Pretty Vintage

guess were ive been...

2012-01-21T20:07:00.013Z

last year for our anniversary the hubby got me some vouchers for Cath Kidston...

although its quite hard to believe Ive only just spent them .. Ive had them since August!!!..

i was waiting for the right time haha..and since there is never a spare moment when you have little rascals for children i thought the Saturday just gone was the day!..

we went to Liverpool and took the boys round the museums and for a burger king.. (mummy had to have a bk as well as it would have been very rude not to!!).. anyways the first place we went to was to Caths but that was just to peruse what things i wanted to get, didn't fancy walking round the dinosaur exhibition with a bag of loveliness the t-rex might have wanted it for himself!!..

so after we'd been round the museums, had lunch it was up to that beautiful shop for bit of mummy time!!..

it was hideous... the boys were running wild.wanting to get into the bed that was in the middle of the shop ( well you cant blame them..i wanted to ..it looks that cosy!) playing with all the toys that were on sale, being very loud, then wanting to be taken the toilet and then our debit card got declined how shameful was that so the hubby then had to go and find a cash machine and actually draw the money out..not sure what happened there maybe my card was just excited because it knew it was buying gorgeousness!!.

..not the cath kidston shopping experience i had promised myself when the hubby first presented me with my vouchers!!..

but it doesn't matter really because i still came away with two big carrier bags slung over my arm so alls well that ends well !!

want to see what i bought.. ..of course you do !

it made me laugh when i was taking everything out.. it all matched..

i hadn't intentionally done this but it all was from the same pattern..

i bought this lovely table cloth that had been reduced from£40 down to £20, its quite a good size and as our table is rather large it does cover the majority of it which is good..

i thought it would bring the blue dresser into the colour scheme as most things in the dining room are green and red so thought the blue would tie it all in as theres green and red and blue in the lovely pattern..

some cake tins..

because i just love cake and i love cake tins..and i found that they finish off my pink shelves in the kitchen perfectly.

i have put the little pink tin from the trio on my microwave

..i love this little corner its so bright and cheery and a bit pretty i think..

then i picked up this darling little set.. and for £12 i just couldn't have said no could i..

I'm kicking myself now that i didn't buy two sets but never mind.. i knew it would have to go on my yellow shelf in the kitchen..and i think it just looks perfect there ..

there isn't actually room for one of the saucers on here so that's just sat on my bigger dresser at the minute .. I'm sure that will find a little home somewhere soon though!

and then because id spent over £50 i got a free laundry bag ..and look at the pattern

must have been a Provence rose day for me hey!!

also picked up some rolls of wallpaper for the boys room which I'm decorating this week here's a little glimpse for you ..

ooo excited about that little project i can tell you!!

so the only trouble is now Ive seen all the other lovely items for sale I'm wanting to go back and spend a small fortune.. i saw a beautiful dress and cant stop thinking about it.. it was so pretty and I'm sure i would be happy every time i wore it..but i don't think i could justify£85 so I'll keep an eye out for a primark wish it was version or look in the chazza shops for anything remotely similar!!

breaking through the fog

2012-01-07T01:41:00.008Z

hellooo there..is there anyone out there!!

well deary me that was a long blogging break..i cant believe that its been since September since Ive last sat down and wrote a blog post...now i might have mentioned before that i do get obsessed with things and i started slimming world at the beginning of September..and i have been completely wrapped up in writing down my meal plans for the week and how many syns id had that day although as a friend pointed out eating a crunchie isn't what they would class as a sin!!..
so i was really good and lost nearly a stone and half which was what i needed to lose..yay.. - until we finished for the holidays and then me and the hubby ate after eights and all sorts of treats nearly every night and i have put on a good few pounds over the last couple of weeks..not a good look again..but hey ho these things happen and I'm sure it will come off again once i get my mind into gear again!!.

anyway how have you been!!??...
theres been a few interior changes in the pretty vintage household (whats new i hear you ask!!) so instead of me waffling on about it and boring you to death.. I'll just show you the pics and put a little sentence underneath about it!..

well first of all..we changed our middle room from sitting room into a dining room again..which meant moving things from the dining room back into this room .. such as this mirror and can you see a bit of the welsh dresser.. i wasn't sure about the dresser being in this room as the ceiling heights and proportions are a lot bigger and higher and i thought as a piece it might get lost but its grown on me and sheer laziness has prevented me from moving it now!!

we have moved the tv into the room by the kitchen now and that has become our snug (will do a whole post to that room soon !) so the bookshelf which has been in almost every corner in this house was moved again and I actually like it the most were it is now.. i have a proper reading corner and there is no distraction of computer or tv in this room now !!

candle holders and pictures..new homes for all here!!

picked up this lightbox in ikea in their bargain corner for £3 last week.. i wasn't sure were to put it but i found a space above the bathroom door. it keeps making me laugh when its on as its right at the top of the stairs .. it kinda gives the impression that the mother ship is guiding you up the stairs into the spaceship a bit sci fi i think!!

heres some pics of my new dining room and the beautiful table that my lovely hubby built...yes actually designed and built himself..not from a flat pack instruction manual but actually from his own hands... so proud of him for making this.. we really missed our old long dining table and wanted to get one again but they were so expensive so he just thought he would get the wood himself and make it..you know like you do!!.. its got a solid oak top and pine legs and its so huge that its not going anywhere for a good few years * don't think we can get it out of the french doors actually!!* think this is going to become a family heirloom to be honest.. and Ive been told that i cannot paint the legs of it!!

here's our stair well..its pretty much been empty as its such a big space that i couldn't really fill it without it looking a bit "bitty" but i think the bunting helps fill the space along with the huge ikea print of Amsterdam..the hubby pre children and pre marriage responsibility actually stayed in one of the hotels in this picture so its a little bit of him in a house of floralness.. im good to him aint i.. i let him have the stairs!!
my mum passed me on this lovely mirror and i was going to put it on the wall..but then i had a flashback of a time when i visited Laura Ashley and in one of their sets they had a lovely Venetian glass tray on a side table and i thought i would recreate that a little bit here with the mirror and some candlesticks ..

ive brought my dressing table down and put it in my front sitting room.. i was going to have the computer in here but something went wrong with the Internet when we did that so we had to keep the computer were it was so now its just another space for me to plonk things on and have a play!!

here's my front room now.. i love it .. it feels so cosy and lovely especially as its just for grown ups (well me really!!) my sister gave me a rug which id actually been after for ages as i loved the design and it really makes a difference to the warmth and brings out the colours of the sofas as there are reds and yellows in there

loving my little pompom polka dot lampshade fairy lights..i think they go perfect in this room!!

my mum bought me these gorgeous cushions from B&M's they are such amazing quality and were only something ridiculous like a fiver each..

..these are such good quality ..all stitched not painted on and they have withstood pillow fights from my two boys !!

so there you have it .. a mini tour around..i will be back soon..probably with another picture heavy post..but you dont mind that do you..are you as nosy as i am and love pictures of peoples homes i do.!!!

he said.. theres somthing in the woodshed..

2011-09-20T21:07:00.013+01:00

well the other week.. the hubbys grandad asked us to help clear his woodshed, which is when we took most of it to the car boot sale ..remember this previous post..

http://charl-prettyvintage.blogspot.com/2011/08/carboot-madness.html

so we did.. and most of it was the usual woodshed gubbins..lots of tools and books on woodwork and johnny mathis albums!!

but there was a few things that i spied with my beady eye... and these things came home with me!!

first off this sweet little teacup..no saucer with it but its fine for popping a little tealight in..to pretty to go in the bin dont you think!

these lovely pink glass dishes.. the colour on the picture looks almost orange but they are a lovely light pink and i think would be perfect for a gorgeous pud covered in cream!!!

then this sweet little yellow floral tea set.. a girl can never have enough ( i know i say that about most things ...but it is true!)

and then whilst we were clearing out the shed i could see something at the back which looked suspiciously like a mirror to me, now his grandad didn't say anything about it so i assumed it was for keeps, so our car was packed to the rafters honestly the man is more of a hoarder than me it was great!!.. we were stood in the shed door just having a little chat when he pointed to the mirror and said how he'd had it for years..was going to give it a bit of tlc but had never got round to it.. and now he was just going to take it to the skip... well i nearly fell over when he said that.. "I'll take it!!" i said .. the words were out of my mouth before i knew it!!.

i couldn't believe he was going to skip it i mean why would you!!???

so i got myself an antique dressing table mirror !!

look at the lovely detailing

you gotta love bun feet on anything!!

i love the little flip up drawer .. its already starting to get filled with my bits and bobs!

now the hubby has said he thinks the glass needs replacing but i sort of like the mottled effect it has that vintage feel to it now... my sister says it looks like something out of "The portrait of Dorian Gray!".. i feel it is a bit phantom of the opera'sh .. i am resisting the urge to paint it for now because i know how slapdash i am with a paintbrush and i think i could actually go to jail for crimes against antique furniture if i was to wreak this!!!

so remember the story "cold comfort farm " and the little old lady keeps saying "theres something in the woodshed!" this time she was right!

low cost lovelies

2011-09-15T09:56:00.008+01:00

finally made it out of the house yesterday..ooo it felt good .. even doing the dreaded school run felt great as i knew i was on my way out!!..

so i dropped off my little boy who is still at that stage where he shouts "kiss and a hug" before he goes into his class.. which i love him for because i just know in about 2 years he will rather me drop him off outside of the school gates and put his head down pretending not to know me.. i will weep then I'm sure of it!!..

right were was i.. oh yes.. so i dropped him off and took a stroll into town.. didn't have that much money on me as i had forgotten my purse silly me so it was literally loose change rolling around in the bottom of my bag ..no bother for me.. if i see something i like the charity shops by me tend to put things away so i knew if i saw something i could always do that...

my favourite charity shop wasn't even open yet so i was bit fuming at that because it is pretty much the cheapest one in town as well so i went and had a mooch around the other two.. and i was glad i did because in the second one i went into i came across a few bits ..picked them up took them to the till to see about putting them away.. when she told me the price of it all.. i went through my bag.picking out dead receipts and bits of fluff and got the money together ( i have no shame in handing over change.. i paid my window cleaner £1.50 last week in copper!!) so anyways i picked up this little lot all for the princely sum of £2.50!!..

i got two of these little tea light holders..

Ive put them on a shelf on my landing just outside of my bathroom.. it does look a bit like an alter at the minute so I'm not sure how long that will stay like that!
a Laura Ashley candle holder .. i thought id show you the bottom of it so you know I'm not lying.. think its the type that you put your oil in the top.. but Ive not used that stuff since i was about 15 and was a body shop fiend so I'm not sure were id buy it from now??... but it still gives off a nice light with a tea light in though..

these four lovely pastel gingham mugs were still in their box.. brand new.. i had to have them as the colours just go perfect in my kitchen.. and i have smashed a few cups over the past few weeks so could do with a few more !

and lastly these sweet little sherry glasses..not that I'm a massive fan of sherry..but i have been known to get through the cooking sherry when there was no booze in the house .. ( but that was a few years ago when it was more of a party house than a shabby chic house!) ..i saw the coloured stems first and at the minute i seem to be a coloured magpie..so thought these would go somewhere in the house to!..

so i popped them on the kitchen dresser but you cant really see them in this picture can you.. i promise you they are there and they do look rather pretty not to overpowering .i do like clutter but not to much !!

so all that for £2.50... that's why i love charity shops the randomness of it all and on a good day the low cost loveliness of it all!!

well I'm going back down to town now ..picking up a little leather biker jacket that I had to put away yesterday as obviously id used up all my loose change!! its a style Ive been after for ages but couldn't afford TopShop's prices this is only £3.99 and Ive already planned my autumn winter wardrobe around it!! ..

tuesdays thrift from last week!

2011-09-13T19:46:00.011+01:00

well i have been stuck in the house the past few days due to my oldest boy having had a high temperature and sore throat.. cant believe it, hes only been back to school for a week and i have had to ring the school already to say hes not coming in how bads that!..

so we've had a couple of pyjama days, well more so me the boys have both been wanting to get dressed and Ive been clinging onto my comfy togs for as long as i could!..

so we've been stuck in, its been a shame as the weather has been fab here.. very windy of course but the sun has been so bright in a real blue sky .. Ive had to make do with walking round my little yard or staring out of the window at it..

i think hes back to school tomorrow.... he was back to normal by about lunch time today

cue.. mummy shouting an awful lot and him being a cheeky five year old..ahh yes hes ready to go back in tomorrow!!

so because Ive not been able to get out for the past few days i thought id show you some of the pretties i bought last week, last Tuesday in fact so very much Tuesdays thrift just a week late that's all!

well first off this wasn't thrifted but it might as well have been it was from Pound Stretcher and only cost £7.99..im going to add a trim of white pompom on it as i think it needs a bit of a finish to it but how pretty is that.. yes i know its probably meant for a seven year olds bedroom but i thought it would be perfect for the kitchen!

i know this is a particularly un-inspiring picture.. I'm not sure what happened to the light when i took it but this was the best out of the bunch of the pictures !!.. i bought these two pink petal ware plates for a pound from a charity shop that has more displays than anything.. and everything you think oh that's nice wonder how much that is.. theres a dirty big sticker on it saying "display, not for sale!" how silly is that.. so i was amazed that these were being sold!!

i haven't got any pink utility china so i was pleased to pick these up .. just need to have a look round for more!

i got these two cornishware wish it was ..for a pound from the market.. sat on my dresser at the minute with my real cornishware cups and saucers and it looks alright really next to it so we wont say its a big fake if anyone asks!

a bit of a dodgy closeup of my two washing up brushes that i bought from B&M's they were only 99p so that's why i got the two.. i tend to be the chief washer upper in our house .. ( even though I'm so rubbish at it.. you always find bits of stuff still on the plates after I've washed up..gross! ) so i might as well have something pretty to use!!

i picked up these beaded tea light holders over the weekend.. they give off a lovely warm glow when the candle is lit.. nothing better now its getting cooler than to start lighting the candles again and just making everywhere feel all nice and cosy ..

this mirror cost 30p.... yes can you believe it 30p...before you get to excited though and think i got the bargain of the century.. it is actually really tiny .. the photo makes it look big doesn't it.. its about the size of my hand!!

yet another glass cake stand.. a girl can never have enough cake stands!!

i love the top of it.. i think its a very elegant number this one!

pink, blue, cupcake print, polka dot.........its like all my favourite things in one place....

on my new glass chopping board!!

i got this from B&M's as well for £2.49, same time as i bought my washing up brushes.. man i love that shop it just never fails to make me buy something from there!!

so there you go.. just a few bits, they've kept me going but i feel the force of the charity shops calling me tomorrow !!

chickens, waterfalls and egg cups

2011-09-05T19:23:00.012+01:00

evening all...

well the pretty vintage household took ourselves off on a mini break this weekend!!..

it came at the end of a pretty long summer holidays i have to be honest and our holiday back in May felt a very long time ago it was much needed!!..

but then saying that when you go away with kids its not a restful holiday is it really, i mean its still the same as being at home but just in a different house!!..

that sounds awful doesn't it .. sorry!

anyways id been looking on eBay and the Internet trying to get a little last minute deal on a cottage somewhere, when i stumbled upon a listing on eBay, it was quite cheap and it wasn't that far really from us.. so it meant that there wasn't going to be hours and hours of driving to get to it..

so we were in wales but on the Shropshire borders i think .. i kept getting confused because one minute id see a sign saying welcome to wales then id see a sign saying welcome to England!

we were staying about 8 miles outside of Oswestry which is shrewsbury way i have to be honest i don't even know what the little town was called it just began with a double L LLsomthing!!

it was the sweetest little house.. it was called the smithy and it used to be the blacksmiths..

we had chickens outside that we could go and pick eggs from..

i obviously sent the hubby in to do this job.. i stayed on the other side of the gate chatting chicken talk to them..

the smithy itself was a real surprise from the outside it just looked like this tiny shed but then when you got inside it was lovely really open plan and high up..

it had a wood burner were the hubby was found here both evenings stoking up the fire and generally being fire hungry as only men are!!

I'll show you some pics now to give you a little idea of what it was like...

this was the view all around us. this was taken from the windows of the bedroom

gotta love a stable door..!!

our lovely comfy bed.. we put the boys on two put me up beds pushed together in the eves of the room.. they loved it ..

anyways we took ourselves off for many drives to discover nice places.. first place we went to was to see a beautiful waterfall .. it was stunning.. now I'm not really a lover of nature id rather be in the gift shop or cafe next to the place of natural beauty ( ooo they sell book marks and ice creams I'll see you later!) but even i thought it was gorgeous .. so it must be!

the air felt so clean and beautiful to, that i just know if my boys lived near to it they would never get bad chests again..

next day after a bit of a slobby morning we drove up to this which was a fantastic dam built in the Victorian age and again it really was stunning,

we even found out that underneath all the water was the remains of the village that had been standing there when the dam was being built.that was a bit strange to think that under all that water there was actually houses ..creepy..

there was even a fairy tale tower that was actually built to filter the water ( am i sounding a bit like a school trip report ..sorry !) and because it was all misty and drizzly it looked even more ethereal than it usually does i should imagine!!..

anyway mummy had been very good and hadn't mentioned any shops until later on that day!..

well the rain was coming down a lot so we had to do something indoors !!

these bright egg cups/sundae dishes i don't know what they are really, called to me, so it was to the charity shops for us!..

i just had to have them with their lovely bright colours and the mini spoons that came with them!

it was a day for bright colour as sitting not far from these beauties was this little beauty.. a bright yellow gravy jug..

it doesn't have a name on it just had an England stamp on it,

i love it though the bright acidic yellow of it, this is now popped on a shelf with my kitchen jugs..

so all to soon it was time to come home, and as always the sun was cracking the flags when we were leaving bah ...the English weather it hates us going on holiday .. it really does we drive into rain .. we leave sunshine behind.. it always happens!!.. anyway it was gorgeous and there was also a car boot sale not far from we were staying so we thought it would be rude not to go...i saw quite a bit that i could have bought but funds were running a bit low as they tend to do on the day your coming home from a break don't you find.. but i picked up this lovely cup and saucer for 20p

and the cutest tiny little jug also for 20p

.. they were actually in the same box,

and these two rather tall candle sticks complete with square candles that aren't staying i assure you!..

i am going to give them a nice lick of paint and replace candles with a nice size pillar candle just in time for the cold months coming up!

so there you go..if you got this far.. well done you !!...

carboot madness

2011-08-31T18:35:00.011+01:00

me and the hubby braved the elements on Monday and not only went to the car boot but actually were selling from the back of our very own car boot to!..

we were actually helping out the hubbys grandad who just wanted to clear out his shed so on Sunday we deposited the kids at their nans and we went and sorted out the shed.. ( Ive kept a few things back for myself but I'll save that for another post!) anyway we basically had a bootfull of tools, books and many other random things ..

went through my mother in laws loft to and got a few things from there and then there was a few bits out of our loft to clear to.. lets just say the car was packed to the rafters !!..

so car was all packed and it looked promising when we first woke up there seemed to be a sun rising in the distance i was feeling positive..

i kid you not the minute we shut our front door and opened the car door it started battering it down.. i mean what is that all about !

so we were in two minds about what to do ..but we just thought lets do it .. we didn't have the kids, and i couldn't face emptying that car it was to depressing a thought!

anyways we got there and it was full of people.. sellers and buyers.. it made me laugh so much when we drove on to the field you could see the look in peoples eyes .. " ahh heres a new seller.. new stuff for us to buy now!.".. honestly we were swamped by people.. i felt like a famous person surrounded by the paps!!..i ended up getting one bloke to help me put the cloths on our paste tables , to give him something to do while the hubby fended off the others with the line "erm can you give me a minute mate !"

so we did rather well.. that was more of the grandads things that just went in a flash.. if you want to know the best things to sell at a car boot.. Tools!!.. they were going like hotcakes !!.. my table looked a bit more forlorn and looked actually like the type of table i give a miss.. i think it was the amount of tack that was on mine.. my sister came along with my mum at one point .my mum ended up buying two things off me .. i did try and give it to her for free but she was having none of it .. so i gave her a reduced price.. you know family rates and all !!

by the end of the morning i was getting a bit fed up of the actual amazing cheek of some people.. the rudeness of others and i was cold.. so we decided to start packing up.. we still had a few things so the hubby ( very clever he is to!) went up to one of the "you can tell he is a professional trader because he had a big van!" and said he could have the bits we had left for a fiver if he wanted.. he said yes!.. so it meant we had a nice empty car and we got rid of everything!!

so there was still a few die hard sellers which meant we could walk around and have a look ourselves..and because it was so late in the day we got everything at v silly prices!!

i got this picture and i thought it would be lovely for our bathroom..

i picked up this china mug and coaster for 20p!..

stuffed them on my dresser theres always a place for everything in my house!!

id walked past this cup a few times and it was there at the very end of the morning so i think it was waiting for me to take it home! the seller wasn't budging though and i still had to pay a pound for it but its ok because its very pretty and is ideal for our toothbrushes !

not sure why its come out upside down this picture but anyways its got the date on it 1918 so a little bit of an antique isn't it!!

oh and i erm kinda picked up another (cough cough..haven't got a problem really ..)
shelf.. yes that's right i bought another shelf!!..

i had to it has all the elements of a good shelf.. solid wood and little hooks so i can hang things off it to .. i had to have it and it was only a pound..i couldn't walk past!!..
so last night the hubby was trying his best to ignore me asking him to put it up..but then i started banging around a bit and i think he thought anything for a quiet life so got the drill out!! ..

i am going to get some nice tea light holders to go on this sweet little thing.. I'm thinking jewel colours like greens and reds..so keep your peelers peeled for me !!

oh did pick up a lovely vintage style cardie as well with lace and beads on but forgot to take a picture of it doh .. ( oh well I'll start Friday Frocks soon and show you then!) but that was only 50p to!!

think that is the last time i do a carboot for a long time though i was exhausted when we got home!!

dream house ....

2011-08-30T08:59:00.005+01:00

what is your dream house?

mine changes regularly .. sometimes its a massive detached house on a tree lined road with a huge garden..other times its a white weather boarded cottage by the sea, and then sometimes its a little cottage with roses around the door and ivy growing up the walls with a gorgeous cottage garden...i think it does depend on if I've been watching "escape to the country" or if we've been on holiday or out for a drive and i have seen a type of house that day.. I'm very fickle i have to tell you !!.. ( is it just me but when Ive been anywhere and i love the houses .. i go home and get straight onto "Rightmove"so i can have a nose around the houses in that area!!

anyways i have my dream house at the minute.. i see it everyday, its really me .. its a pity that its meant to hold butter!!..

yes my dream house is in the form of a butter dish!!..

my mum brought me this last week and its been taking pride of place on my little yellow shelf ever since!..

it comes with trailing roses around windows and doors

stuffed to the brim window boxes full of blooms

lovely original blue shutters framing all the windows,

so if you ever hear the nasally tones of Lloyd Grossman asking " who lives in a house like this" and you see the prettiest cottage ever .. you'll know that its me !!

ey a girl can dream cant she.. !!

the sun is out there somwere

2011-08-27T09:38:00.006+01:00

Ive been sat looking out of the window and the sideways rain that's coming in is pretty depressing i have to say.. this basically is like the last weekend of summer isn't it.. what a weekend to end on..it pretty sums up how pants this summer has been!!...

Ooo what a negative intro..sorry about that, you can almost hear me sucking them lemons cant you!!..

i keep looking out of the window desperately trying to see the sun that is behind the grey clouds that are centre stage at the minute... in fact if i squint my eyes a little I'm sure i can see a touch of blue sky, you have to think positive!..

so I'm going to post a few pics that i took the other evening around 6pm, the sun was casting a lovely glow around the back of the house that i had to take some pictures, so for days like this i can remember that the sun has made a few appearances over the past few weeks!!

its making me feel a bit better already and if i look on the positive side.. the rain is watering my plants which ive kept forgetting to do so its doing me a favour at least!!..

oh and the ducks will be happy !!

a tale of two tea towels !

2011-08-24T12:54:00.011+01:00

in the past Ive blogged about tea towels, i do have a bit of love of them, pretty ones though not the old ones you've had for years and have become like crisps!!

so last week after reading a certain email id been sent i realised that i was going to be able to write about tea towels again and not actually come across as a bit of a saddo like i usually feel because id been asked to do a review!!

i know get me doing a review.. this is a first !..i think several bloggers have been asked to do it so I'm good company..and it will be interesting to see what we all chose!..

the company is http://www.all-tea-towels.co.uk the website is like tea towel heaven!..

there are tons of gorgeous designs and as i had to pick a couple to review i was like a kid in a sweet shop i didn't know what to pick.

well i finally made my choices..

so i got my parcel all wrapped up in tissue paper.. i love getting things wrapped up in tissue paper i dont know why!!

you know that i had to choose a floral design first!..

so i went for the Victoria Rose Flowers Delightful this was from the "flowers and nature" section of the website

and its really is Delightful!!.. it has the most loveliest rose design on it ..lovely muted colours so it doesn't come across to garish, with lovely touches to it like the edged pattern, and the trailing roses over the top...

to me its like a beautiful piece of fabric that should be seen and not stuck in your tea towel drawer so i shall have this out at all times ( not to be used however...far to pretty!)

it really is a very pretty vintage piece isn't it!!

now for my second choice i picked the Scandinavian Folk Art tea towel, this was from the "world" section of the site,

this is more of a retro design which is a bit out of my comfort zone as i tend to veer towards the flowery side of vintage but there was something about this design that i really liked.. i love the bird print

and the real retro colours that have been used here, the blues and reds with oranges and yellows work so well together..

i just love this one, i just think again its a lovely piece of fabric and i may even frame this one and hang it up on the wall as its pretty cool i think !

so many thanks to Al from All tea towels for letting me review your scrummy tea towels and even better getting to keep them..and i am glad that its another lovely website for me to peruse to !!..

If in doubt...

2011-08-22T15:52:00.005+01:00

if in doubt put up a shelf !!..

this should be my motto in life... the hubbys is " when all else fails.. hit it with a big hammer!! "

obviously hes talking about diy here.. hes not a hammer wielding maniac!

yes but my last resort for things is to just put another shelf up..theres always room for a shelf and that means theres always room for more pretty things to enter the house!!..

so i was faced with a little dilemma last week when i got my new cake stands.. as the triple tier one would really only fit were i had previously had a two tier one.. so i then had to find a home for the two tier one.. now i couldn't put it on top of my dining room dresser as you wouldn't be able to see it and i do like seeing my pretties out, but it cant be any were to handy for chubby hands to get hold of as that would be the last i saw of it !!..

so anyways i did a little bit of re-jigging things around on the dresser and its found a little home just sat in the middle of it.. so i moved some tins but then realised they didn't fit anywhere else on my dresser .. ( phew can you keep up with the crazy life that i lead!! )

what would be my solution... a shelf that my mum had given me a few weeks ago that had been in the boot of our car since.. i got it out.. got the hubby to get the power tools out and up it went.. which meant that i was left to faff about afterwards!!..

it is straight but as our house is the house that jack and his mate bill built the door frame isn't straight which means it looks a little on the wonky side but its not the hubbys dodgy diy skills but the door!!!..

so this is just yet another shelf that i can now have fun with adding to and hanging things off it the possibilities are endless and as soon as this one is filled up to capacity I'm sure I'll find another space on a wall somewhere for another one...do you think this could be a condition i have.. like shelfomania !!

i spotted some fairy lights the other week when i went into Liverpool that I'm going to save up and get as they are really cool and will look adorable on this shelf so I'll show you them as soon as i get them!!..

Gift and Thrift...

2011-08-18T12:32:00.015+01:00

it was our wedding anniversary the other week..we were very romantic and went to Drayton Manor theme park with the kids and my sister, brother in law and their brood to !!.. yes it was a romantic day walking hand in hand through Thomas the Tank land and gazing into each others eyes over a picnic bench burger and chips in front of us and a crying kid along side!!!.

actually it was a lovely day, the sun shone all day and the kids for most of it were brilliant..we would go back as it was great for the kids small and big!! and you can camp there so if you want to pace yourself or go back for more you can.. so we said perhaps next year we'll think about camping .. (hmm you might find that i stop in the hotel and go down and see if everyone is alright in the morning!!)

so as it was our anniversary this means little gifts were purchased and given to each other.. usually the hubby buys me an item of clothing that i then return to the shop and buy something that 1. fits me.. and 2. is actually to my taste!!.. he does try i know but i did have to ask him this year not to buy me any thing that resembles clothes !!..so the clever little thing took himself off to Cath Kidston and bought me these sweet little tins

and some gift vouchers yay..which means i get to go back again and buy myself some other scrummy things!!..very excited.. and I'm going to go on a complete child free day so i can stay in there for ages just looking at everything!!

then a friend bought me the sweetest mini cake stand, and i just adore it!!

isn't it funny how something so little can make my day!!?

it really goes with the little yellow shelf doesn't it .. I'm loving yellows and limes and pinks together at the minute..

i obviously am going to have to buy some mini paper cake cases now and make some ultra cute cupcakes to go on it aren't i !!..

and from small to big .. how gorgeous is this triple cake stand

this was off my sisters inlaws who are part of our extended family ..its even better when they know your taste isn't it!!..

so they bought us the lovely cake stand which has now took pride of place in the kitchen and this adorable little heart hanger with a cupcake design on

.. they know me so well.. don't think the hubby was as impressed with it as me but he'll live!!....

so from gifts to thrifts ( see what i did there!)

here's the latest charity shop buys ...

this gorgeous mirror .. so small and delicate but pretty heavy actually...

my mum isn't sure if its actually silver, theres no stamp or hallmark on it but it could be couldn't it!

.. it does need a bit of a clean up so will set to that , just love the amazingness of the back of it so much detail

.. it seems a shame to put it on the wall as you miss out on all of that ..

a rather modern picture for me but i thought it was quite cool, and it was still in its wrapper, guessing somebody changed their mind..

i know were this is going but i need a few more pictures that are similar in style or colour before it goes up on the wall!

just thought both of these items have been paid for by my mum when we were out so i guess this is thrifted that was gifted !!

have got a few more things to show you but battery has run out on camera so cant today.. im sure the suspense will kill you but you'll have to wait a few more days heehee..!!

Good for the soul

2011-08-10T07:50:00.009+01:00

had to go to Liverpool the other week for clothes for the boys.. i find it an experience at the best of times.. immediately feel like a country bumpkin among the hustle and bustle of the city and the pushing and shoving to get to the cheap clothes in Primark really grates on me!!..

anyway add to the pot a crying toddler stuck in a buggy with the most dodgiest of wheels and you can be sure that it really wasn't one of my best outings!!

anyway it was proving to be a real horrendous day and i was a little bit tense to say the least!!..

so just before i left for the train i popped in to the Cath Kidston shop just to have a look round and you know what .. it instantly calmed me !! ( think the fact that the baby had fallen asleep at this point so i could have a proper look round helped to!)

oh i love that shop..i love the bright colours and the prettiest things ever on show .. i even love the shop assistants!!.. in a city full of orange faces and blank stares looking back at you over the till they all seem so wholesome in their pretty tea dresses and pleasant expressions actually happy to help!!!..

i so want to work there it would fill me with happiness i should imagine!!

anyway as i had literally spent up on the children's clothes that day ( bah these pesky kids and their growth spurts!) i didn't have much to spend on me, but i did pick up this little beauty and it was actually a rather practical buy to considering the boys have managed to smash the previous ones that we've had

so here we have my "Good for the soul" purchase of the day .. a soap dish holder!!

how something so small and trivial can bring sheer happiness is probably really sad but not to me.. but then small things appeal to small minds don't they!!!

i love it.. and i love how the rose goes with my rose wallpaper

and i also love how its not going anywhere this cant be used as a boat when the boys are in the bath thus preserving its use for a bit longer than the previous soap dishes have fared!!

so the next time you are out in town and not having a good day ..nip into CK and feel the calmness come over you... or simply leave the kids at home that might help to!!

something old.... something new

2011-07-26T16:26:00.012+01:00

something borrowed...something blue...

no I'm not getting married again.. ( ooo wish i could go back and have my wedding day again, to the hubby of course not to someone else.. would love the idea of planning it all again.. a different dress and a lot of country flowers and masses of bunting this time around me thinks.. i was a bit more "footballers wag/wife" when i got married !!..

anyways I'm off again there aren't i.. do have a habit of going off topic!!

anyway just thought id show you the recent additions to the Pretty Vintage household..

starting with something old which basically covers most things in my house.. always second hand or "vintage" we call it these days don't we, I would say majority of my house is either charity shop, freecycle or carboot and my wardrobe is made up mostly of ebay and charity shops.. i think its much more interesting ( but would so love a massive wad of money to go shopping though!!)

the hubby's gran gave me this original oil painting the other week, they've had it for years

.. i love it..

i love the pale shades , it all seems so calm and it goes perfectly in my bedroom

this fake flowery plant came from the charity shop the other day .. I'm not really sure about it but i just wanted a bit of floral goodness on my fireplace and it was only 70p so i bought it..not sure how long I'll keep it for as its a bit naff, but i do think the flowers are a bit pretty!!

picked up this pretty little barge plate , i really love these type of paint work .. id love a few more of these.. have to keep my beady eye out.. think it would look really pretty all grouped together !

and a sweet candle stick.. its small perfectly formed!! ( would like to say a bit like myself but then that was before i started to eat whole

packets of jaffa cakes to myself!! )

something new
my mum bought me this lovely heart hanging piece .. she wasn't sure of the colours but once i hung it up in my kitchen the colours seemed to find their place in amongst all the others !!

my fave shop B&M's came up trumps with these lovely canisters .. i just love the brightness of the colour combinations and i think they look a lot more expensive than what they actually cost

i bought this sweet little oil lamp .. well its oil lamp effect as you stick a tea light in the bottom, Ive popped it outside in the vain hope that we get a balmy evening and i can sit outside with lit candles dotted around ( here's hoping anyways!)

Something Borrowed

well technically its not borrowed, but i got this lovely mirror off freecycle ( what a surprise!) i haven't found a home for it yet so its just next to my dressing table.. i quite like it there actually it reflects light in to that little corner of my room.. i love the shape of it as well rather pretty!!

Something Blue

i came across this little haul the other day in the charity shop .. its a mix match of "Iris, Woodware" and "Royal Art Pottery".. all for £3.99 i wasn't going to leave it!!
its a bit of a rubbish pic as it was rather dark when i took it .. but I'm just loving the different shades of blue all together..

in my garden

2011-07-19T23:01:00.010+01:00

the past few days here have been wet... wet, soggy, downright depressing actually.. i cant believe its actually summer to be honest, if i was a betting woman i would bet that it was actually October in disguise!!..

so i thought to cheer myself up i would post some piccies of my little tiny yard, some i took a few days ago when the sun made a cameo appearance for the season!!..

i have totally disregarded the house over the past few weeks. and its all been about the garden!.. now when i say garden that is me using a touch of poetic license as its a very small l'shaped yard ..buts its my little space and its somewhere that i find myself wandering up and down drinking the first cup of coffee in the morning ..checking on each floral progress and dodging the slugs to!!

these pretty bedding plants always remind me of ladies faces with little bonnets on!!

a little bit of bunting that i made from cath kidston samples Ive had for ages.. don't look to closely though the sewing is shocking.. i blame my machine though not me!!!

a little sun trap for me

some home made candle holders using empty coffee jars and various stickers!.. still waiting for a balmy evening to light them though!!

a nice bit of chick lit to pass the afternoon.. this one "meet me at the cupcake cafe" immediately made me want to abandon my diet ( which i did!) due to the gorgeous cake recipes found within the pages .. and also open up my own little shabby chic shop ( which i haven't because I'm poor!!)

a sweet pea .. that i bought for about 10p in the woopsie section of homebase!

some old and some new hydrangea's

my lupins before the slugs had a feast on them!

some impatiens ( are these busy lizzies?? ) .. in my vintage enamel bowl..

my little corridor of happiness.. that i stand in my french doors like a loon and just stare out at.. the people at the back of me must think I'm some sort of crazy stalker just staring into space but i do get a bit of joy just looking!! ( At the flowers not the neighbours right!)

troughs of lobelia ..

Sweet Williams and trailing geraniums

the red corner !!

more hydrangeas ..

love my little blue planter from B&M's..really emphasises the pink of the geraniums i think

a mish mash of bedding plants and stuff that should come back next year .. ( here's hoping the snow doesn't have its own agenda!)

lovely blue delphiniums.. again bought in the bargain bit of homebase.. i gave it a good home and its seemed to have flourished..!!

so there you have it .. a mini tour around a mini garden, I'm no Percy Thrower but i do get enjoyment from choosing plants that have colour.I'm going to try and incorporate a few climbers this year so that i can benefit more next year.. what ever the case Ive enjoyed so far. will have to think about my autumn garden now!!

guess ??

2011-06-28T22:20:00.006+01:00

can you guess what is low, a little bit squashy, with a touch of gold and a white leaf threaded through ??..........

guessed what it is yet ......!!?????

why its my Laura Ashley sofa that i got off the my fave website ever and ever and ever!!..

we were in badly need of a sofa for the front room as the leather corner one we had, had a huge rip in, which got bigger every time i looked at it.. it was also pretty battered up and not in a good battered up looks fantastic with age look.. just looked battered!!..

so i had been looking on eBay for a while but kept either missing the auction, or was getting pipped at the post..so once again the freecycle fairy came to my rescue!

i got a two and a three seater..i have to admit they are a bit beaten up as well ..but for nothing i can deal with this..

when the hubby picked them up and brought them back to the house we still had the leather sofa in the room plus the floral sofa so we actually had four sofas all in the same room haha it was a little bit to much!!

Ive found a company near to me who re-fill the cushions making them comfy and not feeling like you're sitting on a biscuit so I'm going to send the cushions away to them to get that done and i feel like they are a bit low for me.. so Ive found on eBay someone who makes feet for sofas so I'm going to get some of them just so the sofa is a bit higher as at the moment I'm feeling like I'm sat on the floor!!..

i have to admit the room feels a lot lighter and when the sun is streaming in through the window it gives off such a golden light its lovely...

just have to find some nice cushions now or some nice fabric at least to make some of my own.. any suggestions I'll gladly accept to!!

so now I'm off to fill a glass with pink wine and lounge on the sofa!!!

a little bit of a tadda moment!

2011-06-21T22:01:00.007+01:00

well Ive been off the blogging radar for a while again.. its really not intentional .. its the fact that our camera is broke so i have to rely on the hubby's camera on his phone.. so by the time he gets in from work and I'm pulling my hair out with the boys the last thing on my mind is setting up and taking pretty pictures.i really should just buy a new camera shouldn't i !!..

anyways i took a few minutes the other day to take a couple of pics of some of my latest projects...

now remember the sweet little tea trolley from my last post..

well i found some pale pink gloss lurking in the back of my cupboard so i slapped that on it the other day .. i forgot to put an undercoat on, instead i just sanded it down a bit and painted on two coats of the paint

id forgotten how long gloss actually takes to dry.. remind me never to use that again !!..

it is a bit patchy but that's the beauty of the "shabby chic" look isn't it.. it doesn't have to look perfect !! ( luckily for me!)

i had seen on the Wilkinson's website under children's storage this rather cute box which i think is meant for toys for a little girls room .. but i just saw the tea cup and tea pot design and the fact it was pink blue and yellow and knew it was meant for my kitchen !!..

i bought it and it now holds my tea towels.. which is great because the drawer that did have my tea towels in is now officially my "messy drawer!".. you know the drawer that holds takeaway menus and unwanted bills!!..

i bought this lovely shelf the other week from the charity shop.. it was orange wood so i just knew it was going to be painted but couldn't think of what colour to do it..then i did my post asking for ideas on what colour to paint my dresser and a couple of you said to paint it yellow.. well i loved the idea but knew that i couldn't face a whole dresser painted in yellow.. but that the shelf would be perfect in that colour.. so i was talking to my mum and i said oh I'm going to get some yellow paint for that shelf.. and guess who had two un-opened tins of yellow satinwood in just the right shade .. but mummy of course.. honestly that shed of hers is amazing.. its like a mini B&Q without the annoying orange aprons asking if you need any help!.

so out came the paint brush and i painted up the shelf.. silly old me didn't get a before pic of the shelf but let me assure you it was very orange!!..

i think my little spice tins look very sweet against it.. and it really cheers me up seeing this burst of sunshine in my little space...

what else have i wielded the paintbrush over.. oh yes.. remember my garden bench that i got from freecyle the other week ..

well with a swish and brush of cuprinols "forget me not" and some "moonlit white" on the arms its a lot brighter and cheerful than the mouldy old green bench that i picked up don't you think..

i painted my other bench in the same colour as well which last year id made over in red

.. remember this was also a freecycle find so for the grand price of 10.98 ( i had a 20% voucher to spend at homebase!) i have two new benches!

and finally i got round to painting my kitchen dresser and i used my Johnson Bros "green cloud" gravy boat as the colour inspiration!! i took it with me to get the colour matched up to the paint i was getting mixed!!. so i painted this last week as well ( no wonder I'm shattered this week.. Ive been blaming it on the low cloud its more to do with the fact i was painting everything in sight!)..

at first i thought it was disgusting.. it actually made me feel sick when i looked at it.. the green was all wrong it was to sickly and just didn't feel right ..

but then once i popped all my goodies back on the shelves and put the little yellow shelf up along side it..

the colour has sort of mellowed out and Ive just got used to it!!..

so its been the longest day today and we've had rain this evening.. i had planned on sitting out this evening and enjoying the summer evening.. it wasn't to be.. so instead I'll just stand in my kitchen and look at the primrose yellow shelf.. i think that's going to be my summer!!

AT LAST!!

2011-05-28T17:28:00.008+01:00

ooo i have been waiting and waiting and waiting to be able to get into blogger for days now!!..

i haven't been able to sign in, so couldn't post, make a comment on anyones blogs its been a nightmare and something that i realise i do take for granted..

so I'm not sure if this is a fluke and how long I am able to stay logged in so I'm going to make the most of it anyway!

well the hubby has just got back from a freecycle pick up!!..its not even been a week since we got the free bench.. has been a good week hasn't it!..

so the latest addition is this sweet little tea trolley...

its a bit ropey and will need a sand down, and the wheels need a bit of oil on them !!

i think I'll paint it a nice pale pastel shade as you know me and dark wood don't really mix!.

(i have so many things that need painting I'm just going to have to do them all at the same time!!)

but i love it, i can be Mrs overall whenever i want now!!..

i couldn't resist dressing it up so just put a little floral cloth down with afternoon tea apparatus!!..

unfortunately there are no cakes on that stand to tempt me!!

Ive no idea where I'm going to put it there is practically no more space to put anything but I'm sure I'll find a home..

i quite like it at the end of my sink cupboard.. how inconvenient then that the back door is in the way.. will i get sick of moving it out of the way every time i want to go outside or will I just be pleased to see this pretty little thing with even more surface space to hold more things!!?...

a box of loveliness, fancy stickers and even more!

2011-05-23T19:47:00.011+01:00

so i was on my nightly eBay window shopping the other week and i came across some very sweet spice tins on offer.. didn't really have the money for them at the time so i left them.. sold a few things last week on eBay so finally got some money in my pay pal account hurrah and was able to buy the darling tins!!

they came the other day i was most excited..especially when i opened the wrapping to be met by the lovely packaging.

and then once opened this lovely sight greeted me..

i just love all the pastel colours together and the sweet little bird print on top..truly a box of loveliness!!

so here they are lined up together.. how cute are they at all..

i love em !!

now i had hoped that you could buy the same tins but with a variety of spice names on the front but having searched through all of eBay and going on to the dot.com gift shop were these originally came from i think these are the only ones that are made.. which is a pity as i think a little shelf full of these would just look gorgeous ... and was what i had planned to do...

so as i cant do that i just thought i would have to think of ways to pretty up little jars myself..

so again was doing an eBay wander through and came across a book of Cath Kidston stickers now I'm probably about 40 years behind everyone else here.. but i cant understand why Ive never bought these before or even seen them before.. were have i been!!

so this book of gorgeous stickers came through my door on Saturday morning..
i am so going to have to restrain myself because I'll want to put them on everything.. the children will wake up in the morning and I'll have labelled them in the night!!..

so i thought i could use some of the floral ones and if i pop them on some smaller jars they would look quite cute!!

later on Saturday we popped up to my mums so the hubby could have a look at building some arch or something, its wooden and for the garden anyways!!.. well i came back with a right haul of things including this lovely red flowery plant.. which I've popped in to a spotty mug and it really brightens up my day every time i walk past it.. its so bright and cheery and lovely,..

and a gorgeous skirt which I'm going to save for a Friday frocks post ( oh haven't done one for ages must get back into that!) a couple of dresses and a pretty little floral box,(which ive forgotten to photograph but its very sweet so will take a pic for next time!)

so I did rather well from mummy's boutique there didn't i !!..

Sunday we went for a drive and also to pick up a garden bench off freecycle .. the hubby has just got roof racks for our car ( don't ask me why.. hes not a window cleaner so cant quite understand why he wanted them!) so it was the first chance to try them out !!..

i think it would have been quicker to shove the bench in through the boot with the seats down but no we stood there wrapping rope round this rickety old bench with the wind howling and the children getting more and more lively in the car!!!..

so Ive got another bench for my tiny tiny yard .. i got one last year from freecycle which i painted red. you may remember from this post....

http://charl-prettyvintage.blogspot.com/2010/08/so-were-was-i.html

well this is this years one!!.. so they are sort of in a L shape now

I'm thinking of painting it pale blue or pale green.. not sure yet.. I'll see whats in the back of my cupboard!!

. it was a bit wonky but the hubby just tightened it up when we got home and its fine.. so this will be my breakfast bench as were this has been put is were the sun goes to around breakfast time

( if it ever comes back out .. I'm freezing!)

so there you have it.. a few bits from the weekend, all random but nice!!

thanks for all your fantastic ideas for my dresser as well they were very helpful and am at the moment constantly checking the colour charts and looking at paint!!..

colour my dresser

2011-05-18T12:48:00.010+01:00

hi all...

well as the weather has turned horrible around these parts ( i've even stopped putting the fake tan on. i mean whats the point when im covered up in cardies and jeans and socks again!) so ive been in the house an awful lot.. this is fatal to be honest as i start to notice all the niggly things that need doing.. the hand prints all over the walls and the general wear and tear of the house ..and my giddy aunt there is so much from roof down that needs doing its driving me mad !!

alas funds have been a little low so Ive just had to grin and bear it when all i really want to do is just go to home base and buy tins upon tins of paint!..

anyways by next week all funds should be straightened out and that means decorating again YAY i say !!.. BOOO says the hubby!!

so whats been driving me mad at the minute is the dresser in the kitchen.. i painted it what i thought was sage green ..but its so pale that it could pass for dirty white i reckon!..

also since being in the kitchen its been knocked about a bit and is looking a bit sorry for itself.. you know even with my good intentions my painting always comes out slapdash!!..

so i thought i would give it a re paint as it does seem rather drab ..but I'm just not sure what colour to do it.. the walls are pale blue .. and the sink cabinet cupboard fronts are white..

do i paint it white.. or cream or another colour.. it is only a smallish kitchen as you can see

so it needs to be something rather bright as i think a very dark colour would just drain the room of any light!!...

what do you think ?.. what would you do ! .. how would you colour my dresser.. ??

break time is over!

2011-05-11T10:59:00.010+01:00

well hello there !!... that was an unexpected break from blogging that i took wasn't it!..

with all the bank holidays and children being off school i haven't known if i was coming or going to be honest.. i feel like Ive been away for ages.. over a month anyways..

so how are you all !.. ( have been getting my fix of lovely blogs though. like my daily newspaper reading through seeing every ones goings on .. just not had that much to write myself.. must have had a touch of bloggers block.. what do you think!)

so I'm back i have at least 3 weeks without a school holiday taking place so I'm going to make the most of it!..

haven't been to the charity shop in weeks although i went to the bank holiday car boot sale and it was horrendous.. it was huge which sounds like a good thing i know but it was rows upon rows of tat basically... and usually i love other peoples tat.. but i couldn't even bring myself to part with my coppers to buy it.. it was rammed full of people so i didn't come away with much .. although i have a got a bit of a makeover project for something i bought which I'll show you another time.. (real rock and roll this blog aint it!) ..

so not really got much to show you on the thrifty front .. so I'll show ( bore !) you some piccies of our little break we had last week..

we went to criccieth in wales.. only for four nights.. it was the same house that we stayed in last year..only this time we actually had the sun shining on us instead of sideways rain!!

as it wasn't technically a school holiday last week but our primary school had a couple of staff training days and our school acts as the local polling station the school was mostly closed for the week, we decided to go then.

its such a lovely house, so its a joy to stay there.. i love all the little touches that the owners put in which makes it feel all the more personal and not bleak like some holiday homes can feel..

in the bedroom .. the lovely jug and bowl in the fireplace and the little glass tea light holders on the mantle..

the cosy sitting room which has a fantastic view of the sea so sitting in there at night you have the sounds of the sea just so relaxing with the little stove on as the nights are still a bit cool..

the fairy lights in the conservatory, making every were feel lovely and twinkly ..

lovely original tiled floor in the hall to.. great for sweeping up all the sand we had brought in with us!

we had such a lovely time.. we had whole beaches to ourselves

( if id known this was going to be the case i might have braved a swimming cozzie!)

we had ice cream every day at Cadwallers

( famous ice cream parlour!)

( waffle with toffee and chocolate ice cream.. drizzled butterscotch sauce and double cream yummy... me and the hubs had this most days no wonder Ive come back looking like the Michelin man!!)

we found a branch of some sort washed up on the beach

so that was soon buried in to the sound with great foundations that when we went past the next day it was still standing tall !!

this little tree of ours was decorated with pebbles off the beach!

oh and the hubbys favourite meal of the holiday, freshly done fish and chips from the most gorgeous chippy right on the sea front with a pint of hobgoblin or some traditional ale that he likes!..

me - i just loved sipping on a gin and tonic in the evenings with a bowl of nuts reading a book that id bought from the charity shop with the sound of the sea in the background.. bliss !!

cooking treaty teas for me and the hubby on the aga..( notice the boys trainers drying on it!! )

i do have aga love.. is that wrong!! ?

so that was a little snapshot of our break away...takes time to get back into routines though doesn't it. .Ive got piles of ironing to be getting on with and a good spring clean of the house but i just cant get my head round doing it..think I'm still in holiday mode!!

Sunshine on a rainy day

2011-04-04T09:45:00.007+01:00

first day of half term... im already exhausted and the kids have only been up two hours its got to get better right !??!!

FRIDAYS FROCKS

2011-04-01T18:54:00.009+01:00

this weeks Friday frock is an outfit i wore this week for the school run!!

i find this time of year is quite difficult in thinking of what to wear.. its getting warmer and i tend to feel a right tramp wearing my winter coat, but then don't want to start wearing summer clothes to soon as by the time its properly warm to wear them you're already sick of the sight of them to!

well it was a lovely sunny morning and i fancied popping on a nice pretty dress..

so i picked this dress out of the wardrobe that Ive only worn a couple of times..

i think because it is a nude/taupey colour it doesn't look particularly summery so doesn't look silly worn with black opaques ( which was what i wore with it. .it might have been sunny but these mornings still have a right chill to them and purple legs are not a good look!)

i love this pretty old vintage dress.. bought from the charity shop at £2 59 it really was a little bargain.. i love the detail on the front

and on the sleeves

and then along the hem.. i mean lace and floral what more do you need in a dress.!!

like i say i popped on my black tights and then these cute Chanel style ballerina pumps primark but via the charity shop for £1.99..

i wore my heavy knit cardy that was full price from river island ..

( bought last year though and it has been worn many times so it has paid for itself now i feel!) which colour belongs to the same family of colours like a taupey shade.. i love the button detail on the pockets..

its a lovely snuggly cardie and as its rather thick i don't need to wear a coat..

then just a little accessory.. a rather large flower in the hair.!!

but what is the ultimate accessory for today's yummy mummy... a screaming toddler in a buggy of course!!!

wednesday wardrobe find!

2011-03-30T14:22:00.010+01:00

just had a mammoth eBay listing session.. i have been at it since about 10am ..

have been spending probably a bit to much on eBay lately all the £2.99 and £3.99s start adding up when you buy a few don't they!!..whoops !

so i got the hubby to get all my summer stuff from the loft down .. thought i could sift out all the stuff that i cant get into anymore ( boo hoo..this is stuff that i could actually wear after i had the baby's .. but now i seem to have gone into eating overdrive!!).. there was stacks that i was putting so its just taken ages.. taking photos and then listing it all.. just watch now..nothing will probably sell!!!

honestly i still haven't put all the things on that i wanted to .i just lost the will to live in the end.. !!

anyways i was taking all the clothes back upstairs and was shoving it all back into the wardrobe as i have no were else to put it for now ( so it better had sell!) and found this bag lurking right at the back under boots and allsorts..

at first i thought it was a bag of clothes that id bought and stashed.. ( you do that to don't you!!??)...but it didn't feel like clothes.. so i thought id better bring it down and have a look..

ooo how exciting!!

first out of the bag was this pretty cup..

and then i remembered what it was id bought..

a saucer to match the cup

and a plate come out of the bag to...

all for £2. 99 not bad hey...!

wrong!!!

.. it wasn't just these three pieces.. it was for all this set.. six of each.. wowser!!..

its so pretty .. i love the pale green flowers against the gold edging .. ..

and now i have a proper little set for tea parties this would look perfect alongside cucumber sandwiches wouldn't it !!

its in my china cupboard now just waiting for its first outing!!..

i am happy that i found it as I'm stuck in today.. my youngest bubs has his wheezy chest again and its raining round here so i don't really want to take him out in the damp as that tends to make him worse.. so as i couldn't get to the charity shops ..its like the charity shops have come to me!!!

flowers in the attic

2011-03-28T19:41:00.008+01:00

i helped my sister sort out her loft on Friday.. its a proper room not like mine where you have to duck your head and watch out for the fibre glass insulation getting on you!

no this has windows and a fireplace and a staircase leading up to it behind a door.. i love it!

but it is still very much an attic i.e its full of junk .. for the time being that is.. their plan is to make it into a lovely girls bedroom for my two nieces .. you know I'm going to be going for sleep overs when they move up into it!

so we were throwing things away, saving things of sentimental value , and putting things into the charity shop..

i came away with a few rather nice bits and pieces myself which is always a bonus .. and i was provided lunch along with wine so I'll defo help her again!!..

i took a big bag of boys clothes but aged 10 -11 still got a few years before they get to be worn!

and then some lovely floral curtains which i think originally are from IKEA .. they were brand new as well..

i love the fabric..

i have been thinking about putting them up on my dining room window but I'm not sure yet as the window isn't that wide so think they may look a bit fussy up.. i love the floral pattern though and it almost nearly matches the lining of my baskets on top of my welsh dresser

so I'm sure I'll find a home for them somewhere either in this room or somewhere else!!

and then we came across this little cupboard.. which my sis had intended to put up in the girls room but then ummed and ahhed saying " would i really use it .. would the girls want this up by the time we get round to doing the room?!".. i was ready to let her know that for the time being i would give it a little home ..save it being stuck up in a dusty old loft until the time comes for them to make that room into a girls space.. ( and by that time they wont want this up anyway!)

so home it came with me and i got the hubby to put it up in the kitchen!

i just think its soo cute .. i think it was my mums.. i think she bought it from the charity shop .. had it on her wall for a while then passed it onto my sis who has never used it.. so as is usually the case in our family it just went on to the next member of the family!!..

were we put the little cupboard ..my little tea and cakes chalk board was there so i moved it next to the shelves near my sink and i like it better there than before i think..

heres a corner of my kitchen pic!!..

really could do with replacing the washing machine curtain .. somehow i managed to set the bottom of the fabric along with my sock on fire so its all scorched i don't even know how it happened.. i think it was off a piece of burnt toast haha.. the things that happen in kitchens hey!!