If I could turn back time ...

A couple of weeks ago, something very strange happened.  I was browsing through Facebook when a name came up on a local page, of someone I hadn't seen for a while, so I clicked to see what they were up to. At the top of their page (as far as I got, honestly) there was a message, from someone naming other people they had worked with years ago ... people that I knew my lovely Mam had also worked with.  I contacted the lady in question, wondering if she was my Mam's friend from years ago, saying who I was, who my Mam was, and apologising in case I was completely barking up the wrong tree.  The very next day the lady contacted me to say I had unleashed all these memories for her ... they were best friends from age 14 and 15, when Agnes (Mam) joined her firm as an apprentice upholstress, until my Mam died in 1974 ... she went on to say that she had lots of photographs of my Mam and herself on various holidays they spent together.

Best Friends ... Mam on right xx

The next day she sent me some gorgeously vintage photos of my beautiful, glamorous mother.  It's funny, but when you're a child I don't think you really think much about your parents and their life before ... as you get older, that's when it becomes interesting.  My Mam died when I was 12, so I knew very little of her life and now the rest of her family have died, I thought I would never find out anything more about her.

The first photographs were taken in London at the Festival of Britain, in 1951, held to raise morale after the Second World War.  Oh, the style! Beautiful floral dresses with figure enhancing nipped-in waists that would be the height of fashion nowadays, swagger coats with huge buttons on the front, all worn with red lipstick and sunny smiles.

The next batch of pictures were taken on holiday in Ireland, where rationing had ended, so the two friends made merry, eating all the sweets and ice cream that they had so long been deprived of, and making themselves sick in the process! There were pictures taken in Dublin, and also in my home town ... Photographs that had been tinted by hand, very painstakingly.

Roses round the door ... x

On a wall two minutes from my home!

with Grandma, Aunty and baby cousin
on 'my' beach! xx

On holiday at Margate x

I am so happy that I have been given this insight into my Mam's late teens and twenties and seen the beautiful woman who I was lucky enough to have as a mother.  I don't have many photos of my parents because of circumstances beyond my control, so to have been given these pictures means the world. Thank you so much Janet, this post is dedicated to you, Mam, and best friends everywhere ...

Have a lovely day ...

Love Claire xxxx

The heat is on ....

Just a very quick one today my lovelies, I know I've been neglecting you all terribly these past few days ... not had time to catch up with all your divine blogs or leave comments willy nilly ... I'm working myself into a frenzy over Saturday's sale ... I really hope it will be worth it!

I've still got lots of jam to make, furniture to paint and upcycle, and generally just a lot of faffing about to do!

The weather is still amazing, and I've just come back from a walk to 'my' beach ... not too hot at this time of day, and a lovely breeze playing around too. It helps me to collect my thoughts for the day, and list in my head what needs doing.  I've finished childminding now until September, which sounds fabulous, having almost 7 weeks holiday, but I don't get paid during that time, so a sale will help in that respect and also clear some stuff to make room for more of the same!

So if any of you are in the area on Saturday, it would be truly amazing to see you! Details are on my sidebar, and hopefully I'll fill you in (not literally!) on Saturday's shenanigans next week ...

Until then, have fun in the sun, my lovelies

Love Claire xxx

PS: Hope Kirstie doesn't fail to deliver on Tuesday!

In the summertime, when the weather is high ...

Phew! Isn't this weather fabulous? Makes you want to leap out of bed and face the day ...

This past week, I've been spending a lot of time at the beach ... I've been taking the children I mind in the mornings before school (strictly no rock pools at that time of day, don't want them shedding sand everywhere in school) and after school when playing in rock pools is compulsory! I'm very lucky, I know, actually getting paid for paddling in the sea ...

I've been picking pretty posies ...

Aren't these climbing roses divine? There are millions of them, but sadly they are very fleeting, but stunning nonetheless ...

I've been making lots of lemonade and St Clements drinks ...

And I've been practically living in  the garden, so much so that I've turned it into a room ...

 And given my very old Ikea garden furniture a much-needed makeover ...

And roped everyone else in to help too ...

I might get a couple more years out of it now!

This is the life ...

I'm really enjoying my staycation this year, (even though I haven't officially started my time off, this weather makes every day feel like a holiday) no packing, no passports to find, no overcrowded airports and definitely no mountain of washing to look forward to on my return!

The bunting's out and I'm getting the garden ready ... for an event I've finally plucked up the courage to hold ... my very own vintage sale! As you know, I regularly tootle about on my travels, gathering treasure as I go ... it's an addiction, there's no other way of describing it, but the situation is getting so out of hand, I'm about to declare a state of emergency.  My home is overflowing with vintage loveliness, and with no Fairs in the near future, I thought that this is the solution ... I can sell some stock, make some money, and keep on collecting for next time!  Simples.

Fabulous Vintage Sale

114 Ocean Rd, Walney Island

Saturday 27 July

10am – 3pm

upcycled furniture

lampshades and stands

china (lots of floral teasets)

textiles

mirrors and pictures

bric-a-brac

handmade items

let’s re-love our pre-loved treasures!

Hoping that the weather stays fine ...

Love, Claire xxx

Prom Queen

Well, yesterday morning dawned dank and dismal, but by lunchtime the long-awaited heatwave was putting in an appearance.  Just in time for the event of the year ... in our household anyway!

Miss Millie's Leaver's Ball took place last night, and I had a tear in my eye when my shy little girl turned into a beautiful, sophisticated young lady before my very eyes ...

Millie had said she wanted something different for her prom dress, and I was rather daunted by this, as I really don't like shopping, especially when I don't really know what I'm looking for.  However, I did a Vintage Fair  in my hometown on Easter Saturday, and as there were lots of racks of dresses, I rang Millie to come over and have a look, as you just never know ...

Among the rails, Millie found a beautiful, apple green, full length dress.  I was dubious at first, but she tried it on and it fit like a glove ... a real Cinderella moment! We bought it, along with a vintage pink and green necklace, and I was so happy that I'd been spared the trauma of numerous fittings in plush prom shops ...

Millie & Harry xx

It is an original, 1950's Dellwood Model dress, oozing Hollywood glamour! We had it altered to ballerina length, by a lovely lady, and bought a 50's style full net underskirt to go under it ...

A friend arranged the transport ... an amazing, vintage e-type Jaguar arrived to collect Millie, so she really turned up in style!

 This is my favourite photograph, and I fiddled about with the filters, but much prefer it in black and white ...

When we arrived (me following on behind in my battered Micra), Millie met her friends, who all looked amazing too ...

I stayed until they went into dinner, scrutinising admiring everyone's clothes, and if I'm not mistaken, I think Millie's was the only original vintage one there.  I'm probably biased, but I liked hers best, and I'm glad she stuck to her guns and went for something different.  I went home very happy and a very proud Mammy!

I haven't downloaded the pictures from my camera yet, these are from my Instagram feed so they are a bit blurry and grainy so I may bore you with more ....

Have a wonderful weekend, and hope that the sun shines on you all this weekend!

Love Claire xxx (still on a high)

Busy doing nothing, working the whole day through ...

The weather outside is still frightful, though I know from the lovely Instagram pics I've been drooling over lately, that lots of you ARE having glorious sunshine! Lucky you, and make hay while the sun shines ...

Last week, when the days were more clement, you could find me stripped off in the garden upcycling furniture (this is a lie ... it would frighten the horses that pass by). The upcycling furniture bit is true though ...

A friend told me that she had an old, oak cupboard, that could do with titivating, and basically that she couldn't be arsed bothered. I called round and found this little beauty! Dirty, unloved, glassless ... right up my street ...

Armed with my trusty Annie Sloan brush and tin of Country Grey, I set to. It took a whole ten minutes because I take such care with my projects ... sanding, priming, etc (I absolutely do NOT do any of these things, that is why Annie is my best friend) ... and when the paint was dry, I was ready to experiment!

I had seen somewhere in Blogland that someone had used tissues and napkins to decoupage things, so thought I'd give it a go.  I peeled the patterned sheet off the napkins, pasted (using solvite) part of the inside of the cupboard.  I started trying to put whole squares on, but it looked too contrived and the pattern didn't match anyway, so I just started tearing random strips off and plastering on, giving another coat of paste on top.  Some of it tore, but I just patched it up ... some was rumpled, but it all added to an aged, vintage looking effect.  The above pic is a close-up of the inside of the cupboard when it was finished.

This is the after picture, titivated within an inch of its life! I was going to add chicken wire but decided to just leave it as it is ... note it is complete with old key on a ribbon, but if you fancy anything inside, you can just reach in and take it ... It has been said before, on several occasions, that I am completely barking mad.

Of course, this then warranted a little change around, as the clock had to be taken down ... it's new home is 2 feet away, to the right, and it's settled in nicely, thank you.

I've been picking little posies from my garden (while I have some flowering, I am trying to be thrifty by not buying any) ...

and from my country walks lovely bouquets of blowsy, frothy wildflowers ...   never pick the roots, and always just one stem from a clump, so it's not noticeable ...

Some more rich pickings, this time from a couple of car boot sales I went to on Sunday ... I got a bootload of stuff (it's amazing what you can get in a Micra) but here are my favourites ... the above retro radio, a bit sorry for itself, but just needing a bit of a spruce-up and new batteries, just what I need for my workroom ...

and a brand new Cath Kidston flask for £2! Vintage tupperware containers (50p, a lovely Chinese biscuit barrel (£1) and a little hamper containing 2 children's tea sets (30p)

I've been following Hettie Brown's mantra 'Treading gently, Being thrifty, Living simply' by picking my own flowers, making my own jam (gorgeous strawberry, summer berries and chilli) and doing meal plans.  Like Sophie (Hettie Brown), I find planing for a week a bit daunting, so am doing it over  3 days (the real reason is I can't fit more than that on the blackboard).  I do like that I have already shopped for it and the decision is made, rather than umming and aahing about what to make each day.  It doesn't stop family members moaning though, unfortunately.

Hysteria is mounting (admittedly, mostly me) for Thursday's celebrations ... Millie's Leaver's Summer Ball! Hope the nice weather will make an appearance for an hour or two, that would be perfect ...

Until next time, my lovelies, have fun in the sun

Love, Claire xxx