The Swenglish Home

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:47:00 +0000

Taking a Bluebell Break...

Dear blog readers,

Sometimes, when the rain finally holds back for a brief moment,

the clouds part long enough for the sun to caress our skin and souls for a few precious minutes...

... we ought to find our own little bluebell spot and allow ourselves to sit down,

breathe slowly and gather our thoughts...

With a feverish little fellow at home from school today, my planned morning walk had to be abandoned and I found myself rushing around doing laundry with one hand and lunch preparations with the other...

... whilst also making a few fish-shaped biscuits to cheer up the little man...

But then I saw them.

And I heard them.

Those seductive, cajoling rays that chanted 'come out, come out, enjoy us while we last'...

So I did.

A few moments of time out in the garden.

In the very wild garden in bad need of a haircut, a shave and a general face lift...

I hope this weekend you find your own bluebell spot and the time to enjoy it!

All the best,

Helena

Ps. Thank you so much for all your kind comments. I appreciate every word.

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:51:00 +0000

Feeling flowery...

Dear readers,

Not much new to report from the Swenglish abode. The temptation of summer that was offered to us just over a week ago, has been exchanged for a much colder, rainier shade of grey. So, what to do to push away the clouds in sky and mind? Flower picking, of course! Inside, I become seven again, remembering how I used to walk to my grandparents, picking flowers for my grandmother on the way.

So I pick. Whites and blues and any perky petal that smiles a little extra at me as I walk past. Instant colour therapy. Did you hear that, oh great grey clouds in the sky, you have not defeated me yet! 'Flower power' will go a long way...!

Wishing you all a lovely mid-May week, and may your days be lined with petals.

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:20:00 +0000

Roma, per favore...!

Today, I am sitting by the pond in the garden, listening to silence. Well, I can, of course, hear the birds tweeting their joyous spring hymns, the faint sound of a lawn-mower in the distance, and every now and then a bee buzzing by my head, inebriated by a greedy dose of nectar...

Yesterday, however, was a very different story. It was the story of crowds, chaos and cream. Cream as in ICE cream. And, at times, as in I Scream. The former as in the staggeringly delicious Italian gelato, the latter because of the insufferable number of people in the Vatican museum, making it very hard to have that special tête-à-tête with Michelangelo that one had envisioned...

I confess, I am in love with the amazing, beautiful, interesting, overwhelming, hot, busy and more than a little chaotic city that is Rome. The mother of all capitals, the queen of ancient marvels. The majestic churches, the lively markets, the wooden shutters on the old houses lining the cobbled, narrow little streets...I could go on and on... I first visited Rome around twenty years ago, and I did actually not fall in love then.

But this time.

Oh my.

Perhaps it had something to do with watching my sons enjoy it so much, being blown away by the ruins at Forum, the pasta that made all other pasta pale in comparison and simply the feel of this jewel of Italian culture.

The Villa Borghese park is a wonderful breathing hole in the busy city, and perfect place for a mental and visual time-out. Although there is still beauty to behold, but of the visually calming kind, like in the photo above.

The photo above I have borrowed from Airbnb's website, the agent through which we rented a flat in the centre of Rome. Having compared prices with various hotel rooms, we realised that we could rent a fully equipped flat at the same expense, and it turned out to be a very lucky move. This flat is simply stunning! Its location is superb, only a short stroll away from the Spanish Steps and within easy reach of all the other sights. The owner of the flat, Luigi, made us feel so welcome and made sure we felt well looked after throughout our stay. To anyone heading for Rome, I can highly recommend renting this flat, and you will get some good exercise too after all the wonderful pasta and gelato you will have had, as it is several floors up with no lift... You can see more photos and information here.

Arrivederci for now. See you soon again!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:09:00 +0000

Green fuel...

Now... you may think that a blog post with this heading might throw itself into a debate on environmentally-friendly fuel, with great insights from the latest research in the energy sector. Perhaps a thought-provoking exposé on bio fuel.

Alas, it is not.

As much as I am very positive to any form of renewable energy source and every attempt to save the planet our children will inherit, my 'Green fuel' heading was hinting at a more spiritual form of green soul food. The one where Mother Nature is the guru and generous provider of fuel ...

On a walk yesterday, I simply had to slow down when I saw these forget-me-nots on the side of the road. A true spring sign that to me even carries a few fingerprints of summer. I just could not help myself... the flower picking season has started!

There is something so special about the many shades of green that are the signature of spring. Leaves uncurling, buds pushing their way out into the sunlight. Vibrant, almost trembling with excitement, light green little leafy loveliness.

Green that has gone a little feral is something the strict gardener might sniff at, but to which I am drawn like a moth to the light. I mean just look at the old stone steps above... does not the green carpet runner make these steps completely irresistible? Does it not make you want to climb these steps immediately to explore what fairy tale world lies beyond?

The forget-me-nots in this photo knocked me out in all their pretty, petite glory, when I stumbled upon them on our c-o-l-d Cornwall excursion over Easter. How could they possibly survive in a climate that made this reasonably hardy Swede shiver to the bone? Inspiring!

Even though I may flirt with the various shades of springy greens, my heart will always stay true to my special green sweetheart, green the shade of MOSS.

Remember this stunning spot from one of my posts from Cornwall? I can't seem to get it out of my head. The ultimate spot for some soul searching and contemplation, where the cob webs of the mind can be cleared and new thoughts be born, all the while one is being gently fanned by the gorgeous ferns...

Thank you for visiting my blog and a special thank you to all of you kind readers who take the time to leave a little message, even though I am very invisible on your blogs. I read all your words and appreciate every one.

Thank you.

Green greetings and may the beginning of May bring magic to you all!

Love,

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:02:00 +0000

Going bananas on flowers...

Magnolias.

Just taste the word for a moment. Magnoliolioliolias.

Everywhere I look, their pink or white upside down bud skirts are filling the sky, ready to explode into full bloom any second. Alas, there are no magnolia trees in our garden...

... but when I went for a walk this morning,

I found myself in one of those situations that could have

ended up being rather embarrassing ...

You know the ones where you just can't stop yourself, but h-a-v-e to lean so far over a wall just to photograph a bud and nearly end up doing a nose dive straight down into someone else's garden (in this case probably risking breaking your neck too!)? All in the name of... art. Ehm.

Speaking of art. Well, speaking perhaps rather of someone introducing a humorous little twist to their otherwise very traditional (at least externally), beautiful old cottage. I must have walked past this house in Lacock a hundred times, but not until last weekend did I notice this gentleman (?) peering out on passers-by from a small window just below the roof.

Few things are as cheerful as little flower faces stretching their necks high up towards the sky, showing off their splendid colours and singing the tunes of summer... Flowers are good for the soul, at least for mine, and if I could, I would wear flowers in my hair every day...!

The world is turning greener by the minute and I L-O-V-E it!

... and with this rather incoherent, or shall we say 'eclectic' post,

I would like to wish you all a sunny weekend with flowers lining your paths!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:39:00 +0000

Catching a bug...

See Mr Beetle in the big frame in the middle?

Well, I did not exactly "catch" him, not as such, but for the longest time I have been a huge admirer of my dear blog friend Lisa's art, and I am now thrilled to have one of her prints on my wall! Lisa sells her paintings, prints and greeting cards here, most of which have a lovely scent of Swedish summer, whether in the form of beautiful butterflies and other insects, a summery window or simply wild strawberries on a grass straw. You can visit her blog Lisa's Hus (Lisa's House) here and, again, her web gallery to see more here. (Her websites are in Swedish, but if you are interested in buying some of her lovely art, just send her an email in English to inquire further.)

As Mr Bug Beetle looked a little bit lonely up there, I thought two temporary nature buddies could join him on either side, until I find something better. I had some ten-year-old fabric in my cupboard, with small pictures of dragonflies, nuts etc, so a snippety-snip moment later, some fabric and two old frames were introduced to the lovely bug print. So far, they seem to get along just fine!

Some more colourful cushions are also in the pipeline, as it is time to springify this corner even more!

Having recently been to the dentist, I found myself slurping soup for most meals for a day or two, and feeling a little lazy, the soup was of the tinned kind rather than made from scratch. Sooo, what to do with the empty tins? Well, print out some lovely vintage dragonfly images from the internet and wrap around the tins is one option, and that is the one I went for. The daffodils singing on the last verse in the garden auditioned for the role of pretty props and even if some of them were a little over-eager, stretching towards the camera in a rather deliberate sort of SEE ME manner, I think they could be right for the job...

And so, the insect theme continues...

Wishing you a lovely weekend, with or without bugs!

Love,

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:44:00 +0000

'Purpling' the patio...again!

To see the whole image, please click on it.

Dear readers,

Some of you may think there has been a little too much of other people's gardens here on my blog lately, so it is time to 'bring things home' again, and to do it in the way I like best... the purple way...

About a week ago, I could not wait any longer. Outside temperatures were still not very impressive, but the garden-greedy colour-yearning soul inside me just NEEDED some purple violets. Yes, it was definitely a bit of an emergency.

The rest of the garden is still looking more savage than tame, but a quick sweep of the patio, some petal power and a few hastily scattered accessories, and we could welcome our Sunday lunch guests to some outdoor living... or at least to enjoy the view from the table inside, as it was far too cold to even consider lunch on the lawn!

The new three-legged metal friend was a bargain but oh-so-heavy find from a local second-hand shop, thought to have come from an industrial unit, but I am not quite sure what it actually is. In my eyes, however, it screamed 'garden table' and after a quick choppety-chop with the bandsaw, a left-over floorboard became (yet another) table top. I will probably have to find some more durable wood for this outside all-weather friend, but for now, I can just take the table top in when the rain comes.

And the purple petal pretties? Well, I am in loooove!

Purple or not, I wish you all a very pretty week!

Helena

Ps. Recently, I 'caught' the most wonderful BUG,

and next time I thought I might introduce him to you...

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:09:00 +0000

The Lost Gardens of Heligan II

Welcome to the Jungle...

...or the Lost Valley, the Melon Yard, the Sundial Garden, the Italian Garden, the Wishing Well...

or one of the other many, many lovely areas of The Lost Gardens of Heligan that bear names that speak to every pore of my green-curious being...!

The Jungle is a delightful oasis with several interconnected ponds over which small bridges and stepping stones allow you to explore the different views and see the sunlight filter through some stunning green ferns.

As for the rest of the gardens, yellow seemed to be the flavour of the month. Wherever we walked, we were greeted by sunny daffodils, and this particular little grouping of mossy pots caught my eye. So simple, yet the effect of many put together is so striking, I think.

OK, go on then, throw in a pond too, I can handle giving up "simple" for this...

In the woodland part of the gardens, there was more yellow happiness to enjoy and in fact, our whole Cornwall weekend was wrapped in yellow, as daffodils are cultivated - it seems - all over Cornwall. Wherever we drove, we came across rolling fields of these cheerful yellow faces and the rest of the family soon seemed a little fed up with my excitement about this - in their eyes - trivial fact...

Perhaps I am spoiled with too much of the beautiful sand-coloured Bath stone around where I live, but I can't help but having a secret crush on old brownish red brick walls...

When it comes to gardens, I sometimes think 'more is more', i e bring on flowers en masse! However, sometimes 'less is indeed more', and this simple trio of pots together with a metal bench, a yummy (and yes, slightly mossy!) brick wall with a few plants trying to grow out of the actual wall, well, it does it for me!

OK then, perhaps just add one cushion. Or two. Ehm.

Cup of tea in the sun outside the greenhouse, anyone?

So, what about the name then, why The Lost Gardens of Heligan?

There is some interesting history to be found on their website, but I have here copied some facts from Wikipedia, as a shorter version for those of you who may not have the time to explore further right now.

"The gardens were created by members of the Cornish Tremayne family, over a period from the mid-18th century up to the beginning of the 20th century, and still form part of the family's Heligan estate. The gardens were neglected after the First World War, and restored only in the 1990s."

"Before the First World War the garden required the services of 22 gardeners to maintain it, but that war lead to the deaths of no fewer than 16 of those gardners, and by 1916 the garden was being looked after by only 8 men. In the 1920s Jack Tremayne's love of Italy, which had earlier inspired the Italian Garden, led him to set up permanent home there, and lease out Heligan. The house was tenanted for most of the 20th century, used by the US Army during the Second World War, and then converted into flats and sold, without the gardens, in the 1970s. Against this background, the gardens fell into a serious state of neglect, and were lost to sight."

On their own website, The Lost Gardens of Heligan describe how they 'rediscovered' the gardens...

"Our discovery of a tiny room, buried under fallen masonry in the corner of one of the walled gardens, was to unlock the secret of their demise. A motto etched into the limestone walls in barely legible pencil still reads “Don’t come here to sleep or slumber” with the names of those who worked there signed under the date – August 1914. We were fired by a magnificent obsession to bring these once glorious gardens back to life in every sense and to tell, for the first time, not tales of lords and ladies but of those “ordinary” people who had made these gardens great, before departing for the Great War."

Call me an old romantic fool, but this tickles the - well - the old romantic fool in me!

Think bee hives are great but do not find them so pleasing on the eye? Try 'bee boles'! Before the development of modern bee hives, they were a practical way of keeping bees in many parts of Britain. You can read more about them here.

Hm. Not so keen on keeping bees myself, but I would not mind a wall like this!

There we are. It is time to say goodbye to these lovely gardens for now, but I do hope I will be able to go back one day in summertime, when I hope to see the flower garden in full bloom, see if the melon yard is indeed bursting with juicy melons and explore all the bits we did not have time to see this time. And if I do, I will certainly bring my camera again!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend and

thank you for visiting and leaving such lovely comments.

You brighten my days!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:56:00 +0000

The Lost Gardens of Heligan I

Did you guess it?

Yes, I found them, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, and I am very glad I did!

Having long admired a photo in a friend's house of this fair lady, I was more than a little excited to finally get to meet her in person. On purchasing the tickets at the entrance, I was eager to find out immediately where to find her and asked the lady selling the tickets where I could find... 'eh, that woman who's lying down... you know... covered in green stuff... eh'. Yes, that was a memorable display of my eloquence...

However, this particular ticket selling lady happened to also be a particularly kind and service-minded ticket selling lady, who seemed to be able to ignore the stuttering Swede's complete linguistic train wreck, smiled and said "Oh, you mean the Mud Maid!" and pointed her out on the map.

"Mud Maid"?!?!? Not quite the pretty, dream-like name I had envisioned, but undeterred, I ushered my family in the direction of her restful spot.

Please click on the image if you want to see the whole image, without the top of her head missing...

And there she was.

As soon as I met this sleeping green beauty, I realised that names matter very little when you are as striking a señorita as this. When I have seen pictures of her in the past, her arm has also been covered in moss or ivy, so I guess that perhaps she had had a small injury that had recently been seen to, and that the moss has yet to grow back. Which I do hope it does, as it now looks like she has gone for a rest, forgetting to take her dishwashing gloves off...

Rubber glove images aside, this is one of those views that is somehow not done justice on a two-dimensional screen. In real life, there is something very special about this wonderful lady, something so peaceful, so tranquil. Something that speaks to my love of unexpected and fun creations in and of nature itself. And the fact that she is in the wilder woodland part of this large and multidimensional garden makes it ten times more interesting than had she been a more "formal" green statue in the formal parts of the garden.

Oh dear, here am I rambling on. We have a lot more grounds to cover, so here we go!

Flowers. FLOWERS.

How starved we are of some colourful growing power after a long winter,

and how soul-nurturing they are!

Terrific tulips ready to explode into full tulip mood any day? Check. Symmetrical lines of terracotta pots creating a feature in itself? Check. Oh, and an old brick wall to offset the whole display in the best possible way, making the squeaky green leaves squeak in perfect harmony against the brownish red bricks. Yep, check that too.

Aaah.

Yes, and then there was that "small" greenhouse in the same walled garden. The kind of greenhouse that makes me want to hold a photo of it up to our tiny, tiny, decrepit old greenhouse in our garden and whisper "grow, grow, please will you grow into this?"...

Magnificent mini greenhouse, flowering (!) rhododendron, more tulip squeakiness and lots and lots of dovecotes - love them all!

I am not sure, but I think these are balls of box, and I am quite certain that this is the story of mummy box, daddy box and the three little box babies, all lined up to salute the clock tower of Heligan House (private) in the morning...

SO wonderful to see so many flowers out!

I felt like I was drinking them all up with my eyes, eager to try to store them in my imaginary box of visual candy, ready to be brought out and enjoyed whenever a grey day comes along....

In the distance, you can see the sea - not exactly a painful view to put up with as you are strolling around the grounds...

Peek-a-boo to you too, Mr Giant's Head!

Did I mention how much I love a fun and creative garden?

This rather 'nosey' gentleman may be no Richard Gere,

but he still won my heart and made me smile!

I am afraid it does not end here...

so if you are up for another stroll around The Lost Gardens of Heligan,

join me again in a few days...

Until then, to all of you mud maids and giants out there,

have a lovely day!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Polar bears and clotted cream...

(Click on the image if you want to see the whole "post card".)

A few weeks ago, we were talking about what to do over the Easter holidays. We decided that a change of scenery, and preferably one involving a beach, sounded like just the thing we needed.

With the Easter weekend approaching, we were becoming more and more worried that our idea of sand castles on the beach and nice long walks along the coastal path, might involve risking coming face to face with polar bears and having various body parts freeze and fall off, but having booked our little cottage in St Ives in Cornwall, we resolved to adopt the British 'stiff upper lip' approach and ignore the weather.

Hey ho.

Hum.

Ignoring the weather when the winds are the coldest you have ever experienced (and I am Swedish, so that should say something) may have proven a little difficult...

However, with views like the ones above and this...:

... and this...:

... who cares if you waddle along the wharf looking like a bank robber on an Arctic expedition (scarf and hat only leaving your eyes visible), if you have to force yourself to have an obscene number of Cornish Cream Teas (for those of you who may not be familiar with the splendid concept of cream tea, it means a pot of tea of your choice, together with a couple of yummy scones with delicious jam and clotted cream), and if, in the end, you are eaten by a polar bear anyway ...?!

And again, to my delight and surprise, I found evidence of feisty floral assertiveness. These flowers grew in a border in the middle of the Downalong area of St Ives, only a few streets away from where the sea embraces the "tip" of St Ives on both sides, where the gales come in with full force and where it felt like these cocky purple petals were showing the rest of the world what flower power is all about. No moaning about cold feet. No sheltering from the elements. Simply an undefeatable unison chant...: 'You can't stop us now! We are starting it! We are "springing" it!

Flowers, I salute you!

I wish you all a day filled with inspiring flower power!

Helena

Next time, I will show you some photos from what I think may just have become one of my top two favourite garden destinations in the UK. A clue? Despite otherwise hinted, I found them without any difficulty! Can you guess where I have been?

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:01:00 +0000

Where the fairies live...

If you want to see the whole photos in this post (they appear strangely cropped here), just click on them.

Dear readers,

I hope you have all had a nice Easter break and thank you so much for all your kind comments about my little sugar bomb in my last post!

Over Easter we have been exploring one of my favourite parts of the UK, the stunning paradise that is Cornwall. A freezing paradise at the moment, I admit, but nevertheless a stunning one. In the next few blog posts, I will share a few fabulous findings from this little outing, starting, actually, at the end...

***

Trewoofe Orchard

If you drive inland from the charming little coastal village of Mousehole (south west Cornwall) and suddenly stumble upon a meadow (see the last photo in this post) so fairy tale-like you just have to stop to see if Tinkerbell or some other magical little creature will come skipping or bouncing across the yellow-dotted green carpet... well, then you are most likely just at the entrance of one of the most magical little gardens I have seen in a long time...

Discovering it was for us pure chance and happened just like in the description above. I had just yelled 'STOOOPPPP!' to the man in the house, who stood on the brakes to let his snap-happy, spring-starved other half stumble out of the car, moaning her 'ooooh'-s and her 'aaaah'-s at the sight of the magical meadow.

And then we saw it.

The sign that announced that the garden at Trewoofe Orchard was open to the public.

Oh boy.

Moss lovers, hold on to your hats, here we go...

Four acres of green loveliness, two of which are natural bluebell wood (I can only imagine how stunning it must look when the bluebells are out!) and the rest offering what they describe as 'more formal planting', but which in my eyes still means a relaxed sort of formal, if you see what I mean, planted but in such a way it blends naturally in with the wilder surroundings.

Barbara and Dick Waterson have done some truly amazing work here, and I could have lost myself in this mossy haven for hours if it were not for the fact that we were heading home that day and had to set off.

Moss seems to be the name of the game here, and even this bench seems to have been encouraged to fit in with the theme, perhaps even aided by a little yoghurt...? (Update: I have now learnt that no yoghurt was involved, just natural mists and lichen-encouraging weather conditions.)

Do you see the mossy tree trunk diagonally behind the bench?

This photo was taken at the foot of this yummy tree trunk and you can see part of the stream that flows through this gorgeous woodland.

Looking the other way, we are facing the house (you may spot part of the roof at the top left corner of this photo).

Those of you who may have read some of the children's stories by the wonderful late Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, would you not agree with me that this is just the kind of enchanted forest where magical beings lead very magical lives and some of Astrid's characters would not look at all out of place?

Despite the bitter, BITTER cold temperatures this uncharacteristically chilly spring, I was surprised to see some bushes in bloom. Seeing the mesmerising faces of these red beauties really did fill me with hope that there will be a spring this year too!

Behind the house is a lovely swimming pool, bordered by these green arches, offering perhaps not so much shelter for swimmers, but certainly something to feast your eyes on as you are splashing about.

Sooo, are you tempted by this garden yet?

Well, let me then be the bearer of good news...

It is for sale! The lady of the house told us that they are selling and the house and garden could be yours for - in the excess of - £825,000! For more details, check it out on Rightmove here.

Well, should you not have that sum floating around in your pockets but still want to find out more about the gardens and how you could find it, see their own website here. Should you want to visit and are coming from afar, I strongly recommend contacting them first, to make sure the gardens are indeed open to the public on the day you would like to visit.

Now, had I had the funds to snap up this gorgeous green gem, then this is most likely where you would have found me (most likely with a number of my favourite cushions!), contemplating the world's many mysteries, sipping elderflower cordial...

(Update: This meadow is not part of the gardens at Trewoofe Orchard. It belongs to a neighbour and is private property, but can still be admired from the road!)

Call me an old romantic fool, but is this not a meadow that

speaks to your heart, your eyes and your imagination?

Mossy greetings to you all!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:35:00 +0000

Can't keep your fingers off your eggs...?

Well, it seems, neither can I!

Having gone just a little bit bananas with the lilac craft paper I used for my moustache-adorned egg heads last week, a few more mini craft projects took form in my spring-desperate head. So, what to do with some miniature bunting...?

Well, it quite obviously needs a sponge cake, some chocolate/coffee frosting,

a few chocolate fingers and some mini eggs.

In short: the bunting needs an Easter cake to go with it!

And who am I to argue with that?

Whether you celebrate Easter or not,

I hope your weekend is a lovely and relaxing one,

and - dare I say it? - a warm and spring-like one too!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:57:00 +0000

Blue skies and dreamy windows...

In a post last week, I mentioned having 'a thing' for doors. Well... the attentive among you may have spotted that I do have quite a crush on windows too... and the one in the photo above, in a nearby village, became one of my favourites a couple of years ago when I first saw it in 'summer costume' (if you want to see what it looked like then, click here).

To me, there is something special about this house, and as it inspires a multitude of romantic country dreams for me, I think from now on I will refer to this window as "my dreamy window"... Is that a nod to Tina Turner's old song "Steamy Windows" you may wonder? Well, imagine if I allowed myself to do what I secretly would like to, wander up and peer into this darling house... now, I think my open-mouthed staring would quite soon render that window rather steamy, so there is perhaps the link... But not to worry, I will behave perfectly appropriately and only admire it from a distance. Ehm, that is, armed with a snappety-snap-happy camera!

On a sunny walk a couple of weeks ago, my "Peeping Tom" tactics were still going strong, and peering into the back garden of this lovely old house, I saw the little moss-clad round "appendix" at the back. I can't quite seem to shake off my curiosity about what it might be? Storage, perhaps, but why the round shape? Either way, it has got all of the features (old stone, moss, curvy shapes) that make me sigh and mutter "I want one", clicking my tongue and scratching my head to figure out how I could make it happen... I mean, does one really need to justify wanting a round, moss-clad old thingamajig attached to one's house? Stranger things have been attached to houses, have they not?

And yes, this is exactly how blue the sky was that day. Not having been spoiled with this type of colourful eye candy for a long time, it was difficult not to lose oneself staring at its hypnotic blue glory, forgetting everything else for a sweet moment. As if invited to enhance this scene, two doves rested their feathery selves on top of this folly next to Corsham Court.

The beautiful local cemetery, where the old and anything but straight grave stones always inspire me to write a detective story or two...

Down by the lake, the rare rays of sun warming the bark of

the old oak trees made them creak with delight...

... while the Canada geese did the obvious... well, geesy thing: make noise and

shake their.. you know... whatever it is that geese might shake...

Now, may these bright and sunny images work their

magic to conjure up some more days like this!

Happy Monday to you all!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:35:00 +0000

Egg Heads...

No, of course I did not mean you, dear readers!

The egg head heading refers to these three gentlemen that were the result of last night's itchy craft fingers having been allowed to play. Inspired by a photo I had seen on Pinterest (unfortunately I cannot remember where, so I apologise that there is no source stated), I dug out some old craft paper, three mini jam jars (those you often get with hotel breakfasts and which, I found out when I asked in a B&B last summer, are often thrown away and not recycled... which now makes me ask if I can take them home instead!), a black pen and the three remaining eggs I could find in our fridge. And ta-daa, instant Easter fun!

***

... and on the subject of itchy craft fingers... I thought I might continue the theme of 'show and tell' by showing you some wands I made for a certain young gentleman's Harry Potter birthday party a few days ago.. Welcome to Hogwarts!

I found some very easy step-by-step instructions here on how to make a Harry Potter wand that lived up to my health and safety conscious, do-not-like-any-children-to-get-their-eyes-poked-out-at-the-party philosophy. It was my first encounter with a glue gun ("What?" I hear you say, "a crafty girl without a glue gun???") and after an initial farcical few minutes that would give Mr Bean a run for his money, we bonded quite well (pardon the pun), the glue gun and I.

I made a few changes to the original instructions and used two sheets of paper, one rolled inside the other, for stability, and I did not use any primer or paint several coats - instead I used a couple of tester pots in black and two different shades of brown and slabbed on the paint a little haphazardly, trying to achieve that distressed look. The wands were surprisingly easy to make, and even if they will not last a lifetime, at least they are safe and proved very useful for the spells and potion making the little wizards undertook at the party...

Happy Sunday, everyone, and may it be a magical one!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:16:00 +0000

The Hills Are Alive...

... with the sound of... BEAUTY!

Yes, these are the views I am spoiled with every week when I take my boys to swimming classes in a nearby village. Two weeks ago, the sun was doing its best to convince us that, despite it still being unseasonably chilly, there will be a spring this year too...

Having lived in Stockholm in Sweden before we moved to the UK, the pace is indeed a very different one here, in life in general and in the case of traffic in particular. Countryside living offers a - for me -healthy slower pace, and I cannot help but smile when I think of the only traffic delay I am likely to suffer here, is whenever I get stuck behind a tractor on a narrow country lane...! However, on this particular day I was lucky - this tractor was nicely parked in the village...

I know, I know, I DO have a thing for doors. But how can you not in a country so keen on expressing individuality even in a front door, that even a short walk down just about any street allows for a colourful and interesting door-spotting expedition. And combined with some stunning old stonework... oh my... Oh, and throw in a stemmed plant and I am sold, grinning from ear to ear, letting out the odd unintelligible, happy gurgling noise. Yes, I am easy to please!

I think there are many among you readers who, like I, are becoming increasingly spring-impatient now, and perhaps you, like I, have become daily spring spotters too? Gratefully soaking up the sight of every little spring flower or hopeful pot? Well, the signs may be small, but they are there, so let's make this happen now, this SPRING THING!

Wishing you all a sparkling and spring-spotted day!

Helena

Ps. I know there has been very little interior inspiration here lately, but as I have got very little time to create indoor or garden vignettes at the moment, I hope a few "postcards" from the English countryside will at least offer you some "country air"...

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:42:00 +0000

Fraudulent fluffy stuff...

(Please click on the photo to see the whole photo - it appears cropped here.)

Now... spring may be unusually shy this year...

... and we have indeed seen some confused little white flakes

sailing through the air in the past couple of days here...

But when I drove through our neighbouring village Biddestone a few days ago, my jaw dropped and I gasped for air in that dramatic way that only the sight of a world completely white in mid-March can provoke...

But then I realised...

... that the white fluffy stuff was indeed of a rather fraudulent kind...

... as were a couple of shop fronts...

... as it turned out they were filming some scenes from the movie

The Christmas Candle, a "festive period drama"

which will be out, I believe, next year.

So there we are.

A beautiful white world.

Even if fake.

Even if cold enough to be absolutely believable.

Oh bother, bring on spring!

Hoping you are keeping warm, wherever you are!

All the best and thank you so much for all your kind comments.

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:11:00 +0000

Purple peace and pretty purchases...

Dear readers,

I thought we might talk cushions for a moment.

Cushions, I confess, is one of my weaknesses.

Cushions, I would insist,

(although some family members, strangely, seem not to understand this...)

you simply cannot have too many...

I say this, as I tend to make most of them myself,

re-using the inner pillow and often using scraps of fabric to make the cover.

Like the peace sign cushion here...

...made from an old purple top of mine that was past its glory days in fashion, to put it mildly,

together with a peace sign cut out of some linen fabric and then painted with a thin layer of metallic paint, just to give it a modest shine, make it come "alive"...

But here comes confession time.

Cushion confession, that is.

See the other two patterned cushions?

Well...

If one happens to fall head over heals in love with a cushion one happens to see on the cover of one of one's favourite Norwegian magazines, Vakre Hem, and one then by complete coincidence happens to stumble across those very cushions at half price on a work trip to Sweden, one wonders if, perhaps, one is not meant to, maybe, well... buy them?

Well, one did.

And one is quite happy one did.

The sofa in the TV room (our TV is hidden away in one of the cupboards under the stairs) is now a little more colourful than before, and together with the fairy-light-stuffed ex-greenhouse heater in the fireplace, and my beloved, cheerful ceiling light, this window-less corner now seems a little bit brighter!

Wishing you a bright and colourful Sunday!

Love,

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Spring signs in Castle Combe...

Our sunny walk last Sunday, described in my last post, ended up in one of my favourite villages around here, in postcard perfect Castle Combe (I have posted MANY photos from here before, please look under Castle Combe in Categories in the column to the right).

Every time I stroll up and down the main road here, I admire and envy the ancient doors, the stonework, the many not so straight angles...

On weekends, visitors from near and far come to enjoy the beauty of this little gem, and what could be nicer than to "hang out" by the old market place, perhaps sipping a drink of one's choice, lapping up the sun...

The swans seemed to enjoy the tentative signs of spring too...

The beautiful cemetery offering its long-term guests a little floral feast...

And here they are, my boys, still in winter coats and hats, as the air was still a little chilly...

And yes, this may perhaps be a pot that is not particularly spectacular at first glance, but its colour explosion, lovely tulip buds and the fact that the little petal ensemble is in the Swedish colours, well, I think these are valid reasons for a little spring-y Swenglish cheer!

Next time I think I might introduce you to a couple of new members of the Swenglish cushion family. Think peacefully purple...

Wishing you a lovely and colourful weekend!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:36:00 +0000

Sunday... oh, what a SUN DAY... hooray!

Bliss.

My long lost friend and soul-nurturing confidant made a surprise visit yesterday...

... bringing hope and smiles to people and petals...

... inspiring us to go for a walk, having bribed younger family members with

a promise of ice cream at our destination, Castle Combe...

... stopping, as always, for a good - albeit for my taste somewhat too competitive - game of Pooh

sticks on a small stone bridge (with a view of this enviable house in a hamlet on the way)...

... taking the opportunity to admire some of the beautiful farm houses in the valley,

before they are soon hidden in vigorous verdure...

Yes, the sun was indeed a welcome guest, warming our chilled, hibernating souls. Even if the thermometer did not venture into double digits, it was still warm enough for yours truly to enjoy a fizzy elderflower drink outside (!) when we arrived in Castle Combe. I have shown photos from this beautiful village many times before, but I am afraid that should you decide to pop in to the Swenglish Home again some time in the next few days, you may have to suffer a few more...!

To see all the photos in this post better (and not strangely cropped), please click on them. You may then also be able to better view for example the lovely Victorian post box in the old stone wall in the first photo. And perhaps even the snowdrops growing on top of mentioned wall...

Wishing you all a fabulous start to the new week

and thank you so much for your kind comments on my last post.

Shocking to see how many of you suffer from the same

type of naughty car behaviour ... ☺☺☺

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:06:00 +0000

When your car decides for you...

Have you ever had your car decide things for you?

Well, as I was driving home from work today and approached a second-hand shop on the side of the road (the one where last summer I fell in love with the large tray that I used as a table top for example here), I thought to myself that I certainly do not need more things, no matter how lovely they might be, and I was therefore not going to stop...

Now, some of you may find what happened next hard to believe, but my car took me completely by surprise when it suddenly swerved to the left and turned in to mentioned shop. Just like that. And parked outside this large and eclectic second-hand shop, it would have been rather rude not to pop inside just for a minute or two... would it not?

Sorry about the grainy, un-sharp photos here - this window-less
room and my camera do not always see eye to eye...

And there it was. The Moroccan-looking wooden stand that my beloved tray had been missing. With paint peeling and just the right amount of scruffy patina, it called out to me in all its ragged glory: "Please, Miss, adopt me! We belong together!" Now, I may be a woman of principle, but I am not heartless. And when a fellow with a wooden leg - or eight as it were - pleads with me in that fashion, who am I to reject him?

So, that is how my car made what turned out to be the best decision possible on this grey Wednesday, and my wooden fellow and I, I have a feeling we are going to live happily ever after!

Wishing you all a lovely Thursday, and may it bring you joy,

car-encouraged or not!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 20:03:00 +0000

Chilled dreams ...

For a week or so, twelve stunning long-stemmed roses have paraded their crimson charisma in the Swenglish kitchen, but as they hung their heads a little yesterday, looking tired and despondent, I thought I would try to encourage a little rosy encore performance from them before they become food for worms...

Inspired - like so often - by blog friend and superb stylist, "flower magician" and photographer Minna Mercke Schmidt, I thought about the fantastic display she made recently for a Fairtrade Competition (organised to draw attention to Fairtrade products). Click here to see Minna's stunning display, which - not surprisingly - won the competition (Congrats, Minna!). For my little hessian pouch, however, I opted for a more "slumped" look, possibly reflecting how I feel this bitterly cold Saturday after a few hectic work weeks... ☺

Looking around the garden, I see that after the harsh winter, it is in dire need of some tender love and care, and perhaps, in places, more drastic cosmetic surgery... Hm, I wonder... Are gardens like many dogs - do they actually bear a striking resemblance to their owners? Well, plastic surgery is an unlikely contender to solve the appearance of this ragged thistle, but some sun-fuelled energy would not go amiss!

So that is what I dream of, this cold, cold February weekend:

sun-stroked, rosy cheeks for garden and self!

... and speaking of garden...

Ladies and gentlemen... DRUM ROLL...

I am so happy to present to you a fabulous new web shop for all of us

who like to prettify our gardens in more ways than one.

The GARDEN FLOW Shop

My dear friend Charlotte Andersson (the Garden Flow blog), whose stunning garden I featured on my blog in several posts last summer (see Charlotte's Garden under Categories to the right, has just opened the Garden Flow Shop - a web shop which also has a show room in Sundsvall, Sweden, where Charlotte lives.

All the photos below are taken by Charlotte:

In true Charlotte fashion, the photos of the products are beautiful and the "goodies" include everything from hands-on planting tools and gardening clothes, to decorative items for your home and your garden, quirky vintage finds and do-it-yourself craft material (and much more).

Welcome to browse this inspiring new web shop - very soon Charlotte will also be able to ship outside of Sweden (I will let you know when) and then I think all of us will find it very hard to resist ordering a little spring inspiration from the Garden Flow Shop!

***

Last, but not least, a huge hug to all of you lovely readers out there, who seem to still pop in to the Swenglish Home, despite the rare updates and my silence on your blogs. Roses and sunshine to you all!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:51:00 +0000

A string of hearts to you...

Dear readers,

On this heart-focused day, I would like to send a string of hearts to all of you, my lovely readers!

The music heart bunting in the first photo I made recently by simply cutting out some hearts from old sheets of music and then sewing them together with my sewing machine. Easy peasy, instant craft!

The other photos in this post are all from past springs, but remind me of what I dream of at the moment...

Discovering snow drops on the side of the road, allowing myself to stop and

admire their beauty and strength to grow even when nights are still cold...

With the early rays of spring-inspired sun, comes my desire to

dig out my old pots and fill them with little petalled heads...

... perhaps create a little corner of decorative greens,

welcoming spring and its energizing yet calming powers...

And the pansies, oh the lovely, lovely pansies. I may not know much about what this spring will hold, but I can almost promise that The Swenglish Home will house many a purple pot of pansy loveliness!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

❤- greetings to you all!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:12:00 +0000

A brighter Friday...

On my way home from a nearby town today,

I took a small detour via the lovely village of Holt...

Parking briefly near the old Glove Factory (now a lovely Art Centre and workshops),

I was glad I did...

On one side of the road, I was greeted by an explosion of floral beauty (photos 1 and 2 above),

and on the other side this beautiful old red brick house serenaded me quietly.

Since living here in the UK, I have learned to recognize how the look of the houses changes according to the local stone in the area, and even though the area around Bath is indeed dominated by buildings in the gorgeous local sand-coloured Bath stone, you do not have to drive far south before you see red-brick buildings appear more frequently.

Even though the black pots on the steps of this building look like they are plastic, which may perhaps not be my favourite material, I love how the owners have placed one pot on each step. They almost look as if they are queueing for something fun... perhaps this is the local Night Club for plants...?! In that case it must be a very popular one, if you need to start queueing already at lunch time... Hm, perhaps not then. Maybe a Secret Green Society... only evergreens allowed?

And speaking of greens... Seeing the local farm shop (The Toll Shed in Holt) display their fresh produce on a table outside the entrance gave me spring vibes!

On the way home from Holt, I had to take a deep breath several times, as I drove through heavily flooded parts of the small country lanes, hoping they would not be too deep for my car. Here, just outside one of our neighbouring villages, the little pond was threatening to spill into the road too, but so far it just looks a little more like a lake than a modest pond, beautifully reflecting the cottages on the other side.

So, have you guessed the reason for the title of this post yet? Yes, the observant among you will have noticed a rare but oh-so-delicious light in some of the photos, as the sun, the stunning star in the sky with the power to warm our land and our souls, made an appearance today... and the world became a little bit brighter. Just like that. Oh, do come again, you lovely thing!

Wishing you a inside and out bright weekend!

Helena

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:56:00 +0000

Clearly a misunderstanding...

Dear Weather Gods,

When I had a chat with you the other day,

I thought it was quite clear what I wanted to say...

In fact, I think I may even have shouted from the roof tops: "Bring on SPRING!"

And I most certainly did NOT say: "Snow is king!!!"

SO, dear Weather Gods...

if you agree to quickly rectify this white and fluffy mistake,

I would even offer to bake you a melt-in-the-mouth chocolate cake!

But if you continue to ruin my spring-blossomed mood,

I would find you incredibly and unforgivably rude...

Anyway, I shall carry on protesting in my own special way,

and with spring flowers make an in-your-face indoor display!

Surely you can see its colourful appeal...?

So, what do you say, do we have a deal?

***

Thank you so much for all your kind get well wishes.

Slowly but surely I am getting back on my feet, so your words must have helped!

Wishing you all a lovely week, and stay warm out there!

Helena

Ps. Those of you who are readers of the UK interior magazine Good Homes, may have recognised one of my photos of Hannah Turner's ceramics on page 18 in the February issue. I am happy that Hannah is getting more attention drawn to her lovely owls!

noreply@blogger.com (Helena, The Swenglish Home) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:01:00 +0000

Dreaming green...

Dear readers,

I hope the new year has started well for you.

Despite wishes for craft and creativity, some nasty germs are still holding me hostage,

and with bed rest ordered by the doctor,

I have instead dug out some photos from last summer...

There, some visual fuel to keep our winter-chilled souls believing that there will be a warm and green season again, with flower-picking, sheep-spotting and ancient oak-admiring on the agenda...

So, to finish off with a VERY random photo of some cute meerkats (at a mini zoo nearby),

I shall try to find a similar log and sit down and wait for spring to happen!

Wishing you a lovely week!

Helena