Strawberries in hanging baskets

I love Strawberries. So I have a lot of strawberry plants. Last year I'd skip outside with my basket ... reach down to pick a juicy ripe strawberry and let out a scream that would make Miggins next door choke on her spam sandwich, for the strawberry would be hollow, and filled with mini slugs. Eww! SO, this year I dug up the entire patch and split them into hanging baskets. Planting strawberries in baskets is ideal because:

* The slugs don't get them * They don't turn mouldy from sitting on damp soil * It will free up space to plant other veg * Makes use of space * ideal for small gardens * Great easy project for gardening newbies * A baby could do it ... well, a toddler perhaps *

Despite having lots of plants,  I didn't collect many strawberries at all
last year, the slugs meanwhile were looking very buff and well fed!

How to make simple rustic bunting - for any occasion

This video will show you how to make simple rustic vintage bunting that works for ANY occasion:

WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS, CHRISTMAS and GARDEN PARTIES!  

Super easy and ideal for absolute beginners and experienced crafters. 

Ralphy (my dog) and I show you how to make three types of bunting, in just 3 minutes ...

* SUPER EASY VINTAGE BUNTING * DOUBLE SIDED BUNTING *

and BUNTING LIKE YOU GET IN THE SHOPS! 

Enjoy and don't miss Ralphy's party trick at the end! :-)

JM & R xx

My thrifty finds!

It has been a while since I shared some of my thrifty finds with you so here's what I've managed to sneak past hubby in the last month or so (having said that it's often his own fault cos he points out pretty things for me!) I've also been trying to have a clean out - our little cottage is getting too small for us three so we need to either move house / do a charity run / car boot / get my eBay on / OR start a shop!?  I always spend more than I make at car boots  ... though it's always worth it for the banter alone ... "How much for the table love?" 

"Fiver love"

"Take 50p?"

*sigh*

The AHC guide to cottage holidays

Now don't get me wrong, I love a wee in the sea as much as the next person but a holiday doesn't always need to be based around the beach. (Hubby's just informed me, not everyone likes a wee in the sea, is this true??)  Like many people, I used to associate the word 'holiday' with sun, sand and sangria. A holiday in the UK simply conjured up images of Carry-on camping and school trips to Bognor. Initially we chose to holiday in the UK to save money, but now we've discovered the goodies it has to offer, we actually prefer it ... and the dog gets a holiday too! So for those who aren't convinced lets see if I can put your mind at rest and turn you into cottage lovers .... that didn't sound right did it? here's my rough guide to cottage holidays ...

This was the beautiful woodland behind our cottage in Wales.
We had a lovely picnic here and I'm sure I saw a faerie ...?

Getting away from it all

Well as I told you earlier this week, it's our 1st Wedding anniversary on the 14th May * still beaming * so we're OFF of holiday!! We're both in dire need of a break so we're packing up our sombreros, flip flops, bikini, sun crea .... NOPE sorry, wrong holiday ... we're packing up our walking books, books, craft basket and dog, and heading to the lush green hills of SHROPSHIRE! 

Ok well this photo was actually taken from the top of the
Brecon Beacons in Wales  but you get my point!! : )

Our handmade wedding

Next week hubby and I will celebrate our first wedding anniversary! *beams*
So I thought this would be the perfect time to tell you about ... our handmade wedding. I suggest you make a cuppa and curl up in a chair for this one. Those about to marry might find this very helpful, and those who aren't might also find it useful as many of the crafty ideas we used are just great for around the house and garden, lace lanterns and bunting for example. I've got SO many things to show you so today I'm just going to give you a little taster of what we got up to, and in the coming weeks I'll go into more depth on each subject; show you the making of the dress, and photos of all the crafty bits and photos from the making-of! We didn't have a huge budget to play with so my thrifty knowledge came in very handy, and with the help of family we managed to craft the perfect day. I learnt quite a lot in the process so hopefully I can pass some crafty wedding wisdom ...

The bedside book of the garden - by Dr D.G.Hessayon

The bedside book of the garden is on my bedside right now, and it occasionally joins me in the bath too. I find it the perfect companion for bath-time because if I have the window open I can see the garden from the tub ... and occasionally the neighbours too (ohh-err missus!) Turns out, it is about gardening but it focuses more about where the garden came from, and the people that gave it to us. It also gives us practical tips such as; How to press flowers, make wine, floral perfume, hops pillows and so much more. It's just a lovely read, and if you love flowers and gardening, I've no doubt you'll love this. This following explains it better than I can ... 

How very true ... the wise words of Dr D. G. Hessayon