Counting sheep...

It is the first few trembling minutes of Sunday here in the Swenglish house. We are trying to remind ourselves to forward the clocks in the house before we go to bed, and we are pulling funny faces in front of the mirror as we hope to spot a modest tan after today's summer experience.

Except for the golden light from a few candles, the house mostly rests in darkness now, and the photos bear that grainy, sleepy quality I wish I had the skills to avoid...

On the sofa where my favourite curling-up corner can be found (I can see through the dining area and into the garden from here), rests an inviting lambskin. Given the glorious temperatures today (+19-20!), this ought to be put away until next winter, but I am hesitating. I tell myself that the evenings might still be cold, and surely its cosy appeal can fight off the deceptive summer vibes and allow for it to linger a little longer...?

Yes, here we are, finally arrived at the theme of this blog post. 

The clue is in the "baah".

Bath is a very hilly city, and just outside the city, the countryside continues 

this up-y-down-y trend, however here painted in green, 

with a scattering of woolly wonders.

But, hang on a minute, could this be the world's cheekiest lamb? Let's zoom in for a second...

Yes, definitely! The little lamb is clearly sticking its tongue out at its mum, behind her back! 

Tss, tss, caught on camera, my woolly friend!

I know I risk some of my readers falling asleep during this blog post...  

... but I just could not resist introducing you to these sweet little fleecy friends, 

posing so kindly for me the other day...

To those of you who have managed to stay awake all the way through this post,

I wish you a  lovely Sunday and hope it brings you stunning weather and 

lots of fun and play!

Helena

Ps. A special hello to those of you who may have found your way here from lovely Annalisa at The Apple Market, who wrote a blog post about The Swenglish Home a few days ago. It was an honour to be featured in your blog, Annalisa, and thank you for all of your kind words!

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City life...

 

Dear readers,

I had hoped to show you some new decorating ideas that have been brewing in my head for a while, but as I have not yet had the time to transfer my ideas into my hands, today's blog post will feature some photos from a stroll around Bath about a month ago.

The Royal Crescent, Bath, UK

We live only 16 km (10 miles) outside of this stunning Roman city, yet I go in much too seldom!

Pulteney Bridge , Bath, UK

Wherever you turn your head, your eyes are invited to feast on stunning architecture, glorious views and inviting little shops and restaurants. The sand-coloured Bath Stone seems to enhance the majestic lines of some of Bath's many impressive buildings.

Bath is also know for its thermal baths, and the new Thermal Spa is a stone's throw away from the Roman Baths (whose oldest parts date back to 60-70 AD!), as is the 200-year old Royal Mineral Water Hospital, today known as the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases. 

Tempted to move here? Well, be prepared to cough up a substantial amount of Sterling, as Bath is allegedly second only to London as for sigh-worthy property price tags.

And just as you are strolling around, enjoying the hilly, green views, 

you may just spot an unexpected palm tree or two!

And here and there you may see a cheerful, seasonal window display, as for example in this oh-so-lovely interior cum clothes shop cum café, where I have been known to dribble and drool over an armchair or two. 

I think my next post might have a bit of a sheepish tone to it, so welcome to join me and some woolly wonders next time.

Thank you for visiting and a special thank you to those of you taking the time to leave such kind comments. I appreciate every word!

Helena

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Yellow spells spring...!

Mmmmm, yum, yum! Now, where are we likely to find a stunning stone planter like this...?

(Click on the images if you would like to view them larger and against a black background..)

Oh yes. I have brought you here a hundred and one times before, but as our Saturday walk again took us to the yummy village of Castle Combe, my camera just happened to be bouncing about in my backpack, the sun happened to be joining in with the general spring mood... and this village just cannot seem to offer anything BUT pretty views... well, what is a girl to do...?

Sometimes I do have to pinch myself and stroke the old stone walls just to check that they are indeed hundreds of years old and not just some card board film set. But no, everything is real. The old car in the previous photo, the horse riders having a rest by the old market place, the horse poo - all real, all part of life in the English countryside. All reasons to be grateful that this is on my doorstep, particularly in severe missing-Sweden moments ...

Yes, indeed a gorgeous house, but now focus for a moment on the top left corner of 

the photo... can you see them? Pink blossom on the tree!!! Yippey!

Yes, spring is definitely here. Saturday's walk was done without a coat, flowers greeted us on either side of the path through the forest, and the ice-cream intake increased by 200 % or so. All in the name of spring. Aaah...

***

Featured in Sanselig Jul, 

a Christmas book by Franciska Munck-Johansen

To those of you thinking that "this whole spring thing is a little overrated, why can't we look forward to Christmas instead?", I have got some good news for you too. Norwegian interior writer, stylist and photographer Franciska Munck-Johansen - whose book Sanselig Sommer (Summer For All The Senses), published last year, offering lots of decorative summer inspiration from herself and a number of other bloggers - has just announced that her new Christmas book, Sanselig Jul, will be out in November. I feel very proud to be part of this book too and look forward to 200 pages of Christmas inspiration from Franciska and some fellow bloggers.

***

I hope you are surrounded by spring-spirited people and flower-lined paths, 

wherever you are, and if not, have faith, spring (and Christmas!) is just around the corner! 

Helena

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It's tea o'clock...

... in lovely Lacock!

A few weeks ago, we decided to go for afternoon tea in Harry Potter territory again. Well, perhaps not exactly at Hogwarts (even if this is indeed Lacock village where Lacock Abbey was the setting for many Hogwarts scenes), but in a village so full of character, history and beauty that it is easy to believe that someone has put a prettifying spell on it...

An abundance of stunning old stone cottages line the streets of this gorgeous village, some with the classic Elizabethan wooden fronts (below), and all with several centuries' worth of stories to tell about the adventures and fates of their tenants...

The main part of King John's Hunting Lodge (below) dates back to the 13th century, and today hosts lovely tearooms with a roaring fire inside, adding both warmth and atmosphere during the colder months, and a cottage garden that in the summer is a dream of floral fabulousness...

With a selection of irresistible cakes, displayed temptingly 

on a classic old dresser, one is not likely to leave hungry....

A feast for the eyes and for the palate, it is perhaps no surprise that this is one of our favourite "hangouts", and only seven minutes by car from home, it is likely I will be back soon again!

If you have just found your way here through the feature in Country Homes & Interiors, welcome to my Swenglish corner of the blog universe. To all of you, old readers and new, thank you for stopping by and for leaving such lovely comments!

Next time, I will show you what the blue and white china in the tearooms inspired me to do at home...

All the best,

Helena

Ps. Nothing in this post was sponsored. I just happen to be very fond of Lacock village and these tearooms.

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Peeping Tom...again...

Today, I invite you to another one of our many pretty neighbouring villages, where my camera and I played a rather awkward Peeping Tom duo the other day. It does feel a little intrusive taking photos of other people's houses, even if it is just from the road, but how can one resist when they look like this???

This gorgeous farm made me want to knock on the door and ask if I could play on the hay bales (rolls) for a while, but I stopped myself at the last minute. After all, THAT might just be seen as more than a little intrusive...

Now, there are some stylish  rain water-collecting barrels!

See the dog basking in the sun on the window seat? That's where I would like to be!

My little green bud vases are being put to work every day now, 

in different roles and with different green-stemmed guest stars... 

Wishing you all a lovely, budding weekend!

Helena

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One step behind...

Dear, oh dear... sometimes the wheels spin so fast one forgets all sorts of things...

...like the second anniversary of my blog! A week ago, it was two years ago that my blog took its first stumbling little baby steps, and little did I know that two years later, I would have enjoyed the most amazing experience being part of such a warm-hearted community! So many smiles, so many encounters - even if many only virtual - with lovely, lovely people, whom I feel very grateful to have met.

But this journey has not only been about virtual friendships. Some blog friends I have had the delight to also meet in the flesh, so to speak, and last weekend one of my very cherished blog sisters visited the Swenglish Home again. Charlotte, with the inspiring blog Trädgårdsflow (Garden Flow) ended a UK business trip with a day here, and you can imagine the rattling sound of our thoughts, ideas and giggles flying back and forth between us. Think squash game, but without the ferocity behind the serve...

We took a little stroll through Castle Combe...

...where the snow still lined the road of these two love birds 

(unknown to me, but my lens caught them showered with sun light and couldn't resist)...

Imagine my delighted surprise when on Monday we woke up to a completely snow-free world, 

and not only that, but one where GREEN seems to have been set as the new trend.... Yes!

Today, the spring-dizzy birds are singing as if their life depended on it, and when I saw these 

lovely snow drops on the side of the road, I let out an equally spring-effervescent tune.

***

As a special treat for my boys who are on half-term school holiday this week, I took them for a scrumptious lunch at our favourite sushi restaurant in Bath (Yen Sushi). This little coincidental leek heart in my Miso soup brought a smile to my lips that lasted long into the afternoon. For once, I also happened to have my camera handy, and there it is, ladies and gents, evidence that we only have to open our senses to the small signs around us, to see that there is love in the world, sometimes even in your lunch!

Soooo, last, but not least... a Valentine greeting a little late... 

This little heart is for you, for being the lovely readers that you are! :

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Side-tracking from the season...

The garden at King John's Hunting Lodge Tea Rooms in Lacock

Peering into a private garden in Lacock.

 Images 3 and 4 from the cemetery in Corsham (The manor Corsham Court in the background behind the wall in image 4).

Dear readers,

I had hoped to offer you a bit of floral entertainment and interior playfulness this week, 

but the time monster seems to have gobbled up this week's ration... again!

So, above are some photos from October that I have played around with a little in Picnik (free editing program online). I just enhanced the colours a little, but even without any computer "tricks", these flowers could still hold their own, even at this late date in the season. Now, as we approach the end of January, I can't help but yearn for the delight of spring flowers, and even if Mother Nature is not quite ready, I think I might just sneak a few shop bought petals into the house, when I return from a couple of work trips in a few weeks...

***

Meanwhile, should you happen to find yourself in the lovely town of Bradford-on-Avon, just outside Bath, and your tummy starts rumbling, here is a place to change the rumbling into satisfied sighs:

Eating like a queen...

Well, I don't exactly know that the queen has ever set foot here, but the burgers at the restaurant the Castle  are certainly fit for royalty. The menu offers other slightly more sophisticated dishes as well, and lovely, characterful décor. I fell in love with the fish wall paper! But no, perhaps not something that would work in the Swenglish Home... (This is not a sponsored blog post, the Castle do not even know I am writing this.)

I wish you all a fabulous end of January and an equally stunning start to February, 

and I hope to see you all again in a few weeks time!

Love, 

Helena

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