Tea for Two...and another two

The four of us, Mam, Pap-Pap, Kate-face and Me went for a celebratory tea. Mam got some special offer on a peachy Afternoon Tea in this chipper country hall and we went ballistic.

We arrived at this place.

And were promptly introduced to these bad boy baked goods.

The purpose of this visit was to celebrate Big Sis' completion of her degree from Oxford. And that girl did good. We are proud of that munchkin.

Huzzarh!

Cheers, pet

Pampered by champers

A room with a not-too-shabby view

Big Sis has had some grief from a lot of obscure French books this year so she definitely deserved a scone or two.

Here's to you, beautiful sista! Onto bigger and better things. Whatever they may be.

P.S Stop nicking my hair grips, you wee beastie.

Flower Fest

Normally, I am quite indifferent to flowers. I enjoy a good floral pattern on knee-length skirts. I'm quite partial of frolicking through blooming meadows. Gypsophila makes me tremendously happy. I also like the smell of lavender so much that I sprinkled a concentrated oil solution all over my pillows thus inducing some kind of lavender sauna which made breathing nigh impossible.

So, on the whole, maybe I like flowers. Handy really, as we spent a pleasant afternoon wandering through the grounds of Eggleston Hall. And boy, do they have some stunners.

Some kind of dream garden

A personal favourite

An Ellen-flower

I just kind of meander about the place not knowing what is what. But I fell head over heels with some of the colours.

Autumnal loveliness in rusty orange

Also met this attractive chap.

The grounds hold the most beautiful, crumbling church hidden among hedgerows. It even has a tree growing through it. How mint is that.

Probs would be lovely for a summer wedding, although you might want to bring a tarpaulin. Just in case.

Little river

Floral-induced happiness

Also caught up with our Angel friend. She's lost some weight or sumfink.

Last Days of Summer

There is a distinct change in the air. Shops are bringing out their new knitwear selections. Sandals are being converted to trainers (or sandal and sock combinations, if you're daring). Iced tea is being replaced by its piping hot rival.

And soon, we'll end up going out the house looking like this:

Oh, the things our mam used to dress us in 

So, to say adieu to Summer 2012, our clan headed to the beach for one last mosey in the sea.

Met by yummy skies

Saltburn, our local coastal gem, was hosting a Farmers' Market in its bustling square. So naturally, we gravitated towards the magnetic pull of stalls bending under the weight of home-made slabs of raspberry and almond slices, tables of hand knitted cushions, and FREE TASTERS of locally produced sausages. What more could you ask for, eh?

Oh, spotted tablecloths of beauty!

An abundance of bunting

...and a lonely accordion.

We also came across a convoy of pleasant-looking horses. A dreamy way to spend an afternoon.

Big Sis looking smokin'

And a trip to Saltburn can never be complete without our family (namely, me) raiding the charity shops and finding some bargains. 

Feelin' chipper in new headscarf and coat

It's official then. I've bought my winter coat for this year. It's given me some closure, but I canne fully kick them post-summer blues.

I may buy some knitwear to cheer myself up.