Posy

An afternoon with Justine & Mike

Last Saturday we drove to Okehampton, North Devon to see our dear friends, Mike & Justine. It was a particularly special visit because it was to be the first time that I had seen my lovely friend pregnant. You see she is 6 months pregnant with a very much longed for baby...a baby that we have prayed for for many years.

This picture fills my heart with such joy. As you can imagine I felt quite emotional - Justine has been my friend for nearly 18 years (how long?!) and has lived through all my pregnancies, births, childrens' birthdays, special family gatherings etc and now it is her turn -- and boy does she deserve it! 

   

Whilst we were there we went for a walk around a charming village called Belstone on the edge of Dartmoor.                              

Alice was locked in the village stocks for awhile!

It was a lovely village but I found the bleakness of the moors quite sinister and I could imagine eerie goings on in the twilight hours as it was the perfect setting for the Hounds of the Baskervilles!

More photos here, here, here and here.

I did love this little red gate, though you need to be rather small not to get mixed up in all the branches!

On my mantelpiece #2

  

My last flowers didn't linger long so as I wasn't due a visit to town, my garden had to suffice. Mmm not much in flower apart from masses of Forget-me-nots. I bought the 1/3 of a pint milk bottle for £1 during our Easter visit to Ludlow -- just right for small hand picked blooms.

I bet you wont believe me when I tell you that this photo was not staged -- I haven't put the 2 rose items together on purpose as they are just 2 of many other things on the mantlepiece. But I have to admit, once I loaded up the photo and it came apparent, it sure looks good!

22 years of love

   

I wasn't going to mention it as the day past very quietly last week; but after I saw this picture I just wanted to post it here and just give him credit for all that he does for us.

Anthony is in essence a family man. Family is important to him, and me and our 3 children are central in his life. He is honest, friendly and tries to live a life that makes us proud - and that I certainly am.  He is starting a new job in a few weeks, leaving behind a pressured, thankless job and that has been a terrible strain, which tainted his existence for awhile. Life can be hard in other aspects to as he is 12,000 miles away from home, and sometimes that slips from our minds as my family plays a more prominent feature in our lives. Having spent the early years of our marriage in NZ I understand the sacrifice in leaving your roots.  However, he lives here so I can live in the country that is so 'me' (I'm a very British girl) and my mother and I don't have to parted for too long -- this I appreciate more than words can say. Don't ask about the phone bills when I lived in NZ - this was before e-mail and text messaging and cheap rates!

He adores watching rugby which is his next big passion and thanks to Sky, living so far from the All Blacks is not such a problem as he watches all their matches and more besides (how many competitions can such a small country do??)

He is such a hands-on father, strong, loving and dependable  - as well as cycling 7 miles a day so I can have the car when he doesn't need it for work during the day. Yep..we're are a one car family -- quite a rarity now. He supported us all when the children were small so that I didn't need to work and now I only work for 3 days, which allows me to be Mummy for 2 days -- a job I much prefer even if that means we can't go on holidays/have a bigger house/etc. And of course any extra money that comes our way is put aside for Anth to go back to NZ every few years. I am very blessed.

So, on the 20th April 1984 when I was just 20 we met and I have loved him since that day. He has a wonderful way of taking away my fears and "turns the world so it's facing the way that I'm going".

Thanks Anty..for everything ...oh yes and happy belated anniversary xx

Madelyn's house

Whilst at Ludlow we caught up with family and I just had to show you where my Auntie Madelyn lives.  Isn't it lovely? When we arrived to collect her for a trip into Wales, she was admiring her bank of primroses.

Even though the garden hadn't quite burst into life it is such a beautiful and peaceful place and her bird table has birds visiting that I hadn't even heard of before. Unfortunately living by the sea as we do, the seagulls chase away any small birds, which is a great sadness to me as I think all children should be able to recognise and name a variety of different birds and flowers. OK..I'm off my soap box!

Inside is just as nice as Madelyn and I share a passion for Laura Ashley, fabric and pretty things. She also owns one of the loveliest carpets I have ever seen - yes I, who only likes plain carpet, have fallen in love with her old 'vintage' bedroom carpet!

What do you think?

On my mantelpiece

   

Every time I buy new flowers (I'm talking once a week) I have an overwhelming urge to photograph them and share it with you.  But, I thought to myself, who would really be that interested to know what flowers are on the mantlepiece in a 3 bedroom, end terraced house?

So...please humour me as I start a weekly 'slot' of what I have bought or picked and stuffed into a jug! This faze may not last long...

~5~

I have been tagged by Yvonne of yvestown with a very interesting theme--5! So here goes,

1. If you had 5 minutes to yourself how would you spend them ideally? 

Well, that does depend on what time of day it is...but I think at the moment I would have to be at the computer trying to catch up with reading all those wonderful blogs and answering some of the comments on mine. (Many apologies if I have been lapse).

2. If you had £5 to spend right now how would you spend it?

Where do I start?! I think at this precise moment I would like the May edition of the US Country Living as I haven't had a chance to get to Totnes. Or some more plants for the garden, or some flowers for the house. Though the thing that would get me most excited would be a wonderful stash of goodies from the charity shop!

3. Name 5 items in your house that you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already.

I am always getting rid of things..so much so that one charity shop turns me away! We are getting rid of our old dilapidated shed and most of it's contents. I have many old clothes that I can't fit but keep them incase I lose weight miraculously (hopefully overnight tonight!) but I can't think of anything that I hadn't thought of before because living in such a tiny house makes one very conscious of what we should or shouldn't have.

4. Name 5 things that you absolutely,positively could never part with in your house.

Certain photos, letters, my samplers, most things in my printers trays. Infact it would be impossible to choose as I am too sentimental by far!

5. Five words you love.

Anthony, Tom, Lucy, Alice....home!

Our Easter part 1

Well, we are back and have been back for 4 days (is it really 4 days!) but I have been so busy that I haven't had the time to post. Though everything that I had wanted/need to do, like potting up my new plants/sweet peas etc have not yet been done. Like today, it's now 1pm and I still haven't got out into the garden and I notice it looks like rain...grr!

Our Easter was lovely. I didn't do much shopping and only found few treasures but I did take some lovely photos (and so did Lucy who is turning into a very good photographer!) and enjoyed some beautiful church services. It was wonderful to catch up with family again and saw one of my cousins who I hadn't seen for many years. My aunt Madelyn (whose charming cottage I will post about later this week) had treated Lucy, Alice and myself to tickets for the ballet.

These are some of my goodies. I also bought an old white tablecloth and some Laura Ashley glasses and another of these lovely chair pads.

Well, the garden is beckoning, even with it's grey clouds I will plant my sweat peas even if I get wet doing it!

I will share more about the last few days another time. Right, where are those wellie boots?

Drums

A week last Thursday, before we could finally be on our way to Ludlow, we had to wait for Tom's drum kit to be delivered.

Now, Tom has been playing drums for about 8 months and in that time has been wanting his own drum kit..as you can imagine living in such a small house with neighbours on all sides - this was something that caused a lot of pondering. Anth and I were/are thrilled that he wants to play an instrument but ...drums! 

He has a lesson once a week and has improved as the months have progressed so the money that he was saving for an i-pod have gone on a second hand drum kit from e-bay.

It arrived at 2pm in 2 enormous boxes -

the delight on his face brought tears to my eyes because this teenager's face is often slow to smile as life's pressures (exams looming, summer jobs) sit heavy on him at times.

Green Day will continue on in this house but with a louder ummph....maybe he'll get good enough and be invited to play with Coldplay!

Well, a girl can dream can't she...?

Easter Tree

Well, the Easter weekend is soon upon us and I thought I would show you our Easter Tree (?). I bought the beautifully painted eggs a couple of years ago when I saw them in Country Living (no surprise there!!)

Even though I so adore Christmas (simply can't wait already!) I always enjoy all that Easter has to offer. We are off to Ludlow again for a few days so I will report back with some nice pictures and hopefully some good thrifting booty.

So, it just leaves me to say, have...

A little trip

       

In April each year I spend at least a couple of leisurely afternoons at Hill House Nursery, in Landscove. The nursery is set in the deep Devon countryside and nestles in the shadow of the local church. The old vicarage serves afternoon teas whilst you sit in their beautiful garden and, in my case, pretend for a short while that this is your own home and garden! The place never fails to make me breathe easier as I potter around the large green houses that smell so wonderful and also are alive with bird song as the small wild birds come in to nibble at the nuts left there for them.

      

The plants are very reasonably priced and very healthy. I bought some plants for my patio. I usually have lots of containers outside our sitting room which look wonderful but take alot of daily watering..do I really want to do it again?  I bought some foxgloves as I have a feeling that Anth has dug some up as they have gone 'missing' from the back flowerbed..umm.. very nice of him to help but he pulls out everything!

I treated myself to a cup of tea when I had finished and then slowly made my way home stopping to take some photos of Staverton.

  

This is the view from the old,narrow bridge of the River Dart. The trees are still bare.

  

This is the old station that has runs the steam engine trips in the summer.  A beautiful afternoon... with more pics here, here, here and here ...I came home in better spirits than when I had left -- and can't you see why?

Beach

The sun was shining and after 2 days in the attic we all treated ourselves to a walk along the beach.

It was a gloriously sunny afternoon, but there was a very cold wind. 

It gave me a opportunity to take some photos with my new camera..

and have an ice cream!

love

I just wanted to show you this photograph of Alice and Posy together.

Their's is a great love..

A little sentimental!

I have 4 of these old printer's trays around the house, I find them fascinating to look at and try and find little treasures to fill them.  I must say that I don't think they have photographed well - they don't look quite so cluttered when you see them against a blank wall. I will post them on Flickr  and add some notes to explain who and what is what!

We have had a busy Saturday -- my youngest brother Matthew is staying with us and helping to lay a floor in our attic.  Tom has finally bought some drums from Ebay and up in the loft is the only space we have to keep them.  So this has been a major sort out of all that we have accumulated over 20 years! All the baby clothes-- arh, it brought back so many memories! I was surprised to find out that none of my children are sentimental like me. I have wanted ( and will do) to make/buy a box for each child and keep in there some of their baby clothes, favourite books and toys and a selection of cards sent to them from family members and cards/pictures that they have done for others and the things that I have sewn for them etc.  Well, none of them see the relevance in doing that...even Lucy and Alice! I'm sure when they have their own children, their own childhood will take on a different perspective. I know I am particularly sentimental and Anthony isn't, but I was sure that some of my genes would have made a little bit of difference!

I suppose it is the same with the printer's trays around the house -- each item in them has a certain story and meaning behind it and some mean alot to me....I go all misty eyed when I look at my mother and father's name tags that had been sewn into their school clothes and found by me and put on display with my own. My first grown-up perfume bottle bought by a boyfriend, my nanny's brooch, a stone in the shape of a teardrop, a flower from my wedding day, my mother-in-law's china rose, my childrens' identity bands put on them at birth, a luggage label from the hotel I was brought up in, the list goes on.

Yes, I am a sentimental girl and that has made a big difference to my life and the things I have around me and yes, somedays I do feel too burdened with possessions ...but I wouldn't change a thing, because I have faith that someday, probably when I'm long gone, my children and grandchildren will look at something that I have kept and remember me and my love for them.

I love Caroline Zoob!

Now, I think the time has come to tell you about a little love thing going on with me --no, unfortunately Chris Martin (of Coldplay) has yet to discover my undying devotion, this is with a lady called Caroline Zoob! She makes the most fantastic creations..her sewing, I feel,is unrivaled! You probably have recognised this book in my sidebar - I have had it for 2 years and it has inspired lots of cushions for my various nieces and nephew and baby showers/birthdays.  I also had a go at painting some treasure boxes - which didn't come out as good as the ones in the book but filled them with small goodies for Christmas.

I don't have any photos of the ones I have given away but I thought I would show you the pictures of the ones that I did so you can see what work this lady has inspired.

The big flower is a scanned picture from the book so the quality is not very good.

The small one is a cushion of mine.

She sometimes has her home in magazines..just look at this lovely sofa!

Caroline now has her own shop and a mail order catalogue but for me I don't know of anyone else who can rival her sewing skills. She uses vintage linens and her handmade treasures are way beyond my own budget but the detail she puts into each piece is outstanding! Here are a few more of my efforts - of course my better ones were given away--darn it, I wasn't to know that I would start a blog! I've done the yacht for the boys in my life (one pictured is hers) and the flowers for the girls (one pictured is mine, though you'd probably guess!)

                                 

And this is my most favourite picture of all, her kitchen which I found in another book..ooh those

patchwork curtains take my breath away!

I could go on for hours about her- and one day I am hoping to go to her shop though secretly what I would really want is to spend a day in her sewing room with her watching the process she goes through when she is sewing, and finding out what machine she uses, where she sources her fabrics and trimmings etc -- you know all the important things! Goodness, I live in a fantasy world don't I!

So, if you get the chance to borrow this book from the library - do it! If you love faded, vintage fabrics (there are no bright colours in the book) and applique then this is for you..it was the inspiration behind numerous gifts and kept me up to the small hours gazing at the pictures! If you already have seen it I would love to hear what you thought of it to..

My heart!

Jars and jars

Now this is where I store all my trimmings. I have collected some glass jars from around and about, and they sit on our dresser in the dining room and I have been surprised by how much they hold - yes, with a little force you can squash quite alot into them!

I found this old chocolate box in a car boot sale..isn't it lovely? It also sits on my dresser to with it's little drawers bursting. I was given some gold and silver ric-rac a while ago and used it this Christmas to tie presents and labels. It was quite effective. I also have used old pieces of lace too.

I keep my buttons in this old tin that has been painted in the canal art (narrowboats) style. I do enjoy collecting vintage buttons - particularly the tiny pearl ones.

I would love to know where you keep your trimmings - every corner of our small home seems to have my bits and pieces hidden away that I have to be quite ruthless now in what I decide to buy or keep.  Also I can't bear to part with or use certain things which is silly as they then stay hidden away and not on display and enjoyed. So, if it's not too late to have a New Year's resolution I will try not to save my best things for some other time that never seems to come!

Another one!

I don't know what to tell you first as I have 2 pieces of good news - I can hardly contain myself! Firstly, as you can see, I found on Ebay another of 'my' tins but this one has handles on it. I was so nervous as I bid for it that I found that my hand wouldn't work and I was shaky! I could hardly look to see if I had won..I did and it arrived 2 days later on Saturday.

Secondly, and this is a BIG bit of good news - I went and bought a new camera yesterday...a Nikon D50! Wayhay! I can hardly believe it but feel quite frustrated as it is so new and I don't know how to work it properly.  That's typical of me and should give myself more slack... The above picture was taken by it though it took ages loading the disk onto the computer - I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon! Aren't I a very blessed girl indeed - what a week!

Thank you for all your kind comments about Alice's cake. No, I'm afraid that I didn't bake it myself I bought it in Sainsburys.  You will soon get to know me and realise that I really don't like cooking in any shape or form (love eating though!) and even though, in the past, I have done the birthday cakes etc these days I would rather be sewing!  It is one sore point of mine because I feel I am a bad Mummy because I don't do baking with them - I long to be a super-mummy that not only bakes but grows her own fruit and vegetables and serves them up to her family in wonderfully nutritious meals.  I have one dear friend who knows me well and when she does baking she puts a few goodies aside for my family.  I wonder if it's because I was brought up in a large hotel and never saw my mother cook, though my father is a wonderful cook and one of the lovely things about visiting him is that he cooks for us all.

Still, what I do make isn't particularly good but it is usually served up on pretty plates with a smile (relief dinner is made and finished if truth be known!!)

Alice's Birthday part 2

We all had a lovely day.  Alice had some lovely things - her favourite was a Bratz Doll from Granny and Poppa and a Zoo Tycoon game from us.  We went bowling at 6pm and then had dinner at Pizza Hutt.  Granny surprised us all by coming second in the bowling even though her technique caused us to fall about laughing! I came second to last so maybe she had a point with leg lift!

Happy Birthday Alice!

Eleven years ago - eleven years ago I gave birth to my third baby.  My labour and delivery with Alice were exactly the same length and time (less 1 minute) as with Lucy before her and both were on Saturday afternoons.  I just can't believe that my youngest child is 11 years old!

Sweet Alice, she is still very 'young' in her outlook.  Believing in the Tooth Fairy, Father Christmas and undoubting in her faith. She still loves playing with her dolls and she looks for the good in everyone and expects life to be fair but accepts it if it is not.  She has a talent for acting and singing and thinks that one day she will be a famous actress! She is obsessed with sweets and always spills food on her clothes.

I know that these innocent days are numbered as she will start secondary school in September.  She has Anthony's zest for life (I was a timid child) and his amazing skill at tidying up!

She is the image of me when I was little. We even have the same hands and crooked little fingers - Alice's picture is above and me below.

A few years ago I heard a song by Madonna (no- I'm not a fan, only like 3 of her songs) that she had written for her daughter.  I felt I could relate to some of the lyrics so decided to sew them for Alice. Each of my children have a 'special' song, I only wish that I could write them!

 

And this was before she started her acting classes!

Happy Birthday darling, you certainly are a star to us...