Wednesday 9 November 2011

Christmas Market Time

 We have a great day in the shop, I love days like today when time just goes way too fast but you feel like you have got a lot done.  We have decided which markets we will have a stall at over Christmas which I am really looking forward to.  We will be at Bargate, Southampton on Thursdays and Saturdays, Winchester on Fridays and Sundays and the brilliant Vintage Market in Winchester on 4th December, and finally the Christmas Extravaganza in Eastleigh for the grand turning on of the Christmas lights. Phew!  I know that it will just make the run up to Christmas even more Christmassy and give me more of a chance to have a sneeky browse round the markets...

Tomorrow I am heading up to London for a day out with my mama at the Country Living Christmas Fair which is going to be brill, my mum is panicking about whether there is enough oil in her car, water in her car etc etc, which is not that much of a problem as we are only driving to the train station but never the less, she has asked if Nathan could check it for her in the morning.   
I have just got round to looking through the pictures we took at my brothers Halloween party, eeek!



Tuesday 8 November 2011

love it.

Remember the remember the 5th of September (according to my 15 year old - although he is not sure why we should need to remember this date)
Gunpowder, trees and glot. (as recited by my 5 year old)

This is my favourite time of year, I just love it. Halloween, Bonfire night and my birthday all on the run up to Christmas.  Cosy evenings, leaves everywhere and the need to drink hot chocolate and eat marmite on toast for supper.  
It has been a busy couple of weeks, we went to a Halloween party at my brothers house which was such fun, apple bobbing, sweets hidden in bowls of flour... trick or treating with Daisy and even though she is only 5, she knows that a cute outfit and a winning smile = lots of sweeties.  The boys are finding trick or treating slightly harder now they lack the 'ahhh' factor, its quite hard to come across as cute when you are 15, smiling looks more sarcastic than sweet so they just ate Daisys sweets instead.  Meanies.  I love how much effort people go to at Halloween, dressing up and decorating their houses.  Brilliant!
My birthday is on Friday and Nathan and I are going up to London for the day which will be great fun and then picking up my new car on the way home, my mum and I are going to the Country Living Christmas Fair on Thursday which is just shopping heaven.  Highly dangerous.  
 I can't stop talking/thinking/planning Christmas Day, I know it feels early but in about 3 weeks we will be starting to put up our decorations!  I can't believe it, and containing my excitement is getting quite hard.  I seem to get all crafty when the evenings are dark so early and I just want to make stuff - I have cut out lots of pieces of fabric, lots, with all sorts of grand plans in mind so we shall see!  I did make a rag garland last night which I actually started in 2004 - I really was a proud lass looking at the finished product and I think I shall make some more this afternoon, some Christmassy ones, or at least start them. 




Thursday 27 October 2011

Special news.

It's been a very hectic day today, I could actually fall asleep right this moment.

 So, back to the real reason why I have been a blog neglecting tired unorganised young lady.  We have recently moved and after all the move and the excitement I was feeling quite exhausted.  In fact, I don't think I have ever felt so tired in my life, falling asleep on the sofa which I NEVER do and I just had this 'I just don't have the energy to do a thing' feeling all the time.  The move was pretty heavy going as was the shop so I put it down to overdoing it a bit.  But, turns out, we are expecting baby number 4!  Oh my goodness, what a wonderful, surprising, exciting and overwhelming piece of news it was!  I really thought 3 children was where we were at but no, its actually 4.  4 children, mother of 4, that's quite a lot isn't it?

We had our 12 week scan today and saw the little bambino wriggling and fidgeting about,  how amazing!  We saw its hands! And it had a little pout! I absolutely cannot wait to meet our little being...
I have some gorgeous scan pics which I will put on here tomorrow but its too dark to get a good shot.  But these are more pictures of how the house is coming along...








Wednesday 26 October 2011

I'm back.

I have been away from this blog for so long that I actually forgot my password but with password retrieved and the house finished I have made a promise to myself to be a better blogger.  There are reasons for my absence which I shall share tomorrow but until all can be revealed I have taken some pics of our house as proof that I haven't just been sat around watching Jeremy Kyle.  

At the weekend we finished the bathroom which I am totally in love with.  It has a beach chic feel and I can't stop going in there just to look around - it's just so pretty!





I am becoming a wee bit obsessed with the colour green at the moment, I have actually started typing into the ebay or etsy search bar 'Green' just to see what comes up - I have found some pretty cool stuff which I never even knew I wanted or in fact existed but it is green and vintage so therefore a purchase.


 This gorgeous chair was a pressie from my lovely girlie Emma Case but the fabric was found on a vintage green search...




More green search items...


Our kitchen has been a work in progress for a few weeks now.  We had no cooker for quite some time, which resulted in take outs and more take outs.  I have actually gone off MacDonalds which until recently was well known as being in my top 3 meals.  It got to the point where Daisy would ask to see the menu when you asked her what she would like for dinner.  Not good.  So I have gone into 'home cooked meal' mode all ready for the cosy winter.
We now have a new cooker which is a lot bigger than the old one so had to get rid of some work space and drawers but we found this old kitchen unit last week and it fits perfectly - love it.

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Guess what I bought?

Yesterday morning we set off on a trek up the country to pick up my new car.  I really had no idea quite how far it is from Southampton to just north of Nottingham but it really is far.  Far far.  We left home at 10.30am and got back 10.30pm - a very long day.  But oh so worth it.  I am totally in love with my new car, the colour, the sound of the engine, the smell of the interior... There are a few little bits on it that need attention and I will love every minute of getting this back to its former glory!


Saturday 17 September 2011

all moved in...

Well, we are finally all moved into our new house and today I have unpacked the last of the boxes.  I am totally in love with my home - it's definitely home now.  This was also the first week back at school for Daisy, she started Year 1 and says that there is too much time working and not enough time playing.  But she is happy that she can play in the front playground with the bigger children.  I made it to school on time 5 out of 5 mornings which is actually pretty good going for me and I only drove back to our old house by mistake 2 out of 5 times so all in all a good week. 
We have worked very hard to get the house straight as quick as possible and I must say it is looking pretty lovely.  It is the most interesting house with cupboards everywhere and quirky shaped rooms, it has a wonderful sense of calm amid our chaos.  I haven't actually bought anymore pieces of furniture but what we took out of our small 3 bed terrace has managed to fill this big 4 bed detached with no space for anymore, how did I fit it all in?
I think I can safely say I have never felt so tired as I do this weekend, although it doesn't feel like you are working that hard at the time it has all hit me now and I feel about 85.  We are going to have a morning off from the boot sales tomorrow just to chill (I wonder if the temptation will prove too much to go when I wake up?).  
Moving house has defintely been a test on my nearest and dearest, and they have been very patient with me and the amount of stuff that I have hoarded over the years.  I even shocked myself with some of the things I found that I deemed worth keeping.  But I am a changed person and I am only going to keep things that would make me cry to get rid of them.  Thats the new rule of thumb.  I am dying to put some pictures of my new house on the blog, tomorrow I will take some more to post...

 

Saturday 20 August 2011

Holiday Diary Pt 4

Another rainy day with a few nice sunny spells.  We spent a long time discussing what to do today and finally decided to go into Padstow.  Ben and Daisy wanted to go crabbing so we bought some crab lines and some gross bait that once was squid and dangled off the harbour wall trying to tempt the Padstonian crabs.  They really didn’t want to get caught today, we were there for ages.  Nathan sent me up the shop to buy some smoked bacon, he whispered this to me so none of the other crabbers heard his secret plan but I think that maybe the crabs had been fooled by this before as they still weren’t biting.  Eventually we took a break and had a hot chocolate in The Shipwrights, then everyone else wanted to walk to the beach so we left Nathan and Ben crabbing.  Although I am not a fan of walking I have to admit the walk to Padstow beach has my favourite views in the world.  When you stand up at Chapel Stile and look up the estuary to where it meets the sea… wow.  When the tide is out as it was today the sand stretches from Padstow beach over the water to Daymer Bay, it really is pretty special.  Jacob and Daisy had a paddle in the water and Jacob who has had his iPod glued to his ears for the whole holiday finally removed it so it didn’t get wet and handed it to my mum.  Who dropped it in the water.  Poor Jay, it’s his lifeline and he is never without at least one ear piece in but he took it very well and we walked back to the town to try and dry it out.  This evening we went out for something to eat and then ended back on the beach to watch the surfers riding the waves in the cold sea.  Then all of a sudden Nath and the children decided it would be a good idea to get in the sea in their clothes.  Mad!  But they had great fun and kept saying how it wasn’t cold, trying to tempt my in.  Not on your nelly!  Home, hot baths and bed.  Another lovely day….


Friday 19 August 2011

Holiday Diary Pt 3

Today was not the sunny beach day we had hoped for so the barbequed bacon rolls we had planned to have sitting on a picnic blanket at Harlyn Bay were swapped for bacon sarnies at home.  The rain has been on and off all day so we went into Wadebridge to have a look around the shops.  My brother, Abby and the baby went for a drive up to the lighthouse and had planned a walk along the coast but we found them in Wadebridge having lunch instead.  There really are some lovely shops in North Cornwall and I am going to do a shopping guide with all my fave shops in a few blogs time.  As I was saying we met Ben and Abby, Jacob stayed with them and Nathan, I, Daisy and Ben headed back to the house via Tescos.  When we got back Daisy and Ben put on a film and I coloured my hair.  I know this is not your average holiday activity but I don’t get that much spare time at home so thought I would treat myself to less grey hair.  As it’s not my house I was extra careful not to get bright red hair dye ANYWHERE.  I even tied my hair up in a plastic bag so I didn’t drip.  Managed to wash out the colour, dry my hair and felt quite proud of how well I had done mess wise and then I looked at my gorgeous man in his best new t-shirt and saw that somehow I had managed to get colour on him. How?  I didn’t go anywhere near him!  But alas Nathans new, best shirt now has a large blob of red hair dye on it.   Shortly after the hair dye incident my brother returned with a very un-amused Jacob and Abby looking a bit wet and weathered,  my brother had taken them for a long walk in the rain and the wind which he enjoyed but they did not.  The children went to bed early tonight, they always get more tired on holiday and Ben was in a mood after bouncing a ball off a wall and it hitting him in the face so they should all be fresh-faced and well rested in the morning.  My mum will be here in the morning, can’t wait to see her! 

Tuesday 16 August 2011

Holiday Diary Pt 2


Today we did as planned and had a nice lay in, then my brother and Abby took all the children off to the beach (which was supposed to be 10 minute walk but turned out to be more like half an hour).  Nathan and I cooked the brekkie ready for when they got back.  Around lunchtime we headed into Padstow for a window shop and an ice cream.  I found lots of things that I really needed to buy but talked myself out of it, may have talked myself back into it by the time we go back.  I found THE lamp that I have been after for ages, a vintage green metal desk lamp, but it wasn’t for sale so I persuaded Nathan to ask if we could buy it anyway.  The shop assistant said it belonged to her sister so we will definitely be going back to convince her that I need it in my life.  The weather has been beautiful today and we have been sat in the garden this evening, the boys have been playing football which kept getting kicked over the fence so it the turned into a contest of who could jump the hedge which is about 5ft.  My brother always has to go one step further to impress the kids and jumped one way, then took a run up, jumped back over the fence incorporating a somersault which didn’t go to plan, fell head first off the hedge onto a slide.  Very, very funny.  (He’s ok by the way.) 
A couple of years ago my brother and Nath took the boys on a ‘night time adventure’, an evening walk with military precision, a bag of emergency equipment and a big imagination.  This still happens every holiday and tonight they went to investigate an old barn at the end of the field behind the house we are staying in.  The found a ‘torture table’ (they took a picture of it and actually with a lick of paint could be a shabby chic masterpiece) and some bats.  Then they got ‘chased’ by a farmer.  My brother and Nath like to bring the excitement up a notch with “Quick! Someone’s coming!”   The kids are all in bed now, exhausted and full of lemon cheesecake supper.  We have just been sat out on the patio watching the bats when we could hear someone talking, would have been a bit scary but all they were saying was “Poo… Poo…”.  Think they were calling a dog, hope they were calling a dog.
Plans for tomorrow are, get up, if it’s good weather miss breakfast and head straight to the beach, bring a barbie and make bacon rolls.  In the meantime I will be dreaming of my green vintage desk lamp…  


Sunday 14 August 2011

Our Holiday Diary Pt 1


We are all here down in Cornwall now, Nathan and I, the three children, my brother, his fiancĂ©e and their little boy and we having a lovely evening just chilling, bliss…
Last night we got in from work really late, getting last minute bits done and we were just too tired to pack.  The original plan was to leave really early and be super organised and pack a few days before.  That didn’t happen.  Last night we just rolled into bed and got up this morning, not that early and packed.  It’s never a good thing packing in a rush.  I have just unpacked and realised that the bath sheet I thought I had grabbed was actually more like a hand towel so the walk from the bathroom to our room will be swift.  I have totally forgotten to pack any underwear so have had to pay a quick visit to Tesco to stock up.  The clothes I stuck in a bag this morning are the most random collection I have ever gathered together without one actual outfit that goes together (and I am known for my eccentric dress sense so that is saying something).  The car journey was extremely long, a lot of traffic jams and a lot of word-based car journey games.  But all that matters is that we are here sat around planning what to do tomorrow – a lie-in followed by a big full English breakfast and a walk down to the beach and a board game night.  It doesn’t get better than that.
We have had fish and chips for supper and fed the left-overs to the sea gulls, a tradition from my childhood which we have passed down to our children.  Great fun!
 


Tuesday 2 August 2011

Busy Bees

We have had a super busy day at the shop today despite the heat, we've had some lovely customers in and finished some really nice pieces, I love days like today when we can put pretty new items into the shop!  I love this bookcase, one of my favourite items we have had and it very nearly didn't make it into the shop (my house was the other option).  It is huge!  Just what I need for all of my books. 
 

Saturday 30 July 2011

Local Talent


These beautiful cushions are made by my friend Maggie.  I saw all of her handmade items on eBay and emailed her to see if she would like to sell them in our shop.  I love the idea of having lots of handcrafted items alongside our furniture and vintage items in the shop, displaying the talent of people from this area.  I used to make cards and other little bits and it's so hard to get a bit of recognition for your hard work and creativity.  
Maggie is such a clever lady, the colours and imagination that go into her work are simply stunning, and so inspiring.  It just makes me want to get out the sewing machine and give it a go (but I know that the end result would be more of a tangled mess than a pretty cushion).

 We used some of Maggies cushions in our Cornwall house makeover



This gorgeous hanger made by Holly Deacon @hollybobbins hangs in our shop window, it's made from pages out of old books and is so charming!  Hollys beautiful canvas also takes pride of place in our shop, the colours and the work that have gone into it bring no end of comments from our customers



Handmade treasures are a much more satisfying item to purchase, and are actually quite hard to find in shops, especially around here so when we opened Old White I knew that was a direction I wanted to go in,
a local shop with local handmade treasures!