Hand Knitted Cardigans for Baby For Sale.

Just added to my FOR SALE page some of my lovely hand knitted cardigans for baby.

Harvesting and Ludwigsburg - Part Three: The Birds

We have started to harvest some of the lovely carrots from our garden.  I am quite impressed with how well they have grown this year and how tasty they are.  

In the weekend I picked some more beans and tomatoes and a some apples.  

The pretty little cloth I bought at the market in Stuttgart.

As soon as I saw it I knew I wouldn't be able to resist it.  Fortunately it was before I made my resolve to not visit any Flea Markets/Charity Shops/Car boots etc... ;-)

Blue embroidery and Butterflies - just perfect!

Another instalment of photos from Ludwigsburg, this time the birds.

Wonderful flamingo

In action - even caught the drips coming out of his beak.

Ludwigsburg - Part Two: Pumpkin Time!

Pumpkin Carvings, Sculptures, Dinosaurs galore.  Fun for children of ALL ages ;-)

Not many words...just lots of pictures.

Lunch was a yummy pumpkin soup, desert pumpkin strudel which tasty very yummy indeed.

Autumn Activities - not necessarily the fun kind!

Back on the home front today...Autumn is starting to show its face despite the wonderful glorious weather we are having. I have been able to do loads of washing, having it dry on the line and have done three baskets of ironing. All the boys clothes are now ready for another week or two. I've even washed the sheepskin rug!

The leaves on the Oak are starting to turn such beautiful colours, greens, golds, browns and reds.

Instead of 'Spring Cleaning', I'm in 'Autumn Cleaning' mode, I'm viewing the time as one of preparation and harvest. I am working each day on the garden and house; harvesting, weeding, tidying, de-cluttering and thinking. Thinking of ways to improve the way I do things, trying to keep up with daily tasks, while still doing things that are long overdue.

I think over the last few years I have been caught up in the world of blogging and the 'need' or 'want' mode way of thinking, finding myself caught up in that cycle of perhaps buying or doing certain things because I have seen others either having, buying or doing...This has led to me contributing to much of the 'clutter', otherwise known as 'treasure' that is abundant in our house. I've come to the conclusion that things need to change. There is simply TOO MUCH STUFF surrounding me, making it difficult, at times impossible, to tidy and it is most certainly overwhelming.

I don't NEED anything, I don't even WANT anything more. I have loads of clothes, probably far more than I will ever wear, enough china and crockery to completely kit out another house OR TWO, books, magazines, the list goes on. I have all that I need...yes there are a few little things I would like (but not necessarily need...for example I have asked for a 'proper' colouring pencil set, so I can do some drawing and journalling. Perhaps for Christmas...

So I have decided, no more charity shop visits for me. They are my downfall and yet I don't need anything, so why go in them 'just in case' I see something. It doesn't make sense, of course I am bound to see something I like...the biggie is do I need it? So I will remove the temptation. Instead I plan on giving away, selling on Ebay and offering some of my china and bits & bobs for sale here on my blog. I have set up a For Sale page so please do check to see if there is anything you would like.

You may have noticed I didn't say no more 'high street shops' or even just 'shops'. Well that is because I simply don't go in those sorts of shops anyway. The only other shop I would visit is for groceries, so isn't a problem for me. I actually dislike shopping so it is not such a hardship.

Just like our Rough Collie here, I am tired. So tired of the mess. So enough is enough, it is time to make headway!

I'm sure there are going to be days where I don't achieve anything...I must remember to pace myself...I am very sore this evening from probably doing too much. But even if I can just cull a couple of books for example each day, then that will be something.

So here goes!

Ludwigsburg - Part One.

Monday 19th September Nichola took me to The Residential Palace & the Blooming Baroque Garden Show in Ludwigsburg. This baroque castle is the largest in Germany and is the focal point of Ludwigsburg. It was built by Duke Eberhard Ludwig between 1704 and 1733 and is huge! It has an amazing number of rooms, 452 which are housed in 18 buildings as well as four new museums. There is a permanent 'Blooming Baroque Garden Show' hosted all year round in the magnificent gardens that surround the Palace. The exhibition changes all year round and while we were there the World's Biggest Pumpkin Exhibition was on. It is held annually, this year between the dates of 2nd September and runs right through until 6th November. There are around 500,000 pumpkins! Apparently there are over 450 pumpkin varieties and there certainly were many different shapes and sizes on offer and display. Some of these I will be showing in tomorrow's post. The displays were certainly impressive and depicted various scenes, creations and animals. Some of which I have already shown over here.

Today though I am going to share with you some of the photographs I took of the flowers - one of my favourite things.

Beautiful colours, flowers in all their glory always inspire.

So beautiful.

The Palace and grounds in mosaic form.

Part Two tomorrow :-)