Kitchen makeover–finished!

It’s finally finished!  We hung the curtains last weekend.  (Actually we still need to get a blind for the window over the sink, but apart from that it is all done.  I spent this morning tidying up and cleaning so I thought I’d better take some photos!

WE are delighted with our new kitchen, and it is easy to work in and keep clean and tidy.  Look at these 2 cupboard inserts:

First a double shelf kidney shaped insert that pulls right out so you can get to the items far in the back of the cupboard.

Second, and my favourite, a very sturdy basket pully-outy thing!  Here it is inside the cupboard:

Pull this bit out and slide it across,

and then pull the second bit out.  Hope that makes sense!

Hope you’ve enjoyed a tour of my new kitchen!

Postcard Swap

Sian organised a postcard swap this Summer!  As soon as she mentioned it I signed up, I love postcards!

Here are the 6 that I received:

Clockwise from the top right:

Scenic Toole County in Utah, USA from Hazel who lives there

Crete, Greece from Becky, who was on holiday in Crete.

Texas USA from Liz who has recently moved there from Scotland!

Bretagne, France from Helen who lives there.

‘Go through your wardrobe’ from Julie who visited the WW1 exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London.  (Somewhere I’d like to visit)

Animal Kingdom from Nicole who spent her honeymoon at Disney World.

Good Craic from Sian our lovely organiser!

 

Thanks!  I love them all, and they are all pinned up on my new notice board in the kitchen.  It is inside the pantry door so I see them every time I go there.

Make do and Mend

I’ve had a bit of a clear out in my wardrobe recently.  I needed to find room for my new dresses and blouses that I have made!  I got it all out and tried everything on.  Some of it is Ok, it still fits, despite my weight loss, so those items went back in.  Some items, I was just not going to wear anymore, so they have gone to the charity shop and a few of the better items are for sale on eBay.  For the rest, I wanted to try and alter them to fit.  So last Friday afternoon, I got my sewing machine out and took in several tops and trousers.  I even took in some jean style trousers in, undoing the waistband and sewing it back together!  I‘m pretty pleased with them!  Unfortunately, I didn’t take a before photo, so I can’t show you.

But here’s a dress I also had success with.  It’s the first dress I made last Summer.  Here I am in it last Summer:

I must admit, I didn’t wear it much as although the fit was quite good, it felt frumpy!

It was too big now I’ve lost all that weight so I took the sides in by quite a lot, and chopped 4” off the bottom.  I’ve been wearing it today, and it feels much better!

My Garden in July

What a difference a month makes!  Especially such a sunny warm month.  Here’s my border at the beginning of July.  Still lots of bare earth.

And now at the end of the month.  I have planted out some sunflowers, and they love the hot dry weather!  Look how they have grown!  The blue hisbiscus is beginning to flower.  It has taken over a bit and hidden some plants beneath, so when it finishes flowering I will remove the bottom branches.  My dahlias have begun to bloom, a red Bishop of Llandaff and a gorgeous orange one.  I have not grown dahlias before because of the slug problem, but these were started off in pots and planted out with plenty f slug pellets!

Here’s a couple of photos of our resident Mr Fox.  He loves to sunbathe at the back of the garden!  He likes the old carpet that we put down under the gravel paths!

I am linking up with The Patient Gardeners Weblog for an end of July look at our gardens!