Posy

First rose

Despite the terrible wind and rain I happened to see what I thought was a stray sock on the trellis the other day - I decided to investigate... and to my joy I found my first rose!

Poor thing, how it has survived the vicious winds and driving rain I don't know, but guess what -- everywhere I looked was covered in rose buds just waiting for some warmer weather to unfurl. This is this climbers 2nd season and has hardly flowered despite weekly feeding and loving. Looks like my nurturing has paid off.

Only one thing though,

I have to enjoy it from the house through rain spattered windows..such is life!

Paint & more paint!

What have I started? Why, when I mentioned painting didn't someone remind me how long it takes? Have I forgotten my course and all the work still left to do?  It is half term here and a time to recharge batteries and to enjoy the garden, though we have had incessant rain (all this and a looming hosepipe ban!?#!) and fierce winds. I can't think why I started to paint as I was going to wait until I had finished my course -- but start I have!

We had very dark green tongue & groove up to the dado rail and I want it all white -- I'm fine with that as it has looked too 'English Pub' or 'British rail waiting room'. I'm even painting the wooden banisters and this has slightly panicked me as one of the reasons we bought the house was because of the lovely stripped wood. BUT (I keep telling myself) if I have white floorboards it would be better (more shabby chic) if everything was white (& chipped) and then my lovely floral fabrics will come into their own.

The thing that I hadn't thought of was that my samplers don't quite look right in an all white and bright environment. These are special to me and I still want to have them on the walls so I'm thinking that I might have to paint the frames to see if that will help! Oh when will it all end!?

I've roped the 2 girls into helping me. This is our old 'Monks' bench which was once the place where the children had to sit when they had time out! There will be some who will be really surprised that I have painted it but I have bought another tea towel from GreenGate with just the same shade of green in it and I will make it into a cushion. I will do some 'after' pictures when I get around to finishing it...and to finish it  I had better get back to it!

Anyone thinking of coming to Devon!?

Going for it - with a little CK!

Thank you, thank you for your lovely, heart warming comments. I really get a warm feeling when reading them and feel such a strong sense of 'sisterhood'. I appreciate the time you have taken out of your busy days to write and encourage me.

Well, what do you think of my new Cath Kidston bag?  I'm not sure if you know me well enough yet to notice something abit unusual - yep, it doesn't have any flowers on it - not one single one! I won it on e-bay at 10pm on Thurs and received it on Sat! Not bad! Anyway I have to smile because I have already bought 2 folders for my course (pretty of course) and had to get matching dividers. When I went on my 2 day training for assessment course last Thursday & Friday, everyone had plastic bags etc for their work and I turned up with my box file covered in rose wallpaper and my CK floral (paisley) pencil case and my CK posy canvas bag! Glad they didn't look inside and see my CK make up bag (for my migraine medication) and the little draw string bag I made from CK fabric to protect my mobile. They must have thought I was a right soppy, girly, individual ( little do they know!!) given all that they could see on top of the table - let alone what they couldn't see!

So today at school you would have caught me every now and then sneaking admiring looks at this scenario..

actually this was taken just now at home - but I arranged the bag on top of the box file by the teacher's desk and just revelled in how both items looked so darn good!

So, I might start having a 'thing' for stripes now - so watch this space!

Work

You may have noticed all my lovely blogging friends that posts have been abit few and far between recently. There is a very good reason for my absence, slightly distracted manner, tardiness in responding to your e-mails and lack of sewing.

This is what has temporarily taken it's place.

I have applied for Higher Level Teaching Assistant status and have been accepted. Gulp...I now have to do 8 assignments to prove that I meet the 34 or so standards. Now this should be fairly straight forward as they are things that I already do at school but 3 weeks ago when I heard that I was accepted I had my usual confidence crisis.

It was horrible and this has always held me back from trying new things. For instance I have always been keen to be a midwife but if I'm truthful I am too scared to do anything about it. This really is something I feel quite ashamed of because it goes against everything I try and teach my children about trying and learning something new even though you might fail etc. But I am not heeding my own advise. About 4 years ago I decided to resit my maths exam and I don't think I handled it very well - I am an anxious person and I found the whole experience of suddenly going back to work after having my children (even though I was/am working in their school) and simultaneously sitting this maths exam absolutely awful. I was terrified that if I failed my exam I would be sacked and that I had something to prove. So there I sat night after night doing paper after paper. I'm not a very academic person and I found it hard but I think the worst thing was the rising panic I felt if I didn't understand something!

Well what were my results? I actually got a B grade which was the highest possible grade for the tier that I sat. Yes a B! I couldn't believe it - still can't - and when I look back now to how ridiculously scared I was I can hardly believe that I managed to get things, at times, out of all proportion.

I vowed to learn from that experience and thought that I would never feel quite so overwhelmed  if I had to study again... wrong!!

So it happened again 3 weeks ago. My darling Anth and my wonderful friend Fiona (who teaches in the same school) held my hand through the, 'what have I dones?'  'why did I take on more work?'  'I'll never do it' and I slowly have begun to come around to the idea. The main thing driving me is that if I get this I will feel so proud of myself and it will give me a much needed boost. Secondly, I have been desperate to paint all our floorboards white (PLEASE give me your hints, opinions etc as to whether we should do it. I just love the look when I see pictures in magazines but it will be a huge change) and I have promised myself that I will do it when I finish this course - which should be in the summer.

So, that's how the land lies with me at the moment. I started doing my assignments before I went on the training course last week and they are taking me a long time. I am a perfectionist and probably am doing too much as I decided that I wanted to plan my own lessons rather than follow the class teacher's, and to my surprise I am actually quite enjoying it. It has confirmed to me though that I am not cut out for study and prefer the quiet life to do my crafts and things that make my soul sing, without the extra pressure of assignments, assessor's visits and exams.

It is a important few weeks for others in the family, which was another reason I wished that I had not applied for the status at this time. Tom is sitting his exams this week and for the next month. Anth is starting his new job, though fortunately that is a positive move.. so our 1 computer is under constant demand. Please forgive the lack of time that I can give to my blog/sewing though I'm hoping that the time won't be too long before I'm up and raring to go!

Ummm...this has turned into a very long post, my apologies. Right -- back to my books!

Oh and one more thing, please don't forget the advise about my floorboards --  the thought of them is keeping me going!

Happy Birthday Tom!

My first-born and only son turned 16 years old last Sunday. Today, he officially left school...what is happening in this family?! How can my sweet, snubbed nose, smiling baby boy be so old?

He had a lovely day with presents that included a pair of drum sticks and money to go towards an i-pod. He is about to sit his GCSEs and then hopefully go on to sixth form to do A levels. Now he has reached this new chapter in his life he could officially smoke (he doesn't!), leave home (not yet!), get married with parental consent (what!#?) buy fireworks (umm) have legal sex (I won't even go there) and buy a soft drink in a pub (crikey, a pub?)

I won't mention how lovely he is and how proud we are of how hard he has worked; and what a super sense of humour he has because writing this blog is 'lame' and 'embarrassing'...umm...did I mention that I am so totally uncool and sad?

He has many 'pet' names - infact I could write a whole post on my 'love' names for my most dearest people - but a more common one for him is Prinny which somehow came from Prince .. well Prince Muna but don't tell him I told you! ( Hence the candles on the cake) .. so it just leaves me to say ..

Happy 16th Birthday my own sweet boy, I can't believe that we have made it this far and I have loved every minute of the journey with you.xx

Beautiful Barges!

It was everything I had hoped it would be, though the weather let us down. We left Devon with blazing sun and the further north we travelled the grayer it became. But no matter - it looks much brighter in the photographs than it actually was.

We travelled up after school for the weekend to the Trent & Mersey Canal which is north east of Birmingham; to a village called  Alrewas, where we met my mother and Robin who had moored there over night. Even though it was dark I could see that it was absolutely beautiful with thatched cottages, swans and ducks (complete with tiny ducklings which the girls loved) and I thought I had died and gone to heaven! We spent the night rather cramped on the boat (it was a 6 berth narrowboat and there was 7 of us but they are very well designed and we were very comfortable!) and were up early to be first in the queue for the locks.

It was the children's first experience of canals and locks so they needed a lesson by Granny.

Lucy spent a long time steering the narrowboat under the watchful (and loving - just look at the way he is looking at her..sniff!) eye of Poppa.

Though she was most put out at the comment of another 'sailor' who teased her and called her 'a woman driver!'  "It's the first of many Lucy!" was the only sympathy she got from me!

The scenery slowly began to change as we headed for Rugeley and the lush green fields were replaced by views like this...

..the photo was taken from the narrowboat and it stirs up a multitude of feelings in me. I am completely drawn to the chimneys - their ugliness is quite compelling. The smoke that is belching out makes me want to hold my breath. We went on a bit further and we were able to look into peoples gardens as the canal cuts through the towns.

And then on to one of my favourite pictures..

..these new (expensive?) neat and tidy houses completely dwarfed by those alien chimneys! It fascinates me but also makes me very grateful that we live in a nicer part of the country. I must find out what they are. They look so enormous don't they?  Life has gone on around them with new housing estates being built in their shadow..

We stopped in Rugeley and I even got to 'do' some charity shops and found a flowery oval plate! The next day we had to go home with heavy hearts but feeling better for the slow pace of life. More photos here.

Thank you Mum and Rob for putting up with us -- it was just what we needed!

Excited!

We are off for the weekend to spend a couple of nights with my mother and step-father on a canal boat! There will, I hope, be lots of opportunity to take some wonderful photos -- hopefully of the English countryside at it's best. But, as with all things in this country, the weather may not be very kind.  But I don't care -- it is a welcome break to do something that I have always wanted to do with my children. We have a long journey up to the north of Birmingham and have to be back on Sunday by 3pm but it will be worth it. Whilst we are there we will be celebrating my mother's birthday and my first-born's too ....he will be 16, yep...16...how can I have such a grown up child?

This I will ponder on and I will leave you with a photo of my ranuncula that is sitting on my mantlepiece.

Enjoy your weekend!

Poppy-Dog

We're all still a little sad at the moment because we have lost our lovely, doggy ,friend Poppy. She was the dog that my children grew up with, who belonged to my dearest friend Fiona and her family. When Alice learnt to talk she named her Poppy-Dog and that was what she became known as. It seemed to suit her gentle, loving nature.  Her eyes were the kindest brown eyes you had ever seen and she was always so pleased to see you.  Recently age had caught up with her and she had lost the use of her back legs so poor Fiona and her family had to make the sad decision to end her suffering.

It was a sad day for us all and I know that even 2 weeks later Fiona still has a huge Poppy-Dog hole in her heart and soul. I wish I could take away the pain that she is going through but ultimately it was wonderful to have known Poppy-Dog and all our lives will be richer for loving her.

Frivolous?

There's something I think you all should know about me.  It is something that I have always been known to be 'this way inclined.'  It is a condition that only I have in my family and amongst most of my friends. And it is simply this...I like to use, look at and have pretty things.  'Ok', I hear you say , 'what's so unusual about that?' 

Well, it is the ordinary that I like to be beautiful.

If you are hanging your knickers outside on the washing line for all the world to see - would you rather use boring pegs or this....

...complete with pink roses, to hang all those frilly bits and pieces. So pretty and so utterly me.

And it doesn't stop there! If you need to light your fire, barbecue, candles etc would you rather use a horrid, plastic lighter or these....

...Cath Kidston matches!

I am obsessed with 'personalising' everyday items to make them more pleasurable to use. I cover files, books, folders, box files with floral wallpaper. Everything I use I try to paint or make more beautiful -- and more beautiful with me means with flowers on! I have even contemplated painting my clothes pegs or sticking fabric on to them but realised that I was certainly taking this too far -- and when do I have the time to paint 60 clothes pegs!?

My mobile ringtones are the exact part of my favourite Coldplay tracks  -- which filled me with such joy when I realised that I could download real songs onto my phone I was pratically delirious! This means that when my phone rings I almost don't want to answer it but have a good singalong before I do.

Yep, it doesn't take much to make me happy. My next project is to customise our laundry baskets, I think I may paint them too...

Can you paint wicker?

On my mantelpiece #3

Today I have a single pink ranuncula bought for only 50p. I then put it in an vintage terracotta pot. Pure, delicious simplicity!  Ooh yes, and a lovely card from my mother.

Green Gate Goodies

I had a good couple of days as far as post is concerned. My Green Gate order arrived - without the green spot cushion,

but they did have the fabric I had wanted. I am a little disappointed with the fabric as it has quite an open weave but it will make some lovely cushions to join the one above.

It certainly has been a sunny, spring-like feel for these last 2 days. It has been good to hang

my washing on the line again. I get such a feeling of satisfaction when I see it blowing and framed against a blue sky. But I do resent it, when like yesterday I spent alot of time hanging out a load of bedlinen -- certain parts of the line have more sun so I juggle things about (yes, I'm sure there is a science to hanging out washing!) to maximize successful drying -- only to discover that it had gone from overcast to rain in a matter of minutes.

Ummm... I was not pleased that an entire day of washing and fussing had gone to waste in the space of 10 minutes!  Still, that's the life of a 'I've-got-better-things-to-do-than-keep-checking-the-weather-girl!'   ......I've learned my lesson though!

In the post

 

What a lovely surprise greeted me this morning. I had woken with another terrible migraine (brought on by a huge amount of stress which I will tell you about later) and after an injection I was feeling abit better so ventured downstairs.

My lovely, new, blog friend, Gena of These Foolish Things ... had sent me a parcel full of lovely things. A pair of vintage, lace pillowcases, 2 beautifully scented soaps, a sparkly brooch, a vintage Devon T towel (with my favourite foxgloves on!) and a wonderful rose postcard which is already on the shelf in my bookcase.  Such kindness -- just what I needed after a horrid week.

I do encourage you to visit her new blog. She has a love of all things vintage and owns a shop! I am so impressed and we have so much in common too. Thank you Gena, you are very generous and a special lady.

First gardening of the year

Well -- it took a little time -- about 3 days to be precise, but i finally made it out into the garden and started all those jobs. Anth was putting up a new shed and it has been good to work outside again.

All my planting is done -- though I spent the same amount of money I seem to have fewer plants this year and I feel it looks abit bare. Still, it is yet to flourish I suppose. I did have help from Posy

who was by my side for most of the days (quietly getting in my way if truth be known!)

another photo here

I planted my sweet peas (finally!) in an old painted tin bath and they are coming on really well despite the rather chilly weather we have been having of late. My favourite so far has to be my daisies planted in my old pink bucket -- that really feeds my soul when I look out at it from the kitchen sink.

But of course, it is such hard work for a little cat, and when the sun started to sink she realised that

her usual routine of sleeping all day was probably for a good reason...

and she promptly put herself to bed!

...and yes - I soon followed.