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January 2008

My little snug

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My sewing room is finally complete.  I have painted the floorboards...

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sorted out the materials...

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the books...

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and the wool.

I've painted the shelves...

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hung some things up...

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and had a general tidy up.

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And amongst the paint, rubbish and mayhem that seemed to bombshell around the house whilst this was being sorted, I've managed to start a bit of sewing.

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So, we are now all much more happy bunnies...

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despite the weather.

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Defeated

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I had planned to show you some photos of my recent 'white work' today, ie. the newly refurbished larder, buffet and sewing room.  The sun did not show, however, so the photos were awful.  I shall try again tomorrow. 
So I thought I'd show you some pictures of my babies.  Trafford, my big beefcake boy (yes, the husband is a Manchester United fan :o ).  He is a rescue cat, and has the sweetest friendliest nature.  He loves a tickle on the tummy and a warm lap.

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and Tess, much more regal, busy searching this magazine for some fish recipes!

Blink... and its gone

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The unexpected glorious weather over the weekend, meant all previous made plans were abandoned, the flasks were filled, the sandwiches stacked and we were off..

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After taking the children for an early morning swim we headed for the Princess Pier at Torquay, which we've never explored before.  It was glorious.. the sun was shining, the water was like a lily pond and it truly blew all the cobwebs away.

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Needless to say the sewing room door stayed firmly shut this weekend, what with the weather an' all.   Roll on Spring.

And I'm rather pleased to say that after a 'wild' week of furious painting, (I have these moments when, once found wielding a paintbrush, I run through the house like fury, painting everything in sight white)  the brush has finally been wiped clean and order has been vaguely restored to the house. 

I shall post some piccies of the revamped room / larder / dresser tomorrow.

Hope you all had a good weekend x

Finally some thrifts...

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Over the last few weeks I've been hunting and gathering round the local charity shops.

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Its been hard work of late, as there doesn't seem to be as much goodness about as usual which is very frustrating (for the woman with charity shop OCD :o ).

Anyhow, I have managed to pick up this beautiful little rabbit, I wasn't going to get her but Asti persuaded me to again, and now I'm really glad I did.  She's a good asset in a charity shop that girl.   I often get home when I've been rummaging without her and wish I'd bought something that I left behind.  Indecision is one of my biggest flaws.

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The sweet little matchbox filled with vintage buttons must have belonged to my grandmother, as I found it whilst sorting out the boxes in my sewing room.  I'm so thrilled to have found this little treasure.

The cup and saucer is my favourite out of my whole teacup collection.  It was sitting there all on its own, in perfect condition, and the lady who sold it to me said 'oh, that's the last one left, I had a set of about 8 but they've all gone'.  Mortified that she'd sold them all off individually, I snapped the last one up and left her with a flea in her ear for separating such a gorgeous collection.  Oh to have the whole set.  Anyway I just love it, alone as it is...  so pretty.

The Complete Sewing book speaks for itself, step by step instructions to all the things I normally guess at, and should research to know how to do it 'properly'.  Some lovely bedtime reading.

And the linen is from my lovely nextdoor neighbour, who has some wonderful in-laws who keep passing on their goodness to her, and she then passes it to me if she can't find a use for it, which makes me more than a happy girl!  She once asked me if I'd be interested in any 'old cakestands or teapots' that came her way... Really, surely it wasn't necessary to even ask!!  I can always find a space for more chinaware ;)

Well, must get back to making a baby gift and some valentine bunnies, ready for some 'show and tell' tomorrow.  Have a happy day x

I wish....

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I wish I could have this piece of furniture (and everything on it) in my bedroom.  I took this photo in Monsoon in Kingston last summer, and I'm still dreaming of it ..

I wish I had more money to buy all the beautiful things I see on Etsy...

I wish my husband wouldn't see my paypal bill :o

I wish the rain would stop.

I wish the flowers would start to open, and the sun would start to shine.

I wish it was the weekend.

I wish I could tidy the sewing room and get to the sewing machine.  But I should never have started painting the larder.  The rest of the house has blown up around me :(

I wish my house would clean itself this week.

I wish someone would cook my dinners this week.

I wish someone would do my washing this week.

I feel it is one of 'those' weeks that tend to occur mostly in January, do you know what I mean?

Despite the weather...

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Despite it pouring with rain and howling winds most of the weekend, we packed up our sandwiches and flasks and headed for Dartmoor.  This wild pony was soaking wet and heavily pregnant.. I just wanted to pop her in the car and take her home to sit by the fire!

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The weather didn't seem to put these mad people off either!
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and the 'photography fever' is starting to spread through our family!

I've also been putting the final touches to the sewing room.

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I have painted the floorboards white, as you can see, and I now want to hang these curtains which Asti persuaded me to buy in a charity shop last year.  They are a gorgeous fabric, which I stupidly couldn't think what to do with and so made a bag for the bathroom cleaning items to go in.  I could kick myself now.  So I've got to 'unmake' the bag, and stitch the material back on to the end of the curtain, as these will look so pretty in the room.  I hate it when that happens!  Apart from that I am much happier with the room, as it looks so much brighter and bigger now.  Just a few throw cushions to run up and it should be done!

So more pictures of the 'new sewing room' coming up this week (once I've tidied up a little!)

Hope you had a good weekend x

Matilda - and too much fruit cake

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Lord, its been busy round here...

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Matilda and I have spent the whole afternoon deciding how best to wear a pretty ribbon I found her to tidy her up a bit..

Its been round her head..

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On one ear

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and t'other.  Until finally, we decided.  After a huge slab of fruit cake, which is generally when all the best decisions in life are made.  We stuck with what we had in the beginning.  Typical.

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So, then it was time to get weighed.... not any girl's favourite pastime I agree, but to be fair

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well, almost :o

I blamed the second slice of fruit cake.  And then I explained that life was really too short, and my scales were probably 'a little out' anyway.

Matilda is now sulking in my Etsy shop, awaiting adoption by someone who can bake a really good cake.

Have a great weekend everyone x

A Treasured Possession

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This 'Pussy Cat' album is one of my most treasured possessions.  It was my mum's, and it was one of her most treasured possessions when she was a child in around 1940's.

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'Name The Day'

It is full of vintage postcards of all sorts of cats.  I could look at it for hours.  They were all collected by my mum, from various places, but they all have writing on the back and were actually sent as postcards in or around the 1940s.

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'Mary, Mary, quite contrary'

Please forgive the way they are photographed as some are a bit 'squew wiff' but I didn't dare take them out of their paper frames, as it is all very fragile.

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'Have you seen Baby this morning?'

I just adore them.  I have always had a love of vintage postcards, especially ones that had actually been sent at one point, with beautiful swirly old fashioned writing on the back.

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My mum had beautiful writing too, even from some of her childhood writings it still already has that beautiful flow to it.  I wonder who decided to stop teaching beautiful handwriting?

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I love to look at handwriting.  Its one of my obsessions.

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'We don't care if we never have a vote'

It makes me laugh how political some of these postcards were.

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'Don't tax my baccy'

Can you imagine it now?  I think not.

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It feels like such a shame to keep these beautiful pictures away in an album.  I'm going to try and use them in some shots in future.

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' A ten o'clock scholar'

There must be over a hundred of these postcards in this album, all of them gorgeous.  I could post some more a later date if you like.

Just Bloomed

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'If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and a buy a hyacinth,
for it will feed you soul'
Persian Poem (taken from A Home For All Seasons)

Have a lovely day x

The Wet Weekend

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This weekend was a real wet one, so we spent most of it indoors.  I knitted some more cardigans for some new little rabbits and bunnies.

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We consoled ourselves with lots of sweet food and films.

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We grabbed the one hour break in the downpours to race down to the local (undercover) bootsale, but  it there was not much to be found (infact nothing), this beautiful tin was from a previous rummage. 

I have also embarked on the monumental task of painting the sewing room floor white.  This is not an easy one, considering the amount of junk material and furniture I have already stashed in there.

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We spent the rest of Sunday afternoon much the same as Florence.  On the sofa with intermittent snoring!

So not such a bad wet weekend after all!  How about you? x

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