on whether he is able to bring our excessive complaints numbers down. It is a big job and I will be joining him on this new challenge, which we start on Monday. It will be very exciting and although I am slightly daunted, I also intend to take a more active role as his 'right-hand man'.

At the end of last year, I started a professional mentoring programme with two senior level PAs. One is within the bank I work for and the other supports a managing partner in a well-regarded consultancy. Between them, they have over 50 years of PA experience in various companies. I meet them regularly to work on my developments areas. I am not one to sit in meaningless classes just to tick a training box and I have found that mentoring works really well for me. It is motivating and has sharpened my focus on where I want to go in terms of my career.

I have started the ball rolling with my boss and run a few ideas of how I can be a bigger asset to him. So far, he seems as keen as I am and the next step is to turn words into action. I know that I can be the MVP (most valuable PA :-)) on the wider team but I need to invest more time into learning about the new area.

This week, I also had a bit of an additional boost. One of the junior team PAs asked me to be her mentor! To be honest, I thought she was joking at first so I didn't think much of it. I am not sure if I am the right person to be influencing young, innocent minds! She asked me again a few days later and I still wasn't sure if she was serious. I spoke to her team leader who confirmed that yes, she actually did want me to be her mentor ha ha. I have agreed to do it as I know it will help me to grow as a person as well. Our first meeting is in a couple of weeks time so I will keep you updated on her (and my!) progress! Eek.

It hasn't all been work, work, work. I've also had some fun purchasing stuff for the master bedroom. I used part of my small bonus to purchase a beautiful 19th century antique French Fauteuil (that's armchair to the likes of you and me). When I showed my boss the photo of it, he said that now all I need is a Versailles Palace to go with it! Uh huh. I've also got a hand-made painted clothes ladder for our 'not clean not dirty' clothes. I have a tartan footstool on order to put in front of the chair but as it is custom made, it will take another two to three weeks for delivery.

I have also managed to find gorgeous vintage prints and old lace pictures to complete a feature wall over my dressing table. Aside from the Italian mirror, all the other items, including the small carved painted shelf, is from the same lady who has a stall at my favourite antique market. I have collected them from her over the past year or so. I love the various shades of grey, mushroom and cream chalk paints she uses. Her stuff sells like hot cakes so I literally take the items off her hands as she unloads them from the back of her van. P has observed that I am akin to a circling shark going in for the kill ha ha. Hey, that is all part of antique shopping etiquette i.e. you snooze, you lose, baby doll! All of these items are one-offs and I have learnt that if you don't grab them when they are available, it will be a long time before you can find a suitable replacement.


We were busy with visitors in January when we had a big Chinese New Year party and we spent last weekend with friends in Cambridge. It's my birthday (21 again, yah right) in three weeks and we are having a few people over for lunch. Our good friends from Northampton are coming to stay. They are bringing their very sweet and mature 12-year-old grand daughter as she loves the dogs and wants to spend some time with them.

It is miserable and rainy today so I shall be at home making chocolate-chip cookies and dark chocolate brownies. I am bringing them to work on Monday to help break the ice with my new team. All part of my newly-found skills in stakeholder management ha ha.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Winter's Wonders

We've had the most amazingly temperate weather this year and our climbing rose was blooming right into December. Well, until two weeks ago when the frost arrived with a vengence. Our stunning roses were literally frozen in time. If you click on the photo, you can see the bits of ice on top of the flowers. Its beauty really takes my breath away:

The grass was covered in frost as well:

I do miss the long summer days where I pottered around the garden for hours: deadheading flowers, feeding and cutting back plants and just staring in wonder at how lush the garden looked.

But as I am discovering, winter brings its own pleasures as well. We are on a two-week break from work and have been doing bits and pieces around the house. We have plans to put shelves up in the living room on either side of the vintage mirror over my sofa and I have been slowly collecting items to put on them. The centrepiece will be a pair of old American tin ceiling tiles, one on each shelf. In front of these, I have decided on vintage pressed glass candlesticks, which I have been ordering online. They are being delivered one by one. I love the anticipation of receiving each package, opening it and placing the 'new' old items on my dining table, really for the big show once the shelves are up!

In the summer, it stays light until 10pm (my bedtime), so I never bother with candles. But one of the loveliest things about the nights coming early is that you can light candles to keep the house looking cosy. Not all of my candlesticks have arrived yet, but here are a few ready and waiting for tapered candles to complete the picture. The simple glass ones with the tea lights are vintage French jam jars.


I have also been busy trying new recipes, the lastest of which is a crumble-covered cherry cake. I plan on serving this on Christmas day when we may have some special guests for dinner. In anticipation, I have even bought a vintage footed glass cake stand. I purchased three of them this year to give as presents but have realised that I need/want one too! I even found a vintage cake knife to go with it. Isn't this just so pretty? I adore the fluted edge of the cake stand. It will look all the better on Christmas day with a cherry cake on it, warm from the oven and daintily dusted with icing sugar.

I hope that you are all enjoying the festive period as much as we are,
and we wish one and all a very