I always feel better when the nights start to draw in and you see your house as the warm, cosy, inviting home that you have endeavoured to create over the years. When you go out and the trees start to take on their autumnal face, the crisp leaves under your feet, the mornings misty and fresh. Makes me feel warm and snuggly. Also looking around the shops and seeing the Halloween items coming into circulation again and of course, the Christmas lights and gifts trying to invite you in and get the 'shopping out of the way early'. But, whatever happened to 'Penny for the Guy' around Guy Fawkes night? I remember as a child, going out with my brothers and our 'scarecrow' that we had created and shouting out 'Penny for the Guy?'. We made a good sum each year and then felt sorry for the Guy when it was tossed onto the bonfire on the 5th November. Now, we have the fireworks but it just doesn't have the same feel.
During August I spent most evenings working like mad on my granny stripe blanket. This didn't help with it being summer and being swamped by a huge blanket, but my excuse was that we didn't really have a summer this year, just a couple of weeks, the rest was rain! I am glad to say that I have now completed the edging...and finished!
I keep thinking about what my next project will be but I am going to have to be practical. I'm having a week off in October so have decided that the next project is the lounge. It looks lovely, but I feel it needs a bit of a makeover. Not too drastic and not too modern (it would look like everyone elses!), I love painting old and forgotten furniture and making it individual, so part of the project will be to keep an eye out for some thrifty buys and using my imagination.
I'm also looking forward to my 'London Fix' as I call it. I left London many years ago but I still return when I can. This year it is all set for a couple of days with my best mate at the beginning of December. London in December is wonderful and I am more excited about this than Christmas itself! As simple as it may seem, I remember when I used to go to Oxford Street a fair bit, coming out of the tube station and smelling the chestnut stall as you came up the stairs. I used to have two bags and put them in my pockets to keep my hands warm. Lovely and very very happy times.
I've also been very thrifty with a birthday present for my hubby. He loves to play chess with my son in the evenings and to watch them with this very flimsy chess set made me think that it would be nice to have a really good set that could also be a piece of furniture. Now, I love thrift shops and of course the amazing Ebay, so myself and Luke set about finding the perfect set that would suit our lounge. We came across quite a few, but one stood out more than the others, a little damaged on the board but the set was of the Crusade. We set ourselves a limit and then waited patiently for the day when bidding was bound to take off. It did at first but we were still winning! I watched the count down from 10 - 0 and then...it was ours!! Two days later a parcel arrived (my husband thought it was a paving slab). We took it upstairs and unwrapped the layers of protective (and addictive) bubblewrap and then found a beautiful red box containing the most stunning chess set. Hand made board with brass inlays, gold plated pieces and the detail was more than we had ever dreamed it would be. Look how beautiful this is....
I do love a bargain!
Today I spent most of the day tidying up the dead leaves and cutting back on the plants ready for their winter sleep. I do love to do a 'winter clean'.
My lovely dog Coco enjoyed the fresher air today too. Definately time for a trim for her! I do love her long fur but this is a little too long...
Time to carry on with the winter clean!!
