In the Clouds

Last weekend we managed to find the only place in the country that
had no sunshine and camp there.
The campsites name should have given us a clue - Cloud Farm - we were in Lorna Doon country, lush rivers, deep valleys and thick water logged vegetation.
Below is a little taster of our weekend (given a bit of a photoshop vintage glow... couldn't resist)! 




Classic camp food - we had some much more elaborate meals than beans and baked potatoes (this was kids fare). Lip smacking chilli, chicken stew and lamb roasted on the fire. The bliss of sitting round a fire with good food, good wine and good friends...





River swimming... Coco was not so sure about this to begin with! The river went alongside the campsite, it was lush, had the weather been better...



The girls looking for worms.



What was life like before trugs!?



Essential marshmallow toasting (food is a major part our camping experience)!




A glimpse of of blue skies (it's been slightly gutting being back and reading all the jolly-sunshine blog posts, we had the technology maybe we should have checked the weather and just moved to somewhere sunny, but as it was we were kind of having too much fun to bother).



Happy campers



Master Henry enjoying a bit of wind in his hair...

The bell tent was lovely to sleep in, but did have a bit of trouble with all the rain as we got a few drips around the edges (but there is something so nice about being in a tent when it's raining). As my friend said, next time we'll go to Heatwave Farm.

Home Alone

I'm having a holiday - I'm not abroad, or in a hotel, or a tent. I'm at home ON MY OWN for two full days. I've tidied, I've had lie-ins, hell, I've even just laid in bed catching up on reading blogs (annoyingly I'm nursing a bit of a cold - hence the bed theme and heinz tomato soup for lunch) I've done quite a few chores, I've gone shopping for me (this is amazing, normally when I go shopping I just end up buying things for Coco and Henry).

I needed this break from my children. I needed the silence that can be enjoyed when I don't have to listen to my own nagging voice that seems to have been in use a little too much recently.

Of course I miss them and I can't wait to see them again, but it's so good to just relax and do what I want to do when I want to do it. That is the definition of a holiday to me.

A Coffee at Naomi's

A cup of coffee at my friend Naomi's house, I know, it looks like tea, I drink my coffee with lots of milk. It's just how I like it.



This flat is full of great finds, the metal lights in the kitchen are from a farming catalogue - piglet incubation lights that set them back £4!



The saucepan racks are old luggage holders from British Rail (as it was once known).
All these lovely open shelves (like these and AC's) are seriously making me think about getting rid of cupboards in our kitchen but I'm just not tidy enough...



I'm afraid my ikea tupperwear lets the side down in this photo!
(It's hard to get nice pics with two enthusiastic toddlers charging around... sorry, lame excuse!)



The kitchen worktop is reclaimed in the truest sense of the word, grabbed from a school that was having a refurb before it got skipped.



I love the colours in their kitchen and living room, strong red, peacock blue and a deep lime green - which actually co-ordinates perfectly with this rubarb from their allotment... (not sure that was entirely planned...)



Cunning under sofa toy storage.



Tiny bottles in their immaculate bathroom.



Two year old Eloise has this beautiful mobile in her room, home-made by her Grandpa.





Naomi told me what this little planter is meant to be... but I can't remember - some sort of ducting or drainage thing... hmmm. Very cute as a plant pot on their balcony.