Ladies that lunch healthily

I have had the pleasure of my ladies that lunch for a visit & so set the table early for us. I love pretty settings & decided on a vintage set - VICTORIA by Royal Cauldron with a few plates from the complimentary set FLORADORA by Booths

 

My friend Liz of Tipsy Tart made us home made multi seeded bread - absolute heaven

I have been following the 5:2 eating plan / diet for nearly 6 weeks & it is going well so I did a healthy lunch for us

Catch up time in the conservatory

The two patterns side by side

Perfectly healthy catch up time with some of my favourite Ladies ... Do you enjoy 'girlie time'?

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week
Dee ~♥~

A very elegant graphite mirror ....

During a trip to Shrewsbury, our county town,  I called in at the lovely  Vintage Shop  to check they had the Annie Sloan paints I wanted.  Youngest daughter saw this very elegant & large gold mirror on the wall  & fell in love with it. 

Both daughters have really good decorating ideas that are classic but always on trend so we carried on around the town for shopping & lunch. My sparkly one had set her mind on the mirror & decided she wanted it & wanted it painted black. 

So we called back in at the shop after we were done to stock up on paints & to get the mirror. 

It was an interesting walk back to the car with a large mirror & shopping to carry but we managed it after a few stops to change hands & catch our breath. 

Once home, the conservatory was made ready for the painting work. 

Frogtape does a very good job at keeping edges clean & straight - the mirror edge was taped & paper protected the surface. It is always worth taking a few minutes to do this preparation ....

Nice clean lines taped on the mirror

Paint of choice over the gold surface - Annie Sloan chalk paints. I have used them on my desk,  emperor-silk-time-for-my-desk  & know that they will give the result I want

Annie Sloan Graphite - a lovely rich colour

Daughter starting to paint the detailed frame - her first experience of chalk paint ... 

She was attracted to the wooden frame with its generously detailed frame ... 

At this point - there was a little panic as the paint looks very grey & very matt ....

Daughter browsed the annie sloan paints website, worried that her mirror would be grey rather than black. Once she read that the waxing process would bring out the 'graphite' colour she craved, she relaxed & came back to do the second coat.

The whole mirror dried over night & then we were ready to proceed with the waxing.

The colour brings out the shape of the mirror - lovely sweeping curves & detail

Starting to wax - the right has wax & the colour becomes a rich, dark colour 

Look at that shine from the wax - so rich & intense ...

Being a large, heavy wooden frame, I had to drill in a screw & it now graces her chest of drawers in her very elegant bedroom

A vintage camera sets it off nicely

Sparkly one taking a photo for me ...

A wonderful, random find of a good mirror, now right on trend & up to date - not a hint of the previous gold which dated it.

Because her room is neutral - Dulux Natural Calico paint with shabby chic furnishings, neutral blind & curtains & Ralph Lauren banners alongside the bed, she is free to change her decor to keep it current.



I am relieved that the painting went so well & she has learnt a new skill - most of all, it was a fun weekend painting together ...

Thanks for stopping by, I always enjoy the feedback

Dee ~♥~

A healthy fruit crumble

I very recently  bought two lovely new additions for my garden - red & black currant bushes that are two years old & in fruit.

Our local farm shop lady, Pip, has a small nursery where she grows various plants & these were there so I had to find a space in the garden for them.

The red currants are so ripe & sweet that they are actually sticky so I have been adding them to fruits so we can enjoy the treat.

When I picked these to save them from the birds, I knew it was crumble time

My crumble recipe is a healthier version as it uses less margarine / butter & binds with juice & a little oil.

Ready to assemble in the oven proof bowl

 

 A bowl of heavenly sweet fruits, crumble & vanilla yoghurt - so good!

 What fruits are your favourite? Are you a crumble fan? What are your favourite combinations?

Thanks for stopping by, I always enjoy your comments.
Dee ~♥~

Fields of golden barley

My friend has just moved into the rurals of Shropshire & it is so nice to visit & to look over the neighbouring fields from her garden ...

I will definitely be taking the camera with to capture the changes of the season.

The fields of barley are now golden & dry - the wind rustles through them in a calming rhythm.

I grabbed my Canon40D on the way out but took a lens I don't usually use as it is a fixed -prime- 135 lens so it was a good experience exploring the lens to get photos I wanted.



I like the clarity of this photo & the bokeh of the background

Some random poppies in the field add a splash of colour

The Wrekin - a local landmark high point - visible

As we walked along, taking photos, these familiar words came to mind ....

You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold

I am sure the song is familiar Fields of Gold

Thanks for stopping by, have a good week
Dee ~♥~