forever home for Valentine

Here a most loving welcome to 'Valentine'!

Thank you to a very talented Nicky over at Vintage Magpie for making beautiful Valentine for the Haven family.

Allow me to introduce him....

Valentine

(named after the day on which Darcy and Bingley were born)

... his arrival

... and unveiling

... in and around home

places to be...

bedtime ...

in the garden...

... amongst friends. We all love Valentine!

Thank you Nicky x

a bit of 'us' and 'them'

We wanted to share our Cornish trip with you, or at least a little bit of it - fluff and all...

OUR TIME

brothers together - a loving moment (but unsustainable)

Bingley

lounging

Darcy

top desk

Bingley

box supervision

Darcy

Belfast sink ...... monitoring

Bingley

Pedicure...?

Darcy

top tower

Bingley

... walk about.....

THEIR TIME

need we say more..?

orchard

mowing, digging, clearing...

... burning...

..more burning..

.. even more burning ..

...and then amongst this all.. some hidden treasures..

...blue gems - and a complete cessation of burning or clearing!

Instead - stop, stare and enjoy!

follow the leader

What weather we had over Easter - glorious.

We all went to Cornwall to visit Auntie in her care home.
Then we stayed for a holiday down there and did some work on her garden.

Because it was so lovely we wanted to join the Havens outside!

After much debate we were let out under supervision but were over taken by the sounds and smells and bolted (Mrs H freaked out).

This led to us being rugby tackled to the ground!

Despite this, we wanted to go outside even more!

We glued ourselves to the windows and doors each time we were in and they were out...

Bingley

Finally Mrs H got the message and bought us both harnesses!

Darcy

 We deliberately defied the odds and walked happily in our harnesses immediately.

We like surprising Mrs H whenever we can.

Darcy rolling

Result!

We missed you and can't wait to visit you all again soon.

painting techniques

There is a wonderful little shop  - Country Mouse, not far from me which supplies beautiful painted furniture, vintage items for the home and it is where I buy my Annie Sloan chalk paint!

I attended a furniture painting workshop there yesterday and learnt such a lot!

I picked up the shelf from a junk shop and the little drawers are part of a table top chest my friend Kate found at a Sue Ryder Sale. 

... and the paint? Who else but Annie Sloan, of course!

Amongst so many opened pots of colour, I was in heaven. 

... there were 5 lovely people painting and it was super getting to know them over the paint brushes. 

I loved this contraption - a paint brush drier - you fasten in the wet clean brush and then spin the handle and the brush whirls round and dries (like lettuce leaf spinners) ... 

distressed Old Violet

Provence with black wax in the grain.

I have pots of paint which I bought including Scalet Empress and big plans to paint, paint and paint!

Bonjour - Ca va?

We have been visiting friends in S.W France.

Darcy and Bingley stayed at home and we missed them, especially when we met other cats.

We missed visiting you all too.

'Bernadou' and some of it's occupants ...

Mr Haven walking out with Misty and Casi

Casi

She has a brother called 'Ino' their names derive from the supermarket 'Cas-ino' in France. They were dumped in the car park when they were kittens, but found by our friends and given their forever home at Bernadou.

Boris

cuddles with Casi

This is a close up of Casi's tail - it is not short from injury, she is believed to have been born like it and still wiggles it effectively!

The weather was beautiful and we had a most happy time.

mystery of the alibaba

We both appreciate fine pots ...

they have so much to offer ...

this is Bingley with his wayward fluff ...

he loves discovering his fluff ...

and goes to great lengths to find it ...

and this provides me with hijacking opportunities

Darcy

I know he is in there!

yep, he just can't hide that fluffy tail

its like a serpent

I am going in too!