Spring GIVEAWAY Book and mystery gift!

It is the first day of Spring and what perfect excuse for a GIVEAWAY!

The giveaway comprises of ONE of the books shown below and a little mystery gift.

All you have to do is leave a comment on THIS blog post, stating which book you would like to have should you be the winner. There are 8 books to choose from.
If your name is selected, you will have an opportunity to choose a different book if you change your mind between now and then.

The giveaway is open to everyone, you do not have to have a blog. I will post worldwide.


Creative Walls: How to Display and Enjoy Your Treasured Collections by Geraldine James


The French Inspired Home by Carolyn Westbrook


Romantic Prairie Style by Fifi O'Neill (Added to list on 23rd March)


Modern Vintage Style by Emily Chalmers


Pale and Insteresting by Atlanta Barlett & Dave Coote


Romantic Style by Selina Lake and Sara Norrman


75 Birds, butterflies & beautiful beasties to knit and crochet


Baking Made Easy by Lorraine Pascale

Remember, if you do not have a blog, please leave your details (name & email address)

The draw will take place on Monday 28Th March at 19.00 hours GMT. I will be using an online random number generator.

THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED, THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTERED.

Good luck! :-)

A bientôt!

Isabelle X

Getting my fabric & yarn fix!

It's been lovely and sunny over here, for a change! This morning we all popped in to Frome to do a spot of shopping.

Alan & Miss P walked around the market and the toy shop whilst I headed straight for Catherine's Hill where all my favourite shops are. First I went in to Millie Moon where I bought a selection of fabrics.

I've been having withdrawal symptoms.... I haven't bought any fabric in ages! So this weekend I did something about it. Last night I went online bought some beautiful 1940's & 50's fabrics from Donna and today pretty fat quarters from Millie Moon. I feel much better now!




There is something very pleasing about having a stack of neatly folded fabrics



After Millie Moon, I went to Marmalade Yarns just a few doors away. I haven't been there for weeks and couldn't wait to have a look and a feel of all the new colours and yarns.
I wasn't disappointed, I forgot all about feeling tired and achy from the decorating and played around with the different yarns & colours until I had made my selection.
Maxine and I had a natter and both enthused about the different yarns stacked up on the shelves ...

I left the shop with my bag of yarns and a renewed determination not to let the decorating get in the way of doing some crochet!





I haven't done any crochet in 7 weeks! ;-(( I am already a bit rusty and must somehow find the time to get stuck in to it again. I went on crochet course in June/July so am a beginner in need of plenty of practice. I do love it but decorating the house as well as working (I am self employed, working from home), means that at the moment I don't feel like doing very much at all of an evening!

We are trying to get the whole of downstairs & my work room (upstairs) completely redecorated before Christmas, so are working at it pretty much full time. So many other things are having to be put on hold as result, including not going out as often as usual...
Although we still have the whole of upstairs and the back garden to do from scratch, we will have a little break over Christmas and New Year to re-charge a bit ready for the next onslaught.




I bought a couple of magazine. Debbie Bliss even though I can't knit (yet) I spotted a few patterns that I like so bought it for when I eventually learn how to knit. I also bought Romantic Country magazine which I have not been able to find locally up until today.


Just as I was heading back to the car, I spotted these boxes in the WHSmith's window, perfect for my workroom.

This weekend there has been a lot wildlife activity close to our house. Yesterday evening, a fox was only yards away sniffing a trail of some sort, he was so engrossed in sniffing the ground that he didn't spot us. He got closer and closer, he was magnificent with his big bushy tail. I wished I'd had my camera with me.

This afternoon Alan was doing some gardening when a squirrel leaped from our fence on the house, ran up on to the roof and then for some reason dived down on to our garden table. Alan watched in amazement, it all happened so fast. The landing didn't look too good though, Alan was concerned that he may have been injured as the squirrel looked stunned and walked slowly to hide behind a troth full of plants. He ended up getting wedged between the wall and the hurdle fence. Poor thing looked petrified, eventually Alan pulled the fence away from the wall and the squirrel ran back home as fast as he could.


This evening Alan spotted these deer in the field next to the house. We are fortunate to have a lot of wildlife around us.

Tonight's sunset

I hope that you are having a good weekend what ever you are up to.

A bientôt!

Isabelle x

LOUNGE - Work in progress!

I have not been to a boot fair or any kind of fair for several weeks and why? Well, because apart from going away on holiday recently, our spare time has been spent working on the house. Yes, it is still ongoing! There is so much to be done (the entire house & garden) and with just Alan and I doing the work it's taking longer than we would like but it is gradually & slowly advancing.

Due to a 'happy' accident in our lounge, the carpet has gone and next week we begin the task of painting the floorboards white. The walls, tongue & groove and all wood work will also be painted. Above the fireplace will be wallpapered.
Miss P has already said: " I hope it's not all going to be white! Can we have purple floorboards?" At that point you can already imagine my face, purple...eeek!

We began some of the work at the weekend. Here is a sneak peek.

Work in progress...

This room (the lounge) was redecorated about 10 or 12 years ago before I moved in. When I moved in, which was about 5 years ago. I didn't make any changes as it was not necessary then. Over the past year we have started making various changes and have begun the process of redecorating the whole house. (I have really enjoyed choosing the colour scheme, fabrics, furniture, finishing touches etc... for each room, don't we all ladies!)

We have just emptied a dresser in the lounge, the contents of which is in the carrier bags which I am in the process of sorting out. At the weekend, we replaced the dresser with a bookcase as we desperately needed storage for our books, most of them being mine...
We have thrown out an armchair & temporarily replaced it with the pine settle shown in the picture, this used to be on the landing. Eventually, we will be getting a new armchair and sofa.


I absolutely love these curtains. Petronella by Liberty


The sofa, with plenty of cushions, you can never have too many!
My first crochet purchase (before I could crochet)


Lamp & bookcase next to the sofa.
Ooh I had fun arranging the books and decorative things in the bookcase!


Close up of one of the shelves in the bookcase.
Painting by Phillipa Stanton (5FT INF). I love the mix of oil paint and 1950's newspaper cuttings used to make this painting.

The evenings are cosy in the lounge

This barrel belonged to my Belgian Grandmother, I use it as a side table.







Will keep you posted on progress. Alan is taking some time off next week so we should get quite a bit done then.

To anyone who has painted their wooden floorboards and has cats & children: Do you have any useful advice & tips on how to get the job done well please?

Thank you

A bientôt!

Isabelle x

When I get a spare moment....

Whilst I was on holiday, I took the opportunity to do some crochet. I have found it very enjoyable and relaxing. I recently went on a 6 week course and only managed to attend 4 due to circumstances, one of them being a leak in our lounge ruining our carpet in the end. Things happen for a reason...Now it gives me the excuse to paint the floor boards white! :0))

I still have plenty to learn about crochet but am having a go at trying to make things from books.

I started making a circular cushion but had to go back to the beginning as I think my tension was wrong. It would not lay flat, my daughter complemented me of the lovely frilly circle....and sweetly said it looked great and not to start again.

Rowan Wool Colour: Pier


I don't think it's meant to look like that, is it? I think my tension was too tight somewhere along the line?..It should be as flat a pancake I think?... I will be popping in to Marmalade Yarns in Frome where my course was held for some advice.....Maxine and Catriona are wonderful, never too much trouble when it comes to help and advice!


I also made several blue, red & white cotton squares. These will go in the lounge.


I think that they will end up as a cushion

This is one of the very first things I began to make a few weeks ago and will end up as a blanket when I have made more squares. It is likely to end up in Miss P's bedroom.

I love pinks and yellow together


My very first jar cover in Patons Mercerized cotton




One of my stashes of yarn....More in my bedroom and workroom...

A bientôt!

Isabelle x

Kitchen close ups and crochet delights

I have had a busy weekend progressing with the kitchen. My computer has left the kitchen and has been moved to my workroom/office upstairs. Hurray! More room in that area for pretties instead!

The walls have already been painted (Honey by Laura Ashley). Now we need to paint the wooden cupboards, back door, kitchen chairs and windows. In one area, (where the computer, scanner, printer and speakers used to be) I have began arranging things, moving them around every so often until I am satisfied that they are in the right place. I love doing that! More photos to follow when the decorating has been completed.


Sneek peek at some of the things I have been putting in my computer free area.



Flowers on our kitchen table




On Tuesday I was meant to go on part 3 of my crochet course held at Marmalade Yarns in Frome but unfortunately was unwell so couldn't attend. However, they kindly let me pop in yesterday so that I could go through my granny squares and correct some of the errors that I had made when left to my own devices at home. I left there feeling a lot more confident about making granny squares. Just before leaving, I bought 3 balls of acrylic wool to practice with.

I love this combination of colours!


I began working on this square last night.


Some of what I did yesterday.
Although I have made several mistakes on the way, I do find crochet very enjoyable! So many things that I want to make in time, Ooh, the possibilities....

During the week this arrived for me......


(click on pictures for larger size image)
This beautiful scented bag is from Sonia's giveaway which I was lucky enough to win! It arrived with a pretty roses card. When my daughter saw this, she gasped saying how lucky I was to win something so pretty.
THANK YOU Sonia, I love it!


Happy Father's day to all the Fathers out there!


Isabelle X