A Forgotten Stool

Yesterday I managed to steal myself away for an indulgent half hour of flower fiddling and photography. Two of my favourite things. Armed with a vase of wildflowers we picked in the afternoon I unexpectedly took the following photos. They represent a snapshot of what August means to me and my Styling the Seasons post for this month. 

Until then I'd been all set to style up a bright sunshine yellow chair that we picked up on our recent visit to Brecon. I'd pictured where I'd photograph it but was still working on what I'd use to style it with. Then I rediscovered this stool. 

This stool lives in our bedroom, it's regularly moved around, from corner to corner, books end up piled on top and yesterday I found Wilf balanced on top of it on our bed. I've always known it was important to my Mum and that it had once belonged to my Great Grandparents but today, while photographing it, it really came alive.

As I started taking the shots the light dipped and a storm rolled in, almost directly above. The warm, sticky day was about to freshen up. A classic midsummer storm, the type that appears from nowhere and then rolls away just as quickly.

Of course, the flowers are as seasonal as they come too. Scattered along a mound of grass on our path back from the allotment, I often admire them but yesterday decided to add a bunch of them to the bags of produce we'd also just picked.

It was as I got closer though that I realised that the flowers, as pretty as they were, were just an accessory. The real beauty was every grain, knot and mark on the stool itself.

The stool belonged to my Great Grandmother and my Mum told me she remembers sitting on it when she went to visit when she was a little girl. It was painted black back then. I'm so glad it has since been stripped as the rough, worn colour of it today is just lovely.

The warm and weathered tones carried me away to sunnier climbs, a french fishing village perhaps or a Caribbean hut selling pineapples. Or perhaps it was the muggy heat and thunder that made me feel I was somewhere far more tropical than Cardiff.

Whatever it was, the textures, tones and colours all represent the warm, laid back ease that August brings.

Sometimes, just taking a bit of time, time to really look at something, even as ordinary as an old stool, can help you appreciate things in a whole new way. To me that's what August is all about, a relaxed, slow month to appreciate simple pleasures. Getting to pick bunches of sweet clover along the way is just a bonus.

I hope you enjoy the last week of this laid back month and that September brings happy days your way.

We have two family holidays abroad, one which includes a wedding as well as the whole issue of starting school nursery to look forward too. Something tells me it's going to be a busy time.
So for now, I'll just soak up every moment of calm that I can.

Thanks for stopping by,
Lowri x