The North wind doth blow ...

Good morning, my lovelies! Well, it's a grey blustery Tuesday here on my little island ... but do you know, I quite like days like this nowadays. I always thought, that if I was asked, I would say that Winter was my least favourite season, but if it was forever Summer, we wouldn't be able to batten down the hatches, snuggle down and just potter about, would we?

I work from home, so am lucky that I don't have to brave the weather if I don't need to ... apart from a brisk walk with Ruby, I can put on my paint-splattered clothes, play my favourite music and just get on with it ... if the sun is shining though, it's very easy to get distracted! I bought a very dirty, forlorn dresser from a furniture warehouse for £30, brought it home with the intention of upcycling it, then selling it on ... somehow it found its way into my home ... the perfect fit for a wide alcove that I'd given up hope of ever filling ....

When I'm not working, I like nothing better than just faffing about, filling teacups and other containers with spring bulbs, they really make a difference to the 'feel' of a room, don't you think?

I've rediscovered my love of crochet ... I'm still a very basic crocheter, and even though I've been doing it since I was a child my grannies never seemed right! I've joined two lovely crochet classes and  after all these years I've mastered the art and started filling my home with granny squares galore ... however, some never make it to my sofa, my last two blankets were snatched up by two of my sons, so one blanket now resides in Leeds and the other in Salford!

My son's girlfriend gave us this lovely basket for Christmas, filled with lots of amazing presents for the whole family ... it really is huge and just the thing for all those projects ... most of the things I've made are practical, like blankets and cushion covers

but some are just for fun!

I made this little heart wreath one wet and windy Sunday afternoon ... all credit must be given to Lucy at Attic24 blog, her tutorials are amazingly easy to follow ... if I can do it, anyone can!

Our family has increased with the arrival of four new girls ... meet Nellie, Peggy, Dolly and Minnie, our lovely rescue hens! They have settled in really well, and knock on the kitchen door if their porridge is a bit slow to be delivered.

They pay for their keep by giving us the most amazing, sunflower-yolked eggs every day, and I'm so glad that we decided to have hens in our lives once again.  I really missed their reassuring clucking and manic running when a bag was rustled anywhere near them ...

Dotty has been earning her keep too ... while a little too cold just yet to sit in and crochet (and when the wind is blowing, it really does feel as though you are going to take off) she has been turned into a very beautiful shop, and held a few Sunday sales ...

It really won't be long until Spring blusters her way into our lives, with all her pretty colours and new beginnings ...

but until then, I'm going to enjoy a few more candlelit baths ...

and snuggle up on the sofa with a new magazine and a mug of hot chocolate ...

amidst dimmed lighting and warmth ...

safe in the knowledge that the best is yet to come ...

Enjoy the last few weeks of winter my lovelies, don't fight it, just give in to it ... embrace it, welcome it with open arms,  and most importantly,  make the most of it ...

With much love, Claire xxx

Am I only dreaming?

Good morning, my lovelies!

This is where I'm writing to you from today ... and no, before you ask, I'm not on my jollydays although it does feel like it ...

Come on in ... kick off your shoes, and I'll give you a tour ...

Meet Dotty ... our new family member, and already much-loved ...

This is my favourite place to sit and watch the world go by ...

Room to relax ...

Another cosy corner ..

and Ruby, photobombing my pretty pictures! She's settled in very well, and I can often find her in here, getting away from it all ...

Time to put your feet up, and enjoy the ride (although we aren't going anywhere!) ...

Floral loveliness abounding ...

My treasures all fit in so effortlessly ...

And life really is just a bowl of cherries! 

This dream of mine, to have a caravan in the garden, has been harboured for ever ... ever since I was a little girl and used to visit a family friend's caravan by the sea.  A bolt hole, somewhere to think and dream, to be creative or just simply to laze about in, doing nothing. Somewhere that is home, but not in the house ... but not properly outside either. 

This dream has been made a reality by a lovely lady called Gillian. She remembered that about a year ago, I had been enquiring on Facebook if anyone had an old caravan I could buy, for a project in the garden.  I wasn't lucky as the replies were all too expensive, too big, or just not what I was looking for.  When passing a possible candidate parked at the roadside, I would screech to a halt, leap out and look for phone numbers, but it was never to be.  Until now, and I'm so, so glad that I waited! Gillian contacted me, saying she was selling her caravan and would I like to look at it.  She mentioned it was green with white spots, and decorated in Cath Kidston style.  All I can say is Gillian is not prone to exaggeration and I was flabbergasted when I saw Dotty for the first time, and when  the door was opened I was in seventh heaven! Steve took down the measurements and we then had to come home and measure the space we had available.  I knew that if she didn't fit through the gates that was the end of it ... with about 6 inches to spare on each side, Dotty was eased into position on our drive on Sunday evening.  We are busy removing raised beds on the veggie plot to finally position her as we can't get through our front door with ease any more!

Everyone who comes to see Dotty says "you've been busy, when did you get her"? and can't believe that she was already like this ... she is just perfect for my taste ... I had even painted a little step stool green with white spots only last week ... and my cushions match the roller blinds! I have been introducing small items, but can't go mad as yet, as Dotty has to be moved, so I will only have to empty her again.  There is loads of storage but I am determined that she doesn't become like my craft room ... too full to open the door! My craft room can now be tidied and sorted as my old Singer can now reside in Dotty ... a perfect place to sit and sew ...

Dreams can come true ... and thank you so much Gillian for making mine happen ... I know we are going to have many, many happy years with Dotty! 

Love, Claire xxx

PS: Thank you all for your lovely greetings and comments on Tuesday! We had a wonderful day with family and friends and the sun shone, so it was just perfect ... thanks again xxx

Make it easy on yourself ...

Good morning my lovelies!

It's a bit of a blustery day here on my little island, nothing on the calendar, so a stay-at-home sort of day I think ... if I've got nothing planned I don't mind this kind of day, now and again of course ... all the time would be a bit tedious. I've been moving furniture round and sprucing it up, as you know what they say "a change is as good as a rest" and I feel like I've decorated or done something really drastic as it all looks fresh and .... different.

The cupboard above was a lovely find from Freegle,  (I already had the top cabinet) ... a new coat of paint, a swish of wax and some careful shabbying, and voila! ... a complete new look for ... well, nothing!

I've been pondering about simplifying chores (to free up time to do more pleasurable activities, like pottering about with phrases and needles and reels of Sylko) and I'd like to share my top tips with you for making life just that bit easier.  My husband thinks I have chronic OCD, and that may not be far from the truth, but hey, if it makes me more organised with very little effort, that can only be a good thing, can't it? I have mentioned some of these tips before, so if you've already seen them, I apologise!

Top Tips

• ALWAYS have a 1 litre spray bottle, filled with plain tap water and 2 tsps of bicarbonate of soda handy.  This mixture is invaluable for cleaning your oven  as mentioned here, but also works on any burnt on spills (old or new) on the hob.  Just spray on and leave a few seconds. Wipe off and it will completely disappear.

• ALWAYS have a 1 litre spray bottle, filled 2/3 with tap water, the remainder with white vinegar, and a tiny drop of washing up liquid.  This concoction is marvellous for cleaning bathrooms, but gives brilliant results on windows and mirrors too ... spray on, wipe off and then polish with scrunched up newspaper ... dazzling results!

• When filling the dishwasher, try to put like with like as you go, ie, plates of same size, mugs, bowls, etc ... then all you need to do is pick them out in one fell swoop and put in cupboard, without having to sort through them.  The same goes for cutlery ... if you put just forks in one compartment of the cutlery basket, they can just all be put straight into drawer.  The same goes for knives, spoons, etc.  More hygienic too ... especially if the children are helping!

• While you're doing the 'big' shop, try to put similar items together into the shopping trolley. Place tins together (preferably at the bottom), bread, fridge stuff, frozen items, etc.  Load them onto the belt in this way and then when  you pack them at the other end they will be in this order.  Bag them up separately, ie, tins in one bag (careful, it's heavy!), fridge stuff in another, toiletries in another, etc. When you get home the chore of putting away is a lot easier and this is were you can delegate ... bag of toiletries in the bathroom, veg in the rack, freezer stuff straight into the freezer, without having to sort through every item and making unnecessary journeys. It might sound complicated, but trust me, it will soon become second nature.

• After you've washed your bedding, keep one pillowcase aside and fold the duvet cover, remaining pillowcases and sheets and place inside the saved pillowcase.  This way you always have a complete matching set to hand ... no more turning the airing cupboard upside down looking for a matching pillowcase! They stack into neat piles too ...

• Staying with the 'laundry' theme, when you go on holiday, take some bin bags or large carrier bags with you and sort laundry each day.  This saves the mammoth task of turning 6 suitcases onto the kitchen floor and sifting through 2 weeks of smelly washing.  I did this once, and vowed never again! All you need to do, when you get back, is take each bag out at a time and it's not such a big deal.

• If you're having a 'big' celebration meal, such as Christmas Dinner, or even just a family get-together Sunday roast, about an hour before it's due to be served, place the plates and serving dishes in the dishwasher and put on a quick wash.  Don't open the door until ready to serve and everything will be piping hot and saves space in your oven.  Put your gravy in a teapot, much less dribblesome, and keeps warmer longer too! (And looks very pretty, especially if dressed in a vintage cosy).

• If you break a glass or china object, after you've picked up the big pieces, take a piece of fresh bread and wipe over the surface ... the bread will pick up the little splinters that you may otherwise miss.

• If you drop a raw egg, rather than try to pick it up and risk spreading the mess, just give it a blast with a hairdryer ... this will cook the egg making it easy to pick up and dispose of ... or give to the dog so not wasted ...

I didn't think I'd be able to do ten, but I've racked my brains, and here's top tip number 10 ...

• If fussy visitors are coming at very short notice, say an hour, there isn't time to spring clean, so just get a carrier bag, put everything in it that's cluttering the place, plump up the cushions, tidy papers and magazines, and pick a big bunch of flowers from the garden and light candles.  They'll be so taken with the welcoming ambience that they won't notice the dustballs under the sofa ...

After all that hard work, put your feet up, pick up your favourite magazine ... and relax with a treat.  Enjoy! You deserve it ...

Hope you all have a Wonderful Wednesday ...

Love Claire xxx

Life is good ...

Happy Monday my lovelies! Isn't it great when everything's going well? I don't want to jinx anything here, but I'm in a really happy place at the moment, it could be because the sun is shining, the sky is blue, lalala ... I wish I could capture this feeling, pour it into a bottle, put a stopper in and tie with a dotty ribbon.  To be opened when things aren't looking so rosy ...

Last week Jacob came home for the weekend unexpectedly, but a lovely surprise and took me for lunch on the Sunday, as an early Mother's Day present, as he won't be here then.  He also bought me a beautiful mossy green alpaca throw, as a late birthday present ... I didn't take any pictures this week, so am just going to fill in the gaps with pretty pictures, so you don't get bored!

The Vintage Fair last weekend was a great success ... always a bit of an unknown quantity, a new fair and a new venue ... I sold all 5 pieces of furniture that I took with me, so need to be very busy with my paintbrush from now on, as I have 4 rather 'big' fairs scribbled onto the calendar. Millie 'helped' me at the fair ... kept me company and looked pretty while I lugged furniture around and dealt with the customers.  She is very good at fetching cups of tea and cake though.

My eldest, Oliver, has been very busy lately.  He is a DJ in his spare time and he and his friend have their own recording label and are doing very well. He had a gig at London at the weekend and it went very well so I've heard!

Me and Steve trundled along to Manchester to see Harry on Saturday, and let the train take the strain. Harry met us on the train at Salford and after a delicious Italian meal, he took us shopping ... I got 4 tea towels, and a couple of things for Millie, Harry got 4 carrier bagsful! We then went back to his room in Salford, changed his bed, hoovered his room and brought a big holdall of washing home with us, which he can collect when he comes home in a couple of weeks ... since when did summer break start before Easter? A grand day out though ...

Today, as it's so sunny, I'm going to get my paintbrush out and start to tackle the mountain of furniture currently stacked in Harry's room (sssssh!).

This post is a bit random, and I apologise if you're struggling with it ... the pictures bear no connection whatsoever to the words I'm churning out ...

I sincerely hope that life is treating you and yours well too, and if you are going through a bad patch, that light will be seen at the end of the tunnel very soon. If I don't 'see' any of you before, have a wonderful Mother's Day, whether with your children as a mother, or with your own mothers ... and for those of you who can do no more on Mothering Sunday than place flowers by their lovely Mam's picture, I'll be thinking of you ...

Have a wonderful week,

Love Claire xxx

Blue Monday ...

Hello my lovelies, Happy Blue Monday to you! Today is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year ... it's the annual low-point ...  post-Christmas, failed resolutions, financial gloominess and to top it all, grey dismal weather! I hope you're not too down-in-the-dumps ... I'm not!

With grateful thanks to Google!

I quite like Mondays, because I have the house to myself after the weekend, and don't usually get dressed ** until I've cleaned the house from top to bottom.  I know I'm strange, but I quite like cleaning, once I've got started, and love the feeling of having a clean house. Get some cleaning tips here ... After breakfast, I'll set to ...

January always feels like a new start for me too ... planning the vegetable plot and rearranging the garden in my mind, are both pleasant 'January Jobs'.  I also have the urge to declutter and clean out cupboards in readiness for Spring and think it makes much more sense to 'Spring' clean in the dark, gloomy days of Winter than in the bright, mild days of March and April, when time could be more pleasantly spent outdoors.

Last summer seems so long ago! x

January also gives me more time to make ... I'm building up a stock for upcoming fairs, and making pictures for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day ... any kind of day! (perhaps a Blue Monday one?)

This one was made for a friend you may have met before ...

Today Harry is coming home for a few days as he's just finished his exams at Uni, and is bringing his new girlfriend to meet us.  I've been 'girlifying' Jacob's room for her ... I'd quite like to move in myself! It's amazing how just a few accessories can transform a room ... all I added were some lace curtains, a few floral cushions and a vase of daffodils (all of which are easily removed when Jacob comes home!) and the room is transformed from lad's pad to a cosy, feminine bedroom. This is how it looks now, but I didn't do a before ... not very aesthetically pleasing, I'm afraid!

I feel at a bit of a crossroads lately, but in an exciting sort of way ... do I take opportunities that present themselves, or do I trust in myself and build on what I have to offer? Decisions, decisions ... it's not always right to take the easy path, sometimes we need to make that leap into the unknown ... Halfway down the stairs, a bit like Ruby ...

This is just a short post today, my lovelies, as I need to get my cleaning cloths out and get scrubbing ... so I'll love you and leave you, but what are you getting on with to beat the Winter blues? I'd really love to know ...

Have a fabulously colourful Monday!

Love Claire xxx

** I'm not a 'naked cleaner' ... I do it in my pyjamas!