The sun has got his hat on ....

I got up early yesterday morning, and was very productive in the non-procrastination department ... did a job  I'v been putting off since the beginning of April ... filed my tax assessment online! Very boring but necessary, and actually only took an hour! Felt like a reward was essential, so rounded up my Darling Daughter and headed out for lunch and an afternoon in Ulverston.

After lunch, we drove to Ulverston, parked the car and walked down the leafy lane into town, passing local curiosities on the way ... Toll Gate House

a painted on window ...

and a glimpse through a back gate, to reveal a stunning front door ...

The 'pepperpot' on the hill ... when I was a child and we'd been away for the day, or on holiday, the first sighting of this monument always signalled that you were almost home ...

The lovely, cobbled main street ...

complete with new shop, since we last visited ...

very patriotic! ....

Lovely, summery displays ...

A seasonal view of the teashop I took you to in March ...

 The lovely 'junk' shop, filled with painted furniture and lots of vintageness ... sadly closed today!

The clock tower above the bank, that chimes every hour ...

and the lovely 'Sting In The Tail' filled with lots of fun and games, and eccentricities that you remember from childhood ...

All packed into a really, lovely, old building ...

 Elegant townhouses ...

 Picturesque pubs .... and back to the car, and home via the scenic route over Birkrigg Common ...

Wild and wonderful ...

Which way shall we go? ...

Chicken just roaming free ... she even stopped what she was doing and posed for me!

Strutting peacocks, but not prepared to put on a show for us! ...

Sheep enjoying the sunshine ...

And a magnificent view of Morecambe Bay ...

Well, it would have been rude not to, wouldn't it?

Rainsclouds overhead, so back to the car ...

and along the coast road to this long causeway ...

Skeletons ... what tales could these relics from the past tell?

Sign for ferry across to Piel Island ... don't think was safe today though!

and the bleak Piel Island, with its majestic ruined castle, pub and row of cottages, passed down through the years ... this island is the stuff of Enid Blyton ... smuggling, hidden coves, picnics with lashings of ginger beer!

We walked across the bridge to the Lifeboat Station, the pretty row of houses looking out to sea ...

Millions, posing by the lifeboat ....

One of the crew?

Gatehouse, which I think is now unoccupied, but what a fabulous place to live, and what a view, framed through the archway ...

and Piel Island again, viewed from the shore ...

Back to the car, and just had to show you this ... we always called it the house with 11 chimneys ... but it has 12! My Dad always said it was built by a local businessman and the chimneys were added for each of his 11 (12!) daughters ... would love to know if this is true ...

Back home and my little Bellis Perrenis plants (fake!) bought from Sting in the Tail ...

And today, back to the gloomy, grey weather where these are making me happy and reminding me of A Grand Day Out!

PS: I haven't forgotten about my promised Giveaway ... news soon, must stop procrastinating!

Enjoy your day ...

Love Claire xxx

Busy Doing Nothing ...

Haven't actually been doing nothing ... life seems to have been frantic of late, family get togethers, a christening, friend's special birthday celebration, etc, etc, and feel I've neglected all my lovely blogging friends!

Am amazed that I've reached the golden milestone of 100 followers ... can't believe anyone actually wants to listen to my wittering on about nothing, but am truly grateful to you all! As a big thank-you, am getting together some ideas for a Giveaway very soon, so keep posted, won't you?

Birthday season is almost in full swing in our household, so I'll be eating lots of cake, putting up banners and bunting, and generally having a good time ... hope you are too!

Love Claire xxx

Brown Paper Packages ....

I've had a busy time these last couple of weeks, what with Steve's Big Birthday, school holidays, painting, gardening and generally messing about, lots of long walks in the long-awaited sunshine ... not to mention long evenings spent sitting on the sofa watching Team GB walk (or run, or dive, or row, etc) away with armfuls of medals! Now the Olympics are on the last day will have to find something else to do before the Paralympics begin ...

It seems like ages ago that I joined Katie from booty-fullthings lovely Jar of Love swap.  I was paired with the lovely Madison, and this was great, because I had not stumbled upon her blog until then, so was introduced to a new blogging friend.  I decorated a jar with dotty sticky-backed plastic, added a ribbon trim round the top and stuck on a little magnet saying "where there's a woman, there's a way".  So true!

 I sent Madison some sandcastle flags for her little boy, a card of vintage buttons (14p from the Co-op!), a With Love tag, a Cath Kidston heart-shaped soap, some mini bunting I'd made, a decoupaged bangle Millie made, some red, white and blue balloons, a crocheted flower, a rosy basket needlecase, some more loose buttons and a heart shaped picture holder.

I received a lovely big box in the post, and armed with a cup of tea and chocolate cake (both made by Millie), we sat down and opened it.  I was well and truly spoilt by Madison!

Ruby, acting nonchalant in the presence of cake!

Madison is very crafty (unlike me; I couldn't really fit a cupboard into a jar now, could I?) and had made me a rosy tissue box cover; a lovely flower corsage brooch; a knitted heart (she must have looked carefully at my blog and seen that I have hearts everywhere!). I also received some pink velvet ribbon; a clasp; a Limoges miniature; a pair of gorgeous silver sugar tongs; a cloth bag filled with herbs which you drop in the bath and some Twinings tea.  It was all packed in a lovely Kilner jar adorned with a lovely butterfly.  (Think this will look nice dangling from my pink bike!)

Thank you Madison, I absolutely love it all, you must know me so well!

I love these swaps, as it's nice getting surprises in the post as well as gathering things together for someone else, and it's also a way of meeting lots of new bloggers ...

I'm thinking hard about doing a giveaway myself soon, as I am so surprised that I'm approaching 100 followers, so once I achieve that magic milestone, I'll celebrate with you .. I really find it hard to believe that so many lovely people are interested in listening to me prattle on about nothing, really ...

Before I go, I'll just show you the sofa I painted (this matches the chair I showed you previously) in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Old Ochre) ...

Before ...

and After! The little bookcase in the corner has also been given a makeover in AS Paloma, but I'm not too sure about that! The paint is so easy to use, and dries almost immediately, so it's easy to just change something if you don't like it.  By the way, do you like my Degas canvas above the sofa? I've been looking for one of these for years, as an old friend had one which I always admired.  I searched on ebay, I enquired online, but could never even find an image of the picture, never mind one available to buy.  A couple of weeks ago, there it was, at a car boot sale, about to be bundled back into the car because it had started chucking it down ... for the princely sum of £1!! Yes please, that'll do nicely, thank you ... when what I really wanted to do was jump up and down, screaming "I've found it, I've found it"!! Millie would have quietly disowned me on the spot I think, but she'd have had a long walk home!

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday,

Love Claire xxx

Dream on ...

Hold on to dreams ...
For if dreams die,
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly

These words were on a poster in my senior school classroom in the 70's, and I still think they apply today, just as much as they did then.

What do you think, and have you held onto words or a verse all your life?

Love, Claire xxx

Seven Things ...

I've just found out that I've received an award from the lovely Tracy at ifiknewyouwerecomingidhavebakedacake blog.  Tracy's blog is quite new to me, but I absolutely loved it from the minute I set eyes on it! Every time she writes a new post I recognise things in her home that I have in mine, and we both have a love of transforming inanimate objects with paint, especially my newly-disovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I was very honoured to receive the award, thank you Tracy.

I don't want to ramble on too much and bore you to death, but here goes ... seven things about me ...

1. My family mean the world to me.  My husband, children, siblings, nephews and nieces, everyone.  Need I say more?

2.  Likewise my friends.  I have friends I have known since birth, others from primary school and teens.  They remain my friends and know everything there is to know about me.  I couldn't get by without them and they know who they are.

3.  I worry...  A lot.  I worry about things that happened years ago.  As I have a good long term memory this is a worry too! I worry about things that happened yesterday, things that are happening now, and things that might never happen.  Sometimes I don't enjoy what's happening because I worry about what might happen.  It gets on my nerves ... please tell me to stop!

4.  I hate waste.  Any kind of waste ... food, time, money, furniture, etc.  I've never really had the luxury (?) of being in a position to actually waste things, but don't think I would anyway.  I hate today's mindset where things are just disposed of on a whim and replacements bought.  Emptying last weeks perfectly usable food out of the fridge and into the bin before going shopping again to fill it up with food that will be thrown away in a weeks time.  Throwing away clothes and household items without finding out if anyone else wants them ... I could go on, but rant over!

5.  I like making something out of nothing.  A meal out of the remnants of the fridge and cupboards.  A lovely new piece of furniture from something old and dated.  A lovely bunch of flowers from the garden, put into a thrifted vase or jug.

6.  I'm a Registered Childminder.  I have been for 10 years.  I started doing it because I had no-one to look after my own children and it seemed the ideal solution at the time.  I was there for them, working from home, but earning money at the same time.  I'm also a qualified teaching assistant and occasionally do supply work.

7.  I'm very happy with what I've got.  I love where I live, I don't want fancy holidays and posh cars, (it's amazing what you can get into a Micra). I have everything I need right here, right now.  Compared to a lot of people I have so much, to others very little ... why do we feel we  have to conform to what society thinks we should be?  I don't any more, but that's one more thing to worry about ... what others think of me!

Are you still there?  Hope I haven't bored you with my ramblings!

I would now like to nominate three lovely ladies and their blogs.  These are new to me, and very inspirational.  They are:-

Ada Bea from vintagesheetaddict

aloadofoldtat

shinglecottage

Have a lovely Sunday, and see you soon!

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