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

Spring will be a little late this year ...

You may have noticed that I try to incorporate song lyrics into my titles, and wanted one that was apt for March or Spring and Google suggested the above, which is very appropriate! I'm not going to bang on about the weather ... we all know about it!

March has been a lovely month so far, I've had lots to celebrate and people have been very kind to me.  On the very first day of March it was my birthday, and my little sis took me to the very posh Rothay Manor in Ambleside for afternoon tea ... very delectable! I received lovely cards, flowers and presents ....

60 golden daffodils from Jacob (that's not my age, by the way) ...

Ooh, can't wait to wear these! Thank you, Olly ...

Lovely reads ...

and plenty of prettiness!

Mother's Day followed on the 10th and I was treated like a queen for the day by my lovely brood, lunch out, lovely gifts and roast dinner made by Steve ... I could get used to being pampered ....

The lovely Lisa from Bobo Bun arranged Four Happy Things Swap, and I was lucky enough to be paired with Ellie from Jelly Jam ... if you aren't familiar with these two delightful blogs, whyever not? You're in for a real treat! I wasn't being very organised and wrapped and packed my stuff all ready to post, without photographing it, but luckily Ellie was on the ball and if you pop over to her, she'll show you what she got from me ... 

Ellie collects beautiful, vintage fabrics and makes bags, cushions and all manner of  delightful things from them ...

She made me a very pretty brooch pillow ...

and even gave me a brooch to pin upon it ...

A sweet jar full to the brim with rhubarb and custard sweets ...

 and another handmade item, this time a gorgeous, sweet-smelling lavender heart (the swap was to have a nostalgic feel, and the receiver's favourite colour was to be featured ... bet you can't guess what mine is can you?)

Four Happy Things that are making me very happy indeed ... thank you Ellie, and also a big thanks to Lisa for organising the swap.

I was going to show you lots of other things today, but unfortunately Instagram is playing up and saying I don't exist, so I can't download my latest pictures.  So I'm going to have to say sorry to shelly @ all4meggymoo, as I can't show her lovely giveaway prize which I was very lucky to win, and also Dotcomgiftshop who featured one of my cupboard makeovers on their blog and let me choose an item to review for them.  I will be showing you these things as soon as I can sort my pics out.

On Saturday I worked at Violet and the Peapod, the delicious vintage teashop which I showed you last December, once again I can't let you see the updated pictures, but will as soon as they are available (if anyone has any tips how to sort this out, I'd be very grateful).

I'm sorry that this post is only a shortened version of the vision of loveliness I'd intended ... but service will be resumed as soon as possible!

Have a fabulous week, won't you my lovelies?

Love Claire xxx

Mother of Mine ...

With love on Mother's Day ...

Claire xxx

Misty, water-coloured memories ...

Isn't is strange how the sight of a simple, long-forgotten object, can unleash a torrent of vivid memories, that you were unaware you possessed?

For me it was a cherry brooch.  It wasn't even the same as the one I had but it just reminded me of that December, many years ago ....

It was December 1973, I was 12 years old and going to my first ever, disco Christmas party at the youth centre I went to every week.  My Mam must have realised it was important for me to look the part, because before then I just wore what she told me to, but not without heated argument on my part!

We went to town and had a lovely day together ... we had lunch in a little cafe, a very rare treat in the cash-strapped seventies, and went shopping for my outfit.  First of all we bought a black, skinny rib polo neck jumper and a pleated, reddish brown skirt.  In the shoe shop I chose a pair of burgundy, sling back and peep-toed shoes with a thick platform and clumpy heels, which I was sure my Mam would  never in a month of Sundays let me have.  But into the bag they went! Just a pair of Pewter run-resist tights and our mission was complete.

The cherries were the icing on the cake ... They finished the outfit perfectly and I felt a million dollars and extremely grown up and sophisticated. With a touch of lip gloss I looked like one of the girls in Jackie magazine ...

I remember buying my Mam's Christmas present too ... she collected Pen Delfin rabbits and I knew she wanted one of the dogs, Pooch was his name.  I had a job helping my Mam delivering Spot-the-Ball charity coupons, so must have saved my wages for this.  We went to the 'Rabbit Shop' and bought Pooch ... he was the last present I ever bought for my Mam because she died 5 weeks after Christmas, aged just 41.

This is for you Mam, thanks for the memories ....

Love, Claire xxx

'God couldn't be everywhere, so he created mothers'

Hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday, I know I did! Lots of lovely cards,  (a couple that my gorgeous girl made me when she was younger, that make an appearance each year) ...

and on the back ....

Lovely gifts, full English Breakfast made by my youngest son, and a phone call to say "Happy Mother's Day" from my son in Leeds

A drive out into the country for a Village Hall Sale in the afternoon with my darling daughter, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, sun shining brightly, and daffodils nodding their heads along the roadside.  Back home, to a lovely meal cooked by my lovely husband.  A perfect day, but bittersweet for those of us who can only put flowers by their lovely Mam's picture

.... with love xxx