We were up at 4.30 a.m. today, as we had two car boot sales to take in. We reached the first (25 miles away) at about 6.20 a.m. and although my husband saw nothing to take his fancy, I more than made up for his shortfall! I was pleased to find some more 100% cotton clothing with gorgeous patterns, which will be going into my quilting stash. For £1 for two, I got a book about WWII - lots of interesting snippets and photographs, and a beautiful book about the English countryside full of Helen Allingham's evocative cottage paintings. Four patchwork cushion covers cost me £1 the 4, and are put aside for when we have visitors, rather than cats, sat on our kitchen chairs! Then I found a beautiful Welsh wool waffle blanket in pastel colours. It has few pulls, but nothing I can't put right with a darning needle.
At the 2nd car boot sale, my husband picked up what I thought was a perfectly HIDEOUS little figure but it turns out that it is a rare car mascot, so it was his lucky day! We also found a cheap spare bookcase (we had been looking for the past few weeks), and at £7 it was cheap enough, so I will have a sort out on Monday and rehome some of the spare books we have bought recently.
I have been busy out in the garden this afternoon, as I bought some plants at the car boot sale too. Two Splish-Splash Hardy Geraniums (white with slight lilacy-blue veining) for 70p each; and for £1.85 each: a Cerise Achillea "Paprika", and 2 big pots of Yellow Loosestrife. The total cost of £6.95 is what ONE perennial plant would cost me at the Nursery chain in town . . . So, some weeding and planting have been done and hopefully I won't suffer too much from the pollen exposure whilst I've been outside today.
I am off downstairs to quaff another glass of Elderberry syrup and fizzy mineral water and hope it will start to improve my asthma/chest infection.
I bought an Achillea 'Paprika; three summers ago. I was a bit over enthusiastic about dividing it and was then afraid it would dwindle away. This spring I found that two clumps are flourishing quite stoutly.
ReplyDeleteYou've raised a chuckle here with your recounting of special cushions for visitors. I keep towels or small quilts spread on most of our seating places and whip them off the chairs or loveseat whenever we have company. If I have advance warning of guests I even brandish a sticky roller --trying to pretend that our well mannered cats wouldn't dream of sleeping in the 'best chair' or lounging about on the buffet runner!
Hmmm - current cushions have towels over them, and plastic bags UNDER them (for when those big boys come home sopping wet!
ReplyDeleteI hope that my Achillea grows so well. At the moment it is just one main stem so no chance of dividing THAT just yet!
love that blanket, also her jacket, I wonder if she made that too?
ReplyDeleteHi Kath, I'm pretty sure she did. She had all sorts of things on her stall that she had made. Clever lady.
ReplyDeleteGood plant shopping. I love my Splish Splash Geraniums and I hope they do as well for you. Actually, mine are kind of falling over at the moment but never mind!
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