Dad's day!!

My Dad is the most practical man I know.... and most of our friends and family sometimes are left with their jaw on the floor from the aftermath of some of his projects, they always seem to be successful though which continues to encourage him more and more... I am my Dad's daughter when it comes to a project...

I often turn up at Adber, near Sherborne where they live, and have a boot full of vintage finds, scrap metal and chocks of wood or his own welded piece of work in my boot when I leave..

He calls me "Daught" and his dream was to marry me off on "The step"..... it's not just any old step but one that Dad and I built in the garden when I was young... I not only got married on it but Tom (knowing the story) asked him for his permission to marry me on it... the hardest part was not only getting Dad onto it, but being force fed with plum muffins, when he was so nervous he really didn't want to eat.. but in our family the more you eat the points you get... so he didn't say no!

So this weekend I am looking forward to spending some time doing BOY STUFF with dad and I just wanted to show you SOME of the thing this may entail...

Chopping a FEW logs (shouldn't take too long!!) and now Tom has been to France and back in the Morris, checking the engine is ok for the next road trip..


Happy Fathers day all you Dads x

Dream-shed's....

 I was reading this month's Country Living today and there is an article on women being creative in their shed's.. It caught my eye, as I must say I love a good shed... Reading through made me feel all very excited about my new venture whic is in a SHED!! However, I thought I would like to highlight the fact that I already have these adorable shed's in my life, mostly made by hand by husband Tom, and they are currently scattered around Somerset!!

This is my Shepherd's hut, Tom made me a year ago for my birthday.

This is the famous tin tanning tabernacle shed in my Bath Hair and Beauty salon.. Made of corrugated iron and a recycled door.. It can also be converted for over flow for a waxing room when we get very busy... This is the newest edition!

Sheppy on a summers day xxx

This is the shed toilet in my Frome salon, this wood was bought from an old train station, and was very sooty..It needed lots of cleaning... But now is perfect

My garden shed.... double's up as office space and/or gardening tools

And From Hessian Sacks, Wood & String, He Rose Up & We Named Him.......... Vernon!!

Can you tell what it is yet? 

Making the legs

Using a POP of orange string I stitched the inner seems of the legs, leaving a 5mm hole for the pole to go through 3/4 way up...

Then stitched his belly 

Using clothes pegs to hold the sack's I joined the arms and legs 

With an old broom stick pole and 2 garden bean cane's I threaded up through the body before stuffing

Out of a bit of left over sack, I made a pocket and found an old button. To make the shape of his head and hold it to the pole I stuffed an old milk container on the end and covered with shredded paper and a plactic bag

Meet Vernon.. He will now protect my seeds from the birds!!

Springing into action!

 With broad beans, radishes, potatoes and lots of other lovely things shooting through in the garden I gave my shed a little over haul. Last year I used it for reading and doing some work out doors when the sun was out, but this year as I've been experimenting with my green fingers more, I needed somewhere to keep all my tools.. I think I may still make a curtain!

 Looking in... Very organised..

Blanket Romantic

 It's been my birthday weekend and we borrowed my parents canal boat.. I LOVED it.... we took loads of warm clothes and blankets to keep cosy.. This is our first mooring just near Hilperton.

 Cooking new potatoes to go with salmon and salad - surprising how quickly it cooks!

 Loads of time to do some knitting and reading while Tom was on the tiller.. I've been trying to knit a bobble hat for weeks now! I will have to keep it for next winter now!

 Breakfast... scrambled eggs and smoked salmon - courtesy of the basket of goodies my brother and sister-in-law on arrival...including champagne and mini eggs ) oh and chocolate fingers!)

 Tom concentrating VERY hard, as were approaching busy Bath!

 The smell of the woodburners on the other boats as you past, as the sun was setting it was so romantic when your snuggled on the back under the blanket...

DOIGTS DE CHOCLAT

                      
 I was the Captain for a little bit.. but having 58ft ahead of you, on a somewhat NARROW canal needs a bit of practice..

 On the way for Sunday lunch we stopped off for a cheeky swim and shower at Babington House,

 Back on the boat for supper - a huge selection of fine cheese and salami..

 You know when your coming into Bath as the architecture is stunning, it was constructed in 1724 here on the Kennet and Avon canal, it has had a lot of restoration work over the recent years, a man in the pub was telling us how in the 70's there were tree's growing out of some parts of it and they used it to build railways in the early days.

 With my windlass, my job was to open the locks, its the most social part as you get chatting to all the other fellow boaters and here their stories...

 Mooring up in Bath was not easy finding a parking space! (you can't really do any 3 point turns!)

 Final lock of the day..

 and home to have a lazy afternoon

on the sofa with a pot of tea..

My first steps towards the next phase!

Today I felt like a big girl, going to a meeting for a new perspective site to a new project.. So far we've had an awesome week, kicking off with an amazing night in London at the new book launch of "around-world-80-dishes" by davidloftus where Jamie Oliver and Pippa Middleton cooked Paella for us! then crashed at  shoreditchhouse, with an early start back to Bath for my 9am client! I am very proud of my husband - you should check out his new cheese on the menu at unionjacks London - Try out the flat's! Thanks jamieoliver x