Bargains and birthdays !

Christmas has only just gone and now we have two birthdays coming up.  DD1 will be 25 and DS2 is going to be 15, where did the time go?  I know it's a cliche but it really does seem like yesterday when they were as small and vulnerable as DD3 who is now almost 6 months and is just adorable. 

Eldest daughter is so easy to buy for, I'm making a gift basket filled with lots of pink goodies, it's almost finished and can't wait to show it off.  But my 15 year old !!!    Apparently I'm not fashionable enough to be trusted to actually buy his presents. Uhuh I just have to pay for them and let his older brother buy them. Oh if only they knew how trendy mum used to be in her hot - pants, conical bra and dm's.  Beneath this exterior of shabby chic, charity shops and knitting lies that 80's Acid House raver just waiting to burst back out.

Talking of charity shops had a lovely day today shopping with my 84 year old Nan! She's so young at heart, so after a lovely lunch we hit the shops.

dinky little tea-cup(tea light holder) from Yankee Candle

gorgeous collection of coloured knitting needles(think the pale green ones on the right are really old, not sure if they are Bakelite)

fuzzy close-up of hand embroidered pillow slip

pair of hand embroidered sofa backs

hand embroidered linen tray liner (folded over)

We went to six different Charity Shops and not sure if it's a local thing, but they all looked so alike and not many original bargains to be had.  I got all these lovely linens and knitting needles from the same shop but the others tended to be bit overpriced.  So still on the lookout for embroidered goodies and  I want to turn them into something gorgeous like this.  Have a look, it's from a great blog and even better she's having a fab giveaway.

 

This is my youngest Vintage, all of 6 months and pictured here desperately trying to eat the camera strap!  I'd love some advice on taking good photos for blogs or some good camera recommendations.  I think pictures really help a blog to flow so now I take mine everywhere with me. 

I had comments on my last post and it really cheers me up to think people actually stop by and read my blog. So thankyou posters.  And yes, the Cath Kidston washing up liquid label is paper, so why not do what I do, just leave it out for show!  Only joking, I put it in my wardrobe out of the way - with two strapping teens and a hubby who haven't quite grabbed the idea of having things for 'best' I daren't leave it out.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone xx

Why are other people's blogs so much better than mine ?

It's not a complaint (honest) but sometimes I seem to spend so many hours trawling blog land and come back here and think, 'how do they do it?'  There are some super talented bloggers and a couple of my faves are Countryheartandhome, lots to see on this one including recipes, crafty makes and doing up a home.  happylovesrosie is another gorgeous blog - pictures galore and really friendly.  Ooops looks like my New Years Resolution to stop bloogling (the art of blog drooling !) has gone out the window.

goodies

What's this I hear you ask? Well after lots and lots of hints to family at Christmas, they stopped buying me books I'll never read and bubblebath I will never use and instead treated me to some lovely Cath Kidston and I thought I'd share.  The kitchen cleaner smells divine just like fresh cotton sheets and the garden gloves are bright and cheerful - only problem with the gloves? Well, they are so gorgeous I don't want to spoil them and actually wear them to do gardening.  Think I'll have to get some cheapo ones.

retro pastry forks

This was a little gift from my lovely Nan.  The box is tatty but the gorgeous dainty pastry forks inside have never been used, but they are tiny!  Not sure how much patience I would have faced with a split cream donut but they are divine.

DD3 is a poorly little baby at the moment so not much time for crafting, just lots of cuddles. 

What a miserable day !

Warning - bad karma alert!

Mmmm what can I say - I wanted to tell you about all the lovely goodies I have made but instead it's been a miserable day. 

• My car wouldn't start so had to be towed to the Garage £45

• Sockets kept blowing in the utility room so had to call the Electrician who thankfully is a friends husband, hate to think what it would cost if I got him from Yellow Pages £20

• Husbands car window wipers broken so had to get DD2 and DD3 back out of car

• Sockets blew again so called Electrician back out £ 0 

• Husband fixed wipers, got DD's and all their bits and bobs in car, wipers broke at end of road !

• Pot of bright orange baby food exploded in baby bag covering EVERYTHING in gunge.

• Sandwich toaster broke but only after I had made everyone a gorgeous sandwich and only me left to do. 

•  Garage called - car won't be back till next week. £200

Don't think I have had so many things go so wrong in one day. 

I did say in my last post that I was going to be super good and make a dress for DD3 but I really want it to look nice so instead I have been practicing my sewing skills by making a simple fleece hat.

 DD3 in her new fleece hat

Really simple to make from a fleece scarf that only cost £2.

Measure babies head, add 1/2 inch for seam allowance.  Cut panel of fabric that's the width of babies head x 10 inches.  Sew up small sides to make a tube.  Sew up top of hat.  Turn right side out. Turn up 3 inches and either hand or machine sew in place. Voila all done.  I am going to add some pompoms to the outer corners just to finish it all off.  Happy to put step by step pictures up if anyone wants them.  Tomorrow I'm going to finish some bitty bootees I started in felt and make a Gnome hat.

ttfn x

I'm Back !

Ok this is it - I promise (hand on heart ) that this year will be the year of the blog !  Just don't know why I am so terrible at this writing lark, I kept a diary when I was younger for years and years and I simply love to talk so need to be focused.  No more blog hopping for me and day dreaming 'why can't I do that' nope that's it.   Had a sharp talk to myself (well ok did't really talk to myself because I think that's just plain daft - apologies to any selftalkers out there) and blogging as often as possible is one of this years resolutions.  Here are some others :

1. Blog more (great started on that one already)
2. Stop pretending I don't eat chocolate (I do - my Gran belongs to the Mars retirement club and gets LOADS of freebies).  That one's going well as I had a Lions Bar last night !
3. Stop moaning about having no money - nobody does at the moment and it bores people.
4. Wipe the drool off the pc and actually start to decorate/sew/embroider instead of being jealous of others who do.

There = not many and I think all achievable.

view from the motorway just as it started to snow

Just like rest of the UK it's been snowing here and I LOVE IT !  It makes everything so clean looking and so fresh and reminds of how I think Winter should be. 

Made some snow angels with DD 2, then DD3 was freezing so after taking her back inside we all had a snowball fight, but being as highly competitive as I am I decided to get all humphy and say I'm not playing any more.  Hour later had a text from a neighbour (who used to be my SIL so that's ok) who asked if I'd had fun in the snow. I somehow seemed to forget that I live in a cul-de-sac with neighbours!!!

Hope you all had a great Christmas, I did.  Last year was a complete non-starter due to illness but this year was much better.  Here's DD3 wearing her Christmas outfits.

Biased I know but I think she is adorable

DD1 bought me a gorgeous sewing machine a couple of years ago and it's been gathering dust but I bought these for DD3 and am going to make a start on the first one today.  Haven't sewed anything since home economic classes at my all girls school in the 80's so wish me luck.  So have bought a couple of patterns to get me started ----

I belong to a few forums and newest one I've found is British Mummy bloggers .  I haven't set up a home page yet and just finding my way around but the number bloggers is huge.  Joined the reviewers page just before Christmas and already been asked to review Green & Blacks chocolate .  I hummed and hahed - should I? Oh well someone has to taste and then comment on chocolate so it may as well be me!  Not really - I can't wait, eating chocolate and then writing about it how hard can it be? Will let you know xx

bye for now x

Time is flying by ................

After promising myself that I would be ever so good and blog at least once a week, I've failed already!  I don't know if the weeks fly by because I'm getting older or just because I am so busy but whatever the reason I wish life would just slow down ever so slightly.  It's been a week of coughs, colds and tonsilitis in our house and it's not the baby keeping me up it's the noise from the older children.  Yes, I know they can't help it but .......

Had the most gorgeous gift last week from my friend Alison's mum. She is a fantastic knitter and knitted lots of little white cardigans but now she knows I have a girl she has been churning out these -

gorgeous lilac number

lovely lemon

pretty in pink !

These are just 3 out of the 6 she knitted this month. I so wish I could knit as quick and as well.  She won't even let me buy the wool to say thankyou so need to think of something nice instead.

Talking of my little girl she is just adorable (biased I know) and has the most eatable cheeks, in fact they are HUGE.  Her Dad calls her squirrel for obvious reasons.

Just before middle daughter developed tonsilitis, she made these krispie cakes....

Just wanted to show you the plate really!  Lovely lovely lovely.

This lovely shabby chic pinny is from a Shabby Chic shop at Village Life .  Great place to visit.

And finally .....

My hubby has been running for six months now and did his first 'proper' race today and guess what ? He came 7th out of 72 !!! I haven't been taking his running seriously to be honest in fact it just annoys me when he comes in at 7 am all sweaty and I do moan loads, but I am very proud of him.  He wants to build up to half marathon and then who knows he may even do the full one.  Here he is ....

night all xx

Freecycle goodies and scrummy books

I have been a freecycle member for a couple of years now but haven't really asked for anything and only posted a few things but this month I have been very lucky. Our tumble dryer suddenly went without warning. With four children and winter coming all I could think of was heaps of drying clothes hung over radiators ! Not good - but a lovely freecycler emigrating to Australia donated an almost new tumble dryer. A lovely lady gave me some baby clothes and then this was posted .....

                                      

this is the back of a 70's dolls house

this is the front

interior shot

My 8yr old loves it and I can't believe after 35years it still has lots of original furniture including a lovely avodado bath mmmmm but also the carpet sweeper and Hoover in the shot above.  I had to explain just what a carpet sweeper actually does and then I remembered my Nan still has one which she still uses.  Funny how things today just don't seem to last yet her carpet sweeper must be at least 40 years old !

Also popped in to the charity shop again and someone has obviously been clearing their bookcase because I picked up these...

                                          

yummy!

The book is by Mary Berry who I think is a great cookbook writer.

I've tried cooking Chinese food and love it so hoping to make something bit different than the usual sweet and sour chicken.

Not sure if you can really see this but it's a recipe book that follows the seasons and gives a recipe for each day of the year. They look really easy to follow and don't have bizarre or hard to buy ingredients like some books do.

Thats the bargains for now, still have to let you know about my disastrous fridge cake !  How a fridge cake can go wrong is beyond me but I managed to do it.  My sister gave me a lovely recipe that involved Belgian chocolate, double cream, marshmallows and digestives. But I didnt have all the ingredients and used cake covering, no cream, oddly dry marshmallows and chocolate digestives that were getting soft. Heres the picture it looks lovely but my word it was horrid.  Even the kids who love chocolate cake wouldnt eat it and more than half sadly went in the bin. 

                                  

Ok then its off to make Tuna and tomato risotto - that's one recipe I know I can do without mistakes.  Bye for now

Bargain hunting !

It's been a great start to the week ( apart from the weather lol).  Found some lovely bargains in some local Charity Shops.  Met some nice people via Freecycle and one of my closest friends has gone back to work this week after almost 10 years at home raising children to work with the elderly and she loves it.  I am so pleased for her as she was a bag of nerves beforehand. It's made me think more of the future and I am more determined than ever to open the little artsy craftsy shop I dream of!  But for now I am just loving being at home with my little gorgeous girl. 

Here are some of my charity shop finds..........................

this is a small posy dish (20p)

a lovely shaped dish just perfect for soap (40p)

I found two of these hand-crochet place mats (?),any way they will be made into cushions.  I was thinking of using a duck egg blue material with the cream crochet on top. (20p for both)

this is the corner of a large square of hand embroidered linen table cloth (20p).  I just don't know where to put it yet but it is so so lovely.  I did think about putting it on the back of the sofa but my Nan still does that and she is in her 80's so love my Nan but want to try something else.  I have seen some of these types of embroidery turned into cushions or lavender bags on Shabby Chic Cafe but am not sure if I should cut it up.  Will just have to add it to my growing pile of WAS (wait and see ! )

Little one is sleeping now so it's off to tackle my ironing mountain and throw away my disastrous chocolate finger flan that even the kids won't eat.  xxx