The Dream Team

The average temperature for August here on the Isle of Lewis is 16 degrees, so we are on track it seems.  I will add that December's average is 7 degrees so not as bad as people presume.  What we do have in these Winter months are the terrible winds particularly to the North of the Island where we live.  On a lighter note the weather systems are quite fast and blow over very quickly.  It does take a little getting used at times particularly when the temperatures are reaching record highs around the world.  However, we did have a particularly good Spring here with the sun shining for days on end.  At the moment is is quite overcast and dreary with little outbursts of rain now and again.

The damp weather has kept us inside enabling the dream team to work together once again.  Gerard and I have been working on the porch/utility room, known as a vestibule here on the Island.  It is slow going but we are starting to see an improvement albeit slowly.  Why is it it looks worse before it looks better?  We have refurbished/recycled an old wardrobe putting shelves inside and now getting it ready for extra Winter storage.

Black board paint was used for the top panels enabling me to make shopping lists or words of wisdom...who knows but it worked out quite well.

We wanted to restore the vestibule to its former glory, so we have put back the v lining using a pine cladding which will be painted.  It is still very much a work in progress.   We are having fun as we work together and that is all that matters.  I will share some better photographs as we progress.

Gerard has also painted an old chair that was in the outbuilding.

In really good condition, just so unloved.   I have covered the old seat pad with my beloved Harris Tweed and the frame remains another work in progress.

A little more sanding and then waxing and it will be a perfect addition.

The mint has done amazingly well and has been contained in the tyre so as I am not sure what will happen to it through the Winter months here I  decided to cut some stems to dry.  I also chopped some of the leaves into ice cube trays ready to pop into potatoes or drinks as needed.  A little taste of Summer in those days you need a boost.

 The wonderful aroma wafting around my little cottage right now is amazing, I do so wish I could share it with you.

Well, I must get on I have a paint brush with my name on it...whilst our furry resident has a little nap.

See you soon.

Bank Holiday Weekend

It has been a very quiet bank holiday here with none of the family visiting as they were all here last weekend.  My sister did visit Mum and Dad so we popped down for an hour to catch up.  We have managed to catch up with a few jobs in the garden, we have planted up the hanging baskets for a blast of summer colour to the house and got a lot of the weeds out of the gravel.  That was back breaking, I will never allow it to get that bad again.  The buttons have finally been sewn onto the shirts and the chair is finally finished.

The big reveal....

 

I was quite pleased with the end result, it looks really good next to the matching chest of drawers in our bedroom.  Amazing what you can do with a little bit of time and effort.

 

Still plodding along with the Mickey Mouse quilt, it is now ready for binding.  I have edged a couple of pillowcases to match it but I will share them when I show the finished quilt.

 

We had a stroll along the beach, its actually a beautiful spot that I sometimes think we just take for granted because we live so close to it.  I will take the camera the next time we go and share the beauty with you.  We also treated ourselves to fish and chips, sat on the promenade with them and watched the world go by.  A very pleasant couple of hours.

 

Of course we had a walk around a car boot sale and got lucky with some bargain buys...

 

 

A lot of plants, you can never have enough so we bought a few more to add to the garden.

 

 

A scrapbook for 50p, a wonderful addition to the craft room.

 

 

4 paper packs and 6 packets of embellishments for £5, another great addition to the craft room.  It makes hobbies affordable when you can pick things up at  those prices.  I will have a little fun later just looking through the packs.

 

 

Vegetables half a sack of potatoes £1.50, carrots 75p celery 30p, asparagus £1, onions 50p and cut green beans an enormous bag for £1.50, I have actually popped some in the freezer, spring greens 50p and cauliflower  50p plenty of veg for the week and a lot cheaper than the supermarket.

 

 

Another 6 books to add to the nursery bookcase at 20p each.  At those prices you can afford to keep topping them up and allowing the children to take some home as well.

 

 

Finally a Thomas game that is immaculate, it looks to have never been used for £1, I know 4 little people who will love this.

 

All in all a good haul, definitely worth going to and a nice stroll as well.  Did you get any bargain buys this weekend?  Hope you are all having a great long weekend.

 

See you soon.