Monday, February 22, 2016

ART AND GARDENS




Behold my $10 caftan, made of a piece from the Sydney fabric jaunt..
I wore it to an Arty Dinner - I think it enjoyed itself.


The $2 'jade' bangle from a Hong Kong market, and the cheap blue glass earrings found in a forgotten alleyway in Venice had a fine time too...

    



The long hot Summer continues...
 there is not much action in the Garden of Neglect.  



It needs water - lots of water..
Happily, we had several hours of heavy rain on Friday night.  
Yay!  It reversed some of the damage of the day before, when it hit 39 deg here and the front lawn turned brown in a few hours...


It is time to get serious and plan our trip to Ireland for our son's wedding,

with a little tourism on the side.

I've been thinking of my unfinished business in London:




Art and Gardens, 
Gardens and Art...

Always been a Bloomsbury fan, and loved my visits to Virginia Woolf's 'Monks House' and Vanessa's 'Charleston' - years ago..


Now I want to see Sissinghurst Castle garden.
Doing my research, currently on the kindle I am reading 'Behind the Mask: The Life of Vita Sackville-West'.  
I like to be prepared...



I bet Sissinghurst doesn't have any of these lying beside the hedges.
 Mr C found a 2 metre python on Friday...
If you can bear to work this out, the head is on the right resting on the coil beneath - see the little white flash of the side of the face.
My brave knight sprayed a little water on the snake, and as soon as things were quiet, the snake went away.


Off to a Sunday movie, we saw 'Trumbo.'
It was excellent... and shocking to think what went on in Hollywood back in the day.  As well as the drama of the narrative, I was transfixed by the paintings in the background of the interior scenes:  slightly 'rearranged' copies of famous Impressionist paintings, showing the wealth of the owners. 


Helen Mirren as Hedda Hopper - what amazing hats -
and what a piece of work that woman was...
Love Helen in this role.


Please send more rain.

Have a great week.

XXXXX





22 comments:

  1. The caftan is gorgeous and perfect for an art dinner ... you WERE art! I just don't think I would be able to sit happily in my yard if there were pythons about. Not a fan of snakes. I understand Australia has the most deadly venomous snakes in the world! (((shudder))))
    So exciting to be planning a big trip! I've never been to Ireland, but would love to go one day. Your children are spread out all over the world Patricia, must make family gatherings tricky.
    Wendy

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    1. Thank you Wendy - I did feel like art :)
      I hate snakes too - especially the brown ones. In the hot weather we must be vigilant when we go outdoors. Much too hot to sit out there anyway! Yes, it has been many years since our little family were all in the one place at the one time :(

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  2. Helen is great in any role she plays, isn't she? And I love your artsy caftan.

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    1. Yes, a brilliant actress, and great role model for seniors!

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  3. Gorgeous caftan, it must have been nice and cool to wear on a very warm summer evening to an Arty Dinner.
    You will love Sissinghurst - Vita was born at Knole which is also open for visits and now belongs to the NT.

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    1. The perfect dress to wear in a heatwave - I did feel lovely and floaty to wear.
      Yesterday I looked at Knole on the National Trust website but as yet have not figured out how close the two houses are, or how to do both in one day. It is always fun to plan a trip. I'm sure I will love Sissinghurst, Rosemary.

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  4. Your caftan is wonderful!!! It looks really great on you! Love your bracelet and earrings too. Your travel plans sound as though they are shaping up well, I hope that you have a fabulous time!!! Oh, and I hope that you get more rain! xx

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    1. Yes, we had a bit of rain overnight - so cool and welcoming. However, the sun and temps are on the rise again! My caftan felt like quite the triumph - so lucky that my friend Val spotted that fabric in the store. xx

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  5. I think I feel a cool breeze just looking at that lovely caftan. Followed by a hot flash looking at the snake, LOL! I'll have to watch for the movie, sounds enjoyable.

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    1. There was a lovely breeze, perfect for floating caftans! Sorry, can't resist sharing our snakeley adventures - they always give me the shudders. I hope you are well, Darla.

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  6. Patricia, your caftan is simple wonderful. I love the colors and everything about it. It flows so freely. The plaque you have in your garden is beautiful. It looks a bit Greek. :) The bracelet and earrings are so pretty, I like that color. My son saw Trumbo recently; he's really into movies lately.

    Have a beautiful week, Patricia.

    love, ~Sheri

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    1. Thank you Sheri, the fabric is gorgeous and I love my caftan. The plaque we have had for years and years and it looks Grecian to me too - of course it was just a find in a garden shop. Did you son like Trumbo? It was interesting to see the movie stars of the past like Kirk Douglas and John Wayne represented by today's actors. xx

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  7. The nice bits first - that caftan is perfect for an Arty Dinner, as were the accessories. And yes, the Wallace Collection is a must - we found that during our last visit. And the gardens - yes. Will be watching the blog with interest so I can make my lists for next time (selfish me!!).

    What a horror found lurking - you seem to get them all up there. Just read about a child being bitten by one of these - the snake thinking the child was not a child, I gather, but a nice small possum. Poor little boy. Yuk. Gives me the heebie jeebies. Glad it went somewhere else...

    And hoping you get some rain...

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    1. Thank you Sarah Liz - my friend also wore floating blue (we had not planned this), and we were a pair of blue butterflies flitting about :)
      Was the Wallace Collection wonderful? I'm sure it is..
      Yes, Yuk re the biting snake - even when not venomous, we must be wary of them. Shudder..
      A little rain has been falling, now and then, but of course, we want more!

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  8. LOVE that dress Trish!! So pretty!! ;) Yikes, burning hot summer days and pythons!! Aacck!! Maybe I should quite complaining about my cold northwoods. Lol

    Yay for trips to Europe being planned - and especially for such a joyous occasion. Congrats!! Nice to check in with you and I may not be able to send rain- but I could send snow? ;) Blessings. xoxo

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    1. I'd love to be over there in the cold northwoods right this minute! You may send snow :) xox

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    2. I'll do my best! :) In the meantime sending "chilly" thoughts your way. xoxo

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  9. You look mahhhvelous dahling!
    What a great outfit....bet you had a ball!
    Must be exciting, travelling all over the world to see your kids...
    Never been to Ireland...would love to go!
    You and I will both be looking for Mother of the Groom outfits!
    I am hoping to find a pant suit....I feel more comfortable in pants!
    Enjoy the rest of your week...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Thank you dahling!!
      Do you use Pinterest? I have been pinning lots of excellent Bridal Mother outfits including lots of extremely chic pant suits. Fun to have a wedding to plan for. Cheers

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  10. Love your kaftan Patricia and your shoes are perfect with it - a mass of dash!
    I can't cope with snakes - they terrify me!!!
    Oh Sissinghurst is my favourite of all the gardens I've visited. When my son was living in London we took a train from London, that was 17 years ago!
    I was so excited having read all Vita's gardening books - walking into the garden was one of the best experiences of my life!
    Back in those days I didn't have a digital camera - so the photos I have aren't good.
    I will look forward to seeing your photos later in the year.
    You will love it P!
    Shane x

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    1. I'm pleased to hear you have been to Sissinghurst: I am excited at the prospect. I find that you can go by train then a taxi, and also am looking into day tours. I must read at least one of Vita's garden books asap.
      Hoping to wear the blue gown to a ball soon - perhaps with those blue sandals! xx

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  11. Your caftan is a great success, Patricia and I love the accessories. You really have an eye for the unusual.When is your son's wedding taking place? If it's in the summer the garden at Sissinghurst should be at its very best.

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