Posy

The week gone by

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I've last posted.  Tut tut, hope you haven't noticed.  I've been a busy bee. A very, very busy bee with an 18 year old son but more about that later. Well...do you like it?  My wall of flowers. I'm thrilled with it especially when every picture has been bought from a car boot or charity shop and cost from 25p to £3; oh with the exception of one that sweet Amanda sent me as a gift. Thank you, Amanda!

It is a work in progress as I'm expecting to add to it.  I did repaint a lot of the frames, and I'm glad I did as they all sort of 'blend' together now. 

Summer arrived last weekend with gloriously sunny weather which brought out many, many sellers at my regular car boot sales - in fact almost too many! I found some treasures though, one being this..

..a sweet nativity picture which seems to mean I must be officially collecting anything with a Mary theme. (You know when I was a little girl my dream was to play Mary in our Sunday School's nativity play but I was always an angel, year after year. It still stings!!)

Oh before I forget Kathy has asked about the little Barbola mirror.

I found it at a jumble sale and bought it for a £1.  Only problem is that it is missing it's mirror so I have temporarily placed another mirror against it (even though it's too big) and am on active look-out for a smaller one.  And finally, there was celebration in the Goble household on Wednesday as our firstborn turned 18.  But being a grown up boy of 18 does not mean you're too old for kisses from your mother...even if you are taller than her!

A Weekend of Firsts

Last weekend was a weekend of 'firsts' for 2008 - first car boot,  first time I sat behind my sewing machine and made something, first time in the garden and first time I have ever driven in a snow storm!

Right, let's start at the beginning and that was Saturday morning's car boot. Oh, it was so wonderful.  I've missed it so much...too much.

I also found a chimney pot which is awaiting a plant on our patio. I didn't find alot but I love what I did find. And it looks like I'll have all the answers to the questions of the universe to as I found God's answer book!

On Sunday, I was up very early to do my most favourite of car boot sales.  The neighbours that usually take me couldn't go so I decided I would go myself. Bad move.  I ended up taking a wrong turn and it suddenly started to snow heavily. Yes snow! I found myself trying to drive with huge flakes hurtling at the windscreen it got a bit icy and the car even skidded at one point. I have never driven in snow and I didn't like it. So, after driving for over an hour I headed back home, very disappointed, where there was bright sun. Crazy British weather.

I spent the afternoon at my sewing machine.  I have been suffering with a bad case of sewing-block but I ended up making..

..a new pair of kitchen curtains (not working curtains)

..a 'bed pouch' for my ever growing pile of books and magazines by my bed..

..and 2 tablecloths made from some Cath and Green Gate fabric and I also sewed 2 pairs of single sheets (lilac ones)together to make them fit our king size bed. It felt good to be at my machine again.

And today (Monday) I spent some time in the garden tidying up before my annual trip to Hill House Nursery hopefully sometime this week.

And tomorrow?  I finally have my crochet-date with lovely Lisa, so it will be a 'chatting over a pot of tea, maybe in front of the fire, crochet' afternoon...and I can't wait.

Let there be light

And oh my goodness we've got light. Light so bright, it's almost blinding! This is our new chandelier, wired up last Friday. I made a boo boo with the light bulbs and bought 60w forgetting that it's 5 x 60w bulbs - boy it's like having the sun's very core outside your bedroom door. I'm sure I've got the first signs of sun stroke! That and my poor ears are being assaulted with the moans of the rest of the family..though as you can guess, I secretly giggle to myself as I watch them cover their eyes as they walk by!

It isn't the only new thing around. I found these embroidered pictures on a recent car boot foray.

So with my ever expanding flowery corner and our temporary, blinding brightness - it feels more summer than winter in this corner of Devon!

Is it vintage?

Smash

"..but it's vintage.." I wail. "I can't just replace it." (Though between you and me I'll have a jolly good try!)  And this is currently what I've replaced my replacements with, and so far this month, apart from last week, we've had a clear run with no breakages. I love my glasses, just like I love my mugs, side plates and dinner plates.

 

Another reason I'm showing you the contents of our glasses cupboard is to show you my 'new' shelf edging. I found it in a shop in Leominster. A shop that sells the most beautiful, vintage (there's that word again) clothes and accessories. Racks of old tea dresses, aged hat boxes, Victorian nightdresses, perfume bottles, jewelery, sequined handbags, heavy velvet curtains and laced edged bed linen all jostle for space. I spend my time turning over the price tickets with bated breath hoping the item that caught my eye is within my price range. The only thing that I have ever bought from that shop is a tiny pillowcase and some old hankies for 50p each (subject for another post). That was until this time when in between the Chanel No5 bottle and the white evening gloves and next to the hat pins and cigarette holder, I saw this box.

No price.

"Excuse me, how much is this?" I enquire.

"Umm what is it?"

"Shelf edging." She studies the box carefully, turning it over and over.

"I'll have to ring the owner, hold on."

I wait for the inevitable £25 a metre, and study the box. Lakeland Plastics, no surely not! Now I have nothing against Lakeland but why was it in this shop where the youngest thing in there was me! Yeah, and that is saying something as my 44th birthday fast approaches. Too fast.

"She's not answering. Would £5 be alright?"

"Yes," I squeak, "I think it's from Lakeland by the way"

"Lakeland?!"

So now I just have to get my head around the whole plastic thing. I usually trim my shelves with real crochet lace which keeps falling off, but I've been seduced by the peel off and stick ,wipe clean instant gratification thing.

What do you think, does it look vintage?

Vintage mugs

I have recently found the odd vintage mug in my hunting and gathering days. I have always loved flowery mugs and have a huge collection, but I'm loving these 4 odd, vintage beauties.

I particularly love the ones on the front row, far left and far right; and if you happened to be hovering outside our home you will this cry resonating from within it's white walls many times a day,

"Can someone make me a cup of tea, please! I'll have it in my vintage Pa mug (my father has one similar, hence Pa)"

Or it could be vintage violets, vintage fat one (oh, that could be me!) or vintage with gold. (I've told you before that I have odd names for things!) Or sometimes I ask them to surprise me.

I then wait to see if my request has been carried out and what mug they have chosen. Oh yes, there are some wonderful advantages to having 'old-enough-to- make-tea' children, let me tell you.

So friends, I wish you could choose your favourite mug from my collection and join me in a spot of tea. I'll even light the fire..now that would be nice.

A new craze

I don't know whether I should call it a craze or an obsession (I get plenty of them!) or if it is just a new fad; but I have recently been searching for, and being outbid (grr) on vintage, bevelled mirrors.

I can pin point when this obsession started and I know who is to blame...Atlanta Bartlett. There have been quite a few articles about her wonderful home over the last 6 months and I am totally hooked. She and her husband run a locations business and her home, Foster House is one of them available for photo shoots. I just love, love, love it (I find myself perusing the 43 photos more times than is probably deemed healthy) and now find that I recognise it straight away in all manner of magazines. Anyway, Atlanta uses these mirrors in many ways - my favourites being this and this and this and I was so inspired I thought I would try to do something similar. Yeah.. alright I hear you....copy! I have already used her idea of glass cake stands for the girls' jewelery. Ooh, what I wouldn't give to pay that house a visit..

It's been harder than I imagined. There are quite a few on ebay but being very heavy the cost has been quite high, even so I have been outbid every time. But I finally found one in Ludlow for only £3 (as it has woodworm though it's been treated now) and earlier today I moved the knitted Home Sweet Home picture and replaced it with my new mirror. I wasn't going to hang it but just prop it up (very Atlanta) but there was a hole in the wall so it had to be hung.

So there we have it, my new passion. I would like a wall of these mirrors and even tried to persuade Lucy and Alice to have some in their newly decorated room. Alas I am still only the owner of one, (and a sort of one) so that wall might take some time in materialising. I'll just keep searching and stare at Atlanta's every now and then!

Another corner

Looking at this photo it all looks so neat and tidy doesn't it? Would you believe me if I told you that I had to move umpteen dirty dishes and throw away 5 pieces of moldy fruit lurking in the fruit bowl before taking the photo? Well I did!

There is a certain amount of quiet rejoicing in the Goble household at the moment because the kitchen has been repainted - a job so urgently required that it has only taken us 3 years to do. It took our man only 3 hours from start to finish.  3 hours! The very same man is going to tongue & groove the girls' bedroom on Thursday so my summer holiday will mainly be spent with a paint brush in my hand - that and behind my sewing machine, which will be bliss! I am looking for some ticking for their curtains too which I hope to find in London in 9 days. 9 days and counting!

I have loved reading your comments about your whistling kettles. They seem to be thriving in all corners of the world and I'm definitely going to look out for one. My other 'thinking about' purchase is...and I am cringing slightly as I type this...one of those old lady shopping trolleys on wheels...there I admitted it.

Anyone brave enough to come clean and say they have one...?!

Kitchen Sewing

Yesterday's sewing didn't go well. I tried to make a lamp shade cover out of an old linen/cotton sheet. It wasn't working and I was getting more and more frustrated so gave in and made something easier - a new curtain to cover our washing machine. It is made from a very old bark cloth curtain that I have had for ages. I enjoy choosing the curtain almost as much as my tea towels.

I have a little habit I must be honest about. A habit that has got me laughed at and that has made people ask "Why?" Yes, I can see why people think that life's too short but I trim my tea towels with lace. There I said it! Old, new, wide, narrow and I have even crocheted my own (the pink)! I just think it looks lovely and I made sure that when we bought our new oven, it had a bar handle so I could hang them over it. Well, it's the nearest I'll ever get to an Aga as our kitchen is the size of an Aga!

Thank you for all your comments and help about my quest to find some wide crochet lace. I have a few websites to visit so I'll let you know if I get any. You should know how much I appreciate all of you who read this blog, and those of you who are kind enough to comment and send me sweet emails. With this in mind when I found this lovely (plastic unfortunately) bag I thought I would buy an extra one (it was again unfortunately the last one) and send it as a "thank you for reading my blog" gift. So the first person to email me at gobies@mystarship.com I will pop it in the post to you. Anywhere. Thank you Michelle it's on it's way.. I wish I had more as you all deserve a flowery bag for reading my flowery blog. But to all of you, thank you - you always brighten my day.

I feel low..

It can be summed up in the words of Chris Martin at the end of Coldplay's song Low - "..coz I feel low ohhh ohh oh.., coz I feel low, oh no...." It is with particular reason that I can identify with those words this Sunday. I have spent since Wednesday evening in (and sometimes considerable) pain. Yes, another 3 days spent in bed with another migraine and I am getting fed up with having my days off ruined. Now, I normally keep quiet about the sorry affair I have with my headaches, knowing that I am fortunate only to have them and nothing really serious. But I have been struck really low with this attack and my leg is sore from my injections. These injections are wonderful in the fact that I can often be up and running in 2 hours but are agony to administer and the side effects make me think I am dying for the first 5 minutes. Anyway, all my plans have gone out of the window - sewing, painting, blogging etc I even had to put off Matthew (brother#3) who was coming to visit. I had good plans. Nevermind.

Last week was stressful. We were without hot water for many days and had to shower at a friend's house. Thanks Fe. The plumber made up his own timetable and cost it seems! This photo is taken from our bath of one of my least favourite corners! Apart from a short toddle on the beach this afternoon, it was the only view I really saw over the last 3 days. That and my bed.

Actually, it doesn't look too bad in the picture does it? And I know I'll be feeling more cheerful soon...nothing that a nice cup of tea and a new episode of 24 to cheer oneself up! Hope your weekend was better..

Out of control!

Tell me now, do you think that I've got a problem? My family do! Here is the view of 'my corner' and yet again I seem to have a tower of Country Livings & Period Living & Traditional Homes! I came about these when I got into conversation (that's something I do alot of, with strangers, conversation, so everything can take a while when you're out with me!) with a lady at Ludlow Antique & Flea Market. She had piles of Shooting magazines and I asked if that was all she had. "What are you looking for?" she asked. "Country Livings?" said me with fingers crossed.

It happened that she had many. Many of the newer ones that between 1999 - 2003 that I haven't kept myself as it was before I started my Inspiration books. You know, I've not talked much about my faith on my blog, but I do have a faith and I always find that I am blessed in just the right way. I think God knew that those were the magazines I wanted and he gave them to me. Small, little blessings that mean a lot. Like the parking place, the lilac striped pillowcase, the vintage cup and saucer in my favourite pattern and the Coldplay tickets I usually seem to get what I really would like, not always but sometimes. God seems to know my little wants, the unimportant things.

The small library of inspiration books are growing fast. I use plain hard backed books and cover them with old embroideries and fabrics. They are food for my soul. I get such a feeling of bliss and wellbeing when I handle them and look through them. Yes, I even find it easy to cut up my Country Livings etc as the pictures look so much better in my books, they really do. They are intensely personal and I thoroughly recommend starting one. You will love it, and if you do please tell me how you keep your own books/files, I would love to know.

I expect that you don't have a small tower that is in danger of squashing a cat or 2 if it is toppled. The tower will have to stay for a while as I am to into my granny-square blanket to do anything else. More on my blanket soon but I must go and straighten the pile before they all come back from school and a squashed cat could be a reality!