Work on the kitchen chimney last week.I can’t tell you how good freshly picked purple sprouting broccoli is, and this is my favourite way to eat it.Soggy allotment site at sunset today. My plot isn’t too bad but it is a squelchy walk down to my gate. I harvested leeks, purple sprouting broccoli and picked six anemones.I painted this little chest on legs last week in “Old Ochre” by Annie Sloane. This was my first time painting with a chalk paint. I usually prime and paint with a water-based eggshell paint, which I think gives a better result. The sitting room doesn’t usually look like a junk shop but I’m collecting furniture for the cottage.Snowdrops at the cottage.On Saturday we had the first fire (a small kindling fire to warm the chimney) and to celebrate the end of the work, and all the help we’ve had from our friends, we opened a bottle of champagne.Charity shop finds for the cottage. The watercolour on the left is of Seaton cliff, south Devon, and was painted in 1969.Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. All gone!I made time for a good walk today. See the shepherd’s hut in the fold of the field.Freshly mulched herbaceous border at Polesden Lacey. The yew hedge has just been reduced in height by a third to allow more light onto the border.Snowdrops at Polesden.Clematis armandii “Snowdrift”.New shoots of Peony mlokosewitschii.Chocolate and hazelnut biscuits.
Looks like you certainly are 🙂 I’m impressed by your drive and your charity shop finds. I haven’t been to Polesden Lacey for several years. Lovely to have a glimpse. Thank you.
Hi Sarah, looks like you are very successfully making the best of February!
Love the little chest that you painted. Such an elegant piece of furniture!
You are so lucky to be able to make a walk through such a beautiful landscape (I am referring to the photo with the Shepherd’s hut).
Last but not least congratulations to finishing the work on the cottage. I hope you do show photos from the inside soon. The little stove with the fire definitively looks very inviting already.
Warm regards,
Christina
Its nice to see your pictures…and you really are making the most of this time of year. Your painting project will fit in beautifully with your new cottage.
The fireplace looks wonderful, especially with the fire lit. I tried chalk paint but didn’t particularly like the finish and will revert to eggshell next time.
I was thinking of trying chalk paint, tempted by the prospect of Instant Results and no priming etc; but it sadly sounds as though the tedious old ways give a better result. Your cottage is looking lovely!
Trying not to look at those biscuits, they look absolutely delicious. Fantastic progress on the cottage, it must have been wonderful to light that first fire. You’ve made a lovely job on the little chest. I’m really enjoying seeing all of your progress. CJ xx
Molly the Witch is my favourite peony I think and I’ve spotted shoots too. Still waiting for my immature specimen to bloom though, will it be this year I wonder?
Your excitement about the cottage and everything around it shines through this post, Sarah – so different from those intitial doubts… It’s lucky you have an extra day to make the most of this month with all your tasks, isn’t it?!
What a wonderful and uplifting story your new home is turning out to be! Molly the witch is my favourite too, gorgeous leaves as well as pale yellow blooms. But so hard to come by that I read somewhere ‘it’s not just to die for but to kill for’ which always makes me laugh. I love February, so full of promise in gardens and yours has some lovely treasures.
What fun you are having with the cottage and what an amazing amount of work you have done. February is a good month, the birds are singing, the late afternoons are light and all of a sudden, there is a shift and you can smell spring in the air.
February is going well thank you. It looks like you have been making great progress in the cottage. The stove looks so lovely, very inviting and cosy. x
Your cottage looks absolutely delicious. Make the most of the fire because I am sure that once the fine weather comes you will be outside in the garden enjoying a new space to play in.
(p.s. I think your snowdrops look lovelier than Polesden’s. Heresy!!)
homeslip 
Looks like you certainly are 🙂 I’m impressed by your drive and your charity shop finds. I haven’t been to Polesden Lacey for several years. Lovely to have a glimpse. Thank you.
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Hi Sarah, looks like you are very successfully making the best of February!
Love the little chest that you painted. Such an elegant piece of furniture!
You are so lucky to be able to make a walk through such a beautiful landscape (I am referring to the photo with the Shepherd’s hut).
Last but not least congratulations to finishing the work on the cottage. I hope you do show photos from the inside soon. The little stove with the fire definitively looks very inviting already.
Warm regards,
Christina
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Its nice to see your pictures…and you really are making the most of this time of year. Your painting project will fit in beautifully with your new cottage.
LikeLike
The fireplace looks wonderful, especially with the fire lit. I tried chalk paint but didn’t particularly like the finish and will revert to eggshell next time.
LikeLike
I was thinking of trying chalk paint, tempted by the prospect of Instant Results and no priming etc; but it sadly sounds as though the tedious old ways give a better result. Your cottage is looking lovely!
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Trying not to look at those biscuits, they look absolutely delicious. Fantastic progress on the cottage, it must have been wonderful to light that first fire. You’ve made a lovely job on the little chest. I’m really enjoying seeing all of your progress. CJ xx
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Molly the Witch is my favourite peony I think and I’ve spotted shoots too. Still waiting for my immature specimen to bloom though, will it be this year I wonder?
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A most enjoyable post and lots of lovely pictures. My plot has been, and still is, well soggy. Those biscuits look rather delicious. xx
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It has all come along so very well!! Beautiful! xx
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Serious case of stove envy….. Love your painted chest too, it is beautiful X
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Your excitement about the cottage and everything around it shines through this post, Sarah – so different from those intitial doubts… It’s lucky you have an extra day to make the most of this month with all your tasks, isn’t it?!
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What a wonderful and uplifting story your new home is turning out to be! Molly the witch is my favourite too, gorgeous leaves as well as pale yellow blooms. But so hard to come by that I read somewhere ‘it’s not just to die for but to kill for’ which always makes me laugh. I love February, so full of promise in gardens and yours has some lovely treasures.
LikeLike
What fun you are having with the cottage and what an amazing amount of work you have done. February is a good month, the birds are singing, the late afternoons are light and all of a sudden, there is a shift and you can smell spring in the air.
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a fire and champagne to celebrate the chimney sounds like a wonderful thing x
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February is going well thank you. It looks like you have been making great progress in the cottage. The stove looks so lovely, very inviting and cosy. x
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Your cottage looks absolutely delicious. Make the most of the fire because I am sure that once the fine weather comes you will be outside in the garden enjoying a new space to play in.
(p.s. I think your snowdrops look lovelier than Polesden’s. Heresy!!)
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