EASTER TREE

This is what I got up to yesterday when I got some free time, I picked the branches on my walk..
Then I got out my Easter eggs, collected over the last few years. I started a Easter tree when my friend Christina brought me some eggs when she came to stay a few year ago, I gave her three live bantam chickens in return which (I used to keep and breed them ) she took home on the train in a little wicker basket. This is so Christina. she is of Greek parentage ( D christened her miss Onassis!) I met her when i lived in Scotland , she walked into play group wearing an amazing vintage dress and hat and wellies. Instant friend!!Her husband was very high up officer in the army , the nearest both of them had come to the country was reading country living ( both brought up in London) so they bought a large small holding and I became best friend and country side adviser! Any way Easter is big in Greece and she started me off with my traditional Easter tree...
I add a couple of new ones a year..


the two little chickens are this years,s do you like them ..so cute..
I have tried to keep to a yellow and green theme ,but pink and red have crept in...
I put some Seth lakeman ( fantastic .. seen him in concert twice, ,great musician and a pleasure to look at!!) on I I pod made some fresh coffee and had a lovey hour , prating D calls it ,but I love doing thing like this...


I bought these sweet bunny's a couple of years ago, I love her babies, and she adds to my Easter arrangement don't you think?......
The sun was shining and it and the lovely bright colours cheered me so much , I so enjoyed my self.....
The two wooden chickens I have had for years, when I kept hens ( I had over 40 at one point, mainly Peeking Cochin's for the chicken lovers out there, I really miss not having them had to part with them when we moved as we have smallish garden now, I will have you know some of them went to live at mount grace priory the national trust property, posh poultry, wouldn't talk to me now!)I all so started collecting decorative chickens, but only have a few left now,kept my favorites and ebayed others, got to fund my new compulsions some how... erm ..
Every time I walk into sitting room It makes me smile, said to my men.. do you like the tree... ? one said what tree? (16 year old) he only been in room a hour ( and believe me its not a big room) Please.... other (52 year old) said are you sure its Easter this week end!!! and added .. if you keep buying those egg things we are going to have to chop a whole tree down next year... some one save me..... do you like it?
This is the view through the window from out side, passing people stop and look ,some take photos, and people smile and wave if they see you in the room, its kind of nice!

My Saturday

Hello every one , I Thought I would give you a look into at my Saturday! This morning at 7 , I bounded out of bed and quietly got dressed , leaving D snoring and grabbed a quick cup of coffee and drove the ten miles to the first out door car boot of the season(well actually second,as rained off last week)so excited and filled with anticipation , would there be many stalls ..... would there be any treasure?...well there was a few stalls not as many as I hoped but look what I found, three lovely old books , 1 of Keats poems( Bright Star has kicked off a interest in the poet) 1 of a biography of Keats, and a book on the pre Raphaelites.. all mine for a £1... and then out of the corner of my eye this...
lovely french shabby chic brand new in box wire shelf ,I all ways need shelves for all this stuff I keep acquiring! I asked the guy how much? He said £4 ....£4 .. heart beating fast with disbelief at how little, I said would you take £3? deal done( love joy move over!)such a bargain dont you think? Its going to be hard to find a bare bit of wall to take it but erm erm, i will do it !!!
drove home fairly pleased with my little haul.... only to walk in to chaos, D had been woken up from his lie in 5 Min's after I left by 16 year old son asking for a lift home from sleep over as his friend was going of to work and so had to leave.... D had returned with errant son and was busy frying sausages ( his week end ritual, don't normally eat fried stuff ,but his one weakness!!)brewing coffee ,trying not to fall over the cats as they wound round his legs , while barking orders to son about cleaning his room, been more considerate, and telling me he was,nt speaking to son,,,,er right OK!) so peace shattered and It was so sunny today I made exit stage left and took my new copy of home and interiors ,my tea and toast and sat in the garden , all this and it was still only 9.10 in morning! Ha family life.
then next we walked my furry babies in the loovely sunshine,
Fergal was,nt talking to Flora as she had got him up early to pick her up from a friends!!!!!
the view back towards my house next , hopped in to the market for veg, did some gardening , made a Bonn fire to burn old bank statements etc, put washing on having picked my self up off floor after I fainted seeing amount of dirty clothes son had found in room after enforced tidy, hung washing out, yes out side a first this year.... still only 11.30 ..... started painting sitting room dark wood coffee table ( PHOTO LATTER) sludgy white as yearning for brightness in house after seeing posy,s blog and attic 24 then finally lunch.... D was heading off mountain biking in the afternoon,, bye missing you all ready..... and son was doing course work for school,I repeat was doing course work.. father not speaking to him having effect,may be I should not speak to him ,he might do the ironing!!! then at last some me time and this is what i did........................ I will show you tomorrow .. as its rather late now and I need my bed as another day another car boot sale tomorrow and as I didn't even tell you about my afternoon I think the morning alone was enough to see a woman take to her bed!!! back tomorrow........

BLACK LIONS, MAGIC BOOKS AND MEMORIES

Yesterday I took a trip over to Thirsk ,North yorkskire, its were I grew up ( I have traced one branch of my family back to 1612 and probably before this living in this area,what did the poor town do to deserved us!) I met up with my dear friend Ali , we have been friends since our early teens, and I am honorary auntie to her three girls ( and god mother) and shes auntie to my two boys. we have seen each other through good times and bad, and boy can we talk! We met up for lunch and we nearly always go to The black Lion , which is owned by the fabulous Richard and Ray, friends and old neighbours of mine, The interior is eclectic and gorgeous ,Richard is car boot devote like me , and has great taste. The food is Delicious and better for been eaten in such lovely surroundings. I highly recommend you try this place out, lovely ,lovely and we always get up to speed with local gossip and news.


THE VIEW THROUGH THE WINDOW, WHEN I WENT IN I WAS ASKED WHY I WAS TAKING PICTURE OF CAKES BY RICHARD ,I AM SURE HE THOUGHT I HAD FINALLY FLIPPED!
fab decor, very comfortable but really interesting, there always some thing new to ow and ahhh about.
I love this huge cup planter
what we had for lunch Delicious Cesar salad sat in the window seat watching the world go by and Talking ,just a bit.....
We then went on a trawl of the charity shops, and I found this fab old 1950,s book , just love the picture and have a thing about seals , they are so soul full and there eyes are so sad , last year I swam in St Ives harbour with seals ,amazing, I would like to believe in selkie,s which are an Irish folklore thing and are believed to be women who were turned in to selkies( seals) and are very mystical , there is a film called ronan Innish, which is set in Ireland about 1930,s and involves the fable of the selkies, beautifully filmed, check it out.
This is one of my very favorite books, I once was on a train heading to Holyhead ,Anglesey ,north wales , ( I lived on the isle of Angelsey for 7 years ) and a lovely Irish nun started to chat with me , she had been reading this book and she said how wonderful it was and how magical it really was , she said I looked like a nice country girl and she GAVE me the book as she said I would enjoy it.. ( I was delighted to be given the book,but as I was a newly married 23 year old and was not flattered by the country girl label...... its some thing when a nun says you look homely!!!!) Any way the book is wonderfull and is the diary of a year in the authors( SUSAN HILL)cottage and and country year, I have re read and re read this book..timeless...
Which lead me on to this book also by Susan Hill and illustrated by Angela Barrett, the illustrations are wonderful , such a stunning, gentle book, never get sick of dipping into this book, there is also through the garden gate equally fab.
cant you just feel the sunshine on your face as you sit on the door step with your coffee....
Love this picture of spring cleaning , even if don't actually like doing the real thing.
Yesterday (YIPPEE) I found this book (I had one before and lent it to some one and never got it back,,so irrigating) again illustrated by Angela Barrett and so beautiful , its a child's book about the story on an abandoned cottage and three wooden dolls, just lovely, get a copy you must



love this image...
I now buy any thing which Angela Barret illustrates because she just paint's my kind of thing, vintage dreamy ,evocative images, ,Just thought I would share these books with you as I am sure you will fall in love with them . I had such a lovely day yesterday pottering ,browsing , eating, chatting . don't know about you but I always feel a bit flat the day after such a good day as you slip back into domestic and motherly duties , ah well... plenty more of lovely days like yesterday ahead I am sure!!

COME ON IN THE KETTLES ON....

come on in i will put the kettle on , hang your bag up, with my cath kidston..
its lovely and peaceful ,only the clock ticking, glad you did,nt come earlier as the hall was a mess with week end clutter....
close the door and keep the awful wet wintry weather out .......
Step through the door into the sitting room.... I am so glad you have come .......
I needed cheering up after the week-end , ho the first out door car boot was cancelled because of the rain I was so so fed up and the farmers market was a wash out as well.. ho ..hum..Please take a seat ,sofa or chair in the corner .. would you like coffee or tea?.... earl grey? Darjeeling. Yorkshire? there s the new period living on the table take a peek while I make the Earl grey.....Its so cold I may be should have lite the fire, The tin on the shelf.. I will get it down to take a closer look....
I have had it about 15 years i bought it at a car boot sale in Lincoln whenI used to live there, it has lovely Victorian Christmas scenes on and I love it,, I think its Victorian...I have some thing to confess ,The tin push along chicken came from Ebay this morning, how am I going to tell D...I think i am regressing i am starting to have a Passion for vintage toys, i would love a vintage dolls pram ..... and a push along fox terrier, you know the ones... please do not tell D!!!Would you like a cinnamon muffin? go on we we will share one..... don't you think Hetty ( my god I have named her!) looks good with my vintage /shaker wooden animals that D carved for me?I am so glad you popped in , you have cheered me up no end.... whats the music in the back ground?? ho that's Seth Lakeman, always lifts my spirits, you like Kitty Jay! my favorite too,the fiddling is wonderful.. you have to go now, .. do call again very soon......