Back from my break!

 

I'm back from my short blogging sabbatical and I really missed all of you, but did enjoy spending time with my family. I haven't been entirely unproductive during my boy's school holidays and have been busy with some little projects around the house which I will show you another day, but today I want to show you some pictures of the place where we spent the weekend. My husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary on Friday and my twins celebrated their 9th birthday on Saturday so we decided to treat our family to a little getaway. We went to a beautiful little town called Riebeeck-Kasteel which is about an hour's drive from Cape Town and spent 3 nights there. We stayed in a house with a lovely view over the quaint town.

 

The patio behind the house where we spent a lot of time. Don't you love the fleur-de-lis cut-out on the chairs?

The view of the town from our house with the vineyards in the background.

To celebrate our anniversary, my husband and I went out for breakfast to a restaurant called Cafe Felix. It is a French style restaurant with a very rustic French country feel.  I took these pics especially for you, my fellow Francophiles. I am reading a book at the moment called "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull and she talks about her French boyfriend and how everything around him has to be aesthetically pleasing otherwise he feels "unwell"! I can really relate to this. If I am in an environment that isn't particularly pleasing it can adversely affect my mood. I'm not proud of this, but it is what it is. These surroundings were so lovely I was definitely not "unwell"!

 

This is the front entrance and after walking through here you are met by delightful little scenes of weathered shutters and old ladders and gates leaning casually against the walls,  beautiful lanterns fixed to the walls and old iron urns with greenery tumbling over them, a weathered potting bench with old terracotta pots and a beautiful fountain with tinkling water.  Everything was just so appealing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we returned the boys asked if they could go to buy us anniversary presents. They came back with a bottle of olive oil, a rusty wire heart, a bottle of strawberry jam and a small beaded heart. I just adore those boys - too sweet! You can't really see in the photo, but the little cards they made say happy A-day. I guess 'anniversary' is a bit of a mouthful!

 

 

 

I will show you some more of the picturesque town in another post, but would like to share with you a lovely surprise I got. While on my blogging break I received not one, but two "Stylish Blogger Awards"! The one is from Jodie at The Nest Eclectic and the other is from Renee and Angela from Under Spanish Moss. I am very flattered and grateful to you wonderful women. If you aren't familiar with these blogs, please go and pay them a visit. You won't be disappointed.

I will briefly mention 7 things about me that you probably don't know:

• I am the youngest of five children.
• I grew up on a big sheep farm in South Africa.
• I went to boarding school at the age of 6.
• I loved being part of a big family and am so blessed to have a big family of my own.
• I will never send my children to boarding school.
• Having dinner with my family in the evenings is my favourite thing to do.
• Being the only person in a family of 6 interested in interiors and decor is sometimes lonely - that is where you bloggers have come to the rescue!

I have been sitting here trying to decide who to pass this award on to, but am finding it impossible to choose. You are all wonderfully stylish bloggers in so many different ways and have enriched my life immeasurably so I am giving this award to all of you with my love and gratitude!


Till next time

Sharon x