Getting there

Spent a very frustrating day yesterday with this doll of mine. I must have snipped the thread to some of the beading on this foot somehow. I found the beads all falling apart suddenly. I spent some time on the floor trying to find lost beads. Luckily I found most of them, just as well, as those were the last few ones I had. I would have had to redo both the legs if I couldn't have found most of the beads with something else. Sorry Judy I am showing you once again just a little part of my doll. You know you will see the whole doll very soon.

Beautiful sky

This is how the sky looked earlier in the week in the evening. I thought we were in for some bad weather but it turned out into a most glorious week weather wise.

On the streets

Yesterday as I was driving down into London in the morning around 9 O'clock I was struck by the fact that there was hardly any traffic on some of the busiest streets of London at peak hours. I completed my journey in an hour which is very good. I can only put it down to fact that either it is because of the recession or the holiday season or because it was such a beautiful day that everyone decided to go away instead of driving into London.

Bad hair day

LOL! I don't think my doll thinks this is funny as I have her twisting turning and sitting upside down to get her hair done. Whew! at last I got it all done. She did have me in a twist there lol!

While the weather lasts....

I love Clemetis so I went and bought this one which I have seen for the first time in the shops. It is called Princess Diana. It has a lovely delicate looking pink flower. This is the first one that bloomed. But I have been having bit of a problem with it. I think all the bugs and slugs and snails on earth love it as I find the plant disappearing bit by bit every morning. I have tried spraying it and putting slug pellets etc and still something is eating it up. It is sad as I love those lovely flowers. I have increased the amount of slug pellets so hope it will do the trick and let the plant survive. I don't usually like to put slug pellets because of the birds. I bought some that says they are bird and pet friendly so lets see if it works. We have been having some nice weather lately so I am hoping the flowers will bloom quickly. The Japanese anemones at least that is what I think they are always give a lovely display in the late summer.

This is a close up of the flowers of the plant below. The plant is call Thalcium I think. I love the delicate light shade of lavender flowers. They almost look like Gypsophillia which are white in colour.

Finally I am off for lunch now, that pie in the oven is calling me lol!.

Actually I tell a lie. I have still some time to go for lunch hour but I am now off to put some hair on my dolly. I hate that part of dollmaking.

Back from mini holiday

Just got back from a mini holiday in Verona. The weather was lovely and so was Verona. Did the usual touristisy stuff and visited some lovely places. Like many cities in Italy Verona is also steeped in history.Below as you can guess by the picture, is the so called Julliet's balcony. Don't how much of it is true but it was fun anyway.

I wish I could have got an uninterrupted view of the Arena but the Opera Festival was on so they had loads of stage settings stacked outside it somehow spoilt the view. Here is some of the the stage settings. I did however go for one of the opera shows "Aida". Now I am not a great fan of opera and was wondering if I would be able to last all the 3hrs on a not so comfortable seat until midnight after a long hot day wandering the streets of Verona.

I needn't have feared as from the moment the opera started I was spell bound. It was wonderful the atmosphere was amazing. I have never seen people so relaxed and yet so very attentive whenever the opera was on. There was a 10-15 mins interval after every 45 mins or so which made it all so less formal. The singing and the music and the acting was wonderful . Even though I didn't understand the language I would recommend anyone who goes to Verona not to miss the Opera show it is fantastic. Below is the picture of the Amphitheater just before the show began

Some of the huge stage settings outside the Amphitheater

Below is Piazza della Erbe by the way that couple were not posing for me lol!

Inside the bridge of Castle Vecchio

This is the bridge from the outside over the river Adige

The old stone bridge over river Adige The Amphitheater from inside Some lovely frescos on the walls of buildings in the Piazza della Erbe

Enterance to some flats I think. The courtyard looks so magical.

Lake Garda Finally just a little clip from the Opera Aida. Sorry my camera ran out of battery I would have loved to have taken whole dance scene.