old white

Beach Bums

2012-03-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

It has been actually been snowing here quite hard today, yesterday it was too warm to even wear a coat but today I put on my woolly hat and winter coat and planned what to do when we are snowed in. It has since stopped snowing and the sun is back out so I won't be cleaning out the utility room or catching up on the ironing (as if I was really going to do this).

Back in half term we took the children down to Cornwall for a little break and family bonding time as it is hard to get the whole family spending time together when you have a 15 year old who thinks we are highly embarrassing and a love sick 11 year old. But down in Cornwall there is no choice. There is nowhere for them to escape. It was a lovely quiet week of not doing an awful lot, cuddling up on the sofa watching movies, walks on the beach, and 5 evenings of trying to light the open fire convinced that the next day the wood we had got would in fact be of dry enough quality to set fire to. We never had a fire that lasted for more than 5 minutes and we settled for big blankets to add the cosy factor.

It really wasn't as warm as it looked on the beach, it was ear ache cold. But the beach is just the best place to be whatever the weather, watching the sea and the people out and about never gets boring. For an adult or child anyway. According to the teenager it's the most boring and pointless place ever. Why would anyone want to do this? Why would you live so far away from major high street stores and grotty parks with grotty benches to sit on with your mates all evening? But as you can see from evidence A and C there are traces of a smile on his face so we decided that his rants were merely for effect and ignored him.

Ladybird, Ladybird

2012-03-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

You know when you come across a blog that you so wished you had written? Well today I found that very thing. We have quite a bad infestation of ladybirds. I know, I know, ladybirds are sweet and all that but they really aren't when they are coming in through your bedroom windows. We have to keep the windows shut all the time just so the situation doesn't worsen but still they are in our bed, on our pillows, in the bath... They are so many of them that I actually find them quite intimidating. They are really starting to freak me out.

So, today, I googled 'ladybird infestation' in the hope of finding someone who has a similar bug issue and an amazing way to deter the little visitors from wanting to live with me. I did find a fair few people with this problem but the only answers I could find were based around 'you lucky person! Ladybirds are lovely, we should welcome them in...' etc. I even found one from a guy asking for the poor ladybug victim to send him some of the bugs so he could start up his own colony. Not what I was hoping for. But then I came across one of the funniest things I have ever read. A kindred spirit. And by reading this you may have a bit more of an idea of my predicament.

READ ON...

I think we may have an infestation of ladybirds.

According to my beloved, impolitely reading over my shoulder as I type, infestation may be a little strong, or dramatic, or something.

Revision: Though they may be deviously and misleadingly few in number, I think we may potentially be lethally overrun by deadly ninja ladybirds.

This poses a problem. See, I am not afraid of ladybirds, not like mice. Ladybirds don’t scuttle, or hide under your sofa, or nibble your belongings, and are only really terrifying if they fly at you while you are on the toilet.

The problem is, however, that we mainly seem to have the kind of ladybird who is particularly keen on flying at you while you are on the toilet. You know the type. There are probably dirty niche internet chatrooms full of them.

But I am still confused. How is an infestation of ladybirds possible? Surely the air at this altitude (third floor) is simply to thin for them to live? This is probably the reason you don’t see ladybirds climbing Everest very often, for example.

First there was just one, in the bathroom, perched on the geranium in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. Then there was another, in the living room, skipping sweetly across the window sill. Then there was another, curvy-side down on the rim of the bath, like a tiny tipped-up turtle. Except red. And dead. Then another on the windowsill, next to the first one, which was also dead.

And though they keep dying, they also seem to keep coming, and the problem I have is that I can’t stop the cycle, see, because I CAN’T KILL THEM.

It’s impossible. It’s like having an infestation of fairies. I spent a childhood surrounded by picture books with the little babybug emblazoned in the corner. There were songs about them, stuffed furry ones to cuddle at night and my GOD, they were ALL Over Christmas jumpers - and am I supposed to kill them now?

Spiders, I can happily kill, or at least throw out of a window without a parachute. Midges? Smoke the hell out of them. Kill all bluebottles. Fuck the cockroach community. Wasps? Dead faster than you can say . Mice? Snap their little necks. Ants - spray’em, bake’em, grill’em, fry’em, who cares, they’re ants.

But these? No.

No matter how hard I try to do it, I can’t drop a book on the ladybirds. It would feel like putting a bullet through a butterfly or kicking a kitten in the knees. I keep telling myself that they have poisonous wee, or secret sets of sharp and pointy teeth that in the dead of the night they’ll bite my nose off with, but no. I still can’t do it.

They’re cute. They’re red, and spotty. They flutter, sometimes. And unless they radically adjust the one-out/one-in policy, or, in fact, the de facto one-dead/one-in policy, I can’t see that they’re actually going to be able to bathroomarily overpower me and make me dead.

But damn them for being cute. And damn me for being a wuss about it. It’s this kind of policy of appeasment that started the second world war. It’s a terrifying thought. Today, I allow the ladybirds, tomorrow, Hitler invades.

My flat.

While I’m on the toilet.

They’re a worrying thing, ladybirds. You can see why I might be fretting.

From : www.littleredboat.co.uk/archives/8

Another week, another colour...

2012-02-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

It's the end of another busy week at the Old White headquarters and the bump is getting bigger, I actually couldn't paint the inside of a cupboard today as I couldn't get near enough. Tis true. At home we have been getting on with the nursery, I have also been continuing with my self-taught crochet lessons ( I have created a piece of crochet about an inch long ~ not sure what it is going to be yet ~ but I am still proud of my very small achievement) and at the shop we have been finishing off lots of nice bits of furniture ~ finishing off is my favourite bit ~ when all the hard work comes together and I can stand back, take a look and think 'If only I had more room at home...'

(Some gorgeous vintage nursery rhyme prints that I got for the nursery on Etsy here)

This dresser is probably the prettiest one we have ever had, it is just so gorgeous. And I don't have any room at home.

The colour is Cornforth White, an elegant pale grey shade and we have done quite a few pieces in this colour this week ~ a bookcase with a chicken wire front, a pine table and chairs set...

Introducing...

2012-01-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

Introducing.... our little bubba! The sweetest little face, I just can't wait to see him for real. I just can't wait. And yes, I said 'him', we are having a little boy baby! My bump is getting so big and I still have 15 weeks to go. I have been going through my wardrobe today and found another dress that just about fits - today is a good day. We are going to start rearranging the bedrooms today so Ben will move into the study downstairs, he is so excited about this, it's quite out-the-way of the rest of the house so it's like he has own wing. Right next to the kitchen. And the back door. Not sure how good an idea this is but we will see. The baby's room is my next project, we have been collecting little bits and pieces so I just need to get putting it all together and I have been gathering inspiration from all over the place. I love the vintage pictures held up with pegs! Just adorable!

Sneaky Sneaky...

2012-01-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have finished the first piece of furniture in my new fave colour (Farrow & Ball ~ Arsenic) and I just can't stop looking at it! It is gorgeous and I am just making a list of things at home that we need to take to the workshop and get painted in the same dreamy colour. I am going to paint Nathans chest of drawers (this will be a surprise as I think he may protest but believe me, he will love them when done. How could he not?) I am also going to paint our chapel chairs as they are in need of a little something. We have a pretty little bedside table at the workshop which would look fab (again, this will be in the form of a present for my man. I really think it would look great in or bedroom and there is no space down my side of the bed. A present can never be turned down as that would just be rude). I started a lovely pine corner cabinet and a pretty set of wall shelves in this colour aswell which will be going on the website next week, I know I may be going OTT with this paint but I seriously love it. If you love it too take a look as I am sure Nath will not be letting me get another tin.

Today...

2012-01-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

Just had to convince this little one that the brown sauce in her steak pie was not chocolate. Dinner time can be challenging.

In other news, I have found my new favourite colour, one that I would quite happily paint every piece of furniture in my house in. It is simply beautiful and we have been using it at Old White today so expect lots of furniture in this colour on our website...

Deeeelicious.

Our Christmas

2012-01-08T04:53:00.000-08:00

It's January 7th already! I really can't believe how quickly time is moving forward. I have been blog absent for a while due to Christmas which always comes with heaps of things to keep us busy. We took the children on a very special trip to Disneyland Paris at the beginning of December and it really was the best holiday we have ever been on. Seeing Daisy so captivated by the magic was the best Christmas present I could wish for, she totally believed that all the characters were real - it is such an amazing place - the boys got so into the Christmas spirit - we were so very lucky to have been able to go.

Christmas has been so lovely as the first one in our new house, my mum came over and stayed Christmas Eve night and we all woke up together. Well, kind of. Nathan and I could wait no more for the children to wake up and woke the whole house with "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' full blast from the stereo.

So now here we are in January and my bump is getting bigger and bigger. We are all just so excited to meet this little one. If I said I was due in 2 weeks you wouldn't think I was small but I have to fit 3 more months of baby growing in somewhere! I feel there is no more room at the inn and I am quite worried about how I will be able to get up off the sofa come the end of April. But am planning lots of crafts to get done whilst stuck on said sofa so I am going to learn to crochet. I got lots of crochet books for Christmas and wool, I have got a new sewing machine which I am in love with! So the living room is becoming a mass of floral fabrics, wool, 'How To...' books and pins that I keep spilling all over the floor. Tis great fun.

Christmas Market Time

2011-11-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

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!

love it.

2011-11-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

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.

Special news.

2011-10-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

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...

I'm back.

2011-10-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

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.

Guess what I bought?

2011-09-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

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!

all moved in...

2011-09-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

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...

Holiday Diary Pt 4

2011-08-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

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….

Holiday Diary Pt 3

2011-08-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

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!

Holiday Diary Pt 2

2011-08-16T03:56:00.000-07:00

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…

Our Holiday Diary Pt 1

2011-08-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

We are all here down in Cornwall now, Nathan and I, the three children, my brother, his fiancée 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!

Busy Bees

2011-08-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Local Talent

2011-07-30T02:59:00.000-07:00

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!

The Great British Holiday

2011-07-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

You open your eyes early in the morning and can feel the heat from the lovely sunshine bursting through your bedroom window, you look over to your little bag of clothes and flip flops that are neatly packed by your door awaiting the tetris style packing to get it in the boot of your parents car.

The anticipation and excitement of this day has kept you smiling for days, its only the long drive now thats in between you and the lovely view of the sea, the sound of the waves, the bells and ringing from the amusement arcades and all those ice cream and sweet stalls.

We all remember those days, the days of the small caravan, chalets or family homes by the beach, the crazy golf and horse riding, the 2p fruit machines that were easily the most addictive machine in the world, the amazing smell of fresh chips and the sweet smell from the stalls that sell those huge chunks of honeycomb and stick of rock. Remember the walks along the beach collecting shells and funny shaped pebbles, filling your pockets all the way. Beaches packed no matter what the weather, windbreaks everywhere and the amazing noise of families from all over just having a nice time.

What happened.............. we went to Southsea the other day and had a lovely time but it was like a ghost town, the weather was easily in its mid 80s but the place was empty, Hastings, Brighton and Bournemouth are all the same too, piers deserted or burned down, even ice cream stalls shut down. These holidays have been in our lives for generations before us but it's sad to see that its over, and it is over i think, as none of these piers are going to get the funds to re-open and these towns have become dated and in some parts derelict.

When its a really hot day we all bunk off work and have day at the beach but a proper holiday, not anymore, OK its probably cheaper to go abroad for a week than it is to stay in Bournemouth or Brighton but there are options, there has to be. I'm not trying to start a crusade here or trying to convince anybody to change their lives but I thought it would give us all a chance to remember how excited we all were when these holidays were part of our lives.

We all pushed the British seaside away because jumping on a plane became easier and sometimes cheaper, I'm the same too, I love my family holidays in Marmaris, but seeing how happy my 5 year old daughter Daisy was by just throwing stones into the sea and getting an ice cream really reminded me of how easy it is to have a nice holiday without all the check-in and security checks and passport checks and some more checks then the 2 hour coach ride in the dark so you can't see your hotel properly until the morning. I love being abroad but only because of the heat really, I still eat burgers and chips and full English breakfasts. I still try and find the supermarket on the first morning to buy tea bags and milk. I'm always amazed when I see Heinz baked beans and PG Tips in the shop. We all get frustrated when the locals can't understand us, we all get impressed when the local bars are showing Eastenders or X-Factor, we always cast aside the local foods on the dinner menu for good old trusted spag bol, steak and chips or pizza. The weather is all we crave, the beaches are nice in some countries depending on where you are but it's the heat that makes the difference.

But thats not what we wanted when we were young and our kids don't want it either and I think once you're there you'll enjoy it too, we cover them in the shade and sun block when its too hot anyway.

Haven holiday's, Butlins, Pontins to name a few last hopes of keeping the seaside holidays alive. They are not as expensive as I thought and I'm looking into it now for my lot.

Why not take them on one of these great British holidays and do all the simple things we loved as kids because our kids will love it too.

Written by Nathan

Pebbles on the beach...

2011-07-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a lot of furniture to collect in Portsmouth and as it was such a glorious day we took a trip to Southsea. The sun was shining and had a lovely afternoon on the beach with Daisy. She threw stones into the sea, practiced stone skimming (quite dangerous) and then we went onto the pier to watch the fishermen. She was fascinated by the pier, that we could walk so far out over the sea...

I love Southsea, its such a beautiful place full of Victorian elegance, the houses, the pier, even the street lamps. British seaside resorts are part of our heritage, I would love to see them restored to their original glory! Lovely little tea shops, sticks of rock and beach huts painted in pretty colours. That's what we need.

2011-07-24T12:02:00.001-07:00

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Sunday Morning Pt 2

2011-07-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

I went to the boot sale this morning, it's the first time in what seems like ages as we have been on holiday, it's been raining, the children not well etc. It was brill, and the weather was lovely. There were so many sellers and a really great atmosphere this morning. I had to call Nathan and get him to bring some more funds as there was so much to buy. Apart from the bits pictured below I found lots of great pieces of furniture so will be starting on all of that tomorrow - keep your eye on the website! I also came across the biggest spider I have EVER seen inside a chest of drawers that I bought. It really was huge. And it had a sack full of babies next to it. Double scary.

I got this gorgeous big pink enamel roaster and cast iron candle holders

A huge set of antique scales...

This cool 1960s sewing box stool - the inside is immaculate!

And of course, some clothes for Daisy... (and some for Mummy including a dress that I had already won on eBay so Emma/Kate I have a spare dress).

And this I love. A vintage magazine rack, rust and all. It's just fab.

Now it's back to the mass pack for the move. I really am not getting anywhere, I just keep getting stuff out. Nothing is being packed up just piled up. And then I lose interest in that stuff and get out more. Please somebody stop me.

Creative Corner

2011-07-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Our house is now sold and we are starting to sort out all of the cupboards full of things 'I will one day need'. I think what I am most looking forward to about moving is having more space. The boys will have their own rooms and hopefully I will find a little corner of the house where I can get creative. Last weekend I went through the cupboard where I keep all of my craft bits. Hundreds of bits and bobs, fabric (large pieces and pieces so small you could not really use them for patchwork but they are pretty so therefore need to be kept), paints, buttons, pretty paper, card making bits... And I have started SO many things without ever getting round to finishing them. I found lots of cut out pieces of fabric all ready to be sewn up into little hearts or cushions, a large Christmas panel that I started sewing before Daisy was born 5 years ago, wooden folk art signs half painted. And it's because I have to put them back in the cupboard at the end of the day, then I forget and start on something else. And so it goes on. I crave a little area to display all of my things so I can have them all in front of me and be inspired.

This is my idea of what heaven looks like...

This amazing stand made out of vintage tins is Nathans little project for tomorrow.

I. Love. It.

I have a few vintage sewing machines, I would really love to have them on display

But I don't have one quite as cool as this pink one : (

So I am going to start looking out for boxes and tins, I want to be organised. Well, at least organised chaos. I have oodles of projects to get finished and my goal is to finish every last one of them, I am DEFINITELY going to finish my Christmas panel by this Christmas and Daisy's birth cross stitch by her 6th birthday next March. For sure.

Antique Advertisements...

2011-07-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

I found these beautiful books when we were going through my uncles things, wrapped in an old newspaper - they must have been there untouched for years because they are in amazing condition considering they are over 100 years old. They are printers magazines from the early 1900's and the designs are just stunning. The magazines are full of adverts and pictures, so full of history and I don't think I will ever tire of browsing through them. Thought you would like to have a look...

Old White in Pictures...

2011-07-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Just been looking through my pictures and found these amazing photos that my lovely friend Holly Deacon took in our shop when we first opened a few months ago. I love the colours and Holly picked out my favourite things without even knowing.

School's Out For the Summer

2011-07-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

This has certainly been a hectic week. The end of the summer term is always full of activities and with 3 children at 3 different schools our diary is a bit jam packed. Daisy has had her Prize Giving - she got a merit for her Creative Skills (so proud am I!). I love going to her school as it was where I went to school and nothing has changed... So many memories...

Daisy getting her award from her Headmistress

Daisy with her lovely teacher Miss Hayley

Ben is in his final year of junior school and we went to watch their end of year play which was so good! Ben is not really a natural performer - he's a bit shy and not one who likes to be the centre of attention so when he came home and told us he had a speaking part we were so pleased. We went along on Thursday and not only did Ben have a really good part but he also sung on the stage with only 2 other people... and he was excellent. Love him!

A little snippet of my boys stage debut...

Jacob is at senior school and coming to the end of year 9. It's really sad but they never have events for parents to go to (well, that's what he tells me). On Thursday evening he said 'There's no point in me going to school tomorrow because the rest of my year are going to Belgium tomorrow. I forgot to give you the letter.' What? I just look like the worst parent ever as usual because he forgot to give me the letter. Great. I managed to film him reading Daisy a story in his 'German' accent so I am putting that on here instead. AND I had to pay him £5 for the privilege of filming it.

Day Out With The Teenager

2011-07-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took Jacob to T4 on The Beach. Jacob texted us one day when he was at school and asked if we could buy him a ticket so he could go with all of his mates. 'EVERYONE is going.' His exact words. He said that they would get a lift with a parent then all get the train back but being the panicky mummy that I am I wasn't happy with the train idea so we said we would both go, give him and a couple of his friends a lift then they could go off for the day and meet us later. After he had got over how embarrassing this would be (I thought we were cool), he said yes thank you. And I'm so glad because it turned out none of his mates were allowed to go - I panic for a reason.

So Sunday morning we set off very early to get there in time. As we got closer it seemed every car was filled with teenagers, thousands and thousands of teenagers. Then we saw the 'Parent Drop Off' sign and started to feel a bit old... I'm 33. I don't feel any different to when I was 18 but we were definitely in the minority. But I don't care! I enjoyed it so much more than I did when I was a teenager, worried about what you look like, what you act like, who you are with. It was a great day, we had so much fun and it was brilliant to spend some time with Jacob - he had to talk to us. Although he did stand in front of us a bit and gave us evil looks if we dared to dance.

The look of the moment for the girls seemed to be either wellies with hot pants or something inspired by Vicki Pollard. The boots and shorts look is pretty cool, might try it with some slightly longer than hot pants ( I am 33 after all). The boys were either in Olly Murs hats and a shirt or something a bit more chavvy. I swear to God that when I was 15 no girl looked like they do now. They are all so preened, they have proper hair styles, make up, the lot and I am not exaggerating. We really did not look that good. Really.

Olly Murs

When it started a guy came on the stage and said ' I'm afraid we have some sad sad news...' The crowd went silent expecting something terrible and it was then that he announced that JLS would not be performing. OK, I can live with that. We saw Olly Murs (he was brilliant) Example (my fave of the day I think), Katy B (Jay loved her, I did not), N Dubz (surprisingly good), Tinchy Strider, Chipmunk, Nicola Roberts (I don't like to be mean but quite terrible), McFly (loved them!), Mann, Far East Movement, Scouting for Girls, Hard Fi, Jason Derulo, The Wanted plus loads more. It was a great, great day, and I can't wait for next year.

Summer Fete

2011-07-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Today we had a lovely afternoon at Daisy's school fete, thankfully the rain stopped for a hour or so and the sun came out. I love the stalls at summer fetes, such fun! Daisy had her pennies in her pocket and went off to get her face painted then had a few games... whilst Mummy spent all her pennies at the most wonderful stall ever!

An older girl from the school had set up a stall and I have never seen such an array of homemade goodies, there were jams and cakes, little jars of sweets and chocolates, even sweetpeas picked from her garden. I bought lemon curd, raspberry jam and homemade peanut butter! (I was SO excited to try it and had a nice tasting sess this evening)

I bought some sweetpeas that smell like heaven and some gorgeous tiny cakes

The lemon curd was truly yummy. I have lost count of how many pieces of lemon curd toast I have eaten this evening. Over done it a bit. And the little fabric tops are just so pretty!

There was a book stall at the fete, I managed to pick up some lovely books, some Mr Men books that were missing from our collection and an adorable vintage book called Sallys Christmas Day, the pictures are just so sweet

What We Did Today

2011-07-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

It was our first day back in the shop today after our two weeks away, I've missed it! I really do love Old White with all my heart and it feels like home (it looks quite like our house too). A lot of furniture was sold and collected before we went on holiday so the shop looked quite bare when we stepped through the door and where we had been so busy it was also a bit of a mess behind the scenes so today was all about the tidying. We really can be quite messy.

I love days like this when I feel like I'm really on a mission - for the first hour or so I knew what I wanted to do but just not where to start and I stood in the middle of the shop feeling a bit lost (I tried to look busy when Nathan or the boys come over but really I was just stood there. Thinking). Aron, Elliot and Nath took on the major task of sorting out the workshop ~ this morning it looked like a bomb had gone off but by this afternoon it looked clean, tidy and ready to start work in. I rearranged plates and tables and did all the girly bits. A lot of bunting went up.

I like changing the window displays and I know that the boys don't see this as work but my brain works hard when I'm doing this, it's complicated and as I know they think I'm faffing I don't ask for help so end up moving furniture that I can't manage and usually hurt myself. So complicated and dangerous. I try to get 'themes' going, whether it be colours or styles and it does take ages walking inside and out checking that everything can be seen and it looks how I see it in my head. So, thats what today has been about, and now it looks lovely and clean. And I can't wait to get back to work tomorrow...

Party Time!

2011-07-02T04:55:00.000-07:00

It is such a lovely day... sun is out, the smell of cut grass coming in through our open door and the The Beach Boys on the record player. It definitely puts me in the mood for an old fashioned get together. In another life I think I was some sort of party planner because i LOVE it. The first set of ideas that come through my mind then develop into something far bigger than I ever planned (or could sensibly cope with). But it always comes together and it's always worth the effort.

At this time of year you don't even need an occassion for a party, just some good weather and good friends and family. The garden is a perfect venue, you can make it look so pretty even if, like me, you have small garden and you are not exactly Alan Titchmarsh. Some empty jam jars with tealights hung with a piece of thin wire look magical in trees or hedges and fairy lights, well they just are a party essential! If your garden doesn't have many surviving flowers, vases on tables make up for it and will truly make you smile...

Childrens parties are my favourite to plan, your imagination can run wild and its easy as an adult to remember all the things you loved about parties when you were little. Bright colours, food that looked so good you would eat it even if you didn't know what it was, fun decorations and of course games. When Jacob left junior school I booked the bbq at our local country park and invited the whole year (a lot of his friends were going to different schools and it made me so sad that a party seemed a great way to get photos and memories). We played the three legged race, sack race, egg and spoon etc.. It was such fun!

These hats look easy to make, might give it a go...

And these milk bottles are just SOOOO sweet! All different colour milkshakes, little labels, done.

I am thinking of having a little summer party for Daisy and her school friends in the holidays so that is my next party to plan. A little girls party ... So out with the bunting, cake stands and jelly and ice cream... Yay!

Sweets in jars, just like a sweet shop.

And remember...

Photo Shoot

2011-07-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

While we were in Cornwall my gorgeous friend Emma Case did our engagement shoot for us, we are so lucky to have wonderful friends like Emma and Pete. It was such good fun, first we climbed into a cornfield, then down onto the beach at Harlyn which is our favourite place in the world (we went on our first holiday there). Pete was filming the shoot at the same time, it was great to watch back! I must have been the most annoying client ever as I was so excited about seeing the pictures that I sat next to Emma all evening while she edited them. Until about 2.30am. Annoying! I'm sorry Emma but your pictures are so beautiful! I woke up this morning to a little sneak peek on Emmas blog, yay! I know Emma is shooting a wedding today but I simply cannot wait to see the others, do you think she will back late tonight? Emma?

To take a look at our engagement shoot have a look at www.emmacasephotography.blogspot.com

And Lastly My Favourite Room Makeover...

2011-07-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

Now this room is my absolute favourite... The room has a stunning Victorian wardrobe and a beautiful dressing table but again, the beds are new pine so we had to bring the look together with a paintbrush!

Here is the room before we started...

And after we had given it a bit of love...

This is by far my favourite of the rooms that we did, we changed the gold framed mirror for a vintage one, added some brightly coloured bunting and some cushions to the window seat which we also painted. The furniture has all be tied together with colour and now the beds look much more inviting (and expensive!) We also painted the brass light fitting on the wall as it just didn't look right.

All of the furniture we painted in this makeover has been distressed to allow for people to knock it with suitcases and general wear and tear...

We would love to hear your comments!

xxx

Bedroom Makeover

2011-07-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

The cottage has 2 bedrooms upstairs and 2 downstairs in what would have been the cellar. The upstairs bedrooms have beautiful sash windows with big window seat ledges and some GORGEOUS antique furniture. The beds though are new pine and when all put together it just looks a bit, well, chucked together. We kept everything that was already there, added a few accessories (and of course cushions).

This is the room before...

And after the fairies have been....

The main pieces of furniture have been painted in Stoney Ground, the bedroom chair has been painted in Green Blue to match the nautical cushion handmade by my friend Maggie.

I love this room!

Living Room Makeover

2011-07-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

The living room is quite narrow and dark, it has some nice bits of furniture but the darkness of the wood wasn't helping this already dark room. So, we painted, distressed and rearranged to create a lighter, brighter room with a really cosy feel...

This is the room before....

And afterwards...

The only piece of furniture we added to this room was the small coffee table, EVERYTHING else was already there. I think the biggest transformation was the small table and 2 chairs, you would never guess they looked so dark and old fashioned to begin with. There was a picture in the kitchen which didn't really fit so I used the frame and added a piece of union jack fabric that I found on eBay. We painted the black uplighter and it now looks completely different, the dresser looks amazing! We added some prettier cushions to the white sofas and painted the window seat. Cushions are such an easy and cheap way to change the look of a room!

Kitchen Makeover

2011-06-29T03:29:00.000-07:00

My dream has come true. We have come down to Cornwall to make-over a holiday home and I cannot wait to see the finished result. We have brought Aron and Elliot with us (our 2 extremely hard working apprentices) and our favourite people Emma and Pete have also come down to stay. Such a great week! We are working hard but it doesn't really feel like work... we are painting until the early hours of the mornng then starting again, still in our pyjamas the next day...

We have started in the kitchen. This is the room that you walk into through the front door so it needs to have the wow factor, so people are excited about their holiday before it's even started! It's a good sized room with orange under the dado rail, an old pine table with new pine chairs, there is a lot of orange going on this room. We have painted the table base and the chairs to match so they look more like a set rather than antique table and new chairs. We have added a dresser top to the wall with some vintage blue plates and of course bunting! Everyone said no to the bunting but I put my foot down, it just wouldn't be right without the bunting! The bottom of the wall is now a lovely beachy blue.

I am so pleased with the result of this room! It feels bigger and more homely and I am loving the red, white and blue theme...

Vintage Sunshine

2011-06-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

today is rainy and grey where we are so i have been looking for pretty things to make it feel more summery

10 pictures to make you smile on this not very summery afternoon...

i love this sofa, the colour is perfect, the retro legs are full of 1950s character..

these glass cannisters are amazing, yellow is a must colour in a vintage kitchen

and this phone, well look at it!

perfect summer shoes for perfect summer days out

yellow formica... ahhhh....

this chair looks so comfy and i so want one of those lamps...

such a great shot, vibrant colours, retro bits

beautiful 1950s fabric, i have just got a dress in a similar print

i love these old dress patterns, the fabulous images are a very important part of our history

photo shoot

2011-06-11T05:08:00.000-07:00

a couple of weeks ago emma and pete came down from birmingham to do a photo shoot for us for a feature going into the 'Celebration of All Things Vintage' in Augusts edition of BBC Homes and Antiques magazine (out 6th July). emma has been my dear best friend for 15 years and her wonderful husband pete is now just as much a part of the family as emma. we thought the shoot would be at the shop or at home, but emma came into the shop and said 'how would you feel about taking some furniture to a field?' brilliant idea, she is such a clever lady, we managed to achieve exactly what we wanted and so much more! the picture is perfect and we had the best time ever doing it. we loaded up the van (I say we but actually it was nathan and pete, emma and i popped to the local charity shops to find some much needed blankets for the shoot.) we took a vintage kitchen press, a table, sewing machine... well you can see from the pictures. when we got there people were still having picnics and playing football. the boys carried out the furniture and we accessorised with vintage bits and bobs ~ everyone stared opened mouthed, i wonder what they thought was going on... a very elaborate vintage picnic for arty types? emma took some pics but wanted to wait for the sun to go down a bit so we sat on the grass and spent the evening chatting and laughing - the picture turned out so good, i knew it would. emma is so clever, her imagination and creativity run wild when she is behind her camera and if you are looking for a photographer with that extra something, that vintage and quirky twist, shes your gal...

one of emmas beautiful pictures...

me and ems...

emma and pete with the bride and groom in the photo booth...

another stunning pic from emma...

nathan, me and pete...

take a peek at emma and petes website, not only are they fab phtotgraphers but the really are the most lovely people you will ever meet! we love spending time with them, our children idolise them and we are very honoured to have them as our best friends. i am so so proud of what they have achieved, emma and pete we love you. lots and lots

Vintage Parcels

2011-06-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's been such a busy day at work today, we booked a holiday to Turkey last minute on Tuesday so we have to get all orders finished by then. when we come back we will only be here for a day before heading to Cornwall to renovate an old holiday cottage. I am really excited about this, simply cannot wait. To have free reign on someone elses house is a dream come true :) I will of course be blogging all week with pictures...
I have just got home to find parcels galore. Another piece to add to my Tala collection and my new 1970s phone. I have been wanting one for ages and it's pink! (Keep ringing it from my mobile to hear the load 'BRRRRING BRRRRING'!). The boys are not too keen.

Summertime

2011-06-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

It's always hard in the holidays when you run your own business to make sure that you get to spend quality time with the kiddos. Nathan and I both work at the shop full time so it is hard for us to spend time as a family and last year was super busy at work during the summer. We worked so hard but felt so guilty that we weren't with the children. This year we are going to make plans early to make the most of the time they are off school. This is such an important time for them, especially the boys, Ben will be going up to senior school in September and Jacob will be going into the fifth year (year 11 as he keeps reminding me). Their childhood goes so fast and I don't want to miss any of it, Daisy has now been in school for a whole year and it has just flown by. It really doesn't seem like 12 months ago that I was a blubbering mess saying goodbye to her Kindergarten teacher who actually started crying too which really didn't help.
The run up to the holidays involves lots of school events, Ben has Sports Day, the end of year production and his leaving party. Daisy will have Sports Day, her school trip, Presentation Day and a teddy bears picnic. I am sure Jay will have things too but as he never brings the letters home I only usually find out about them from another mum who will say 'Did Jacob enjoy the disco?' or 'How did Parents Evening go?'. I am actually quite good at making out that I know what they are talking about. Thankfully, Jacob has not gone through the stage of not wanting to spend time with us, he loves the feeling of being with the family and I hope Ben feels the same. Because of the age gap between them it's really hard to find things that they all enjoy doing, 14, 11 and 5. If we go to the cinema the boys do not want to be watching a film like Tangled or The Princess and The Frog so Nathan takes them to see something and I get to take Daisy and have a little nap at the same time. If we go to an amusement park I can't go on the rides with the boys and they do not want to be seen on the Peppa Pig ride etc etc...
We have just booked a weeks holiday in Cornwall for a week in August at a house we stayed in a while ago, its a big bungalow with a lovely big garden and is a five minute walk from the beach. You really see a different side to the children when they are out of their normal surrounding, I can't wait to have this time with them! Ben is going to South Africa for a couple of weeks to see his best bud Eric... I am very excited for him but oh my goodness, my boy is going to another country without his mama!

(little Daisy is the one in the grey cardigan!)

Vintage Weddings

2011-06-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

Nathan and I are getting married early next year so I am really fascinated by weddings at the moment, I love looking at wedding photos and have just spend ages looking through my gorgeous friend Emmas website as she is a vintage wedding photographer www.emmacasephotography.blogspot.com. I am a last minute sort of person and I haven't really spent much time planning or even begininng to think about our wedding yet. I work best under pressure but seriously, I should get to at least the pen and paper stage. I love writing lists and lists of lists so this week my plan is to get at least one list of good ideas done.
Nathan and I met when his brother moved in next door to me. He used to sneak up to the back door and steal a kiss, knock on the front door and hand me a piece of paper with 'I love you' written on it.

When we first met we would stay up all night sat on the couch talking and talking. I missed Eastenders for weeks. Nothing but us talking and finding out everything there was to know about each other. I remember he used to leave as it got light and we would say goodbye on the front door step as the sun was coming up and the birds started singing and this sound reminds me of that time whenever I hear it. I knew that I loved him within 2 weeks and thankfully he felt the same, before we were brave enough to say I love you we would just stare at each other and he would say 'What are you thinking?', I would say 'Stuff' and then one day he said 'Do you think that you love me? Cos' I know I love you'. And that was it. I was and still am besotted. We live together, work together and spend any excess time together and we have the best fun, he makes me laugh until I can't breath, he is my best friend and I won't let him go for the rest of my life.

Because of our love of the 1950s, America and casinos, there really was ever only going to be one place to get married. Las Vegas baby! And that is as far as we have got, so need to gather ideas...

I was looking through some old bits and pieces and found these adorable little wedding cards ~

The cards would be sent out in the post with a piece of wedding cake. What a wonderful thing to receive! Some of them are printed on the front and some fold out. Inside of the one on the left is a heart either side, one with the brides name and one with the grooms and cupids arrow through the heart. How romantic! Why did people stop doing this? I think I would like to get some of these made as there are going to be a lot of people who won't be able to travel to Vegas for our wedding and send out a piece of our wedding cake with them.

This card is dated June 30th 1908 and it is simply stunning, I think Annie Webley is a distant relative but need to look into this a bit more. I am sure she never thought her wedding card would be found over 100 years later but I treasure it and I would like to have something as beautiful for my wedding so one of my relatives treasures it too. Its all in the detail...

A Quick Summer Evening Post

2011-06-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Just came out into the garden to hang the washing out. What a beautiful evening! It gets to the point in the year where you can't remember not having to wear sleeves ~ like you imagined it and then you get an evening like this with the smell of the neighbours BBQ and children playing in the garden. Jacob is out with his friend, Ben is at football training and poor Nathan is out doing deliveries, stuck in the traffic of people who have been at the beach today. But Daisy and I are at home, a girls evening in.

I am not really the gardening type, something that wasn't passed on in the genes ~ my mum has her own gardening company and my Granny and Nanna love to potter in the garden. But I do like my garden to look pretty (I secretly think my mum should come in and do a garden makeover, I keep dropping hints, when she is babysitting I drive up the road half expecting to see a miraculous transformation , the grass cut at least but to date... nothing).

As we have lived here for quite a few years there have been a few things that I have planted which have passed the test of not being looked after and having a football constantly kicked at the them. I have jasmin and honeysuckle which I moved a few years ago and thought they had given up the ghost but this year have just gone crazy!

The cats are chasing flies in the garden, they must be so hot! Peter is stalking one as I type. Low down to the ground and very soldier like. Petal has just ruined it with a tackle from behind.

At the bottom of the garden is Daisys playhouse which she has turned into an ice cream parlour. She loves cooking down there, there are pots and pans and plastic steaks, eggs and slices of bread mixed with mud or gravy as she likes to call it. She even has her own throne in there that plays a regal trumpety tune when you sit down.

We turned this old cast iron bath
into a little garden with wallflowers and other bits and bobs.I bought a couple of lovely old watering cans at an auction and when I got them home discovered that they leaked so have filled them petunias and this gorgeous rusty flour tin I have had for years, its a bit too worn out for the kitchen but makes a great plant pot.

The sun is going down now but the honeysuckle still has lots of bee visitors. I can smell food and its making me so hungry! All the children have gone indoors now, Daisy is cosied up on the sofa ~ exhausted after her dance festival today with stage make up melted down her little face. I am going to have a Baileys and chill waiting for my lovely man to return. Have a great evening! xx

Early Sunday Mornings...

2011-05-29T04:34:00.000-07:00

I love Sundays. Car boot day. I would prefer it if the car boot sale started at around 10am but once I am up I'm fine. We have lots of car boots around our area so Nathan goes to one and I go to another (he goes to the one that starts at 5am and I have opted for the 7am start).

To find your local car boot sale click here

Once I get onto the field to park my car the excitement begins, there is a sudden adrenalin rush and I need to park up and get out as quick as I can. The parking marshalls in the car park do not stand for any funny business, there are no drops off, no one is allowed until 7am on the dot. You will park where they say even if you have got a bad leg, 5 kids and and don't speak English. The woman who runs my car boot sale is a scary lass who you really wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of - I have seen her take down a grown man ( I have no idea what he did but he ran, she chased him, grabbed his shirt, ripped it off him and took him to the ground for the lads to deal with). So as you can imagine I have the correct change for entry and always smile sweetly.

Deciding which end to start at first is a tricky one. Do I start at the back where the cars are unpacked and ready to trade or at the front where people are just unloading? I kind of take it in turns to get the best of both worlds. Luckily, not many people are looking for the same things I would buy so I always manage to find some good stuff.

I look for furniture, I like buying older bits like 1960s and earlier, you can find some really cool retro bits when people are having a big clearout. I also love buying odd plates, cups and saucers, cake stands... Anything pretty really and I have managed to fill my dresser up with these bits. True love between me and my dresser.

The plates generally cost around 50p each, the big dinner set at the bottom cost £5 for the whole thing and we used it for our Christmas lunch - it's one of thoses things that you can just look at. I just look at it for ages. It brings me joy for £5. This morning I have bought another dinner service, really pretty, a Midwinter coffee pot and sugar bowl (Emma, you will love), a dinky teapot with a jug, bowl and plate.

Today I also bought a big console table, a bureau, a small table and a pine wall cabinet. The only problem is remembering which aisle you were in when you bougtht them when you go back to collect them. I usually end up wandering about for ages trying to remember the car or the person who sold it to me, my memory is truly awful so at 7.30 on a Sunday morning this is quite a challenge. Nathan takes a pen and paper but I always forget the pen.

About halfway round the smell from the burger van hits me, bacon rolls smell so good, but I have learned from experience that they smell better than they taste so I avoid those, sometimes I have a hot chocolate but then you have to carry the cup round with you as they are no bins which hinders rummaging.

I love looking through the old records, usually 20p-50p each which is such a bargain for a whole album. You always find records at a car boot sale, and the seller always says they a belong to someone else. I don't know why people are so cagey about their music taste! My name is Zoe and I like The Dixie Chicks.

I buy a lot of old curtains which I use for reupholstering chairs and stools, I pay about £2 a pair which can do about 8 chairs, I save a lot of odd bits of fabric to one day make cushions, I want to make some patchwork cushions with lots of bits of different fabric. That is the plan anyway! Bunting is great for using up bits of fabric. My Granny told me that you can use different patterns as long as you have one colour the same in two pieces next to each other. I do use this tip and it works.

I bought these 1930s prints from a car boot sale a while ago, they are not my usual thing but I fell in love with them. They are in their original frames, the colours and detail are just beautiful! £5 for the 2. Couldn't resist. Nathan is a much better car booter than me when it comes to spending, he knows how much he will pay and won't go over that, which is how you have to be, but if I love something I will have to buy it or I will think about it all day. Hence why I am only allowed to take a limited amount of cash with me.

These 2 gorgeous tall bottles were £1 each,

the green one is Victorian.

And my very favourite thing to buy at the boot sale... clothes. It is an illness and I cannot stop. I can't shut my wardrobe doors, I can't find anything but on the plus side I am always finding clothes that I have forgotten about. And if you only pay 50p for it, it doesn't matter if you only wear it once! I buy lots of dresses, and cardigans. I buy Daisy a lot of dresses, and books.

I feel great when I get back, I feel that I have made the most of the day, I make breakfast, we have tea and then I sit down and tiredness hits me. I feel like I have just worked a nightshift but it is definitely worth it.

Feline Family

2011-05-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

We have 4 cats, Polly, Pedro, Petal and Peter. We are definitely a 'cat family', they literally are everywhere. When you walk through they are all there to meet and greet you with meows a plenty. We got Polly from a friend who's cat had kittens, Pedro came from a house clearance and Peter and Petal were born in our old warehouse. There is nothing better than sitting in the room of an evening surrounded by sleeping cats, we really couldn't be without them.

This is Polly. She is a snob in the cat world, she turns her nose up at everyone. I can imagine she would talk rather like Joanna Lumley if she were human, we annoy her, the other cats annoy her, generally most things annoy her. We live in a road full of cats and from what I can tell she is not one of the 'popular' girls. None of the neighbourhood cats really talk to her and she tries to avoid eye contact. I know she definitely feels she is meant to live in a manor house and I am half expecting to find a Louis Vuitton bag hidden in a cupboard ready for when the invitation comes. She is not one for sitting on laps as that would involve you stroking her which would then have to be rectified by an hour long wash to remove the filth that you have transferred from your hands onto her pristine coat. Filth.

Pedro is a loving cat, he knows he is in charge, he struts his stuff and always has the first serving of food, the kittens look up to him - he is one top cat. In human form he would be Al Pacino. He runs the neighbourhood gangs and the cats wait for him at the end of our path to come to play. We have had Pedro since he was a tiny kitten, Nathan went to buy a chest of drawers one day and the seller put the cat into the deal. Pedros' mama died when he was born and he lived with 2 puppies so when he first saw Polly he was petrified but thankfully due to the amount of mirrors I have he quickly learnt that he was a cat. He comes into our room in the morning and flicks the blind to wake us up, he is very feisty and if you walk past him and don't say hello he will swipe you to remind you of his presence. He is always hungry, bourbons are his favourite and he will take one out of your hand if your not careful. Pedro the dude.

Dear little Peter is a very timid thing, jumps at any noise and really likes to blend into the background. Peter was a boy and is now a girl but the name has stuck, pretty lil' Peter. Peter likes to hang around with Polly and I am sure Polly is telling her that we are evil riff raff so maybe this is the real reason for the avoidance. She has a beautiful sleek black coat, just the kind of cat you want to pick up and cuddle so we shall keep trying to convince her that we are nice people. Peter hisses if you look at her for too long and she eats her food with her hands. Even if it is dried food. Polly will watch in despair as she elegantly eats hers with all the etiquette and manners one would learn at finishing school.

And last but I am sure will not be the last is Petal. Petal is wonderful. Loves attention, loves cuddles and loves food. Petal was a girl but is now a boy, again the name has stuck and I think he kinda likes it. He has absolutely no concept of personal space and if you are sat down he will be up in your face trying to kiss you and sit on your shoulders and rub himself against you. Petal is obsessed with Nathan, I mean obsessed. He will not leave him alone to the point that we actually have to put him out sometimes because it all gets a bit much. Nathan cannot watch tv or sit at the computer or eat his dinner, we have to shut the bedroom door at night because Petal is so persistent in his wooing. Petal will also eat anything and everything that is left lying around, salad, veg, chips, crisps, biscuits, curry, noodles ANYTHING.

He eats so fast that his teeth bang on the plates and I don't know how he doesn't choke, he talks none stop, really heart felt long mmmeeeeeeoooowwwwwws. You feel like you have to answer after all the effort that has gone into his sentence which he then will answer to with just as much enthusiasm. And it goes on. Petal as a human? I think I will go with Russell Brand.

I Love...

2011-05-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

We have finally outgrown our house and decided it is time for the next move. I am so excited and I cannot wait to spread our wings that little bit more but it is funny how you don't notice the things that you actually love about where you live until its time to move on.

I am a serial decorator and every room has been changed so many times but I really think we have got it right at last. I love colours and patterns and things that catch your eye, my house is fit to burst with 'interesting' little bits and bobs, i love tatty old enamel signs, I have bunting on every available wall and none of it matches but I think if you like it, it goes.The thing I like about our kitchen is that it is big enough (just about) for a dining table which means we can all eat together and it makes a good meeting place. Of course I have a dresser, which is far too big for the kitchen but I actually don't care! It's one more place for me to put my pretty floral plates and random bits of china that I will never use but can't seem to say goodbye to.

We have a big blackboard which is used for
'Happy Birthday' or 'Happy Halloween' messages,
which, depending on how long a gap there is
between events, your birthday message can stay up there for a good 4 months. Little blackboards are a sweet way of leaving cheeky notes and seeing how long it will take someone to notice!

My favourite room has to be the living room. It is so light and bright, airy in the summer and cosy in the winter. I have filled it with painted furniture in blues and creams with pink floral fabric throws on the sofas to give it a pretty girly feel. My two boys love this as you can imagine and have sworn they will only have black furniture when they are older. We will see.

This dresser is my pride and joy, I love it with all my heart! I really don't think I will ever find anything more lovely - it is perfect and I think I will love it for the rest of my life!

I love vintage mirrors, they are just so pretty and if you hunt hard enough you will find so many different designs of all shapes and sizes, they will reflect loads of light back into the room and they really do look great in a collection together.

I have photos everywhere of my wonderful family and friends, I think photographs lift your heart and make you smile. I also have an obsession with frames so it works pretty well!

I have photo gallery going up my stairs which makes the journey up to bed even nicer, all the frames are different and it gets added to all the time. Need more wall space.

These two pictures make me happy and sad all at the same time, the first is of me and my lovely daddy at the zoo when I was a wee lass. Yes, he is wearing flares and aren't they cool! The second is of me and my Papa when I was a bit older, he was the best grandad you could wish for. Photos of wonderful people who are no longer with us but I can see them every day.

This is the tidy corner of our bedroom. I am not the tidiest especially when chosing an outfit for the day.
I have marked 'more wardrobe space' as high on the essentials list for the new house which I feel will enable me to be tidier. I will let you know how it goes.

I keep everything! Tickets, receipts, cards, invitations, I love pinboards filled with random memories. That big playing card was from the restaurant where Nathan and I had one of our first dates :)

I love chandeliers, I have them in every room and even a spare one waiting to be hung, glass is such a beautiful material. I think they are the ideal light fitting for a shabby chic house - they add a touch of the chic and make you feel like you live in an oppulent mansion (just look at the ceiling - not the floor covered in clothes). The only problem with chandeliers is the amount of bulbs needed and I am useless at replacing them so mine usually are at least 2 bulbs short of fully working.

There is a family joke that I only bring out the bulbs when we have people over, but this is not true, I am saving the planet...

This house has served us well for 11 years, through good times and bad and it will be the end of an era but the beginning of a new one, a new and very exciting one. I hope that whoever buys my house enjoys it as much as we have, and builds the start of the rest of their lives there...

A Very Worthy Cause

2011-05-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

My blog post today is actually to tell you about a wonderful charity, Sophies Appeal, to ask you to please have a read and to pass a link to anyone you know who may be able to help.
http://www.sophiesappeal.org

I have been on the committee for Sophies Appeal for about 18 months, I first found out about it when I attended a fashion show that they held to raise funds and awareness of the charity. At the fashion show Sophies mum Lin talked about her beautiful daughter Sophie who very sadly passed away from Wilms Disease which is a cancer of the kidney - she was just 6 years old. I still find it so hard to even type this. As a mother of 3 healthy children I feel so blessed and I simply cannot imagine the pain and complete devastation of losing your child. Listening to Lin changed so many things for me, from that moment I wanted to do anything I could to be a part of the charity and help with the wonderful work they do.

We have lots of events throughout the year from quiz nights to race nights, pamper evenings to summer fetes. At Christmas we have The Giving Tree where local children and the community donate presents which we then take to Winchester and Southampton Hospitals and give them to the poorly children on the wards there.

We are always open to new ideas for raising money so if you have any please let me know!

The next big event is the annual Sophies Appeal Summer Ball on 2nd July which is our main fundraiser for the year and we are desperately in need of prizes for the raffle and auction prizes. If you or anyone you know could donate to the appeal it would be very gratefully received, if you could offer a service that we could auction (in the past we have auctioned holidays, experience days, photography sessions, sports and music memorabilia etc) or if you are a business owner who could donate some raffle prizes this really would help us to sell tickets and raise the funds need to do more good work.

The charity was actually started by Sophie in 2003 after she was diagnosed with the disease and has been carried on by her parents Mike and Lin Barringer. Lin and Mike have become great friends of mine and I totally admire them for their strength to continually push the charity forward despite how hard it must be for them both. They really are genuinely dedicated people who have taken the worst thing that can happen to a parent and turned it into something good.

The aims are today as they were then; to raise funds to support the social, emotional and educational welfare of sick children and their families or carers whilst being treated either in hospital or the community.

The achievements of the charity so far for a small local charity are just outstanding
Over £1/4 million has been raised to help sick children and their families
Sophie’s Place - a dedicated children’s assessment area which was funded by Sophies Appeal, helping up to 400 children every single month and providing them with a more relaxed child friendly atmosphere whilst in hospital
Sophies Appeal are a valued partner of Beyond the Moon - we sponsor dream holidays for terminally ill children and their families
Funding of research into future treatments for childhood cancers. The research at Southampton Hospital has made ground breaking discoveries and has been published worldwide
Sponsorship of New Forest holidays for sick children and their families through Hannah’s Holiday Home

And the next aim is to transform the rest of the children's ward, to make it just as special as Sophies Place. A comfortable place for children of all ages from babies to teenagers and also for their parents with Sophies Magic Wand Appeal.

Thank you so much for reading and I am sure you will agree that this really is a very worthy cause, if you can help please email me at zoe@old-white.co.uk or through the Sophies Appeal website www.sophiesappeal.org

My New Favourite Thing

2011-05-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

This is my Uncle Mike (back right) Aunty Sheila (back left) and their parents Maud and Henry. Last weekend we went to Cornwall to clear out my uncles house for him. He has a house just full of treasures, his parents lived there before they died and he has now moved into a rest home so it has many many years of memories and the only thing he wanted to take with him was his tape player. It seems very sad to leave your life in a house but being an insanely sentimental horder I have brought most of it home!

We found lovely old letters (one from my mum when she was a little girl!). My Uncle Mike must have kept just about everything, every postcard and thank you letter - just as grateful for the letter as the sender was.

Charming old photos of family members who I need to find out who they were, some amazing vintage cups and plates and a few really special bits. My lovely boy Ben had the time of his life looking through cupboards and boxes, I kept seeing his hands going into his pockets with another great find, he actually jangled when he walked back to the van.

My absolute favourite has to be the 1950s record player that I found tucked away in the very bottom of a cupboard. And it works! I couldn't believe it, it needed a bit of a clean but it is just so lovely. We have spent the weekend listening to old records - I have all of my dads old records but the only ones I could get to were The Sound of Music, Annie, My Fair Lady and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! Ha ha! I think my neighbours have had enough of Edelweiss and Wouldn't It Be Loverly as has Nathan but he played along like a good sport. The crackly sound of the record player is just magical and Daisy who is only 5 and has never seen music on anything but a cd thinks this is wonderful.

So this weekend I am going through the loft at my mums house to dig out all the cool records I remember my dad playing when I was younger. I know that I will probably find a heap more stuff that I just have to bring home, I can't wait!

Passionate

2011-05-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

I have always had a passion for anything with a history, ever since I was a little girl my interest in vintage and antique items has always been there. Looking at things my Granny had tucked away in her house, finding items in the bottom of boxes at car boot sales and searching through my mums loft for something long forgotten was something that I would find such joy from. And I still do. There is no better feeling than finding something that has been disregarded as past its best and seeing the potential, whether it be painting a beautiful vintage chest of drawers or cleaning up a dirty old enamel candle holder, they all become part of the family – and I am so happy that this is a trend that seems to be here to stay for a long time.

Painting and renovating furniture has been a hobby of mine for a very long time, it can change the look of something completely giving it character, a new lease of life and you can create your very own unique piece that only you will have. Luckily my partner Nathan shares my passion and together we decided to start Old White (possibly as me continually painting furniture at home was wearing a little thin for him…), we started selling the things we were doing online and custom painting items and thins just grew and grew. I think the days of flat packed furniture are beginning to fade and people want more for their hard earned
money. Items that have stood the test of time in quality and style are again becoming desirable, the love of vintage style is everywhere. From clothing to weddings to your home, it is definitely back in fashion to be old-fashioned. Speaking as a mother of 3 children, surrogate mother to 4 cats, leading a busy lifestyle the shabby chic look fits us PERFECTLY! Pastel colours and cheery fabrics make your home a warm, cosy and inviting place were it always feels like Spring, distressed furniture means that you don’t have to worry about the knocks and bangs, an eclectic array of old plates and ornaments means that you can continually add to it without having to start from scratch when you fancy a change.
We search high and low to fill our shop with all the things that we love, items with a past and a history. From sets of beautiful vintage 1930s plates to retro 1950s kichenalia to dining tables made from old Victorian floorboards we have a treasure trove of furniture, homewares and gifts – and if we don’t have it just ask and we will find it for you! We offer a sourcing service so if you need a particular piece of furniture to fit into a specific space or you are looking for after that quirky piece to finish off your room, pop in or give us a call and we will do the leg work for you. Our best selling items are our dresser, wardrobes and dining tables, but if you have some furniture at home in need of a bit of love we also offer a painting service – your old furniture custom painted to match your colour scheme for a fraction of the cost of buying it again. We use the best quality paint in a vast range of colours, we can offer our advice on colour ways or finishes and can also collect and return your items for you. We have had such a wonderful welcome in Eastleigh, Old White has had an overwhelming response and would like to thank all of our customers new and old for making our passion into the best job in the world!

welcome!

2011-05-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my new blog! My name is Zoe... I have a little family, a little shop and quite a few cats...