~I ♥ Standard Lamps~

My Mum has a talent at sniffing out great things on Ebay and this week she managed to find me a Standard Lamp (minus the shade) for less than a tenner.  They're much sought after at the moment and I've been on the lookout for a cheap one for a while. Sod's law that when things get popular, the prices and bids go mad on auction sites and I didn't want to spend much. It was a collect-only item, just 10 minutes down the road.  This weekend I'll be giving it a coat of paint from leftover F&B eggshell that's already in the garage, as I can't afford the Annie Sloan paint I would like.

Though listed as 'mahogany' and 'in full working order',  it was in fact painted dark brown gloss and didn't work. Never mind, it has now been rewired and got a new plug...

Mahogany?  I think *not*!!

I will now be scouring the charity shops and car boot sales for a swanky vintage shade that I can tart up.  I'm thinking down the lines of these shades by Leeds-based Two Material Girls. 

~Simple pleasures - a new Peg Bag ~

A warmer sunny weekend up to the dizzy heights of 11 degrees has meant lots of washing on the line! Good news for me as I do not own (or believe in) a tumble dryer.
My previous homemade pegbag was looking a little forlorn and mildewy so I did a bit of sewing.
Here is my new peg bag...

...hastily run up using a cheerful floral fabric from my pile, with a lining of sage green polka dots. A good use for a vintage wooden hanger too.
Back soon x

~Gardening Giveaway~

I got a tiny bit of my gardening mojo back yesterday and today. Though windy and bitterly cold out of the sun, yes, actual sun,  it was lovely to potter about and see that things were starting to grow.  New green shoots on my clematis; it's the small things that cheer me up...

Tete-a-tete daffodils in a shady corner

Primroses (they must have liked the cold) and pulmonaria

Now that Spring is coming I'm wondering what the year has in store weather wise.  Last year was a dead loss for tomatoes and fruit in my garden. Today I sowed some tomato seeds in trays and have them indoors on a sunny windowsill to germinate - but normally I would have done this already.  I sowed 2 cherry types as I eventually grow them outdoors in wall-mounted troughs. First one were some new seeds I bought  'F1 Sweet 'n' Neat Cherry' from Suttons seeds.  8 seeds for blooming £1.99! Apart from that I decided to be frugal and have a forage for seeds in the garage In my seed tin I found some free seeds from a magazine last year - 'Red Cherry' by Fothergills seeds. I've also sown some seed trays with Cosmos 'Purity',  marigolds and Borage.

Time for a Spring gardening giveaway!

The giveaway consists of; gardening gloves, handmade Rosemary & Marjoram soap, an RHS Gardening Techniques book and some seeds from my tin (Marigolds, Foxgloves and Sweet Williams) - just leave me comment for a chance to enter.  (UK entrants only please)

For an extra entry please link back to me on your blog and let me know you've done this in a second comment. Closing date  12 midday Sunday 14th April.

Good luck!