Delightful Urban Charm

It's funny how you can prepare for a journey but you never really know just how an adventure is going to unfold. Ours was a spring adventure to Palmerston North & back, only for a day or two & only two hours away yet so much was to happen in that short time. Rob had to attend an NZO aged care training day so I tagged along for the ride. Just driving out of your own town is a tonic after the confining winter months. The newly emergent willow green waved at us from passing fields.

farms & barns & houses ethereally floated by through the fog & the rain

 pussy willow: bedraggled coats glistening with raindrops 

 planted by an inspired soul..a ballet of snowdrops

and a little further on the Mabins' "Taniwha" a wonderland of daffodils. Open to the public every day through September. The 15 acres of sunshine & smiles is home to 1700 different kinds of narcissi! 

 In Dannevirke we stopped at the Regent Cafe

they do really good coffee
& very yummy scones







I loved these in the window!
they can be made to order

a couple of doors down is
the Sallies. I was so
amazed to find a Victoria
magazine sitting on a shelf
for 20c! Rob then
 discovered 6 more!

they've been round a little
 while but somehow Victoria
 of all magazines retain a
 timeless quality.
 look

"The Gorge" was closed due to very heavy rain & slipage so we traversed the saddle road to Ashurst which was fun...passed by all the wind turbines on the hills...unusual things they are.

On Wednesday I was free to explore all the secondhand & op shops I could find. In George Street what should I discover but a marvelous secondhand shop called "Urban Charm". A perfect title for a such a delightful wee shop

belonging to Heather & her sister Linda the business is flourishing, unsurprising really as they have such great stock at very reasonable prices. I just adored this old angel print entitled " On The Resurrection Morning"

 Happily, Palmerston North has an Arthur Toy... I just adored this fabric luckily it was on sale ; )

 goes quite nicely really with this yummy teacosy that I found at a huge secondhand shop

on the outskirts of town.

I had a wee bit of a disaster with my second batch of violet syrup..mmm sort of taffy, so rather than waste it completely I made some very yummy apple bran muffins for the trip. I loved taking them with us in this pretty Greengate tin. No, you can't see the muffins..we ate them all!

  

the first evening was nice and mild..phew, what a pleasant change after the endless cold.. so we went for a wander around the newly revamped "Square" 

the library is truly magnificent

up through here and we are back to George Street & 

our lovely "Urban Charm"

I can't wait to make some pants out of these old curtains that I found in Seekers

a huge!!... secondhand clothing...well, warehouse really

and these doilies from the Hospice shop might work in with my doilie bunting that's coming along quite nicely

I think I shall have to leave you with my new favourite quote from Dr Seuss

most especially for Sharon.. a truly zany & delightful soul that I had the immense pleasure to meet in "Urban Charm" 

 "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." 

however, I'll have to save the story about the Iranians & the vanilla air freshener for another day : 0

MUCH