Forthcoming Events ....

I'm really looking forward to the next Fair, it's going to be held in marquees, with vintage entertainment, swingboats, roundabout, and donkey rides.  If you can get there, I can't recommend it highly enough, it will be a fabulous day out for all the family!

Have a lovely day, Claire xxx

Sunday morning, up with the lark

No lie-in on Sunday ... was the long-awaited, 'The Vintage Village Hall' first fair of the year, in the lovely village of Greenodd.  It was fine in the morning, luckily, for all those unpacking their wares, me and Millie had done ours the day before, so just had to turn up, cool, calm and collected ... haha!

 Millie, amidst the chaos, dressed to kill! That is my leopard skin coat (fake, I can assure you), but I've never had the nerve to wear it.  It was bequeathed to me by my friend's mother, a lovely lady who I used to visit, and listen to her amazing stories.  I still miss her very much.  She worked in the Astraka factory, I think in the 50's, and actually made this coat herself.  I love it, and would never part with it, even though we received offers!

Our stall was jam-packed, always take far too much, but we managed to squeeze it all in.  Next time will try and get a table under a window for extra display space!

These photos aren't very good, sorry! My little cupboard, which I showed you last week ... I had quite a bit of interest in it, but it didn't actually sell until quite late in the day, then, you might know, the interest surged, and I was asked to make two more! My first commissions! I was also asked if I would be bringing any to the Jubilee celebrations fair in May, so we're going to have to get busy ... it's amazing how much stuff you can get in a Nissan Micra...

Little introduction to some fellow stallholders ...

The lovely Karen, who is very talented, makes lots of her own dresses, using vintage fabric, amazing jewellery and lovely cake stands.

The very glamorous Tallula, from the stall next door ... lovely vintage clothes, you meet lovely, like-minded people at these fairs, and everyone has a great time.

The ladies from Bijou Boutique

And finally, the contestants for the best-dressed, vintage customer

Pretty in Pink ...

Very elegant ...

Gorgeous Girls ...

Fab waistcoat!

The two ladies who run the show, are the very hardworking Rachel and Jo-Anne,  working the very busy tea-room.  The cakes are to die for!

Hard at work, the tea room was never quiet, but afternoon tea at £5.50 is too good to miss! Unlimited cups of tea or coffee, sandwiches, tea bread and cheese, scone with jam and cream, and an enormous slice of the cake of your choice.

I just love the atmosphere, and as long as I cover my expenses, I'm happy! It's always a bonus to actually make some money, and this time I did, so a great day all round, just need to stock up now, for the next one in five weeks' time!  The most important thing was that the local Hospice raised over £1,000 with their stall, raffle and admission, which far outweighed their expectations.

Hope you all had a fabulous Sunday too!

Cupboard Love

I promised you pictures of the cupboard I showed you last week,  once I had painted, distressed and papered the inside.  It was a nightmare! The painting and distressing was easy, but the papering not good at all.  I wasted quite a bit of my last half roll of Cath Kidston Paris Rose, because it was very thick and not easily bendable, so had to redo some parts of it

Anyway, this is the finished product, I'm quite pleased with it, and have just spent this afternoon adding finishing touches.  I got a bit carried away and made a little string of paper mini bunting (was shown how to do this on the lovely Lucy's blog, at Attic 24) to hang over it.  What I like is that when it is closed, it just looks quite calm and normal ...

But when you open the doors and drawer, it is a riot of unexpected colour and cheerfulness! A Bit Over the Top, maybe?

I do quite like it though, and it'definitely an improvement on how it looked when I first took it under my wing.

I used Farrow and Ball's All White estate eggshell, and Cath Kidston's Paris Rose (Red) wallpaper.  I don't think that is available now though, which is a shame.  The dottiness is simply provided by paper tape, which is easily removable if the new owner does not like!

A few other little treasures which will be coming along with me to The Vintage Village Hall on Sunday

The Nurse's Dictionary, which looks a little well-used, but is so interesting inside, with adverts for uniforms and all sorts of long gone pills and remedies.  It is inscribed inside

Christmas 1943

To Nurse Everard

From Matron

With Good Wishes

It nearly makes me cry when I see things like that... who is Nurse Everard, and where did she live? What was her life like? Is she still alive, and what about Matron? I'm afraid we will never know the secrets these treasures hold.

This is another lovely find ... a boxed, untouched, Wedding Memories Book.  The box is battered, and the cellophane wrapper crumpled and discoloured, but the book inside has no entries, and I think would make a fabulous gift for a modern Vintage Bride.

I need to go now, as I have loads to do before Sunday's Fair, but I'll update you next week, with lots of lovely pics! I hope that I return home with a much lighter load ...

Before I go just seen a fab giveaway of Mary Jane's Tearoom blog - go to ttp://www.maryjanestearoom.com and you can enter.

Enjoy the rest of your week xxx

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning ...

Went for a brisk walk to the beach and back with Steve and Ruby, first thing this morning; only a slight chill in the air, grass damp with dew, sun shining, makes you feel good to be alive!

Even if I see this view every day of my life, I never tire of it ... I love the colours, the muted greys of the stones, the fudgy brown of the sand, merging with the bright blue sea (sometimes it's battleship grey, but today was a good day)

 

and on the other side of me, the fields waking up to the new day ...

Back home, and I set up a little photo shoot in the back garden.  My 7-mile trip to the eagerly anticipated Car Boot Sale was fruitless, I'm afraid.  One stall which held about ten items, none of which I was interested in!  Luckily, earlier in the day I had found a few items, so wasn't too downhearted.

A sweet little cupboard, which I have big plans for, involving Farrow & Ball paint, a bit of distressing and Cath Kidston Paris Rose wallpaper.  I'll show you it when it's finished.

As we speak my kind husband is lovingly (!) sanding it down (only because he says I don't do it properly) ... I'm always in too much of a rush to get to the tittivating stage, I skimp on the preparation. This may or may not go to the Vintage Sale next week, depending on how much I want to keep it!

Ruby (the supermodel), showing off a very fetching bright blue standard lamp.  This one is definitely a keeper, as I've been looking for one for a while, but they get snapped up quickly and have you noticed they've gone up astronomically in price at the charity shops.  They used to be practically given away, but not any more.  

Little flurries of activity going on in the garden, but I'd like to know what is coming up in your garden, as even if I leave my island and go into town, my plants are always a bit behind in blossoming, than the ones there,  because of the slight difference in temperatures inland and where I live is quite exposed.

Last of the Muscaris

Peony, ready to 'pop'

Hosta springing to life

And the vegetable plot is coming to life, even though we planted relatively early (this is the bleak North-West, after all), thanks to our home-made cold frames, the seeds have got off to a good start ... we used the old windows, which were the perfect size to fit over our raised beds (I don't throw anything away, unless I can think of a good use for it!)

Strawberry Patch (must buy netting)

Radishes and Beetroot


Quick Hello from the girls:-

Florence, our rescue hen

Marilyn, big and buxom!

Unfortunately, Audrey and Doris little camera shy, and do a runner when they see me approaching with a camera!

Hope you have a 'bootiful' weekend! 

XXX

Car Boot Season

Am a bit excited today (really doesn't take much these days!) as the first Thursday Car Boot Sale is today! Have been waiting since end of September for this and can't wait as sometimes it's a really good one, and I've found some absolute bargains, then other weeks there are hardly any cars there and slim pickings.

Hopefully I'll find some lovely treasures to come home with me, will show you later ... weather permitting! xx

Before ... and After

I've been busy, busy, busy lately, and finally had my new windows fitted.  I was very unsure as to how I would feel, as I loved the old ones.  It was an original 1936 stained glass bay window as I mentioned in a previous post, but was damaged, leaking and costing us a fortune in heating bills. So with a heavy heart it had to go ...

View from outside, not so pretty!

There's no going back now ...

Oh, what have I done?

Now they're finished I love them, they really open the room up (need to do something with the bright orange fencing panels at the back of the garden!), but they do look a bit blingy and BRIGHT WHITE.  Now the decorating begins.  I can wallpaper, but not perfectly, but thought I would give it a go.  First of all my husband and I painted all the woodwork using Farrow & Ball Vert de Terre (my favourite at the moment), and as I was off work I set to with the papering.

A couple of months ago I visited a charity shop I hadn't been in very often as it always looked the same in the window and not very interesting, but I ventured in and found that I knew most of the ladies who worked in there.  One was a retired midwife and had actually delivered my firstborn son nearly 26 years ago!  Anyway, I rummaged around and then I noticed a little alcove in the back of the shop and asked if I could look in there.  "of course you can love, but there's not much in there".  But there was! A bag with 4 unopened rolls of beautiful Laura Ashley wallpaper which I knew would go perfectly somewhere in my home ... for the grand sum of £2 for the lot! And ... a pair of lovely long Sanderson type curtains for £4.  They have been stashed away until I decided where they would go.  Didn't have to wait too long ...

 Sorry about the ladders, not very aesthetically pleasing!

Now it's done I'm really happy with it as it looks like it's always been like that ... I know I'm strange but think I've mentioned before I don't like shiny, new things, I like them to look like they've always been there and even though the doors look new, they are blending in.

It hasn't all been hard work though, after the decorating me and gorgeous girl went on a jaunt to find treasure for the upcoming Village Vintage Hall fair at Greenodd.  On the way back, we took the scenic route along the Coast Road and passed the golden temple of the Buddhist Monastery.  My daughter said she had never been there, so after a quick u-turn, we quickly remedied that!

The Monastery itself is in a beautiful, old mansion, set in lovely grounds and woodland, with walks down to the sea, but it is so PEACEFUL, there is just such a lovely air of tranquility, even though there were lots of visitors that day

and the temple itself is very impressive

I'm sorry but I can't take you inside, but when you are in there, the feeling is of a complete detachment from the outside world, and you become lost in your surroundings.

On Saturday I was invited to lunch at the home of the lovely Maria (Rosey Tinted Spectacles) and we put the world to rights!  Lunch was delicious ... homemade Leek and Potato Soup, Prawn Sandwiches ... and of course nothing can be complete without tea in a china cup and saucer, and Fondant Fancies!

A lovely day, and nice end to a hardworking week!

Hope you have a happy, productive week ...

XXX