carry on camping

I can happily report that we have had the most wonderful little camping trip- packed with scorching sun, salty sea, raucous laughter, fresh air, friends and fun. I don't think there could have been one thing that could have made our time any better (other than maybe a more comfy sleep!)

Our new 'teepee-style' tent made the perfect mobile home for us and the campsite was idyllic, tucked away on a little working farm on the stunning South Downs. It was so safe and child-friendly, allowing the girls a sense of freedom that they have not experienced before, as they were able to run off and explore whenever they wanted with hoards of children to play 'hide and seek' and chasing games for hours at a time.

At the beach, the girls had a blast running around collecting sticks, shells and seaweed and Pearl was fascinated by the sea- I doubt she could remember having seen it before!


Of course, we could not go without a trip to Brighton's North Laine to browse round the record shops, rummage through some bric-a-brac and partake in a spot of people-watching. Most of the beautiful things we spotted were too pricey for our budget, but there's nothing like a spot of window-shopping to inspire some thrifty alternatives, and I got lots of ideas for clothes I could easily make myself and home wares to keep eye out for at the next car-boot sale.


The rest of our time was spent indulging in nostalgia- lazing around sunbathing in the places I would take Flora when she was Pearl's age and enjoying the company of beloved friends we don't get to see even nearly often enough.


On our return, I was astounded by just how much can change in the garden after just three days away- we have now huge red strawberries, bright yellow courgette flowers and sweet-peas filling the garden with much-needed colour, thanks to my neighbour who kept up the watering in the heat! A proper garden update with pictures will follow after we've tackled the post-camp washing mountain.

Hope you all have been enjoying the sun as much as we have... I'm off to catch up with your latest updates!

(ex) homeward bound

**I just cannot contain my excitement! **

The weather is hotting up again and tomorrow we're off for three days' camping on the outskirts of our dearly beloved and much-missed former home, Brighton.

Whilst I truly love the life we've made for ourselves here over the last year, and I now wouldn't swap it for all the loose-leaf tea in Fortnum and Mason, there isn't a day that passes without me longing for particular aspects of the life we left behind.

• the endless sea.


• bric-a-brac hunting in Snoopers Paradise.


• the culture of embracing of eccentricity.


• Bankers fishcakes.


• spending every sunny weekend lazing in the park drinking rosé with my fabulous friends whilst our children run riot.


• watching those children meet their milestones and sharing in celebrating their achievements.


• having people to confide in.

• buying mini macaroons for Flora's breakfast on the nursery run, at the start of one of the many days I was too slovenly to prepare her cereal in time.
  

• cycling to work.


• I even miss my job.

But two (pretend) grown-ups, a three year old, a cat and a bump could not survive in a tiny one-bedroomed basement flat any longer.

And wasn't much fun being surrounded by wonderful things going on, when we could no longer afford to do any of them due to our every-increasing brood.

So the Brighton dream wasn't to be...

But, hurray for holidays!

sweet as apple pie

Weather-wise today was a rather miserable start to the month of June, with interminable rain pouring down from dawn until dusk. We also had no car today, as it was in for its MOT (thankfully it passed!) so we were all pretty much house-bound, only braving the rain to pop to the market to buy some delicious sun-dried tomato bread

followed by a quick trip to the library, where I was particularly pleased to pick up the 'Vintage Knitwear' book I had my eye on last time I went to the V&A, but resisted the temptation to buy at the time.

Whilst the girls had a look through the books they had chosen, I wrote a couple of postcards for this intriguing little group that I have just joined where you exchange postcards with strangers all over the world. I'm starting off with sending two to see what happens, although the addresses I was allocated are a little disappointing- France and Belgium, I was hoping for somewhere a bit more exotic. I do hope I receive some back soon- how jolly exciting!


Much of the day was then spent lazily watching films with the littlies, whilst knitting up this fabulous, and slightly mad-looking monkey as a gift for a friend's baby. I loosely based it on this pattern, but making it half the size, mostly by just halving the figures and decreasing on every row, instead of alternate rows. I also made the arms, legs and mouth using 'i-cord' instead of knitting it as a strip and also making him a little tail, also from'i-cord'.


I then got on with an uncharacteristic amount of baking, making an admittedly rather rustic-looking, but scrummy nonetheless, apple pie for our tea


and this enormous batch of cheese straws for my colleagues, as I'm going into work tomorrow for a leaving lunch and these snacks proved very popular when I brought them into work a few months' back. That's if there are any left by tomorrow... I do keep having to check that they're OK......


PS, as it's the first day of the month, I did say I was going to take an 'aerial' view of the garden to compare how much it's come on since last month. However, as it was such a horrid day, I though I would postpone this until tomorrow. Let's hope the weather is a bit cheerier!

apusskiduski

Another sunny Sunday morning of car-booting, and while I didn't pick anything up for myself, Flora chose some wonderful Ladybird books, which I will enjoy reading with her.

Steve picked up quite a few records- I especially liked these BBC birdsong LPs which I might end up claiming as my own...


We then went to a garden centre with my dad, who recently had his fish pond pilfered by a neighbourhood cat, so the girls helped him choose some replacements.

They then set them free from their tiny polythene bag into the big wide-world of his pond...

ready to make it their comfy new watery home.


Let's hope these ones look less appetising to felines!

My dad also made the girls a makeshift swing in his garden to keep them occupied, which proved very popular, despite the scrapes and bruises which were incurred during it's trial.

When we got home I planted out my Moneymaker tomatoes in this ingenious grow-bag hider, who'd have thought there was a garish plastic grow-bag underneath?


I'm now off to finish off some bits of knitting I owe to a few friends' new babies and I plan to slump on the sofa having a nosey through this free magazine I picked up at the garden centre.

Rock 'n' roll!!

spring chicken

Flora had her class assembly this week, where she and all her friends in Chestnut class gave a presentation about their recent outing to a local farm. Unfortunately I couldn't get the time off work to go and watch it, so Steve and Pearl went without me. To make up for it, Flora gave me a special private rendition of their song instead, and I think you'll agree it's a pretty catchy tune...

Bless her, she's always so enthusiastic about everything!
(I wonder who she gets that from..)

Speaking of spring chickens, another highlight of my day was being asked for proof of age when I was buying some camping gas in my lunchbreak! I'm stocking up with camping equipment ready for the many weekends away we're planning for the summer- how pretty is this stove and cool bag I picked up, both half price, in Robert Dyas.

I just can't wait to try out our new tent...

the case of the white dahlia (and other stories)

So impatience has finally got the better of me and I decided I was not prepared to wait until next year for my sweet williams to bloom in my hanging basket. So I have flung the offending plants on the compost and replaced them with some beautiful white dahlias, which smell divine as well as looking purdy as a picture!

This evening Steve has been a star chef, cooking up some delicious River Cottage 'Spicy North African Lamb Burgers with Minty Yoghurt' on the barbecue. He even made the flatbreads himself, flavoured with cumin, cinnamon and crushed coriander seeds, topped off with a yoghurty dressing containing our very own mint leaves. Nom, nom, nom!

Just need to add how jealous I am of those of you heading off to Chelsea over the next few days, how I wish I was able to go. Big congratulations to my friend CJ Munn whose stunning, saucy sculptures are causing a stir in the Foreign and Colonial Investments Garden. Please do vote for her garden in the RHS 'people's choice' awards!

the princess and the pea-green scarf

Just a quickie, but I wanted to show off the natty Urban Outfitters headscarf I picked up in a charity shop today for a mere £2.50- just the thing to keep the baking sun from further frazzling my over-bleached hair.

Flora told me I looked beautiful, just like a princess. Steve reckons she must mean Princess Margaret. Well, he may be taking the piss, but I actually think Princess Margaret was a bit of a fox, myself. So there.