Downton Abbey and all that

OK we won't mention the sweltering heat.........yet!

English sweet peas were the order of the day last week......lots of  vintage cream-ware tureens for a trip to a Downton Abbey style party......

Dark burgundy and cream for a birthday bash..........

Our days are spent in front of the fan...eating ice creams and wishing for icy gin and tonics..... we are tiring of the pastels pinks and lilacs of a breezy summer day and have filled the shop this weekend with the dark....the dramatic...the reds and oranges..clashing peach and cerise....hot....vibrant...high summer mardi gras colours.....arriba aribba!!

Have a great weekend...xx

what did you do?

........lunch party...bright, scented , natural containers......

saying farewell....classic whites...roses...sweet peas.....hydrangeas...phlox.....

we had a lovely weekend of babies swimming.....late lunches....big brunches....pub garden drinks.....happy birthdays....hope you all had a great time too.

twenty one days and counting....

life over here is just a whirl of spruce, berries, coffee and food eaten on the hoof!!....

all the mini christmas trees are gone

 flowers ready for on site arrangements at the weekend where miss and ma magpie tried the novel art of flower arranging in the dark...not to be recommended...we arrived at the venue to find the tables not up and the plastic sheeting on the floor.. undeterred we carried on while a army type operation by the crew from 'rhubarb' worked around us...

..eventually it all worked out as it usually does

 the usual garb of floristry in winter..twenty layers of clothing..miss magpie has the added bonus of her baby bump

 to keep her warm!

 ..also this week the biggest wreath challenge..spruce, scots pine, eucalyptus, euco pods, berried ivy, something which looks like a cross between seaweed and a protea which i have forgotten the name of ( shame on me)...thistles,twigs all on a mossed copper pipe affair..there may be a partridge and a couple of french hens in there too....but as usual Martin had to try it on for size...whew!!

ALSO!!! just to let you know we won THIRD prize for our window in the town competition and we have a certificate...we were so excited about that...little things and all that..

We are on the final count down now and hope to surface about 6pm christmas eve in the pub. x