In our blogging abscence...

Although we haven't been here physically in blog land, I have been checking in and reading every now and again. I guess I have been fighting the post Christmas feeling and the heavy sinking feeling that winter seems to give me. As soon as the festival of Imblog was upon us and the awakening of hope and life to come, I feel less gloomy and ready to start another year.

 

We have been very busy at Crivens Cottage over the past couple of months, we have been transforming our back garden and we have two more weekends of hard graft to finally get it ready for planting. But we did have a ceremonial planting of the first plant last weekend in one of my new raised beds (the passionflower on the left against the fence).

 

When we are closer to completion and it is no longer a building site, I will post the before and after pictures as it has been quite a dramatic change. Our lovely landlord has extended our back garden by twice the size it was when we moved in and needless to say we have completely re-modelled it.

 

While Lynton has been grafting in the garden, I have been up to some crafty tricks inside our home and I am thrilled with my Garden trug/baskets. After being on the hunt for a garden basket for some time now and finding that they have always been too expensive or not quite right. On a wander around TK Max (a guilty secret hobby of mine) I discovered for £5.99 & £7.99 these beauties..

 

a gorgeous soft grey/blue and crying out for some Crivens Cottage magic. So with a an hour to spare while Henry was at pre-school and Arthur asleep, I sat in the warming sun with paintbrush and paints and created these..

I felt inspired by not only the herbs I could see in the greenhouse but also one of my all time favourite TV programmes 'Rosemary & Thyme'

 

 

I felt they needed a little something extra once I had painted on the Rosemary & Thyme, so out came my sharpie black marker and I added the Crivens Cottage along each longer side, and then mine and Lynton's initials on each side of the handle.

 

I can not wait for the sowing and harvesting to begin so I can use them. I am contemplating whether to find some plain wooden handle garden tools to makeover to match. What do you think or is that taking it too far?

 

Another project that I have been working on in the past couple of days came off Ebay in the form of this lovely old school/church desk..

 

 

It has had a good wash down to remove the grime from where it has been stored, but I haven't done anything else to it yet. I love that you can still see all the scribbles and scratches from previous users and although I don't want to lost them, I want to put the Crivens Cottage stamp on it. I am thinking about leaving the top, back piece (with the makers mark) and two side pieces alone with just a fresh coat of matt varnish but I think I want to give the legs some William Morris magic. I am still undecided and I really need to get its new home finished, as I still need to sand and paint its little corner in the dining room. To go alongside the desk, I have an industrial looking red lamp that I picked up cheap from Habitat and this will be a permanent home for the family laptop.

 

 

Well it is nearly Mothering Sunday and I am being treated to some new plants & seeds from Sarah Raven as she has my heart & soul when it comes to planting. After all I have more raised beds to fill and in turn they will inspire me to paint, create and play.

 

I promise not to leave it so long next time, as I have some new tricks to show you as my magical mother in law has taught me to crochet on her latest visit and a few other projects in progress that I would love to share with you but life and weather has been getting in the way.

 

A Happy Mothering Sunday to you all.

 

Bright (almost Spring) Blessings

 

Rebecca x

 

 

 

P.S. I have had my results back from the Hospital and I have been given the all clear, with a check up in 6 months time :)