ted and agnes

Floral Heaven

As I've been a bit slack on the posting front and my house is a shabby tip rather than an inspiration I thought I would post some pics that I took on a trip to the botanical gardens in Edinburgh last year....

I love alliums they are my fav flowers and I never lose my sense of awe at them

aren't they just divine (even with the rubbish photography!!)

and then there's the rose, so sweet and delicious I wish that I could grow them with some success but alas I just seem to end up with some brown thorny twigs and a pathetic looking flower half dead at the end....certainly not like these!

anyway a flower always lifts my heart and brings a smile to my face even when I feel completely rubbish, full of woe and sorry for myself.

Hopefully I shall be starting the makeover of my spare room/dumping ground for stuff into my vintage/shabby/retro nursery soon and I thought I would record my progress here so if your interested check back soon and I'll be posting some pics. Off to collect a cot tomorrow so it'll be the first freecycle addition to the new room.

   

long time.....no type

Finally have spent sometime online....even if it is on the sofa, stuffed up with cold! Am starting to feel a little bit more human now although the insomnia is a killer, so energy levels are still at an all time low but at least I dont feel constantly sick.....bleugh.

And so to the very belated winner of the Friday giveaway.......and the lucky winner is 'Jane' (so if you let me have your address I'll pop the lovely journal in the post) hopefully there will be more giveaways in the pipeline...so stay tuned.

I will also be starting the nursery makeover soon so lots of photos coming soon.

Take Care everyone and thankyou for your lovely comments even though I have been extremely slack in the posting department......

Been a bit bleuuuugh...

Still here but haven't posted for a while as Easter visitors, not much sleep, completely knackered (thanks progesterone) and feelin sick pretty much all day.....can't face any food but rice crackers & cream cheese.....& orange juice!

Been knitting lots cute socks & booties..pics to come

Will announce my giveaway winner in a couple of days stay tuned....Take Care All Rxxxx

eggshell quickie

A quick one for Rosieben.......put your eggshells in a little cloth bag, make sure you seal it well.....otherwise mess in the washer and put in with your white cottons. I got the tip from an old victorian book and I definately think it works...obviously it won't turn grey's to white but i think it brightens them and an added bonus the eggshell are well crushed after a couple of washes and great for slug repellant or composting....

Ritual Sunday baking.....

Every Sunday I like to do all my baking for the week, its become a early sunday morning ritual. Everything is quiet there always seems to be peace outside other than a few bird calls & the whir of the Kenwood. It is my time to bake lunch box goodies,bread rolls, mini cakes, danish pastry pizzas (aka tana ramsey) fruit loaves for after school snacks...all in the freezer ready to be whipped out when needed.

I love bread, it certainly is our staff of life (I eat far too much of it) and I love using fresh yeast now I have found a little local deli that sells it to me. I always use organic flour (marriages wholemeal, Doves farm strong white & honey seed flour by sunflours for the fruit loaves)as I have found for me it gives the best results.

I make the following each week

x2 1lb wholemeal loaves

x2 1lb spiced fruit loves

12 wholemeal rolls

12 cup cakes

and often bake depending on our menu for the week.....

12 chocolate brownies/carrot cake/lemon sponge depending on what ingredients I have.

12 danish pastry pizzas

10 wraps

They are all whisked into the freezer and sustain us for the week. I do cook bread through the week but if something happens & I don't get time I have my back up loaves. I used a bread machine for many years but once I got my Kenwood there was no going back. The bread is far superior, a much better texture and keeps fresh longer. I also pre slice a loaf before it goes into the freezer so I can defrost a slice at a time. I know some people may find it too much to bake your own bread but once you get into a routine its really easy and I would encourage you to try....you'll never match the taste and you know exactly whats in it.

friday giveaway....yay

Welcome to my first Friday giveaway......a lovely sketch/source book covered in the delicious vintage paper that I picked up a couple of days ago....just leave a comment over the coming week and I will pick a name from the hat/bowl/shoe next thursday and announce the lucky winner...

I must finish painting my cabinet today, the paint seems to be taking longer to dry...I always find this with green paint, i'm sure its something to do with the pigments or more likely the cold room...I think I'll light the fire today to give in a hike in temp and speed things along. There is alot of glass and I haven't been too careful with the paint brush but a nice sharp stanely blade will do the job when its all nice and dry...then what to display, my china collection, books, fabric or other random stuff....this will be the biggest dilemma and will mean ferreting lots of stuff out, trying it, endless rearranging and then having to put all the disguarded items away....more work. The more practical of you including my dear husband will ask WHY its just a cupboard fill it with stuff and be done.....hmmmm but for me its art & needs to give me that little smile everytime it catches the corner of my eye, like a still life, it needs to work together and be harmonious.

change

Its been all change again over the last couple of weeks Keith has been away in Germany for the majority of it and it has taken time to get used to him not being here. Although this week started with a crisis as his passport & suit were hanging on the back of the bathroom door...he was at the airport, so with a frantic rush & a £165 taxi journey (thank goodness work expense) a quick hello in the little chef car park and all was right with the world.  I don't mind him being away as I get lots of time to potter about muttering to myself and I've had the car this week with some errands to run I've had lots of charity shop opportunties.....

thank you for the flowers they were lovely......

Yesterday I had to take the car for some new tyres so I took the chance to visit the age concern warehouse. One of those places I have wanted to go for ages but there was never enough time/had the kids/some other reason. Yesterday was the mother of all hauls what a great place, grubby, dank and piled high with stuff....it was fantastic. Now for some women its handbags, for some its shoes, others laying on a beach in the sun....for me this is my idea of heavenly bliss. Rumaging & shifting stuff about knowing that at the bottom of each dusty old box there could be treasure. Seeing the potential in an old plate, lonely at the bottom of the pile.

I will begin with this tray.....

Everytime I flick through Cath K's books this print always catches my eye and I am ever hopeful that I might come across a piece in my rummagings...well yesterday was well rewarded and at 50p my luck was truely in.....some lovely textiles that will eventually turn into other things, then there were some gaydon cups for 'Agnes' the vw camper, ready for this summers adventures...

The egg cups were a must as they matched perfectly the lovely little napkin rings I found last week and then there was this, not quite as delicious as the tray but almost......

So as we speak I am covering a lovely little sketchbook for a first ever giveaway as I decided that as I had been blessed with all these amazing finds that I should share them with you....

So watch this space...Take Care Rxx   

new camera

my photos are awful....out of focus and naff. I have tried to master my camera but it no good so I will be investing in a new one at the end of the month.....then it will be pics everywhere hoorah!

Random kind act….giving & receiving

Rats 4^th time I am here in word now trying to get this damn post published……

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Michelle for the wonderful little parcel that was here waiting for me when I returned from work yesterday….It all started with a comment about a lovely little box of soap….then there was a kind email offering me my own box, how could a girl refuse that I ask and then a parcel sent to someone she barely knew. My faith in human kindness restored. Thank you again Michelle….and here it is in its new home and I can't decide whether to use it as it smells so nice. (in case you were wondering I save my eggshell to use in my whites wash sparkly cottons)

So to repay this act of kindness & balance the karma I have sent Michelle some liberty bunting…..I hope you enjoy Michelle

I really like the idea of swaps & giveaways and definitely will be doing more in the future. In fact I have just signed up for my first international swap here, a tote bag. I can't wait to find out who my swap partner is…it reminds me of when I got my first penpal Merinda Sutherland, Wallacetown New Zealand I was aged 9 and we wrote to each other until we were in our early 20's when we sadly lost touch. I still wonder from time to time when her life took her…so if by some remotely slim chance you ever read this Min get in touch!!!

My new found love of blogging/reading blogs is a bit like waiting for those letters on the mat, although not quite as personal and much more instant but nevertheless gives you a snap shot into the amazing lives of others especially when you live in a small rural village & don't get to meet that many people. So a big thank you to all those bloggers out there you are my lifeline…..

stall 337

woke up this morning with a bee in my bonnet about something, don't remember now but decided that I had to go to a charity shop in the next town just in case...........so glad I did and was rewarded for my efforts.

As you can see some delicious napkins rings at the costly fee of 50p, a yummy pink wrap, floral blouse that will look great with my denim skirt that I will be making anytime soon....a soft snuggly cot blankey, some lovely vintage bias binding (packets to yum to ever use) & a ladybird book about alexander the great...my purse £7 lighter

   

Buzzing with my finds, sun shining I decided to drive to my all time fav antiques centre and to my suprise these things just called to me from the cornucopia of delights under that roof.....

I have wanted one of these hotpot dishes for ages to prove my bread in.....

a lovely midwinter dish & a cute gaydon melaware jug + this sweet ivy patterned glass

four lovely little yellow glasses......

my favourite purchase of the day...yummy yummy pyrex bowls

And last but definately not  least this cute lil catherine holm casserole dish....(£3 can you belive it) ooh and I forgot the crochet doilies from the first picture....

Muttering to myself I browsed stall 337 (my fav stall in the whole place, I always find something I like there)trying to decide whether to go over my £30 monthly budget for 'stuff' & add 3 orange tupperware cake boxes to my stash. Decided to be restrained and nestle them back on the shelf and was right on budget, £23 spent & including the earlier spend, budget gone I will now have to wait til next month unless something comes up that I just have to have....its like that with charity shop purchases months of barren shelves and lots of gems coming along all at once what's a girl to do.