Look What I Won!

Back in June (on my birthday actually!) I commented on a post on The Cottage Smallholder blog about a luxury hamper from Hampergifts.  This entered me into a draw to win it, which I then promptly forgot about. You can imagine how surprised I was a week later to receive a tweet from Fiona saying I'd won it!

A few days later I came home to find a delivery card saying that a parcel was waiting for me round the corner at my local post office.  As at this stage I assumed that the waiting parcel was an order of Mary Portas knickers that I was waiting for from Libertys not this very large box, so I walked round to pick it up.

After staggering home I unpacked it.

Carefully packed inside were all kinds of goodies:  jams, chocolates, nibbles, pickles, biscuits, etc etc.  And china plates, mugs and proper cutlery.

I had some help with the unpacking

But eventually they left it alone so I could get a decent photo!

Where had they gone? 

To play with the packaging of course!

Thanks Fiona for a lovely prize -I'm imagining using it in some lovely weather later on this summer!

Happy Blog Birthday Purple Podded Peas!

I've been to a birthday party - a blog birthday party as Purple Podded Peas was 5 years old yesterday!  Celia's blog was the very first blog that I read when I first discovered this thing called "blogging" so it was lovely to be able to share her celebrations with her.  I also got to meet Fiona whose blog I've also read regularly as it's a wonderful resource for recipes and vegetable growing tips.

We filmed a tour of her vegetable garden (can you spot the ginger studio assistant keeping an eye on us?). 

Purple Podded Peas vegetable garden with the Three Sisters mound in the foreground

(Actually we filmed it twice due to a technical issue commonly known as "finger over the lens"! You can view the final film here).

We met the under-gardeners in her old walled garden (they too were filmed).

Purple Podded Peas Under-Gardeners

And we filmed the DragonFly Pond - but stupidly I didn't take any pictures of it!

We had cake, and lots of laughs.

I came home with some gorgeous eggs (some of which I had for supper tonight)

and more cake, which I had this afternoon with a cup of tea in my garden.

There are more films, and a giveaway on her blog, so pop over and have a look, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself!

Thanks for a lovely afternoon Celia, and Happy Birthday Purple Podded Peas!