Looking In The Window & Oh Naked Ladies!

I love that February brings us the chance to get a little bit sentimental...

 and share a heart or two, with lovely people.

Warm hearts & a robust sense of good will, lend themselves well to the pleasure found in admiring beautiful things.

Rules lapsed, in our world, mean that these divine mother-of-pearl knives & forks no longer need to be saved for the fish course & company, but can be admired & employed for whatever takes our fancy.

Discovered at the Hospice shop recently, they have found a new happy home, beautifully balanced & snazzy for everyday eating.

Although the heat has been a little much day upon day, it does mean that meals can be simple & colourful & not take a lot of cooking. A small piece of salmon sprinkled well with good salt & weighted in the fridge for 24 hours gives a touch of delicious elegance & ease to summer meals.

This retro fruit stoner has found a revitalised sense of purpose as a capsicum de-seeder & is so useful.

 I quite often stop for plants on the way to work & enjoy the friendly service at Planters on the journey to Havelock North. Colleen is such a treasure...I love her summer planting pizazz in this corner over here.

 I don't know how on earth she finds the time to plant & trim hedges, as well as water & serve us all.

 We had a bit of a strange phone call last week from Catherine from i-site Hastings (the information centre in the middle of town) Apparently someone had pulled out of their slot in the main window & she had seen our cards that we had left there & wondered if we would like to pop our Vintage Picnic things in the spot for a fraction of the usual price...

 we decided that we would!

 Worth a go don't you think?! But kind of weird!

 It's for a whole month!
We can pop back anytime to make additions & adjustments.
We are a provence characterized by all things Art Deco...since we lost so much at the time of the devastating 1931 earthquake. We are not Deco, of course, but I think that our vintage feel compliments the Art Deco display in the front window rather well.

My dear friend Ruth has a daughter's engagement party coming up this weekend. I offered Sharon a loan of what we have for hire..so lovely walking in & finding this rainbow resting on the cake stand. I hope they have a wonderful time!

 We couldn't help but pop back after dark to peer through the window downtown & see what it all looked like. Unfortunately the lights were out but the town clock looked stylish...

 & well illuminated.

The naked ladies have stretched their elegant necks up & up & are flirting out over the footpath just now. I love their pretty pinks & sweet fragrance.

 I thought this swan vase rather lovely. I bought it from one of the hospice shops further south. It only cost $5 & they were kind enough to post it to me.

 This double geranium is called apple blossom.

 There was a wee persons birthday around the corner on Friday.

 She is such a honey & loved the strawberry jelly her mummy had made..colour-free & delicious.

Her Papa took this photo returning home from Central Hawke's Bay last week.
Sunflowers are just so happy & a rare sight on mass like this around here (click on the picture to see all of it).

We watched Eat, Pray, Love again last week.

I do love this movie. Have you ever watched it or perhaps read the book?

More Betsey..

You have to believe in happiness,

It isn't an outward thing;

the spring never makes the song, 

I guess, 

as much as the song makes the spring."

Thank you so much for visiting. 

I hope that there is joy & grace & beauty in you world this week.

If you fancy joining like minds of the op-shopping variety pop in here to Max & you'll find the linky.

I love Max's recent post about mantlepieces...the heart break & the glory in the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquake...& she, with a wee one due in the next week or two!! All the best dear girl!

Much

 ♥♥♥♥♥