Stormy Weather ...

Happy August, my lovelies ... how on earth did that happen already?

Well, my garden sale was an absolutely fabulous event made so by the wonderful people who dropped in ... it was a meeting place for old and new customers alike and also of course, friends and family. £130 was also raised for NW Air Ambulance, just from donations in lieu of an admittance fee, so thank you all so much.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, so I got up early and started lugging furniture around ... I had several big pieces: 3 dressing tables; a Dutch Dresser and plate rack, as well as the usual smaller items of chairs, side tables, etc.

Once the furniture was in place I was able to do my favourite thing ...  tittivate!

Even Dotty got a makeover and she was decorated with vintage teasets, old board games and annuals (anyone else remember Princess Tina?) ... there wasn't a moment in the day when there wasn't someone in there, oohing and aahing over everything and singing along to the LP's being played on Millie's vintage record player.

On Sunday, it was a bit cloudy, but I got on with it and it was a bit easier as everything that had been packed away related to a certain area of the garden.  At ten o'clock on the dot, I stood back and surveyed the scene ... I thought it looked even better than the day before ... I opened the gate ready for the visitors and the heavens opened! It was coming down so heavily I couldn't even attempt to bring anything in until it calmed down a bit.

On cue, my lovely friend Ruth arrived, and we swabbed everything down with old towels and wrung out the upholstery on my chair seats.  The rain came periodically throughout the day, and whilst not as busy as Saturday was still a good day with more lovely people coming through the gate, and some returning for a second visit! I'm sorry I haven't taken any pictures of the customers ... it was so busy I really didn't have the time and all my photos are taken beforehand.

We also had the pleasure of the company of the amazing Miss Becki Fishwick, who serenaded the shoppers on Sunday afternoon. Such a shame we didn't have the beachgoers passing by as we had the day before ...

My stock is now at an all time low, so a great excuse to go treasure-hunting once more! I can actually move in the house, and when Steve returns to work next week, I'm going to give the house a bit of a Spring Clean (well better late than never!) and revamp. Last week I took it easy after all the excitement, and as Steve is off work we've just been pottering about, doing jobs that need doing, and Steve's birthday was on Friday so I made him a cake that I'd been itching to try out after seeing it on t'internet. Didn't turn out quite as imagined but it tasted delicious, which is all that matters really!

Anyway, I'll love you and leave you my lovelies, until next time! Thanks for dropping in, you're always welcome ...

Love, Claire xxx

PS: I really need to get a wriggle on ... Betty the Wood Fairy's swap is due in soon ... will reveal all in due course xxx

Picture Day

Hello my lovelies, hope you're all having a Wonderful Wednesday? Ever since my working hours reduced quite drastically, I don't seem to have enough hours in the day to get things done! I'm a childminder, and now I'm not as tied to the school run as much as I was, I still get up at the same time and try to get chores out of the way by 9am, then I have the day to do what I like ... if only! I'd just like to take you through my day ... in pictures.

When Steve has gone to work, and Millie to college, I make the beds, run round tidying up ... picking things up and putting them where they belong; collect washing and crockery that has been deposited around the house, and put into the corresponding machines. If I know what we're having for tea I'll prepare this or put something into the slow cooker.

 The time this frees up later in the day is invaluable ... I don't have to worry about getting a meal on the table on time because it's done. If I haven't already done so, I'll have breakfast.  By this time I am getting looked at ...

Walkies around my little island is a treat when the sun is shining but not so great when the wind is roaring and the rain relentlessly pouring from the grey skies ... people seem much more friendlier on a sunny day too!  If it's a nice day, once I get home I'll hang the washing out,

and feed the girls ...

I do love to be at home all day ... I know this isn't for everyone, and I am lucky that I can do this ... but I do work hard, honestly!

 This is how I'd like to spend my day ...

And this is the reality ...

Most of my day is spent cleaning the most filthy, smelly pieces of furniture and giving them a new life.  I know that I can't keep everything ... but sometimes it's very hard to let go! I've just finished this little cupboard ... it was very fiddly and took a long time as it has lots of nooks and crannies ... but I got there in the end ...

I think it will have to go though, I just don't have any spare walls left ...

This is another piece I've just finished ... my favourite part is waxing and distressing, it can surprise me sometimes how this simple process can really make a piece 'sing'.  I love setting up my furniture at fairs and displaying my bits and pieces on them.  I'd secretly love a job as a window dresser or house doctor!

Sometimes I have to put my paintbrush down and pick up a needle and thread instead, I have a commission to finish today for a very lovely lady who is collecting it tomorrow, so can't stay chatting too long ... If I am running out of projects I might just go for a runout to my favourite places, looking for treasures, but otherwise, I'm happy to stay at home pottering ... and if I'm very lucky, a friend will drop in for tea and cake

This is a little lamp I upcycled last week. I'm definitely not adept at sewing, but I've worked out a way of revamping lampshades that doesn't test my abilities too much!

I hear the door opening ... is that the time already?

Hopefully tea will be ready, and afterwards I'll pick up my sewing or do a bit of crochet while watching the telly (wasn't The Great British Sewing Bee fab?) and before I know it, The News is on and I'm back to where we started ... a good night's sleep and I'll be ready to do it all again tomorrow ...

N'night, sweet dreams!

Love Claire xxx

The ghost of Christmas past ...

My mind has been wandering down memory lane once again, and as I carry out my Christmas rituals I remember the way things were done when I were a lass ...

Thank you Google! xx

The build up to Christmas was always so exciting, at school there would be end of term competitions, guessing the number of sweets in a jar, raffles and of course The Christmas Party.  A new dress and shoes would always be bought, these would be worn for every special occasion over the Christmas period ... we didn't have drawerfuls of clothes then, and with four of us to clothe it was an expensive time for my parents. On the last day of school it was 'toy day' and I always took my favourite doll, Patricia. My Mam would make her a new dress specially for the occasion and I would wash her and do her hair the night before so that she looked beautiful.

Putting up the decorations was always a big event, and we would ooh and aah over the bubble lights which I so wish I still had ... we would get straw and set up the crib with the figures which my Mam had since she was a child and make paper chains to hang from the ceiling.

Spot the deliberate grammatical error! Grrr ...

On Christmas Eve, when my Dad was collecting The Turkey, my Mam would clean the house while me and my sister and brothers were becoming frantic with excitement ... I would help her to make the trifle and loved crumbling the Cadbury's Flake on top of the cream ... I still make my trifle exactly as my Mam did all those years ago. We would go to bed after putting out the mince pie for Father Christmas, and hope that sleep would come ....

The excitement of waking up and realising that it was Christmas Day ...

One of my best Christmas presents was a Tressy doll ... You pressed her belly button and her hair grew, wound her up with a key in her back and it was short again ... I can remember unwrapping her on Christmas morning, and she came with a wardrobe of hand knitted clothes, a pink and navy skating suit, jumper and skirt and a turquoise lurex evening gown with matching stole.  My Mam will have made these when i went to bed, and hidden them away. I played with her endlessly ... when you see what children get nowadays, Tressy would probably be just another stocking filler, but she was my best present.  

From Google - thanks so much! xx

We would each get a main present, usually a doll for me, a selection box, 2 annuals, and maybe 2 or 3 other bits and pieces. Probably a carrier bag full ... always with the Pretty Peach bubble bath from Avon sticking out of the top.  My Aunty always gave me a Bronnley gift set, soap, bath cubes and body lotion ... this made me feel very grown up, I remember.

So this year, once again as I prepare for the Big Day, my mind goes back to those carefree days, not so long ago, when Christmas was more about sharing and a time for families to get together, than the feast of consumerism it has become, where we all worship at the great God, Tesco ... It was a proper holiday, shops were shut for days, and the January sales were a big event, not starting until after 12th night ...

Along with the traditional favourites, new things are tried ... Peppermint Bark, yum yum!!

But Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a tin of these, now would it?

Whether you are traditional or modern, at home or away, I'll be raising a glass to you, and wishing you the very best Christmas you've ever had!

(and so does Ruby)

Have a fabulous time my lovelies, and looking forward to hearing all about it!

Love Claire xxx

Dreams can come true ...

Hello my lovelies! It's really nice to be back ... but very briefly, for now.  Just to let you know that all is on the up with my family ... we all needed to help each other, and it's all a big improvement to how things were only 2 weeks ago ...

I'd just like to thank you all for your lovely comments ... I was completely overwhelmed by them, and felt that I had been enveloped in a warm, loving hug by you all ... in fact I was moved to tears that you had taken the time to wish us well, so thank you so much, it really meant a lot.  I promise that I will try very soon to catch up with you all, as I've missed this little corner of my world, called Blogland.

For the coming week though, I am going to be extremely busy ... I haven't even thought about Christmas yet! My amazing news is that I am going to open my very own shop! This has been my dream for so long, and now it's come true, thanks to 2 lovely ladies, who knew about my dream and have offered me the chance of making it come true.  My hairdresser and her business partner had often said that the rooms above the salon would make a good shop for me, but it was rented out for the long foreseeable future.  A few weeks ago it became vacant, but because of what was going on in my family, I didn't pay much attention.  On Tuesday evening, they offered me the chance to fill their empty rooms with a vintage Christmas shop ... if I like it and think I can make a go of it, it can be mine afterwards too! I didn't even hesitate, because I knew that if I didn't grab this chance, I would forever regret it, and wonder if it would have turned out ... only one way to find out!

I'm hoping to open this coming Thursday, and I promise I'll keep you posted and takes lots of pictures.  I really must go though, I have a loaded car waiting ...

Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll catch up soon!

Love Claire xxx

PS: The name of my little shop ... Thriftwood Vintage! xx

The North wind doth blow ....

Happy Monday, my lovelies! Brrrr! it's been a bit cold this weekend hasn't it? On Friday night I went to a party at my dear friend Julie's house ... it was her daughter Nicole's 21st Birthday ... I've been feeling a little bit delicate ever since, for some reason, so have battened down the hatches and done a little pottering ...

Adding twinkly little lights to my shelves (isn't Poundland fabulous?) ...

and making little lacy lanterns ...

the shadows these create are really atmospheric ... and so simple to achieve!

The big event of last week was, of course, Halloween ... the worst night of the year, weather-wise, for little witches, wizards and hobgoblins to be leaving their calling card ...

We only had two visits this year ...

Would have been a shame to waste this little lot ...

Even Rooby-doo joined in the fun ... #notimpressed ...

and Millie made an impressive 11th Doctor ...

We've been tidying the garden, ready for its long winter sleep ...

planting bright flowers to cheer up dark corners ...

and making newly found treasures feel right at home ...

Getting ready for the big event of the year ...

If you get the chance, please do pay us a visit! Me and Millie will be there, along with lots of other stallholders, selling the most amazing true vintage items ... and lots of lovely craftiness too!

Would like to share a little before ... (boy, this was so dirty it made the dog sneeze!)

and an amazing after! Thank you Kath for your upholstery help, I couldn't have done it without you!

and if all that isn't enough, I've won a lovely Giveaway on Instagram which will really get me in the Christmas mood ... thank you @ainttooshabbydevon, I'm really looking forward to this lovely parcel!

Next Sunday is Remembrance Day, so I'd just like to leave this verse for you ...

WE MUST NEVER FORGET

Looking forward to catching up with you all ... what have you been up to?

With love, from Claire xxx