Louise's West Oxon World : 'cat that got the cream' swagger ...

Not something you'll usually find me blogging about folks but this week I clapped eyes on the most beautiful dress known to man. As fashion isn't usually top of my agenda if something catches my eye then it must be love!! It was one of those dreamy eyed, sharp intake of breath moments ~ ahhhhhhh. Suddenly, I went into panic mode and thought that other shoppers must have had the exact same thought and were going to swoop and take this beauty from me. There was nothing else for it, I came over all panic stricken and behaved like the place was on fire and totally un-necessary until I had the dress in my mitts. I then looked around to see if anyone was watching my sudden attack of the loons ~ yep, everyone was!!

Still, with my 'cat that got the cream' swagger I bought said dress whilst containing my utter joy.
It's a beaut ♥

Boho, dreamy, floaty heaven on a hanger.

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This weekend just gone once again I snapped up a true bargain ...

Just £3.00 was paid for this stunning chandelier ~ yep you did read that right ~ three whole pounds.

Because of it's very tiny price tag I didn't feel too guilty about taking away the electrics and hanging it from our apple tree.

I am soooooo in love with this sparkly treat dangling from our tree. When the sun beams hit the droplets the sight is just immense and utterly mesmerising. If you ever come across one I urge you to hang it in your garden, you wont be disappointed.

.....

Oh, several days later and look what we found?

Whilst in John Lewis yesterday I spotted this:

Only our chandelier (yep, the exact same one ~ the only slight difference is the bulb holders) reduced from £350.00 to £245.00.

W.H.A.T?

REALLY?

We were both dumbstruck. With our jaws agog my husband turned to me and said "and you said to cut the electrics off so I did and now ours is hanging in the garden"???

"urm, yes I did" was my reply.

"Well we've got one mightily expensive tree decoration in our garden then" was his!!

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Whilst on the subject of delights in our apple tree, we are so pleased to see apples starting to bud. Last year we (along with many others) didn't have any apples grow as a result of such a poor summer. I use the word summer loosely, to be fair it was nothing like a summer at all!! We have a Cider press on standby and a friend who is a whizz at all things chutney so bring on all apple related goodies. Nom, yum, slurp!

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Yay, a cause for celebration: I have a rose. One rose has bloomed in our garden and it's brought a smile to our faces. We have lovingly watered this lil bush and watched as it withered in this blistering heat we're having. To see a delicate pale pink rose bloom makes all of that early morning and late night watering (mostly in my jamas or my husband stood there in his underwear) all worth while.

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A couple of kids,

A canvas each,

Pens at the ready,

Hair dryer steady,

Wax crayon poised and ...

Melted, messy colourful wax art!

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Warning, boring domesticated post alert!

Right, I am fed up with my soap dispenser draw being clogged up and made all gooey buy fabric softener (see, told you it was boring) and having to wiggle the draw out to rinse and de-gunk every couple of weeks. Well, not any more! I have solved the problem!

I now have a softener that cleans my clothes, takes away deodorant marks and not only cleans my dispenser draw but the whole machine at the same time. Even better this costs just 50p a bottle. What is this magic for machines I hear you cry?

Well my friends , it's this ...

Distilled white vinegar.

Yep, that's right vinegar!

Now, I promise you your clothes do not smell like vinegar and that you will not smell like a walking fish and chip shop. Honest!

This stuff is the bees knees and I only wish I had plucked up the courage to use it as a fabric softener sooner. I have known about it's magical washing powers for several years now but didn't believe that such a smelly thing like vinegar could really be used for washing clothes. Que an annoying gunky washing machine and one fed up me, an old towel due for recycling and a bottle of white vinegar, a cycle in the machine and voila!

Non stinky, really clean washing and machine.

I still use washing powder as normal but use the vinegar as a replacement for fabric softener. I am now vinegar mad and have sourced all kinds of essential oils to add which makes the washing smell just divine. Lavender is my current fav and beats the scent of any previous fabric softeners I've used hands down.

I can see you all now thinking "Louise is finally lost the plot, she's only putting vinegar in her washing machine".

Honestly, you wait until you've tried it, you'll soon have a small mountain of distilled vinegar next to your washing machine and an obsession for sniffing your washing and telling anyone willing to listen that it doesn't smell of vinegar at all!!

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Football season has started in our house. The village team training is once again in full swing and I can sense flower pots being knocked over and broken, washing with dirty great football sized marks on, sticks being thrown in the tree to try and retrieve a lodged ball and our neighbours finding themselves constantly answering the door to my son asking "please can I have my ball back".