The Vintage Magpie

The Girls

The weather slightly improved yesterday, enough for me to be able to take some photos of the girls.  So, first up its Penelope.  Penelope is the shy one, quite demure and softly spoken.  She loves to be cosy and cuddled, and snuggled up in warm blankets. 


Her favourite treat is fudge or chocolate and warm milk, although on a daily basis she seems quite happy with jam on toast.   Penelope is made from pure mohair and a 1950s fabric, and filled with dried lavender so she smells dreamy when squeezed.   SOLD - thank you x

Next its Loubelle.


Loubelle has a very sweet nature, but can be quite snappy if woken too early by the others.  She loves to play and sing, and eat jelly tots.  


Loubelle is made from pure mohair and a small piece of vintage fabric that  I found on an antique stall.  She is also filled with dried lavender to help with restful sleep.  SOLD - thank you x

Next, Martha


 Martha is the sensible one, tidy and particular.  She likes order at all times!  Her favourite breakfast is a boiled egg and solidiers and her favourite pre-bedtime snack is warm milk and a biscuit (any type will do) - but no crumbs!

 
Martha is made of vintage cotton fabric which I have hand dyed to get a more aged effect.  She is also filled with dried lavender so smells dreamy when squeezed.  SOLD - thank you x

Next up, its Blossom


Blossom is quite a cheeky little thing.  She likes to play tricks on the others.  She loves music and loves making up stories.  Her favourite food is peanut butter - on anything.  That or chocolate spread, but we have found peanut butter a little less messy :0


Blossom is made from pure mohair and a 1940's floral cotton.  She is filled with dried lavender so smells dreamy when squeezed.  SOLD - thank you x

And finally, Flora


Flora is quite quirky.   She can be quite loud at times and quite quiet at other times.   She has a lot of love to give, and would suit a loving owner with lots of time to give her attention.  Her favourite food has to be marshmallows... especially with chocolate.


Flora is made from pure mohair and floral cotton fabric.  She is also filled with dried lavender to help with restful sleep.  SOLD - thank you x

These little ladies will be in my Etsy shop, busy packing their cases and waiting for new and loving homes. 

xx

The Precious Age of Innocence

'One potato, two potato, three potato, four'....Do you remember this game?  It's amazing what memories childhood games can evoke.  My children love this one, and 'scissors, paper, stone', and 'What's the time Mr Wolf'.  Lauren can often be found at the moment gleefully running through the house and garden or in the school playground on her imaginary race horse.  I can picture me doing this in my school playground, racing with my friends, jumping imaginary jumps and racing to the finish line!  It's heartwarming to know that in this world of X Box and Ninento DS, the simple childhood games can still give them so much pleasure.

I wish I could just bottle moments up like these and put them in my suitcase of memories for when I'm old(er) and grey(er)!  Trouble is that suitcase already turned into three suitcases which are already bursting at the seams, and crying out for a cupboard to house them.  Mmmm.  That's a thought.... ;)

Anyway, we are hoping for better weather today, the weathermen seem to be optimistic - and I can guarantee that by 6.30am at the latest there will be a line of little noses pressed up against the window checking for rain!  Please let us have one nice day this holiday, where we don't have to come home dripping wet!

Blasted weather ...

These little rascals were meant to be moving to my shop today, but the weather has been so poor I haven't been able to get any decent photos of them to put up in the Etsy shop, so they are bunking down in the sewing room again tonight.
 
They prefer the linen-lined wooden box to the suitcase, the suitcase being 'too dark' :o


So, hopefully by Friday, these this little bunch will be playing in the shop, awaiting new loving homes.

Hope the weather is brighter where you are! x

Sweet Maggie

 
Introducing the first of Tessie's four babies, and the one that has got to be a keeper.

We have named her Maggie, slightly ambitious as we looked up 'sexing kittens' on google and kind of think we have got it right.. although not entirely sure, so Maggie could turn out to be Arthur. But really, we don't care... how gorgeous can a kitten actually be? She opened her eyes yesterday. I think she is going to be quite long-haired like Tessie too. No way this little baby is leaving this house. 



Mr F has been told, and if he hasn't yet taken it on board I'll get him to read this post. Don't even think this one is going anywhere!

More pictures of the siblings when I can reach them ... man that cupboard under the bunkbed where Tessie is keeping them is like a fortress!

I am restocking my little Etsy shop tomorrow with a new range of vintage bunnies. Hope to see you then x

Meanwhile I shall be kissing and smelling this little one and the other three bundles of fluff. Oh the smell of kittens - its as good as the smell of newborn babies, I just can't stop inhaling them!

All Aboard For Another Countryside Drive

 
Grab the picnic basket, and come with us on Mr F's birthday drive..

It was a bright sunny day and we were all in need of some relaxation after the party frivolities on Wednesday.

We headed straight for Dartmoor, a National Park, and the drive across Dartmoor was ever splendid, with lots of flora and fauna at their most beautiful.




and the local wildlife popping out from the hedgerows



 

stopped here for a birthday picnic and then drove on up to Buckland on the Moor.

And I guarantee you are going to squeal when you see the house heaven that fell upon my eyes..

Are you ready? ...Take a deep breath...

House No.1

House No.2


House No. 3


House No.4

.......and breathe.

Homes that make my heart ache!

Ok, so let's play the house game (I make everyone play this in the car ALL THE TIME :o )  ...if you could buy one tomorrow which one would you choose?

x

Are you sitting comfortably?

I got rather carried away with this post, its a long one so grab yourself a cup of tea! ;)

The outlandish request for the party theme this year was a 'Limosine Party'.... at 9 years old!  Well, obviously I said no at first, but then predictably buckled under the pressure a few weeks before her birthday.   Seven girls, and me, in the back of a white limosine, cruising to the seaside and back, with laser lights, lemonade in champagne glasses and Hannah Montana blaring at full volume.  When we returned, an hour later, I was more than slightly weary, a little shell shocked and a little hoarse from singing along at the top of my voice to the whole album!

 
Back home for celebrations..


and the party tea.  (See the tablecloth.. not a  Hannah Montana in sight - well - she made it onto the cupcake picks but that was it!)

 
Not being one to settle for the quiet life, I then indulged them in hundreds of E numbers with cakes..


jellied sweets...


sugar laiden lollipops ..

 
and biscuits..


and pink lemonade.
 
And then Lauren whipped up even more of a frenzy with her rendition of Happy Birthday on the guitar!

By party bag time I think they had all peaked, the E-numbers had kicked in hard and they were all just about ready to go over the edge, at which point I was happy to hand them back to their respectful owners!  Im sure I'll be popular at the school gates next week :0

 
However, as a softener and after party 'comedown'  we did supply them with eco-friendly party bags!  No plastic allowed.


After being inspired by Janet's wonderful work, I thought to pass a recipe on would be a good idea.  What girl doesn't like to bake?
 
 
I scanned in a beautiful picture by Julie Haymaker Thompson and then somehow, using photoshop, managed to type the recipe over the top.  I am not computer literate in the slightest.. so I was slightly overcome with pride when I managed to work this out...  Isabel stood behind me whilst I was doing it and said 'oh mummy, you are improving .. ' !! :o

 
These were then placed on top of 12 pretty cake cases and tied up with string.

And then to encourage little green fingers...

 
I bought '1/2 a pint glass' of runner bean seeds at the local market and placed 10 seeds in each envelope

 
with instructions of how to grow them on the back.

Phew.  Next week I shall post Mr F's birthday drive... some stunning scenery and pictures of houses that will make your heart literally ache!

I'm now going under ground for a couple of days, resting my feet and trying to restore the house back to its pre-party state.

Have a great weekend x

And the party goes on....

It was Issy's 9th birthday yesterday.


And it's Mr F's 36th birthday today.  I think we'll give the Happy Friday Cake  a miss this week :o

More party pictures tomorrow.

Have a great day x
 

Did You Read The Small Print?

 
The question Mr F asked me when opening a rather large parcel the other morning.  Quite clearly not.  I expected Bertie, the large vintage dog, to be the same as Stanley the small vintage dog when I rescued him from Ebay.  Mental note to self - always read the small print.

 
The upside is he is really cute.  And is happy to sit by our fireplace - only problem being I keep thinking out of the corner of my eye that its Florence, and a number of times I have been caught calling him/her out of the room, and Florence has been looking puzzled at my feet! 

 
As you can see Bertie is in need of some repair. Not sure how old he is, he has a Deans Rag Book label, and is filled with straw.  He definitely looks like he's been we loved for many years before he happened upon this household.

And we are more than happy he's here to stay.

Thrifted Linens and Party Preps

I don't think there's anything like the satisfaction of looking at freshly laundered thrifted linens blowing in a spring  breeze.

These were thrifted yesterday, for a total of £3.00. 

And the joy of them lasted all day.  I kept peeking out of the kitchen door just to look at them on the washing line.  And then I couldn't wait to iron them... which is unusual - normally I can put that task off for weeks ;)

There was another rather jaunty tablecloth that I happened upon, but I cannot show you as it is for Isabel's birthday table on Wednesday, and its remaining a surprise.  My eldest little girl will turn 9 on Wednesday, in front of my very eyes.  I have steered clear of the plastic tablecloth, plastic cups etc, and after much deliberation and silent persuasion we have opted for a mix of the bright/vintage look with china plates and vintage glasses (well they are all 9 or thereabouts so I'm hoping they don't get smashed :o)

I've also decided the scrap the traditional party bag full of plastic toys that cost a small fortune and get thrown away within a day or two and opt for the 'greener' option.  All will be revealed on Thursday after the party... if I'm still alive!!

Bedroom activity

This is the only picture we have managed to get so far of one of the four kittens.  Tess has them hid away under James and Lauren's bunk bed right away in the furthest corner, very inconsiderate!  They are growing already and we have decided to keep the tabby because he/she has captured our hearts (I would keep all four if I could).

Next up a little bit of jollying up a built in cupboard in our bedroom.

This cupboard used to be pine, but it was to become the latest victim of my white paintbrush.  Mr F removed the inner panels of the doors and I lined them with my favourite old Sanderson print (Chelsea) to pretty them up.   Being white, it makes the room seem much bigger.

And I could not resist showing you this photo.

I left Isabel drying her hair (which she hates doing) whilst I got Lauren out of the bath, and when I returned I found she had taken on staff.  Three words sprang to mind.... Under The Thumb.

I had to laugh.  If only Mr F was as easy to train ;)

Have a great week x