T52MMMC week 2

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!

reasons to be cheerful No.1

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!

Happy Blogging Birthday To Me!

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!

Pretty things

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.

Nice Jugs!

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.