Ch-ch-ch-changes ...

It's getting to that time of year again my lovelies, the time that I always start to feel queasy about ... September and the beginning of Autumn.  I love the colours of  Autumn, and once it's in full swing, even celebrate its loveliness ... but it's this bit ... nights starting to draw in, that 'back to school' feeling, changes in the air ... they fill me with a feeling of dread and melancholy that I don't really understand.

I don't want to depress anyone, or have you all feeling sorry for me ... other people have these feelings about Christmas, and even Summer, it's just a fact of life with me, that I always feel like this towards the end of August, and then it leaves me as quickly as it arrived ... after the changes.

We had great news and celebrations last week! Harry was accepted at his first choice of University, Salford, to study Physics, so he will be starting his big adventure in the big wide world in about 3 weeks time ...

Millie has now left school and is waiting for her GCSE results, and is starting at 6th Form College also in September.

I find it so hard to believe that my two youngest are now young adults ... it doesn't seem like 5 minutes since they were playing together. More flutterings in the nest ... something that is happening all over the country at this time ...

Moving on to something completely different ... I found a bright orange, pine shelf at the car boot sale and thought the perfect place for it to go would be above our bed.  I got the Annie Sloan Old Ochre out and you can see the finished product above ...

Of course that then made our bed look shabby, so that had to be dismantled and also given the AS treatment.  Luckily it was a bright, sunny day, so I painted in the garden and it was back in situ within a couple of hours. I'm really pleased with its new look!

Lurking in my workroom was another bright orange nightmare ... a set of drawers that I though would be perfect as a bedside table ... you can see the orange of the inside in this picture ...

While waiting for the paint to dry (not long in this case) I popped onto Facebook, where a local seller had a beautiful granny square blanket for sale.  I quickly contacted her, as things like that don't hang around for long ... when I arrived at her house she turned out to be a lady I have bought from often at one of my Sunday car boot sales ...

The work that has gone into this is immense, and I can't imagine how much the wool would have cost as it has 168 squares! After a quick wash and freshen up with Lavender and Camomile Comfort, I took great pleasure in watching it dry in the sun, impatient to take it to its new home ...

I will just give you a little rundown of my bedroom makeover ... it has not been painted or decorated for 5 years, but just with a bit of tweaking and an afternoon's work, I feel that I've got a new room!

Shelf  - car boot sale - £3
Cupboard - charity shop - £7
Blanket - Facebook selling page £15
Bed - old one I already had
Paint - dregs of 2 tins lurking in cupboard

I've never been one to completely change a room - whenever I decorate I look forward to putting my old stuff back in - even when  I moved house, I visualised how the existing furniture and accessories would look in my new home.  I like it to evolve, with different things here and there, constantly changing, but forever staying the same ... Putting things in different rooms seems to give them a new lease of life too, as you see them with a new eye when they're placed in different surroundings.

I've just discovered a great site (is that what you call it?) on Instagram, for those of you who subscribe to this amazing time-guzzling social network.  Polargram (wearepolargram if you want to follow them) develop your favourite Instagram pictures ... they look like Polaroids ...and send them to you very quickly (mine arrived within 2 days).  The cost is £5 for 12, £7 for 25 and free post and packing.  I have not been sponsored by them to advertise their product, I just thought I'd like to share a great service with you.  Think I may use them as price tags on my furniture ...

That's all for now my lovelies, as I have to go to town to buy duvets, pillows, pots and pans, etc ... I'm giving Harry cookery lessons too, and lectures on 'how to eat well on a thrifty budget' ... Hettie Brown would be so proud of me ...

Have a wonderful week, won't you?

Love, Claire xxx

London Calling ...

The other day the postman knocked on the door, and along with the usual pile of bills and brown envelopes was a big parcel ... It was from the lovely Ali from Ali Bee Creations.  I entered  LaaLaa's All British Swap and was delighted to be paired with Ali, who I might not have met otherwise, but I am so glad I was introduced to her lovely blog. I thought I'd taken pictures of the contents of my parcel, but I can't find them! If you pop over to Ali's blog, you'll see what I sent her.

This was my lovely box, all wrapped up in gold ... the colour of the medals Team GB are going to win in the next few weeks!

Each gift was wrapped very patriotically in red and blue tissue, and Ali also gave me a lovely Cool Britannia card, with lovely words inside ...

My stash of goodies ... well and truly spoilt!

Uncle Joe's Mint Balls, Winnie and Piglet picture holders, little Paddington pin, Union Jack tissues ...

Gorgeous, unique GB bag handmade by Ali, Jubilee Tea Towel, lovely notebook ...

The bag is so pretty, and very original ... I am privileged to be the only person in the world to have this bag!

decorated with a handmade flower ...

and Made in Britain ribbon lining ...

Twinings Tea Selection box (love Lady Grey!), GB mug, patriotic balloons, Postbox magnet, and Union Jack cake toppers, which I've earmarked for Steve's special birthday on Wednesday ...

A vintage postcard of Trafalgar Square and a lovely print of a British postbox .... and a BIG bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk (this was hidden as soon as the photo shoot was over!).  Wasn't I lucky? Thank you Ali ... a lot of thought had gone into your swap, and I really love it all! Am so glad you liked yours too.

Moving on ... after my previous post on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, my minds been whirring with ideas ... they don't seem to involve the WIPs I already have, they've gone on the back burner! Anyway, I picked up this old, neglected bike from Freecycle (I requested an old unusable bike and explained I wanted it for a project, rather than ruin a bike someone else could have used!)

Flat tyres, dodgy gears and brakes, left unloved in a back yard for years to grow rust and mould ...

 Ruby getting in on the photo shoot!

... and lurking by the gate, waiting for unsuspecting victims to pass by ...

and here is the finished product! Have I gone completely mad? Steve thinks I'm getting more eccentric every day! I painted the frame in Antoinette, a very pale pink, and the saddle in Provence, a lovely turquoise.  I have other plans for these paints ...

I've placed a pot containing ivy next to the bike, and hopefully it will entwine itself around the frame ... just thought the front of my house could do with a little something, haha!! Please tell me your honest opinion ... should she stay or should she go?

Wasn't the Olympic Opening Ceremony fabulous? I didn't expect to stay up and watch it all but was totally hooked ... made me proud to be British once more! Come on, Team GB, you can do it!!

I seem to be the only person in my street (and it's a big street), flying the flag for our Olympians and Paralympians, but I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of them in Blogland!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend,

Love Claire xxx

AND THE WINNER IS .....

Jubilee Weekend

Have had a very eventful past few days, and feel a bit worse for wear today, as my friend Kath came round last night for a quiet drink, and to watch the Jubilee concert on the telly ... we were busy putting the world to rights, and before we knew it, it was 2 am, so am not the liveliest person in the world at the moment, so please bear with me as I might ramble on a bit, or disappear completely!

My lovely Giveaway prize from Bellaboo at Bella's Country arrived midweek, beautifully wrapped and beribboned ...

Thank you Bella for picking me, it was a lovely giveaway, and I feel very lucky to have won your lovely presents. (Can I just apologise for the quality of my pictures, must get a better camera!)

On Sunday, me and Millie got up with the lark to a dreary, wet and windy day ... the morning of the long awaited Jubilee Celebrations, which have been planned for a year.  We had packed the car the day before and my little Micra was stuffed to the ginnels with tea trolleys, cupboards, crates and boxes, with not an inch to spare!  Dressed in a dotty dress and Cath Kidston wellies off we went to a sodden field with dejected looking swingboats, 

and marquees, resplendent in bunting and jubilation ... and do you know what, we had a fab day! Although the sun didn't make an appearance the Great British public sallied forth in their kagoules and wellies, and a good time was had by all! Let's face it, if we waited for lovely sunny days, we'd never go anyway, or do anything, would we?

Our marquee

Millie and our stall (as I've said before, it's amazing what you can get in a Micra!)

We had a really good day, and went home with a lot less than we arrived with, thankfully! I sold the little cupboard I showed you on a previous post, and also another rosy, dotty bedside table (and received an order for another).  I love these fairs, because you meet such lovely people,  customers and stallholders alike, who can tell you tales about your wares (Oh! I remember my Grannie had one of those ... and we've got one of those in the attic somewhere).

We were entertained by fabulous Lindy Hop Dancers

and the amazing Swingaroo Sisters ... sadly it was their final performance that day as they are disbanding.  Such a shame as they were fabulous, and sang songs from the 40's and 50's (We'll Meet Again, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, etc) ...

and of course we had to have the amazing afternoon tea, but was so busy eating it, forgot to photograph it!

Millie and her friends...

On Sunday, the weather was better (typical), so me and Millie went to a Vintage Fair in Ulverston, which was in a lovely hall, all art deco extravagance and gilding, was a really lovely setting, so we may join this too in the future.  I didn't take any photos inside, as I didn't know any of the stallholders so didn't like to, but this lovely lady was outside...

She wasn't really dressed for the weather though, unlike these three ...

Ulverston is the birthplace of Stan Laurel, and is very proud of its famous Hollywood actor son.There is a world famous Laurel and Hardy museum in the town.  

We took the scenic route home ... (Millie took these photos through the windscreen, in between stopping to pick big bunches of cow parsley and buttercups)  ...

where we wrote out all the names of our lovely Giveaway entrants ...

Put them in a vintage hat ...

Drum roll please ......

And the winner is  ....

Four Happy Bunnies! 

Congratulations to you, and if you could please email me with your details, I will send it out to you as soon as possible.  Commiserations to everyone else, but hope you've all had a lovely Jubilee Weekend.

See you soon, 

Claire xxxx