~Pretty roses jewellery~

If you have a moment to pop over and have a look, I have some pretty jewellery listed on eBay
They have a real vintage feel, with resin roses and pretty bows and some with larger beads.

Many thanks for indulging my bit of self-promotion!
Back soon
Sally x

~Seaside Trip~

We've just come back from 6 days in Chateau H (our caravan) and we have survived intact!
Our first 2 nights we were parked on our friends drive in Filey - a fantastic bungalow holiday home in which the fittings are the late 70s, early 80's intact, for example a brilliant formica kitchen with sliding doors and rose-patterned carpets...I love these glass doors and the display of pottery...

Filey beach - Lovely weather...a few showers but gloriously warm...

I love Swing Boats...

Beach chalets at Filey... I like the colours...available for hire right on
the beach - Baker's Beach Chalets on the Coble Landing. Another nostalgic
 moment, they remind me so much of East Coast holidays with my Nana and Grandad...

The fantastic view of the Vale of Pickering and the Wolds from Lebberston Touring Park...

Then we moved on to Lebberston Touring Park,
a couple of miles outside Filey on the way to
Scarborough - an immaculately run 5* site- highly recommended...

J enjoying a hot chocolate in a melamine mug whilst wearing Dad's essential caravanning hat...

Tired Small Dog gets cosy under blankets in Chateau H...

Imposing 12 foot tall iron Fisherman statue on Filey seafront by artist Ray Lonsdale read about it here

We thought Sterchi's had closed down, but- hurrah!- thay'd just moved round the corner!

Long live Sterchi's and their enormous chocolate drops and Rose and Violet creams!

Beautiful boats at the Coble landing, Filey...

Cocoa in Scarboro' - a retro sweet shop with a fab collection of vintage confectionery ephemera in the window...

My first Wonka Bar (It's my all-time favourite film...)

"I got a Golden Ticket!" (Don't tell me that they're in every bar...)

Love this Fudge Shop display with shelves groaning under the weight of goodies, and the pom-pom shelf trim


Sorry for the sweetie and chocolate emphasis in this post - we did do lots more, I promise...

~Simple Pleasures of the week~

As the pennies are tight at the moment I say *hurrah* for the simple pleasures of day-to-day life (the ones that don't cost the earth and make you smile even though you feel stuck wading through the treacle of life...)
My simple pleasures of the week....

Having a chutney-making day - using ingredients I already had plus some green tomatoes from the garden...

Knitting a tea cosy for a small teapot ...

Teapot 50p charity shop, wool from my stash

Blooming roses in the garden, not decimated by 

rain...

Rosa 'Life Begins at 40'

Rosa 'The Pilgrim'

Baking my favourite double-chocolate brownies on the cheap...

Sainsbury's Basics Chocolate 30p a bar

I used 3 bars of chocolate, which cost less than a pound. It's Belgian chocolate with 52% cocoa solids and tastes as good as always (there were tears fighting over it I can tell you!)

And...

...getting all the washing dry on the line.
(Sad but true; it's a simple pleasure for me.  In my opinion tumble-dryers should be un-invented. As should plug-in air fresheners...grrrr....just open your windows and get some fresh air circulating...whinge over...)

Hope you're finding some simple pleasures in your week too...x

~Dress reveal & Birthdays~

Thanks to Magie at Teacups & Bunting blog for asking to have a peek at my Dress #2 that I mentioned in my previous post...I'm too shy and dissatisfied with photos of myself actually wearing the dress, but here it is without me in it...

I used some black cotton dress fabric with ditsy pink and grey roses, bought from Boyes for £3.99 a metre, but I actually used the reverse of the fabric for a more faded vintage look.

You can see the brighter fabric inside better here...

...I prefer the faded colours. I wore it with this pretty rose necklace and a thin black belt and patent shoes.  It did look nice I have to say, thanks in no small part to some good solid foundation garments!

It's also Small Dog's 2nd Birthday today...

Bless his little cotton socks.

He is so funny and good company.

Happy Birthday!

~The Caravan~

Well, after a hectic weekend, Chateau H is parked on the drive! As novice caravan-towers, the way back from Bridlington was a white-knuckle ride to say the least, following (very) basic skills gleaned via YouTube and Caravan Club leaflets.  The caravan is actually very light as caravans go so it shouldn't be too difficult...
I spent yesterday afternoon blitzing it clean inside.  It's already a WIP - can you spot a bit of bunting in the back window?

My brain is now filled with thoughts of jockey wheels, leisure batteries, motor movers and how to empty the Thetford cassette toilet. Lots of exciting stuff to learn, hehe...
Son J and I slept out in it last night on the driveway. The ultimate staycation or what?

This is the bunting I've made a start on - lots of favourite vintage fabric scraps, including a 1970s pillowcase and some embroidered doilies...

Here's a peek of the dress I bought at the Festival of Vintage in York last week.  I'm still in the process of carefully mending some of the seams as it's quite worn in places. It's a stiff pure cotton fabric and I love the colours, the roses and the French newspaper and music design...

It wasn't a thrifty purchase I have to say, but I will treasure it, keep it forever, and, most importantly, wear it!

~Time for Tea - Feb event~

Yesterday's afternoon tea theme was Berries, Cherries and love, in honour of Valentine's Day. 6 ladies (and one baby nephew) sat down to tea at 2pm, following a welcome drink of homemade pink lemonade.

The table theme was red, with gingham and roses cloths, matching vintage china and table gifts of mini-heart candles. Have used a photo of the table setting for my new header - I used L's swanky camera and did a bit of editing with special effects. Her camera is tons better than mine!

I was ably assisted by daughter L and best friend J in the tea-making and serving of the cakey delights...

I made some mini-bunting for the cherry and almond cake.  The double choc brownies with macadamia nuts were lovely.  My favourites were the homemade jammie dodgers, which turned out really well and were yummy. I added some custard powder to the mix, which made them a lovely yellow colour.  I sieved homemade raspberry jam for the filling.

Next event is in March, with a Spring themed menu (yet to be decided on!).
Some of my guests brought me a thoughtful gift of rhubarb from the Rhubarb Festival in Wakefield, which Anne at Marmalade and Catmint posted about yesterday. A bunch of Oldroyd's rhubarb tied with green ribbon - more attractive and delicious than flowers I think!

I'll be making a crumble with it on Monday morning. Thankfully I've got a day off on Monday to catch up with domestic stuff that has accumulated over the last busy week.

~The Versatile Blogger Award! ~

Thanks to Anne at Marmalade and Catmint, and Patricia at A place for everything for nominating my blog for this award!

The idea is to;

•  pass on 15 newly discovered blogs...
•  thank and link back to the award-giver...

• and (eek!)share 7 things about yourself!

There are so many lovely blogs out there and so little time! I try to keep up as much as daily life allows me, so forgive me if I forget anyone! Some are very recent finds, some in the last few months...

So here they are...15 lovely reads...

http://anne-marmaladeandcatmint.blogspot.com/ (Back at you Anne x)

http://aplacefor-everything.blogspot.com/ (Back at you Patricia x)

http://myeastcoastlife.blogspot.com/

http://slowlivinginafastlife.blogspot.com/

http://greenrabbitdesigns.wordpress.com/

http://pinkmilkjewels.blogspot.com/

http://vintageatthecornerhouse.blogspot.com/

http://vintagesquirrelkatie.blogspot.com/

http://countryrabbit.blogspot.com/

http://sparrowsyard.blogspot.com/

http://www.happyhomebird.com/

http://eviesgran.wordpress.com/

http://munchymedic.blogspot.com/

http://oldpolicehouse.blogspot.com/

http://poppycockcreative.blogspot.com/

About me...

1  Favourite biscuit - Fox's Ginger Crunch Creams.

2 As a 15-18 year old I loved The Smiths.

3  Favourite flower - Roses...as a new gardener I originally preferred

perennials but love of roses comes with age!

4  Guilty pleasure - baking whilst singing along to 80s music on Absolute 80s radio.

5 Love cooking and feeding people!

6 Covets vintage caravans - I just want a cheap old one to tart up a la Cath Kidston.

7. I'm a born worrier and over-thinker.

~Doiley and fabric scrap bunting~

Another way to upcycle holey, stained and worn doilies is to make bunting with them. I don't throw any fabric away; even teensy-tiny scraps are squirreled in my scrap bag ( a very large underbed-type zipped bag bulging at the seams). Very useful for patchwork, bunting, and daughter's textile GCSE and A level mood boards! I made 3.5 metres of bunting with a pink/red/green flowers theme today, adding a few pennants made from an old embroidered tablecloth.

My quick way for one-sided pattern bunting is;

•  use a paper template and cut neat triangles from plain linen or lining fabric
•  pin these to the patterned fabric
•  sew 1cm from the edges
•  trim it neat and close to the stitching. I like the raw edges on large bunting.
•  fold some 2cm wide tape/ribbon in half and iron it
•  machine stitch the pennants within the tape

If you stand still too long in this house you get a coat of paint or trimmed-up with bunting or fairy lights; so it's best to keep moving!

~Yorkshire Produce (with lots of links)~

On my way back home from the Yorkshire East Coast, I called in at Drewtons Farm Shop on the A1034 in South Cave.  At the BBC Good Food Show in June, I'd picked up a leaflet on the Yorkshire Wolds stand about this new venture that opened last year.  I love a mooch around a good farm shop for quality local ingredients to cook and bake with. There's a food hall and also a tearoom, deli, butchers, wine cellar and home accessories as well as private dining and holiday accommodation.
I bought some Mercer's of Yorkshire Lime & Basil Mayonnaise to use at my first event for Time for Tea @ Lavender Attic on 3rd September and also 2 lovely chicken breasts which were made in Thai Green Curry very nicely by 16 year old L!  I also bought Atkins & Potts Rose Syrup, though not a Yorkshire product, I love roses and just fancied experimenting with it. I made some lovely rose shortbread with it yesterday, along with Betty's China Rose Petal tea and it's delicious.The family are enjoying the recipe testing, too! For more ideas about our great county's food visit the Deliciously Yorkshire website.

~Happy Monday~

This month's Country Living is a particularly good one; a lovely coastal issue and lots of interiors that really appeal to me.  My subscription was a Christmas gift from my Mum - a great present I think. These rose pictures are just like my charity shop bargain from the other week...

I can dream about being this carefree campervan blonde...

...whilst in reality it's Monday and I look and feel more like this...

Hope you have a good week and remember to put some time aside to knit, sew & grow and smell the flowers!

~More mid-week treasures~

On my day off today I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to (one of) my favourite charity shops in a nearby small town, which never disappoints.  Real vintage gems of bric-a-brac, fabric, table linens and glassware are to be found; and it's all I can do to be ruthless and strict with myself.  Todays gems amongst 3 bags full of linen, fabric, a blanket and vintage scarves, is this rose picture, in a lovely mount and frame for £3 - already on my bedroom wall

 and a huge pair of unlined curtains in this vintage cotton sateen fabric, which was Made in England (hurrah!)again for £3

These will be squirrelled away in my 'Caravan Bottom-Drawer' inspired by the pretty curtains in Curlew Country's gorgeous caravan (see here), where they will wait patiently for my dream to come to fruition!

~Shopping for Essentials~

I try to be frugal in many ways in my daily life, but I do lapse and have a splurge on my dearest favourite things from time to time. I treated myself to some 'essentials' whilst at Gardener's World Live and the BBC Good Food Show this weekend.  First purchase was Thunder Toffee Vodka - absolutely delicious and I can't wait to think of a dessert to use it in next time people come round. Next purchase was a plant for my shady quiet corner of the garden; Heuchera 'Electra' from Heucheraholics in the floral marquee; whose stand I loved.

And finally we visited the David Austin Roses stand; who had an unmissable offer for 2 roses for £25. I chose Rosa 'The Pilgrim', a gorgeous pale yellow rose with scents of tea rose and myrrh.


Rosa 'The Pilgrim'

We came away happy, carrying our purchases in their sturdy David Austin sacks. Roll on next June!

~Gardener's World Live & BBC Good Food Show~

I've just returned today from a really lovely weekend with the lovely V and J. We went on

our annual jaunt to the NEC Birmingham for the BBC's Gardening and Food shows, though we did miss last year. Compared to the previous 7 or 8 years we were suitably attired; comfort rather than image now being a priority...

and we had the essential wheeley trolley - they are very 'now' so I'm told! We were frugal and equipped ourselves with our own supply of Pimms and the trimmings. We sat in the sunshine and dodged the occasional showers.

The gardens were full of inspiration as always

I loved this 'Grow Your Own' display of course...

And as well as Carol, Monty and Joe, we saw the Masterchef finalists with Greg Wallace & John Torode which was brilliant entertainment

What a great day! More next time...