Showing posts with label Crafts.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crafts.. Show all posts

12 June 2016

A mixed bag

This time of the year is always busy for us.
 Garden to keep tidy for our guests 
Especially this adorable 'Labradoodle'  from Holland.
 He was the star  staying in La Petite Maison
I found out he even takes his own selfies.

 Summer time is a must for market shopping.
always get there early, before the crowds appear.
I start off with the fruit stalls.

Then the Charentais melons, to take home and have for lunch
served with some jambon cru, and a crusty baguette.

There was even a stall selling Jambon from the Auvergne.

Local honey on a croissant for breakfast.


 A medley of tasty vegetables for lunch.

Traditional goodies to savour.

A lovely selection of rose shrubs.




Then I found a lovely stall with an English lady selling beautiful original things.
I loved these old cases & boxes she covers in decoupage.



 In the summer there's always an organ grinder playing music .


Time for a spot of people watching and a cup of coffee before leaving.


Easy all in one meals.
Then the joy of eating outside.
Followed by Strawberries from the Dordogne.( The best in France )

Family and friends popping in for aperitifs. 

All the things I love about summer.

How about you, what do you enjoy the most about summer ?

I'm looking forward to some long sunny summer days and evenings.
Spent outdoors.

à bientôt
Barbara Lilian

21 November 2014

My 100th Post




I can't believe I've just written that.
If Blogger didn't count them and inform me 
 I would have let this special day pass me by without knowing.

If you don't mind I need to write it again only in bigger numbers
100 th. post.

I promise I won't mention it again.

 I created my blog in 2012. If you weren't reading me then take a look at my first post.

Except for my family, I really didn't know who would want to read about my daily life, 
but 99 posts later and just past the 40,000 number of views.
I'm feeling quite pleased with myself.
 I'm still here and when I don't enjoy writing and sharing I'll stop.

I thank every one of you who take the time to read about me, 

If you don't write a comment  I don't know you are reading it, but thank you anyway.

Finally a special thank you to all my blogging friends
who leave such lovely encouraging comments.

 A sketch from my journal of the back view of our house from the grazing field.

What better subject to share with you than the beautiful countryside I enjoy where I live, 
and what a stunning time of the year when the trees are exploding with such beautiful colours.


If you would like to join me on my walk, we will start from 

Our summer visitors have gone. the vine has been trimmed




                         but it still looks inviting with the lovely red leaves on the Virginia Creeper.






During my recuperation time I sat most days on our terrace 
and sketched this view of the ruined barn 




Now the Berberis is looking at its best, so many shades of red.
  



We could take this lane.




But I think we'll go  this way.



 We will walk the  'Le Route Forrestier' 

 I haven't taken this pathway for quite some time as it was too hilly for me, but now I'm able to walk much further again, it's the best route for views.  We will be able to see the many species of trees which grow in our region  some of them are already bare and others are still showing off  their colourful robes. This particular day started with heavy showers then the sun came out which lit up the trees making their colours even more beautiful, 

I climbed the first hill to see the lovely big Oak tree
 which stands alone in the field where the Limousin cows feed,
 This oak always look splendid whatever the season, it hangs onto
it's leaves almost until the new Spring leaves begin to appear.





 I stopped and turned around so that you could have a glimpse of my home through the bare trees.






I can see lots of  dark clouds beginning to gather so before it starts to rain again.
I think we'll take a little detour,  I don't think you'll be disappointed.
it's this winding path which has lots of ferns along the edge of the path





Look at the lovely shades of rust of these ferns, 
I'll be cutting them soon and taking them to use as a winter coat for my fragile Fuchsias.
I learnt that tip from an old man in the village where we lived when we first arrived in France.
If you'd like to read some of my happenings in that village take a peep    here




I'm so glad I took the detour even though it didn't rain
We would have missed seeing these trees.
Aren't they beautiful ?




When it snows and I write about the snow plough never passing our house, you can see why. 






         I'll be able to show you the ruined house near to where I live.which is so over grown now









We are now back, to where we started our walk.
I hope you enjoyed the beautiful colours I'm seeing at the moment.
This year we still haven't had any frost, so we're still enjoying our Autumn.

 Now for a little insight of my preparation before I actually make a post. 

I say it so many times I am not technically minded.
I forget how to do things, so have to write it down, especially doing a link.
That's why I don't join in with Link posts but I do read the blogs you all link to.

I'd never get anything done I'd still be sitting at my laptop struggling.
Oh believe me sometimes it takes me ages.
However I have managed to put two links in this post.

When I first started writing on my blog I used to get Mr France to take the photos.

But since then  I've learnt such a lot about taking photos and I'm still learning, 
Here I'm preparing for a photo shoot I wanted to show you 
the last three stems of Lavender I found this morning.

Most of the photos I take are with my aim & shoot camera,  I can master that.











It's still not right. but was the best of all that I took.
This stone jar I found buried in the barn under all the hay at our first house.






I fiddled about adding a few more bits and pieces.
I've just made some Lavender sachets as extra little gifts for Christmas
and I thought it would fit in with the theme.
But too many shadows. 





I hope you enjoyed my special post.



à bientôt
Barbara Lilian

15 February 2014

My give away winners for the Grow Your Blog party.


First of all a big thank you to Vicki   for hosting the Grow Your Blog party,
 which has brought  many new followers to me and all who took part.
I thank all of you who read my post 
and especially those of you who are now following me.
Which I hope will enjoy reading my thoughts and sharing a bit of where I live in France.

And the winner of my give away is Shane from

As soon as I saw Shane's blog  Roses Lace and Brocante I knew I was going to like it. 
We have so much in common her connection with France and her love of lace. 
We even end our posts with the same message.
if you haven't already visited her, please pop over to see the lovely things she makes with lace.
and
then I decided to chose another name.
Well Mr France was my random chooser.
I asked him to give me a number then out came
Gill from 
 Dosie Rosie

I chose to read this blog because of the name, which is her nick name.!
and then I find she is also English.
This blog is so fresh, Gill writes as if you are with her and she's talking to you,
 full of  bits & pieces from her everyday happenings
and lots of different original craft things she makes.
Pop over to visit her

I hope they'll like my give away.
I'm sure they will find something to make with them.

I have contacted them both so that I can send the packets.
I've also taken some photos so that I can show you what I'll be sending.

but you'll have to wait until I hear from
and

Thank you once again Vicki for all your hard work in  helping us 'Grow our Blogs'



à bientôt

Barbara Lilian