Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

Autumn in a vase!

ladyholly

They are so pretty and I love the bottle. The colour is gorgeous. 

Sun_Addict

What a lovely vase and flowers - beautiful display. 

foxgloves

Thank-you. It was a present from Mr F a few years ago. It's one of the Dartington Glass range of flower bottles, which come in various colours & sizes. I love it, especially because with its narrow bottle neck, even just a single bloom, twig of berries or curl of ivy looks good. Often it holds a flower I've accidentally snapped off while gardening.
F

ladyholly

I thought I recognised it. I worked at the Dartington cider press centre in Dartington although the glass was made in Torrington it was sold at the centre.

weenancyinAmerica

I enjoy your descriptions of your gardening activities - especially since right now I don't have a garden to use. I have the space, but there is a large husky currently in residence who likes to take plants apart. So I am imaging me in your garden instead. Keep up the good work.

kayannie

I recognise the glass too - we were given the golden coloured one on our golden wedding anniversary. I must use it tomorrow for a few flowers from the garden. KA

foxgloves

Thanks for your comments, which I always enjoy reading.
What a good idea giving an appropriate coloured glass flower bottle for a wedding anniversary. I'd never have thought of that. 
F

foxgloves

Hello Monday Money Savers,
Just a quick one from me today, as I honestly don't know where the day has disappeared to & I have left the kitchen looking like a bombsite! Must get my audiobook on & get it sorted out. Anyway, today's small budget-helping positives:
*2 loads of laundry partially line-dried. Managed to whip everything in about a minute before the rain started. Heated airer will finish them off pretty quickly, I think.
*Did chicken s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g duties - it did roast dinner last night & leftovers divvied up to provide chicken chow mein tonight, curry tomorrow, 2 lunches & soup. Carcass in slow cooker to provide stock for the latter.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch & breakfast.
*Did my regular Monday morning budget updates,
*Have received a holding email from the Cephalopods so hopefully the billing issue can soon be resolved.
*Ordered 4 Christmas & 2 birthday presents. I need to be super-organised with these as family meet-up is mid-November, but am confident all will be purchased, paid for & wrapped by then. I have made a list & am ticking off each person's gifts as I go.
*Baked a batch of wholemeal bread rolls.
*Knitted the ribbing on current sock for the presents bag.
NOT money saving. Mr F booked our car in for a big annual service & servicing costs have defo risen significantly. I had heard this was the case, but had forgotten. When I thought about it, we had our previous car serviced partially from one of those plans & it had 2 services per year. This is an annual one, so I shouldn't have been quite so surprised it was getting on for twice the cost of the old half-year one. I wouldn't mind betting service costs for hybrids might be a little more too. We do have the money in the Car Maintenance Pot but I intend to start paying into it again regularly from my next monthly budget. 
Right, this was still a longer post than I intended. I'll say 'bye' & hie me away to clear up the kitchen.
F x

EssexHebridean

What a beautiful little posy Mrs F - as you say, far nicer than something expensive and imported! Hopefully by this time next year I may have some colour in our garden to be able to do something similar!  I did spend some time yesterday whipping - or snipping - a sprawling jasmine into line, and getting some bulbs in - a "woodland selection" bought mainly because it includes fritillaria, and also some tall Alliums that if they grow and flower I will be delighted with as they're wonderful things! Still got some crocuses to throw in somewhere but those need a little section of border cleared and some compost added to it first - next weekend, then!