Posy

Wishing you...

..all the above; a wish; much joy; and a very peaceful 2008. 

I'm a Flea Market Baby

I know I'm a little late in discovering this book (Flea Market Baby by Barri Leiner & Marie Moss ISBN-13: 978-1584793083) as it came out in 2003 but I absolutely love it. I've read it from cover to cover in 2 nights, though there isn't much writing in it, just delectable pictures. Very lovely pictures that even have the edges of the pages ever-so-slightly yellowed to look truly vintage!

How on earth have I never come across this book and it's sister book before? I don't know - but I'm now officially asking you all out there if you know of a book you think I may like, please let me know!

 

The sister book (well I'm saying sister because I bought both together!) is called 'Flea Market Fidos' (ISBN-13: 978-1584792536) and it's just as lovely and waiting by my bed for me to finish tonight.

And apart from giving me 3 nights of bedtime pleasure (!...the books, the books!!) they have also worked their magic in another more welcome way.  Yes, after gazing upon page after page of the most wonderful vintage finds I am beginning to get a weeny bit excited about our NZ trip. It is less than a week away and the thought of all the vintage goodness waiting for me on the other side of the world makes the leaving feel less sharp and me much more mellow.  Funny that!

Miss Matty

I was so fortunate to have won a Christmas Giveaway the other day, from Nicky at The Vintage Magpie. And guess what I won; the sweetest little rabbit handmade by Nicky herself. 

Say hello to Miss Matty.

She came beautifully wrapped and I managed to resist opening her until Christmas Day.

Thank you, Nicky, I had thought I would give her away as a gift to one of my nieces but as you can see I can't bear to part with her! And I urge you all to go spend sometime visiting Nicky's lovely blog because she sells her handmade rabbits and bears.

And as for sweet Miss Matty - she has certainly made herself very much at home..

All Was Merry & Bright

I hope you had a Merry Christmas.  We did; only slightly marred by Matthew and Lucy feeling poorly.  It was a warm family time punctuated by much laughter and those special moments.  I don't know if it's my age but I have been so aware recently of the fleetingness of life that when I experienced what I call 'my perfect moments', I fully embraced them - letting the present moment enfold me and soaking up the joy knowing that I will unpack the memory when I need it in future.

My first moment was my usual one...at 3pm on Christmas Eve in my kitchen awaiting the family's arrival and listening to the heavenly voice of the chorister singing those first few bars of Once In Royal David's City on Radio 4.  It's when my Christmas really begins and with damp eyes I send up a little prayer of thanks.

I think my favourite happened 2 hours later whilst standing in church between my husband and my mother singing carols.  A few years ago there was a time when I thought that I would never do that again as my mother was seriously ill and it was made all the more poignant as a dear friend has recently lost her mother.

But the unusual happened too - during the marathon of dish washing I saw a tiny dog trot down our path.  We caught it and little Pepe then spent the afternoon sitting on Poppa's knee whilst we tried to contact it's owners.  After 3 hours he was claimed but it was slightly surreal at the time and I was beginning to wonder if we were suddenly going to have a dog for Christmas.

Have you also noticed that my indoor photographs are not blurry?  That's because Anth bought me a tripod, yay! I also got some lovely books, GHD hair straighteners (for all the Goble girls and wow they are good) GreenGate tins and the absolutely gorgeous Miss Matty who I will introduce to you tomorrow (or the next day!)

Hope your day was just as you wished it...without runaway, tiny dogs!

Merry Christmas To One & All!

2 more posts - who was I kidding!  And now Christmas Eve is upon us.  The photo is the back cover of this book

which is just full of what it says on the cover, vintage holiday graphics.  Only one complaint, and that is the picture on the back cover says Xmas - a word never used in the Goble household as we never take Christ out of Christmas!

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Joyful Christmas. Thank you for all the good wishes. I will raise a toast to all absent friends tomorrow and think of you all. And finally I would like to share my favourite Christmas blessing with you,

May the joy of the angels,

the eagerness of the shepherds,

the perseverance of the wise men,

the obedience of Joseph & Mary,

and the peace of the Christ child

be yours this Christmas.

Enjoy...

Catching up

Today has been the first day I've had at home in nearly a week. And during the last few days all I've been yearning to do is hang these crochet shapes from our chandelier in our bedroom! Funny that, how something so simple brings such anticipation.

It's also the simple things that catch my eye and make me think ah, there's a good photo.  Like my bag of fabric violets I bought yesterday.  Violets in a holly patterned paper bag. The unexpected.

Life has somewhat slowed down this afternoon - a short lull before the family arrive. And some things have had to go by the wayside, but I'm breathing a little easier. My apologies in not answering your recent comments; you really are so generous in your encouragement and I'm forever calling Anth or the children over to read them. I should even get another post in or two before the big day. Until then...

Cath goes to school

...well, not her exactly, but I wore my CK half apron at school today.  It was really a desperate measure, on my behalf, to try and bring some festive cheer into my rather fraught life.  I haven't had the best week and these last 2 days have been rather awful.  Nothing major, just stroppy teenagers; ill husband and son; nothing posted; dirty house; read very dirty, messy house; nothing wrapped...again.  I never thought I would get into this situation again, but hey, guess what, I am!!

So I put on my holly apron and it has stayed on all day, and yes, I'm feeling a little better.  But I'll feel hugely better when I finish all this wrapping so I must go. I'll leave you with a photo of our banisters, yes it's the only place actually finished, though it has fallen down once already. You really do have to laugh don't you?

My Little Obsession (..yet another!)

I'm not sure if you remember this post from last year; but another highlight of my year - probably #436 - is buying the Christmas double issue of the Radio Times.  I just love it and eagerly await it's arrival wondering about the seasonal cover and what telly visual delights the festive season will bring.  I go as far as writing the day of it's arrival in the shops on our calender causing comments like, "Jane, what does 'RT out' mean on the calender?"

So imagine my disappointment when after reading that it was due out last Saturday I dashed to our corner shop in the most torrential rain (bringing not one but 2 plastic bags to keep it dry) only to discover, yet again, that it hadn't arrived. URRR! This happens every year..every year.. and I get a little desperate as I politely show the shop assistant the advertised date in the current issue.

"Doesn't really matter what it says...we don't have it!" they say with a sniff.

Well, 3 days later it has finally fallen into my hands. Well actually my friend Catherine bought it for me at lunchtime today, (thanks again Catherine!)

And seeing the picture of Father Christmas reminded me of one of my sweeter moments yesterday... as the class were lining up to go and play outside, one little boy started rolling around on the floor and before I could tell him to stand up a little voice from the back of the line said,

"Quick, come and line up, Farmer Christmas is watching you know!"

He is indeed!

Thank you for all your wonderful comments about my flower sponges. I bought them from a shop in Totnes but they have a sticker on which says Foamulations Belmar, NJ 07719 USA. Hope that helps and I wish I could buy you all some. Goodness knows you all deserve it.  Perhaps Farmer Christmas could help!

"Jane, what the heck is this?!"

..."Er well, they are flower dish washing sponges. Look, they are made of foam and shaped into roses!"

Shake of the head.

.....Stunned silence......

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!

Home ~ FamilyLifeStyle

Oh I wish, truly wish, that I could say that this utterly, perfect bedroom was part of our home.  That this delightful room was the first and last thing my daughters saw everyday.  It isn't.  Sob. But I do see it everyday and so could you. It's on page 138 of a absolutely fantastic book called Home ~ FamilyLifeStyle by Anita Kaushal ISBN 978-0-500-51366-8.

Gosh, I love this book.  I saw it in Borders on our London trip on Wednesday and just had to buy it there and then - even though I knew that carrying a heavy hardback book around London, along with a few magazines (and that was before we hit Cath's,) would not be an easy thing. Since I've been back I haven't yet properly 'read' it but dipped in and out and poured over the pictures, especially p138/139; which incidentally is Sam McKechnie's home, of Magpie & the Wardrobe...oh those Fairies..

Why has it touched me? Well let me try and explain. It's a book about home (one of the sweetest words in any language don't you think?) and is divided into 4 sections ~ Live, Share, Nest, Bare. It's about making your home not only beautiful but a nurturing haven for those who share it with you. I quote, 'Our home-life can have a huge impact on who we are; as adults it affects our daily lives and moods, and for children it influences the kind of people they will become.' Ooh, no pressure then!

The words actually encourage not dissuade, and linger with you as you try and recall them throughout the day. The photos are wonderful and are inspirational. Even the pages smell good. Yes, I have a passion for smelling new books! They are wholesome and not glossy (reminding me of the wonderful  Apples For Jam)

So I guess you can say I love it. And it wasn't just that fabulous bedroom that caught my eye, oh no, I saw a photo of a small, red poster  (vintage WWII) with the words,

Keep Calm & Carry On

and with Christmas rapidly approaching and again my panic levels rising daily; you will hear me muttering this mantra as I carry on trying my very best to keep calm!