Louise's West Oxon World : This quintessential English summer's day ...

So, as I start to type this weeks post I am doing so sat in the garden listening to the birds chirp away with the sun bearing down ~ utter bliss. This quintessential English summer's day has been building all week with hazy, muggy days at the start of the week. I know only too well that today is the pinnacle of the week weather wise and that tomorrow rain and thunder storms are forecast ~ urgh!

So, as I sit here catching rays I'm surrounded by the scent of pretty flowers that have started to take root and flourish. Our hard work during the last 3 months is starting to really show now and we are being rewarded with pretty leaves and petals everywhere. My fav of all the flowers that are growing? Sweet peas! The scent they give is beautiful.

I'm really rather liking this 'make your garden pretty' malarkey. Fresh cut flowers in every room, delicious scent all around and a feast for the eyes from both indoors and out. Bliss.

Then, at the end of the day when the sun went down the most beautiful spectacle filled the sky ...

I can not tell you how much looking out over this stunning view makes my heart sing. It's definately on my top 5 all time hang out lists.

Heavenly!

Then from heavenly to heavens open ...

the very next day ...

Good ol' Blighty weather ~ you've just gotta love it!!

~ ~ ~

This weekend just gone I discovered a new auction ~ yay for me and yay for auctions. It's local, like nearer than any of the others I have been to. How did this escape my notice? How has this never bleeped up on my bargain radar? For some bizarre reason (that probably stems from my husband telling me porkies to try and put me off) I thought this particular auction sold agricultural things only.

Damn, how wrong could I be?

Just look at what was up for grabs ...

A spot of punting anyone?

Oh how I loved these ...

Some lovely persons collection of honey jars ...

Now these two draws were very tempting and I had plans whizzing through my mind about where I could put them and what I could use them for. I resisted the temptation though ~ hurah!

This was also on my hit list, it was love at first sight. The thing that stopped me from bidding was the ends! They are open meaning the magazines could fall out. Now, looking back this is a bonkers reason and I wish I had bid for it. Grrr!

When I first attended auctions I was told that it's always the things you didn't buy that stick in your mind and not the ones you did ~ how very true those words are.

Bits and bobs ...

Pretty bedding ...

This was what I left a commission bid on ...

Sadly my bid wasn't the highest and I lost out by £5.00 but I'm not too disappointed. Something is only worth what your willing to pay for it and with commission added to the final selling price, this garden plant stand was just more than I wanted to spend.

See ... I can show restraint and discipline

(well, sometimes)!! ;)

While I was waiting to see if I was the highest bidder and if I would need to travel back to the auction house and pay and collect I called into Fired Earth.

Dreamy sigh, perfection under one roof ...

This photo doesn't do this justice but here my friends is one of the most beautiful marble worktops I've seen in a longtime. The natural colours and patternation are amazing ...

I was so taken with this piece of marble that when I mooched around the discounted section I stumbled across a marble slab. I snapped it up for the reduced price of £10.50.

What a bargain!

We are currently using it as an extra piece of worktop ...

Or for keeping food covered and cool when eating alfresco ...

And finally as a chopping board.

That was £10.00 very well spent!!

~ ~ ~

I have once again been raiding the charity shop hoard of donated CDs and this week I spent a whole 50P on a 'various hits' CD. These are always a guaranteed winner, firstly as they are usually double or even triple CDs and there is always at least one hit that's a blast from the past and we all erupt in song to. This CD choice is no exception ...

crank it up load and whoop whoop all over the place :D

~ ~ ~

Friday we spent a really lovely evening watching the sunset for the summer solstice at the Rollright Stones. We were amongst a host of people from hippies, grungy teenagers, groups of friends having picnics, couples to a few Druid's here and there.

We hankered down with a picnic blanket, plenty of cups of tea and my camera ~ took a deep breath and relaxed ready to watch the spectacle of the longest day of the year draw to a close. The children had a great time and even Bessie Bear puppy dog hankered down with us and took in the view ...

There was a real buzz upon the heath, from guitar playing to bubble blowing there was a great sense of unity amongst us all.

Some were even sleeping there and camper vans and tents were set up. These lucky people got to watch the morning sunrise right through to watching it set again in the evening ~ fab.

As the sun moved across the sky it lite up the stones as it went.

As the evening came to a close and the sun went down on the day here is a snippet of the most beautiful view we were privileged to watch unfold in front of us ...