Hello Peoples, on this dank dark drizzly Bank Holiday in Ol'Blighty, I thought I try and lighten the mood. Can you believe that it was actually sunny once? Yesterday we went out to a local beach in our camper van. 

We have had our camper for about three years now, but it really feels like part of the family. I know that sound cheesy, but it is true. As VW camper original advert says, 'It's not just a car, it's a way of life' and 'It's not just a car, it's a second home'.  We keep it ready stocked for camping at the drop of a hat (or when the forecast in sunny).

Anyway, I'm waffling. What I wanted to post about was our new curtains which I made on Saturday. We took the plunge and went for a bright bold colour for once! 

The fabric cost about £1.90 per metre off ebay, total cost around £24. Readymade VW curtains cost around £150 per set, so thats £126 I can spend on myself right?

Since we refurbished our van a few years ago, its been on about 15 camping trips and numerous days out and market trips. All that takes its toll, so I bought a carpet and upholstery cleaner and got busy sucking out all that dirt and debris. It now smells fresh as a daisy (actually it smelt like wet wool for a while).

we bought a few bits and bobs like this mackerel cushion...

Our nipper LOVES the van, she just never gets bored in there and can stay in it all day, climbing about, playing with the steering wheel, pushing all the buttons and bouncing on the seats.

and she is really into binoculars.

the view above is Compton Bay, and the carpark is on the cliff above.

I'm so in love with my new cardi I found, I do love a good vintage knitwear or blanket label, am I alone?...

and a mini version (courtesy of our good friend Katy)

a quick paddle (which resulted in wet bottom)

most of the sand has washed away from this beach which used to be the biggest sandy beach on the island (I think?) but it has revealed more of the fossilised forest and rock pools.

Oh van love (its called Lewes but we tend to call it the Hungry Caterpillar as it munches through our savings). We hope to one day restore it's badly filled bodywork too, ouch!

But to be honest, I don't mind.

Well, now we own our own actual piece of land, it's very exciting to start planting stuff and and be able to watch it grow! Our garden already had a few shrubs but not much interesting things, just some hydrangea bushes and a few roses (oh and a huge peony I discovered underneath a massive bush!). But, we have discovered a big plum tree along with two apple trees at the bottom of the garden (I didn't realise one was a plum tree until our neighbour mentioned the abundance of juicy plums that the previous owner wouldn't pick and didn't let them pick them either). There are some smaller trees that look recently planted and to that patch we planted a peach tree, which already has little fuzzy baby peaches on!

I have been working on the lawn, sewing grass seeds and mowing to get it nice and even. And I have planted fox gloves and lupins and aquilegia which are all my faves (and are rabbit proof) and a wisteria at the front.

this little raised bed I made is doing well and in the middle is a mimosa which I hope will grow to a good height.

the nemesia smell like vanilla ice cream and those smaller white flower ( I forgot the name) smell like honey.

I'm trying to keep a nice patch of daisies on our lawn, it seems a shame to mow over them.

and this iris popped out of nowhere in the side alley...

The garden is very long and sunny. I sit in it with my cup of tea watching our littleun, and I simply can't believe we have actually achieved this, I could almost cry!

I thought that life would be a lot slower down here on the Isle of Wight, but I actually rarely get a day to do chores and housework. Here is a brief up date of some bits and bobs that we have done (and are generally doing a lot of) *Excluding work related London trips and boring stuff ; )

I now live quite near to where two of my brothers work. One of them works at Whittle Marine where they repair and restore beautiful wooden sailing boats. Above is the cat we met there.

We have been cycling on our old bikes...

at least some of the way, along an old railway track to...

the pub.

We have discovered some lovely local cafes, lucky for us as we are too lazy to cook. This one called the Piano in Freshwater was perfect and the food was delicious and local. It used to be an old Post Office!

straight opposite is a field of cows and a very nice footpath lined with banks of wild flowers.

We are also lucky to have a few nice beaches too, although one of my favourite beaches has no sand left after the storms during the winter, which is so sad. So Im very happy to have found a new favourite...

We have been eating a few too many pasties, but the little'un loves them, and if a toddler likes to eat something that isn't sweet its a miracle!

lots of paddlin'

and eating take-aways in the car to watch the sunset...

The mister, nipper, and I, went to an Auto Jumble in the New Forest

which was actually pretty fascinating!

yay a boat!

and then spent the night in our van

I cooked some homemade baked beans (only because we couldn't buy actual baked beans)

and we were set for a lovely evening, until...

some uninvited guests came along, I suppose my baked beans were quite tasty.

there was a hoof print in the blue cheese : (

after a fellow camper squirted the horses with water, they ran off and so we had our van back to ourselves again.

we spent a day in the New Forest and luckily the weather was on our side for once.

Our nipper absolutely LOVED the horses and donkeys.

and the streams

waiting for our ferry back home by the harbour side, luverly.