Here’s my Blog Watch article from the current edition of Munster Interiors featuring 6 fabulous interior design blogs all of which come highly recommended . Do click to enlarge and check it out.

Okay, time to tease you a little with some lovely eye candy from the Greengate new range that I will have in stock late August/early September.

I love these plum colours and as for that throw – pure gorgeousness

And imagine having a hot cup of tea from the new Millie white teapot on a cold autumnal day - served with a hot fruit pie – yum 

Do check out the Greengate we have in stock at the moment and the new ranges will be in soon

I signed up for the Eason Book review and they send me this novel. Having pasted it on their page, I decided to share the review here too as I enjoyed the book.

‎’Benny & Shrimp’ by Katarina Mazetti

I would never have picked up this book – partly because of the cover and partly because of the title and I was delighted to have received it for that reason – a chance to read something I wouldn’t necessarily normally read. I had just finished a tome of a book – The Children’s Book b…y AS Byatt and this was like a breath of fresh air.
It is an easy read, Benny and Shrimp/Desiree tell the narrative in alternate short chapters. It definitely isn’t chick lit but for those who do like chick lit, I would recommend it as a refreshing change – it comes across as honest, ‘out there’, slightly outlandish and very readable.
It tells the story of a childless widow aged 35 who has had a less than satisfactory sex life and her ovaries are buzzing, and a bachelor farmer who spends most of his time working hard on his farm and doesn’t want to end up as an old frustrated bachelor. They meet at a graveyard, as she sits and observes her husband’s plain headstone and he plants his parents ostentatious one. This unlikely couple couldn’t be more different – she reads Lacan and Kristeva, lives in a minimalist apartment and workds in the children’s dept of a library. His house is decorated in his mother’s style, strewn with embroidered tapestries and the only things he has time to read is ‘The Farmer’, overworked and underresourced with his 24 cows not to mention the followers.
They are incredibly honest with each other to start with but increasingly become more and more aware of the differences between their lifestyles and their likes and dislikes and as her ovaries are hopping around waiting to be fertilised, the future is uncertain.  Both seem determined to stick to their own likes and dislikes.
The only aspect of the novel that grated slightly with me was the fact Benny was so busy with just 24 cows and the fact he is so intelligent (as his reports prove), am surprised he wasn’t more revolutionary in terms of developing the farm.  While the author had obviously researched dairy farming (hoofcare, cows in heat, antibiotics in milk etc) I thought that Benny seemed excessively busy with just 24 cows, almost seemed like it was set in the 50s in terms of the farming aspect.
I won’t give away the ending! A good book, an enjoyable light read.

There are 2 birthdays in the Garrendenny household this weekend so it is going to be a busy few days of partying and relaxing.  To celebrate, we are giving you a little present too, if there is something you have had your eye on in our store, this weekend is the weekend to snap it up because we are offering all shoppers at Garrendenny Lane Online 20% off all purchases from Friday morning till Monday night.

To get the 20% off, just add the discount code JULY into the code box.

Have a lovely weekend and happy shopping

Well, there’s quite a bit happening at Garrendenny HQ this week but nothing is finished as yet!  The children learned how to paint!

Brian has made the irons for Kate’s new ‘old antique oak bed’ and will be making the frame for the mattress before Friday!  It has been primed and undercoated and will be finished before Friday!

This chair has been stripped and will be painted but not re-upholstered by Friday!  In case you are wondering what there is such an emphais on Friday, it is a certain little girl’s 6th birthday party and I’ve promised I’d have her bedroom finished bar curtains and such other inconsequential details!

Will’s tub chair has just gone to be re-covered in this fabric and I’ll be working on his bedroom next week.

2 Aga Men have called to discuss flue, connecting to hot press etc and I have definitely decided to go with a reconditioned Aga in the kitchen but I think the decision over the colour will require a blog post all on its own!!

We have had an addition to Garrendenny Farm – 18 chickens that are 2 weeks old. The intention is to kill, pluck and eat them ourselves. The only thing is they won’t be free range as there are too many predators (our dog, farm cats and a neighbouring fox with cubs) around to let them out until Brian has had time to build a run.

And we have even had a little bit of time for some socialising. Sheila from the Australian Folder of Ideas  blog has been holidaying in Ireland and came down to see us with her 2 sons. The children got on great and the eldest two are going to write to each other as penpals.  Sheila and I covered lots of topics too,she’s doing an interior design course at the moment and her blog is always full of lots of inspriration.