The White Verandah

first harvest

2011-06-21T18:20:00.002+01:00

Last week I got a phone call out of the blue.

We arranged to met by a notice board a 7pm.

Half an hour later I found myself the excited owner of an allotment plot, for the princely sum of £4 per annum!

Luckily the allotment is run by a trust, not the council. It's tucked away, and is not very well advertised (on purpose). So I only had to wait around two months.

Although it looks a bit of a mess at the moment, it was cultivated last year, so it shouldn't be too hard to get it looking 'ship shape'. And as you can see, we've inherited some perennials, which Ella picked whilst I weeded after school today.

It is about a 5 min drive away, but it's right opposite the car park for Ella's school, so it won't be too much of hassle to pop by regularly.

I have already designed a plan, with raised beds, four for crop rotation and the rest for perennials. I will need a little shed too!

More news soon...... x

Mmm......Pinteresting......

2011-01-26T15:35:00.007Z

Blogger has officially taken a back seat while my new internet addiction has taken hold.

When you sign up for Pinterest you can create your own online pin/mood boards with images that link back to the websites they were originally found on.

You can add a Pin It button to your bookmarks bar, which you can click to pin something that inspires you or that you wish you owned. When you click, it takes you to a page of thumbnails of images that are on that page. You just select the one you want, choose a board to add it to, write a short description and pin!

Not only do you have access to your own pins, but you can also view and 'repin' something else from someone else's board. either from 'Pinboards You Follow', 'Most Discussed', 'Everything' or 'Gifts'. You can also search for pins by keyword or category.

Pinterest is available by invite only at the moment. You can request an invite from the home page which will be processed and emailed to you in around a week or two; or if you are really keen to start pinning right away, leave a comment with your email address and I will send you an invite from my account ASAP.

EDIT: If you have asked me for an invite, please check your junk mail too, just in case!

The one about the chicken and the egg

2010-11-02T16:48:00.006Z

It's been awhile since I last spoke about my chickens.

Since then we have gone from 4 to 5; when Snowdrop (a Bovans Silver) decided that eating was not for her, and had to be replaced with Snowdrop mark 2 (a Coral Reef) and Rosie (a Sussex Ranger).

We are now in-undated with eggs on a daily basis, and as you can see from these photographs, my girls all have their own style. Not only do they look beautiful, but it's nice to be able to match the egg to the chicken, as I can keep tabs on their laying.

From top left anti clockwise: laid by - Snowdrop, Violet, Rosie, Primrose

(Bluebell's egg colour is somewhere in between Snowdrop's and Rosie's colour)

From top left to right: Rosie, Bluebell and Snowdrop

middle: Violet

bottom: Primrose

Even now winter is upon us, we are still getting 4-5 eggs a day. So after initially giving some away, I have started selling them to our neighbours.

It means that the chickens earn their keep, and it keeps the neighbours in yummy 'cheap' free range eggs!

Of course, this offered me a chance to indulge in my new addiction - photoshop.

credits:

fonts: marketing script & ball park from dafont.com

starburst and dotty border from puglypixel.com

vintage chicken image from theoldentimes.com

Autumn Days & School Memories

2010-11-01T17:30:00.003Z

Whilst uploading the photos from our weekend of glamping; I found myself humming what used to be my favourite hymn whilst at primary school, which started me off down memory lane.

From the age of 5 to 11 (1988-1994) I attended a lovely little primary school in the heart of Epping Forest called High Beech. There were only about 11 children in my year group and the school only had three classrooms in total so it was very small and friendly.

As well as a playground we had a school field which sloped downwards, and at the bottom of the field was the Old Man Oak Tree.

We had names for all main trees on the field, which was very useful for playing games.

The most memorable game for me was something we called '1,2,3, Block Home'. One person was 'It' and the had to count to 100 leaning against the oak tree while all the other children scarpered in different directions, each aiming for their chosen hiding place (very similar to hide and seek here).

After the person had finished counting he/she would have to walk away from the their post/home (the oak tree) and try and spy a person hiding.

During this time children who were hiding could decide to make a run for the oak tree, the idea was to get to the oak tree (home) before the person who was 'It' caught you out' by running back to the tree, touching it and shouting "1, 2, 3, I see Steven Edwards running towards me".

You could also be caught out if the person who was 'It' spied you, ran back to the oak tree, and shouted out "1, 2, 3, I see Natalie Morley in Holly Bush No.1" In which case if you were Natalie and hiding behind Holly Bush No.1 you where out.

Now you could see why it was so important to have names for the trees. As I've already mentioned there was the The Old Man Oak Tree, Holly Bushes No.1, 2 and 3 (very large hollies; You could actually go inside No. 2 and 3, the way the branches had grown had left hollows inside the bushes so we would hide and play house inside them, sweeping them 'clean' with little branches of leaves), the Sycamore Bushes, the Magic Tree (I think this was a Hawthorn, it had gnarled bark and at the base was lump of quartz stone embedded in the ground with moss growing on it) Then there was the Rocket Tree (a large Sycamore that had several trunks coming up from the base, so that you could climb into the middle and sit in it like a space ship).

Anyway, the song I was humming was Autumn Days and it was my favourite song to sing during school assemblies. My year group chose to sing it at our leavers assembly, it didn't seem to matter that the leavers assembly was in July!

Autumn Days

Autumn days, when the grass is jewelled

And the silk inside a chestnut shell

Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled

All these things I love so well

Chorus

So I mustn’t forget

No, I mustn’t forget
To say a great big thank you
I mustn’t forget.

Clouds that look like familiar faces

And a winter’s moon with frosted rings

Smell of bacon as I fasten up my laces

And the song the milkman sings.

Sing Chorus

Whipped-up spray that is rainbow-scattered

And a swallow curving in the sky

Shoes so comfy though they’re worn out and they’re battered

And the taste of apple pie.

Sing Chorus

Scent of gardens when the rain’s been falling

And a minnow darting down a stream

Picked-up engine that’s been stuttering and stalling

And a win for my home team.

Sing Chorus

*************************************

Aren't the lyrics lovely, it always makes me feel cosy when I sing it to myself and brings back fond childhood memories.

Jolly Days & Cosy Nights

2010-10-13T19:12:00.008+01:00

Our tent

I started this post just after we got back from our lovely camping weekend at Jolly Days, but as always, other things need to be done first, and my blogging took a bit of a back seat.

We did some walking......

Some balancing......

some dam building (dam removed afterwards btw).

We built big dens......

.....and little dens.

We hunted for fungi......

gazed up at magnificent trees.....

and bathed in the last few golden rays of the year.

T52MMMC week 4

2010-09-29T15:58:00.006+01:00

Well it seems that I have somewhat trailed behind in the 52 MMM Challenge but I have not been completely idle in the creative sense.

During the summer hols I decided that at the beginning of the new term I wanted to start an after school club; making stuff using affordable materials e.g. secondhand, recycled or just plain cheap (the local pound shop has proved useful for curby grips and hair bands so far!)

But before I even started the club I needed to design a poster. I used this opportunity to have a crack at Photoshop. I don't have the full creative suite, it's out of my budget at the moment, but I did get Photoshop Elements 4.0 free when I bought a Bamboo drawing pad on ebay.

Since I installed it at the beginning of the year it has remained unused, until now that is. Now, I am not one for sitting and reading through tutorials for computer programmes, I just like to fiddle about with it and then perhaps get some useful little tips after I've mastered the basics.

At first it was slow going, it took at a least a couple of hours to work out how to add a image to a layer; it wouldn't let me copy and paste or open and insert, but I eventually discovered that the option "Place..." under the "File" tab was what I was looking for, and after that it was rather easy.

Anyway this is what I came up with, and I was really pleased with the finished article.

Most of the images I have used on it were free downloads from the lovely blog, Pugly Pixel, which I stumbled over a while back, and I am so glad I have finally been able to use them for something. The lace was a download from the Martha Stewart Weddings website.

So the poster is my week 4, and since then I have hosted three weeks of my little Craft Club; in which we have made the bow hair grips from here, the pom-poms from here, and we made a start today on a cute fabric corsage from here (the first blog I ever read). So I think that brings me up to week 7 which isn't as bad I originally thought (Although I need to photograph and blog them to make them count.

On a completely different note; tomorrow, Danny, Ella and I are going away for a long weekend with friends which I'm pretty excited about (it will be my first holiday this year). We are going glamping here. It's 20 mins from York, it's in a forest and has a woodburning stove, real beds, and our own real toilet and shower. To top it all off it looks like that the sun is making and appearance in England this weekend, whoo hoo!

photos from the Jollydays facebook page

Looks lovely doesn't it! It is also Ella's 7th birthday on saturday so hopefully it will be a memorable one for her. I can't wait to get there and see if it is really as lovely as it looks in the photos.

I'll let you all know when we get back.

T52MMMC week 3

2010-08-24T14:00:00.000+01:00

I did make this last week, honest, I just didn't get round to posting until today as I spent most of last week in the beautiful city of Bath, doing lots of shopping. Luckily while I was in Bath the weather was beautiful which is more than what I can say for the weather in Essex recently, we are feeling a bit soggy here at the mo, which is a bit ironic since last weeks make was a garden sunshade!

These pictures where taken in a bit of a hurry in-between rain showers, so aren't the best.

I bought this lovely heavyweight cotton fabric last year in a slightly odd, but pleasing fabric/coffee shop in Maldon (the smell of coffee wafting up your nose while you fondle fabric was quite soothing).

At the time I thought it would be lovely to use it in garden somewhere, either as a giant outdoor floor cushion like this, or some sort of sun shady thing. But it spent over a year taking up precious space on my fabric shelves until now.

The sunshade has garden canes threaded through the back and front to help keep it's shape and is held up with a combination of cup hooks, eyelet screws and some washing line, so it quite easy to take down and roll up when the weather is yucky.

I don't know about you, but all the flowers in garden are starting to look a bit worst for wear now, but these newbies look gorgeous in my french stacking crates I got for the boot sale the other week £10 for 3!

This is one of a pair of deck chairs I got two years ago, I managed to make a new sling for this one last year, but still haven't finished of the other one, so that's another job for the list.

Please pray for a non-rainy morning for me tomorrow, as it car boot day in Marks Tey and I missed it last week while I was in Bath!

T52MMMC week 2

2010-08-14T12:14:00.004+01:00

Yesterday, whilst washing up my latest car boot haul from the Marvellous Marks Tey Car Boot (no, seriously, thats what it's called), I decided that my new-to-me mini jelly mould would make a lovely votive for a candle. Then I thought I'd go one better than that since I'm on 'the make' at the mo and make it into a candle.

Now, I don't have any candle making equipment as such, but in typical me style I just had to make it NOW.

So after locating my stash of Ikea candles, I quickly got down to snapping and chopping them into bits, removing the wick to use for later, and melted all the bits 'bain marie style' directly in the mould over a gentle heat. Once the bits had melted fully, I gingerly removed the mould from it's hot bath and balanced a skewer with the wick tied to it until it all solidified 'et voila!' one candle.

I can see candlemakers around the world covering their face in horror. I've probably used the wrong type of wax, the wrong type of wick and completely the wrong method, but it looks ok to me, and it was fun to do on a whim and I think that's what the 52MMM challenge is all about.

I'm going to visit my Mum & Dad on monday morning for a few days. Ella and I are going by train to Bath where my parents have recently bought an apartment. It's in Sydney Place, which is but a stones throw from the Cath Kidston shop, not to mention a whole host of other lovely places. How exciting!

Cath Kidston fame!

2010-08-13T17:39:00.005+01:00

Well not for me..............

But my lovely sister-in-law who, back in June, was sent a load of fabric by a lady at CK HQ and asked to turn it into lampshades. Fast forward to the beginning of this week and imagine her joy when she discovered they had been used in the new catalogue/magazine and on the website

Unfortunately these babies aren't available to buy from Cath Kidston, but lucky for you, you can snap one up over at The Old Lamp Shed. Just don't forget to mention me when you make your order (I have to earn some brownie points to convert into lampshade credits!)

Alternatively you could snap up one of these vintage style pretties or choose the bespoke service of recovering a old favourite lamp shade in a fabric of your choice.

The 52MMM Challenge week 1

2010-08-05T18:50:00.006+01:00

That stands for 52 marvellous makes madness challenge.

The challenge is to make one thing a week for the next 52 weeks, and that doesn't include dinner!

O.K, so I was a bit slow on making a start, but this week I made my first thing. A cute little blind for the spare room/sewing room. made from a vintage embroidered tablecloth and a bit of lace from my stash.

Very simple, it's unlined, without any rods, and just pinned to the window frame, but I sewed on some rings and threaded it with cord so it goes up and down easily. I'm really pleased with it!

Looking at the photos now, I probably should have given it a bit of an iron, but hey, I'm not known for my ironing skills!

While I was fiddling about I decided that the ikea lamp above the bed need prettifying too, so I tied a ribbon in a bow and clipped on a old china rose earring I had in my box of trinkets.

Kitchen Makeover

2010-08-05T13:40:00.002+01:00

This year the possibility of re-doing our little kitchen has arisen. We inherited the old one from the previous owners when we moved in nearly 5 years ago now and although it had been done fairly recently, it was and still isn't to my taste. It has dark wood cupboards with multi coloured tiles in terracotta, dark green, blue, beige and brown.

When we moved in we had to replace the cooker as they had removed the old one (freestanding) and we also replaced the worktop to a solid oak one from Ikea so we could install a built-in cooker. That was the only thing we changed as we just didn't have the money to do anything else.

My plan was to paint the cupboards ivory and change the tiles but that never happened. It looks even worse now as I have a hole in the plaster and a lots of copper piping snaking it's way round the wall when the old boiler was removed and a new one installed on the over side of the wall last year (that still hasn't been re-plastered and boxed in.)

Anyway, this year Danny announced that he was fed up with the freezer being in the outhouse and the tiny built-in under the counter fridge in the kitchen and he wanted a big fridge freezer (which would mean removing the cupboard we keep the saucepans and losing a precious section of worktop space). So I said that if he wanted to do that then we had to move the washing machine to the outhouse and get in plumbed in so we could free up some space (the tumble dryer is in the outhouse so I think that would make sense, creating a separate utility area out there).

So with all this moving about it makes sense to replace the cupboards rather than repaint them. I would like off-white colour cupboards, we will keep the oak worktop and just add ice-cream coloured china and enamelware. Sort of like this........

(www.countyliving.co.uk)

So when I received an email from Voucher Codes telling me they have just launched a lovely new money-saving lifestyle blog (Most Wanted), and wanted me to suggest 10 gorgeous items under £50, to inject some new life into a room in the house that was looking a bit tired, I knew that I should choose the kitchen.

So here is my top ten.....

Nantes Pendant Light

£40

Garden Trading

I have been lusting after this french style pendant light for at least two years and it is definitely top of my list.

Vintage Rose Dinner Service

£4-6 per item

Graham & Green

I love collecting floral vintage china from junk shops and boot sales, but this dinner service is so pretty and it's a very reasonable price too!

Cream Metro Wall Tiles

£21.50 per Sq Metre

Topps Tiles

I love the simplicity of these brick style tiles. They are very fashionable at the moment, on the Fired Earth website they cost over £60 a square metre, but these are a third of the price! I can easily re-tile my kitchen splash backs for under £50 with these.

'Eat Your Greens' Hand Pulled Screen Print

£18

Keep Calm Gallery

I discovered the Keep Calm Gallery website when I first started blogging and love their collection of quirky screen prints from a talented selection of artists, designers and print-makers. Most of the prints are from limited print runs, so you can easily afford to own a piece of limited edition artwork. This one, by Hayley and Lucas, the sites founders would look perfect in a Kitchen.

Grooved Bone Door Knob

£2.95

Graham & Green

These carved bone door knobs would give a bespoke look to bog standard kitchen cupboards.

American Milk Glass Pitcher

£30

RE is one of my favourite websites, I first discovered the company about 6 years ago when I was sent one of their mail order catalogues, and I've been a fan ever since. I love milk glass, and I love jugs, so this pitcher would fit in a treat in my kitchen on a old painted shelf amongst some pretty china.

Dualit 72402 Kettle in Cream

£50

John Lewis

I need a new kettle, my old one is covered in limescale (we live in a very hard water area) and this one would look lovely in my new kitchen. This was the cheapest I could find it. Good old John Lewis!

Etched Glass Sweet Jar

£24

Graham & Green

I love glass jars, and have them filled with things, like shells ribbons and buttons around my home, but they also look good filled with sweet treats like sugared almonds, bon-bons, meringues, and vanilla or cinnamon sugar.

Enamel Ladles

From £7.50

Chandlers

A selection of pastel coloured utensils hung above the hob would add splash of colour as well as being in a useful spot.

10.

Zinc Storage Box

£14.95

Rockett St.George

Here this lovely rustic wire storage basket has been used to store magazines. But I can just imagine a group of three hung on a wall in the kitchen to store pots of herbs or glass jars filled with rice, pasta, cous cous and other dry ingredients.

Liberty Print

2010-07-27T13:39:00.005+01:00

Wow, I'm so proud.

My little sister Liberty has won the Clothkits Vintage at Goodwood Competition!

and here is her entry, inspired by all the festivals (aviation, motorsport and horseracing) that Goodwood host throughout the year with a fifties twist.

Her fabric design will be printed and turned into a dress that will be shown on the catwalk during the Vintage at Goodwood Festival.

Hipstamatic love

2010-06-23T18:48:00.004+01:00

tardy

2010-06-22T18:19:00.006+01:00

2 months......2 months!

Don't get me wrong, there has been many a time when I have had something that I've wanted to blog about:

My birthday (which, indecently, was the day after my last post back in April), Thrifty finds galore, garden love, Hipstamatic appreciation, bargain floral high street finds and my lambswool CK Fair Isle Blanket to name a just a few.

But possibly the most exciting is my new chickadees. Bought with some of my birthday money, I finally took the plunge and they came to live with us exactly one month ago.

Meet the girls................

(from left to right) Bluebell- a Bluebelle, Primrose - a Heritage Skyline , Violet - a Maran Cou Cou and Snowdrop a - Bovans Silver.

They came from the lovely Kirsty at Hens 4 Homes and were only 16 weeks old when we got them, so I knew we might be in for a bit of a wait before we collected our first eggs.

So imagine my joy when I discovered this small but perfectly formed and gorgeous coloured egg two weeks after they arrived.

Laid by my favourite, Primrose (Skylines are a Cream Legbar cross and can lay either blue, green or pink eggs depending on the hen) I'm so pleased she is a greeny-blue egg layer! She is laying an egg a day now.....

.....and Violet laid her first little speckled egg yesterday and another today, so we are finally starting reap the rewards of all that feeding and fence building.

I have to say that I'm in love with them, I have managed to waste a good hour a day just watching them scratch about after I've let them out of the run when Ella and I get back from school. Ella loves them too, and she has scooping them up for a cuddle down to a fine art!

I shall leave you with some photos of my little patch of cottage garden, the Peony blooms (Sarah Bernhardt) have fully opened since I took this photo and I've had so many this year that I've cut some to enjoy indoors. I so love their raspberry ripple pom-pomness.

Pick Me Up

2010-06-22T18:00:00.003+01:00

Rob Ryan timelapse at Pick Me Up gallery, Somerset House

from karl sadler on Vimeo.

Look out for my sister in the black and white stripy top cutting about 1 minute in, and at the end holding a cardboard cut out of hazel. (proud sister moment!) You can see it in much better detail if you right click and view in full screen mode.

Blooming gorgeous

2010-04-23T20:14:00.005+01:00

I'm enjoying the sunshine here in Essex, and so are these beauties.

Win Pashley Bicycles for your whole family!

2010-04-17T07:30:00.002+01:00

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Going round in circles...

2010-04-06T10:19:00.004+01:00

This week I have been mostly...............

............hooking

Haiku

2010-03-26T17:18:00.000Z

Little viola -
Faces turned toward the sun
Sweet, pretty, dainty

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Let there be light!

2010-03-02T16:02:00.005Z

Finally we have some springy weather!

I am just recovering from what has been a rather sicky weekend, first Ella was sick in her bed, and then for the rest of saturday night, then I came a cropper on sunday night, then Danny on monday, Yuck!
I missed the first day of blue skies and sun on monday as I was curled up in bed, but today I felt the strength to climb out from under the covers and get some washing on the line.

I've made some vegetable soup for dinner from some leftovers languishing in our very naked fridge, potted up a few primulas I bought last week, and got the camera out to take some photos.

new Rowan yarn in ice-cream colours from colourway- now I can finally make a start on a granny blanket.

last weeks bargain, which I found whilst wandering round a antiques centre with my mum and dad. A super soft 'comfy' quilt, a little worst for wear on the outer edges, and not normally my colours but for £9.75 I just couldn't leave it.

Now I have a dilemma.

Do I......

A) As my mum suggested, use it as a base for a new quilt.

B) Sew a band of fabric round the edges to cover over the damage.

C) Cut off the outer border, leaving the middle as a smaller quilt and bind the edges, and use any of the the undamaged bits of the border for smaller projects.

D) Any other ideas?

Ho Hum, Back to work tomorrow.

R is for..............

2010-02-22T19:50:00.008Z

....Ranunculus.

You don't get much for 39p now-a-days, but whilst in Tescos last monday - shopping for a few essentials (milk, bread and Battenberg cake) for my elderly grandparents, I spied these beauties, reduced from £5. There was a couple of broken stems, but I could see their potential

......and Rob Ryan

My lovely limited edition laser-cut (my blurry photo doesn't do it justice) . Rob designed these especially for valentines day, and I managed to get my hands on one before they all sold out. My sister Libby introduced me to Rob Ryan's work a couple of years ago, and last year started doing some work experience with him. Since then she has started working for him a couple of days a week, and loves it, lucky girl!

doodle bug

2010-02-01T20:16:00.004Z

For christmas Ella received what I think must be one of the best colouring books about, fabulous doodles. I love her first attempts at filling it in, I especially liked the flower she drew on the bottom photo to the right.

longing for spring.....

2010-01-19T17:48:00.002Z

......waiting for bulbs to bloom

......loving my christmas present from my sister Libby, a printed tile made by Hazel Nicholls.

.....adorning the bulldog clip holding this years calendar

Photo by Csabesz

.....and wanting to drive my new car with the sun shining and the windows down.

Snow days...

2010-01-12T19:42:00.004Z

winter wonderland....

2009-12-17T23:18:00.002Z

who'd of thought the view of the college car park from our bedroom window could look so pretty....

Lazy.....

2009-12-14T18:29:00.008Z

Sorry, this a very lazy post and vaguely christmassy old photo, from an old post

by the time I get home from work and remember to take some pictures it's too dark for any decent pictures.

I have just popped back to announce the winner of my giveaway - the lovely Kelly from Last Day Of May, who was one of the first bloggers I discovered, I have decided to keep the prizes a surprise, but they are christmas inspired.

Our tree has been decorated, but I'm yet to get the holly and ivy in and make the wreath. Can't wait till we break up on friday for the hols, I have lots to do, and apparently my long awaited car should be available for collection this weekend, fingers crossed! I can't wait!

one hundred

2009-11-19T19:50:00.008Z

Please excuse my unexpected departure from my little blog, I have been lying low, although I have still been popping into have a peek at what you are all doing from time to time.

There has been a few changes in the TWV household, I managed to land myself a new job as a learning support assistant in my local secondary school, I started in September and my first week coincided with the last week before this little lot (above) started to go off to their new homes, which I have to say was a bit hectic!
I absolutely love my new job, and although I have to be in work too early to drop Ella off to school in the morning, I finish at 2.40pm which gives me plenty of time to pick her up in the afternoon and get the dinner on, and I don't have to worry about childcare in the school hols either, which is lovely. I do have less time for crafting, but surprisingly the house isn't suffering too much (to my shoddy standards anyway!) as I am a serial procrastinator, and actually seem to benefit for having a little more structure to my days.

After the puppies went, we all had a little treat, Dan had a week away at his friends apartment in the Canaries, and I got myself a new favourite toy, my White iPhone 3GS, it just made sense to me, as I my old phone contracted had expired and my trusty 4 yr old iPod had just died on me, and I couldn't live without an iPod!

I also put a deposit down on a new car. My very uneconomical 13 yr old Peugeot 306 is on it's way out and needs over a grand spent on it, and so with the £2000 Scrappage Scheme we started to think about getting a shiny but tiny, cheap to keep new car. At first my husband suggested we go for one of these, the sensible choice maybe, but if I had to put up with almost zero amount of boot space for hauling that must have piece of junk furniture home it had to be a little more aesthetically pleasing.

So my research began, and it wasn't long before I was lusting after a Fiat 500 and I went online and spent a weekend designed my ideal one. But I had my doubts about it's size, and when Fiat had a bigger offer of £2900 off it's slightly bigger cousin, the Grande Punto, I decided that that would be my best option.
Only when I got to the showroom I couldn't help but be disappointed with it, it was a bit plasticy on the inside, and I could only afford the bog standard with no air-con. My attention was soon turned towards the little cute one, with all the bells and whistles, and decided that yes, I could definitely put up with leaving that bargain chair at car boot, I haven't got room for more furniture anyway!

That was 8 weeks ago, and I have been told it is expected to arrive for collection the first week in December, I have been very patient, but I can't wait! (I was told it would take 8-12 week for delivery due to their high demand)

Meanwhile, my portable hard drive broke while transferring my photo library and I managed to loose all my photos on my computer, gutted. Then my 4 yr old iBook got broken, double gutted. Lucky I was covered for accidental damage under our home insurance, and they decided to pay out which means I am now the proud owner of a brand new Macbook.

But it hasn't been all nice new things, we are facing a bit on an uncertain time with Danny's job, he has a new one on the horizon, but he has been put on a three day week since the beginning of October. Fingers crossed, the new job will start in the next couple of weeks and we can hopefully breath a sigh of relief and get back on track for the Christmas hols.

Oh, I almost forgot, this my 100th post, hence the title, it's taken a while, I'm not exactly the most prolific blogger, but in true blogging tradition, I'm having a giveaway to celebrate.
I haven't decided what the prize will be yet, but I'll work on it this weekend. To enter please leave a comment on this post, and make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you should win.
Jxx

Summer update

2009-08-05T13:34:00.006+01:00

There has been some making.......

some updating.......

some treasure hunting............

a trip to the seaside.........

some celebrating - mum & dad's 35th anniversary..............

mum spent weeks planning a picnic, but on the day it was drizzly, so we decided to have it in their conservatory instead, as close to outdoors as possible!

and then last sunday at 4am, after spending all night up with her, Lily gave birth to the first of the pups, and the last was born at 8am. Mum came over in the morning to let me have some sleep, and then she took Ella home with her to stay for a few days, to lighten my load.

she had nine, 3 girls and 6 boys, but unfortunately I discovered that one of the boys had a cleft palate, the reason why he couldn't latch on, my sister came over on monday evening, and helped me feed him by hand over night, and the next morning we took them all the the vet, who said his chances were very slim, as it was quite a bad cleft, and it would be better in the long run to have him put to sleep. It was so sad, I was so glad I had libby to sob in the surgery with!
Over a week on and mum and the rest are doing fine, they've more than doubled in weight already. We have five families booked in to visit when they are 4 weeks old, so if all goes well we only have 1 girl and 2 boys leaft to sell, and they are only 1 and a 1/2 weeks old.

while I've been away....

2009-06-16T11:40:00.004+01:00

we spent spring half-term in Menorca, with Danny's family.
We stayed here, and although the beds weren't very comfy, the location was beautiful.

The hotel was right on the cliffs, with paths and steps cut into the rock leading down to a little private cove, with white sand, and clear shallow water for the kids to paddle and catch crabs and fish if they where quick enough, leading to deeper water for the grown ups to swim in.

while we were there sitting round the pool one day, we experienced the painted lady butterfly migration, they flutter passed all day in their hundreds, it was so beautiful.

see you soon.....

thrifty thursday

2009-05-07T16:01:00.000+01:00

Since wednesday is a car boot day for me I have decided to do a weekly 'thrifty finds' post (mmm.....I wonder how long I will keep it up?)

pretty mop buttons, some more embroidered tray cloths, and china posy earrings without their clips

a new rose enamel bowl

and my favourite, a vintage rose deckchair, not my usual colours, but I love, love, love it.

It wasn't for sale, the man was just using it to sit on, but a persuaded him to let me have it for a fiver.

nothing to do with thrifting, but I thought I'd share some photos I took a couple of weeks ago of my rapidly multiplying potted flowers. It such a nice change from this view.

another year older

2009-04-28T09:35:00.005+01:00

On saturday I celebrated my 26th Birthday, I had a party with some family and a few friends outside on our new decking. It was such a lovely day, we where very lucky with the weather as on friday the weather forecast was pretty grim for a garden party.

Saturday morning started out rather overcast, with a light drizzle of rain, but come lunch time the sun managed to make an appearance.

As you probably know if you read my blog regularly, I was was going for a pretty village fete theme, and with a little help from family and from my friend Lesley who kindly let me me borrow some tables a benches that she hires out as part of her business, it turned out to be just that.

So I thought I show you some pictures (courtesy of Lesley)

RE:

2009-04-03T12:38:00.005+01:00

I made some of these little tea light holders last year, we live on pesto in this house, so I always have loads of these little jars around. I especially like the sainsburys own brand, because they have a pretty ribbed neck.

They look so pretty on a warm evening, hung on branches, or lined up along walls or tables. Last time I just left them plain, but this year I thought I'd pretty them up a bit.

my first thought was to use some of my ribbon stash, but then I thought I could use some left over fabric scraps instead, which is more along the reuse, recycle theme, so out came the box of fabric scraps, useless for most sewing projects, but I just can't bear to through them away.

I think they look really pretty, I really like the effect of the torn fabric, and the only thing that I bought to make them was a reel of wire which I got from the florist for a couple of quid, and I still have loads left. They would be lovely for a country style wedding on a budget, you could use baby food jars as well, and because they require so little money and effort to make, you could afford have loads of them dotted around.

I've decided that I'm going to use them for little posies of flowers for my birthday lunch at the end of the month, it's going to be outside on our soon to be finished decking, so I will be praying for a sunny day, and in the meantime I better be cracking on with making some more bunting. I think I will have rhubarb eton mess (new family favourite) in pretty teacups for pudding too.

simple pleasures

2009-04-03T09:37:00.004+01:00

Three vintage stools, begging for a lick of paint, 50p each

vintage duck egg blue enamel weighing scales £1

wooden crate with 'simple pleasures' stamped on the side

wrapping a little gift I made gift for my mother, a little lavender bag made from a pretty vintage embroidered coaster, or a 'smeller' as my daughter called it.

oohps....

2009-03-20T10:02:00.004Z

Country Living was lovely.....

Pretty ribbon from here

more gorgeous ribbon on lovely vintage wooden spools from this lovely lady

and I finally got myself one of these at a reduced price too.

The pretty fabric used to make these dresses is designed by Bryony at Poppy, I loved the design, but couldn't afford the price tag, so I bought a little 'make with mother' kit that they make up with the left over fabric from the dresses, just so I could have a piece of it to treasure. But now I've discovered you can buy the fabric by the metre on the website, so I may re-visit when funds allow.

after I'd 'done' the fair, I made a detour via Marylebone High St to here where I treated myself to a pair of these lovely pumps, some oilcloth for the dining table and a cute little budgie badge. Sadly they didn't have this in stock, so I didn't get to have a proper look at it, to see if I really love it and really want it. They said it's due back in mid april, so hopefully it will be a firm contender for my birthday present wish list.

So all in all it was a good day, even though my partner in crime didn't manage to make it because she was brought down by the dreaded lurgy.

The excitement is killing me......

2009-03-10T08:25:00.003Z

I may even have to squeeze a trip to here in too.

Reasons to be cheerful No.4

2009-03-06T09:46:00.002Z

a new china brooch

dust free pretty china

freshly cleaned in honour of spring

thanks mum x

Reasons to be cheerful No.3

2009-02-26T13:33:00.003Z

Junk Stall Treasure = £7.50

Reasons to be cheerful No.2

2009-02-24T09:45:00.004Z

spring flowers

my first attempt at crochet

now I just need to go shopping for yarn !

reasons to be cheerful No.1

2009-02-23T11:01:00.007Z

Now, I'm not normally one for lots of beauty products and smellies, but I am a sucker for pretty packaging, and when I came across the new Boots Original Beauty Formula Range, I just couldn't resist making a couple of purchases. The range is inspired by the original 18th century Boots formulas, and come the most gorgeous packaging, with glass jars and bottles, and vintage letterpress style labels. Not only do they look good on the outside, but I was impressed with the amount of natural ingredients used.

I managed to restrain myself to just two items, the Geranium Cleansing Milk and Damask Rose Skin Tonic, and have spring cleaned my bathroom shelve in honour of the new arrivals. But I am still lusting after the Rose Vanishing Cream, Rose Cold Cream (just for the names) Bergamot Overnight Skin Cream and the Bergamot & Clary Sage Bath Foam, which smells divine!

Doily Love

2009-02-06T15:15:00.000Z

my doily curtain, they're only pinned on, I haven't got round to sewing them yet, but they look so pretty when the morning sun comes shining through.

Sorry about the dark pictures, but it's a very grey day today in essex.

Have a happy weekend whatever you're up to.

I'm going to start it at about 4 o'clock, over at my neighbour's house. The children will play and have dinner and we will have wine and crisps!

excuse my hyperventilating....

2009-01-28T19:19:00.007Z

I have just come across the newly updated Cath Kidston site, and here are just a few of my favourites.....

and I which bag? Decisions, decisions.............

and apparently there's more - lots of "coming soon....."'s, the anticipation is killing me, I need some vallium or something, it's like I've had a major sugar rush!

they need to get a new web designer though, lots of cock-ups, just to name a few, they have a mother's bag in the new spray flowers design priced up at £0.00, which will go in the your shopping trolley (didn't have the guts to check it out though), and a picture of a blue polka dot bag instead of what's meant to be a blue rose blanket?!?!

Floral beauties

2009-01-27T09:29:00.006Z

Finally some decent light as arrived in my neck of the woods, so I thought I show off some of my newest pretties.

newly arrived carved rose cabochons from here

gorgeous Christmas presents from my family......

a lovely nest of tins from my brother

a beautiful CK box file from my sister

and the prettiest floral oil painting from my parents

two of my favourite recent thrifty finds......

this white linen embroidered table cloth with wide cotton lace edging in lovely condition for £2.50.

and this dinky little souvenir jug "A Present from Brighton" for 50p

and last but not least, my new favourite mug, dainty design, but large enough for a decent dose of tea.

Recovering from chaos

2009-01-12T10:10:00.006Z

This is the view from my window where I sit at my computer.
Back in October my father-in-law came to live with us, and up until the end of last week he was staying in ~~my sewing room~~ our spare bedroom while the ~~junk storage facility~~ outbuilding in our garden was converted in to a little annex for him to live in. In between then and now we have been living in chaos. Things that originally had homes have been been displaced, some outside under tarpulins, some just sitting about with no place to go.

My dining table hasn't been used for dining in a long while.

My garden has all been dug up with a digger, all my plants gone, to make way for new pipework.

the old boiler had to go, it finally gave up the ghost, and has left us with a unplastered patch in the kitchen and a load of new pipes that need to be boxed in.

But on the brightside we now have a central heating back which has been lovely, especially with this recent cold snap.

So now the big reshuffle must begin, it is time to find all things homeless a new place to reside, and restore some order to our home. Wish me Luck!

Happy New Year To Everyone!

2008-12-31T14:32:00.003Z

warm wishes to all for the New Year ahead.

Library Love

2008-10-28T18:22:00.008Z

I have recently discovered a new way to curb my online shopping habit, and since I know a lot of you are trying to cut back, I thought I might share it with you, although I'm probably one of the last to catch on.

I don't know if anyone else does the same, I window shop online. I go on to Cath Kidston, Cox & Cox, or Amazon just to name a few, and add everything I would like into the shopping basket, only to never check it out, or delete most of it till I'm left with a bill a lot more affordable.

So it was on one of these imaginary shopping trips on Amazon, and with a rather long list of wishes, that I suddenly thought, why don't see if have any at the library, so I phoned.
My first request - did they have anything by Cath Kidston? The answer - no not here, but there is one due back soon at another library, and apparently could order it to arrive at my local library when it was available, for the cost of £1 per item, or, and this was the best bit - I could do it online for free! Yipee!

Previously, although I've been a member of the library since I was a child, and later renewed an interested when Ella was born, I have struggled with them. I used to go in and just browse, and although I generally came out with something, it usually wasn't what I was looking for, mainly because someone else had checked it out already or it wasn't where it should be, so my trips to the library were normally time consuming, and involved late fees too as I was pretty crap at remembering to take things back in time.

But all this has changed, I log into my county council's ELAN catalogue online using my card number and password, and I can search for a book, dvd, or cd that I'm after, and in one click I can reserve it, even if they don't have a copy at my own library, and have it sent to the library of my choice, and then they send me a text message (or phone call or email - so you need to let them know your number or address) when it's available for me to collect, I go in, and it is sitting on the reserved shelf with my name wrapped round it, and that's it. quick, simple, easy. I can also renew them online, review my reservations, and see when they are due back.

So now I have this lovely lot for three weeks, I have been adding to my iTunes library for £1 an album, and for another £1.50 I can keep dvd for a week, much better than one night from the video shop (which, incidently, I haven't used for a year due to a £7 late charge because I forgot to take two dvd's back the next day). Ok, I know you can't get the lastest releases as quick as the shops, but I managed to reserve the first copy of Sex And The City, the movie last month before it arrived at the library, so I was the first to get it.

I'm sure there are plenty of you that have been using the library online for years, so forgive me if I'm recounting old news, but I'm sure that there are still some of you, like me, that had forgotten to use this resource, and the excitement of recieving a text to say something has arrived for me is just as good as a new parcel from posty.

Yesterday morning in the garden, I couldn't resist getting the camera for this blue sky

the back door

newly planted window boxes to colour my winter months

Now you are five

2008-10-16T18:21:00.006+01:00

As usual, it's late, but last thursday, my beautiful daughter turned five.

Unlike some mothers, I don't feel sad that my baby isn't a baby anymore, I do look back with fond memories of her as that little bundle, but I also relish the time now in the present, when she is turning into an an 'actual' person, with her own ideas and views, and every week, if not day, she surprises me (in a good way) with something she draws or says.

Nowadays, she can almost match me in the stroppiness stakes, which can be a little unnerving sometimes, but even if we disagree on somethings, I understand why she feels the way she does, it can't be easy having to do everything that someone else tells you to all the time.

That's not to say that we fight all the time, actually when ever we are out and about, people always compliment me and her on her behaviour, and say what a sweet intelligent little girl she is.

of course, I know all this and more, she is my most special person in the world.

and when I feel sad with myself that I have lost my patience and shouted at her too quickly, or fobbed her off with the excuse 'in a minute' for too long, I will always remember a thing she said not too long ago, when I was telling her that she should listen to Danny when he told her how to behave. "but Mummy" she said "you're a much better boss than Daddy is." Now I know that really she apprieciates my 'guidance', and I don't feel so bad.

To my darling Ella, I love you so much, and I can't wait to see how much more you have grown as a person this time next year, and to find out the wonderful things you have achieved in your 5th year.

It's been a while......

2008-09-08T09:02:00.005+01:00

.....but I've finally managed to break the blogger's block and take the plunge again. My unexplained absence has not been on purpose, I have on several occasions sat down at my laptop with good intentions, only to be distracted by some other job, or request asked of me.

The last two weeks have been particularly hectic, what with Danny's Aunt and Cousin from New Zealand staying with us, and Ella's first week at school. I enjoyed having them to stay, they were really lovely, and we had a great time, but now they are making their way home, and I have dropped Ella off to school this morning, I feel I can change gear, take a sigh of......relief ??? No, not relief, but maybe just sit down and exhale, I don't know how to put it into words, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

Since I've been away I have been given some awards, and recieved a giveaway.
So here are some long overdue thank you's. First to Cathy at Pink Green for my 'Brillante Weblog' and 'You make my day' award, and also to Marie at Dreaming of Wild Roses for another 'Brilliante Weblog' award, thank you both so much, it's lovely to know that anyone likes to read my ramblings, let alone recieving an award for them.
I had such a lovely surprise in the post a couple of weeks ago, when I recieved my Pay It Forward giveaway from Steph at Curlew Country sent me a handmade lampshade cover, made in the most gorgeous fabric from Louise Loves, wrapped in some beautiful CK 'birds' tissue paper (which I have saved of course!) and a sweet little wooden polka dot heart tag, which I think may have come from the talented Catherine of Mollycupcakes. Thank you!!!

On to my little girl and of course a photo in her first school uniform....

After some pictures outside she asked 'mummy can you get some pictures of me reading'

I managed to make her a bag for her P.E. kit the day before she started, and just managed to finish appliqueing her name on that evening, a bit of a labour of love, mind you it was worth it just to see Ella's reaction, she said 'mummy, you make me such beautiful things' (I imagine it will come home at half term covered in mud!)

Finally here is one of my very favourite purchases of this summer, this beautiful tiered skirt made by the very talented Beata of Rosehip

garden party love

2008-07-26T01:04:00.009+01:00

I've been meaning to upload these photo's for a couple of weeks, but as usual, I keep getting sidetracked. The other weekend we had a family gathering at 'The Mill', my mother's family home, and still home to my grandmother and mother's brother.
You see the Mill is actually a real, still working flour mill that is in Ponder's End (located in between Enfield and Chingford) on the River Lea. It is the family business and has been for 140 years, and the Mill itself is even mentioned in the Doomsday Book, if you are interested you can read more about it here (if you do read it Ken was my grandfather and David who is in charge now is my uncle.)

You may have seen our bread and cake mixes in you supermarket (Wright's) we also make the own brand flour for Waitrose and Budgens and Warburtons (also a long standing family run business) use our flour to make their bread. If you watched 'The Great British Menu' last year One of the chefs from the South East choose our Sungold Pastry Flour to make shortbread for his dessert.

More than anything the Mill is full of lovely childhood memories for me. Since my mother was a girl there has been a swimming pool there, and I have fond memories of garden parties we had when I was a child, when all us cousins would clamber out of the swimming pool all shivers and goosebumps, wrap up in towels and feast on doorstep sized jam sandwiches made from Mimi's (my grandmother) homemade rasberry jam and freshly baked bread from from the test bakery.

We where lucky with the weather (as alway's with Mimi's garden parties) and it was a beautiful day, as always she took me on a tour round the walled garden

wouldn't it be lovely to have agreen house/potting shed like this...

on the way to vegetable patch, I managed to acquire some beetroot and a recipe for pickling them!

and this the window of a little out building, used buy my mother before and after my birth, as her pottery.

A glimpse of the River Lea, where the Mill would have originally got it's power from.

Finally, on a slighty less picturesque note, it's amazing what can happen after a few glasses of wine, and with the help of a highlighter pen, a uv light and few cousins.

Lucky number 18

2008-07-08T11:20:00.004+01:00

After giving everyone who entered the giveaway a number, and asking Ella to choose one, the winner is number 18, Cathy of Pink Green, Congratulations!

I will be sending of your surprise package off very soon, (please email your address!).

But please remember that everyone who entered the giveaway will receive a little token of thanks, so if you haven't already, please email me your postal address via the email contacts link on my 'about me' blog profile so I can pop it in the post (including Alison of So Tread Softly who kindly said not to worry about sending her anything as she lives in NZ, don't worry I'll send something light!)

ISFJ?

2008-07-04T14:00:00.002+01:00

So this is my personality. I would agree with most points, but I definately don't think I could take the pressure of being a chef, and I don't always get things done on time, maybe in the nick of time!

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer

You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal.

A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways.

In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music.

You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for.

In love, you express your emotions through actions.

Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well!

At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time.

You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

Seaside love

2008-06-30T08:01:00.009+01:00

It's been a while but I have finally got round to uploading my photos of southwold, unfortunately about half are missing. I took them using my mum's camera, (because the battery pack in mine isn't holding it's charge anymore, and is always switching off) but when I put the SD card back into mine when I got home, they seemed to have disappeared, and they aren't on my mum's camera either.

I have finally given in to getting a new camera, so after a bit of blog and review reading, I have made my choice, and hopefully it is winging it's way to me as we speak, yippie!

But in the meantime here are some lovely beachy pictures from beautiful southwold....

I loved this one, someone had their children (or grandchildren) waving from a window painted on the wooden shutters of theirs.

We couldn't keep Ella out of the sea, although she never went in deeper than bottom level, we all had a paddle too, But Danny won the award for bravery (or stupidity) and had a rather chilly evening swim after too many pints of Broadside in the Nelson!

These are my lovely things that I brought home with me, some lovely stripey towels in pink/white and blue/white, two new baskets, the shopper was £11 and Dad bought me the lovely green one (such a lovely shade of green) for my vegetable patch (it's available online from Garden Trading if you fallen it love with it like I did and at a reasonable £13.50)

I couldn't resist this pretty rose enamel basin, although I'm struggling to find a place or use for it, as Danny keeps reminding me.

and here are some beach finds, (apart from the shell) a piece of wood, painted a pretty shade of pale blue, two stones with a hole right through, they are supposed to be lucky so I'm told......

as well as these lovely weathered bricks, they crop up all over the beach, I wonder where they came from, and what they used to be?

In keeping with this post's seaside theme, I've recently discovered a lovely new blog called driftwood shack, so if your hankering after some more seaside love, pop over and say hi.

Finally, thank you to all of you that have entered my blogiversary giveaway, I will be announcing the winner on friday, but remember, everyone who entered is a runner up and gets a little present so please email your addresses via the link on my 'about me' profile, so I can start sending your little packages!

Happy Blogging Birthday To Me!

2008-06-13T16:53:00.006+01:00

x

Well to be truthful it was actually yesterday, but things have been busy this week (more later).

So in true blogging style we have cupcakes to celebrate, and a giveaway, Yea!

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I started this little blog, and I'm so glad I did, I've got to know some lovely people, and made some lovely blogging friends who share my passion for "others people's old crap" as my husband calls it, my love of making and painting things, and all the other nice things in my life, as well as inspiring me and cheering me up with your lovely comments when I'm feeling low.
I still feel real excitement when I check my inbox and see that someone has left me a comment. Although over time my posts have been become less frequent (after the initial buzz of having a new blog) I still love my little blog and appreciate every little comment that anyone makes, even if I don't get time to answer them all (or if I forget!)
Thank you so much to all of you that have visited me from the beginning of my blogging days, and to all of the new people that pop by too.

So to show my thanks I am holding a giveaway, but with a difference, there will be one main winner, but everyone who leaves a comment will receive a little token of thanks, it could be some ribbon or lace, some bits of fabric, a handmade card, or something else, who knows!

The main winner will receive a larger package, stuffed with some fabric, vintage buttons, ribbon and lace, perhaps a pretty vintage cup and saucer and some other little treasures that I can lay my hands on.

All you have to do to enter is to tell me what your favourite colour is, and tell me about one of your most favourite things that you have in that colour. If that makes sense!

Now, I have to show you some of my latest treasures........

My latest haul from the lady with the junk stall at the Saturday market in town, you have to look hard because most of it is a bit grubby, the candlestick holder was really dirty and covered in old wax but it scrubbed up lovely, along with the three pretty floral ceramic brooches.
The embroidered picture was a great find but was in a falling apart dodgy black plastic frame with a very dirty mount, here I've already put it in new frame and mount from the hardware shop, which has now been painted in ivory.

Next is my latest charity shop finds, all vintage cotton pillowcases, on different days, in different shops, but for the grand total of £4.45

These were the first £1.95 for a pair of pink candy stripe with a ruffly edge.

Next where a pair of white cotton housewife pillowcases with a pretty hand embroidered edge for £1.25

and finally a pair of white cotton square oxford pillowcases dotted with little embroidered blue roses for £1.25

all in mint condition without any stains, you can imagine my joy, all I need now is some square pillows to put the blue rose pillowcase on! I am doubly pleased as well, because charity shop finds are becoming very thin on the ground in my neck of the woods, and often when you do find them they are a bit overpriced for my liking.

Oh....I almost forgot, the reason for me being rather busy this week is my new project, on Monday I was chatting to my neighbour over the garden fence about the fact that I was keen to start a vegetable patch (spurred by recent TV chefs that shall remain nameless, as I'm sure you know who I mean) but due to long waiting lists for the council' s allotments and the restricted space in my garden I wasn't having much luck.

Anyway she mentioned that a while back she used have a vegetable patch towards the back of our other neighbour's (86 yr-old Joe) rather large garden, but after an operation a couple of years back she gave it up, but she was now keen to start again. So later that day she had a word with Joe, as she knew he was having trouble up keeping what was grass and hedge, and so in return for keeping the back of the garden tidy, and a few vegetables once they are grown I am now the proud owner of a plot.

So this whole week has been spent clearing the long grass and brambles, digging new beds, huffing and puffing, and constructing wooden frames to create two neat beds of my very own, I'm so pleased, and even more pleased I did all the back braking work to get them!

It has been a bit of a race against time, because as you will probably know if you are a veg grower, it's a bit late in the season, so time is of the essence to get some use out of it this year.

Also, tomorrow we are off to Southwold for the weekend. Mum and Dad have rented a house there for two weeks right on the sand dunes next to the beach (and it's got a verandah!), and we are to be the first of their many guests. So Lily is being bundled off for her first stay in kennels, and the car is already loaded up with buckets and spades, balls, picnic paraphernalia, polka dot windbreak, and clothes for all weathers (the forecast hasn't been great, but that won't dampen my spirits, we will cook sausages on the beach!) So wish me luck, and fingers crossed it doesn't rain too much!

four years ago.....

2008-06-05T22:03:00.004+01:00

Danny and I got married, it was a very 'homemade' wedding, I made the invitations, Mum and I bought and arranged the flowers the day before the wedding (luckily the man had plenty of Peonies), the food was a typically English buffet, with coronation chicken, plenty of salads, cold beef and ham, salmon, strawberries, meringues, cream, and chocolate torte all made by myself, mum, my sister, my grandmother and Danny's brother.

Phillippa made us a gorgeous wedding cake similar to one I had seen in a magazine, with beautifully made pink sugar roses in between the layers (I shall have to find a photo). We had the reception in the evening in a marquee in Mum and Dad's garden decorated with fairy lights and plenty of tea lights inside and out and the luckily although it had rained a couple of days before, we had lovely weather.

I'm so glad that I chose Peonies for the flowers, because they are only really around for June, and so it's always just before our anniversary that I see them in the florists, and I can't resist buying a bunch!

The only thing I regret about our 'homespun' wedding is that we didn't get a proper photographer. Although everyone took photo's at the wedding, and gave them to us, with all the commotion getting everything ready in the marquee before everyone arrived we forgot to take photos of everything laid out beautifully before it had been 'trashed'

I love this photo of Ella at our feet, see was six months old when we got married and I was still breast feeding her! She slept throughout the evening reception, but when we got back to the hotel she wouldn't go back to sleep, so she kept us up all night. At 6 in the morning Danny got up and took her to his mum's who lived round the corner just so we could get some sleep!

This was taken at the reception towards the end of night after plenty to drink and lots of dancing looking slightly dishevelled. I think it was one of the rare points that night that we were together, we spent so much time making sure we spoke to everyone there and thanked them for coming and for bringing presents, that the evening went so quickly!
So to anyone reading this who helped out with our day, thank you so much, it was such a lovely party, and we couldn't have done it without you!

Bottling Spring

2008-06-03T11:32:00.003+01:00

Last weekend on the way to Mum and Dad's I noticed the elderflowers where out, and when we arrived I announced that I want to make elderflower cordial or as Ella has now dubbed it "flower juice", so after the rain had subsided Mum, Ella and I put our wellies on, grabbed a basket and a pair or scissors and set out foraging for elders in flower, and within our reach.

Due to the fact this had been a rather off the cuff, must do it right now, urge to create, make or cook something, I hadn't actually looked up any elderflower cordial recipes so I was unaware:

No.1 How many or much elderflower heads we needed

No.2 that you are supposed to collect the elderflower heads on a sunny day when their pollen is most strongly perfumed

No.3 what other ingredients are needed.

We decided that the more elderflowers the better and managed to gather a huge amount (rather too much as I discovered later) and I have say, it was almost worth it just to be able to put your nose in that basket and draw in all that beautiful scent.

When I got back home that sunday evening I got straight on t'internet and after some research discovered that I needed more sugar than I had, more lemons that I had, and some citric acid, which I didn't have any of! So back in the car for a quick trip to the co-op where I managed to get lemons, sugar, but not surprisingly they didn't have any citric acid. Not to be defeated I decided to make it anyway, citric acid or no citric acid.

If you search elderflower cordial on google lots of different recipes come up, and all of them are slightly different (amount of lemons to citric acid, and amount of time you leave the infusion to steep) but in the end I chose this one, doubled the quantity, and added the citric acid to the mixture the next day when I had managed to track some down from my local hardware shop that sells wine making stuff. (If you are looking for citric acid you might be able to get some from your pharmacy).

It made five bottles, one of which is already finished, and one now on the go and one gifted to my mother. I used two plastic bottles which I didn't sterilize, but used these first and kept them refrigerated, and three glass bottles, which I sterilized using the tips in the recipe I have linked to above.

Apart from sourcing the citric acid it was really easy to do, and apart from the boiling water and bottling it's a good recipe to make with children (Ella loved it that we made 'juice' from flowers that we picked from a tree in the hedgerow of a field, and she loves drinking the end result!)

Pretty things

2008-05-28T16:02:00.005+01:00

I found some lovely things for the website in the last couple of weeks, and have managed to upload a few things in the last few days. Here is a sneeky peek.

I think this embroidered pyjama case is so cute, I almost didn't part with it, but I can't keep everything I buy, Danny would soon put a stop to that.

I have found a few bits of violet china recently, including this espresso cup & saucer which is one of a pair, a matching sugar bowl, and this pretty milk jug below, I just love the gilded pattern printed over the top.

There is a few rose tea sets one for two, one for four, and one for six people, so the choice is yours.

and one of my particular favourites at the moment is this gorgeous embroidered petite point floral hand bag, with a gold tone frame, set with what looks like a jade finial and tiny enamel flowers and lined with oyster coloured silk satin.

All of these are on the website now, along with a few more new things, so pop over and have a look, the link is in my sidebar.

Oh what a beautiful day...

2008-05-09T13:10:00.006+01:00

Frilly tulips...

Pretty forget-me-nots

This striking little fellow

does anyone know what it's called?

one of my car boot treasures, 20p unfortunately it has a hairline crack, and no saucer, but it is so beautifully delicate and hand-painted too, if you look carefully you can see the tiny brushstrokes.

The perfect lunch on a warm sunny day

I made this simple pasta sauce from a tin of sainsburys taste the difference cherry tomatoes (49p a tin) that I discovered the over day, a little bit more expensive than your bog standard tinned tomatoes, but definately worth the extra.
I made it with what I had left over in the fridge and what I had in the garden so very cheap and low effort.

1. simmer the tin of tomatoes on the hob with a few sprigs of thyme (or basil, parsley, oregano what ever you have in the garden) and a 1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves for about 10 mins, stirring occasionally, and squashing some the tomatoes with the back of the spoon if you want.

2. stir in about a tablespoon of low fat creme fraiche (if you have it) to thicken the sauce a little (although the sauce in the tin is quite thick already) season to taste, and heat through for a further 5 mins.

3. tip the sauce into the pan of cooked and drained pasta and stir through coating the pasta, letting it sit for a minute or two allowing it to soak up some of the sauce.

4. serve in a bowl crumbling over some feta or goats cheese (or grated Parmesan, what ever you have in the fridge really) sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves (or other fresh herb), bit of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil if your feeling a bit like Jamie.

5. Crack open a bottle of chilled white wine!

I would say this would do two generous bowls of pasta, but for more, just double the quantity.

Craft Fair Fun

2008-05-02T11:35:00.003+01:00

As promised here are some pictures of my stall at the craft fair, we where so lucky with the weather, I even got burnt!
I didn't make an absolute fortune, but I did make enough to make it worth my while, and it was such a lovely afternoon.

Mum came and provide transport there in the form of her old volvo estate (which is as old as my soon to be 21 year old sister, but it's still going!) and she kept Ella amused all day, there was also another little girl there, and they spent most of the day playing together, pestering the shop cat, and eating the cupcakes provide for customers! I must say, I was very proud, as lots of people came up to me and said how well behaved she was (shame she's not like that at home!)

As I said it was a beautiful day, and there was steady stream of customers, so It had been well advertised, although buying was a bit slow, and some people hadn't brought any cash.
I'm not sure what it would be like if it's raining on the day as it outdoor and there is no cover provided, I'm booked for the next one on Saturday May 31st, so fingers crossed it doesn't rain next time either.
Even though buying was slow, I still managed to take home £76, also I had invited a few family and friends who turned up through out the day to break things up a bit, and one customer even asked to take a picture of my stall, which was very complimentary

It was lovely to meet some other bloggers and etsy sellers there too, Piccolo, Lottie Frank, and Cheeky Leopard

I had asked Sophie at Sophie Stansfield Designs if I could take some of her super cute jars filled with felt 'sugar cookies' as I thought they would look lovely on the stall. They were very well received and I managed to sell a couple of jars, and lots of people took her moo cards home with them, so I hope she might get a few orders in the next few weeks.

I love this picture of Ella, even though she is scoffing her face with yet more junk!

Catching up

2008-04-29T11:46:00.006+01:00

I can't believe it's been over 3 weeks since I last posted, It's not has if I have had nothing to talk about. In the last few weeks I went to Ardingly Antiques Fair, been to several birthday parties, had my twenty-fifth birthday (and got some lovely presents!) and done my first craft fair, so I have lots of lovely things to show you.

Here are my purchases from Ardingly....

Some very useful folding steps for £15, I'm debating whether to give them a padded oilcloth seat so I can use it as a stool as well, what do you think? to cover or not to cover?

This lovely floral enamel bucket I got for £6 after a little haggling

A biscuit tin for a £1, you can't beat a pretty tin

and finally this pair beautiful french marble-topped pot cupboards for either side of my bed, bought as a birthday present for me from my wonderful and very generous parents, thank you mum and dad xxx

I had been looking for a pair of bargain bedside tables for a while now, something elegant, not too chunky, but not too flouncy either, but to no avail, even the re-pros are expensive, and the cheaper ones, the ones with the fretwork design are a little too small, and not very sturdy.

So when mum and dad took me to Ardingly for a birthday outing I was determined to find a couple of nice ones, not necessarily matching, but similar in size.
3 1/2 hours later I was beginning to give up hope as I still hadn't found anything quite right, and at 2pm all the stall holders seemed to have decided to go home early and where slowly packing up. Feeling a slight panic rising in me that I had come all the way down to Surrey for this huge fair and I was only going to be going home with a bucket and a biscuit tin, I stepped up the pace, and I discovered the lovely steps from a very nice lady who knocked a fiver off the price, oh well I thought, maybe it wasn't meant to be, I turned around to look for mum and dad, only to discover these pair of perfect tables. Bracing myself for disappointment, I asked the man how much they where, £250 for the pair - he said, I said - I only have £180 left, he made a call to his man in charge, and eventually said I could take them for £180. Now I had to think - this was much more than I wanted to pay for my bedside tables, but on the other hand they where 1920's, french (with makers label still in the drawer), marble-topped in pale grey, one still had the original enamel pot liner in the cupboard, and they where matching. I decided it was much better to spend £180 on a pair of well-made original tables, than spending £100-£120 on a pair of poorer quality re-pros that might not stand the test of time. I think I made the right decision.

The only thing I wasn't keen on was the buttermilk cream colour they had been painted in, it just didn't go with the pale grey marble, so I went out the next day and bought a pot of pale grey paint, I given them one coat and they look much better, so I will show you an after photo when I get the next coat on.

Well that went on a bit, I shall post some photos of the craft fair, and my birthday presents in the next couple of days to break things up a bit.

Sometimes it snows in april

2008-04-07T08:43:00.014+01:00

But it's nice to be cosy indoors with a cup of tea....

This week I'll be busy uploading this lot onto the website....

lots of pretty floral china, waiting patiently to grace someones dresser

I also wanted to show you some books.....

the one on the right I bought from Ella's nursery, because last year my mother gave me the one on the left. It was my great grandmothers, and she owned it in 1916

The new version is very funny, and makes me giggle out loud when I read it, so if you come across it (I got it from The Book People for £4) I would definitely recommend it.
I just wanted to show the the preface from the book on the left, published in 1914.....

"If this book had been written many years ago it would have contained more pages about needlework and fewer about out-of-door exercises. Each year, however, shows how fallacious are those no more conventional notions concerning the limitations of women, for men are being eclipsed from time to time, not only in the examination room, but even in the field, upon what they had considered hitherto to be their own ground.

How gracefully and well does a woman ride a bicycle usually; how hump-backed and ungainly do most men appear upon the same machine! Moreover, girls do not throw away the good they have won on the hockey field, and in the swimming bath, by imbibing whiskey and other absurd concoctions, crowding into hot billiard rooms and bar parlours. Thus it is easy to see even now as we walk along the streets how girls and women are surpassing boys and men in carriage, health and intellect.

It has not been possible in this book to exhaust all the subjects that have beeen mentioned, but intelligent girls, having selected their hobbies, will find means to purse them beyond the limit which space has imposed upon us in these pages."

I don't know about you, but I was surprised how forward thinking it was!

I have recently received a couple of lovely packages that I wanted to show off.
I won this gorgeous little needlecase in a giveaway over at Florence Hope, thank you very much Ladies!

and this morning postie brought me this lovely package from Beata at Rosehip, I'm so chuffed I managed to get this one from her Etsy shop, as they where selling like hot cakes, and each one was bought up as soon as she listed them! I was determined to get one made with this pretty floral fabric - just by chance, does anyone know where I can buy this fabric from, or what it's name is?

Finally I thought I'd let you know that I am going to be at the East London Craft Guerrilla Craft Fair in Walthamstow Village on 26th April so if your about, come on down.

A little bit of feel good.......

2008-03-29T17:04:00.004Z

Ok....I know I've been a little bit lazy on the blogging front lately, with my own, and everybody elses.

I blame it on bloglines, I haven't worked out how to comment on the new posts unless I click through to the actual blog.
I tend to think, just a quick read, then I'll pop back later and leave a comment (like taking a sneaky spoonful of the dinner, before it's actually served) but mostly that never happens.
I'm a bit crap at text messages and emails too, I do the same thing, read it, and then think, I answer back in a minute, but that minute passes, and turns into and an hour, day, or even week....
Is anyone else afflicted by this disorder, or is it just me?

So sorry everyone, for being a crap blogger.... I promise I will be posting something with lots of photos, some news maybe, and just a bit of general waffle if you can bear anymore!

But in the meantime just one more lazy post please...!!!!!!

I am currently grooving to this by Jamie Lidell, who my sister introduced me to on youtube last weekend. Who'd of thought that this voice could come out of this man?

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T11:16:00.001Z

cheek to cheek

2008-03-15T08:16:00.005Z

On my kitchen window sill I have some very cute miniature 'tete a tete' narcissus, so called because they have two or three flowers per stem that like this...

and so whenever I'm washing up at the sink and gazing out of the window, watching them bobbing about in the breeze (or gale force wind this week!) I can't help humming this song to myself.....

and the winner is........

2008-03-12T07:43:00.003Z

Picked by random number generator.......

:::::::::::::Miss Sew n Sew:::::::::::::::

Congratulations! please email me your address via the link on my blogger profile, and I will send you out your little jug with a few little extra surprises.

Nice Jugs!

2008-03-01T08:22:00.008Z

I don't know about you, but I can't resist a nice jug. As Dorcas says in Larkrise to Candleford, "they are my one weakness".
After finding a lovely glass jug (perfect for Pimms!) for £2 in the charity shop the other day, I decided to gather up my ever increasing collection to see how much I already had. (they are deceptively dotted around the house in various locations in the hope that Danny won't notice any new additions, and instigate a jug ban!)

As you can see, there seems to be a blue theme.

Then the next day, at my first car boot sale of the year, this beauty caught my eye. I clocked it as soon as I arrived, but since I had recently discoverd how many jugs I actually had, I managed to refrain myself. Only when we had finished going round, and mum and I where making our way back to the car did I give in, and for the grand total of £1, I'm so glad I bought it love it more each day, it's lovely colour and the bow is so pretty!

So in the spirit of 'Jug Love' I'm having a giveaway, in which you can win this pretty little miniature one (below), along with a few other little surprises I can lay my hands on. All you need to do is leave a comment by next sunday (9th) and the winner will picked at random and announced on the monday.

P.S. I hope you all had a lovely Mother's day! I did, I got a homemade card from Ella, and we went to Mum and Dad's for sunday lunch where we had Jamie's slow cooked lamb, and a Victoria sponge sandwiched with rasberry jam, fresh rasberries, and double cream made by me and inspired by the one Kelly made for her hubby's birthday.

Feburary sun

2008-02-19T07:52:00.010Z

I managed to get some photos taken yesterday afternoon, I decided to take them outside as we've been having some beautiful weather here, crisp frosty mornings slowly warming into bright sunny afternoons. I have four of the vintage embriodered cushions to go for sale on the website each with the same floral design, but in slighty different colours, two large (20"x20") of the Green Gate Filippa fabric with ric-rac and pom-pom trim, and two 18"x18" in Cath Kidston Boat Fabric with blue and white pom-pom trim, hopefully they will be available to buy on the website at the end of the week, if I can get my finger out.

While taking the photo's I decided to put in a pretty book, which later got me wondering where I could find other books with pretty covers, and I tried to do some research on the internet, but couldn't find anything. I want to find some more books with pretty covers, the ones that I have already are 'Apples for Jam' by Tessa Kiros and 'Minus nine to one' by Jools Oliver. Have any of you noticed the pretty book they use in their displays at Ikea, I think it has pink roses all over it, everytime I go there I wish I could buy one, but they are display only, I can't remember the tile either, but I think it's Scandinavian, if anyone knows what it's called could you let me know? Also if anyone knows of any others could you let me know?

Last week, Mum brought me a pretty lace doily when she came over, which she thought I could make something out of, but the other day I held it up at the window with the sun streaming through, and it looked lovely, so I pinned it to the window frame, and it's been there ever since. I took these photos yesterday because it was making such a delicately beautiful shadow on to the linen curtains.

lovely

2008-02-14T20:03:00.003Z

Just to wish you all a lovely valentines day, whether your going out somewhere nice or just snuggling on the sofa with a bottle of wine and something chocolatey.

I've just started trying out embroidery and I did this poem a few weeks ago to make into something for valentines day, but due to the unexpected holiday it got forgotten, never mind there's always next year!

I've finally finished some lovely new cushions created from vintage embroidered linens that I mentioned a few weeks ago, and hopefully tomorrow I will get the chance to photograph them so you can take a peek.

back home

2008-02-10T13:11:00.000Z

Feeling slighty refreshed, but dreading the backlog of work the week off has created, I have lots to catch up with - work-wise, and what you've all been up to while I've been away, which is a lot according to bloglines!

Thank you for kind comments while I've been away, and for those who asked, we went to Feurteventura, not my first choice to be quite honest, as I'm not really a sunbather - I burn too easily, and apart from sunbathing there's not much else to do, but I got a lot of reading done!

winter sun

2008-01-28T22:02:00.000Z

It's a bit hectic at the moment, Danny booked a very last minute holiday last week (without telling me!) and so I'm busy packing, checking everything at least 4 times, and tying up loose ends before we leave home on tuesday evening to drop Lily off at Mum and Dad's, stay the night and leave for the airport at 4am wednesday morning, oh the joys of airport check in times!

I will try and get hold of an internet connection while we're away, but in the meantime please forgive me for my lack of communication recently, I will be back home next thursday to visit all of your blogs and catch up with what you've all been up to.

You can still order from the website while I'm away, but unfortunately, I will not be able to dispatch your order until 7th Feb when I get back.

Reasons to be happy........

2008-01-22T18:39:00.001Z

My most recent bargain buy...
7 of these beautiful bowls for £1.50!

My first bunch of spring flowers this year...

Turning a selection of vintage embroideries into cushions for the website.....

Being awarded this by Steph @ Curlew Country

Thanks, Steph I'm dead chuffed, and now I'm supposed to tell you 7 weird things about me, so here it goes......

1) I hate just doing a bodge job, whether I'm cooking a meal, decorating, sewing, making a picnic, I like to do everything properly, and get annoyed if I can't. It's all or nothing for me unless I've had a drink, then I'm a bit more chilled out!

2) Despite my slightly perfectionist tendencies, I still have millions of unfinished projects on the go, and I hate hoovering, ironing, and dusting, (I keep telling myself I have better things to do, like blogging, sewing, cooking, shopping, working) I tend to let things build up and have a major blitz every month, I have to be cross to tidy!

3) Although I love magazines, I have never bought a OK, Hello, Heat, or any of the many fortnightly magazines (can't think of any more titles), I'm not remotely interested in how thin, or how much weight a 'celeb' has put on, or what their wedding was like.

4) Before I started blogging, I thought that I was a bit strange, enjoying sewing, charity shops, stroking beautiful fabrics, cooking and baking, but now I found so many new blogging chums who enjoy the same things, and I can share my lastest bargain or project with, thank you!

5) 6 years ago I think everyone who knew me would have never believed I would have had a baby at 20, I was never a great fan of babies and children, and I was always thought of as one of the 'clever' ones. But it was a bit of a surprise when it happened, and although it wasn't the best time in my life to have a child, it was with someone I had a loving relation with, and we were already engaged, so I decided to become a mother, and though it's difficult at times (being a young mother, and having no previous career as such after college) it was probably one of the best decisions I've made.

6) I hate doughnuts filled with jam or custard, although I like the little ones with holes you get freshly made at the seaside.

7)I love and have a very diverse taste in music, and when I was younger I knew the words to all the songs. But after having a baby, my ability to remember lyrics has been stilted, and I often get them wrong when I'm singing along, like my mum does, which make my sister giggle. You truly do lose part of your brain when you have a baby!

Well now it's my turn to nominate 7 other bloggers for the award, so I have to find some of you that haven't already won it.

Katy @ I'm A Ginger Monkey
Mia @ Mias Landliv
Zia @ Ziakoko
Gisela @ Titel
Outi @ White Country
Kelly @ Notes From My Nest
Jo @ French Knots

Not a good start (do not read if you have weak stomach)

2008-01-18T13:55:00.000Z

Today didn't start very nicely.

I came downstairs this morning to find Lily (the dog) vomiting all over the place, and when I phoned Danny (he gets up earlier than me and leaves for work at 6.30) he told me that when he came down in the morning there was a trail of vomit all the way from the back door to the cupboard under the stairs (where he keeps his mucky work clothes) which he had cleared up.
So at 9am, when she was still being sick (no food just slimey yellow bile and specks of blood, yuk!) I decided to ring the vet, (mainly because I was worried that she might have eaten a dead poisoned rat, which she has done before, and I have had a couple of rat sightings in the garden in the last couple of months, and so have the neighbours) the vets told me I should bring her in for an examination, just to be on the safe side.

So I bundle her into the car, with a couple of towels for emergency mopping up, and her looking mournful on the front seat. But when we arrive at the vets she seems to have perked up, wagging her tail at everyone that she sees, and barking at any dogs that growl at her. Vet looks her over and everything looks ok, but he gives her a couple of injections for anti sickness, and some pills to go home with, and gives me a £42 bill, thanks Lily, thats my weekend up the spout!

Now she keeps looking at me, as if to say, 'you know.....I'm feeling rather peckish now'. But I'm not risking it, she's on a 24 fast, I'm sick of clearing up sick today!

I was going to show you some pictures of my lastest thrifted treasures, but I've been held up by a poorly dog, and I need to get back to work, so maybe I get round to it this weekend. Hope you all have a lovely weekend, Jessx

Bon Bon Delight

2008-01-11T08:42:00.000Z

Look what I got for £3.25 in habitat sale last week, it's white glass, and I managed to refrain from buy eight of them, which is my usual quantity for crockery and glassware (the most people I can squash round the table in the dining room), which would have made it less of a frivolous bargain, and more of an extravagant splurge, plus I haven't got any room in the cupboards to keep them in!
When I saw it, I could just imagine it filled with pastel coloured ice cream or french macarons, but I couldn't find any pastel coloured maracons, and ice cream doesn't last long, so bon-bons from the old fashioned sweet shop in town it was. Now everytime I walk pass it, it makes me smile.

Happy New Year, make it a good one....

2008-01-02T21:38:00.000Z

Where to start......???

New Years Resolution No.1 - Be a better blogger

Well first up, over december I've been a really crap blogger, only 2 posts!! I can also see that quite a few of you are back up and running after the christmas period, and I've got a lot of catching up to do, reading properly about what you've all been up to and not just skimming and looking at pretty pictures!

I'm feeling a bit reluctant to dip my toe back into normal life, although I'm sure I'll be ok soon, Ella's back to nursery tomorrow and Dan's back to work on monday (I really find it hard to get the normal day-to-day stuff done when Danny is off work during the week, he annoys me, even if he's doing the washing up!)

After a quick glimpse I can see that most of you had a lovely christmas, and so did we. We spent the week at my parents house, from christmas eve to friday, and had a fantastic time, christmas lunch for twenty-two, two turkeys, which my grandmother cooked and brought up to mum's along with her christmas pud, my cousin brought a ham, an aunt brought the cheese, I did trifle, and mum did all the vegetables and trimmings. I managed to get a snap of the dining room before everyone arrived.

We got some lovely presents too including the eagerly awaited "pink trainers" from Father Christmas, and my CK Roberts DAB radio from M&D, favourite station button set to radio 4. (I've said Danny can only use it to listen to talk sport when he has a bath)

I got a CK address book and polka dot purse from my brother, and my sister Libby made me an extra special screen printed tea towel that she designed using a picture of me when I was a little girl, which I absolutely adore. Although I don't think I'll ever use it as a tea towel, maybe I'll make in into a cushion or put it on to a canvas. She also screen printed Ella a set of four tops including this design too. How cute is the print, I think she should go into production!

Like a lot of parents with young children, New Years Eve for us was a stay-in affair, and frankly I think it is probably the worst night of the year to go out, if you can get someone to babysit, then it's expensive, the cab fare is double, you have buy a ticket to get in anywhere, or pay over the odds for your meal, I think the only thing worth doing is having a couple of friends over for dinner, or going round to someone-elses if you can stay the night.
So bottle of wine, film, and nice food was our evening, and I went to bed at 11pm, got woken up at 12 though with all the fireworks, I thought I was in a war zone!

By tuesday, I'd had enough of the tree, it's always a bit in the way, and it was starting to look a bit limp, so after carefully packing away the decs into their box and tucking them in with tissue paper, I dragged the shoe cupboard in from dining room where it had been banished to for the christmas period, and put things back to normal, if a bit more tidier.
I decided to put my new tooled metal candlesticks (another pressie) on it with a few of the vintage glass ones, and then I displayed the white miniature cups and saucers that where supposed to go onto the website this week, but I think that I might keep them now, well for a little bit anyway.

Oh yes, and I bought the white china rose from a charity shop on sunday for £1.50, I think it's handmade looking at the back, but it's beautifully done, it's a bit the like the candle holder ones that you can get at the moment, only no candle holder, completely useless dust collector I know, but pretty.

Goodnight everyone, and tomorrow will I wake to a dusting of snow?? We shall see, hopefully there will be plenty of winter wonderland photo opportunities for us here in the UK, I'm looking forward to seeing what all your cameras have captured.

Festive fun

2007-12-12T08:38:00.000Z

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has ordered from my new shop, I hope that your orders reached you ok, and you are happy with them.

As my last sewing order has been delivered, I can now chill out a bit and enjoy the run up to christmas without feeling guilty that I should be working instead of having fun.

So in the last couple of days, I've been doing a bit of crafting for myself and Ella, which is nice to get back to, because although I love sewing, and love that it's part of my work, it does tend to get a bit repeatative, when your doing the same thing over and over.

On Sunday my sister came home from uni, and I went over to Mum and Dad's to 'Do The Decs'. So Libby, Mum and I, with a little help from Ella got the christmas music going and set to work on decorating the tree. You'll never guess, all the lights worked! Hurrah, this was a good christmas sign, and apart from a little bit of gold bead untangling, and dad complaining after realising that mum had given me their pale duck egg blue baubles, because they match my living room, things went quite smoothly.

For lunch we had homemade chicken soup made from the roast chicken that we had the night before, which was very yummy, and Danny who finally made an appearance (he watched the boxing that night or should I say morning) took Ella to see his dad, so that left me child free for the rest of the afternoon, so Mum, Libs, and I set to work on make some mince pies, and I could be a daughter, rather than a mother for a while. I don't know about you, but sometimes I like to revert to my childhood, when life was much simpler, and the only worry I had was bickering with my siblings!

My aim in life for Ella is to try and recreate some of those moments in my childhood, that I remember with fondness, like baking, and making things with Mum, days out on my own with Dad doing 'grown-up' things, like going to his favourite antiques shop in Hertford, and getting a special treat for behaving nicely.

So with that idea in mind and my most pressing jobs all done, I wanted to spend this week doing some 'nice' things with Ella, and give her some memories to look back on, except things don't always go according to plan do they!

Tuesday morning we set about constructing the 'flat-pack' gingerbread house that I bought from Ikea, and it was a bit of a messy start to say the least.

It said on the box to stick it together with melted sugar, ok, I thought, I can do that, so, sugar in the saucpan, melted, ok, right, how to get it on gingerbread from pan, knife maybe? Lets try, mmm.., bit messy, - by the time the melted sugar went from pan to cold knife to gingerbread it had already set so wouldn't stick the two bits together. Ok, plan B, dip edges in pan and stick together swiftly, yes, that seems to work, ohhh, until you get to the last corner, what next, how about..., ahh yes this wooden kebab stick, so about an hour later, and with sploges and stringy bits of harden melted sugar all over me, the hob and the worksurfaces, eventually the house was complete.

However all this time, Ella has been standing next to me on her stool, saying 'can I do some', 'when can I help', etc and me saying, and getting more stressed, but trying to stay calm, 'In a minute' (my favourite sentence) 'careful darling, this sugar is very hot!', 'I'm nearly finished, and then you can help me decorate it with sweets', and finally resorting to 'why don't I put cbeebies on for a bit while I finish putting this together'.

Next step, the decorating of the house, this went slighty better, as I iced, I got her to stick the sweeties on, working well, good, this is fun, that is until Danny arrives home early from work, and for Ella, all things gingerbread go out the window, while she cuddles and plays with Daddy, Oh well, never mind, I had fun finishing it off anyway, it even has a curly-wurly fence, and it smells absolutely delicious!

Yesterday, I finally got round to getting the tree, and in the morning, before nursery, Ella and I decorated it, after a half and hour of moving all the furniture around, and struggling with the stand to try and get the bloody thing to stand straight!
I'm not that happy with it this year, when I got it home and in the stand it looks a bit lopsided from some angles, but I suppose thats just the way with a real tree.
I always have trouble with the tree, because we don't really have a good spot for it, no corners available, due to the fact we have a corner sofa, and two many doors! so it has to go on a table, against a wall, not ideal, but I have to have one.

The glass star baubles are my new purchase for this year, not cheap at £2.99 each, but I limited myself to three.

The other day I got an urge to make a pomander so I spent the evening on the sofa sticking cloves into and orange, with Danny looking at me funnily, here's how the conversation went:
'what are you doing'
'making a pomander'
'what's that then'
'it's an orange with cloves stuck in it, it smells all lovely and christmassy'
'bit of a waste of an orange isn't it'

Mmmm...., men just don't understand, well mine doesn't anyway.

Hope the run up to christmas is going well, or as best as it can for you lot, Good Luck!!!

Website Open for Business, well just about!

2007-12-01T09:08:00.000Z

Good morning everyone, it's a lovely morning here. Thanks to all of you who entered the giveway to celebrate the opening of my online shop during the week. Sorry I haven't had time to take any photo's of the draw, but Ella picked out three names from the cake tin to win £5 off their first order from my website.
And the winners are.................

::::::::::::Mollycupcakes:::::::::::::

:::::::::::::::::::Katy:::::::::::::::::::::

::::::::::::::::::Tonya::::::::::::::::::::

Congratulations guys! To receive your discount, when you order use the payment option for cheques and then I'll send you a paypal invoice with the £5 discounted from your order.

Sorry to everyone who didn't win, but I have plenty of vintage bargains on my website, so pop over to The White Verandah and have a browse.

The Last order date for christmas delivery is 13th December (for UK delivery and Paypal, Credit & Debit card payments only (Sorry it's too late to post overseas!)
For payments by made by cheque: cheques will need to be recieved by me by 6th Dec at the lastest to allow it clear in time for despatch. So I recommend paypal just to be on the safe side.

As today's post title suggests, it's not completely finished, I have a few descriptions to complete in the vintage glass section, and a three more pairs of glass candlesticks and a couple more cake stands to add. I'm also yet to receive two more eiderdowns which are still in transit, so remember to check back on sunday or monday. Also the handmade section isn't very full, cause I've been busy with another customers order for the last couple of weeks.

Let me know if you have any constructive feedback, it all helps, and I should think that there might be a few teething problems! But remember to let me know if you have any problems or questions and I will try to sort them out asap.

and the winner is............ (and another giveaway)

2007-11-26T17:15:00.000Z

Congratulations to Steph from Curlew Country for winning last weeks giveaway, your cake stand will be winging it's way to you asap!

Sorry to everyone else who entered and didn't win, but all is not lost. As I promised last week I am holding another giveaway to celebrate the launch of my new website on the Saturday 1st December. Three lucky people picked at random will each win £5 off their first order. (see the second from last post for a sneak preview of what's will be on offer).
All you need to do to enter the draw is leave a comment on this post before 9pm this friday.
Good luck everyone, and don't forget to visit on saturday morning to see who's won. xxx

The Belated Giveaway & A New Arrival

2007-11-20T11:17:00.000Z

So finally it's here, I have given up on making something for the giveaway and instead have opted for this pretty little cake stand. It was going to go on the website, but unfortunately what I thought was dirt when I bought it, has turned out to be ash inside the glass, I shall have to look more carefully next time!

Apart from it's little fault, (and lets be honest, we all have them!) it is so pretty, and I thought that one of you would give it a good home and a chance to fulfill it's 'christmas destiny' by displaying mince pies or tealights.
To enter the giveaway you will need to leave a comment on this post before next monday morning - when the winner will be picked at random by Ella, everyone is welcome to join in, even if you haven't commented before.
I seem to remember that I also promised you a peek of what is going to be in my new online shop, I hope to have it up and running for the the start of December, a little bit late for christmas, I know, I'm going as fast as I can, but the website is taking a bit of a backseat due to other commitments.
When I finally launch it I will hold another giveway, with '£5 off your first order' for 3 people picked at random, so be sure to come back then.
In the meantime here is a glimpse of what will be on offer.

Aren't these pressed glass candlesticks beautiful, I'm in two minds whether to keep them all for myself! These are priced between £3-£8 a pair

I have managed to collect a good selection of cake stands that are perfect for creating christmas centre-pieces, or for displaying mince pies or christmas cake. Priced between £8-£12

This is a close-up of the Ditsy Rose Double Eiderdown I have for sale, I have two more eiderdowns winging their way to me as well in Pale Green Paisley and Pink Paisley all priced between £65-£80 each.

This 1930's heavily beaded purse would be perfect for the party season

I've found some lovely pieces of china including this cute rose bowl which is £3

I've managed to collect some lovely kitchenalia, but for some reason it all seems to be green!

This beautiful filigree brooch is sterling silver and would make a lovely christmas present. Brooches range from £3-£12 each.

With reference to the new arrival, no, it isn't a baby, but my parcel from MacCulloch & Wallis Who since 1902 have 'supplied the fashion trade with fine fabrics and trimmings from the same central London premises between Oxford Street and Bond Street in the heart of Mayfair'. They have a great selection of bias bindings including florals, checks, ginghams, velvet, needle cord, and are really good for special things like the vintage laces that I ordered.

this pink gingham bias binding is going to be for the edge of a patchwork quilt that I've started for Ella, I'm guessing it's going to be a while before it's finish though. The buttons are shell printed with roses.

Oh and one last thing, I managed to finish covering and painting my freecyle office/sewing chair after being inspired by one that my sister-in-law did. The fabric is Laura Ashley's 'Clarice'

Big Knit the movie

2007-11-15T11:38:00.001Z

Listless

2007-11-15T08:19:00.000Z

No, It's not that I'm lethargic, languid, sluggish, torpid, or inert as my thesaurus suggests, but quite literally Listless and in desperate need of a List!

I don't know about you, but I really love a list, it really helps me to make sense of all the many little things that race around my head, things to do, things to finish, things to start, things to buy. So I thought today I would write my list on my blog, as that way, I can't lose it!

So here it goes......

Hotel job:

Make 20 linen laundry bags
Make 10 newspaper bags
Make 10 cutlery wraps

Family jobs:

Make 3 stockings
Make Charlotte's curtains

My Jobs:

Finish painting and upholstering new sewing chair
Finish taking and uploading photo's for website
Finish product descriptions for website
Make bags from Cath Kidston fabric and oilcloth diaries for website
Write christmas card list
Write christmas present list
Washing Up
Laundry
Tidy up
Dinner
Make giveaway prize!! AAhhh forgot again (sorry)
Remember to keep scissors away from Ella!
Keep an eye on Ella (who has horrible cough and cold, and has given it to me now!)

I'm sure I will think of something else to add to the list as the day goes on, so keep you posted.

I also thought I'd list some things that aren't so pressing, but are making me smile.

Woolly hats on innocent smoothies, all part of The Big Knit to raise money for age concern. Cute, tasty, healthy, and all in aid of charity, what a great excuse to buy them! I bought one yesterday, you can use the hats as egg cosies.

My new stained glass flower, bought for £5 at a antiques shop in Coggeshall.

A new blue jug

My new stash of mother of pearl buttons and buckles that I got on ebay from america.

the new 'do'

2007-11-08T12:09:00.000Z

Thanks for all of your supportive comments on my last post, so as requested, here some pictures of the new haircut which I took last wednesday, but haven't got round to uploading till now.

Talk about poser, look at these...

It doesn't look too bad, but it needs a little more 'styling' in the morning and through out the day, than we are both used too. The hairdresser changed the side of her parting to cover the hack job slightly while it grows back, but because of her cows-lick the hair doesn't like to stay in it's new place for too long!

Anyway I had a great weekend last weekend which I shall tell you more about after I've done some work, but in the meantime I will leave you with my Mum's lastest painting which I love. Along with my brother and sister, I bought her the jug a couple of years ago for mother's day. Let me know if you like it as much as me, I'm sure she would appreciate the feedback.

Hair today, gone tommorrow

2007-10-30T10:27:00.000Z

Yesterday, Ella did something very naughty, imagine my sheer horror to walk in the living room and find her on the floor, surrounded by this....

While I was working in the the other room, she had decided that she wanted a haircut, and used my sewing scissors to hack all her beautiful blonde locks off, and I mean hack, look at this.....

When I rang my husband up in tears, he said he thought that I was going to tell him that Ella had had a terrible accident!
I suppose it's not the end of the world, like he said, well, I know it's not really, but she had such beautiful hair, even strangers quite often used to tell me when we were out together.

(picture of my Dad with Ella before the chop)

I know most children do it at sometime or other, I cut my fringe when I was 5 - rather wonkerly, and my neighbour's daughter cut a bit off the side of her hair, but nothing as severe as this! It's going to be at least a year before it gets back to any thing remotely pretty, I know I sounds a bit shallow, I shouldn't really be encouraging my child that her appearance is that important.

I think secretly she is quite pleased with herself, because now she is going to the hairdressers (which she has been pestering me to go to for the last couple of weeks) and she now has her hair short like a boy (which she keeps saying that she wants as well) Ella-2 Me-nil.
At the moment, having calmed down from my initial rage, and then bursting in tears every half hour or so last night, I'm am now feeling very cross, very sad, and also the inevitable mother's guilt that if I was paying her more attention, instead of working, that it might of never happened.
I suppose I better buy so pretty hats, and hair slides and clips so that she doesn't get mistaken for a boy in drag!

Seasonal Delights

2007-10-25T09:40:00.000+01:00

Sorry I haven't been quite update with all of you and your blogs, I'm very busy at the moment, and knee deep in silk curtains, and I can't see an end in sight. I know I said I'd have a giveaway this week, but I haven't finished the prize yet, so can I beg your forgiveness, and ask for an extention please!

I think it's time to come out in the open with what else I'm doing too. Having been inspired by all your wonderful online shops, I have decided to start my own, I've started designing one myself using a very simple online programme, but although it says it has a checkout facility it only works with paypal, and isn't quite what I need, so can I ask if anyone knows of a good, relatively easy, web design prgramme that's Mac compatible, or does anyone know of a reasonably priced web design service?

I will be selling vintage collectables including kitchenalia, eiderdowns, pressed glass, jewellery and bags, alongside vintage inspired gifts handmade by me. Hopefully, this weekend I will be taking photo's of all the stock I've collected and maybe give you a peek next week.

The other weekend, I bought these little beauties from an lady selling her home grown vegetables, completely un-edible, but very pretty.

and in sainsburys whilst picking up a butternut squash, and a festive pumpkin, I came across these cuties, called 'baby munchkin pumpkins' I had to buy them, if just for their name!

Do you think they would be nice stuffed with something and roasted whole? Any recipes you can direct me to?

Yesterday Mum came over to keep an eye on Ella so I could get some uninterrupted work done, and she came bearing a gift, this cute little shelf...

Aren't I lucky! She also walked the dog, paired up all the socks, did some ironing and hung up all the washing! Thanks Mummy xx

This is the Lene Bjerre Oilcloth I bought to make my grandmother a garden kneeler from, I used a little bit to cover a new diary for next year.

I found these pretty Delphiniums at the local market yesterday, I love their vivid blue colour, don't think they're very seasonal though.

Guess what I'm getting for christmas........

I'm so pleased, and am glad it's going to be a gift, because I'm not sure I could justify spending that much on myself in one go!
I know that Steph is lusting after the 'Washed Roses' design but at a huge £200 from the Cath Kidston website, it's just too expensive. But, after some research I happened across this uk based website, Home Vision, that sells the 'Birds' and 'Red Stars' designs for £163.99 and the new 'Washed Roses' for £169.99 with £4.99 p&p which finally convinced me to get one.

Mixed Bag

2007-10-15T16:49:00.000+01:00

I've got time to fit in a post, and as the title suggests, this post is an amalgamation of different things I've been meaning to show you.
Last week I was reading Faye's Blog and looking at the wonderful vintage postcards that she managed to bag at a car boot sale, and it reminded me of my one and only vintage postcard that I own that my Dad gave me when I was a teenager.

As you can see, it has my name on it, which is why he bought it when he came across it in an antiques shop, but what is even lovelier is this that the letters are made up of portraits of victorian women.
Unfortunately the writing (in lavender ink!) has faded in places and I find it difficult to make out a few words, so I don't know what it says, but it was posted in 1905 to New Barnet, Herts.

Moving on, here are my new charity shop finds..........

When I saw the glass jar, it reminded me of this from a few months back, and for £1.25 I just had to have it. Next to it is a metre of faux patchwork fabric for 95p.

I also found these sturdy cast aluminium gardening tools, which I thought I could give to my grandmother for christmas along with a handmade gardening holster type thingy or a kneeling cushion similar to this in a pretty oilcloth.

I wanted to show you this plate that my Mum made to comemorate my birth. Before we where born, and up to me going to secondary school she used to be a potter, and she made lots of lovely things for Harvey Nics and The Conran Shop.

Her plates make up most of the crockery on my plate rack and they sit happily along side the usual bits of paper that clutter it up - out of date money off vouchers, old reciepts, a handmade card from my sister, string, vintage tins, a packet of nurofen, some superglue, and the odd photo. She also made the lovely little green polka-dot cup and saucer that I have as my profile picture.

In the next week or so I've decided I'm going to have a giveaway to say thank you to you all, for all the lovely comments you leave me. What I will 'giveaway', I'm not sure yet, but I'll keep you posted. x

Partytime and fun at the farm!

2007-10-08T12:50:00.002+01:00

Ok, so here it goes, as promised, some nice pictures after I shocked you all with the spider close-ups. Pictures of birthday bunting, cupcakes, presents and farm animals all here, so I'm preparing myself for a major photo uploading session armed with a pint of tea, and a birthday cupcake.

So here's the joint effort bunting, I thought it was really pretty, but Danny wasn't impressed when he got in from work on friday, obviously not manly enough for him.

The little door outside the window is the outhouse, that actually takes up most of the garden.

As I mentioned before, I decided to cop out of making cupcakes this year after I saw these in sainsburys, only 99p for 4!

These are some of my favourite presents that Ella got, I found this iron board for ella for £2 at a car boot, and made a new cover for it, because the original one was yellow with lime green spots. The cute vintage style toy iron is from Lapin & Me.

After umming and ahhing, over one of these very expensive toy kitchens, I happened apon this little cutie, from the ELC that folds away, and was only £24 (with my 20% online discount voucher) much more sensible I think!

these cute handmade felt biscuits....

Along with lots of other bits and pieces, Mum and Dad bought Ella these gorgeous boots from the Monsoon Sale Shop in Bicester, I nearly bought her them last autumn, full price, but they got them for only £12, bargain!
I must admit that from these photos, it looks like my daughter is only given girly toys to play with, but she also got some football goals for the garden, it just they don't look quite as pretty.

Anyway, after we all had lunch, then we headed off to Boydells Dairy Farm.

This little one was so keen to gobble up the food that the kids are given, he got stuck trying to wriggle out of the pen

This is Hazel a Red Pole calf

and Milo the Donkey, she's the grand old age of 23! Aren't donkeys lovely

During the summer it can sometimes be a bit crowded, but they close to the public after september, so we had the farm to ourselves. As you can see, the farm was very hands-on for the children, which makes it really fun for them, they also got to have a ride on a donkey and cart, milk a cow, and watch the sheep being milked (the farm makes cheese from ewes milk which is sold in Waitrose) but I haven't put the pictures up because I haven't got permission from all the parents.

So a good time was had by all, hope I haven't bored you all too much. x