And then there was two.......

They say there may be snow coming, the sky is heavy and looks full to burst, whether it is full to burst of snow or not is another matter.  It is just the Mr and I this weekend,  a small luxury, to mooch on a Sunday without the usual demands of being parents, we walked to the pub last night just the two of us and had a meal, then wandered home, the sky was clear, the moon a thin crescent in the dark sky, it was cold.

Just me and the Mr.

This morning a lie in, fire lit, we watched a movie, how very civilized is that?  +1 is away this weekend,  pre 18th celebrations.....+2 is with Grandma, being spoilt no doubt, for this is what Grandmas do best.

Sherborne Flea-market yesterday, a purchase was made, although it must be said that maybe it ought not to have been.  But there are times when the heart rules the head, and shall we say that this was one of these times.

There is a cottage in my village and in the window is a beautiful 1920's plaster figure.

I have loved her for at least ten years, and walk past often, to gaze in the window.

I have seen these plaster figures in the past, but they can be very expensive and therefore always just out of reach.

Yesterday I had a good day of selling, She spoke to me quietly from across the hall all day, and just as I was about to loose her to another buyer, I realised I would regret not buying her, probably for the rest of my life.  Luck quite possibly was on my side as the other buyer ummed and arred and couldn't think where she might go, and walked away.

So Impulse stepped in and I bought her.

So here she sits on the landing window sill.

She was a bargain.

~

It has been lovely to spend time with my Mum.

Friday was for thrifting, 

finished of nicely with  Latte and cake.

We had lot's of laughs, and hugs and long chats.

It was just what I needed to lift my January mood.

We have promised to not let the time go past so long until we visit again.

I got beautiful flowers and a pot to put them in, all the way from France.

~

My flower seeds have arrived

My mind is full of plans for the allotment, this week I am hoping to spend more time getting the ground ready.  There is still alot of work to be done.  Let's hope there wont be snow.

Calendula, Larkspur, Gypsophila, Bells of Ireland, cornflower blue, violets, sunflowers.....

Bought in a package just perfect to get started from

Higgledy Garden

With an online growing guide.

~

May and Arthur are doing fine

One more week and they can be together, May is being Neutered next Monday.

~

Hope you are having a lovely Sunday

I feel spring is just around the next corner 

Sophie

x

Dreaming and sceeming,..........

Arthur is at the vet's, I'm all twitchy and cannot settle, the vet's here are so lovely, so I know that he is in safe hands, I put him in the pre opp room earlier and he has a heated blanket.  I think he was starving, as no breakfast this morning, his little face,but when I said goodbye I told him he would come back a new man, and that life will be just dandy from now on in.  He will be micro chipped at the same time.

I've been to the supermarket tidied up and it's still only 10 o'clock,....think it's going to be a long day.

I picked up the Feb issue of Homes and Antiques Magazine, popped the kettle on....

Homes and Antiques Feb issue

What I wouldn't do for a fabric stash like this, 

I love the wooden crates and the higgledy piggledyness.

I bought a little table at the jumble sale the other week, it wash 50p.

It was to be sold, but I've got rather attached now

I'm really not very good at selling things, in fact I'm hopeless, sometimes I think I am doing the wrong job.

But you will be so proud as I am still in the process of de-cluttering the cottage.  I've cleaned out cupboards, taken another 3 bags to the charity shop this morning.  I'm writing lot's of lists, it seems to help the process along, it is a nice feeling to tick of jobs on a list at the end of the day.

Some vintage fabric and sheets I found this week

I am hoping to make some pillow cases from the sheets, there is a 

Tutorial Here.

When life has calmed down and all the visitors have come and gone, I hope to be doing some sewing.

So there we are thats me all done,

Not much going on, short of things to blog about.

A January thing I think

I am dreaming and sceeming about seeds, and flowers for the allotment.

We are waiting

and hoping that Arthur will be home

for a cuddle

 this afternoon 

x

P.S Pictures taken on my phone today as The Mr has taken the camera to work.

Bye for now

Sophie x

Granny Blanket's and Picnics

Some day's my mind slips away plotting and planning of Granny Blankets and Picnics.  I don't think I've ever told you about Violet, because you see we don't talk about her much, as it hurts to do so, Mr especially does not like to talk about her, for I think it breaks his heart.......

This is Violet, we bought her in 2001.

She is a beautiful old girl and came with her name.

I cannot tell you the happy times we had in her, driving to far flung places, adventures to deserted beaches.  

She was a good and faithful friend. Driving down country lanes, stopping on the way for cups of tea, from the little stove, they were happy days.

The kids loved her, camping was never to be the same again.

Violet and Little legs 2001

And when we could we'd sneak off on our own just me and the Mr, and violet, head down to the coast for a weekend, just the three of us!

Life has a way of chucking stuff at you and due to a series of sad events, and very little money spare in the pot,

 failing her MOT Violet has been off the road for too many years.

Her floor is full of holes.

Her windows are growing Moss.

The rust is spreading.

and it makes me so sad.

2002

I long for those happy days of cups of tea on verges, granny blankets and picnics by the sea.

So I am hoping, and it is a big hope that this year will be the year, the pot will have enough pennies in to restore her. 

Thanks for stopping by

Sophie

x

January Day's

Gosh, been a bit grumpy cannot deny it, may be a January feeling, or maybe just eating too much rubbish, so three days of healthy eating lot's of fruit and water, this morning woke up with a spring in my step.

In January, even if the sun does it's best to shine, it doesn't quite reach my back door, I think our garden faces North which means that only a smidgen of sunshine reaches the garden in winter.  Half the washing gets nearly dry, (the bit on the sunny side of the washing line), if I can be bothered I jiggle it all around so that it can all get abit of sun, but it is abit of faffing, and if the wind blows it almost dry's anyway.

The front of the cottage gets all the winter sun, which makes the front room a pretty, light room.

I miss the sunshine.

I'm feeling quite excited, as on Thursday next week my lovely Mum is coming to stay.  I haven't seen her since May, and I so miss her at times.

We talk on the phone of course, but it's not the same.

You see on Feb 1st my +1 is 18...oh my I'm not sure how it happened, I feel as if it cannot be possible.

It heralds the start of big changes in my mind, of the beginnings of him flying the nest.  He has been applying for universities for some time now, so come September....I can't actually think about it, I will miss him so much and just writing this makes me cry.

I'm so proud of him.

Any way his Birthday will be a grand affair and he will have two, as Nanny and B will be here next week to get the celebrations started.

We may even fit in some thrifting, as it is partly my Mum who gave me my thrifty ways.

~

Sunday's flea market was cold, I thought of being back home in the warm by the fire, and then thought, I must be mad. You see I know I have been grumpy to not enjoy a flea market.

I was pleased with the things I found though

An old battered suitcase and a faded paisley quilt

The suitcase has this on the front, which I thought was quite clever,

cut out from an old sewing pattern.

The quilt, I love, it is so faded you can hardly see the pattern, it is soft and worn and beautiful.

Some pretty vintage fabric which has gone straight in the fabric cupboard.

An old painted mirror.

~

The two books I borrowed from the library last week

Both an excellent read

~

Sometimes when you're abit down in the doldrums you just have to get making, so this little dumptie

From the Dump for £1.

A few stitches here

& 

A few stitches there

&

It was a tricky little number, took ages to get it right, 

due to it's round, squareness.

~

The cat's are driving me bonkers, May is now named Flirty Girty as her love for Arthur knows no bounds, she does this amazing meow that I swear sounds just like "Arthur I love you" and oh my does she love him. They were having supervised play until things got a bit out of hand, now it's back to shifts.  I think by the time both of them have had their nethers sorted I will have a few more grey hairs.  I feel that one day it will all be worth it and the cat hormones flying around the cottage will be a thing of the past.

Arthur is booked in for next Tuesday for the chop, as we have had no phone calls.

Calmer moments

Hoping you are fighting of the blues of dark January days

Love

Sophie

x

Vintage Nostalgia Show May 2012

Just a quick post to let you know of an exciting weekend vintage fair in Wiltshire

http://www.vintagenostalgiashow.co.uk/

Check out the website, and Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-Nostalgia-Show/136657083107966

Live Music

TheObscuritones RockabillyBand

TheObscuritones

The 1940's family

Will be there

Yummy food

Vintage cars

Auto Jumble

Vintage Clothes

And Curiuos

& 

Camping

I'll be there all weekend

May 25th, 26th & 27th 2012

xx

Before's, after's and a few bit's in-between.

Un-finished business has been going on here in the cottage.  Lot's of projects that have been waiting for a bit of love to bring them back to life.  Firstly came this old trunk.

It's been up in the attic bedroom collecting dust and the odd stash of fabric since I was given it last summer.  

Annie sloan old white, ruffed up a bit with sand paper, then waxed.

****

On Saturday morning I went to my first jumble sale of the year, Very excited I must say.  I bought this little 1950's kitchen stool

the previous owner had already painted the legs, so it was just a case of choosing some vintage fabric

*****

Next was a little chair

The Decal Rose was from the charity shop.

*****

On Monday I was lucky enough to buy some lovely Vintage dresses, fabric and bits and bobs.

This dress in particular is my favourite

Also lot's of Granny woolens.  Yesterday the sun shone enough, that I hand washed everything and was able to hang it outside to dry.

Lot's of lovely Vintage fabrics.

So with the sun shining through the window's this morning, it was nice to be able to take some photo's, January can be a little dreary.

I have been having a de- clutter, trying to bring some light in after all the dark.

This large quilt on my sofa is not Vintage, but I really like it.

I rescued it from the dump, would you believe.

After much squishing and huffing and puffing, I managed to squeeze it in the washing machine.

***

This old wooden door rescued from the dump also

I thought it might come in useful one day

& an old photo 

I sanded and waxed the door, then cut the old photo to size to use as a frame.

&

Added two coats of varnish. Actually the varnish bought out the photo much clearer.

***

Lot's more things to photograph but ran out of day today.

Good news...Mr is now in his new shop, so much hard work but it looks fantastic. 

Today I have scrubbed, cleaned and scrubbed some more, his old shop ready for the new tenants,

so tired but that is it now, the final hurdle.

A quick cat update.....

Arthur is still with us

I am doing shift's between him and May, so that they don't feel lonely!

He likes to watch a bit of telly does Arthur, and loves people, he is a gentle lovely chap.

After this weekend if nobody has claimed him, he'll be neutered. 

He'll have a warm loving home with us with lot's of love.

Fingers crossed x.

Thanks for all your lovely messages.

Been rather busy but hoping to catch up on reading your blogs, so sleepy now so it's off to the land of Nod for me

Take care

Bye for Now

Sophie 

x