DREAMING OF THE SIMPLE LIFE

Whoa there January ..... where have you gone???

2012-01-30T20:56:00.000Z

I think I must have blinked and missed it! January is almost over and I notice I missed my 3rd blogiversary and this is my 301st post. Must admit that it has been tricky because my DD2 has commandeered the lappy to do her college work on and I have had to put up with my eldest daughter's IPad which I think I hate with a vengeance, so uploading photos etc has been a nightmare.

Life at Lala's is about to turn upside down, albeit temporarily, as my DD2 and her family move back in with us for a while. They have been renting privately for a couple of years now and with trying to juggle working, college studies and two young children they have absolutely no cash left to save at the end of each month. On top of that the boiler in the property has been playing up since before Christmas leaving them with no heating or hot water and the landlord just seems to be ignoring the problem .... most unsatisfactory and the littlies are suffering because of it with coughs and snotty noses that don't seem to clear. They will be able to save enough for a deposit on some new shared ownership houses close to us hopefully.

So phase one of clear the clutter has begun. Several bags of excess crafty bits and pieces have been freecycled and good old Fleabay has been used again today. Still got loads more but hey ho tomorrow is another day! I still have stock for the Vintage & Handmade fairs ..... my next one is booked for 10th March in Northampton and a new venue for 1st April in Buckingham.

Country Matters at Hexton is going from strength to strength and another bag of handmade stock will be making its way down there at the end of this week.

I can't look too far ahead at the moment because it looks like my husband will be having another spell in hospital .... he has had problems with his replacement knee and is being investigated for a bone infection .... x-rays, blood tests and radio-isotope scans have been done and we wait for his next consultant appointment on 23 February to find out how they are going to proceed.

To make me really feel my age my eldest reaches another milestone birthday in 5 weeks time .... how did I get to be the mother of a 30 year old???? Seems like I was only 30 myself a few years ago ;-)

Such a perfect day .....

2012-01-15T18:53:00.000Z

............ well actually a perfect weekend !

Yesterday was the first Northampton Vintage Jumble organised by Ann & Trevor .... the buyers were certainly champing at the bit and when the doors opened at 11 it was manic. A bit of post Christmas vintage shopping withdrawal I feel and they were certainly quenching their thirst (in the tea room area too ... it took me an hour before I could battle my way through the crowds to grab a cuppa !).

Not complaining though as a lot of old stock was snapped up, did a spot of bargain hunting myself and had catch up chats with the lovely sellers. Here is a collage of the day ...

On our way home we stopped in Great Doddington to visit Poppy Patch .... a little bit of fabric retail therapy and of course to spend some of my cash

The weekend just got better when I awoke this morning to another beautiful sunrise and sharp frost and trotted off to Hitchin for the Sunday car boot sale. There I was ambling along having just bagged some vintage cotton reels for a pound when I heard a voice beside me say we will wait 30 seconds. Wait for what I wondered ..... then it dawned on me that the church bells were ringing and when I turned to my left there stood Eric Knowles and a BBC film crew. They were filming the next series of Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is. Just around the corner by the river was another crew with John Cameron.

So good readers if you watch this autumn's series look carefully for a daft old bat in the background with a pink flowery shopping trolley and a sewing box tucked under her arm ;-)

All in all a great weekend doing what I like best which was a great pick-me-up as my OH starts a three day week from tomorrow into March with a whole week off at half term. He also had a return visit to hospital last week about ongoing problems with his replacement knee .... looks like Mr Surgeon messed up and there is nerve damage so now he goes back for blood tests this week and a biopsy in February with the possibility that they will have to operate again to sort it out.

Keep smiling :-)

On your bike British Gas ....

2012-01-13T20:57:00.000Z

How very dare they !!!

I had an e-mail this morning to inform me that my annual statement was ready to view online and that they had very kindly estimated my consumption for the next 12 months. For this privilege I was to be charged another £15 a month and they would be contacting my bank to amend the direct debit.

Whoa there ..... what the .... been here before

I simply replied that I would rather turn my boiler off than pay them another penny and if they dared to increase my direct debit I would cancel it and transfer to another (rip-off) provider. I would be the judge of how much I would consume. I am being as careful as I can at the moment because Mr Lala is about to be placed on another period of 3 day weeks and as we are £160 in credit I thought they had a bloody cheek.

Well what do you know ..... a response this afternoon with the usual diatribe but a result as they will not be increasing my payments. So if anyone else out there experiences the same thing with these overblown utility companies just get on your high horse and sort 'em out.

I really don't think they need to antagonise their already disgruntled customers any more do you?

Back to life .... back to reality

2012-01-06T22:46:00.000Z

Well that's the festive season over and done with for another year .... all packed away till next time.

The children were back to school on Wednesday and husband back to work to be given the wonderful news that he will be on a three day week again from 16th January .... he does get paid at basic rate so mustn't grumble but then will have to pay back the time on a Saturday when it suits the company of course. They seem to be gradually working towards an 'on demand' workforce that they can pick up and drop when the fancy takes them .... the permanent workforce is dwindling and being replaced with contractors at a much cheaper rate (no surprise there!)

Good job I sneaked a visit to the Cath Kidston factory shop at St Neots last weekend ..... or Kid Caffrey as Ellie is calling it ..... she is getting to be quite a CK officianado having visited the St Pancras store last week too. She really needed a new school bag and pencil case apparently so soft touch nanny got caught again!

We had just stepped in the door and who should we bump into ..... Tilly Rose ..... also having a bit of Cath retail therapy. It was nice to have a chat and a little catch up and I really must get along to her new venture this year .... I just ran out of time towards the end of 2011.

They had a good range of fabric and I also treated myself to a little spring loaded tape measure and a glasses case.

New Year ..... new start ..... I am going to concentrate this year on the Vintage & Handmade Fairs run by Ann & Trevor and my little outlet at Country Matters in Hexton. Unsold Christmas stock has been retrieved from Hexton and I am pleased to say that there wasn't a lot left and I will be joining the Vintage & Handmade Jumble in Northampton on Saturday 14th January with lots of clearance items including fabric, textiles, books, ceramics and some handmade items.

Do please come along to this great event if you can.

I have been stashing away blue fabrics for ages in the hope that I could get around to making a blue & white themed quilt for myself and this week made a start on cutting out the squares for the first blocks.

There is a mix of modern prints together with vintage Laura Ashley and other vintage cottons.

The first little bargain find of 2012 ..... a green leaf design Carlton Ware cup from the charity shop for one whole pound

and finally a little collage of my previous quilt makes

Happy New Year all x

I was not alone ......

2011-12-30T16:27:00.000Z

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post .... it would appear I am not alone (so pleased to hear it ladies) ..... wonder if I can talk them into being even more daring next year ;-)

One of my Christmas pressies was a trip to London to see Million Dollar Quartet at the Noel Coward Theatre yesterday afternoon. It was a girlie day out for me, my mum, my sister and her daughter and my two daughters ..... alas my youngest daughter was struck down with S & D so Ellie came instead .... I am sure that girl put a spell on her mother as she was most disappointed when she learnt we were all going out without her!

We took a lunchtime train to St Pancras and as mum doesn't like going on the underground since the London bombings my daughter pre-booked a private 7 seater car which was waiting for us on arrival. The car was immaculate and the driver most helpful and he dropped us off right outside the door of the theatre.

The show was fantastic and we were not far from the stage so had a brilliant view ..... the cast all played and sang some rock & roll favourites.

You just can't beat the golden oldies ..... they'll still be around long after Simon Cowell's wannabees are forgotten. Can you imagine how it would have been if Elvis's twin brother Jesse had survived .... one of him is bliss and two would have been absolute heaven on earth!

After the show our car was waiting to take us back to St Pancras ..... no longer just a railway station this place is now a shopping centre in its own right. The Champagne Bar just had to receive a visit and then we had dinner in the restaurant before we headed home for bed. It was a lovely outing for the three generations of my family .... here are some of my own photos of the day

The Lego Christmas Tree at St Pancras station

Inside the theatre ..... Ellie did make us chuckle during the interval when she exclaimed Elvis had just gone into the Gent's loo ..... "he had the shiny suit and hair nanny "she said .... a few moments later the man in the first photo returned to his seat a couple of rows in front of us. Seems you must never argue with a 7 year old as they are usually right!

Fancy putting a Cath Kidston shop on a railway station!

Appears she is getting a taste for the CK too ... the cocktail I might add was non-alcoholic! I bought her an I-Pod Nano for Christmas together with some special earphones that she can wear over her hearing aids .... of course she NEEDED a bag to keep them in.

Just sniffing ..... I drank them!

Din Dins ..... Smoked Haddock on a Crushed Potato base with a poached egg topper .... it was delicious!

Bucking the trend .......

2011-12-28T23:09:00.000Z

Well we have safely got to the other side for another year ..... I love the build up to Christmas but always feel somewhat deflated on the big day itself. Why I ask myself ???? It could be because it has no religious significance to me as although I try to live a good honest life I am not a church person ..... or is it the anticipation and anxiety or fear of disappointment ??? I will find the answer one day I am sure and this year I was determined not to get dragged into the turkey and sprout fest that the supermarkets and TV chefs keep ramming down our throats. Am I just being awkward .... please tell me there is someone else out there who feels like this??

Having prepared a traditional Christmas dinner every year since 1979 this year it was time for a change and I threatened the family with the local Indian restaurant much to their dismay. I just couldn't face hours in the kitchen and then sitting down and looking at a plate full of food that I wasn't going to enjoy. A couple of days before Christmas my daughters announced that they had indeed booked a table for us at the Indian and off we went at three thirty for something completely different. I did have a giggle with an Indian lady and her husband at the market on Christmas Eve when she mentioned turkey ..... I said you'll never guess what we are having and when I told her it was curry she grinned and said she was having turkey as they have curry every other day of the year! So perhaps it wasn't just me who fancied a change.

The restaurant was all lit up with Christmas music playing in the background and it was packed! We had a lovely relaxed three course meal with coffee for £20 a head ..... compared with the £60 that some pub restaurants were asking on the day that seemed the real deal to me. It was delicious and I am so glad we made the break with tradition.

I can't believe it is nearly Thursday already and tomorrow I am off to enjoy one of my pressies .... a trip to London to the theatre to see Million Dollar Quartet ... better dust off my blue suede shoes coz there will be some walking around Covent Garden to do too!

The Greenhouse, Letchworth

2011-12-14T11:17:00.000Z

This is a brilliant community concept run by Jenny and her loyal band of helpers aimed at bringing something new and vibrant to a beautiful and traditional town centre .... Letchworth the first garden city of England.

Following Mary Portas's report to the government on the decline of our town centres we need more initiatives like this rather than takeaways and estate agents !

Who do you blame for the decline ..... Town centre planners, large supermarket chains, greedy landlords, high car parking charges, internet shopping, recession ? Or is it a jumble of all of them ?

Right that's me off the soapbox ...... are you all ready for Christmas yet?

I'm not xxx

The Holly & The Ivy and of course the Mistletoe ...

2011-12-11T13:56:00.001Z

11/12/2011, a photo by Lalabibaby on Flickr.

No people I am not looking for a snogfest this Christmas!

When we were at the garden centre yesterday I spied these lovely bunches of mistletoe and thought I would have a go at growing some myself.

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on a host .... apple and hawthorn are favourites so I have been rubbing the sticky berries into the branches of trees around the garden in hope that some of the little seeds will germinate and I will have some of my own homegrown in future years. I have tried it on cotoneaster, pyrocantha and a plum tree too.

Fingers crossed !

The kindness of virtual friends

2011-12-08T19:47:00.001Z

08/12/2011, a photo by Lalabibaby on Flickr.

I had a late delivery from the postie this evening .... a parcel .... but I hadn't ordered anything so what could it be?

One very lovely lady, who shall remain anonymous unless she puts her hand up, saw this and thought of me. How wonderful was that!

Thank you so much lovely lady xx

Oliver muscles in again .......

2011-12-07T13:09:00.002Z

05/12/2011, a photo by Lalabibaby on Flickr.

While I was in the loft getting the decorations down I found this ..... A lovely vintage pine washstand that I bought around 8 years ago but had to take out of the room once grandchildren and minded children arrived. My wash set ( the basin and jug are - by Methven of Scotland and called Tom Tit and the guz is a Rathbone of Staffordshire) have been living on the cupboard tops out of reach from little fingers. About time they came out of hiding .... Oliver was his usual curious self and had a good sniff as if to say "what is this?'"

Getting ahead of myself .....

2011-12-04T14:41:00.000Z

Blimey I have excelled myself this weekend and have got the tree and most of the decorations up a day earlier than planned. Seems strange though this year without the snow outside to give that festive feel. Yesterday on my walk with the dogs I did some foraging .... some branches for spraying gold, pine cones and some sloes to make some sloe gin .... nothing like a drop of mother's ruin !

I didn't realise till I downloaded the photos that there is a ladybird on the pine cones if you look carefully ... heaven knows where she is now.

I made it to the car boot this morning and did find one lovely bargain .... a set of pretty 1930s pink glass bowls - large fruit bowl & six serving dishes

Can't wait till it gets dark later and I can turn on all the twinklies ready for a peaceful Sunday evening.

Hope you have all had a good weekend x

Looking back ......

2011-12-02T12:15:00.001Z

Can you really believe this was happening 12 months ago?

Apart from a frost this morning it is gorgeous out there now with blue sky and sunshine and I even saw a live wasp on my way back in the front door after dog walking.

December already and hopefully this weekend will see the decorations go up if I can get myself organised and into the loft. Space has to be made downstairs first though and I feel a little freecycling coming on later .... I've been feeling restless lately and in need of a change so for 2012 it may be a case of out with the old/in with the new (or newish because almost everything I acquire is secondhand and I'm proud of it).

Talking of acquisitions this little beauty was delivered this week .... a Fleabay bargain and the seller is based about 5 mins away from me so how good was that!

It is painted with F & B Calke Green and now I have seen it there may be some colour changes ahead .... green is my favourite colour

I decided against buying crappo wrapping paper that tears as soon as you look at this year and I'm using good old fashioned brown paper with Christmas ribbon and homemade felt reindeer heads .... I have embroidered names on the back so the littlies have a dual purpose tag/tree decoration. Gonna use some Christmas stamps for the grown ups I think.

I hope to find time at the weekend to make some more vintage book paper chains .... these books are ex-library so are well used and not really fit for any other purpose so rather than have them sit in a box I think their new lease of life will be around for a few more Christmases yet.

Paper Chain Decorations

2011-11-27T19:13:00.001Z

27/11/2011, a photo by Lalabibaby on Flickr.

What a great way of re-purposng tatty old vintage children's books for Christmas decorations .... this one is Noddy and his friends

Upcycled Display Board

2011-11-27T19:11:00.001Z

27/11/2011, a photo by Lalabibaby on Flickr.

My display board made with a vintage picture frame with added ingredients of linen toile fabric, East of India Union Jack ribbon and upholstery pins. This one is dual purpose as I will be usng it to display small items such as hansmade corsages and jewellery when I do the vintage fairs in 2012

Stir up Sunday

2011-11-20T17:19:00.000Z

Here is a link to the Wiki definition of Stir up Sunday and even though I am the only Christmas pudding and cake eater in the house it hasn't stopped me today. There was a really quick and easy pud recipe by Jamie Oliver in yesterday's Mail Weekend magazine and as I had all of the ingredients in the store cupboard there was no excuse!

I used the ramekins that supermarket desserts come in to make individual ones and one large one .... the smaller ones are steamed in the oven for an hour and I have to admit to scoffing one already .... it was delicious and not too sickly and rich like shop bought puds and yes you aren't seeing things there is Guinness in the recipe.

I've been out this morning stocking up on animal feed for our menagerie which now includes two goldfish and another bantam ... she is a Bantam Quail and is currently acquainting herself with the other chooks.

Hopefully I have enough supplies to last into the new year which is frighteningly only 7 weeks away .... how did that happen!

We took a team of OH's canaries to a show in High Wycombe yesterday and with time to kill we hopped onto the M40 and headed north to Bicester Village .... I have neither the dosh, inclination or patience for shopping centres and much prefer my usual second hand shopping haunts but there is a Cath Kidston outlet here and I wanted to see what fabrics they had. My goodness you would never believe that we are in the grips of a recession after seeing how full the car park was at 9.00 am and the masses of people chucking their credit cards about. I am strictly a cash only type of girl now and very careful about how I spend it .... the CK fabric here is £12 a metre which I can put up with but I would never pay full price or the stupid money that some people seem to do on a well known online auction site.

I had to rub my eyes when I saw the price tag on this lovely sewing box .... only £10 reduced from £40 ..... now that's what I call a bargain.

The purse was a special treat to myself as I have had another very good sales month at Country Matters and I was in need of a new one.

The whole place is twinkly with all the Christmas stock on sale and there is something new every week. Based in an old village hall in Hexton it is open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday and has a gorgeous tea room with home cooked food and a lovely fire to warm your cockles whilst sipping tea and eating cake.

Now where was I????? Going off on a tangent again .... after CK I couldn't stomach any more of Bicester so we headed off to Brackley Antique Cellar which was only about 15 mins away. We haven't been here for years and it was nice to see how it had changed and expanded.

Debbie over at Vintage Wants Not Needs and Annie of Vintage at the Corner House have units here and I really did missing seeing them and all the other lovely sellers/bloggers/visitors at the 2nd Market Harborough Vintage & Handmade Fair yesterday. Can you spot a certain baby picture? I already have this one otherwise it would have been coming home with me. My one purchase here was some gorgeous glass chandalier droplets .... I have been collecting these for years and they make perfect vintage decorations for the Christmas tree and at only £1 each for the tear drop shape and £2 for the multi-drops they are terrific value.

Found this strange object growing in the garden this week too

Looks like Molly wouldn't let her share the kennel and not wanting to get her bum cold this was the next best thing!

What did we do BI (before internet) .......

2011-11-13T18:30:00.000Z

My second daughter has returned to college this year to do the Access to Health & Social Care course in preparation for undertaking a midwifery degree next year .... consequently she keeps nicking my laptop and although I can read a few forums from my phone I can't comment and have had severe withdrawal symptoms this week!

Having said that I have got lots more done and by making a list every day and updating it as the week went on, it is amazing how much can be achieved when not attached to the interweb ;-)

Felt Christmas decorations have been completed with some lovely felt from Annie The Felt Fairy but like a numpty I forgot to take photos before I took them down to Country Matters at Hexton .... this glorious Aladdin's Cave of goodies is decked out for the Christmas period now and I picked up a couple of bargains myself down there this week.

This is last year's Dotcomgiftshop's Advent Box .... it is so sweet and will last for years for the grandchildren to open and thankfully there is enough room in each little box for sweeties for all of them!

This little hanging ornament in the shape of a tree is simply three copper cones that make a lovely ringing sound when shaken .... it was only £1.25 and I hope there are some left when I go down again at the end of the week.

A visit to the wool shop in Baldock was on the agenda yesterday .... Baldock is a small Georgian market town with some lovely old buildings on the High Street

I am loving Katia yarn .... it is from Spain and the range is fantastic .... the Triana is used for boa scarves like this

I did make another grey mix one last night to go with my bargainous M & S coat from the charity shop but a certain little lady who has been on sleepover with us this weekend pinched it!

It's a wool/cashmere mix and is so light and soft and looks as though it has never been worn all for the princely sum of £8 ..... Ellie did make laugh though when she said nanny Pat from Eastenders wears a coat like that! Mmmmm I was quite confident till she said that .... better not be wearing any big dangly earrings with it then!

Some more finds this week were ...

an Oak tea trolley from the CS .... now on the project list for a paint job but in the meantime commandeered by said little lady as her desk cum dolly trolley

A nice little occasional table ... again on the paint job project list

Three vintage needlework magazines all with the pattern sheets unused inside

I had no idea that the Littlewoods catalogue had been around this long and that sitting room !

Can you imagine having to wear this??? Especially if there was a wet accident .... yuk !

and a little forward thinking to next summer ladies ..... fancy having a go at some rather fetching crochet headgear ?

I found this in one of my craft room drawers .... probably acquired at a car boot but I really can't remember .... perfect for these dark evenings and the Christmas tree when it comes down from the loft in a couple of weeks.

The Victorian Oak mirror from the Essex auction has had a polish and now hangs in the hall

This charming print of Fred Morgan's oil painting 'Never Mind' came from the same auction and must have been living in an attic next to a chimney .... it was absolutely filthy with soot but has cleaned up nicely and the frame has had a coat of black enamel paint .... he apparently painted some of the Pear's Soap pictures and this one dates to 1884.

Finally my daughter's friend wanted a personalised present for her mum .... this is her favourite verse which I have transferred to a piece of vintage linen which is sewn onto some blue ticking stripe fabric to make an envelope back cushion cover. Hope she likes it!

What a difference 32 years makes .....

2011-11-03T12:40:00.000Z

Happy Anniversary to us xx

What a week ....

2011-10-31T22:16:00.000Z

What a busy week it was last week .... I am a registered childminder for my sins and as it was half term my house was rather noisy and hectic. Of course Halloween was the theme with spooky decorations adorning the room, pumpkin carving, crafting, some of our favourite films including Hocus Pocus, orange playdough to model with and ending the week with a visit to a local discovery centre whose theme was ...... you guessed it Halloween!

Stockwood Park in Luton .... gorgeous autumn colours and you can just about see a fluffy tailed creature foraging in the leaves at the base of the tree.

For the past 12 months I have just been doing my before/after school care for two reasons ..... one being the demands of the powers that be which imposes so many requirements for under fives that the paperwork involved totally detracts from actually caring for the children. The second reason is that I am just getting too long in the tooth and 10 hour days really took it out of me last week. Yes 10 hours, as the first family arrive just before 8.00 am and don't depart until just after 6.00 pm

So you can imagine I was really looking forward to the weekend with Saturday all to myself and I could hear another auction calling me. An early start was necessary as there was only an hours viewing before the auction started at 9.30. It is a lovely drive meandering through the three counties of Herts, Beds and Bucks, the sun was rising and I had an old favourite reggae/blue beat CD playing full blast as I tootled along. My early teens just caught the end of the skinhead era and the start of the smoothies .... no not a fruit based drink ..... smart Trevira suits, shiny loafer shoes, Ben Sherman Shirts and Crombie coats and the backing track to this era was Toots & the Maytals, Desmond Dekker, Harry J Allstars, Bob & Marcia, Prince Buster et al.

through the Chiltern Hills past Whipsnade Zoo and in the distance a glimpse of the famous chalk lion on the hillside ..... carved during WW2 as a warning to the enemy that this was a zoo and shouldn't be bombed.

On to Ivinghoe with the beacon on my left as I drove by ...... we did climb this years ago but it is very steep and I couldn't manage it these days!

A little but further on is Pitstone windmill standing quite alone in the middle of a field

Over the Grand Union Canal at Bulbourne and into Tring

Despite marking off loads of juicy lots in the catalogue I came away empty handed. In contrast to last week's bargains the bidding here was getting out of hand with mixed boxes of china/glass going for £30/40 plus commission and one lady seemed to be buying everything up single handed. Bidding starts here at £8 so with commission of £1.44 to add onto that you are talking almost a tenner a lot at least ..... a couple of years ago I could get box loads for around £10/15 and being the ever conscious skinflint I gave up bidding and came home. Time to find some smaller lesser known auctions methinks!

I did manage to grab an extra hours sleep on Sunday after the clock change and I'd promised Ellie I would take her car booting. She is getting a dab hand at this now and digs around for her favourite Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson books then stings me for a Caramel Cream Frappucino in Starbucks! We have a new Poundland in Hitchin and we are both addicted already ..... she is the stationery queen .... a girl can never have too many pads and pencils in her opinion. We made a quick visit to Letchworth and on the way home saw three of these little chaps on the grass verges .... black squirrels are quite a common sight in Letchworth and I have seen some in the churchyard in Hitchin.

Back to school today so some serious crafting to be done for the rest of this week .... watch this space!

Auction fever ....

2011-10-26T23:13:00.001+01:00

I've been dying to share my auction bargains with you since the weekend but my daughter kidnapped the lappy and it's only just returned home this evening!

At 6 am on Saturday morning OH and I set off for deepest Essex ..... as we drove around the M25 the sun was just rising giving a wonderful pink hue to the sky heralding the start of another fine October day. I can't believe it is November next week! OH was entering his canaries in a bird show in Chelmsford and it didn't take me long to find the nearest auction sale in Colchester. These are my favourite haunts now that the car boot season has come to an end.

Stanfords is a mix of general sale and country sale with outside lots including garden equipment, bikes, bales of hay, timber and an inside fur & feather sale of poultry and rabbits. There's also fruit, veg and meat. It was the general sale that I had my eye on and I'd managed to look at the catalogue on the internet before we left home ...... I wasn't disappointed ..... there's nothing quite like a large barn packed with brown wooden furniture, ceramics, pictures and boxes of house clearance items. My lot think I am mad but I am sure I will have my Del Boy moment one day!

I try to be sensible and set myself a limit for each lot that I am interested in and if bidding goes past that I stop and snowball that amount onto the other lots that I have marked. That way you avoid auction fever and making bids that you later live to regret.

Wanna see what I got???

Lot number 1 was the picture in the top left box .... dated 1898 it is a print called Never Mind by Fred Morgan .... a gorgeous study of the older child comforting the little one who has broken the head off her puppet.

Lot 2 was the mirror at the bottom right .... a big heavy lump of Victorian carved oak with bevelled edge mirror glass. Lot 3 is all the other pictures which are a mix of oils and the top middle is an original hand sketched in pastels & crayon dating to 1888 ..... all these pictures together with some empty frames were in one box and I only wanted them for the frames and hadn't really paid much attention to the pictures. They are really quite a nice selection now I have had time to take a good look at them.

Lot 4 was the stool .... a revamp project for the future and Lot 5 was the pair of shabby chic shelves.

Lot 6 was the selection of sewing items with two sewing boxes and lot 7 was the remaining items in a mixed lot of china & glass ..... these are the best of the items and I took the rest to the CS.

Of course I couldn't resist lot 8 .... a lovely 1922 Singer sewing machine in wooden carrying case.

Not a bad day's work for the grand total of £90!

In praise of lollipop ladies (and gentlemen) ....

2011-10-26T22:35:00.001+01:00

Last Friday was the end of an era.

Our School Crossing Patrol, Margaret Wiggett MBE hung up her lollipop and started a well earned retirement having served our primary school for 46 years.

That's more than a million safe journeys to school.

Margaret was awarded the MBE in 1995 for services to the school, an award which was presented to her by The Prince of Wales and she was also highly commended for the ‘frontline employee of the year’ prize at the National Transport Awards last year.

A special assembly was held to celebrate her work, which was attended by all of the school’s pupils as well as local dignitaries and parents from the area (many of whom Margaret helped to cross the road when they were children!).

Margaret was presented with special homemade cards from children in each year group at the school, as well as presents from parents and teachers.

I am pretty sure she holds the record for the longest serving lollipop lady in the country ..... what an achievement.

Have a wonderful retirement Margaret xx

Second hand Rose ......

2011-10-16T13:19:00.000+01:00

I have never been a fan of new stuff and I hate modern shopping centres .... you can keep your MK, Westfields and Bluewaters .... yuk in my book!

This loathing began mainly out of necessity as with a family of six of us, a mortgage and me being at home (albeit I have always had PT jobs that fitted in around the children) we had to spend our pennies wisely. I found that by avoiding such places I wasn't tempted and anyhow it is much more fun bagging a bargain.

Which leads me on to this week's treasure from my online bargain hunting.

First this week was an old wing chair from Freecycle .... it belonged to the lady's gran and has been re-upholstered but I am chomping at the bit to make some loose covers for it .... don't know if I have the balls to strip it completely.

Here on the cover of the latest issue of Country Living magazine is something I may try and I'm thinking blue ticking or perhaps something a little more bizarre in shades of blue

I love this look and I am currently re-covering a couple of old ottomans for my friend using fabric samples in shades of pistachio and raspberry .... the samples are all different textures from satins to brocades to velvet to linen making it very tactile.

Next addition was an old sewing box from Freecycle .... battered and boring brown at the moment but I think some Annie Sloan paint and pretty fabric to replace the lining will give it a new lease of life.

and finally the piece de resistance

I have discovered a site called Preloved .... a great site for secondhand bargains .... I have been hankering for some leather sofas for a while as my two fabric ones have taken a battering over the years and as I childmind new sofas were out of the question. There was an ad for not one but two Marks & Spencers dark blue leather sofas which was just what I was looking for and I had to rub my eyes as the asking price was just £120 for BOTH of them! They are £1500 each in the M & S catalogue.

They were only a 20 min drive away so off I went yesterday for an inspection and I couldn't believe my luck .... one is immaculate and the other has a few signs of wear to the cushions but nothing major so I didn't quibble ..... paid my hard earned and arranged for them to be collected late yesterday afternoon.

I hired a carpet cleaner and I've been like a woman possessed this morning sprucing everything up while the weather is still mild enough to have all the windows and doors open to dry it off.

My brain is whirling with ideas for blue & white cushions and throws and as I have been squirrelling away lots of B & W fabric guess what I'll be doing this week ;-)

The 2nd Olney Vintage & Handmade Fair

2011-10-10T19:51:00.000+01:00

On a chilly Saturday morning we set off for Olney in Buckinghamshire to take part in the 2nd Olney Vintage & Handmade Fair organised by Ann & Trevor .... Ann was sadly absent and I missed our catch up chat especially as she has recently acquired some chooks and was patiently waiting for her first egg.

A lovely mix of sellers including some regulars like Sharon of Shabby Polkadots & Clover Cottage and Wend of Ticking Stripes were there and some new faces too and I'm not sure if they are fellow bloggers too ..... put your hand up and give us a shout if you are please !

Starting time was midday and there was a good queue forming with some peeps trying to sneak in early and once the doors opened it was all go. Word had obviously spread about the event and there was a wonderful buzz in the room .... it's great to see young and old alike coming to these events and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Deb over at Home Thoughts from Vintage Wants was next to me which did get confusing at times when 'Deb' was called out and we both looked up. Her sister did a magnificent job in the tea room and her cakes are to die for ..... chocolate, coffee, lemon drizzle ...... are you drooling yet???

I've told you previously about my grand entrance to the first ever fair that I did with these lovely people (arriving fashionably late with around 20 mins to set up) and since then I ensure that we arrive in plenty of time to set up and also to have a mooch around at all the lovely stalls before the public come in. My lovely blocks from Lajoni at Painting New Memories had their maiden outing and took pride of place in the centre of my table.

I was even asked if I was selling them though I have no idea what use they would be to anyone else !

We had a very good day sales wise so treated ourselves .... on the stall opposite sat this

Now who could resist them ?????

I certainly couldn't .... they are Sealyham Terriers by Mabel Gear

When I was googling for some information on her I came across this on a well known auction site and before I knew it I had pressed the bid now button ....

Mr Lala's birthday is in a couple of weeks and as a keeper of canaries and master to a naughty black cocker spaniel by the name of Ruby I thought it would make the perfect present.

She's been to the dog groomer today for a haircut, wash & brush up and now smells divine.

Winter drawers on ......

2011-10-07T18:32:00.000+01:00

Well what a difference a week makes!

Went off on a little road trip to Hitchin flea market this morning and then onto Hexton and boy was I glad I'd popped back indoors to get my scarf ...... it was a bit taters out there. Not much on the flea market this morning but they have started to put the Chrissy lights up and there was a new Pound Shop to investigate.

I arrived at Hexton Country Matters just in time for the first fire lighting of the season in the tea room and decided to plop myself in the rocking chair right next to it with a caffeine fix ..... I could have cheerfully nodded off and it was only eleven o'clock. I'd taken another box of goodies to sell down there and will be taking my Christmas stock next week.

I love that when tea or coffee is ordered you just don't get one measly cup you get a whole caffetiere or pot full served with lovely china.

I have been making some Christmas stockings this week in a vintage style using some lovely tactile fabrics in autumn colours.

Think I am going to curl up with some Christmas pattern books this evening and get some more inspiration.

I will be in Olney tomorrow for the 2nd Vintage & Handmade Fair arranged by Ann & Trevor .... a fantastic friendly event with lots of lovely sellers, bloggers and of course vintage goodies to drool over.

Have a great weekend whatever you are doing x

My new header and a big shout out

2011-10-06T23:14:00.000+01:00

This morning Mr Postie brought my parcel from Lajoni over at Painting New Memories

Following a swap on another forum where Lajoni had made some beautifully decorated blocks for her swap partner, I immediately fell in love with them and thought that they would make a perfect advertising centrepiece for my table at the fairs that I participate in. So, I contacted Lajoni and gave her an idea of what I was looking for and these are the result.

Aren't they just perfect ...... on each of the unlettered sides is a picture of my work over the past couple of years .... cute little snapshots of my crochet, cushions, patchwork, bags, Christmas decorations, letter cushions ....

Thank you to one extremely talented lady xxxx

Silly Season .....

2011-10-01T16:36:00.000+01:00

What is happening with our Seasons ..... do I have my rose tinted specs on again when I say that when I was a girl we had autumn, winter, spring then summer ???? You knew where you were and had clothing to suit but here we are today on the first day of October 2011 and it is a sweltering 27 degrees out there. The hot flushes that I thought had departed are back with a bloody vengeance and the shorts are back out of the cupboard. No doubt next week we will have floods or snow .... I am totally confused and am sceptical about all this global warming business that seems to be fashionable at the moment but something must be happening out there. Heard on the radio yesterday that some areas were testing gritter lorries in readiness for the winter .... wonder if we will need them this year ???

I've been busy this week preparing for the Autumn Fayre at our local primary school tomorrow and I am somewhat nervous as I don't tend to broadcast close to home that I craft .... don't ask me why as I am not usually backward in coming forward ! Small pocket money items have been the order of the day .... hair bands, brooches, key rings, crochet /knitted cakes, PE/shoe bags (sorry forgot to photo) and children's apron/baking sets.

Of course a sunshiney weekend wouldn't be the same without some car boot looting would it???

The two I visited this morning were the busiest I have see them all season

The 1960s crimplene suit (shift dress & coat) is a cracker and was apparently worn once to a wedding ... the label says size 16 but my hips say no so it is now available on Ebay here.

Three pretty Strevens prints of cute children .... an interesting article on the artist here .... I'm not sure if the Audrey Hepburnesque girl with the cigarette holder is one of his too as I can't see a signature but all three were framed in Boots as the original labels are on the back.

The key rings that I made for the Fayre (in first photo collage) are made from the pages of a very tatty old Enid Blyton Noddy book .... I have been wondering what to do with it as it was too tatty to sell but had some lovely illustrations and the empty key ring fobs seemed the perfect thing ... they are double sided with a colour picture on one side and text on the reverse. To my surprise there at the boot this morning was the very same book in lovely condition with original dust jacket for just 50p ... how spooky is that??

Also found was a lovely 1930s needlecraft book and a wierd and wonderful 1960s/70s toy called the Magic Joy Wheel.

Regular readers of my ramblings will recognise the last photo in the collage .... not a car boot find but one from a well known auction website this week ... yes it is another Lilian Rowles to add to my collection .... isn't it gorgeous !!

Feeding time at the menagerie yesterday with one nosey bird who just had to join in!

Sunday Car Booty Looty

2011-09-25T18:08:00.000+01:00

There's been a bit of car boot withdrawal going on here so off I went with my trusty trolley this morning to find a wonderful array of goodies just sitting there waiting for me!

Came over all Downton Abbey when I saw these exquisite ladies kid gloves .... they are so dainty

Double sided 1950s placemats in original box and unused

Don't think I will be doing any of this but the pics are great and the ads too for Tala bakeware

I've been looking for one of these old tills for ages ..... the bell still works when the money drawer opens but I need to find a key to be able to lift the lid to put a till roll in. Just needs a gentle rub down & polish and it will be ready to use .... can you see what some cheeky wag has written inside the drawer?

Always wanted one of these too ;-)

Some books that caught my eye about childcare in the 1940s/50s ..... for some reason I don't seem to have a cover shot of one of them by HMSO called Nursery Schools & Nursery Classes ..... Ofsted would have kittens if they saw this!

Oh what a beautiful morning .......

2011-09-24T12:19:00.001+01:00

Saturday morning and I'm up with the larks ..... or rather dogs, cats and chooks!

After a quick coffee I took Molly and Ruby over the fields for a run ..... I love autumn mornings like these with brilliant sunshine and a slight haze in the distance.

There was a really heavy dew and Ruby was soon dripping wet

Then home for a bit of chook house clearance .... I let our first five ladies have free run of the garden while I was mucking out because they have a tendency to get under my feet!

The new girls like to have a bit of space to themselves with these bossy greedy five out of the way.

The Black Orpington .... she is huge and the colours in her feathers are like petrol blue when the sun shines on them

The Silver Cochin (roughly the size of a pigeon) and the Polish Crested

The Buff Pekin with the Silver Pekin behind her ... the Black Pekin is a bit camera shy and was hiding in the bushes .... I love these chooks with their feather slippers

These are the bossy crew

...... who are at the moment foraging around making a right flipping mess but getting rid of some unwelcome bugs at the same time so I will forgive them.

The view from my window .....

2011-09-24T11:23:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I had the luxury of a couple of hours to myself so it was off to the sewing room ..... really our 2nd bedroom now vacated by grown up offspring .... why is it though that now I only have one at home, and in theory two empty rooms, I still don't seem to have much space????

With good old Ken Bruce playing in the background (I do like to shout out the answers to the pop quiz but would freeze if I was on air) I looked up and out of the window and this is what I see.

Across the roof of our extension into our neighbour's garden with the council houses in the background. This is the estate where I grew up and my parents still live. I would love to move at some point as I have always said I don't want to end my days looking at these houses!

The adventure playground cum Tom & Barbara Good's patch ....... we have the luxury of a very long garden so the chooks are down in the bottom left and to their left is our fruit and veg patch.

Sell, sell, sell................

2011-09-22T18:40:00.000+01:00

Ever felt like this ?????

Two experiences this week have left me feeling like SCREAMING VERY LOUD !!

We have a policy with British Gas to cover our water and heating system which includes an annual service of the boiler and we've found it well worthwhile as it has saved us pounds over the years when parts need replacing. The engineer was booked for Tuesday morning and he hadn't been in the house for two minutes before he went into his selling spiel ..... did I know my boiler is getting old ya-di-ya-da ....... yes I know the heat exchanger is corroding ya-di-ya-da (actually not covered in the policy) ..... no I don't want to book a Powerflush at around £350 thank you ...... no I don't want to book a salesman to talk me into a new boiler as I can't bliddy afford it! I politely explained that we would have to keep everything crossed that the boiler lived for another 12 months before heading for that boiler heaven in the sky and if it did pass then I'd just have to chuck a few extra cardigans on! Did he submit .... did he heck as like .... I booked the salesman to shut him up and that was probably enough to get him an extra Brownie point and I will be cancelling the visit next week. I expect a service engineer to do the service not try and flog me something I don't want or can't afford.

Then in the Nationwide Building Society this afternoon the poor guy in front of me who was only withdrawing some cash was questioned by the cashier about other services and policies he may or may not have with them. This held the queue up .... I was on a tight schedule and could feel my hackles start to rise .... it embarrassed the poor bloke as he had to discuss his finances with a line of people listening ..... I felt like shouting at the girl just get a bloody move on and give him his cash .... he obviously wasn't interested and wanted a quick getaway the same as me. Again cashiers just do the cashiering and forget the selling .... she must have looked at me and decided I didn't have two halfpennies to rub together and left me alone thank goodness!

Phew .... needed to get that off my chest .... thanks for listening xx

All the fun of the fair

2011-09-18T08:07:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was the 6th Northampton Vintage and Handmade Fair arranged by Annie & Trevor of Vintage at the Corner House .... it was a roaring success as always with hundreds of people flocking through the doors despite some heavy rain showers. There were a couple of last minute stall cancellations and I do hope Amy of Blighty Boutique and Jo of Hesta & the Pugs are feeling better this morning ... you were missed ladies and of course Amy's lovely mum Annie the Felt Fairy.

All the stalls looked lush .... would you like to look at some of them?

Of course you would!

Sharon of Shabby Polkadots with some lovely china & glassware and her hand painted tea trolley

This was the stall opposite me with a clever way of displaying lovely handmade bags

Then there was this Lalabibaby woman ;-)

who spied this platter in her most favourite blue & white transferware on Sharon's stall ..... Sharon was off taking some photos and having a natter before the fair opened so I shoplifted it when she wasn't looking

It's a real beauty and now I just have to find some shelf space for it!

I also purchased a gorgeous needle case made in vintage embroidered fabric from Suzanne of Hearts N Kisses .......... Suzanne doesn't have a blog but this link is to her website and Etsy shop .... do take a look it is beautiful and I am kicking myself now for not taking a photo of her stand.

My last purchase was a vintage velour throw

No new Lilian Rowles or Bessie Pease Guttmann to add to my collection this week but I was lucky to find this luscious fabric on Ebay this week

I was telling Debbie of Vintage Wants Not Needs about this find as I'd purchased a Bessie Pease print from her at a previous fair. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow Debs x

Finally these pretty postcards were found at Hitchin Flea Market this week ... I can see this becoming another addiction

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend xx

Hey ho .... all ready for the Northampton Vintage & Handmade Fair tomorrow

2011-09-16T21:23:00.000+01:00

I've been having a trial run on the kitchen table and have been very strict with myself. My worst fear is that I end up looking more like a flaming jumble sale!!

Hope to see some of you tomorrow .... it's a wonderful event and not to be missed !

Letchworth Garden City

2011-09-09T21:17:00.000+01:00

I had a couple of errands to run over in Letchworth today so thought I would share this little Hertfordshire gem with you. If I could afford it I would move there tomorrow so here's hoping I get a slice of the Euromillions tonight.

For a history of the world's first garden city have a look here . It's a shame that there isn't an Ebenezer Howard type figure these days ..... what would he make of the overcrowding in modern cities and towns?

The Old Town Hall

The lovely art deco Broadway Cinema

part pedestrianised town centre shopping area

what a claim to fame !

The Spirella Building .... history here

Shopping in the refurbished 1920s Arcade

The Greenhouse Community Market

There really is a good mix of small independent shops, a few of the smaller chains, charity shops, eateries and even Poundland. The roads are wide with lovely tree lined avenues and the pace of life seems a tad slower to most other towns of a similar size ... my kinda town x

Autumnal colours ....

2011-09-08T12:30:00.000+01:00

Well what a difference a week makes!!! This time last week we were basking in sunshine and today it is dark, gloomy, wet and flipping cold but I am determined that the heating won't be going on in September. The boiler annual service is booked for the 19th and I am crossing everything that we can get another 12 months from it.

I have been accumulating rather a lot of fabric samples and decided a few weeks ago that it was high time I did something with them. My first thought was to re-cover the easy chair that was a freecycle acquisition when my husband had his knee replacement two years ago. He needed an upright chair to be able to sit comfortably and raise his leg but do you know that although it is not very glamorous it is very comfortable to sit in so we kept it.

I made two panels and they have been hanging on the back of my sewing room door and the more I looked at them the more I thought it was far too nice for husband to park his bum on (usually in his work trousers) so I sewed them together and added some more. The colours are very autumnal in terracottas, brown, beige, burgundy and gold and some lovely textures too including linen, faux suede, embroidered linen, silky satins, soft velours and damask. What to back it with though???

Keeping on theme with autumn and the rich textures I thought velvet or velour would be perfect and to my amazement when in the charity shop this week there was a panel of gold velvet fabric hanging in the curtain section. It had obviously been salvaged from a larger curtain but at only £3 I thought I would take a chance on the size of it.

Armed with my new found buddy when layering throws together .... a can of low stick spray adhesive (recommended by another lovely blogger) ... I started to pair them up this morning and ta da here we have a warm autumn throw which is big enough to cover a single bed or sofa. All it has cost me is time and the £3 spent in the charity shop .... now I have to decide do I snuggle under it or take it to my next fair .... mmmmm I'll have to think about that one!

Well its like waiting for a bus .......

2011-09-02T18:27:00.000+01:00

..... you know when you wait ages and then two come along together

Well after blogging about my little collecting passion this week guess what I spied at the flea market this morning ???

Three gorgeous little cups and saucers in a flow blue marbled effect .... too tiny for backstamps but dating to around 1840/50

I placed a standard Denby cup & saucer behind them to give you some idea of scale

and then blow me down on the next stall was this pair in a hand painted tiny sprig design again dating to around 1850/1860 .... apologies for the poor shot but we have been blighted by brilliant sunshine today but I'm not complaining ;-)

We left the flea market and went on to my favourite little Aladdin's cave of treasures at Hexton .... I had some more stock to take down there and I am delighted to say that August was a fabulous month and most of my stock had been sold so it needed replenishing.

Opposite Country Matters is a lovely pub called The Raven and because it was such a beautiful morning we popped in for lunch in their lovely garden. Who would have thought that we would be sitting basking in the sunshine on this second day of September . It's so peaceful down there and we'll be popping down again tomorrow as it is the village fete within the grounds of Hexton Manor. There is also an exhibition by the Bedfordshire Quilters group in the neighbouring village of Barton-le-Clay so I shall be paying that a visit too.

On the collecting front again I have another postcard by Lilian Rowles .... a sweet little birthday postcard dated 14 August 1932

I haven't tracked down the name but the house still exists and can be seen on Google streetview

Well long may this sunshine continue ... have a great weekend xx

Wow September what an entrance !!!

2011-09-01T19:03:00.000+01:00

Woke up to a beautiful blue sky and a text message to say that the one minded child I had today wasn't coming so that left me and my two grandchildren with the day to ourselves.

Not wanting to waste the day we set off for Woodside Animal Farm which is only a 15 minute drive away

Charlie wasn't bothered about looking at the animals but is a typical boy and loved the tractors and rolling around the soft play area with sister Millie. We had lunch and then played crazy golf and he went on the bouncy castle and funfair rides too. The visit was finished with a ride around the farm in a trailer attached to a JCB tractor so he was in his element.

It's not a cheap day out but the littlies love it and there is lots to do in a nice compact area.

It was lovely to spend the day with them and as we walked along with his chubby little hand in mine it reminded me so much of walking with his dad (my second son) some 23 years ago now. He starts reception class at school next week and he can't wait.

September you have started brilliantly .... perfect weather enabling us to have a perfect day out .... may this continue (pleeeeeeease)

and doggone it look what we came home to ...... the heat must have got to them too ;-)

Life's little passions .....

2011-08-31T21:20:00.000+01:00

Toy china is one of my little passions or obsessions depending on what way you look at it!

I first blogged about these here

GIRL WITH GOAT

This sepia & white tea service dates to around 1860 and is called Girl With Goat by Cork, Edge & Malkin of Staffordshire ... I am lucky to have the full service of teapot, sucrier, slop bowl (quite often mistaken for a sugar bowl), milk jug, six cups and six saucers.

PARSLEY

Dating to the 1860s again this is a part service as I don't have the tea pot or milk jug

FLOW BLUE

This was a bargain find for £1 in a CS .... a little flow blue sucrier which I haven't been able to identify yet but probably dates to the 1880s

DAISY

This tureen is from a dinner service by Ridgways of Staffordshire and dates to the late 1890s ... the service has two sizes of tureen, open vegetable dishes, three graduated serving platters, dinner plates and even a tiny little ladle.

FISHERS

Another set by Cork, Edge & Malkin called Fishers dating to the 1860s

All is quiet ...... do you want to see some goodies ???

2011-08-29T20:52:00.000+01:00

All is quiet on the Lala front now .... and the back for that matter as the borrower next door has retired for the day thank gawd!

We were intending to pop to a local produce show today .... this happens every August BH where local allotment holders bring all their excess produce and for a donation to the Keech Hospice you can fill a bag with all manner of lovely fresh fruit, veg and flowers but last night we happened to drive past the Hertfordshire Showground and saw that there was an antiques fair today. Well I didn't need much persuading to change the plan and off we went this morning.

These are the goodies that I bought

Royal Albert Plate

Cute tray in the shape of a duck

A little pewter candle holder and behind you can see a selection of EPNS sugar tongs

Copeland Spode Cake Plate in the blue willow pattern

and what's this ????

The most exquisite Victorian leather bound photograph album which is almost full of family photographs and the only indication of the previous owner's name is Nellie which is handwritten on the inside cover. Most of the photographs were taken in studios on the Kent and Sussex coast but what caught my eye the most was the delicate hand painted detail to these pages .... tiny little flowers, birds and insects and the colours are still so vibrant.

Another book of 'lost people' .... I can never quite understand how such things get discarded.

My little treat of the day was this sewing table

We arrived home at lunchtime to find this

Our big brown bear Mollie and she was absolutely sparko .... don't know how she'd managed to kip with all that noise on the other side of the fence. Poor dear is starting her season and always feels very sorry for herself at this time.

Hope you all had a super bank holiday xx

Do you have a Bank Holiday banger ??????

2011-08-29T15:49:00.000+01:00

Not a rude question ladies and nothing to do with your sex lives

I mean one of these bangers

The twit next door to me starts every bank holiday. On Boxing Day he decided to rip out his bathroom and at Easter was clanging around in the loft and as we are a pair of semis every sound echoed down the chimney.

Today he has decided to play silly buggers on his patio and has been out there now with what sounds like a sledge hammer banging away on concrete. Our kitchen/family room extension wall forms the boundary and I can feel it shaking with every hammer blow.

Grrrrrrrrrr

Sorry just had to get that one off my chest before I go round and throttle him!!!

and the collection grows .....

2011-08-24T21:58:00.000+01:00

A few more pieces with illustrations by Lilian Rowles to add to my collection

This gorgeous Valentine's postcard "A Little Ray of Sunshine" - it is a used card and this is what is on the back

I love to have a dig around and find out about the history of my little bargains so I've googled the name Waveny Whiteaway and found that she was born in Weybridge in 1922 so she was just 10 years old when she sent this card as the postmark is 28 January 1932.

I also found this photo on Photobucket and I believe the young lady in the centre is Waveny

How I wonder does a sweet little postcard, sent some 80 years ago from Worthing to Weybridge, manage to find itself on Ebay with a postcard dealer in York and now has a home with me in Bedfordshire?

A very well travelled card and I hope the Whiteaway family won't mind me telling you all about it on here .... it is so nice to put a face to the handwriting.

Another Lilian Rowles postcard ..... again Valentines

this one has never been used so no history lesson here sadly

A little story book of Aladdin with illustrations by Lilian Rowles which I think was published a little later in the 1940s

Brollies and bikinis .....

2011-08-12T19:48:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the Lala family outing to see the air display on Lowestoft seafront. The car was packed with all the necessities like rain coats, brollies and sun cream because you just never can trust our good old English weather can you !

It was piddling down here but the forecast for Suffolk was fairly good with a bit of sunshine and some showers ..... after a car journey of two and a half hours (minus a brekkie stop at MaccieDs) we arrived to beautiful blue skies and sunshine. The organisation was superb and we drove straight to a park & walk car park at the football ground which was 5 minutes away from the seafront. Some enterprising locals were having a garage sale and it would have been rude not to look, ha ha, much to the dismay of my daughters who exclaimed oh no mum can't we go anywhere without you finding a charity shop, car boot or something similar!

I found some lovely 1930s Art Deco coloured glassware .... in the first picture are some vases by Davidson in a lovely design called Chevron .... I'd only bought one of the small ones in our local CS a couple of days ago and there sitting in the garage was a twin small one and a big brother too!

I had a lovely chat with the lady selling them and it turns out they had moved to Lowestoft from a town just 10 miles away from us.

Anyhoo bargain hunting ceased and we found a spot on the sea front and got comfy for the start of the display at 1.00 pm which was a parachute drop

Can you see the UJ on the underside of the parachute??

In between the displays we all went for a paddle and make sandcastles and then true to form the weather changed in a split second to this

and then just as quickly changed again to this ......

some enterprising people on the seafront were doing things in style

The afternoon ended with a display from the magnificent Red Arrows

Unfortunately my poor old camera was having a bad day and kept jamming and then ran out of memory and apart from a short video clip that was all I took of them. They make the hairs on the back of my neck stand out and when they did the manouevre where their tail smoke is in red, white and blue everyone was clapping and cheering. It was such a lovely contrast to all the trouble broadcast in our cities this week and made you feel proud to be British. Ellie exclaimed that Great Britain was truly great and this was the best day ever nanny and it was. This is a great day out and the prices of everything from the vendors on the front were extremely reasonable and a refreshing change from the rip-off days out in some places.

This morning we went over to the Flea Market in Hitchin but it was quiet and only one little thing caught my eye. You may remember that blue and white china is my favourite and I especially love collecting antique children's china so I got quite excited when I spotted this little fellow on a £1 table ....

A diddy little transferware tea cup from a tea service dating to around 1840 .... I've got my detective's hat on now to try and identify the pattern and if anyone recognises it please let me know. I placed the pound coin next to it to give you an idea of the size .... so cute !!

This afternoon I popped into my local CS and just inside the door was a basket of these for just £1 a bag

A little further on an Edwardian wooden folding cake stand .... only a fiver because of a break in one of the legs but that can soon be mended and I think with a coat of paint it will be very useful for display at the vintage fairs.

and a Victorian crinoline lady with basket attached to her back which I think was probably for spills to sit on the mantlepiece.

I do hope the weather holds out for the weekend .... I can hear the car booties calling already.

Have a good weekend xx

Sunday Car Booty Looty

2011-08-07T23:11:00.000+01:00

We had a lovely day in Market Harborough yesterday at the Vintage Fair .... sales were good and it was another lovely opportunity to chat with bloggers, sellers and visitors ... these events are great social activities too bringing like minded folk together in one place for a day. We were the first to arrive and I think I must have been so laid back with so much time on my hands to set up that I forgot to take photos !!

This morning was spent having a sort through the stock I brought home so that I could take some to Country Matters and then on to some car boots while the dry sunny weather was still holding out. We were very lucky and were just on our way back to the car when the heavens opened. Carnage then ensued as every Tom, Dick and Harry headed for the sole exit .... it was every man or woman for themselves as around six cars a time tried to squeeze out!

Thanks goodness it was a very productive outing to compensate for the car boot road rage that was bubbling in me at the stupidity of some drivers.

A pretty Cadbury's biscuit tin and Sheffield steel cake knife

A boxed set of Sheffield butter knives

Cute tray with chocolate box picture of kittens and flowers

Little papier mache trinket box, crinoline lady jug and a 'Mother' brooch

A pair of 1930s banana split dishes, deco preserve pot, trinket pot, little glass salt and a pair of candle holders

A gorgeous embroidered silk panel in jesso frame

Art Deco mirror on a chain hanger

Art Deco dressing table set with unusual double sconce candle holder

We recognised this immediately as an old photo of Tilehouse Street in Hitchin .... a lot of the buildings are still there and below is how it looks today

and here's a link to google street view

They're here ......

2011-08-02T21:40:00.000+01:00

What a good job time was spent yesterday clearing out the shed and moving the chooks boudoir into larger premises as today these arrived

There are three Pekin Bantams - buff, black and lavender ..... a black Orpington ..... a blue splashed Cochin bantam and a Polish crested bantam

Just tucked them up for the night with the five Rhode Island reds and I do hope there's no squabbling !

The reds all look the same so haven't names but thinking caps on ladies .... what can we call these ???

Six Car Boots and a Recipe ......

2011-07-31T19:28:00.001+01:00

Oh deep joy I have had the weekend all to myself to indulge in some serious car boot scavenging .... I haven't had a weekend like this for months and it was bliss to wander around in the sunshine with no distractions from small people.

Yesterday I went to two in Hertfordshire and today managed four in a row in Hitchin and just over the border into Bedfordshire. Would you like to see my haul??? Well here we go .....

These are vintage linen tea cosy covers with beautiful cut work and embroidery .... I shall be lining these with some pretty fabrics and some wadding to make proper tea cosies.

A pine corner shelf which is to be painted and used for display at the Vintage & Handmade fairs .... hopefully it will be ready for this coming Saturday's first event at Market Harborough.

On it are three cute Windy Miller preserve pots from the Camberwick Green series .... a jam pot, honey pot and one for marmalade. A set of six Babycham glasses and four blue utility ware soup bowls which are impressed Made in England but no maker (I am 99% sure they are Wood's ware) and a set of Cath Kidston vintage florals badges.

The largest jug I have ever seen standing just under 12" tall and is made by the Eastgate Pottery which was part of the Hornsea stable hence its resemblance .... it is from the fauna range and was made in the 1960s.

A Sylvac planter in the Hyacinth design ... it has the original wire 'oasis' in which to arrange flowers

An Art Deco peach glass dressing table tray

A James Kent cruet stand

Six Royal Albert bone china cups and saucers and two stoneware bed warmers ..... I'd spotted them on a stall but wandered off only to be tapped on the shoulder by my cousin. I tend to be blinkered when booting with head down and don't take much notice of stall holders unless I want to buy something ..... I'd walked straight past her and it turns out she was selling a load of stuff from her ex's old aunt's estate and had a shed load of stuff. She hates doing car boots and said she was going to dump the rest of it!! Hold on there says I and you guessed ..... I'll be hot footing it to her place to rescue what I can.

I am dividing my haul between the fair, Ebay and my little country Aladdin's Cave.

Do you have time for the recipe ???

We have some onions in the garden and a workmate of my husband's had given us potatoes, carrots and turnips so I had a flick through my recipe file and found this which is delicious

Sausage. Black Pudding & Potato Bake

2 onions

cooking oil

3 good size potatoes (I added a couple of turnips too or any root veg could be used)

6 sausages (I used Cumberland)

1/2 ring of black pudding (skin removed)

500ml chicken stock

S & P

Cut the onions and potatoes into large chunks and fry in the cooking oil until coloured ... keep the skins on the spuds for extra flavour

Place the above into a roasting tin

Cut the black pudding into 1" chunks and cut the sausages in half. Add a little more oil to the pan previously used for the onion mix and fry them.

When nicely coloured add the chicken stock and season. Bring to boil and then add to roasting tin.

Roast in the oven at 170 degrees C (Gas 5) for 30-40 minutes or until the stock has reduced to a syrupy glaze.

We had ours with some boiled carrots followed by Apple & Blackberry Crumble .... apples and blackberries from the garden of course. I love being able to wander down the garden and pick what I need to make a meal .... closely followed by my fan club who live in hope of a treat ;-)

The girls will be getting ready to greet some new arrivals this week ... we have half a dozen bantams coming from a friend of ours.

Hope you have all had a glorious weekend x

At the end of the day .....

2011-07-22T19:35:00.000+01:00

I've just got back from walking the dogs over the playing fields .... just the sound of the birds singing and the dogs panting as they ran around in circles. The sky was still blue on one side, as it has been all day here thankfully, with black rain clouds looming on the horizon. They followed me all the way home and now there is the fresh smell of rain soaked grass wafting in the French doors.

Today has been the first day of our school summer holidays and as a registered childminder the hols become my busiest time and today I had three girls, two aged 5 and one aged 7 plus my 7 year old grand-daughter and 2 year old grandson. I'd asked everyone to bring wellies and coats because I was convinced it was going to be a wet day but how wrong can you be .... it has been perfect and they have played outside most of the day making dens and playing schools (I know you'd think they would have had enough wouldn't you!). It can be a long day when the first one arrives at 8.00 a.m. and the last one leaves at 6.00 p.m. but thank you Mr Sunshine and Mr Blue Sky for coming out today.

Lala has a new toy ..... I have coveted one of these for years and up till now had taken advantage of freecycled blenders and mixers ...... so it was about time that I splashed out

First test run was with the blender attachment .... yes more courgette soup! Thank you all for your suggestions after my last post .... some lovely recipes to try and not a rude one among them :-)

I've got a load of turnips gifted from a workmate of my OH in exchange for my homemade jam ..... turnip soup anyone????

Me and the girlies started the day with a little baking session ..... well a girl has to have something to keep her going doesn't she

Just as I was about to round the chooks up and get the last of the washing in I spied this sneaky creature

Mr Zachary Binks having a nose in the bird shed window ..... my OH has had a bumper year breeding his canaries, budgies and parakeets and the sound of tweeting had obviously attracted his attention. Fortunately there is wire attached to the inside of the window so he couldn't get any further.

Just wait till your father gets home and I tell him!

Well it's tootsies up time now with a cuppa and a couple of those scones & jam and then I'm going to get hooking again ..... I don't know how big this one will end up yet ..... I'm quite enjoying making the odd hexagon and joining them as I go .... not sure about the white yarn I am using to join them though mmmmmm.

Fingers crossed that the rain has cleared by morning as I am really looking forward to a thrifting weekend at the car booties.

Have a great weekend x

Jamie Oliver eat your heart out ......

2011-07-19T19:44:00.001+01:00

With all the rain of the past week or two the garden seems to be exploding and the courgettes in our veggie patch are fast turning into marrows!

They are so easy to grow but I am usually at a loss as to what to do with them apart from ratatouille so I investigated some recipes in my WI books this morning and came across a Courgette & Mint Soup ..... with a little tweaking it became Garden Veg & Mint Soup and here's how.

Ingredients

1 lb of courgettes

a handful of fresh mint leaves

1 onion

1 potato

a handful of garden peas

a few runner beans

salt & black pepper

1 pt vegetable or chicken stock

Finely chop the onion and fry gently in some butter or olive oil
Cut the courgettes into chunks and add to pan with the potato (chopped), peas and sliced runner beans
Gently fry for a couple of minutes and then add the mint leaves
Add the stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes

Allow to cool for a short time and then liquidise the vegetables .... I find it easier to strain off the stock and put it to one side and then add the liquidised veggies back to it.
Season to taste and add some more fresh mint if required.

It was absolutely gorgeous and can be eaten hot or chilled. My second portion is chilling in the fridge now for tomorrow's lunch.

I really should take more time to make fresh soups .... what better way of getting your 5-a-day with no preservatives and it really is so quick and easy.

Does anyone else have some ideas for courgettes????

Keep it clean though ;-)

A new addiction and a little rant ......

2011-07-11T18:07:00.000+01:00

Some time back I found one of these little gadgets in an old sewing box .... I wondered what on earth it was for and popped it on the shelf and there it sat until I found a collection of 1970s Golden Hands Craft Books.

I had a little browse through them and found some of these

which I copied and sent to Serenata who makes lovely clothes for her Sasha doll collection here

and then I came across this one

and when I looked inside all became clear

It's a daisy maker ..... so no guesses as to the new addiction!

Car Booty pickings this weekend were scarce unless of course you wanted to deck out a nursery and clothe lots of small children. Here's what I did manage to find ...

and now dear bloggers I must get this off my chest!

Apologies in advance if I upset anyone but this is fast becoming my pet hate and our experiences on the roads this weekend just reinforced it even more.

The common lycra lout

To be found on rural roads and on busy dual carriageways

Usually out in packs in matching fluorescent lycra and funny hats

Mostly male with boney bums on sharp saddles

Insist on riding three abreast and hogging the road

This weekend we passed some peddling like hell on both sides of a busy narrow road and causing no end of problems for other road users .... one was so lucky not to have ended up on the verge as he wobbled along and the traffic was not going fast ... in fact quite the opposite everyone was slowed down to around 20 mph

On the busy dual carriageway near us there are regular time trials with hoards of them going back and forth with flag bearing numpties standing on islands and corners encouraging them. I really don't know how they get permission to do this.

Gawd I am getting a grouchy old bat :-)

Sunny Saturday ....

2011-07-02T17:28:00.000+01:00

Was up with the larks so decided to take myself off to a couple of car boot sales .... perfect day for it with brilliant sunshine and a warm breeze

My little old heart skipped a beat as I turned off the road into my first car boot which is set in open countryside with poppy fields to one side and sheep grazing on the hillside on the other. I like this one because there is a good mix of items and lots of "we've been clearing granny's house" type sellers .... my favourite !!

First to be popped into Lala's booty trolley today was the blue coffee set ..... the coffee pot, cream & sugar are Grindley Petal Ware and the cups & saucers are Johnson Brothers

The little box on the front caught my eye and on closer inspection it was obvious that with a midwife for a daughter I had to have it .... she can take it into work and show the new mums ..... this is how it was done pre Cow & Gate etc.

It is made by Maws who apparently have been in existence for some 200 years and now sell under the Tommy Tippee brand. The Improved Breast Glass ..... a breast pump from around 1890 ..... must have been sitting in someone's cupboard for a very long time !

Next stop was a ten minute drive away and although it was cram packed today it was mostly stuff for babies and children .... anyone who is a bit cash strapped could kit out an entire nursery and clothe a child for years for very little outlay .... wish car boots had been around when my lot were small - I'd have saved a fortune.

Did manage to pick up the brass candlesticks here and the deco green glass boat dish ... I've seen lots of these but this is the first time I've seen one in a pretty plated basket type stand.

This CB is right next to a PYO so with some time to spare I thought I'd get some strawberries

From polytunnel to punnet to jar .... mmmmmmm

Hope you have all had a sunny Saturday too xx

Paint it black ....

2011-06-30T19:59:00.000+01:00

Noo I'm not going into a depression ...... well I wasn't until I tried to log into my internet banking tonight ! My bank in its wisdom has introduced a secure key (compulsory) and the bliddy thing froze on my first attempt ..... trying to get through on the telephone to speak to a human being for assistance was another challenge and now I sit waiting impatiently for a time delay to come to an end so that it will power off and I can start all over again :-( Fast losing the will to live!!

Anyhow back to the real intention of this post

Having sprayed the frames on my Vetrianno prints I got a little spray can happy

These four black & white prints were in one of the very first editions of BBC Homes & Antiques magazine many years ago .... they have been hanging on my landing in gold frames and how I wish I had painted them ages ago ... the black frame makes them stand out brilliantly.

My lovely Rosa Bonheur print from 1891 entitled Patient has received a fresh coat of black paint on the frame. This was acquired at an auction a few years back ..... nobody else bid so I came home with her for around a tenner!

Another auction lot that nobody else wanted .....this is by Arthur J Elsley and is called As Good As Ever ..... it is from a series of pictures made for a Bovril advertising campaign and is dated 1912 .... the black paint agains sets of the print beautifully.

I was using my old cast iron patio table to spray them on as it is due for a new coat of paint ....I had intended to use a gunmetal green but I overshot with some of the black spray paint and suddenly realised that I quite liked the black. Upshot is I sprayed the top of the table and the back of one of the chairs to get a fuller effect and will be off tomorrow to purchase some more cans.

It's a cat's life ......

2011-06-27T19:06:00.000+01:00

I've always maintained that I'm coming back in the next life as a tom cat ..... what a life he does lead eating and sleeping then more eating and sleeping ....

Oliver conked out in the heat this afternoon

I've been a bit of a slack blogger again and although I have been reading everyone's posts and leaving the odd comment here and there I just haven't found the motivation to post myself. Is it just me or do you find that real life gets in the way sometimes and there just aren't enough hours in the day?

We've been trying to spruce up the hall, stairs and landing a bit with a coat of paint but that has to be restricted to the weekends when there are no little people here ... the emulsion is all done and I'm trying to keep up with the glossing but with 6 doors and a wooden staircase it's a long job. The smell of the paint this weekend mixed with the heat was unbearable. I found some Jack Vettriano prints in the charity shop some time back but the frames were ugly so they have been given a simple spray of black paint and now they have a new home on the stair well.

Crafting has been continuing and I've been finishing some orders received through my Folksy shop and via the recent V & H fairs that I have been part of .... here are some finished pieces

A blue themed single patchwork quilt in a mix of vintage Laura Ashley fabrics matched with some contemporary cottons from Patch Fabric & Haberdashery

alphabet letter cushion for a Christening gift

hand stitched hexagon patchwork quilt to take to the next Vintage & Handmade Fair in Olney

to decorate a new born's bedroom

some peg bags for a special lady who has embarked on a new venture here

The first batch of Gooseberry Jam has been made ..... my gooseberry bushes were transferred from my dad's allotment to the bottom of my garden some 15 years ago when he had to give it up following a stroke. They still bear some lovely fruit every year (apart from the time my OH was let loose with some secateurs that is)

A smidgeon of bargain hunting has been going on but my car booting forays have been cut short by babysitting duties and the lousy weather we were experiencing up till yesterday. I did manage to find these ....

The cutest miniature sewing machine ...... it has been handmade and is actually musical and when wound it plays a tune, the little treddle goes up and down and the little cotton reel turns ...... how could I resist??? It only stands around 6 inches high and the detail is just perfect.

A vintage hexagon sewing box containing vintage hexagons that someone had started to work on .... maybe I'll get around to finishing them.

Back to the fairs ..... on 9th July at a new venue in Olney, Ann & Trevor are organising another of their fantastic vintage & handmade fairs. If you are in the area please do pop along ... there will be loads of vintage goodies on sale, some lovely sellers (most of whom as lovely bloggers too) and naturally oodles of tea and homemade cakes. Olney itelf is a lovely market town with lots of history, shopping & antiques.

Bliddy technology

2011-05-28T17:55:00.000+01:00

What is happening this week ..... blogger playing silly beggars and not allowing me to leave comments on some blogs ..... poor bloggers must think they are being totally ignored by everyone this week as the problem seems to be quite widespread. Now I am having problems with the lappy and logging into certain programs especially my e-mail account ... I keep getting a message saying I need ActiveX to be enabled .... it is flaming enabled but it still won't let me in and then to top it all this afternoon I can't get into my Virgin on-demand service. A very polite and pleasant young lady called Melody with a strong Indian accent informed me that lots of customers were reporting the same problem and that they were looking into it.

Anyhoo back to things crafty and thrifty and vintage.

Last Saturday was the 5th Northampton Vintage & Handmade Fair .... this is a fantastic event with oodles of vintage loveliness, friendly sellers who are mostly bloggers too so great to put faces to names and organised by Ann and Trevor who do a great job. Here are a few photos I took ...

It was a quieter day than usual but there was a similar event on at Stony Stratford which isn't too far away so we were probably sharing the vintage lovers that day. Ann and Trevor are organising another fair on Saturday 9th July at a new venue in Olney ... I have my table booked and I'm looking forward to this one too as Olney is a lovely little market town.

I made one small purchase at the end of the day .... I don't know how I had missed it on my little circuits round the room earlier in the day but OH came in and said there's one of those baby picture you like out there and he pointed to Debbie's stall. I grabbed my purse and ran over and there sat this

It's not by Lilian Rowles this time .... Bessie Pease Gutmann is the artist for this one ..... Bessie was an American illustrator and artist and was at her most prolific during the early 1900s. There style is so similar and I just love them .... look at the little verse on this one.

So this little darling will now hang with my only other Gutmann which OH also spotted at the car boot a few weeks back (he's getting good .... I must pull my socks up!)

On the crafting front I have nearly finished my hexi quilt ..... just a little more hand stitching to do and then the binding and thankfully my poor little pinkie has recovered although the end of it feels like a piece of old leather.

I am champing at the bit to start another quilt ... I have an order for a single size blue & white one and I've collected all the fabrics together (some from Patch Fabrics & Haberdashery) .... just need to get started.

Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend whatever you are doing x

Quilter's finger and other matters ....

2011-05-15T20:28:00.000+01:00

Ooh ahhh ouch

My poor finger has been pricked to pieces in the quest to hand sew a hexi quilt .... I can't get on with a thimble and I've tried the little rubber wotsits used to collate paper but just cannot use them either so I am giving my pinkie a rest for a few days. Here is progress so far .... looks like it will be single size by the time I am finished and I am just using remnants and offcuts from other projects.

Hexis are great little time fillers ..... I keep a basket where I pop my scraps, templates and supplies and I just dip in and out when I have a little spare time!

On Friday I met with Serenata of The Balancing Kiwi blog and if you pop over there you will find a lovely amusing account of our day

this is Tatty ... Scruff's partner in crime

He is growing on me and looks better now he is at home than he did on a dusty old market stall ... he still needs a visit to the poodle parlour though !

Serenata had found a print by Lilian Rowles at an antiques fair earlier this year and had kindly brought it along to add to my collection .... isn't she beautiful

I missed my car booting yesterday because I had the grands on sleepover on Friday night but I made up for it this morning .... are you ready

one large lined curtain in a fabulous Beatrix Potter print ... it is covered with little cameos of all the favourite characters

A Beswick Flower/Posy Vase

A large ice blue 1930s glass bowl

A complete set of 75 copies of Golden Hands magazine from the early 1970s .... does anyone fancy knitting a very stylish housecoat ;-)

Some wonderful magazines from 1951

which will probably be coming with me to the Northampton Vintage Fair this coming Saturday 21st May .... I can't wait as it is fantastic venue with oodles of vintage loveliness and of course some equally lovely bloggers ..... hope to see your there x

Busy Busy Busy

2011-04-30T20:13:00.001+01:00

Flipping heck it is 2 weeks since I last posted .... the Easter hols seem to have flown by and weren't they glorious .... so much for April showers !

Some good news .... our Royal Family listing on Ebay finished on a wopping £113 and we were absolutely delighted .... 100% of the sale was going to the Japan Tsunami Relief Fund. While we are on the subject of Royals wasn't it the most heart lifting day yesterday .... only us Brits can do pomp and circumstance like that and have the whole world watching. Kate's dress was just what I had hoped for .... simple but stylish, traditional and lacey .... I hate meringue type dresses and bustier styles. We gathered at my daughter's house to watch the proceedings while stuffing sarnies and cakes washed down with a drop of Earl Grey of course.

Today I have been here

This is a new event for me and it is so handy as it is close to home and I must say although footfall was light (must have been the good weather keeping peeps at home I think) I did extremely well and was a good girl and didn't spend too much either. A lovely cream tea, a jar of homemade Apple Chilli Chutney and these sweet markers for the veg patch.

My remaining stock has been sorted with some heading for Country Matters tomorrow and the remainder packed away until the next Northampton Fair in three weeks time.

Hoping for perfect car booting weather tomorrow .... my favourite one at Stondon started last week and if I can summon the energy there will be three boots to have a good rummage around tomorrow.

Have a great Bank Holiday weekend x

The Big Day

2011-04-17T20:51:00.000+01:00

A group of my friends on a forum have got together ..... virtually of course .... and produced this

it has been listed on Ebay this evening with 100% of the proceeds of the auction going to the Japanese Earthquake & Tsunami Appeal

What a handsome bunch and we are really hoping to top a similar auction that ended this week on £205.

Please spread the word !

Had to share this with you too... I spotted this in a shop window ... do you think Kate will be wearing it on the big day xx

Bumper Car Booty

2011-04-10T20:22:00.000+01:00

I just love a car boot .... I will rummage around in other people's cast offs all day long much to the dismay of my children and my dear husband trots behind me carrying the bags !

Our best local ones aren't starting until the end of the month but there is one just up the A1 near Biggleswade so off we went this morning. It was absolutely heaving with buyers and near enough full to capacity with sellers too. We wandered around for nearly three hours and I am always amazed at how the time flies when I am engrossed in bargain hunting.

Would you like to see the booty???

A Betty Pease Gutmann print ..... can you see the similarity with my Lilian Rowles avatar .... Betty was American and painted between 1905 and 1935. Next is a 1903 print entitled Me Loves OO by Maude Goodman.

Amber glass trinket pots, a Royal Albert cup & saucer, blue Pyrex gravy boat, pretty deco bluebird plate

A tinplate 1950s typewriter, two dolls in Edwardian period costume (they are very Sindy like and perhaps one of you dear readers may recognise them), a knitting bag, child's wooden picnic seat, some embroidered linens

Embroidered linen table mats and matching tea cosy, some more white linen, these two dolls actually came from the flea market on Friday .... they were absolutely filthy but have now had a bath and are looking much better and finally two nice summer skirts for moi. I did get some other toys for the children and my total spend was £28

The only downside of the morning was that it took an hour & a quarter to get out of the car park because it was so busy ... it was an absolute free for all and the organisers need a good kick up the wotsit for not marshalling everybody out safely.