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!

Wake me up, when September ends ...

Autumn is now in full swing, the long, heady days of Summer are finally over, and there's a distinct 'nip' in the air. The nights are drawing in, it's getting dark much earlier, and it's time to snuggle up and batten down the hatches.  I've been making a few changes indoors too ...

Bye-bye, Summertime

The Summer shelves have been taken down, dusted, and stowed away until next year ...

Hello,  Autumn!

...  and replaced with more seasonal objects ...

Is the weather good when the pine cones are open? I can never remember ... though I think it may be something to do with rain ... if the rain gets in they will rot, so they close up ... I may be making this up ...

Not a very good pic, but I just love this amazing tea set.  I think it is from the 1930's, when my house was built, so it fits right in!

Thrifted granny blankies are piled on the sofa, along with the hooky bag ... my evenings are sorted now!

All are safely gathered in ...

and turned into the most unlikely things! Chocolate Courgette Cake ... absolutely amazing ... please just try it, even my veggie hating lil sis was fooled!

We've been foraging amongst the hedgerows ... They are absolutely brimming with voluptuous, purple-black bounty this year.  Lots more to come too, as there were many unripe and still some in flower ... my freezer will be groaning this year ...

The old jam pan has seen a lot of action this year!

I think I've cheated, and this picture is of Strawberry Jam, but I've been making that too, with the last of the British strawberries.

The treacle tins come into their own at this time of the year ...

And old faithfuls come out of hiding once more ...

 I've even brought the garden bench in, to get warm by the fire!

Thinking fairy lights may be needed here ...

A really lovely book to snuggle on the sofa with ... Vintage Home from Sarah Moore ... only £5.99 from The Works ... my heart skipped a beat when I saw this, as it was on my wish list!

Stairway to heaven ... another basic need ...

I'd like to thank you for all your concerned comments about my last post ... Harry didn't get the best start to University living, but I'm so proud of him, for coping so admirably with everything that life's thrown at him these last couple of weeks ... his unusual arrival at university, then a broken laptop, and to top it all his student account hadn't been activated, so he has had no (and still hasn't) access to cash, because of the bank's mistake.

He had to come home the first weekend (Fresher's) to sort the latter two out, and on the train saw little Minnie Micra on the top of the scrapheap, minus her wheels.  I have to admit, I shed a little tear ....

I've got lots of fairs coming up, The Pop-Up Shop in Ulverston is coming back on 5th October, which I'm looking forward to, and my calendar is filling up rapidly ... going to be busy, busy, busy ... but never, ever too busy to catch up with my favourite bloggy friends!

Hope you all have a fabulous, golden, week!

Love from Claire xxx

Oh, Island in the sun ....

Almost a year ago I took you for a walk on the wild side to the wonderful Piel Island.  To be honest, I really didn't think it was that long ago, and as it was such a grey, miserable day, I thought it was last October, but no, it was actually in August!

Yesterday ... not last year!

My lifelong friend Anne who lives in Dorset, is visiting my little town on her annual jolly to see family and friends, and  over a nice meal out the other night, mentioned that she was going on a nostalgic boat trip to Piel Island with friends, so Millie and I invited ourselves along ...

This time we were going on the Ferry, not by foot, and the day dawned wild and windy with heavy showers, but as I always say, if we waited for sunshine we'd never get anything done. Armed with our pac-a-macs and picnics, we met up on Roa Island, and while we stood around idly chatting, missed the first ferry over!

Harry, ready for action

It only takes 10 minutes or so to do the return trip, so we didn't have long to wait before we boarded.  The sea was quite choppy, so it was a boisterous journey, but the sun was shining brightly and shimmering on the waves ... a bit different from the last time I showed you the island.

 

We approached the island after being gaily thrown about for five minutes or so, and although I have said it before, I still think that Piel Island would make a great setting for an Enid Blyton feature film as it has all the essentials ... a rugged, desolate beach; dark, brooding castle, a secretive huddle of smuggler's cottages, and an old sea dog's inn, all steeped in ancient, salty history ...

Millie, hugely excited!

We disembarked without falling in the sea, and went for a quick look around the island, as it is well over 30 years since Anne last camped here, and she needed to reacquaint herself with the landmarks.  She got a bit emotional which is very unlike her, as we looked at the little cottage that is still for sale, and had a little dream about living there, and then found a sunny spot to lay the blanket on the ground.

Replete with a Tesco meal deal (I left it too late to decide whether or not to go, so there was no time to make up the usual hamper) and several Fondant Fancies, we ambled along to the pub for a swift half of shandy ...

who needs to go abroad? 

By now the sun was really blazing it's socks off, so we all rolled up our jeans, fiddled around with tee shirts to avoid tan lines and joined in with the kids playing on the sand.  These are the best kind of days, and cost practically nothing ... the children get to play together, team build, use their imagination and are out in the fresh air, communing with nature.  Much better than trawling around a gaudy theme park eating vast amounts of chemical laden 'food' while their parents apply for a further advance on their mortgage.

This unfiltered image of the beach, sea and sky, wouldn't have looked out of place in a brochure advertising select 'off-the-beaten-track' holidays in the Aegean sea ...

eeeh! It's grim up north ...

All too soon it was time to leave, and we walked around the island, passing the castle ...

following the time-worn path beside the cliffs, eroded by the vicious tide, which will one day bring down this magnificent building and take it for its own ...

and boarded the ferry tired but happy, full of plans for next year!

Definitely A Grand Day Out of the highest order!

Sale of the Century

I know I promised to tell you all about my Vintage Sale which took place last week, BUT ...  I didn't take any photos ...  I started setting up at 6.30, and it took until 9 before I was satisfied with how it looked.  I took a little breather, had some breakfast, and made myself presentable, then everyone started arriving and didn't stop until lunchtime! By then it looked a little picked through and tatty, so I didn't bother with photographic evidence.  It was a fabulous day, the sun shone, was very well supported, I sold lots of stock, made some money to contribute to buying more of said stock, and decided that I will definitely be making Fabulous Vintage Sale an annual event! Thank you all for your support and kind words.

I'd just like to say that I was completely overwhelmed with the volume of comments for my last post. Thank you so much, they mean the world to me, and I was glad to be able to share my news with you.

Have a fabulous weekend, and hope the sun shines for you

Love, Claire xxx

The heat is on ....

Just a very quick one today my lovelies, I know I've been neglecting you all terribly these past few days ... not had time to catch up with all your divine blogs or leave comments willy nilly ... I'm working myself into a frenzy over Saturday's sale ... I really hope it will be worth it!

I've still got lots of jam to make, furniture to paint and upcycle, and generally just a lot of faffing about to do!

The weather is still amazing, and I've just come back from a walk to 'my' beach ... not too hot at this time of day, and a lovely breeze playing around too. It helps me to collect my thoughts for the day, and list in my head what needs doing.  I've finished childminding now until September, which sounds fabulous, having almost 7 weeks holiday, but I don't get paid during that time, so a sale will help in that respect and also clear some stuff to make room for more of the same!

So if any of you are in the area on Saturday, it would be truly amazing to see you! Details are on my sidebar, and hopefully I'll fill you in (not literally!) on Saturday's shenanigans next week ...

Until then, have fun in the sun, my lovelies

Love Claire xxx

PS: Hope Kirstie doesn't fail to deliver on Tuesday!

In the summertime, when the weather is high ...

Phew! Isn't this weather fabulous? Makes you want to leap out of bed and face the day ...

This past week, I've been spending a lot of time at the beach ... I've been taking the children I mind in the mornings before school (strictly no rock pools at that time of day, don't want them shedding sand everywhere in school) and after school when playing in rock pools is compulsory! I'm very lucky, I know, actually getting paid for paddling in the sea ...

I've been picking pretty posies ...

Aren't these climbing roses divine? There are millions of them, but sadly they are very fleeting, but stunning nonetheless ...

I've been making lots of lemonade and St Clements drinks ...

And I've been practically living in  the garden, so much so that I've turned it into a room ...

 And given my very old Ikea garden furniture a much-needed makeover ...

And roped everyone else in to help too ...

I might get a couple more years out of it now!

This is the life ...

I'm really enjoying my staycation this year, (even though I haven't officially started my time off, this weather makes every day feel like a holiday) no packing, no passports to find, no overcrowded airports and definitely no mountain of washing to look forward to on my return!

The bunting's out and I'm getting the garden ready ... for an event I've finally plucked up the courage to hold ... my very own vintage sale! As you know, I regularly tootle about on my travels, gathering treasure as I go ... it's an addiction, there's no other way of describing it, but the situation is getting so out of hand, I'm about to declare a state of emergency.  My home is overflowing with vintage loveliness, and with no Fairs in the near future, I thought that this is the solution ... I can sell some stock, make some money, and keep on collecting for next time!  Simples.

Fabulous Vintage Sale

114 Ocean Rd, Walney Island

Saturday 27 July

10am – 3pm

upcycled furniture

lampshades and stands

china (lots of floral teasets)

textiles

mirrors and pictures

bric-a-brac

handmade items

let’s re-love our pre-loved treasures!

Hoping that the weather stays fine ...

Love, Claire xxx