Saturday 2 June 2012

Weekend Preparations

Well, the bunting is finally up chez nous!  I love bunting outside in the summer and have been wanting to hang this for ages but thought it would feel more special if we waited until school was out.  


We have these pretty patchwork flags around our front door (we don't use our front door) but then we also have a long string of more traditional UJ bunting right along the garden fence and some across the front windows.  Earlier in the week I tied some to the little storage barn in our garden too: 



The left-over heart-shaped bunting was used in the kitchen over the doorway to the conservatory.


It was quite funny hanging the bunting yesterday evening.  Although we live in a village our house is on a main road and there is a lot of traffic.  People were tooting their horns and waving as as they went past and a few of the neighbours walking their dogs stopped to have a laugh at our mini domestics as I instructed Andrew on where to bang the nails in.  Picture a very tired Andrew, only just home from work with lightly crumpled shirt and five o'clock shadow.  Me, arms laden with long strings of bunting, bouncing around and desperate to get outside.  He was not impressed with my bossy instructions of 'down a bit, up a bit, straighten that flag out!'.  I'd keep making him stand like a lemon holding the bunting in place whilst I nipped across the road to see how it looked.  His face was a picture.  Good job he can laugh about it. Ha!  (We were lying in bed this morning and through the open window could hear our next-door neighbours hanging their own bunting.  It was a similar scenario with Jane telling Rob to 'up a bit, no - move it this way a bit'.  We had to laugh.)

After getting the bunting just right, I was splitting mint in the garden and remembered the stash of limes in the kitchen so decided it would be a good idea to kick off the Jubilee weekend with a round of mojitos. 


As with all homemade cocktails they were a little on the strong side and by the third I needed a bit of lie down.  Lovely though - mojitos are my favourite.

We have got loads planned for the weekend.  J (stepson) is staying with us and I'm not sure he's entirely chuffed about the Jubilee Jig and Pig at the local farm tonight but we're dragging him along anyway.  He can sit in the corner on his phone with a J2O and laugh at our dancing for a bit - won't hurt him.  He says his 'other parents' won't be celebrating the Jubilee so I think it's good that we'll be forcing our celebrations on him.  Something for him to remember when he's old.  The programme for the rest of the weekend includes a bonfire and fireworks at the pub tomorrow night and a bit of a show put on by the local thespians (I use that term loosely!) on Tuesday night.  It's at the Working Men's Club and tickets are £1.  The old ladies in the village are doing a cheerleading routine to 'Night Fever' and the post lady is doing a sand dance - it will be worth every penny!

Before the fun begins we're off to join a spa this morning.  I can't wait - I went for a trial session on Wednesday evening and it was so nice, a real treat.  After that, we're heading to the garden centre for a few more plants and then I'm going to make a lemon drizzle cake and some Jubilee cupcakes.  I love it when J's here - the cakes in the house last about 5 minutes, tops.  I'm so pleased I have two lovely chaps to bake for. 

Nicki 

x


26 comments:

  1. hi there, just found your rather fab blog yesterday! (became a follower - hope thats ok) Loving your bunting - mine is at least out of the packaging, just need a shove to step away from the laptop and get it hung now..
    Have a great Jubilee weekend
    BH x

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  2. Lovely pics of your decorations. Your front door is lovely!
    Have a fab weekend.
    Dx

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  3. I am in love with your house!! Your weekend sound like so much fun...I'll go instead of J lol!

    Have a great weekend :)

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  4. Loving this post you have my dream house!!

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  5. Love the bunting...hope you have a festive weekend!! The mojito looks so delicious!!

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  6. Your cottage looks very pretty with all that bunting.

    I'm quite partial to Mojitos. I make 'em strong too ..lol

    Enjoy your Jubilee celebrations.

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  7. Sounds like a fab weekend to me!

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  8. Ahhhh that sounds like a lovely Jubilee weekend x I love that you so obviously really love your step son.....you bring a lot of love & security to his life I suspect rather than insecurities x I had a step Mum when I was the same age....she HATED me! Was jealous of me and stopped my father from seeing me or contributing to my up bringing which also led to my lack of self esteem, lack of confidence and self hatred. I guess I just wanted to say, you're doing a great job Nicki x x x I think you're fab my lovely virtual friend :) Big hugs x x x have a super time at that spa!!!!

    Love & hugs,

    Jo x x x

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  9. The bunting looks so nice! Couldn't help but laugh at how you were bossing your husband about. I remember when me and my ex were putting up a tent and I was constantly shouting at him on what he absolutely HAD to do and what he was definitely doing wrong! Ha, oh the fun! (The tent never actually made it up in the end.)
    And oh my God. You need to record those old ladies cheerleading! That sounds absolutely amazing. The mad things I would do to watch that.
    You've really made me want to bake cakes now as well!
    Enjoy the rest of your weekend, sounds like good fun :)
    xxx

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  10. Gorgeous bunting Nicki - you have a gorgeous home!
    Enjoy the weekend! Victoria xx

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  11. Hi Nicki the bunting looks great and your home lovely.Sounds like you live in a lovely little village?Enjoy the Jubilee celebration,sounds like such fun.lots of lovexoxox

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  12. Oooooh, love the bunting!! Mr G and I had the very same convo whilst putting ours up!! I've been a bit disappointed though, our cul-de-sac has about half the houses decced which is pretty good but elsewhere it seems few and far between!!

    Do mojito's have tequila in? I can't drink it due to rather more tequila slammers than my 18yr old self could manage!!

    Totally agree with dragging children out to create memories, lol!!

    Have a lovely weekend....

    S x

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  13. Everything here looks properly patriotic. And the show sounds just perfect.

    Have a lovely Jubilee weekend Nicki :D

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  14. The bunting looks great! Your house is amazing, I love the colour of the door :) x

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  15. I've only just found your blog (not sure how I found my way here!) and your cottage looks lovely with all the union flag things around. I really love the little storage barn in the garden full of winter logs - enjoy the jubilee weekend, Jay

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  16. I love a mojito too! The bunting looks so pretty, wish I had bought some x

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  17. Great post - love the sound of the celebrations - fun! Hope you have a lovely time.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  18. Now I'm rummaging around looking for a 'like' button - too much Instagramming!!

    Love your pretty patriotic decorations.

    These men in our lives are such good sports bless them. D clambered up a steep slope off the beaten track for me once to take a photo I wanted for my blog only to come back down again covered in dog poo! How I laughed!

    Have a super rest of weekend.

    Hxx

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  19. Sounds like you've got a very busy but exciting weekend/week ahead..enjoy :) bunting is so sweet, and love your little storage barn.

    gorgeous post xx

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  20. I am firstly retching at the thought of heathers chap being covered in dog poo. I am very OCD when it comes to that......It's disturbing my karma.
    Moving on, your front door is as lush as fee's. So cute. The bunting is lush and your village entertainment sounds gorgeous!!! A right royal laugh.
    I was a member of a spa for a year. It was amazing. It was nirvana spa. Google it. It's where they filmed the Kylie and Robbie video. I snogged the husbands face off that christmas when he gave me that present, along with a dressing gown to take, bless him!
    X x x x x

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  21. Hi Nicki, your house looks so pretty all decced out. Fit for a Queen infact. Hope you had a lovely Jubilee weekend! Love Katie x

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  22. Jig and pig sounds bloody awesome - can't wait to live in a village ;)

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  23. Your bunting, and home, look lovely!

    Sounds like you had some great things planned.

    x

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  24. P.S. Your story about hanging the bunting did make me chuckle x

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  25. Been lovely catching up on your blog today. The Austen quote on your banner is one of my faves as well. Your bunting turned out beautifully.
    Happy day to you!

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