Bathtime - 365+1

I don't have a bath in my house only a shower, but I thought it would be fun to repost this page I made in 2010.  We were staying at Appleby Manor and the bathroom had a television in the wall, so you could relax in the bubbles and watch TV - it was fab!

Acrorn Bank Garden and Waternill

Arch into courtyard at Acorn Bank

For the second part of our holiday we headed south, not too far, but into the Lake District.  The morning was wet, so we stopped at the Rheghed Centre just outside Penrith for our lunch and a look around the shops.  By the time we had lunched it had cleared up and I had collected a pile of tourist leaflets. 

Clock Tower at Acorn Bank

In one of the leaflets I found Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill just outside Temple Sowerby between Penrith and Appleby, as we were heading to Appleby it couldn't have been better placed.

Walled orchard garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waterlily in pond

Newt!

We started our visit in the walled garden which is full of fruit trees and also has a lovely pond covered in water lilies and hiding two differnet types of newts, they took some finding but once you could see one you seemed to 'get your eye in' and could see more hiding in the weeds.

Medical Herbal Garden

The garden is best known for it's collection of medicinal and culinary herbs.  There were some lovely specimens, they even grew nettles - deliberately!

Damson Tree

Winter Sorrel

Foxgloves

Foxglove

After our tour of the garden we changed into our walking boots and headed down the river walk to the restored Water Mill.  It wasn't far and there were a few features on the way, like this quiet backwater.

Pond on walk to Water Mill

Queen Janice on her throne!

There were two of these hand woven wicker chairs looking out over the river.

Rooster and Chickens at Watermill

The water mill itself wasn't much to look at, the one at New Abbey, close to home is much better, so I didn't take any photographs, but they did have this rather handsome cockerel and his 'ladies'.  It was a very pleasant way to pass the afternoon before we headed to our hotel - more of that soon.

A few more digital layouts from our trip to Appleby.  The weather was not of the best and when we drove over the A66 to Barnard Castle, the snow was right down to the road.  I took some photos from the car window, they weren't particularly good, so I have given them a bit of a 'treatment'!

When we got to Barnard Castle we paid a little visit to Graphicus, the lovely craft shop of Glenda Waterworth.  I managed to restrain myself and not spend too much, I didn't even buy any stamps.

We then went to the Bowes Museum, which had lots of interesting things in it and this amazing silver Swan automaton.  The Swan's neck is jointed and it dips down and appears to fish out the little fishes (in the inset picture) which 'swim' in glass rods which move and look like water.  It is well worth seeing and is activated at 2pm every day.

Kits

Layout 1 & 3 - Pure Elegance from DSD by Athena

Layout 2 - Noteworthy from DSD by Athena

Splish Splash!

In our hotel ensuite bathroom, we had a lovely spa bath and a 'Tilevision', OMG you can watch telly while you lie in the bath!  Here I am relaxing in the bubbles while watching Downton Abbey.

Digi stuff:  Ellie Lash, Ocean Free; Binty's Rectangle Mask; bubbles by Petitsouris at Digital Crea; fonts High Tower Text and Hand me Down.

Appleby- in- Westmoreland: St Anne's Alms House

I've been away on a little mini-break with my DH to Appleby-in-Westmoreland.  We stayed at a lovely country house hotel and I also took quite a few photographs.  Here is the first digital layout I took of an Alms House in Appleby which has been converted to cottages, I loved the arch and the little fountain behind it.

Fonts - Scrap Calligraphy & MS Serif, Maya de Groot: Hoity Toity Paper 09, Inspiration Lane: Cafe Vienna -frame, flowers, Roseytoes - dear santa ribbon
Inspiration Lane: June Mega emblem
Inspiration Lane:  So Inspired - Border
LBozeman - PB circle, Marta Designs for Digital Crea - Lavande (bucket)
Masks - Pton Designs