Woke up early this morning and had lots of jobs to do. I want to repaint my bedroom, but I am dreading doing the ceiling. I want to paint it a linen colour and need to decide on the exact colour. I need new bedding and soon my shutters will be ready to be installed. I can't wait.

I have got two dogs, one is a Jack Russell called Dixie and the other is a new addition to the family a Labradoodle called Co Co. They are both very excitable and at the moment have a horrible habit of bringing lots of mud into my utility.

Noticed the garden centres are selling bulbs, wish Spring would hurry up and come then I can get back into the garden.

My raised vegetable garden is nearly finished. I had this idea to use up some wooden planks into a box and my husband built it. I have decided I will not be planting any vegetables that I do not eat, so will concentrate on salad ingredients.

Well it is a really frosty day here and I am fed up with being couped up in the house. It is January and I really can't start anything in my garden.

The roof felt has come off my little shed room and my husband is kindly going to replace it. I have been thinking of opening up this little shed as a shop selling frenchy things for the house. Is there any ideas from anybody out there as to whether they think this might work. I was going to open it up maybe once a week, send fliers out in the area. Start small!!!!!!!!!

I am hoping to do some photographs of my home for you all to see.....

All about me

Hi I have just got back from France my second favourite place in the world. I am a complete francophile and if you saw my house you would see evidence of it everywhere.

I live in the country, but originally I am from the city. I absolutely love gardening and making my house into a cosy country retreat.

We are good friends with our neighbours and when you live in the country you have to be. We regularly get together at each others houses. Sampling each others food and trying to come up with original ways of entertaining each other so each visit is different.

My husband and I love food and wine. My husband is a really good cook.

We have got the tree surgeons in at the moment to deal with our trees which is so exciting watching the transformation of our garden from a dark damp place, to a place filled with light.

We have got all sorts of plans for the garden this summer. We have a swimming pool and we are going to try and make that area more desirable to lounge about in and enjoy, hopefully a lovely summer.

I love recommending places for people to buy French items for their houses so if anybody wants such information please just ask, and I will do my best to find it for you. I will also recommend good places to eat in Britain and France and places to stay. In fact I will do my best to get good recommendations for pretty much anything to do with the country.