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Here are a few pics of the sheep and lambs in the walnut grove and some other signs that maybe spring is not too far around the corner. You can just see a couple of little lambs in the background.
Pink primroses growing in the grass, what a joy! I've made this picture my screen saver I thought it was really pretty and you can see the sunlight.
These are new buds on the Lilac bushes. 
This is our walnut grove. The little chemin (road) you can see goes down to the millhouse, a beautiful double fronted house down in the valley next to the river.
These grow freely, but I don't know what they're called, they're very pretty though as the flowers go through shades of pink to lilac and blue all on the same plant. Nature is a wonderful thing!
Of course, daffs, Spring wouldn't be Spring without them. Just coming into bud.
Can you see this little lamb hiding behind the hurdle, I couldn't get any closer to him, he was very nervous. Not used to the paparazzi me thinks!
Again the sheep and their lambs in our field. You can just see the fence which is our border with our neighbour. If you look really closely there is a little one lying down in the sunshine.
Thank you Hen at Henhouse who left a comment on my last post saying perhaps I could post some pics of the sheep. I'd like to say thank you because when I went out in the garden yesterday afternoon to take the piccies, the sun was warm and bright, and it made me realise again what a lucky thing I am to live where I do. When we first came to live here in France it was like being on holiday for quite a long time, things were all very new and exciting. But then, as with anything or anywhere, you settle into your normal daily life and lose sight of the plus points when you get weighed down by the minuses. It isn't always easy, even when you speak the language there is still a language barrier, what they say about french bureaucracy is very true, loads of bits of paper and all in a foreign language. The people however have always been kind and helpful, we couldn't wish for better french neighbours and we have all this lovely scenery.
One thing though is that we are very much in the french countryside, unfortunately unless I travel to one of the cities I don't have the access to all the shopping opportunities I would like, but maybe I will have to just get in the car and have some days out.
I think it's the old thing of "is your cup half full or half empty?" - I think mine is definitely half full, the thing is not losing sight of that fact!!
Take care and enjoy your day
Love Nickyx
HI, hope you're all well and happy today. I had a pretty productive day yesterday I have to say.
The weather has brightened up a bit and feels somewhat springlike, although still cold and frosty this morning. We have new baby lambs in the orchard, our neighbour puts his sheep in there to keep the grass down. It's more a walnut grove really as we have 27 walnut trees.
The little bits and bobs above were done whilst sitting in front of late night tv, the two tiny hearts I thought might look pretty attached to something like a purse or wallet. and the little bow is the beginning of a prototype corsage. We'll see how it comes out, still needs some tweeking.
I spent most of the morning in the bathroom, tidying and painting. With a project like ours there are always unfinished bits that can't be finished until something else is done - if you follow me. The bathroom is mostly all painted tongue and groove on the walls. I wanted to sand the wood around the cupboard and paint it white. I have a curtain hanging there at the moment but my other half tells me that one day it will have doors, although I quite like the curtain. The pipework will be boxed in one day, but I'm very tempted to paint it the colour of the walls in the meantime, just to make it look better. I think this may be a girl thing as my other half says it's a waste of energy as it's going to be boxed in. I think I may paint it though, as I don't know when it's going to get boxed in. (Sorry if I'm rambling)
This is another thing I did last night in front of the the TV (the other half was away yesterday and overnight so I took advantage). I painted the basket I keep my hairdryer in and then made a pretty fabric lining for it. This has brightened it up no end - don't you think?
Back to the bathroom. The wall below is the first coat of lime render, so do excuse it. To the right you can just see the cupboard I was talking about and the curtain. I'm showing you this picture as I'm thinking of painting this linen basket too - what do you think? I'd probably do it the colour of the basket above as they're all in the same room. You can also see I painted the toilet brush holder too, thought I'd share that with you! If it didn't move I painted it yesterday
Oh, I nearly forgot, I also made two more cushions for my friend. Just the pelmet to do now, when it's all done and in place I'll post some photos.
Holly has been enjoying the her first couple of days holiday and the luckily the weather is bright and dry so she has been playing with the little ones who live in the converted barn just up the road from us.
Well I'm off to do some more bits and bobs.
Take care.
Nickyx
Well I went shopping the other day with Lucy, we went up to the city looking for a fabric shop another friend had told me about. We found it, despite my appalling sense of direction and after parking the car walking in the wrong direction, asking in a shop and then walking back the way we'd come. But hey we got there eventually. When we did find it I was quite surprised it was pretty big and on three floors, dress fabric and trimmings on the ground, furnishing and trimmings on the top and some remnants, cushion inners and paint in the basement. I saw some lovely furnishing fabrics some beautiful red and cream linen toile de jouy which I fell in love with. The paint was Farrow & Ball, which was great BUT it was €59 for 2.5 litres and €99 for 5 litres. I think I'll wait until we visit the UK for that.
We'd already bought the red and cream toile de jouy and we were looking for something to co-ordinate with it. The toile de jouy is for the curtains, and some of the cushion covers, the red and cream ticking is for the window seat and I think I'm going to use it with the toile on some of the cushions. Also this little window is going to have a simple flat pelmet with toile on one side and the ticking on the other, tabs for hanging and I thought we'd alternate the toile and ticking for those, so hopefully it will look very pretty, country chic. I'll take some photos when I'm finished.The beige and cream stripe was a remnant for me to go in the basket and the quilted fabric is to make a baby's changing bag.
This morning the sun came out and I had the urge for a mad tidy and dust around, including the cobwebs, which we get loads of. Always feel very self-satisfied afterwards I have to say. I even painted the window sill in the kitchen and touched up the walls a bit. Well it may be the temporary kitchen but I want it to be nice. The cushion above I've also made this morning for the chair at Holly's desk in her bedroom. The beige linen was a curtain I bought in the sale for the fabric last year, the paisley/floral fabric was the off-cut from the curtain in the bathroom and the pretty little pink bit in the middle was from a piece Sesga at Sesgaloves1950s sent me in the valentine swap, I've just used a little as I want to use some of it in one of my purses. I hope Holly will be chuffed when she comes home from school as it will be a surprise.
Also when we went shopping on Tuesday I treated myself to the new Country Living mag and some pink tulips. I just love tulips in the house they make me cheery and remind that spring is on its way. I've had a quick flick through, but will have to sit down with a cup of tea to enjoy if properly.
Well I'm off to hang out some washing as its quite bright today.
Take care and enjoy your day.
Nickyx
Hi girls, this is just a quickie. I thought I'd post a picture of a little purse I've just finished. I was asked to make it by a friend for a little girl's birthday. As you can see it's pink gingham on the outside and a pretty pink and cream flowery fabric on the inside. My friend was pleased and I hope the little one will be too. I embroidered her name on a little piece of french linen and added a few hearts to pretty it up.
I'm off shopping this morning with a friend to get some material. I'm making curtains, cushion covers and a window seat for her living room. So I may even find some bits for myself while I'm there with a bit of luck.
Well I'd better go and iron the things I'm going to wear as she will be here soon, hope you like my little purse.
Have a good day all.
Nickyx
I would like to thank Bex at Bexs Buttons for my Lemonade Award which is for showing great attitude and/or gratitude. I'm very flattered and grateful. I have to award this to ten others, but feeling rather lazy, today being Sunday and all I'd like to award it to all my blog followers as a thank you for making me feel so welcome in the blogging world.
Today I have put some new bits on my shop blog. This is a photo of some of my recent makes, do pop over and have a look, I hope you like them. It sounds like a lot of you girls had a lovely Valentines Day. I must say I did too, a fairly lazy day and to top it off my other half cooked me a meal last night, which was lovely then we had a quiet night on the sofa in front of the fire watching TV.I hope you are all enjoying your Sunday.
Take care.
Nickyx
Well I thought I'd show you what I received in the valentine's swap from Sesga at Sesgaloves1950s
She was very kind and sent me some lovely things. I was so chuffed to receive a little package for me, not knowing what would be inside. When I opened the jiffy bag, these lovely smells came out from the little heart soaps she had put in...divine. They now live in a basket in my bathroom window.
Inside there were the soaps, some buttons contained in a little cardboard heart with a sweet little wooden heart on ribbon tying it together. A lovely handmade 'home sweet home' wallhanging, which is so sweet, I've hung it in my bedroom, also a little handmade peg doll, which Holly loved by the way, a hanging heart made of shell, some Cadburys chocolate, a swatch of pretty pink fabric and a delightful handmade card. She had gone to so much trouble, I was left hoping she would be pleased with what I had sent her.
A huge thank you to Sesga and also to Mrs Thrifty for arranging the swap.
The chocolate is in the fridge, the only trouble being every time I go there I have to have a little chunk, willpower was never my strong point.
I hope you enjoyed the peek inside my valentine's swap, it's great to be back blogging again after a couple of weeks away. Lots of catching up to do, you girls are very productive on the old blog front I have to say, it's amazing how much you can miss in such a short time.
I hope you all have a great weekend and a super Valentine's Day, here's hoping all our other halves come up to the mark, we wait to see!!!!
Take care.
Nickyx
Yippity do dah, yippity ay, my oh my what a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess what my french repair man seems to have fixed the computer.
Watch this space!
Bye for now from a very happy Nickyxx
Hi girls, hope you're all well. Well guess what - it's still not fixed. My friend came yesterday but he couldn't find the problem in the time he had. He only comes over at the weekend to be with his family and works in the UK in the week, so I felt a little guilty taking up his time. He did say though that as it's 7 years old now it's probably coming to the end of it's life. So me thinks there is a need for a new computer, could do without it now, but we really need one, so I think that's the way ahead. Other half says its pointless spending money trying to fix it if we're going to need a new one in the near future anyway. So I'm here on my dear friend's computer, she says I'm very welcome to use it until we sort ours out, but please forgive me if I do not leave comments on your blogs like I would usually, it's just I don't like to take up too much of her time, but it's good to be able to keep in touch. No photos I'm afraid, I'll have to make up for that when I'm up and running normally again.Guess what I sold one of my purses to a french lady the other day. Hoooray. I was at my friends as her french neighbour now comes on a Wednesday or we go to her house, as a way of us improving our french and Marie speaking English. She saw some that I'd taken to show Lucy and asked if she could buy one. I was so chuffed.I have seen on the news all the snow you've been having in the UK and the cold weather, I hope you're all ok and that your lives aren't too disrupted by it. Luckily we haven't had any here.....yet! We've had some very frosty nights, but thankfully no snow. They never grit the country roads where we are or even the main road into town, it can be like a skating rink. Had some wood delivered yesterday, this is only form of heating, we have a big woodburner in the lounge, we had just about run out when he came, so boy was I pleased to see him. I received my valentine swap from Sesga yesterday, and she sent me some lovely things, which I will definitely do a post on with piccies, but it may turn out to be after Valentine's Day by the time I get a computer sorted out. It was so nice to receive a parcel for me, I don't know about you, but the only post I seem to get as an adult female are bills or junk mail.Anyway I'm going to go now, as Lucy is making me a hot chocolate.Take care all.Nickyx
Managed to use my friend's computer for a couple of minutes. Just to say thanks for your comments, all sympathy gratefully received. A friend, who is a computer whizz, is going to have a look at it at the weekend when he comes over - so fingers crossed it's nothing toooo serious and he will be able to sort it fairly quickly for me.Did you know you can get withdrawal symptons from blogging. YOU CAN!!!!! The up side is there's a bit more sewing going on, so hopefully when I do get back on-line I'll be able to post some pics for you to see what I've been up to. Have had to eat more chocolate to compensate for the lack of blogging though, oh well!!!!Anyway looking forward to catching up with you all soon - I HOPE!Take care.Nickyx
Well ladies, it's happened, it's gone and died on me. I could use some very interesting language now, but I won't, not in the presence of all you ladies. Thursday morning it was fine, Thursday evening it didn't want to know. It is now in repairland. So I'm hoping fingers and toes crossed to have it back by the end of the week, if not I don't know what I'm going to do as I'm having withdrawal symptons already.I have to say it's one of the most frustrating things, when it finally stops working and however much you reason with it, it just doesn't want to know. I'm on a friend's computer at the moment, but unfortunately I can't spend the time I would like to, to read and catch up on the last couple of days and leave comments on your lovely blogs. I hope to be back with you very shortly.Missing you already.Nickyx
I love these old sheets, they're so tactile and beautiful with their wonderful embroided initials. I have one on our bed which I use like a throw with the top turned back so you can see the oh so pretty embroidery.
