HELP! I'm turning into my parents!

Yesterday was a bank holiday Monday in the UK. Hurrah! An extra day off work - we simply must celebrate. So me and my parents decided to do what all British people are compelled to do on a bank holiday - we sat in a traffic jam bickering whilst it slowly stated to rain. This is an ancient British tradition and one that we will no doubt revive later in the month when there is another bank holiday Monday - woohoo!

We decided to go to Kent to a craft fair and a garden with a tulip show on. Fortunately Kent is amazingly beautiful and this was our view as we sat in traffic blaming each other for setting off so late:

Mmmm pretty :o)

The craft fair was HUGE. There were over 250 stalls and even my Dad found something to amuse himself with - the food tent and the wood turning displays. Me and my Mum had lots of fun looking round the EIGHT marquees of stalls but amazingly we didn't buy a thing. I thought we would come back with a boot full and I would have loads of pics to show you but no - not a jot! It wasn't that there weren't beautiful things to buy - there were - but they were so expensive! I tried on an amazing silver ring but when I asked the price it was over £200! That is not the sort of money I spend on impulse on myself - especially when I'm not working at the moment. A lot of the crafts were very traditional and so whilst clever and beautifully executed they weren't really to my taste. I was hoping to see the sort of things I see on etsy and folksy but it wasn't really that kind of thing at all. I think I'll stick to my favourite London haunts in future.

Undeterred we went on to the tulip show at Pashley Manor. Ironically the little shop there had more things that I wanted to buy than the whole craft fair! I took loads of pics of the amazing gardens and tulips. Here are a few:

You may notice that I seem to be drawn towards pink!

I so want to live in this house:

As I settled into bed at 9.45pm (!) I couldn't help but notice that I appear to have turned into my parents. Looking round gardens on a bank holiday Monday! What happened to drunken barbeques at friends houses? Staying up too late on Sunday and sleeping all day? Man I'm getting old.....

Busy, busy, busy.....

Sorry for the lack of updates around here recently, I've been a very busy bee! (Note: I didn't take this pic - I didn't have the energy to chase bees round the garden waiting for the perfect shot!)

Working on some cactus pin cushions for my folksy shop. (Geddit, catctus - pins, needles.....man, i'm a genius ;o) )

Playing with my parents camera and taking pics of my mum's beautiful orchids.

Working on my PIF gifts for Sue, Wilkie and Sandra. (If you still want to get involved then visit their blogs and find out if they have any places left or who their gifts will be going to.)

Tending to my sunflower seeds. (I know most people grow sunflowers when they are about 8 but I love sunflowers and clearly I'm a late bloomer!)

Helping my Dad clear up this tip (this is less than a quarter of the junk - he has issues throwing things away!!)

Experimenting with my felt balls (more of which in a later post!)

Enjoying the rare British sunshine. So rare in fact that when I tired to take a sunshiney picture below the sun went in!

Taking my first painting and drawing class. Not sure about the results but it was fun :o)

All of which I present as an explanation for not giving you the bloggy love you deserve! And also a chance to show you what I've been up to. I'll be back with some proper crafty bloginess soon.

Dotty xx