Hair today, gone tommorrow

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

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

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!

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

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly...

....I don't know why she swallowed the fly. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly, that wriggled, and jiggled, and wiggled inside her, I don't why she swallowed the fly!

I don't know about you, but my house seems to be crawling with spiders at the moment, sorry for those of you that are a bit squeamish, or terrified of these eight legged creatures, PLEASE LOOK NO FURTHER!

I don't mind them that much, I like them better than flies anyway, and this little lady, or should I say big mamma, has taken up residence in the window next to me, beside my newly potted window box, but outside I should add, not inside, that would be really freaky!

She is about 1.5" big, and at the moment she is just a subject of fascination for me and Ella. Although Danny has completely wrecked her web several times while cleaning the windows, everytime, she builds a bigger and better one. Yesterday I saw a large fly get caught in her web, and in no time at all she was bandaging it up in a wide net of silk, a lot different from the thin stuff the web is made out of, then she tucked into dinner!

Today, I also found this sucker in the sink

Two weeks ago, I had a dinner party, when I opened the door to let my guests in we all laughed as a spider dashed in out of the cold, before anyone could even get a foot over the threashold! I thought that it was just a one off, but this tuesday, exactly the same thing happened, with a surprisingly similar looking spider, was it the same one do you think? Has this happened to you? It wasn't even like I had left the door open and it just wandered in, it charged in as soon as I opened the dooor, exactly like the last time, like it had been waiting for me to open it!

Sorry if I've completely put you all off reading my blog ever again, but I promise I'll never post anymore pictures of spiders again!

On a slightly different subject, something that really makes me squeamish! It's Ella's 4th Birthday party on sunday, ARHHH!
I'm doing the kids, and parents lunch, and then we are heading off to our local open farm (Boydells Dairy Farm in Wethersfield, Essex) that makes cheese from ewes milk for Waitroise. They're open to the public during the spring to summer months, and close the last week of september, but they said we can come on sunday, and they will save a lamb for us to feed. The kids get to feed all the animals, and the lambs with a bottle, have a go on the donkey and cart and milk a cow, and the farmer takes us round the farm to visit all the other animals, with a 'talk' that's funny even for the adults, so all fun and games!
It was that or a trip to a play barn, which sounds like sheer hell to me, and they want to charge £10 a head for a load of deep fried junk food!

This time last year my sister Liberty came round the day before to help me out, but the night before we went out for a drink, and we were making cupcakes with a hangover at 7pm the next morning, not the best start to the day.
But this year, I found some very sweet looking cupcakes at sainsburys only 99p for 4, so I've got 24 on order. So that's one less thing I have to worry about.

I put the bunting for the party up today, to see how it fits, I bought a 5 metre length on ebay, because it was very pretty, and frankly it was cheap enough for me think 'sod fiddling about with all that cutting out!' but it really needed a bit extra, so this afternoon, I set about making an extention (at least I didn't have to make it from scratch!) and I'm really quite pleased with the end result, be it a joint effort (photos next week).

Oh, I've just remembered, Lib's (sister) just got a job as 'design assistant' for two episodes of "60 Minute Makeover" well done sis! I think it will be on tv next year, so I'll keep you posted as to when to look out for her.
She started today, and I spoke to her this afternoon, apparently it really does happen in an hour, oh and Terri Dwyer (presenter) got blue paint all over the face and in her eyes when someone was doing a 'jackson pollock-esque' piece of art, with a water pistol, that should be a laugh!

Anyway, wish me luck for sunday, and I'll be back next week with some photos of the 'happy' day xx

Swap Goodies & Sunshine Soup

I've finally got some time to sit down and put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard, and say a big thank you to Jo my Back 2 School Swap partner, because on wednesday morning I recieved this beautifully wrapped parcel of goodies all the way from Mexico.

inside was some cute folders with a matching notebook, a length of twine with lots of mini wooden pegs for me to make a little washing line of inspiration, some metallic gel pens, some lovely polka dot pocket tissues, and three cute little badges, which Ella has got her eye on! Thank you so much for all my lovely presents Jo, it was definately worth the wait, and lovely to meet you too!

This week I got a bee in my bonnet about the state of the garden (I started off this year with good intentions, and just before all that awful weather we had, every thing was looking beautiful but with all the rain, both the flowers, and me gave up). On monday afternoon things got a bit ugly, as I cut everything back to within an inch of it's life, and now the garden is looking a bit naked.

So I went off to the local nursery and bought some cyclamen and pansies for my window boxes, as the geraniums are going for their winter break at my grandmothers greenhouse (where they will be fed and watered and meet lots of other geraniums, and fushias belonging to various members of the family, who are all cared for by my grandmother over the winter months, I wish I could go!).
Now I have something pretty to look at when I gaze out of the window, while I'm reading all your lovely blogs, look!

I have to say that I have finally succumbed to putting the heating on, I have been good up to now, and last week was saying to my mother 'why have you got the heating on, just put on a jumper and some slippers' but this week the temperature has really dropped, and the other night it felt freezing, I think it's time to get the 9 tog duvet out and add it to the 4.5 tog one (I have to boast because I am the proud owner of an all seasons, goose down duvet, courtesy of my mother-in-law for our wedding present, and two 100% goose down pillows, so being in bed is like being enveloped in a marshmallow, so cosy!)

Unfortunately the boiler packed up last year (it's about 15 yrs old, and we really need a new one, because as soon as you fix one thing, another thing goes wrong) it still heats the water, but the central heating won't work, so last year we resorted to electric radiators, and I think we will have to do the same this year, until we can afford to stump up the £2000 we where quoted to install a new one!

Anyway keeping with the cosy theme, today I made Sunshine Soup, so called because it's made mostly from carrots, potatoes and butternut squash, and maybe some sweet potato if I've got any, and when all those lovely root vegetables are whizzed up in the blender it makes such a lovely yellowy-orange - hence the name.

I love homemade soup, chunky or smooth, there is just something really comforting, and warming about it, made with good healthy ingredients and love, you can just feel it doing you good, and it's always surprisingly filling. I was watching 'Rachel's favourite food at home' last weekend, a she did a chorizo and chickpea soup, and since I've got a tin of chickpeas and and some chorizo in the cupboard, I thought maybe I'd give it a bash over the weekend!

'So tired, tired of waiting, tied of waiting for youuuu...'

I'm listening to The Kinks, and this song is quite apt, because today I have to wait in for a courier, which I'm sure you've all had to do at some point, thankfully I have been given a time slot of 1pm-5pm but that co-incides with Ella's nursery drop-off and pick up time which is the same 1pm and 5pm, I managed to make it back from the drop-off without missing them, but I hope they don't leave it till 5pm on the dot to try and deliver, because I have to leave at 4.50.

It also means that I can't really do that much this afternoon, which could be nice, but means I feel a bit naughty, and the reason for this is (I don't know if anyone else has had this happen to them?) that several times, when I've been upstairs working, I have come downstairs to find that a 'phantom' courier has been and gone and left me a card saying 'we have tried to deliver, but you weren't in' which was a blatant lie, because I've been in all bloodly day waiting for them!!!!!!! Why does that happen, I'm not deaf, I have a doorbell, and a knocker, do they just not bother??? It is not even like a have a big house where I can't here the knocker, it's only a little 3 bed terrace.

This whole courier thing is because of my mobile phone, because in the last couple of days, it started to switch itself off randomly, which is annoying, because I don't realise that it's off till I go to look at the time, or make a call. So Orange are sending out a new one costing my £15 for delivery, but If I miss the delivery, then they charge me another £13 to re-deliver!

Anyway, I've finished ranting now, so while I'm waiting, doing nothing, I thought it might be a good opportunity to write a post, which I've had trouble fitting in my schedule recently. I have also sort of been waiting for my back 2 school swap to arrive so I can post a picture of what I sent Jo, which she recieved last weekend, and I what I got from her, but my parcel hasn't arrived yet (god-bless royal mail) But it is coming all the way from Mexico, so I haven't given up just yet.
So this is the photo that she took of the contents of her parcel.....

and I will post a pic of what I get soon.

I managed to get round to doing something on my ever-increasing list of 'things to do' yesterday, I re-covered two out of three cushions (yes, I know, more cushions) for our sofa in some fabric off cuts that Phillippa (Boss and sister-in-law) gave me, because they match my living room, and because she's so generous and kind...(are you reading this???)

The one in front is made from Kensington velvet flock in Duck Egg, with a Duck Egg Blue colour cotton velvet on the back and edged in pom poms, and the other one is in Rossini Stripe in Duck Egg made into a 'Oxford' style cover.

Shameless Plug: Both fabrics are available to be made up into curtains or blinds on Phillippa's soft furnishings website Zia Koko, along with a large selection of other fabrics, including Cath Kidston, Vannessa Arbuthnott, and Voyage.

While I'm mentioning the 'Things to do' list, last week I got to tick off no.109) Make Lily a new bed cushion. I had bought some denim a few months ago to make what I thought would be a durable, not show the dirt too much, cushion for the lovely dog bed that Mum made to fit the un-used fireplace in the dining room. So here are some shots of Lily enjoying the new cushion......

and here is what I caught her doing the day after I made it..........

As you can imagine, I was not best pleased! I have since been spraying the corners with lavender oil, so it is not so tasty.

Edited at 5.45pm: Guess what, the courier never came!

Just a Quickie

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, been a bit busy, and I still haven't got time to write anything of any substance, but in the meantime, here is a song I really love from The Long Blondes, it's called 'Weekend Without Make-Up' x.

Cushy Galore!

Yesterday, I got round to making a couple of new cushions for my Etsy shop, and a new one for me, aswell as updating an old favourite that my mum made when I was little.

This is the old cushion, I took it apart and added some pom-pom trim to the sides ( you can never have too many pom-poms!) It's a bit old and faded, but I love the birds and butterflies, and on the back it has these gorgeous peonies

after finishing that I caught the bug a bit and pulled out some remnants from the shelf, This one is made from a pretty oatmeal linen printed with tiny blue rosebuds, and some Cath Kidston 'Rose Bloom Blue' cotton with a pale blue pom pom trim (yes, I know, it managed to sneak in again!)

The next one is made from a pretty white linen fabric embroidered with a leaf design in two shades of blue which I think is Jane Churchill, but I'm not completely sure (let me know if you recognise it) and a plain white linen, trimmed with blue grosgrain ribbon.

The above two are now in my Etsy Shop for £17 each ($32) including a feather or polyfibre cushion pad, which ever you prefer.

Finally I made this little cushion out of an embroidered linen cloth that my mother-in-law gave me, backed with some white linen, and I'm using it as a lumbar support for my sewing chair, which is a large Lloyd Loom armchair, not really ideal for sewing, but I haven't found a nice old solid office chair to cover in pretty fabric yet, they all seem to be made from black plastic, and I want a metal one!

After that I did the weekly shop at sainsbury's and decided to treat my self to this little beauty from the bakery counter, which I don't normally do, but it looked so pretty!

And imagine my joy when it was given to me in this surprising pretty box! I was debating on whether to keep it or not, but some of the strawberry cream from the cake had got on the inside, so it went reluctantly in the recycling.

Anyway it's friday, so roll on the weekend, I hope you all have a good one! xxx