Midsummer.......June 21st Join me in a bit of magic

Midsummer............... the longest day of the year.

I have been spending much more time outdoors recently pottering about in the garden and keeping an eye on my 'planting calender' that goes by the phases of the moon, which I have to say I noticed great results! I became aware that the 21st of June is Midsummer, the longest day of the year..........

I don't know about you but this particular night/day feels just magical! Over the years there have been many films and stories set around this time......... I suddenly felt like I wanted to join in, find a bit of magic, sprinkle fairy dust, or spot those friendly little people at the bottom of the garden!

So today through to the 24 th I am pulling out all the magic and fantasy I can find and indulging in it! Why not join me? What films or fairy stories do you love? I am going to start with a true classic favourite.......

A Midsummer Night's Dream - by William Shakespeare

This is the movie version starring Michelle Pfeiffer and I just love it. It is visually beautiful!

Here's a little fairy tale of my own......... Fairies live at the bottom of my garden, honest they do! Or they did when I was a child and still lived in my parents home, every summer down at the bottom of the garden hanging on a small branch under our apple trees, was a small, envelope sprinkled in blue glitter addressed to me! My dad told me the fairies had left me a message and so I carefully opened it to find a delicate piece of tissue paper with a hand written note from the little people.......... How special I felt to believe the fairies had written to me, I am thankful fairies were made a precious part of my childhood!

A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively, wee folk, good folk, people of peace
I don't actually collect fairies but have been given a few as a gift, this is one my grandma got me for Christmas, the wings are glittered, it looks very pretty by candle light...... Its one of my favourite figures
Peter Pan......Here is another film in my collection I Will be watching over the next few days, this film made me a fan of the story. The soundtrack is also amazing, It made me watch another peter pan inspired film 'Finding Neverland', which I also recommend. If you are interested in fairies, here is a link you may like. http://www.cottingley.net/cfconten.shtml
Cottingley Fairies..........The story of two children from Yorkshire England who were believed to have photographed fairies. I recommend the film 'Fairy Tale a true story' if you would like to learn more about them. Visit the link above to see more of their fairy photos!And the final film on my magical list is Ever After, a re telling of the Cinderella tale, and another fav of mine, I hope you join me in the magic, id love to hear how you dipped your toes in fairy dust!

Puck.
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I'm an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call:
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

See you all again soon and have a magical time

Priscilla x

'The Good Old Days' Shortbread......

' The Good Old Days'......... An Edwardian Music Hall. That is the name of the production I have just taken part in, a lively show full of old songs such as Daisy Daisy, Beside the seaside, Alice Blue Gown, and many many more!
Before a production everyone gets asked to contribute to the raffle prizes, since a lot of the money raised really adds up when there are 'good' prizes (wine,chocolate) I try to come up with some different ideas, I have been trying out some recipes for Shortbread, and found one I really like, I decided to make some 'Home made shortbread from the Good old Days' and that is what I printed on the tag!
The first batch I tried the week before the production....... well I had to make sure they were just right! My family decided they were and 'hadn't I better make another batch to make sure'? They were all gone before the evening was out!

This recipe makes the most delicate not too sweet, addictive shortbread! Here is the recipe

Shortbread
250g (9oz) Plain Flour
75g (3oz) Sugar
175g (6oz) Butter

Heat oven to 160 C - 325 F Gas 3, Line a baking tray
1. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy
2. Sift small amount of flour into the butter/sugar and mix slowly by mixer or by hand until incorporated (don't over beat).
3. Keep adding flour in sections and mixing on slow until all flour is incorporated and Dough is formed
4. Knead lightly onto a floured surface.

5. Roll out and cut using cutters or shape into squares, or just take small round of dough and flatten with hands! This dough is easy to shape and looks attractive many ways!

6. Bake for around 20 Min's or until light golden around the edges
Note: Do not use margarine for this recipe, it does not turn out at all like shortbread!

If you try it let me know, I do love the taste and texture of these biscuits........

The Music Hall was a joy to take part in,I have some photos which I'll post another time, and more about the show. I even got to sing again! Alice Blue Gown....... oh yes and a young girl got my biscuits I heard, so I hope she enjoyed them.

What a week, all that baking has me searching for more recipes, all the old baking books are out again and I just love reading them before bed, does anyone else read cook books like a novel? The only trouble is I want to eat something afterwards! ha,ha
See you again soon

Priscilla x

Garden Centre and Enjoying the Sunshine...

Hi everyone I hope you are all well and I want to say thank you for all your sweet comments on the driving test and my hair! I think ill keep it like this from now on.
We have been enjoying some wonderful warm weather these past few weeks, so much in fact we made the most of it and visited our local garden centre, I love to visit this place there is so much eye candy to drool over, mum and I went last week, not to really buy anything just to browse and enjoy the day out........

Its only 15 Min's from where we live, it has a nice range of gifts for the home, candles, bath products and accessories.

Isn't this display so cute? I was very tempted with the hat boxes, I have been looking around at a few lately.

I just had to take a photo of this display! There were so many things I could of brought home with me...... Mum treated herself to some candles from just around the corner from this display they were not Yankee Candles! Which is our first choice, but from the 'colonial' range, mum bought Mango.

They also sell gorgeous homemade jams and curds, which we have enjoyed in the past! I just love the little jars. We love the fact they also sell old fashioned boiled sweets like rhubarb and custard, pear drops, and humbugs!

We took a wonder around the 'garden' section too, mum was looking for a garden hoe and I was after a good broom, an early (Halloween Witches Broom) we didn't get either, but I came away with some 'baby bear' pumpkin seeds, (I am getting into Halloween early!) and scrumptious fudge, mum also bought some pansies for her garden.

I also bought some long needed paint brushes from the craft section, as I am hoping to paint something soon, they were even on offer how could I resist! another thing added to my 'to do' list.

We came home had a cup of tea and talked of our plans for the garden, the home, projects and ideas............. such a wonderful day.

I hope you enjoyed a visit around our garden centre and our time there, have a lovely week

Bye for now

Priscilla x

I am back! With lots of changes....

Hello wonderful blogging friends! Oh how I have missed you..........

Lots has happened in my time away, I am now a proud owner of a laptop! Hurray, I have wanted one for such a long time, technology changes so fast I was never sure when to jump in. I spent many hours trying to decide the best one for my needs, then I saw an offer at comet with everything I wanted................So now I have one and couldn't be happier, no more aching back or uncomfortable chairs! and hello favourite sofa! And its faster than the PC so I can visit you all quicker! ha,ha

its an acer Aspire 5920G

Now onto more good news................. I passed my driving test! On the 29th April. After many years of lessons then stopping, changing driver instructors, swapping from a manual to a automatic car, life getting in the way and two cancelled tests(they cancelled them) and 3 failed ones, I finally passed! I am now sharing my mums Toyota surf land rover type vehicle..........a bit of a change in size from the learners tiny corsa! But loving every minute........................... Soon I will be off round those car boots and antique shops, now I just need a map!

'Change is as good as a rest'

Who might this be? Me...... Yes I have had a hair cut, I used to wear my hair like this till I just let it grow and didn't notice how un-styled it was. So back to the cut I like and I hope suits me........here are a few pics of me, I was playing with the camera, click click click, you know how it goes...................... or is that just me?

'Ray of Sunshine'

On the day of the driving test I was so nervous, but look what arrived in the post that very morning! A present for me, from my dear blogging friend Linda at 'Somewhere in Time'. I can not express how nice it was to receive this on that morning, a little ray of sunshine......... I can not wait to start on it and the subject matter is perfect, (the seeds are growing, ill update later). Thank you again my sweet friend xxxxx

Ill leave you now, as I go off and get a nice cup of tea and enjoy the lovely sunshine we are having here in the uk at the moment, I am currently listening to the soundtrack from the movie Practical magic, has anyone seen it? I saw it many year ago and recently re watched it........ the songs are wonderful and perfect for warm days like these...............
Bye for now,

Priscilla x

I am still here! Quick update...

Hi everyone,

I am so sorry its been so long. I have had some trouble with my computer as we changed our Internet provider, I have lost all my emails and contacts and the web has not been working correctly. I have recently bought a laptop! yippee so I will be working from that in the future but have yet to set it up to the web, I cant wait to use the laptop instead of the pc, I have wanted one for a long time........... I am reading all your messages now and wanted to say thank you very much for the lovely comments on the flowers in my previous post, I hope to update soon on how the new seeds are doing, many already come through, so hope to post pics soon. I just wanted to let you know I havnt disappeared! When I get a new email address I will send it to my friends in blog land, as I am not receiving emails on the old address, although they said I would for the first week! I am going to try and visit you all now while I can and the pc is behaving itself!

See you again very soon

Priscilla xxx

'In an English Country Garden' and Easter Basket Swap

Hi All, What a lovely spring day it is here at Priscilla's Cottage! Today I was able to get out into the sunshine and plant some of the flower seeds I have been wanting to sow as soon as the weather would let me. I am a beginner gardener and mainly concentrate on seeds and plug plants, with quite surprising happy results! Cottage gardens inspire me and that is the look I am trying to create. This year I am in a new home and have started to think about what I can do to decorate the front, I thought some nice containers and window boxes would do just fine ........ here is the front of the house so you can see how it looks at the moment...
Now not all of this is my house! The end cottage nearest to the camera is mine, The old plant pot was the previous owners which I have removed ready for my new ones..... Can you see how much more colourful it would look with some beautiful flowers? I don't think my neighbours are into much gardening!


Cottage flowers are so beautiful arnt they? very peaceful looking.....Today I planted Stocks, Candy Tuft, Larkspur, Cornflower, Chinese-forget-me-not, I also hope to plant Lupins, Hollyhocks and any others that I have........ here are some inspiring cottage gardens........

Last year I tried my hand at gardening on my parents front lawn, the flowers were grown from seed and went a bit wild, I was really surprised they all came through. I left the garden to itself......... here is what it looked like towards the end of summer. A lot of the flower heads were gone at this stage, I really wish I had taken the picture earlier! There were marigolds, Asters, Dahlia, Stocks, Larkspur, Cosmos(those were huge!!!! they are most of the green you can see, which had large Pink daisy head flowers! and many others I squashed in, ha,ha


This is my parents lawn before the plants really took off! I grew most of them on windowsills then transferred them to the garden..... I had no idea how much they would grow and they grew and grew and grew.....

I'll keep you posted how the recent seeds are doing.....

Now onto something different, my Easter Basket Swap

I am so pleased to tell you my parcel did arrive on the 27th of March, but oh how it was worth the wait! I can not believe the amazing things Lisa had put into the package, I am so thrilled, many of the items she sent I can not even get where I live.....craft items, material (cupcakes) how perfect is that! Chocolate, a Scrap book album, Scrapbook/craft papers, cupcake items/liners and lots more, also a beautiful hand made banner Lisa made herself, here are some photos!

All these craft goodies were contained within a beautiful tin with my initial on the front, Isn't it sweet, I love the cupcake tickets, thank you Lisa for such a wonderful basket....... I am really looking forward to making something with the materials, maybe some pillows, hearts, or an apron, I am not sure yet but I will be having a great time !



And finally I did want to add my literary Tea post, although I am very behind schedule for it. I think it would make this post way too long though so I hope to post soon, also with the next topic which I think is Tea as part of home Decoration

Have a great week and see you again soon

Priscilla x

Gracious Hospital-i-Tea Blog-a-thon

I am taking part in the Tea-blog-a-thon over at Gracious Hospitality, every week has a new tea theme to post about, I am a bit late in posting for week ones topic but I wanted to start at the beginning!

Teacup-a-Story
'Share a picture of your favorite teacup and saucer; describe it and tell it's history (or make up a story about it's past). Why is it meaningful to you? This would be a good place to share about the details of your teacup collection if you have one'.
King Echnaton Tea Cup - I bought this Tea cup in Luxor Egypt 2 year ago, I have been to Luxor 5 times and adore it, everytime I go I buy a cup or mug as I collect them. This is one of my favourites, outlined in gold with the face of King Echnaton, it makes a really elegent cup of tea....




When you arrive in Egypt you are greeted with a hot sweet Red Tea usually in a small glass, it is a very well know and loved tea called - Hibiscus or Karkade we loved it so much we bought a bag full! It comes as shown above, the dried petals of the Hibiscus flower, luxor souk has every spice you can think of including baskets of tea, you can also buy Tea Bags and I brought home both. In our hotel room in the evening we make ourselves a glass of tea whilst we sit on our balcony and watch Egyptian life go by, the tea is very good for a good nights sleep. We always buy our cups when we get there rather than taking the weight in the case and this was the cup I bought that year to enjoy my Egyptian red Tea.........

Below is a photo of my mum and dad drinking Hibiscus Tea with our good friend Salah (the left of the photo) on this day we had just returned from horse riding along the banks of the nile, such a beautiful day!

I hope you have been able to get a picture of our time in Luxor and how Tea is featured so strongly, we love our time there and this little tea cup is a part of the story.......

Until next time

Priscilla xx