Friday 4 July 2014

Happiness is.......

Colour to brighten my day.



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Loving your current project, and thinking, 'Finally, something to hold my interest for longer than 2 minutes'.








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Spending time in my garden. I am no gardener, in fact i'm totally pants at it. Consequently, my garden often goes unloved. Tidying it all up and seeing some colour has put a wonderful smile on my face.















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Enjoying my roses. I ADORE these. They are so huge, and strong......delicate, yet bold. They look so perfect they don't really look real. They are just coming to the end, and I have enjoyed viewing these beauties on my mantel........immensely.







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Laughing hard. Laughing so hard in a shopping aisle with someone that you can't move. Laughing so hard you can't speak. Laughing so hard you have tears streaming down your face, and everyone is looking at you both, smiling at you, and wondering what on earth could be so funny. Laughing so hard that your belly really, really hurts, but thinking how great it is to laugh like that. Composing yourself, putting coffee in your basket and moving on.




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Sitting in my garden listening to evening church ringing practice from the nearby church. I ADORE it. I'd happily live right next to a church that rang bells weekly.


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Making no-knead bread.....and after a few weird attempts, getting it right. Made using this recipe  here







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A good cup of tea....and a relaxing 5 minutes in a busy week.





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Summer Evening walks. Being bathed in golden light, and marvelling at just how wonderful everything is, when you stop to look at it.







Loving that cheeky little face. Waking up to the biggest smile from him staring at me and patting me on the head ready to start the day ahead.

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What's made you happy this week?






xxx

p.s. The no-knead bread was edible in all attempts but I had a dreadful job getting them out of the pyrex bowls at the end, even after a bit of butter. The last one I made in a loaf tin and it faired better. Also, the bread is a 'spongy' bread. I think it's supposed to be that way as there were several comments stating that fact in the comments box on the web page. I'd say it was more like making a big crumpet. Not a bad thing as we all love crumpets, but just so you know if you want to give it a go. Do they have crumpets in the US?

p.p.s Thank all so kindly for your comments and emails from my last post. It was so interesting to hear your thoughts on watermarking. It was nice to see it from all angles and not just my own.








27 comments:

  1. Beautiful... Your roses are amazing! I love colors, that you give us on your blog :)

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  2. I could agree with all your happy things, except for the cup of tea, I try to like it and try it often, but it's not happening! Your hydrangea is beautiful, we have several of these in our garden too x

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  3. The scent in your garden must be amazing!!! I'll share a cuppa coffee with you!!!! Have a fab weekend!!!
    Love
    AMarie

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  4. Love your roses and that beautiful teaspoon. Try lining your pyrex bowls or tins with baking parchment. Even just a wide-ish strip each way - crossing over underneath the bread - would make it easier to lift out the loaf when baked.

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  5. Haven't roses been beautiful this year -and early too I think.
    Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and it isn't too wet. But if it is - a cup of tea in that lovely cup might make things better. x

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  6. I always love your great images... Whenever I visit your blog, I feel happy myself...
    You flowers are simply stunning! I missed my parent's garden and I can't wait to go there..

    Lots of love...

    Ayda

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  7. I love it when you go through one of your colourful phases V - such gorgeous, uplifting photos. Don't your hydrangeas look glorious?

    Wishing you a weekend full to the brim of happy moments, my friend.

    Hxx

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  8. Lovely photos. We used to live on a hill in a tiny cottage with casement windows overlooking Winchester Cathedral. Every Wednesday evening was bell-ringing practice. Magical. I used to have the windows open even on winter evenings. In those days - pre children - we usually missed Sunday morning bell-ringing!! Although we're still in Winchester, we can't hear the bells from this house but we do have a garden with some lovely roses too. I tidied up our patio before we left for Cornwall and it's brilliant to come home and see some seedlings sprouting and the geraniums taking off and in full bloom. Flora Puddleduck was very pleased to see us too!! Have a lovely weekend. I'm just happy to be back at home, despite a wonderful week by the sea in Cornwall!

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  9. For a person who is pants at gardening, your flowers are doing very well! I am baggy pants at gardening - but our roses have done very well too. Your ripple blanket is looking very good :)
    www.thequietstitcher.com

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  10. I'm loving your ripple....I had a really huge belly laugh this week when a workman nearly had a heart attack when the little mouse sticker I have on my stairs made him jump! I couldn't stop laughing I hink he may have left thinking he'd been in the house of a mad woman. He wouldn't be far wrong! :) x

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  11. Wonderful happy things indeed. Your blanket colours are gorgeous and so are your roses!! I really like the description of sitting in the garden and hearing the bell ringers, that is a lovely summer moment indeed! xx

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  12. Unfortunately, crumpets are not readily available here. I think the closest thing we have are "english muffins", but I'm betting they're still a far cry! My sister and her family have just come back from visiting England (Make A Wish sent my sister, her husband, and all TWELVE of their kids over there!), and I am just dying for a good phone call from her to hear all about it! Your roses are beautiful, and I think I'll have a go at your bread recipe!

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  13. Nice with a good laugh! Awesome spoon on your teacup, saucer and vase, picture.
    There really isn't anything like flowers:) Gosh I wish I had a garden.

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  14. I love the colors of the pictures above! So beautiful!

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  15. Exquisite roses. I love the sound of church bells too, I'd love to live next to them. I can just about hear them from my house and it's always such a lovely sound. This week there's been swimming in a turquoise sea, happy boys catching crabs, balancing rocks on stony beaches, salty hair and sandy skin, adventures and tiredness. I've loved it all. CJ xx

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  16. Such lovely words and photos.
    Pop over to Lucy at Attic 24, she posted a great recipe for no knead bread, it's awesome, just like posh artisan bread.

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  17. Happiness is...seeing a blog post from you Vanessa and hopping straight over to read it :-)
    Tracey xxx

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    1. Ps... I think you are a gardener :-) just look at those lovely flowers. xxxx

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  18. So many wonderfully happy things, all the colour cheered my heart and wow those roses are gorgeous have a wonderful weekend
    Clare x

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  19. Oh. My. Goodness. I'd lost this beautiful blog when my laptop took a wobbly at the start of year and now, I've found you again! Joy :)

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  20. I forgot to say in my earlier comment about the bread - try making what I call Double Oven Bread http://adaliza.com/2013/01/30/a-great-way-to-start-the-day/ it's no knead and cooks amazingly well in a cast iron casserole. Do have a go at it - it doesn't stick and looks (and tastes) amazing.

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  21. Wonderful colors, wonderful photos! Thanks, I will be back!

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  22. Great photos! Happy next week!

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  23. I love the bobbly edge on your colourful granny blanket Vanessa and your flower pics are glorious. I made some no-knead bread a while ago and it was a disaster but yours looks delicious so I might have another try using the recipe you used. Thanks for sharing and enjoy the rest of your week.
    Jane x

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  24. I just wanted to say how much I like your blog. I found it via Tumblr, where someone has re-blogged your Giverny scarf (which is lovely). I came for a closer look and have stayed for hours! The design is so light and airy and the photos are fantastic :) I'm just starting out on crochet, although I've been able to knit since I was a child, and am impressed by what you've achieved. I particularly like your blankets. I've always had a weakness for afghans and granny blankets (I suspect that if I could sew, I'd be a quilter) and think that sometime in the near future my kids are going to find their beds suitably covered ;)

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  25. I love your rose's pictures. So beautiful and elegant and your granny blanket just lovely. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend Vanessa.

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  26. Oh my! Your roses are amazing. The garden looks just lovely. Very colourful.
    I'm completely smitten with the first picture - I just have to keep looking at it! (We have the same curtains BTW.)

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