I Heart Camping...and Crochet!

Hello there!

Remember last week I tormented you with a picture of some tiny granny squares? Well, here is my little reveal!! This is what those teeny tiny grannies became...can you guess what it is yet from the picture above?

Did you guess right? It's a rather pretty little table mat! What do you think of it? I'm very pleased with it, those bright squares and the picot edging makes me quite deliriously happy, and the Little One has already asked if she can have it for her very own...you can guess what the answer to that was of course!

So! What else did I have to tell you this week...hmm, let me think. Ah yes, as if I could forget!! Our first foray into the world of camping!

Oh people, I have to tell you I am absolutely, completely and ridunculously hooked.

Here we are, all pitched up and oooooooooh it was so exciting!

We arrived in Oxfordshire under warm blue skies, the day looked promising and the weather held as we pitched out tent. Of course, the instructions said it would take about 10 minutes, in reality it took about an hour...and a half... ;)

Summer was blooming in abundance, wild flowers bobbed their cheerfully bright heads at us and the landscape unfolded as far as the eye could see into a patchwork of fields the colour of clotted cream fudge and faded limes.

As soon as the tent was pitched, an ominously dark grey cloud floated over and dispatched a large rainstorm onto us. We didn't care, we were cosy in out tent boiling a kettle for our first cup of camping tea and giggled outrageously at how much fun it all was!

Our friends arrived and over the weekend we visited some gorgeous little villages. Nature seemed to be wearing her prettiest dresses as everywhere we looked were colourful feasts for the eyes...

...hanging baskets and window boxes burst at the seams with vibrant colour, every village was festooned with tall hollyhocks that swayed gently in warm breezes, in wonderful shades of darkest burgundy to the softest pink tinged with lemon. The wild flowers were in competition, putting on their own gloriously technicolour show in hedgerows and fields and glades!

We took a trip to Oxford, so much beautiful architecture, and bustling with 100 languages of visiting students and tourists...

...I loved Oxford, I loved the atmosphere of it and the delicious little shops, but I was glad to come away to the serenity of Woodstock where there was a photo opportunity around every corner!

We also visited Burford, I am completely taken with this little corner of our country folks, it is chocolate box perfect in every way, gentle on the eyes and the soul and a pleasure to visit.

We found gorgeous little shops like this one above, boutiques and delicatessens housed in age old tipsy buildings with dark beams running higgledy-piggledy across the ceilings..so much to see, Iwas bursting with delight at everything we found!

The buildings in the villages are built from that famous golden stone that seems to glow with a warmth even on a grey day. They are enhanced by lavender frothing onto the pavements, geraniums bobbing their scarlet heads from terracotta pots and tiny windows that lean crazily at odd angles under swags of gauzy lilac wisteria.

Back at camp, some of the simple moments were the best ~ hot coffee and freshly baked pain au chocolat from the tiny camp store made a perfect breakfast...

...and in the evening, we told ghost stories as we sipped fizzy rose wine. As twilight cast its luminous blue glow over us a japanese lantern was cast off from the opposite field with much ooohing and aahhhing. We watched silently as the flickering amber lantern made its way up toward the first twinkling stars of the night, it was a lovely moment.

So, I think you can probably gather that we had a good old time of it. We were lucky with the weather and after that first afternoon downpour it only showered during the night.

I have to say, I cannot wait to go again!

I think that's about it for today, I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and before I go, there is just one last thing I would like to share with you all, and that is I'm having a bit of a sale at my website - and if you fancy having a nosey, you can see more here:

Thanks for stopping by today, and for all your lovely comments that you leave for me. I love hearing from you so if this is your first visit, it would be lovely of you to say 'hello' as it means I will be able to come and find you and your blog (if I haven't already!)

Sending love to you all for a delicious weekend!

Much love

J x