Blogging Spot

I thought I'd show you where I do most of my blogging from....... This room is at the rear of the house and overlooks the garden, fields, woodland to the hills beyond. Facing south west it gets a lot of sun hence why I have my curtains closed on the day the photo was taken. Most of the time they are open though to let in all the sunlight through the huge french doors and the two windows at either side. Originally this was the dining room of the house but its such a lovely room you can't use it just for eating in so we moved the dining table into the front parlour and eat off our knees most days.


This rooms come on a great deal since we moved in (three years in July), it's still not finished but is looking a great deal better don't you think?

How it looks today

So, where do you do your blogging from and has it changed in the last few years?

Finds from the weekend

I only went thrifting on Saturday last weekend as we had an important dog show on the sunday where if you are a member you can have your dogs heart tested for free (normally costs £35 per dog and I took three with me).

So, only one day of bargain hunting! It was quite a sad day too as I found very little and passed by two things I should have bought and kicked myself later. I big bevelled mirror with a gold surround that would have looked lovely painted. It was a bit expenisve at £10 but my guess was that it had been expensive to buy new. I looked at it, dithered, walked away and then walked back later to find it gone. Thats what you get when you dither, serves me right.

Also saw a beautiful shabby chic style triple dressing table mirror up at £7 and I didn't barter for it. Just looked in horror at the cheap, nasty plastic handbags someone had tried to drape artistically over it. BOING! Hit myself over the head for being so stupid!

The dh didn't come with me yet he had a very good day. I bought him a fishing book he's been drooling over for months and months for £3.50, a fishing dvd for £1 and two other fishing books for 50p.

The two books for 50p I acted a tough customer over. She wanted 50p each and I simply refused to budge over 50p as I was 90% sure he'd got one of the books (turns out I was wrong). In the end the stallholder let me have them both for 50p but told me to take her advice and get rid of the husband as they 'are more trouble than they are worth,' and that she 'should know as I've got rid of three of them!"

I got a giggle over that I can tell you.

For me I only found three books. Two Bull Terrier books and a small pocket book on flowers (3 @ £1).

Out of the three the one I really wanted was this one, which is a children's book and difficult to get hold of.

I don't know if any of you can remember watching Animal Hospital with Rolf Harris a good few years ago and there was a mini bull terrier on with severe skin allergies and in bad condition? Anyway, the lady who created the lovely illustrations in this book was the one who took on this dog and nursed her back to health. So much did this dog take over her life (as this breed do) that she wrote and illustrated several childrens stories.

The last time I saw a Lisa Kopper book on ebay it went for over £10 so to find this one for less that 34p made me over the moon.

My Creative Writing class

As you know I've joined a creative writing class and am busy trying to think of things to write about! Anyhow, I came up with this short story and thought I'd post it here to see what anyone thinks. I'll explain properly at the end of the post.

**********

‘Once Upon A time….’ All the best stories start off in the same way don’t they? Nurse knows all the best stories and she always begins with the same three magic words so I will too.I’m sat in my room and as it’s a Wednesday its Mrs White’s day off. Mrs White is my governess chosen for me by my mama not long before she died and she’s a thin, withered up stick of a woman who uses the birch rod on me whenever my attention strays from my lessons. I don’t like Mrs White.

The sound of gravel crunching under a horse’s hooves sends me flying to the window and with my nose pressed flat against the uneven glass stare out the window. A few moments later I watch my father ride around the corner of the coach house on the dark bay thoroughbred- mama’s last gift to him. He’s wearing his best blue coat and his boots are so shiny you can see your face in them and I know where he’s going. I’ve been eavesdropping on the servants again, they know all the gossip whether it’s going on in this house or in the Kings palace. Servants know all sorts of things that young girls shouldn’t know and that’s why I listen behind doors and on stairways.Yes, I know where my Papa is going dressed up in all his finery and riding his most expensive horse…. And I know something else too! No one is watching me!

I dart to the door and carefully open it to spy out. I’m supposed to be staying in my room today and reading my book but knowing Papa is out the way along with Mrs White I have a plan. I check the landing to make sure that the maid isn’t putting things away in the linen cupboard- that is just down the corridor from me. The corridor is empty so I open the door a little further, not too far though as it creaks if you open it too far. I squeeze through the gap and tiptoe out onto the landing.Downstairs I hear the murmur of voices from the entrance, the scuffling of feet and the noise of the library door closing. Nurse and Mrs Biggs the cook have gone to steal Papa’s brandy again.

My steps are light as I walk along the passageway and down a small flight of steps to the big bedroom that looks out over the rose garden at the rear of the house. This was my Mama’s room and I’m not supposed to go in here.My hand finds the handle, turns it and pushes open the door- and then I’m in! I close the door quickly behind me and tiptoe over to the huge four poster bed that drips with lace hangings. Memories come flooding back to me… Mama laughing getting ready for a ball, Mama in bed wearing a silly cap over her golden hair and….and Mama lying there white and cold while outside the sun shone so hotly.I blink back the tears that threaten to spill from my eyes and wander over to the dressing table still set out as she left it. Perfume bottles stacked in one corner, tins of cosmetics, a chain with a silver pendant lies strewn amongst pearls and then the fan that she used on her last outing. Everyone said Mama was so beautiful that she should have married a prince and not the dancing master who’d stolen a kiss when he was supposed to be teaching her to waltz.On Mama’s dressing table sits a miniature of her grandfather as a young man. Great grandfather was a Duke and not pleased when Mama ran away with Papa at her coming out ball. Mama said it was because he’d plans for her but that he’d soon come round to the idea especially when he’d first laid eyes on me as a newborn babe. I’ve never seen Great Grandfather, he’d gone away and no one knew where…

I walk over to the large object that stood in the corner veiled with a black silk sheet. This was the very thing that I’d sneaked away from my room to look at; carefully I twitch the end of the cloth and the silken fabric slips down to reveal the portrait of my mother. She wore a shimmering ball gown and she was only seventeen. It was painted just before she eloped with papa.I gaze at her beauty and sneak a glance into the dressing mirror to look at my own reflection. It shows a young girl wearing a plain dress covered in a starched white pinafore, thick woollen grey stockings and sensible shoes. I look at my Mama’s wonderful golden hair and to my own dull blonde. Mama had pretty blue eyes and I have green, Mama was happy and I am sad, Mama was all I wanted to be and never will be. It made me feel sad. Maybe if I was more like Mama Papa would love me. I am not like Mama. I am not beautifulI lift the black sheet and place it back over the painting and try not to look at my reflection again.

As I open the bedroom door I hear the raucous laughter of Mrs Biggs and Nurse and the clink of glasses as they made merry with Papa’s drinks. Of one thing I am sure, the gossip will be flowing as fast as the drinks so I set off down the stairs to listen by the door.Sure enough they were gossiping. Mrs White would be annoyed and Papa furious if he ever found out.

I hear Mrs Biggs say, “So the widow Mirabelle has accepted a proposal from our employer has she?”I took a deep breath for I knew Papa visited the widow, the servants had known for months but a proposal?

Nurse grunted, “Taken in by falsehoods he be. The widow and her two ugly daughters have him in their clutches now.”They aren’t laughing now and sound grim which is strange for they had all liked my mama so why wouldn’t they like my papa’s new wife?

I moved back from the door and thought about what I had heard. I decided I’d like a new mama. I hoped she’d be pretty and full of laughter like my own mama had been and that her daughters would be the sisters I’ve never had.A second chance of happiness for us all….Perhaps this story will end with the words ‘they lived happily ever after’ for all the best stories do. I climb the stairs back to my room and as I do so wonder if my new mama would like a step-daughter called Ella.

******

Did you guess? It's the very beginning of the fairy story Cinderella. I'm thinking of re-reading a few fairy stories and writing the very beginning of these stories, that parts that are usually skipped.

On Thrifting at the Boot Sale and Seeing Odd things

I nearly forgot to show you all my finds from last Sunday! I persuaded the dh to take me to the giant booty and think I may have got him hooked! Literally :-)

You see last Sunday he made a mistake and has been kicking himself ever since..... that's how the rot sets in you know, how I got hooked and now I have an addiction..... Have I lost you?
I've in fact lost myself but will try to explain.


One of the worst things you can do is go to a Boot Sale, see something you really really want, dither over the price and then see a non-ditherer buy it from under your nose. You go home then and mentally kick yourself, continually. Whether its washing the pots, making the bed or getting into the bath ....that whatdyoumakacall it will be silently reproaching you for not buying it. It kicks off the urge to go back and not make the same mistake twice and hence the thrifting addiction strikes.


Anyhow on Sunday the dh went to the booty with me, saw a fishing rod (a fly rod if that makes sense to some of you) for £70. He dithered, decided he couldn't buy it at that price (he's worse than me- wants everything for 5p) and then saw the very next person buy it without a qualm.

He told me about the rod, came home looked up the make on ebay and saw that they were selling for .... wait for it..... wait for it....... £360!!!


So, What did I buy?


A book, the best of Good Housekeeping 1922-39 for 50p. I already have the 1939-1945 one.








There are some wonderful articles in here ; how to train a maid, building a cottage for £900 and make do and mend for example besides some delightful stories that give an insight into how peoples minds worked in those days.


Look at the photo below and tell me you wouldn't LOVE to visit Asda dressed like this.

You wouldn't? Well I bet you'd love a country thatched cottage for £900 pounds wouldn't you?

Then I found another book, a Terry Pratchett one which I haven't got for £1

Further on I bought some more smellies to try out for around 20p each (all unused).

I also bought a lovely blue beaded necklace from NEXT for 50p which I forgot to take a photo of because I was wearing it at the time.

Then, finally I found these on one of the last stalls I visited.

The lid of the sugar basin does fit properly, I only realised it wasn't on properly afer I'd checked my photos and the odd marks on the coffee tub is a built in imperfection made to create a vintage look. Anyway three lovely enamel tubs to store my kitchen bits in for £2.

To show how weird I am. I have mixed fruit in the coffee tin, sultanas in the sugar and raisans in the tea. But that's ok as I keep sugar in my other coffee pot so I know where I am.

Fights. I didn't see any fights betweeen angry men last weekend. I did see a man rolling round on top of another man in a sexually suggestive kind of way so lingered to see what was happening (it could have caused a fight and I missed out on the last one). Turns out to be a case of overexcitement. No not that kind of over excitement, anyone whose thinking things like that needs a cold shower immediately.

Anyway, a stall was being set up and one man was pressing himself against the stall trying to look at certain items the woman was putting out whilst another man, equally keen, had spotted a box on the floor so was crouched down going through it just behind the first fella. The first fella turned round sharply,overbalanced, said a loud, "Oh!" Poked the man on the floor in the eye with his outstretched hand and wobbled on the spot (he was overloaded with bags).

Man on floor having had his eye nearly poked out wobbled as well then fell backwards with his legs in the air, kicking standing but wobbling man with his waving legs and wobbling standing man fell into the arms of the man on the floor. They then did a strange embracing thing which invloved carrier bags befrore both climbing sheepishly to their feet.

Anyhow, I've decided on seeing the effect carrier bags have on your balance that I'm taking my wally trolley named Rachel out with me tomorrow.

Have a Great weekend!

TTFN

Sharie

Make Do And Mend

Remember the ripped lace edged cover I bought?

Well I decided to use the crinoline lady tea cosy I bought last year for 50p and embroidered it into the centre of the cover, edged the whole thing with pretty gingham ribbon and sewed it onto a pillowcase.

Looks a little better now?

Below is the cover before I started.

Again how it looks now... Sometimes I do make things with my finds you know :-)

Weekend finds

Two days spent thrifting!

Saturday found me whizzing around the sale as we had visitors arriving at 10.30am. You should see me on full charge, I look like one of those wind up toys arms and legs going ten to the dozen and eyes darting here and there. Probably in any other situation I'd be taken away by men in a white van but being a Booty no one noticed.

No great purchases but enough to make my dash round worth it.

First of all two books.

A mammoth story and the one on the left is a vintage childrens book and a Wonderful book it is too! It was given as a prize to a little girl in 1938 for Sunday School attendence and the inside illustrations are truly wonderful. The two little rabbits having a tea party are just one example of a sweet photo.

Another I particularly love is this one... titled SHADOW ON THE WALL

I'll try to scan in more of the illustrations and photos from the turn of the last century - brilliant! Oh and all for 20p! The seller had more of these vintage books (and tons of ladybird books) and I kicked myself later for not buying more off him.

Maybe he'll be back again on Saturday.

I also bought some brand new packaged smellies for 50p each for the charity raffle I attend thrice a year. I try to collect a few gifts and donate them, its all for a good cause - the welfare of older dogs who lose their homes through no fault of their own.

And then I got some oddments of make-up and cosmetics. All unused for 20p each. I'm so sick of buying expensive make-up to find it is cr@p so I thought I'd pick up a few bits and bobs and see if they are any good before buying from shops. The perfume was £1 and is called Princess, I'd never heard of it and was wary to buy it but I'm glad I did it smells lovely. I'll have to look out for that one in the shops.

So, all in all not a huge haul but pleased with the odd bits and bobs I managed to find.

Ebay Bargain

Sometimes I can fall out with ebay big time..... you know the sellers who describe something as 'immaculate' and it arrives 'minging' while other times I just LOVE ebay

Most of the time its a great way of buying an item you wouldn't normally come across or finding an item at a bargain price. Anyhow this weekend I spotted a pine dresser on ebay local to me and still at the starting bid of 99p.

I put a small bid on it and promptly forgot all about it only to get an email saying that I'd won it for ..... wait for it..... £11.50! We went to pick it up on Sunday.

The dresser got a good rub down and oiled before being installed in my parlour. I do intend to paint it at a later date, possibly an off white; for now its being used to store all my books on and in.

Nice bargain for £11.50?
Anybody else got a good bargain this week?

Monday 's special Car boot

I didn't get to a booty on Sunday owing to the fact I was showing three of my dogs at a local show (1st place and two 3rd places). I was expecting rain anyway but temps reached 17.5 C while I was there so I bet I missed a great booty.

At just before 7am on Monday morning I was shaking a bleary eyed husband awake and half an hour later was driving up to the advertised Bank Holiday Giant Car Boot and Market Special.

Already buyers were coming away loaded up and the field was packed with stalls. I rushed over to inspect the first row of stalls and as I was browsing through a stack of books I suddenly heard a woman shout...."Fight! Fight! There's two men having a fight!"

I looked up to see a flailing arm and a man diving to the ground a couple of rows away, there were women screaming, shouts of passers by but I couldn't see anything more. Its the first time I've ever seen this at a Booty and I wondered if the man fighting had caught the other stealing from his stall or perhaps the man wandering by had spotted an item he'd sold earlier being sold for more on a dealers stall. Of course they might have been two ninja warriors who'd accidently met while at the Booty I'm only guessing....

Anyhow, amidst the rumble and shouts I spotted a dog book for 50p (fights don't put me off scenting a bargain) which I bought.

Found the 3 Dr Who books on a stall a little further up - doing research for my Time Travel story you know.... that's my excuse anyway ;-).

Further on I had a lovely chat with a lady stallholder who was trying to sell off a load of her own stuff as she was getting divorced and leaving the family home. We had a good chat about the credit crunch, the effect on buyers at Boot Sales and the price of supermarket shopping going up.

I bought a watercolour painting of the River Yarrow by a local artist from her for £2. It will join my other originals on my art gallery wall ie in the living room.

On another stall I spotted a large bag half hidden under the stall and on seeing it was full of vintage linen dragged it out so that I could go through it. No sooner had I lifted out a couple of items than a woman rushed up behind me grabbed the bag and dragged it over to her so that she coud go through it herself! The Cheek! If she'd have just come to stand besides me and go through it with me I wouldn't have minded but to actually watch me drag the bag out from under the stall and then drag it off with her was blimming cheeky!

Anyway, I dragged it back :-)

I bought two items from this bag.... a damaged cloth with a beautiful crocheted edge and a single bed bolster cover with lace and vintage embroidery. I now need to buy a big enough pillow to fit it but for 50p for both items I was happy. The damaged cloth I intend to salvage and perhaps create an ornate pillow with - I certainly couldn't leave it behind for that price!

Here is the bolster/pillowcase.

Both items looked creased and grubby when I bought them but both have washed lovely - I wish I'd poked and examined the contents of the bag a bit more closely now in case I missed something.

I found this necklace on another stall. Polished stones and the lady infomed me it was jade. I don't know if she was telling the truth or not but I took the chance. I'm thinking of including this as part of a birthday gift.

Somthing else I bought to give away is this mug set. All brand new and sealed , I bought it for me and then realised I had a birthday coming up so intend to use this as well as other goodies.

From the same stall I was lucky enough to spot Yankee Candles, two for £1. I've already burnt one of these and the smell is delicious.

Saturday Car Boot Sale

Saturday morning found us at the booty. The sun shone, the flags were flying high above the market stalls and the sellers and buyers were out in full force.

Still lots of semi professionals taking up the spaces but a nice sprinkling of of people getting rid of a few years worth of clutter. Also overheard that there are several midweek booties now open in my local area and that they are quite well attended. I don't know if they are worth a visit or not.

I found a selection of goodiesat the Saturday Booty....

Two glass candlesticks for £1 which are now on my craftroom fireplace; they came complete with cream candles and a dangly flowery type arrangement which I wasn't keen on on in this room. (Do you like my sleeping bunnies? They are Pendelfin ones which I've had ages but can't seem to find a good place to put them)

I then found a stall selling DVD's for £1, the majority of them didn't interest me or else I'd seen them a million times but I picked up 'Troy' with Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. We've watched it twice since then and enjoyed it.

Another purchase was a selection of fragrances for oil burners - 5 for £1. Ylang ylang, Gardenia, Hedgerow, Elizabethan Rose and good old Lavender. To be honest I prefer burning oils as those plug in air freshners scare me. I'm sure I read somewhere that they are linked to cancers and that (totalled with their price) makes me avoid them.




Also bought a pretty necklace for 50p which I simply can't get a good photo of!

and a bangle for 50p once more.Not a huge haul but the quality is definitely going up and prices coming down to my level. Er, that would be 50p and a £1, big spender that I am!

So all in all I had a pleasant Saturday morning. Sunday I didn't get to any boot sales as I was at a dog show all day but Monday being Easter Monday I was back at a big special booty and managed to collect a few more treasures which I'll show you later.

BTW I'm sorry if I haven't been visiting everyones blogs as often as normal but last week I started a creative writing course and have been writing like mad. OK that is a pure lie! (I'll burn for my sins and exaggerations one day)

What I've really been doing is.... sucking the end of my pen and wondering what to write! I could unleash my Time Travel Romance story upon the world but I feel too embarrassed at standing in front of everyone and reading sections of it out. Yes that is what you have to do! On my first visit they made me stand up and tell them who I was and why I was there! I've never been to an AA meeting but I bet that is what they do there.

Then a lady who I was sat next to said, "John is really a hard task master he beats you with whips!"

What do I go and say but, "That sounds nice. I might like it." Caught the fellas eye and went red! Me and my big mouth, I don't half drop myself in it sometimes. :-)

At the end of the meeting I also said, "I've had a great time but have to get off now as I have someone coming round at 4 o'clock for a mating..." Wondered why I got a few funny looks and it was only when I was nearly home that I realised I didn't say they were coming to mate their bitch to my dog.

So, perhaps I'd better not read out my romantic and sometimes rather steamy story they already must think I'm a bit odd. Think I'll just play safe and read out the set exercise 'recollections and rememberence', they won't hopefully think I'm too nutty then ;-) .

Recyling...

It's been an abysmal week. First of all I was told that my eyes weren't as good as they once was and now have glasses to combat my short sightedness. Luckily my eyes are not that bad so the glasses are for 'bad days' or times when a clearer vision is handy ie watching a play or football game when I'm sititng at the back. Not that I go to that many plays and as for watching football , well I don't find that as entertaining as watching paint dry.

Still I do have them for my 'bad days'; trouble is I keep falling over when I wear them as things look a lot closer than they really are.

Then at the weekend my Dad and I drove to the Boot Sale to find it had been cancelled due to a waterlogged field. My guess is tomorrow will also be cancelled and possibly the special one on Monday.

So last weekend seeing my disappointment the dh suggested visiting a teeny, tiny boot sale that's held next to the local supermarket as we had to get a 4 pinter of milk anyway. There were only a few stalls (about 6) and most of them seemed to be selling baby clothes and plastic toys. I found a lovely chintzy soap dish and asked the price , 50p and was just about to buy it when I noticed the big chip off one corner.... It was so pretty but as I'm trying to cut down on the amount of stuff I'm bringing into the house it was reason enough to leave it behind.

I don't know if anyone else has noticed but there seems to be a lot of broken, chipped and otherwise damaged items being sold on stalls now? I know it's always been there but I'm sure this year there is more than ever. Could it be a sign of the Credit Crunch affecting the secondhand market? Are people trying to squeeze a few extra pence out of the damaged items they usually give or throw away?

It will be interesting to see if this years sales are as fruitful as last years.

The only thing I did buy last weekend was a very large drawn thread work tablecloth with a heavy crocheted lace edging for £1. ( Sorry forgot to take the photo of it before I washed it) .

More than I wanted to pay on a cloth whose drawn thread work was damaged and I had serious doubts about being able to mend it. Doubts that turned out to be correct as after being washed the drawn thread work section just disintergrated before my eyes!

Thankfully the crocheted edging was still intact so I spent the evening removing it from the damaged cloth and I ended up with about 18 feet of 5 inch deep lace. Well worth the pound I paid for the entire cloth so I was happy to be able to salvage something from the dubious purchase. It also led me to think about future purchases as I've often avoided linens that have had damage yet they can easily be repurposed with very little effort. Of course I'll still give the broken crockery a miss but fabric I'll think about.

I've got plans for this lace. I did think of edging a vintage sheet with it but now I'm planning on incorporating it on a pelmet above my Rosali curtains... I just need to find where I've put my pelmet rail!

A Sweet Find

Thank you for all your comments about my vintage nightdress case. I'm so glad that you all thought it was worth saving and I'm considering doing what MelMel said and using it to store something with strong memories. At the moment though it is sat on top of my desk and I'm just enjoying going in there, lifting the lid, carefully lifting the tissue and then gazing admiringly at it.

I guess I get my thrills cheap :-)

Now I did buy something else which came from the jumble sale and I very nearly missed as it was under a lot of modern Quality Street tins and cheap picture frames. The colours attracted me and so did the design....

Now this is a photo of it after it had a wash in fairy liquid! It was a bit grubby and greasy before probably from living in someones kitchen but after a good dunk and swill the grease floated off leaving me with a bright and clean metal ex-biscuit box.

It's made by Huntley and Palmers and the title of the pattern is written on the side 'Blue Daisies'.

I was delighted that when I visited the official Huntely and Palmer site my box was listed on there!

http://www.huntleyandpalmers.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=huntley&f=generic_objectrecord_postsearch%2ehtm&_IXFIRST_=1&_IXMAXHITS_=1&m=quick_sform&text=1651%2f2536&tc1=i&partner=huntley&tc2=e&s=0lXXQB6jODd

Hope that link works.

Blue Daisies, 1967-1968


Brief Description: Oval tin with two white handles. Pink and white daisies on dark blue background on lift-off lid and sides. Marked 1651/2536
Subject Date: 1967 - 1968
Creator: Not known
Publisher: Huntley & Palmers

Full Description: This is one of a series of two handled tins produced from 1966 onwards. The 'Wedgwood Oval' of 1974-1976 is another example. Such tins seem designed for use as a sewing basket, button tin or similar function after the contents had been eaten.

So this tin that I found in a pile on the jumble table is older than me (ok just)

It now is being put to good use holding a large selection of threads as suggested by the manufacturer.

Hope you like my finds from last week's sales. This weekend I'm hoping to go to two bootys so maybe I'll find other bits and bobs of interest.