Inspiring Books, French Fabrics and a bit of Baking

Today I have set up a new page on my Blog featuring Books that I have come across, enjoyed, and that I think you might like too.

 I hope (ha!) to add new books to this page regularly, to keep it updated (yes, probably as updated as I've kept my Flowers page and Made page, and my BlogShop - which is hardly at all! ) with books that are inspiring me now and which may inspire you also.

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The french vintage fabrics mentioned in my last post arrived this morning.

a pretty Indienne type of fabric

taupe and off white ticking

a pretty country floral

and from a different seller, and from good old England, a new piece of traditional blue ticking



This cooler, almost autumnal weather we've been having this week has seen me eager to spend a little more time in the kitchen cooking.

So far this week I've made a vegetarian Green Thai curry with brown rice (Monday), vegetable soup (Tuesday) vegetable Parmigiana (yesterday, my version of Eggplant Parmigiana inspired by yummy photos at My Farmhouse Kitchen but I didn't have any aubergines!)

and also yesterday I rather excelled myself by baking a moist Banana and Walnut Loaf

(a variation on a recipe I shared here a few months ago)

and wholemeal Irish Soda Bread

So I've now made myself hungry and I'm off to have some of that bread for lunch!

Hope you all have  a great weekend!

PS  Don't forget to enter my Giveaway (on 11th July post, Its Giveaway Time finally...) if you haven't already, as it ends this weekend (Sunday)!

Friday bits and bobs

It was glorious here this morning

 For the first time this year I hung my washing out to dry

Cleaned the wrought iron cafe table and chairs

Had my (late) breakfast outside

Cleaned the large blue painted wooden garden table

Had my lunch outside

Made Raspberry Flapjacks

As well as all the other boring bits and bobs

After picking up my daughter we took Logan along to the large pet centre at our local garden centre to visit the staff there and to buy him a new collar, lead, harness,name tag and car strap - it's brilliant, you can take dogs in on a lead into the pet area as they have a separate entrance from the car park!

We visited there for the first time the day before we got Logan to get a few things in readiness for him, and the staff were so friendly and knowledgeable and encouraged us to bring him in to show them.

So today they met Logan and thought he was pretty cute!  

He was carried around and petted and spoilt and given treats whilst we had our personal shopper coming round with us and holding our purchases for us - they are brilliant here! They are trained, can offer advice on nutrition and all sorts of things - a bit like the chemist is to the Drs, the Pet Centre are to the Vet!

They even do engraved name tags whilst you wait, and offer a micro chip service!

Here is a rather blurry picture of Logan wearing his smart new collar and red bone shaped name tag!

And with his new sqeaky newspaper toy

He had a great time last night at the Puppy party - he really joined in this time as there were only three other dogs, so less scary for him. In fact he came out of his shell so much he even got a little fresh with a female toy poodle!

*****

This lovely wall plaque was left behind by the previous owners, and is just outside the back door so you see it every time you go in and out  - I love the words

And beneath it sits a wall planter (also left behind) which really needs a new liner, and has seen better days - tomorrow I shall squeeze in some trailing ivy to try and hide the bare patches - I just wanted to get the primulas in!

Have a lovely weekend!

NB.  Last chance for entering the giveaway tomorrow - will pick a winner on Sunday!