New York blue

Incredibly blue sky today - almost New York like in its peerless, bright coldness. Took the little camera with me on my lunchtime dash to the London Graphic Centre (I love that shop - its dangerous though, suddenly filling you with unforeseen requirements for watercolour sets and frozen strawberry coloured spray paint).

Here's what I saw:

a couple of urban trees - a tree that was quite literally on the cusp of winter/spring (blossom on the sunny side/twiggy on the shadowy) and a modest little silver birch minding its own business on the corner of (oddly named) Wild Court;

a lady walking between a corridor of candy canes;

my favourite Holborn door (pity about the Range Rover); 

and a couple of patterny, shadowy jobs.

Swan homage and windows from heaven...

Fortified by a yummy breakfast at The Cafe by the Coast, I went in search of a swan vase (in homage to the swan shelf at Scarlet & Violet) and - as ever - Robert's Rummage came up trumps. 2 swans for £3! They are now happily sitting on our mantlepiece harbouring the first of the coastal violets. I've also popped in a few more shots of our flat. The final pic is the result of an emergency stop on the corner of Plynlimon Road to capture the most perfect windows from heaven* over Beachy Head.

 

* that's what Joy (half of the two granny Shirley Joy combo) used to call sunshine through clouds.

The best kind of Saturday:

• tea with our whiskery friend first thing;
• researching a trout fishing trip in Idaho (sadly, ungodly expensive);
• bridesmaid gathering - F's hair and make-up trial, delicious Sierra Leonian stew care of the miraculous Mother of the Bride (plus a take away box for B), admiring M's slipper and kaftan ensemble and R's son's incredible white brogues and meeting other lovely ladies-in-waiting;
• a swoop into double Heaven on Chamberlayne Road - Scarlet & Violet and Howie & Belle - emerging with an armful of floral delights and 2 drawers of Edwardian butterflies; and 
• hot footing it down the A21 to Hastings at dusk.

My bunch...

The flutterbies...

  

 

Sunshine

Sun streamed through the windows all day today - wasn't it lovely? Like a UV starved crazy girl, I scooted round the flat at lunchtime and sunset taking pics of sunny things. Dying flowers, kettles, shells, beach glass, baskets - they all seemed to look better today. Off to the sea again tomorrow and am hoping the sun comes with. Have a lovely weekend. x

St Enodoc: a church with a witch's hat

Look at this wonderful little church that we happened upon in Cornwall... isn't its spire lovely?! Just like a witchy hat.



John Betjeman chose to be buried here with a view of the sea and a pot of rosemary on his grave.

Inside the ladies of the local parish have made hundreds of hand-stitched prayer cushions.

Crustacean row was my particular favourite...

Cat envy!

When I left home this morning to go to work, Maggie had already chosen her spot for the day... sometimes I think it might be just nice to be a cat.

Come on Spring!

1st March! The days are getting longer...

The first daffodils are out by the door, some little primroses are winking at us from the windowboxes...

... and the cherry tree has got some promising looking buds. With luck the man downstairs will finally finish his noisy, dusty renovations by the time they come out and we can finally claim our garden back and admire them!