Posy

I am..

enjoying - the colours of the last of the hydrangeas.

very excited - about the coming week (more about that soon!)

astounded/flabbergasted - due to 'the' event of the coming week I have bought my very first (and I hope not my very last!) Cath Kidston dress...well 2 actually as I couldn't decided which I liked best so bought both to try on and send one back. This has been my weight loss goal - a Cath dress - so when they arrived yesterday I was a little scared to finally try one on.

I thought the large might still be too small for me but when I put them on they swamped me! So now I'm waiting for the medium size. A Cath dress at last! But I can't choose so I'm hoping that Anth will let me keep the second one for my birthday in November.

loving - 3 new to me songs ~ Miserere Mei Deus by the Choir of King's College Cambridge (oh this is exquisite)
Be Here Now by Ray Lamontagne, and Silence by Seal.

looking forward to - the first of the Christmas magazines out next Thursday (Ideal Home's Complete Guide To Christmas...umm yes, I actually rang the magazine to find out the exact date - sad or what!? Don't tell my family or I'll never live it down!) The first of many good ones this year I hope. I can't believe it is my most favourite time of the year again - but where has this year gone? 

going to - Totnes tomorrow to the Nostalgic Mix Fair (do come starts at 10am) and to meet a lovely blog reader and her husband from the US. So excited as I feel I know her already. Funny that.
So as you can see I have spent most of this week in a state of high excitement and it looks like next week is going to be even better.
How much can a girl take!

One of a kind?

 

Have you ever seen one of these china flower pictures? No, nether have I! I found it on Saturday and thought if it's frame was painted it might look OK on our mantelpiece. I also found this small cross-stitch of yellow roses (which will grace our wall of flowers) but didn't like the dark frame. So I got to work on both frames straight away.

 

And here is the china flower picture. What do you think - does it look better with a white painted frame? I think it does but thought I would love it more. It may need moving around until it finds the right place. The other picture isn't quite dry yet so I haven't hung that.

 So my collection of china flowers is growing.

 

I have found some more black bottomed ones. I am going to touch up where they have chipped with matching nail varnish. As I don't own yellow, purple, blue or green varnish I'm trying to summon up enough courage to go into the beauty department of a local store and use the tester nail varnishes on display. Can you imagine trying to explain myself if I get caught! Perhaps I should ask before I do it.

 

But then again, I know a young 14 year old girl who would probably give anything for yellow, purple, blue, and green nail varnish...

Flowers of a different kind

 

Yes, I know it looks like a flower shop - or even a Maternity Ward, (actually the whole scene did remind me of the tears I shed in the Maternity Ward because I had too many flowers and didn't know what to do with them all. So I cried! My, those postpartum hormones made me crazy!) Anyway, there were no tears this time as I tried to sort out my fake flower fiesta. I have slowly become a fake flower convert, mainly due to the poor choice of fresh flowers in our local supermarket (I dislike 'posh' flowers prefering simple blooms that look like they come from the hedgerow or roadside) plus it was getting very expensive to buy them weekly which is how long they would last.

                

Now let me show you my latest buy. Someone at school bought some fake blossoms in for our school play. I totally fell in love with them and rushed out the next day and bought some for myself. They are so realistic, the bark even has a very light spray of green on it to look like lichen. How clever is that?

              

 

I'm going to use it for my Easter Tree and hang my painted eggs on it.

Next up is the usual 'favourite' display I have on our mantelpiece in the sitting room (which is now in the dining room as the blossom has taken it's place in the sitting room...still with me?) 

 

          

Next are my Bluebells - love them too as they are so realistic; these have some china roses mixed in which aren't so realistic but I haven't found a better place for them yet.

          

       

Remember this jug - the one of two I so carefully transported in my hand luggage from New Zealand. Yes, the ' be careful Anthony, I have a couple of big jugs' jugs . Oh happy days!

 

Next up, the kitchen

          

 

 

             

Bedroom next (bored yet?)

          

Back to the sitting room mantel with

 

a mixture of knitted and silk Anemones.

 

And finally back to the dining room sideboard. There, I told you it was a fiesta didn't I?

 Before I sign off for today I wanted to explain about my new comments facility. It gives me and you the option to reply to comments which I think is a great way to encourage conversation between us all. After all, who, apart from you dear blog ladies, wants to hear and see all my latest obsessions and view the floral fiesta that is going on in our home at the moment?  Incidentally, I do love getting your emails too so please don't feel you can't do that if the urge arises, though please note that our email address has changed to [email protected]

Now, I must prepare for a certain Goble girl's 14th Birthday today.

 

Edit:

Thank you for the wonderful response about my fake fiesta. Lots of you have been asking about the blossom and where I got it, and I so understand the 'I must have it or I'll stop breathing' feeling. Unfortunately, I don't think I can be of much help though. I bought it from a shop called Trago Mills (please visit the link as it isn't your usual sort of shop and their website can probably explain more than I can!) Trago's garden centre have a corner with loads of fake flowers and it was there that I found the blossom. I made the trip especially to get them and then discovered that they only had a few left.

The label on each stem said 'Sincere Floral' and despite a google search have not come up with anything about the makers. Perhaps you will be more successful. They cost £2.49 per stem which is excellent value given the quality. I'm so sorry I can't find more and then pass it on to you but I will keep looking. If you are local I would suggest a trip to Trago as the range of 'fakes' they had were good BUT Trago gets BUSY and I mean BUSY. Hell on earth if I'm honest, so try to get there very early if you do go. I only visit once every 3 years!

Hope to hear news that someone has tracked some down!

   

On my mantelpiece today

 

As you may know, I absolutely adore winter, especially Christmas, and seem to head into a decline when the dull days of January and February are upon us and Christmas is just a memory. But there is a little something that always brings a bit of joy to these days - scented hyacinths in old enamel pots or old pudding basins.

   

This year, albeit too late I think, I have bought a few hyacinth forcing jars that were being sold off at a bargain price. They are in the cold, dark shed at the moment so I'm hoping they will flower - if not I will have the glass forcing jars for the autumn bulbs later on in the year. Mmm that's if I remember!

Yes, give me a pot of spring flowering bulbs anytime to help me ease into the brighter and longer days to come.

A few little changes

      

I know you must be thoroughly fed up with seeing our mantelpiece again but I just want to show you the result of of one of my 'twiddles.'  Our home is always evolving, especially after my weekly trips to the local car boot sales; but this time I've done a major twiddle, which is how Anth describes my 'little-Janie- touches' but this time we are none too sure if we like it.  You see I have changed the lighting and am quite surprised at how different it has made the room.

        

We used to have a rather ugly, white clip-on lamp attached to our bookcase which did bathe the corner in a cozy glow but  I always felt that it detracted from our books and looked rather,...well, white and plastic. So when I found 2, old, brass and china lamps I thought it was time to change.

          

But it has given the room a whole different feel and it certainly doesn't feel quite as bright and is taking some getting used to. I'm thinking that I may have to balance it and put the other slightly different one at the other end - but hey, then I won't have a place for my flowers and the room certainly lacks flowers now doesn't it!  Tongue firmly in cheek!

Yesterday was a good day, and life felt good for lots of reasons but the highlight was the first lighting of the fire this autumn.

            

I had waited for as long as I possibly could and finally gave in and let those wonderfully familiar sounds and smells wash over me. Ah, autumn bliss.

Tomorrow is giveaway time but now I'm off to light this evening's fire..

On my mantelpiece # 7

I was about to tell you that all the flowers on my mantlepiece were fake but then realised that the fabulous 'drum-stick' primulas (in the middle) are real.

But these are definitely not real and I love them -

my new knitted flowers.  Ooh, I feel a new project coming on..

On my mantelpiece # 6

Look at my bargain! I bought 9 Alliums for...£1..yeah...just a pound! I got 2 bunches at 50p each but I did have to barter. One was £1.99 and the other 50p so I begged, if truth be known, but managed to get them at the cheaper price. I have never had Alliums before though I do have some in an enamel bucket outside.

Well, today was my last day at school for 10 days. Bliss. For those of you who are wondering I work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays. I'm very, very lucky as I love my 2 days at home alone. I have a list of things I want to achieve...

1. Paint old outside table and cover with oilcloth (Green Gate oilcloth no less!).

2. Potter around the garden and watch the Chelsea Flower Show and dream.

3. Sew at least one more cushion.

4. Read June edition of Country Living and drool.

5. Feed plants, deadhead and fix new hosepipe.

6. More sewing and listen to Radio Devon's Lunchtime phone-in or Anna Raeburn's LBC show.

7. Watch at least 2 episodes of The Waltons series 4 (umm Waltons!)

8. Go to Dartington Hall and sit and ripple in their gardens.

9. Ripple, ripple, ripple.

10. Watch my washing blowing on the line.

11. Go to Lyme Regis fossil hunting.

12. Speak to as many of my loved ones as possible (you've been warned!)

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed I'll be able to cross off at least 6 things... time will tell!

On my mantelpiece #5

Lilac Hyacinths. Scented...yummm! I always get to February and wish I had planted more bulbs last autumn so end up paying through the nose for them now instead. Why oh why didn't I pay £3.99 for 10 bulbs when I now pay at least £1 per bulb. Typical! My favourites are the little pots of Grape Hyacinths which I hope I might be given for Valentine's Day (hint, hint!).

Thank you once more for your lovely comments about my last post. My bag was from Louise Loves which is a lovely site & worth a visit. I did feel very uncomfortable taking the photographs so chose moments when no one was looking - hence the shop looked empty! But, I do have another job...sometimes I am a 'mystery shopper'! This means that I am paid to shop or make enquiries and then report back on how I was treated etc. It is quite interesting but I don't have much time to do this anymore.  Shame it is mostly banks & building societies and not Green Gate, Cath Kidston ,Laura Ashley or any book shops isn't it?

Holly is not just for Christmas!

The tree may be down but I am still holding on. I can't bear to put my (ahem ..fake) cheery holly away so I ignore the 'Jane, you've forgotten to put the holly in the attic' comments. Well, I want to get my moneys worth..this fake holly was very expensive and holly isn't just used solely for Christmas. Is it!?

Today is the first day that everyone is back at school (yee ha) and I have set it aside for some sewing. Well, that's if I get time as there is a mountain of washing, cleaning and thank you letters to do etc and my conscience is pricking. But hey, this quiet time wont last for long and there are always chores to do and besides I do have a lot of radio programmes to catch up on. Right, sewing it is. That is if I can find the table under the ironing!

On my mantelpiece #4

Gosh, I can't believe that I have not shown you the flowers on my mantlepiece for absolutely ages. These Corn Flowers have spurred me on as what could look better? I bought them at Sainburys which usually have boring expensive flowers .. I just couldn't believe my Country Living eyes when I spied them..and the best part - they were only £1.99!

As I keep telling Anth, I would be more thrilled with a simple 'country' posy than anything more expensive and flashy. What girl can resist simple, pretty flowers and if I'm very lucky..a love note in my sandwiches!

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.

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!

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...