Posy

Monday: Things I'm loving right now

 

This summer's first batch of sweet peas. Sweetly scented and strangely two-toned in colour.  I've never seen sweet peas like this and hope they wont change to regular colours.

Perhaps it's a sign that this week is going to be unique and not regular.  Well we can hope can't we?

Things I'm loving right now

My moss-free bricks.  I spent 2 hours on Saturday afternoon scrubbing and reorganising the patio. When we laid the reclaimed bricks a few years ago I couldn't wait for the forget-me-nots and daisies to grow through the cracks creating a wonderful cottage garden look; but recently they have grown too profuse and in my eyes have made the small patio area look messy and unkempt. So action was needed. Today I keep finding myself going to the door to admire my 'new' brickwork and I feel ridiculously pleased at what I see.  I have even danced barefoot on them! Funny isn't it? Small things. Hope your weekend was full of little things that make you ridiculously happy.  Another small thing tomorrow.

Viva La Vida

I FOUND IT!  I FOUND IT! The lost ipod, which has been lost for nearly a fortnight, was found 4 hours ago and you'll never guess where I found it? Nope, not in a million years will you guess the top shelf in the fridge door!  I have been so upset about it, so upset, especially as I have had a new Coldplay album to devour.  We had looked everywhere, including the last fortnight's mouldy rubbish and I even found it entering my dreams.  But today I decided to rearrange the jars on the shelves in the fridge door and there it was nestled behind the Cloud Berry Jam, still ironically, paused on Shiver by Coldplay!  It must have fallen from our Bose Dock which lives on top of the fridge.  It still works too.  What a versatile little thing.

One of the worst things, as I said, was not being able to conveniently listen to Viva La Vida, Coldplay's new album. This long awaited album was greeted by Matthew, Lucy and I  with some trepidation. What if we hated it? I couldn't bear the disappointment. I have never really warmed to X & Y (their last album) prefering their older stuff.  When they brought out the singles Violet Hill and Viva La Viva I wasn't overly impressed so worried even more. Then the release day arrived and in my skittish, exhilararation I bought it 3 times. Mmm, yeah 3 times. One hard copy and 2 from iTunes as I over-exerted my right clicking finger in my flurry of excitement.  And was it worth the wait, I wasn't sure.  Matthew actually waited 3 or 4 days before he even listened to it and then a few days later I received a text whilst shopping in Sainsburys to say he had finally 'got it' and loved it.  I now have 'got it' and for the moment really love -  Death & All His Friends including the hidden track, The Escapist; Lost; and 42.  So there you have it, I don't think it's as good as Paracutes, Rush of Blood and their early EPs but there's more to love on it than X & Y. Oh it's good to have my ipod back..

My Doily Love Affair

I've always loved a doily which isn't surprising really seeing I've been born into the wrong era. Yes, at the ripe old age of 18 ,as well as going to wild parties held in people's barns deep in the Devon countryside; I spent my time at a lace pillow with my friend Lisa.  It certainly wasn't the trendy thing to do in 1982 but we enjoyed it.  Over the years I haven't done much lace making but that hasn't stopped me from collecting the odd doily or two or three. Only problem was I haven't really been sure what to do with them; well that is until now.  The has been a doily revival!  This post last November on the Decor8 blog totally inspires me and makes me feel like shouting "Hello my name is Jane and I love doilies!" - even if I'm a little behind the times..again!

So out into the sunshine have come my poor little collection. I'm now trying to think of things to do with them so any ideas will be welcome. The large pink one in the first photo is currently being sewn on to a piece of lilac blanket and will be made into a cushion - it will then probably head to my shop. More shop news soon.

So I encourage you to grab some doilies and turn them into something beautiful...they deserve it after all these years.

Change of plans

Ooh, it's clean sheets tonight!  I love clean sheets but today we've got something new, well it's old but new to us - I've used a bolster pillowcase.  It actually was bought by mistake as I grabbed a handful of linen in a charity shop and didn't realise it was a bolster case until I got it home.  So I asked Anth if he could cope with our pillows being attached and he said yes. Ah, bless.  It probably wont be 'ah, bless' at 2am when he's trying to play tug-of-war with his pillow, but I'll let you know how we go.

Talking of going - we've not had the best of weekends.  Anth and I were meant to drive up to my brother William's 40th birthday party and stay over night in a hotel. We packed, loaded up the car and first went into our local town to buy some cat food. Anth waited outside the pet shop with the engine running and we then drove back home to drop off the food before setting off.  The car wouldn't start and was completely dead so that was that, no party, no hotel.  So we will start the week without a car. Oh dear.

So instead it was; hunting for my still lost ipod which has moved up a gear in the desperation stakes and that meant emptying our dustbins (nearly 2 weeks worth) into a sheet and rifling through the entire contents, (wearing rubber gloves of course, actually wearing 2 odd right hand gloves and what a sight I looked! And no it wasn't there either);  trying for many hours to use my Corel Paint Shop Pro and make a more interesting banner - one with a collage of different pics, but failing; and, mustn't forget, changing our bedlinen. So a thrilling weekend.  I did wander around with my camera and when the rain finally stopped hung out some washing. I love watching washing on the line.

And I love my crochet Christmas decorations - still up on Midsummer Day.

Yours must have been better?

P.S A big thank you to lovely Binny for making me such a fantastic banner. If anyone knows how to do one and doesn't mind sharing it with me, please email me and put me out of my misery! Thank you again Binny, I love it. x

Things I've made

I have been making all sorts this week.  Sewing, dyeing for the first time, and painting. Plus I have been feeling a little sorry for myself which isn't a trait I like.

It all started on Monday night. I have wanted to change the lamp shade in my corner of the sitting room for some time; and thought that an old petticoat I've had for ages might do the trick if I dyed it. So on Monday evening I settled down to have a go at dyeing it a pale-ish pink. Coldplay were playing a free live concert at the Brixton Academy to promote their new album Viva La Vida.  We were unsuccessful at winning tickets for it (sounds familiar doesn't it!), so the radio had to suffice. Lucy joined me and what a couple of saddos we must have sounded!  In between me loudly squealling, throwing my hands in the air, and singing we would say, "Oh, he'll (Chris) be doing this with feet/arms/piano stool now!" (Incidentally, I love what he does with his piano stool - usually in Clocks.) We then usually follow with a little tussle over what song is best, Clocks v The Scientist. I like Clocks best because of it's energy and my fav part where he sings with such feeling..."Nothing else compares" and then .."Home, home where I wanted to go" because I so agree with the statement!  Lucy and Matthew (my brother) love The Scientist best out of the two because it is more emotional and they like the line..."; you don't know how lovely you are, I had to find you, tell you I need you, tell you I set you apart"   I then got all miserable and started down the 'It's not fair we're not there' road announcing that I was dyeing and dying inside with unfairness. With all this going on I really wasn't paying enough attention to my dyeing and what should have been pale pink turned into cerise pink. Omit small swear word! So I hoped when it was dry it would be lighter. No. So then I hoped when it was made and on top of a lampshade it would be lighter. No.

With lamp on it certainly looks better than with lamp off.

All I did was gather the bottom of the petticoat and place it on top of the boring white coolie shade. Simple.  And if I had given the dyeing my proper attention I should have used less dye and experimented a little.  Though on one hand I didn't want too pale a pink as I didn't want it to look too feminine - ha too feminine!  And as the lovely Amanda said to me yesterday, "That's a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted!" Too true. But I've always wanted a vintage, shabby, white, floral, beach hut look not too frilly and flouncy.  I know my corner is waay, way over the top and certainly gives that impression, but I'm not a frilly person, honest. My sense of humour is far too inappropriate to be frilly so I'm told!  I think baby pink isn't as sassy as cerise but this is too cerise but I'll see if it grows on me. I am certainly going to dye some more things, despite the faffing around and being a bit scared of getting the dye everywhere, I found it quite exciting. Next time I'll try without Coldplay playing live. Yeah warning, never dye with Coldplay! 

And painting?

The fire screen is now magnolia but I received this wonderful picture from Veronica

and now I'm wondering if boring magnolia was right! Isn't she clever? I love all of them, crikey what's a girl to do! The other painting was for the wall of flowers. I have been painting new frames and swapping new and old prints around and now have a slightly more ..er, blooming wall.

Little Posy thought she would stay in shot too.

The small round embroidered picture was a little gift from Niki from Nostalgia At The Stonehouse. Thank you again Niki for your kindness.

And lastly (sorry it's a long one today), my cushions.

I have become doily crazy over the last few weeks and am experimenting.  I have had this one for 8 years but have been put off sewing it onto fabric because of trying to match all the colours. Duh - it turned out be one of the most satisfying projects in a long time and really didn't take long. I just used an old calico pillowcase and fastened it with buttons on the back.

This used to be a small tablecloth and I'm taking a risk letting the family loose with it given the treatment our poor cushions usually get but I've given them a talking to this time, so we'll see.  It was while I was sewing the buttons on that I started watching Coldplay at the BBC on Thursday night.  Oh dear, bad move. Coldplay played another free, live concert this time in car park of the BBC.  Aww it was perfect as there was only a very limited amount of people there due to the lack of space etc.  All those horrid feelings of self pity flooded back and I'm ashamed to say that I had to turn it off as I just couldn't cope with missing out on such an intimate concert. Tut, tut. I still have it recorded ready to watch when I can and I'm trying to follow Matthew's favourite advice he gives to his patients, (well he tells us he sometimes says it but I doubt it!) which is, 'try to act as normal as possible' but when it comes to Chris Martin singing live in front of me, I find it hard to act normal. I feel bad about my attitude though - why should it be me there. To make it worse I have also lost my ipod and have spent a week not being able to get acquainted with Viva La Vida; so I'm not sure if I like it yet. What a mammoth post, can you tell I am still in my pyjamas and it's nearly 5 pm. No? Good, it's just one of those pyjama days I sometimes have. Ok one last photo and I'm out of here.  Thanks for listening!

Fire Screen and Flowery Plates

Hello my friends - gosh I've been busy.  I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted. I have lots of things on the go; a rapidly growing 'to sew' pile (like that a lot); an even bigger 'to paint' pile (which has taken over the entire dining room table); a much needed dead heading session in the garden (which includes the hedge outside our front door, which is seriously impeding our entrance and exit!) Oh I wish I had a week off school..

Anyway, here's my latest favourite find.

A fire screen. An embroidered fire screen no less, well I think it's called a fire screen. It was a case of the early bird catches the worm at yesterday's car boot. I then spent most of day trying to decide what colour to paint it and went through every tone of green imaginable but settled on..yes you've guessed it, shabby white (or boring magnolia gloss to be exact!)

The family got a bit fed up at having to be 'consulted' which meant being called into the room to be asked, 100 times,  if they thought it really did look better painted and was the colour OK? None of them particularly like the screen at all and can't see why I'm so enamored by it. It is awaiting the 2nd coat of magnolia but I still might paint it green! Gee whizz I'm terrible at choosing paint colours and get myself in such a dither. Tom says I'm quite sad and I have to agree with him on this one.  Whilst I had the magnolia out I painted 3 picture frames so my wall of flowers will look fuller in a day or so. I'll show you then.

And lastly, my new plates and a cute flowery ceramic jar were my second best finds.

Hope your weekend was just as fruitful.

Some Old and New

Thank you, thank you for showering me in kindness by your reassuring comments.  I feel so privileged to share my blog with you all. Thank you too for all your helpful suggestions re my migraines; I'm certainly looking into a few of them though I have tried many over the years.  My mother has found that going through the menopause has helped her migraine and I think mine are mainly hormonal, so here's hoping. Not that I'm wishing my life away!

The photo is of my latest car boot purchase - 2 vintage, wicker beside cabinets. You must be totally fed up of pictures of things on my bedside table as it has featured rather a lot in the last few months..but I couldn't resist this bargain.

A pink wicker bedside cabinet for £1 and then 2 stalls away I found an almost identical turquoise one for £3. They don't have any shelves in the cupboard part so I will make some drawstring bags to put our bits and pieces in. I think they look a lot more 'flea market' than our pine ones but they are stored in the loft just in case the drawstring bags prove to be too fiddly for Anth (when a man needs access to his socks he could object to having to faff around with drawstring bags to find a pair; even if they're ticking and not floral bags!)

 

I lined mine with old Laura Ashley wallpaper but left Anth's plain as I didn't thing he would quite appreciate it in the same way. He's so patient with my floral obsession and I don't want to over step the mark!  Mmm must do something about that phone and lampshade though!  I also found this small frame that once was gold and now is white. Shabby white.

The picture is a label from Alice's pyjamas that was too lovely to throw away and looks just right.

I hoping that having to move my radio and the inevitable pile of books every time I need a clean pair of knickers, won't prove to be too tiresome. But we'll see. 

As Typepad have made a few changes and I cannot find a facility to do a word or phrase search of my past posts, I'm not sure if I have ever shown you this bag.  It started it's life as a feather pillow and the pillow was lying on the ground dirty and overlooked. I bought it for 50p and spent a bit of time de-feathering it and giving it a jolly good wash and turned it into a drawstring bag. I love the print so much I have hung it on our bedroom door so I can see it when I lie in bed.

Today is the day Coldplay have released Viva La Vida and I've just put it on my ipod. I'm going to turn off my mobile, go upstairs, lie on our bed and fill the room with Chris' wonderful voice...I'll let you know what I think!

Chris Martin, Our Front Steps, & My Pillowcase Obssession

First a little sceneiro that made me laugh yesterday. 

My wonderful friend Justine and her nearly 2 year old son, Joshua, came for a visit. We were standing in the kitchen and I was filling up the kettle for the first of our many cups of tea.  I had my back to them and a little voice piped up and asked his Mummy,

"Hoo dat?"

"Chris Martin"

"Hoo dat?"

"Chris Martin"

"Hoo dat?"

"Chris Martin"

"Hoo dat?"

"Chris Martin!"

"Hoo dat?"

..yes, you've got it, she said Chris Martin! Joshua was pointing to the pictures on our fridge and all I could hear was Chris Martin.  Well I suppose I do have 5 pictures of him but it easily could have been a flower!  It just sounded so funny and as he continued to point I grabbed my camera.  Yes, it should have been flower because the house is awash with them at the moment. From the moment you approach our house

you have to negotiate buckets of blooms on the steps, plus an over-grown hedge. My habit of using buckets, chimney pots and tin baths in the garden has made my mother often say it looks like Steptoe's back yard.  Well, she has a point I suppose. I tell the children at school that I have flowers on pratically everything from our front doormat (which isn't looking quite so bright now) walls, plates, cushions, dish cloths, glasses, to my bedlinen. Mmm pillowcases.

I bought these pillowcases, and a few more besides, from dear Amy of Four Sisters in a Cottage. I wonder why they don't make them like this anymore? She is such a sweet lady and her shop hosts a fabulous collection of vintage goodies. She updates it when she can and I always marvel at how much she has,  and regret that I don't live in Iowa, mmm.. perhaps that is a good thing! I just can't resist vintage bedlinen, especially pillowcases and now have a little storage problem.

And there's a few more, but don't tell the family. My little problem started in 1982 and it's all Laura Ashleys fault. After growing up in a hotel and only having white hotel linen I've gone on to be passionate about how I dress our beds, even when I was choosing cot bedding 18 years ago. Not even my wardrobe gets as much thought. But hey, no flowers for Tom; no, Tom has stripes or gingham - I think he'd want me to point that out!

Comments

Life has been a bit damanding recently and I'm still struggling with my bad head. That migraine, which keeps returning, is now into it's 14th day, and I can't quite get rid of it and it's wearing me down. Writing my blog is a joy to me, the connections I've made with like-minded woman have been so rewarding and enriching, it's great to think that I'm not alone in liking what I do and that there are many like me whose heart would leap at the sight of a box saying 'everything 50p'. But I've been struggling to reply to all of your comments, and this is stressing me as there are just not enough hours in the day, especially a day when I'm at school.  I feel really bad about this as I think that it is only right that I should acknowledge your comment and thank you, as I so enjoy hearing from you. But it's with regret that I've decided that I will only reply to your comments if time will allow.  I can and, I will, always reply to an email. Thank you, I hope you understand.

Dogs

 I'm not sure when it started; no that's not true, I think I do. It was probably the fault of these books by Barri Leiner and Marie Moss particularly Flea Market Fidos.

Both books are high on my favourites list and I read somewhere ( the US Country Living) that Barri and Marie were writing a new one called...wait for it.. Flea Market Flowers.  If ever a book could be perfect for someone, that surely would be mine. I would marry that book. Already my heart somersaults at just the very thought of what wonderful vintage blooms would grace it's pages. But alas, I google every week (yeah, slightly obsessed me thinks) and nothing appears.  But I digress. I was in a charity shop the other week (now there's a surprise!) and caught sight of this little picture high on the wall

I immediately recognised it as a Lucy Dawson print as there was a section on her work in the Flea Market Fido book. Now before my flea market awakening (aka BFM) I would have walked on by this picture but the sweet charm of the doggie treasures in the book made an impact on me and I really love this picture. The lady told me it wasn't for sale but then looked at me and said, "You really want it don't you?" I nodded in reply. "Aw, go on then -  £1.50."  I then felt guilty that my face had obviously given me away and started a peal of 'are you sures?' She was, and here it is propped up on our sideboard. I really want a dog like the white one, which I think is a wire-haired Daschund but then I'm not sure the cats could cope or if I really am a doggie person; but I like to daydream and choose names,flowery collars and dog beds. (Current name = Matilda!) 

Then followed a few other doggie finds

which has sweet black and white illustrations.

Then on Saturday I found these

and so I think that this might just be the beginning.

Peg bag

Before I talk about my new peg bag, I just want to thank you for all your good wishes about my migraine.  I may not be able to acknowledge everyone's comments but I do appreciate them. Very much.  It helps me feel I'm not alone.  Now to the new peg bag. I managed to do some sewing last week, not as much as I wanted to, but this was a project I needed to do fairly urgently as our old peg bag has finally given up the ghost; plus I didn't make it quite deep enough and the pegs were always falling out.  I used an old table runner which had 2 identical embroideries at either end so I made 2 bags and the other one will be for sale in my shop soon. Talking about my shop, there will be exciting news to announce very soon so watch this space.

And just in case you may think that it is all fun and games in the Goble household have a quick peep at this,

 

our ironing pile. It doesn't hold the record for being the biggest in our ironing history, but it can't fit in it's usual home, the cupboard under the stairs. It has now taken residence in the middle of our sitting room floor where husbands, children and cats seem oblivious to it's ever increasing size. Perhaps, when it gets so big and blocks the view of the T.V so that Scrubs and the All Blacks can't be seen, someone might offer to do some. Yeah, I won't hold my breath!

My week full of moans

 

Warning - melancholy post ahead!

**sigh**  what a week I've had. It hasn't been one of my best as I have had a migraine everyday.  I have some good medication that helps me control my migraine (injections/tablets)  but although they do work and I can leave my bed after a couple of hours, the migraine very often returns 24 hours later. I kept telling myself it will only be 3 days, the usual time an attack lasts, but it is just going on and on. I've been feeling alright for some of the day but keep waking up every morning with that all to familiar pain and having to inject- my poor leg is black and blue.  I try not to complain as I am so much better than I used to be (thanks to taking 2 daily prophylactic drugs) but this was my half term holiday and I wanted to do so much and now it's back to school tomorrow and I'm still not right!

**another more enormous sigh** Do you know what else? On Friday we were unable to get tickets to see Coldplay in concert in December.  The tickets sold out within minutes. Just in case you're unaware, my brother Matthew, Lucy and myself, (especially me) absolutely adore Coldplay.  We are so disappointed - though we are trying to console ourselves with the thought that we wont have to sit by people who text and chat on their mobiles throughout the concert; which is what happened in 2005. We just couldn't beieve it.  Still can't. Oh well, at least their new album is out next week...ooh next week...but I'm scared I might not like it.  No pressure, Chris!

Right enough of my moans and onto more positive things. Thank you to everyone who left a comment for Alice, she enjoyed her blogging experience and who knows, I might persuade her to do some more. I have managed to do a little sewing this week and I'll show you tomorrow what I made; but meanwhile I'll show you my 'new' books which brought a smile to my face.

I think they epitomize me really - a like and a dislike - and no prizes for guessing which one! Can you tell much about a person by the books by their bed?

 

..mmm..they are mostly about Britain, the countryside, and homes .. old, tatty and battered around the edges... I'll say no more!