This morning I got a Christmas list from my niece pointing me in the direction of lavish items such as winter coats, MP3 players, make up and perfume.

Politely emailed, fashion items featured heavily, as did dvd players, castles, Sylvanian families, new pets, whole countries, the odd book and a pink blanket.

“Dear Molly you are 7 years old, what’s wrong with a tangerine and fuzzy felt?”

Still it got me daring to think about what I could scribble down on mine.

I promise not to do a Veruca Salt if I only get a card. And if some of these lovely things don’t make their way under our tree, I’ll try and get over it.

I’d even be happy if you were to get your pritt stick out and make me something clever we can drink wine from, now that would be cool.

Some cool bed linen and a stylee coffee table book are pretty up there too. Even a trip to Paris – maybe dinner at La Cigale?

So in no particular order (although I rather love the alphabet bags) …

x

On the avenue in blustery winds wearing mitts for the first time.

Even the benches were rocking an autumn look. Like these shoes?

A bit of Gigi striking an old school Beaton pose, earl grey tea a plenty, boutique hotels and despite Peters post, thoughts of seeds for a potting shed x

When in may I posted jauntily about how O and I had gone feverishly about trying to recreate The Good Life canalside I was hoping for a bigger crop.

Months of picking herbs, tomatoes, onions, courgettes, wild garlic and marrows in my twee basket was, fun. But my 3m sq plot of butternut squash resulted in a crop of one and the aubergine never surfaced. As for the leeks, they’re still flouncing their chive like trunks in the wind.

The french beans flourished but my red wellies fell in the canal…the rotting wooden handle fell off the large spade and the fox took to kipping in the marjoram. We knew it was never going to be a bed of roses but it wasn’t supposed to turn out quite so unfruitful.

After much discussion over a family lunch, (japanese onions, O’s desire for a dog and said squash were mentioned) my father in law elect went potato pink and spluttered theatrically “What’s happened to you all – Why are my children talking about gardening?” I have to admit he had a point.

Shamed by a sixty something who still sails the seas, talks at the Tate and likes to tread the boards in a cumabund or two. Self sufficiency suddenly feels blushingly uncool.

And my dancing shoes look rather dusty.

xxx

It takes a lot to get me off the boat but this just may do it. Our den is full of Warhol cats and with cripper creeping up – pop art whisker action is high on the list for godchildren. Can I go one step further and start the museum march?

Not sure how much illustration there’ll be, but sunday strollworthy.

Let’s agree to the option. x

Themes on the boat this week: A dash of dancing, and upholstery courses.

The flowery wallpaper dilemma and a request for a care sheet for a favourite flower
(peonies of course) from Sarah. I hope the below covers your pot ponderings.

We’ve also been doing a lot of snooping for furniture and bits and bobs – is it really too early for the Christmas present hunt? The owl and the pussycat say no.

Dear Sarah,

I had to look this up for as much as I love peonies mine have always been in the ground, in my hat or bobbing their heads through dutch buckets on Nine Elms Lane.

So…aparament, keyword is composting in to large pots with a loam based compost. Make sure it’s watered and give it liquid feed – replant if it’s getting too big between October and March. They also like to be propped up as their flower heads get heavy – a bit like sweetpea or bean frames!

Hope that’s helpful.

Tammy xx

My day has mostly involved pumpkins, heavy ones, autumn hydrangeas, crispy ones and red red virginia creepers being twisted around swings. More on that fun soon.

Blackberries. We have a plethora of these buggers on the towpath and I’ve so far been stuck as what to do with them, apart from munch mid pick, twirl in to posies (too obvious but pretty hey?) and then do something fancy with them and Venison.

But really what could be sweeter than a cup of tea, creme fraiche, a raid of O’s Jazz and odd sock collection (orange, pink, and cozy please), and these?

It’s just one of those nights… Autumn fun xxx

I get asked about boat life a lot, how do you do flowers on it? Do you have mice, can the cats swim, does the boat move? The answers are squeak mainly yes.

What’s it like in the winter (effing cold my dears). How does it run? I can’t believe you have a washing machine! There’s even a kettle…Dah dee dah.

So, here for starters are some snaps of the boys pulling up in their blue barge on a sunny day and bringing our delivery of diesel, coals and gas. That’s how we roll.

A great deal of tea is drunk on these occasions and yup those really are Rosie and Jim style canisters. They are as obligatory for boat dwellers as one of these, mugs of tea, electricity cards, giant magnets and a pair of black and white collies.

And for those visitors – mainly boys popping over for a dance – who were concerned I am not in distress anymore, the flag is now the right way up swaying with white bunting, Cath Kidston style in the wind. Patriotic or just pretty?

xxx

Getty, Life and me x

Friday fever on the towpath and I’m ordering 12 foot silver birch trees and butterflies from Covent Garden, yup today is decidedly a non flowery day.

It’s also jolted me into digging out my favourite childhood book of the poem by Roscoe – how amazing are these cool illustrations by Alan Aldridge?

A bed time book this sweet little missy was always the page I longed to turn to …and this tho not as pretty or charming, in latter years was just the icing.

…to listening to the Beatles and butterflies birches and books.

xxx

With a wedding next summer to plan we’re rapidly being presented with lists and plans by a little red hen from home in France. Next up…

Cider brewing and friends staying over on the farm. I’m favouring the fifties caravan and homemade cakes – but have a hunch this a bit Darling Buds, nay Carry On.

But I do love these…. and as boat life has made us pretty transient maybe we can put one on the wedding list? It’s in one of my favourite colours too. Swoon. O?

To Cider – the farmer is harvesting our apple orchard – the perfect excuse to get designing twee country livingesque labels…maybe a crooked heart and a cat or two?

Like our apples things are falling in to place, my favourite people can come, fireworks are the bees in France and now cider and caravans. Marrying high summer in camping season? We must be Nuts. xxx

xxx

When flowers aren’t in their plummage I’m sometimes asked to fake it which normally brings on a taste tantrum or a really wouldn’t you like something seasonal?

For a gappy church arrangement or a spring photo shoot in autumn they can be a flipping lifesaver, so I’m slowly building up a collection of film star flowers – hydrangeas, lupins, blossom and silk roses and all very ungrannylicious to boot.

Proof here that they don’t have to emanate the (squeal!) chintzy pot pouri silk rose vase that’s been sat in the guestroom gathering dust for years.

Girls, there are times when I know you’ll agree that faking it just isn’t on…

But then there are times when it works and amongst designer frocks, retro antiques and burlesque boudoirs these are pretty lovely I think.

xxx