Rainbow Swap, an Evening Without Electricity and the Utmost Challenge

My Rainbow Swap blue parcel from Kate made it through the English and French Postal services to get to me this weekend! As the internet had been down for a week, I'd managed to mislay my under-used camera, so I got no photos of Son 2 helping me to open the delightful parcels. Now that everything is up, running and re-found, I thought I'd take you on a tour of the house to see where some of my lovely blue gifts have found homes...

The over-loaded hooks in the kitchen now hold this great little vintage apron, which I wore on Sunday to cook for friends - I felt so good!
The cake stand has some blue embroidery silks at its base, and smells great thanks to the Laura Ashley spice bag with that sweet little blue button!

More clutter, this time on my bedside table, but look at the lovely blue polka-dot notebook!

In the vintage sewing box, look at the buttons and that amazing, large rickrack...

I realise now that I forgot to snap the pretty scarf hanging over my wardrobe, but here is the lovely Cath Kidston card which Kate sent with all her super blue gifts - thanks so much, Kate! What a great swap.

The candle-lit image above sets the tone for yesterday evening, because we had a very unexpected powercut of almost two hours at tea time.

Everyone responded in their own unique way. I had fun lighting a lot of candles, and congratulated myself on having matches and candles ready to find for just such an event.

Son 2 decided to get crafting by candlelight.

I took photos of lovely candlelit effects!

Ben got out the camping stove to heat his supper.

Son 1 took out his telescope and took advantage of the night sky without its usual light pollution.

'Muuuummm, will you STOP flashing the camera?'

Here are the moon and Jupiter, without the aid of the telescope.

And now to the 'How is the Challenge of the Utmost Kind Going?' question...

I found a second hand filing cabinet! We had a mega-spend weekend when the internet was down, so now I need to tell you about it. Some friends had a garage sale and we bought a good DVD player/recorder from them to replace our broken one. Score one on the Challenge. On the Sunday I went to visit their Vide Greniers stall and mentioned my quest for a filing cabinet. They had one in their utility room! I went to pick it up and it is now full (too full?) of our files. I may need another... Anyway, Score two.Do you like the thrifty decorations? Doilies from Veti'Relais plus IKEA magnets from years ago... Score three.

Plus an embroidered cloth I already had, on which the old printer, newly fixed, sits. Scores four and five, perhaps...

See my lovely red gingham portrait by Sarah, there? But now, hmmmm... The new computer. Ben bought it, honest! And now everything works again!!! However, Score zero, or possibly negative one hundred, on the Challenge.

We also had a successful time buying second hand ski gear for the boys, as well as trading in Son 2's old ski boots. Decathlon, the huge sports retailer, runs 'Trocathlon' events twice a year, where people can sell their old sports stuff and recieve the profits in Decathlon vouchers. A huge Score for Reduce, Reuse and Recycle from a major retailer - what a pity that stores around the world don't do the same! Maybe it will catch on... We used our vouchers this weekend to part-pay for winter trainers for the boys. I also picked up the box above, which is wonderfully Quirky-meets-Arts-and-Crafts-Movement, and this charming lace collar, over the last week and a bit.So tomorrow it's off to Edinburgh for a few days, where, as many of you have already observed, I will not be visiting the CK shop! Frankly, I won't really be shopping at all, because it's a visit with the boys and I think we will mainly be having bracing walks in the Botanic Gardens and trips to museums. Son 1 thinks he may do a post for you whilst there...