Sunday... oh, what a SUN DAY... hooray!

Bliss.

 My long lost friend and soul-nurturing confidant made a surprise visit yesterday...

... bringing hope and smiles to people and petals...

... inspiring us to go for a walk, having bribed younger family members with 

a promise of ice cream at our destination, Castle Combe...

... stopping, as always, for a good - albeit for my taste somewhat too competitive - game of Pooh 

sticks on a small stone bridge (with a view of this enviable house in a hamlet on the way)...

... taking the opportunity to admire some of the beautiful farm houses in the valley, 

before they are soon hidden in vigorous verdure...

Yes, the sun was indeed a welcome guest, warming our chilled, hibernating souls. Even if the thermometer did not venture into double digits, it was still warm enough for yours truly to enjoy a fizzy elderflower drink outside (!) when we arrived in Castle Combe. I have shown photos from this beautiful village many times before, but I am afraid that should you decide to pop in to the Swenglish Home again some time in the next few days, you may have to suffer a few more...!

To see all the photos in this post better (and not strangely cropped), please click on them. You may then also be able to better view for example the lovely Victorian post box in the old stone wall in the first photo. And perhaps even the snowdrops growing on top of mentioned wall...

Wishing you all a fabulous start to the new week 

and thank you so much for your kind comments on my last post. 

Shocking to see how many of you suffer from the same 

type of naughty car behaviour ... ☺☺☺

Helena

When your car decides for you...

Have you ever had your car decide things for you?

Well, as I was driving home from work today and approached a second-hand shop on the side of the road (the one where last summer I fell in love with the large tray that I used as a table top for example here), I thought to myself that I certainly do not need more things, no matter how lovely they might be, and I was therefore not going to stop...

Now, some of you may find what happened next hard to believe, but my car took me completely by surprise when it suddenly swerved to the left and turned in to mentioned shop. Just like that. And parked outside this large and eclectic second-hand shop, it would have been rather rude not to pop inside just for a minute or two... would it not?

Sorry about the grainy, un-sharp photos here - this window-less
room and my camera do not always see eye to eye...

And there it was. The Moroccan-looking wooden stand that my beloved tray had been missing. With paint peeling and just the right amount of scruffy patina, it called out to me in all its ragged glory: "Please, Miss, adopt me! We belong together!" Now, I may be a woman of principle, but I am not heartless. And when a fellow with a wooden leg - or eight as it were -  pleads with me in that fashion, who am I to reject him?

So, that is how my car made what turned out to be the best decision possible on this grey Wednesday, and my wooden fellow and I, I have a feeling we are going to live happily ever after!

Wishing you all a lovely Thursday, and may it bring you joy, 

car-encouraged or not!

Helena

Chilled dreams ...

For a week or so, twelve stunning long-stemmed roses have paraded their crimson charisma in the Swenglish kitchen, but as they hung their heads a little yesterday, looking tired and despondent, I thought I would try to encourage a little rosy encore performance from them before they become food for worms... 

Inspired - like so often - by blog friend and superb stylist, "flower magician" and photographer Minna Mercke Schmidt, I thought about the fantastic display she made recently for a Fairtrade Competition (organised to draw attention to Fairtrade products). Click here to see Minna's stunning display, which - not surprisingly - won the competition (Congrats, Minna!). For my little hessian pouch, however, I opted for a more "slumped" look, possibly reflecting how I feel this bitterly cold Saturday after a few hectic work weeks... ☺

Looking around the garden, I see that after the harsh winter, it is in dire need of some tender love and care, and perhaps, in places, more drastic cosmetic surgery... Hm, I wonder... Are gardens like many dogs - do they actually bear a striking resemblance to their owners? Well, plastic surgery is an unlikely contender to solve the appearance of this ragged thistle, but some sun-fuelled energy would not go amiss!

So that is what I dream of, this cold, cold February weekend: 

sun-stroked, rosy cheeks for garden and self!

... and speaking of garden...

Ladies and gentlemen... DRUM ROLL... 

I am so happy to present to you a fabulous new web shop for all of us 

who like to prettify our gardens in more ways than one.

The GARDEN FLOW Shop

My dear friend Charlotte Andersson (the Garden Flow blog), whose stunning garden I featured on my blog in several posts last summer (see Charlotte's Garden under Categories to the right, has just opened the Garden Flow Shop - a web shop which also has a show room in Sundsvall, Sweden, where Charlotte lives.

All the photos below are taken by Charlotte:

In true Charlotte fashion, the photos of the products are beautiful and the "goodies" include everything from hands-on planting tools and gardening clothes, to decorative items for your home and your garden, quirky vintage finds and do-it-yourself craft material (and much more).

Welcome to browse this inspiring new web shop - very soon Charlotte will also be able to ship outside of Sweden (I will let you know when) and then I think all of us will find it very hard to resist ordering a little spring inspiration from the Garden Flow Shop! 

 ***

Last, but not least, a huge hug to all of you lovely readers out there, who seem to still pop in to the Swenglish Home, despite the rare updates and my silence on your blogs. Roses and sunshine to you all!

Helena

A string of hearts to you...

Dear readers,

On this heart-focused day, I would like to send a string of hearts to all of you, my lovely readers!

The music heart bunting in the first photo I made recently by simply cutting out some hearts from old sheets of music and then sewing them together with my sewing machine. Easy peasy, instant craft!

The other photos in this post are all from past springs, but remind me of what I dream of at the moment...

Discovering snow drops on the side of the road, allowing myself to stop and 

admire their beauty and strength to grow even when nights are still cold...

With the early rays of spring-inspired sun, comes my desire to 

dig out my old pots and fill them with little petalled heads...

... perhaps create a little corner of decorative greens, 

welcoming spring and its energizing yet calming powers...

And the pansies, oh the lovely, lovely pansies. I may not know much about what this spring will hold, but I can almost promise that The Swenglish Home will house many a purple pot of pansy loveliness!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

❤- greetings to you all!

Helena

A brighter Friday...

On my way home from a nearby town today, 

I took a small detour via the lovely village of Holt...

Parking briefly near the old Glove Factory (now a lovely Art Centre and workshops), 

I was glad I did...

On one side of the road, I was greeted by an explosion of floral beauty (photos 1 and 2 above),

and on the other side this beautiful old red brick house serenaded me quietly.

Since living here in the UK, I have learned to recognize how the look of the houses changes according to the local stone in the area, and even though the area around Bath is indeed dominated by buildings in the gorgeous local sand-coloured Bath stone, you do not have to drive far south before you see red-brick buildings appear more frequently.

Even though the black pots on the steps of this building look like they are plastic, which may perhaps not be my favourite material, I love how the owners have placed one pot on each step. They almost look as if they are queueing for something fun... perhaps this is the local Night Club for plants...?! In that case it must be a very popular one, if you need to start queueing already at lunch time... Hm, perhaps not then. Maybe a Secret Green Society... only evergreens allowed?

And speaking of greens... Seeing the local farm shop (The Toll Shed in Holt) display their fresh produce on a table outside the entrance gave me spring vibes!

On the way home from Holt, I had to take a deep breath several times, as I drove through heavily flooded parts of the small country lanes, hoping they would not be too deep for my car. Here, just outside one of our neighbouring villages, the little pond was threatening to spill into the road too, but so far it just looks a little more like a lake than a modest pond, beautifully reflecting the cottages on the other side.

So, have you guessed the reason for the title of this post yet? Yes, the observant among you will have noticed a rare but oh-so-delicious light in some of the photos, as the sun, the stunning star in the sky with the power to warm our land and our souls, made an appearance today... and the world became a little bit brighter. Just like that. Oh, do come again, you lovely thing!

Wishing you a inside and out bright weekend!

Helena

Clearly a misunderstanding...

Dear Weather Gods,

When I had a chat with you the other day,

I thought it was quite clear what I wanted to say...

In fact, I think I may even have shouted from the roof tops: "Bring on SPRING!"

 And I most certainly did NOT say: "Snow is king!!!"

SO, dear Weather Gods... 

if you agree to quickly rectify this white and fluffy mistake,

I would even offer to bake you a melt-in-the-mouth chocolate cake!

But if you continue to ruin my spring-blossomed mood,

I would find you incredibly and unforgivably rude...

Anyway, I shall carry on protesting in my own special way,

and with spring flowers make an in-your-face indoor display!

Surely you can see its colourful appeal...?

So, what do you say, do we have a deal?

***

Thank you so much for all your kind get well wishes. 

Slowly but surely I am getting back on my feet, so your words must have helped! 

Wishing you all a lovely week, and stay warm out there!

Helena

Ps. Those of you who are readers of the UK interior magazine Good Homes, may have recognised one of  my photos of Hannah Turner's ceramics on page 18 in the February issue. I am happy that Hannah is getting more attention drawn to her lovely owls!

Dreaming green...

Dear readers,

I hope the new year has started well for you.

Despite wishes for craft and creativity, some nasty germs are still holding me hostage,

 and with bed rest ordered by the doctor, 

I have instead dug out some photos from last summer...

There, some visual fuel to keep our winter-chilled souls believing that there will be a warm and green season again, with flower-picking, sheep-spotting and ancient oak-admiring on the agenda...

So, to finish off with a VERY random photo of some cute meerkats (at a mini zoo nearby), 

I shall try to find a similar log and sit down and wait for spring to happen!

 Wishing you a lovely week!

Helena

A new year... 

Well, well, well...

Look what happens when I turn my back for a few moments....

A new year just walked right into our lives.

Just like that.

It could be that I have been flat out on the sofa debating with some germs 

over who should own my body at the moment...

It could be that the grey and the rain here in the South West UK has been rather constant 

for such a long time that the days seem to blend into a grey, soggy pulp...

A very sparsely decorated table at Christmas this year. Here I think you may also be able to see my favourite lights, or rather the effect of them: the small spots on top of the beams, directing their lights up, lighting up the ceiling in a way that seems to almost raise it a little more. You may also spot the small spots sunk into the floor by the arched doors, two by each door, lighting up the arches a little extra.

But it is here. A new year. An unwritten sheet waiting to be filled with wonderful things. 

Despite a few rather grey and gloomy lines above, that is indeed what I hope to focus on.

Wonderful things.

And I wish lots and lots of those for you too.

Wonderful things.

For you.

Happy New Year, dear readers!

Helena

Advent calendar 24

Click on the image to see the whole of it.

We have come to the end of the Swenglish Home Advent Calendar this year, and I hope you might have found some inspiration along the way. Thank you for your kind words and for stopping by!

In Swedish tradition, we celebrate Christmas today, so...

... from all of me,

to all of you,

a

VERY

 MERRY 

CHRISTMAS!

 May it be filled with peace and joy, 

sugar and spice 

and all things nice...!

Helena

Advent calendar 23

Red apples... they just ooze Christmas vibes, don't you think? 

Well, at least where I come from (Sweden), they are synonymous with this season. 

Pile them high, pile them low... a simple addition of colour that speaks volumes.

And then you can eat your decorations too!

Apple greetings to you all,

Helena

Advent calendar 22

 The tree is now in place and the scent of pine fills the room. 

Its branches host a modest selection of decorations: gingerbread hearts, cinnamon sticks, 

vintage-looking baubles and one or two musical instruments...

The wreath I had hung in the window has been exchanged for the only new 

Christmas decoration purchase this year, the patchwork paper star below.

So, with the exception of the star, not much has changed from the photo below, 

which I took a few years ago at Christmas...

In the kitchen, my favourite Christmas flowers stand proud and tall, and seem to 

enjoy being embraced by the sneezing/coughing man on the old cough drop tin.

I'll see you again tomorrow, when the red theme continues...

Love,

Helena

Advent calendar 21

As I rush around to get ready for Christmas, I feel myself losing sight of what Christmas is all about. It may mean different things for different people, of course, but last night, I felt that PEACE is indeed a message I would like to add to my calendar here. 

So, slumped in the sofa after a long day yesterday, my therapeutic activity for the evening was shaping a piece of metal wire into a peace sign and then cover it in twine. A nice decoration perhaps for a bottle to give away, for the Christmas tree as alternative baubles, or even as a necklace for yourself...!  

This morning I "dressed" a candle with the same message, by warming a teaspoon over the cooker and then pressing the warm spoon gently onto a cut out paper peace sign held in place by my other hand on the candle. As the was melts a little under the warm spoon, the peace sign is "glued" onto the candle. 

So, dear readers, with only a few days to go to Christmas, 

may peace be with you on your path, wherever you are!

Helena