I used to be a Winter person. I used to laugh at my Mum longing for sunny days and try to convince her that the best days of our lives didn’t arrive until the nights drew in and we could close our curtains on the rest of the world and hibernate through the coldest months of the year.
But this Summer feels different: this summer reminds me of the one after Mark left when I was blindly feeling my way towards a whole new life. This too is a Summer imbued with emotion. With simple pleasures and (oh bliss) sun!
This weekend there has been a barbeque: scrumptious vegetable kebabs, chicken basted with tomato pesto, red cabbage mustard coleslaw, and twirly chorizo sausages. Then a really silly lemon tart topped with rice paper
And there we sat into the early hours, chatting to the neighbours and making each other giggle by the light of citronella candles, till our guests left, and still we sat, playing soft music and watching Alice cross the table between us, trying to find a comfy place to settle in our laps, but too easily disturbed by the moths gathering under the light of the patio heater to rest…
The next morning there should have been a car boot sale and certainly yet again, the sun was cracking the flags but this here Vintage Housekeeper had indulged in a little too much of everything and couldn’t open her smudgy eyes so the morning was lost until I was able to rally myself and head to the car to drive to Bygone Times in search of a velvet footstool and leaving instead with a pretty floral plate with holes in the centre to drain soft fruit…
Then it was a picnic in the car of chicken left over from the barbeque, stuffed between layers of rye and drenched in mustard mayo and roasted vegetables, and within moments we were pulling up outside Cedar farm delighted to find a Vintage Fair in full swing…
There amongst the usual fayre of vintage loveliness were a few things gorgeous enough to stop my pretty-loving heart: namely the wares of Rose & Lee Vintage Living: scrumptious be-ribboned soap, hand-made candles in all manner of vintage vessels and piece de resistance… tiny old carafes filled with
In the end we bought two brandy, lime and ginger cupcakes and drove home to eat them with big mugs of inelegant
And then Finn was home and we all sat, his Daddy, Richard and I laughing at him as he posed in a cowboy hat, before lying down on the decking for a short little sleep apparently exhausted by a weekend spent splashing in the paddling pool…
Ah sun! You are lovely. I will miss you when you go away…
Other Things To Do At BrocanteHome
Browse the Bookstore
Discover a curated list of books to enhance and support life the BrocanteHome way
Life Love & Vintage Housekeeping the by BrocantePrintables on Etsy
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
Take a Course
Discover mindful, meaningful days with self-led, habit-coaching courses from BrocanteHome.
The Slow Scrub Challenge at BrocanteMe 
Goal Setting for Homemakers 
The Brocante Round-Up! 
The Brocante Round-Up!
I long for Summer days all Winter. It is so cold and dreary here that Winter is just depressing. That tart looks AMAZING! Do you have the recipe to share?
I remember reading I think years ago that your cottage was in the shadow of a beautiful church, I am so glad I can picture the view now!
What a lovely weekend. I don’t like to say this but I think it is getting older (just slightly of course) that makes me like the sun more. I used to be very much a winter person too and while I still enjoy it, I find myself looking forward to the lighter, brighter, longer days earlier in the year than I used to.
sounds divine! I adore summer,your food always sounds amazing!
Lovely photos Alison. I really need to get my license again and a car. The best places are too often beyond the reach of public transportation. Autumn is my favourite time of year.The others have their charms, but nothing like the third season.
Oh what loveliness it must be to have access to vintage fairs and such wonders! Unfortunately we aren’t that exciting around here in our state. LOL Since our state is only 116 years old it’s hard to find really good vintage stuff in too many places.
Your weekend looks fab! The food sounds scrumptious and the little shed is adorable. Enjoy the sun! It does a soul good.