I'm just wild about Harry.....

Ahhhh ..... I fall in love again every time ..... with the sad news in the press today about innocent young children's lives being snuffed out I really cannot understand how people can be so cruel even in the most dire circumstances :-(

Our new little man is thriving and if he can sleep through the din in our house he can sleep through anything.  Nanny will be babysitting him and his sister next Sunday whilst the rest of the family head for Wembley.

Quelle surprise this morning to awake to blue skies and dryness so there was only one thing to be done ..... head for the hills and the car boots of course!

We weren't particularly early (I had two of the other grands in tow) but we all enjoyed the wander around and the littlies were on their best behaviour.  A few bargains were bagged and Jack was happy when he found yet another fire engine to add to his collection and Ellie found some gardening gloves for when she is in the garden with her grandad.

Nanny found a pretty Beswick toast rack and a pair of carved wooden Scottie Dog bookends

Now I can't wait till tomorrow morning to go off bargain hunting again this time just with Ellie who is becoming a seasoned professional and can spot a bargain quicker than me sometimes.  We had just said this morning that a basketball hoop would be nice to put up in the garden and lo and behold she found one and it was just a pound .... just have to get someone to fix it on the wall now.

I did manage to get to our bigger CS last weekend and ended up blitzing their bric-a-brac shelf ..... I was in vintage heaven

Yesterday afternoon was spent doing a few hours on the desk at Country Matters in Hexton ..... it's lovely to sit in the middle of a wonderful Aladdin's Cave of goodies with a cafetier of fresh coffee and chat to the visitors ..... even better when I am selling them some of my handmades!

I found a couple of bargains there too for myself

This lovely old wooden box is going to be used for display at the vintage fairs ..... haven't quite decided what for yet :-)

This afternoon I have been finishing some cushion covers ...... I saw the cuckoo clock design in Mollie Makes magazine and decided to design my own grandfather clock and mantle clock to compliment it.  Some old Aida and linen was dug out of the stash and teamed with some blue ticking fabric.

This week we have also welcome some more new additions to the family .... as if we didn't have enough mouths to feed my OH has acquired six Chinese Quail .... yet more eggs!

 

Well best be off to bed now if I am to be up bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow!

Have a good weekend whatever you are doing x

Silly Season .....

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

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!

Sunday Car Booty Looty

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

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

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