There isn’t a woman on the planet who doesn’t know that the sense of rest and relaxation gathered during a vacation of any length all to quickly dissipates the moment one puts ones key in the front door and real life hits home… If you are returning from a foreign land, then airport surcharges make the likelihood of packing everything but the kitchen sink increasingly slim, but not so for the happy camper strutting her stuff in her own country and all too able to pack the car to the gills and take everything she owns, you know just in case… While this may not be quite in the spirit of camping, for those like me who have long suffered a mild case of tisantaphobia, packing a whole lot of home is the solution to a deep-rooted fear of finding oneself stranded in a field without the more obscure, but still essential supplies liable to see a person through the kind of worst case tenting scenario’s, like um, the midnight munchies, the urge to shave one’s legs in a puddle or a sudden desire to watch tv in the kind of place modern technology clearly forgot. And there you were, truly believing that I had manifested into the kind of back to basics Birkenstock wearing hippie who can cope in the wilderness without three metres of Home Sweet Home bunting, a home-made quiche and 3g internet access! Hell yeah I may have the (patent leather) Birkenstocks but me and a sleeping bag are never going to be the best of friends and that my dears, is that. But give me my own pretty patchwork quilt and I will sleep like a baby. And so here I am home from five days of festival bliss and suddenly all too aware that she who packs must also unpack and offers of help in the yukky grass sprinkled matter are few and far between. So think of me today won’t you? Knee deep in laundry and wind-up lanterns. I would really like to share the long list of teeny tiny joy’s from the past few days, but today when it seems everything I own is still packed in nylon and hanging around my dining room, and Finn’s Sports Day is calling my name, I simply don’t have the time, so I will be back tomorrow, with more photographs of morris dancers, bubbles and balloons and tales of children stranded in trees. I will be back this week with the lastest chapter of MUSE, the first post from Season Three of The Vintage Housekeepers Circle and a scrumptious list of puttery treats for campers garnered from a gorgeous hilly field somewhere in the Cotswolds… Do join me won’t you? It would be such a pleasure to catch up!
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.
Make Just This one New Year’s Resolution This Year… ..And that is, never make another New Years Resolution again. Never. Ever. How many time’s have you declared that you will “lose weight”, “get fit”, or stop this habit, or do this or…
I have always believed that it is up to us to be the guardians of our chidren’s precious childhood memories, that it is our job to squirrel away their first teeny tiny socks, to scrapbook the (never ending stream of) baby scrawl,…
I wish I wasn’t so rubbish at it, but I am. While nonsensical Mummy talk seems to come naturally to many of the other Mums at the school gate I stand feeling puddled, not really caring about the organic quota of the…
I have a confession to make: I have NEVER cooked dinner on Christmas Day. Mine is a charmed life: living only a hop, skip and a jump away from my parents house, turkey and all the trimmings has ALWAYS been served by…
I am eight and a half years old. The whole world is squashed into Doris’s front parlour and the room is spinning in the glow of the orange and tobacco coloured lava lamp. Mum is smoking. Tapping her ash into a mechanical…
First up: The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget! Ok so I could hardly be describe as hip. But hey, we all have our moments, so gimme a break: I’m gorgeous in a…
2 Comments
It sounds like you had a great time! But I know exactly how you feel about unpacking. I may not have returned from festival bliss, but I did return from visiting family and I have the same sort of situation going on in my house waiting to be sorted!
Twelve hours later and I'm still in total utter chaos Valerie… and now I've given up and collapsed on the sofa to tend to by sunburn and feed my cold with a hot toddy and some junk tv… The mess can wait… hope you are well Sweetheart!x
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":300,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"http:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tipjar-2.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"BrocanteHome","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"BrocanteHome","form_subtitle":"Help Me to Keep BrocanteHome Online","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much: helping me keep Brocantehome online really means the world to me.","payment_confirmation_title":"BrocanteHome","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
It sounds like you had a great time! But I know exactly how you feel about unpacking. I may not have returned from festival bliss, but I did return from visiting family and I have the same sort of situation going on in my house waiting to be sorted!
Twelve hours later and I'm still in total utter chaos Valerie… and now I've given up and collapsed on the sofa to tend to by sunburn and feed my cold with a hot toddy and some junk tv…
The mess can wait… hope you are well Sweetheart!x