Oh my :o)

Good morning!

I had a lovely surprise this morning when I read my emails, Patty Pan at Tarragon & Thyme has honoured me with a 'Sunshine' award.  Thank you so much Patty Pan, I really appreciate it :o))

As a recipient I have to thank the person who has nominated me... See above.

Answer the following questions about my favourite things:

1.  My favourite animal.  That's easy cats, large or small.  Though hedgehogs are a very close second!

2.  Favourite number.  11.

3.  Non alcoholic drink.  Diet coke.  Oh! what WAS I thinking..Assam Tea is my favourite drink!

4.  Facebook or Twitter.  Facebook, but incognito as I ONLY use it to keep in touch with my daughter.

5.  My Passions.  Wildlife and Nature, closely followed by the 'collecting' bug.

6.  Receiving/giving gifts.  Giving.

7.  Favourite Pattern.  This was a difficult one as I don't sew, so I choose the design for Hedgehog Houses :o)

8.  Favourite day.  Wednesday, a day I sometimes share with a very dear friend.

9.  Flower/flowers.  Roses, foxgloves, poppies.  In fact all cottage garden flowers.

10.  Favourite country.  England.  I worked as a travel agent for over 4 years and NEVER had the slightest inclination to holiday abroad!  (Yes, I'm a little strange ;o)

Now I need to nominate 5 or 10 blogs to pass on the award to, and let them know they're nominated.  This is difficult, I read and follow so many lovely blogs.  If I miss you it's not because I don't think you deserve this award.

1.  Liz at Shortbread and Ginger

2.  Leanne at Tales of Simple Days

3.  M at Vintage Jane

4. Keshling at Keshling pulls it off

5.  Lucey at Lemonade Kitty 

6.  Kirsty at Sixty-one A

7.  Mary at A Breath of Fresh Air

8.  Charlotte at A Cottage in Totterage

9.  Lottie, Millie, Hamish,Catkin and Scooter at Isn't it dinnertime yet?

10.  Dan at Frogs, Dogs and Ferns

These blogs make me smile :o))

See you all soon, have fun!

Updates and a few lucky finds.

Hi there folks.  Hope the weather has been better than here....I'm truly fed-up of the rain :o(

I thought I'd start off by thanking you for such lovely comments, I really do appreciate them.

The hedgehogs are still visiting the garden and filling up on free food, and the little field mice are still here too despite Sid's best efforts.

I went out with my friend Ann for lunch on Wednesday to a garden centre and a small craft centre (Sorry, I've been a naughty blogger - no photos of the garden centre or the crafts, though there was only one outlet open that day.)  But on the way back through Cannock Chase we looked for deer. 

Managed to get a few photos through the car windows of some young roe deer on the outskirts of 'the Chase', if you look closely at the background you can see how near to the houses they were.

Ain't they cute?

Hubby and I have been looking out for a smallish dining table for the garden, and a few weeks ago I passed a restaurant that had closed down to be 'converted' to a Bistro.  They'd placed a chunky, solid pine dining table outside with a notice on saying they'd more inside For Sale.  Of course they were closed at the time, so I made a note of the phone number to give them a ring later.  I tried for a couple of days with no luck and thought I'd give them one last try, this time they replied.  I asked if they still had the tables, he said yes, how many did I want?  Just one I replied!   How much are they?  He told me that they had fifteen 3' square ones and just one that was 4ft 6 by 3 ft, the smaller ones were £15 and the largest £20.  We went along and immediately paid for the largest table.  Hubby dismantled it to get it in the car and I chatted to the new owners, they asked if I wanted any artwork from a pile in the corner as it was all bound for the dump.  Obviously I went through it ;o) and chose four pieces for the frames :o)
Then I noticed a small occasional table under one of the other dining ones, it's 15" high and the top 10" x 12" - just what I've been looking for as an occasional table to pop next to a seat when serving drinks or snacks, when I asked if it was for sale they told me to take it free of charge!  Sorry, no pictures of the large table yet as it's still dismantled in the garage awaiting some decent weather to be sanded down, the frames are now in the loft - I forgot to photograph them, but here's the small table.  Still cannot decide weather to paint it or not though, but it's been really useful already :o)

It slides neatly under the coffee table out of the way, made to measure in fact. 

Then, on my usual visits to the local charity shops I found a few things.

First there was this paperweight - by now you know I'm a sucker for a nice paperweight!

3" diameter, the colour doesn't show too well here, but it's centre is mostly amethyst glass.

I visited Newport, Shropshire a few weeks ago, one of my favourite haunts and not surprisingly went into the charity shops there, and there IS quite a few!  I found this box there, it's contents caught my eye immediately.

THE most gorgeous 'ginko leaf' trivet!

It was from 'Oxfam' and as you probably know they are very price savvy, so when I saw the £8 price tag I winced and looked around the shop a little more.  Then I realised that I had NEVER seen anything like it before and it was unlikely I'd see one again.  'Nuff said, it came home with me :o)

Then, last Thursday I went to my 'local' and saw this...

It's missing the lid, and I really cannot decide weather it's old or not, but it's hand painted with lovely, pretty flowers.

It is a (Victorian style) toothbrush holder, but I guess it'll be just go on on the desk as a pretty pen dish.  £1.

This is the backstamp, and I've seen it before but cannot find anything about it, anyone know?

Lastly, some weeks ago I found this cream corseted bodice, obviously it was made for a bride.

It is encrusted back and front in pearl and crystal beading,

all hand done.

Isn't it gorgeous?  It's actually large enough to fit me!

(Though I doubt I'd ever wear it) 

The cost?  Well, when it was new I'm quite certain it would have been a few hundred pounds, but the price tag said £4.  I just couldn't leave it there. 

 I've carefully washed it and now I'll store it in acid free paper.

Well, this has been a bit of a mixed bag.  Hope you found something you liked too.

See you all soon, and hopefully the rain will stay away for a week (or two)!

Best wishes to all.

For dear Dad..

I wanted to make a post in memory of my Dad for fathers day.

Here he is dressed as a pirate for a carnival float way back in the 50's, my favourite photo of him!

He was a kind, gentle loving Dad that I could talk to about anything.  He died in 1995 aged 73 years, much too soon.  I miss him every day....

Where ever you are Dad, I love you.

xxx

Who'd a thought...

I'd miss you all SO much?

Happy to say that wonderful hubby ordered a new screen and fitted it, so I'm back to play :o)

Where to begin? 
How about Hedgehogs?

We're still seeing dear little May most evenings, along with three or four others.  I decided to check all the boxes yesterday (Sunday), so carefully lifted the lid on the new one (No.3) first.  I saw a few droppings and (even more) carefully lifted the hay and low and behold was AMAZED to find not one, but TWO sleeping hogs :o))

I'm presuming that they must be juvenile females as I'm fairly certain that two males wouldn't live in harmony together.

Then I checked No.1 and again was amazed as Wilf has vacated and the box was empty.  Then finally I checked No. 2, this was empty too, so Winifred has trundled off too.  I'm sure they've probably moved on as the bedding was sure to be stale after having little hogs in there for at least six months.  I've taken the opportunity to thoroughly clean them out, and sterilised them with my hand held steamer.  Then have filled them again with some nice fresh, sweet smelling hay, and left them all ready to take in more prickly guests!

* * *

Now, on to other things...

I use pure cotton bedding, and prefer to use old cotton 'twill' sheets, they're not easy to come across and the ones I've been using for some years are starting to get worn.  Where to get replacements from?  Then, whilst ironing I remembered that when My Aunt died about four years ago I had 'rescued' a brand new pair from the charity shop pile!  I found them out and unpacked them, and was delighted to find they are still in perfect condition.  So I washed them to get the stiffening out, and added them to the ironing pile.  I would not be able to afford such good quality sheet today - that's IF I could find one that would even come near.

The wrapping certainly dates them though...

Then, I read the guarantee, that certainly made me SMILE :o))

No. 3 did it! 

"Fold them evenly before they go through the wringer."  Tee-hee.

If I have a problem rest assured I will write telling the year they were purchased - do you think they'd honour the guarantee?  Good old Osman sheets :o)

* * *

Our dear daughter Vicky came home for a visit over the Jubilee bank holiday , it's the first time she's been 'home' since Christmas and it was so lovely to spend some quality time together :o)  On Monday we went to a local car boot sale,  not surprisingly we both 'found' a few things.

Firstly, I saw an old 4oz glass Bovril bottle for 50p,

  Then I found this miniature wood whittling set for 75p (I quite fancy having a go at this!)
It contains a tiny knife, wood and sandpaper.

  Then there was the 'scissor pendant' 20p which I think will look quite sweet hung up with a tiny posy in,
a ' BBC Springwatch' book that I'll enjoy when I have a few quiet moments and lastly,

but certainly NOT least a pair of Spode like Blue Italian door knobs for £2.50.  I don't have a use in mind yet, but I'm certain they'll 'come in' for a project :o)

* * *

Dear Vicky also had a look at my old electric sewing machine (she is an excellent seamstress) which has been a complete pain in the butt by knotting up underneath for ages, and try as I may I couldn't solve the problem :o(  She switched on, put in a bobbin and it worked PERFECTLY!  I told her I'd even checked I'd put the bobbin in the right way as shown in the manual...when we looked it said to place it in anti-clockwise, which I did.  Vicky had put it in clockwise and it worked???  I've had the flamin' thing for over 30 years without a hitch.  Well, happily I can now turn up a pair of curtains and maybe have a go at a few sewing project I've been meaning to try.

* * *
Then, lastly you'll be pleased to read ;o) I have a few charity shop finds..

There's two silk handbags, one gold and one black measuring about 14" x 8" x 2" that were £1 each :o))

A trinket box which is 2" square and 1" deep covered in dear little bunnies £1

Then, finally a lovely cream ware pierced heart tea light holder for just 75p.

I'd like to give a sincere thank you for all the lovely messages I received whilst I was 'off air' I REALLY have appreciated them :o)

Signing off wishing you all the best, have a great week.

Whoops!

Hello there, just a quickie I'm afraid. 
Thought I'd better let you know that due to me knocking off my laptop and then spilling tea all over it in an attempt to catch it I'm off the air until I can either get it repaired or replaced :o(((  So I'll be snatching what little time I can to catch up.  Hope I'm up and running SOON.

Best wishes,

Rose H