MY CHILDHOOD REVISITED

When I was little my uncle Mervin who was a chief fireman In Monmouth wales had to very sadly attend the aberfan disaster , ( when a slag heap slid down the vallely and enveloped a school and village in mud) killing 144 people ,114 been children in 1966 ,do you remember it? very very tragic, any way my uncle bought a raffle ticket that was part of the drive to raise funds for the community and he won the most beautiful dolls pram, coach built black and shiny , (probably donated by a toy shop?). I remember the day he gave it to me with lovely embroidered bedding and a dolly , it was so beautiful and I treasured it! When I left home for my first flat ,my mother gave it away ( had been stored in the dinning room at my family home since my childhood)I was devastated , when I demanded she got it back, it had been left out side and very abused and was ruined ..sob..sob.. having had two boys , so no girly , dolly things re entered my life this way and I have all ways secretly wished for a pram so .... on Monday a local antique dealer rang to say come and see what she had found.. da da ..




its a lovely vintage Triang 50,s doll pram , what do you think!

I am going to make some lovely bedding out of brightly coloured embroidered old table cloths, I also managed to get a sewing machine this week end from a lovely lady on free cycle, so their will be no stopping me now!!


Nat and D both think I have lost the plot and keep mentioning regression and dementia!!!



On saturday I went to a fantastic vintage/ craft fair in Masham , a stunning little market town close to where I live, and a had the great pleasure of meeting a fellow blogger , the lovely Catherine of alchamillamolly
she had a stall ( I forgot to take my camera so no pics,sorry) with so many lovely things she had made and also vintage bits and pieces , as I had just bought the pram ,I limited my self to this lovely bunting she had cleverly made from Cath Kidston fabric, I was so thrilled to meet her and her lovely friend(sorry forgotten her name) and so glad to meet my new blogging friend in the flesh. We have arranged to meet again , we both agreed that blogging great for connecting with like minded people and making new Friends!!!





Today the weather has been lovely and after my usual car boot pilgrimage I spent some lovely relaxing time here in my garden readind the papers sipping coffee and pottering about , with my little stone friend who had his eye on the bird house, ..

and my real furry baby Malachy , who so enjoyed the warmth , and cake crumbs! I will show you my car boot treasures latter in the week, hope you have had a lovely week end and got to relax as much as Malachy!!!

MY FIRST BLOG AWARD

Hello, firstly I would like to thank all my lovely blogging friends for leaving lovely comments ,Ilove reading them all and so appreciate you dropping by to read my ramblings! Ho my. I am so honoured to be awarded my first blogging award! The lovely kitty ( a fellow Yorkshire lass! )from memoirs of a vintage magpie ( listed in my favorite blogs)has passed this award on to me ,and requested I write about 7 things you don't know about me...... so here goes...
No 1, Firstly I have two sons , one adopted and one birth son. We were told by several specialists that we could,nt have children, so after 8 years of marriage we adopted our first little cherub in 1990, from north wales, the day our social worker turned up on our door and broke the news that they had a baby boy for us, was one of the best days of my life.. three years latter a miracle happened and I found out I was pregnant , I was five months pregnant before I realised, and when our eldest little boy was four years and 7 days old when his not so little brother was born, he weighed 11 lb 4 oz when he was born, ( I would like some fellow female empathy at this point!) and a lovely farming friend said he was Christmas turkey weight!!


NO 2, I am half Irish on my mothers side and my ancestors came from county Monaghan and were farmers for generations, my great grand father was born just before the devastating potato famine and was lucky to survive , most of his brother and sisters did,nt... must have strong s genes ..

NO 3, I have lived in 19 different houses in 25 years , D was in the RAF and boy did we move, some of the places i have lived are.. middle sex, Buckingham shire, Leuchars and Peat Inn , and Crail, Fife, Scotland . Valley, Holyhead, and Four mile Bridge ,Angelsey , Linconshire, London central, Ireland, and 6 different places in Yorkshire. In 1996 we moved 4 times! Friends suggested we should have one of these ( below)to make life easier! They awful thing is when you move so much you get itchy feet , and i think we have only stayed in our current house (5 years ,longest we have stayed any where ) as youngest son is so settled and mid exams . there could be trouble ahead as I fancy moving to what I think is the most beautiful city in England ( i love Georgian architecture ) Bath and D fancies St Ives ( which I do Love as well , we try to go every year) , , NEED to buy lottery ticket so We can have a house in each place!!







need one of these beauties..






St Ives..

or Bath , which do you prefer?
NO 4, I have seen a ghost , yes ,honestly, there is no other explanation, not a human ghost( now that would have freaked me even more) we lived in another very old cottage in the Dales before this one, and late one night I was last up and reading country living and sipping co co , when a little brown terrier dog appeared from under our farm house kitchen table, our dogs were shut into there beds in the pantry, so at first I was very puzzled as I couldn't figure how it had got into the house,it walked strait in to our sitting room down some steps, I followed ,the little dog was like a rusty coloured border terrier, no dog in the sitting room , looked behind ,under every thing , no way it could get out, VANISHED. I went strait to bed ,didn't say any thing to D.. you know how men are!!! (would have accused me of madness!) weeks go by ,D shoots down stairs one night dripping from the bath, shouting OK where have YOU hid the NEW DOG? the little brown dog had walked into the bath room and out again ,D having listened to my sighting story said, ho my god its paws didn't make a sound on the bare floor boards! My brother came to stay (We didn't mention THE DOG) and late after noon while un packing shouted could you come and get the little brown dog from under the bed i,m frightened it might snap if i drag it out, (Hes nervous of dogs) of course it was,t there when I looked. he ransacked the room not accepting our ghost theory, last time I saw it was in the kitchen about a week before we moved out, I saw it for a full 20 ish seconds and it did,nt seem to see me , honestly it looked so real ,and I felt a real sadness when it was with me,I said ( YES I KNOW ,I know !!) Every things OK your a good dog , and it walked into the dinning room. and puff gone, I asked a round the village if Mrs Bink's who had lived in our house for 82 years(born and died there ) had owned a little brown dog and people said she only had cats in there memory! I think it showed it self to us because we were animal lovers. now you think I am mad!




MY SWEET GHOST...

NO 5, I have a phobia of treacle/syrup, when I was little my horrid cousin emptied a tin over my head, and i couldn't breath or see and panicked and since go very peculiar when I see a tin or smell it. strange but true!
NO 6, I had a triple barrel surname before i was married and it took me till I was about 8 before I could write it all .. thank god I have such a short surname now



NO 7, OK this isn't me but my family! God this is hard,thinking of 7 things, D,s great grand mother was a friend of Flora Thompson who wrote the book Lark Rise to Candleford, and lived in the same Oxford shire village as Flora and appears in the book, so with high expectations we watched the TV series , absolutely no mention of great granny. as much as i enjoy series visually it is rather over the top and is,nt very real ( sorry I f I have shocked you!!) and the gentle sweet book is not represented in this melodrama, I have only one weakness is a great line though!! so there we are. .. 7 weird thing about little old me .. I will be back soon to show you what I bought today.. D will really think I have flipped when he sees it!!!!

Retail therapey on the cheap..

I don't know what been wrong with me the last few days but I have been feeling erm ... ho out of sorts with my self.. As I told you I lost 4 stone last year and have felt so much more confident and healthy since .. I am still trying to loose another 7-9 pounds but the weight will not budge .. yes I know I ate that huge cake on Saturday, but on the whole i stick to under 1500 cals a day, and do loads of walking..loads.... but I stick at the same weight ho hum... Since I have lost weight I have become a born again clothesaholic.. I have always been interested in clothes ( too cold for nakedness in Yorkshire 11 1/2 months of year!) but when i became heavier my interest wavered as i felt I looked awful in every thing! I am a size 10 in most clothes and can get into a size 8 in skirts, so I know I am not that fat any more .. but I have been feeling fat and lumpy and err do you ever get like this, nothing really big wrong but you just feel a bit out of sorts about every thing and nothing.... so I decided I needed to get out , have been at home most of time with supposedly to spend time with the prowling teenager.. you know on call for emergency bacon butties and to supply refreshments for procession of teenagers that drop in and out of our house, I am sure neighbours think I have started a youth club.... , but had ENOUGH to day and headed for a cheer me up retail session , unaccompanied ,unhindered!!. so...
first I stopped in TK MAXX , I am a fan off this shop... and enjoyed a leisurely browse and spotted theses lovely shoes, pretty ,unusual , and comfy ,know I will wear them loads..





As soon as I spotted this jacket I knew it was for me , a lovely light weight spring /summer jacket with really pretty floral embroidery great with jeans. I went to Darlington shopping and there are loads of charity shops.. ,this was in the first one I went into .£9.99 for such loveliness.. fits me and Cecile perfectly!! photo take in my/cats boudoir ,god its cluttered..





I found this lovely find in a charity shop(5th) its a oilily skirt ,very like white stuff, made in fine needle cord with the most sumptuous silk underskirt ,in a lovely shimmery green with a cute ribbon edge.. £ 3.50.. love it, I suspect it was very expensive when bought new.. it still is in new condition, don't know how/why people buy things hardley/not ware them then dispose, but I am grateful!!!


this is what I treated my self to in Primark, I went looking for the pretty oil cloth Cath kidston style bags that have been mentioned on some of your lovely blogs.. but alas none but I did get these lovely white Cotton pj,s and the lovely cotton pg,s flowery ..quite CK don't you think?

this is a rare photo of...ME.. taken yesterday through the old mirror of my wardrobe ,I had to do contortions to take a self portrait,not easy is it? Malachy is winding round my legs.... have you recovered from the shock..do you need hot sweet tea,? smelling salts?


Yesterday FLOG IT came to my small town, I rather erm like Paul Martin the presenter ,but as I walked past the venue and I saw him, he is taller and ,dishyier in real life , but i was far too shy and slightly embarrassed too go in , so un be known to me, my son and his mate went in and got his autograph ,and said Please... ho my god, his mum fancied him..!! so this is my little present .. Also signed by curly haired expert James some body.. Nat bless him said to James somebody my mum doesn't fancy you ,but you can still sign..! didn't seam to be many people queuing to flog there stuff, us Yorkshire types hang on to our loot!! slightly creased ,not paul Martin but the card as son folded into wallet so he would not loose street cred!!




Also got this little fellow to add to my kennel ,Bertie wasn't keen..

and finally I all most squealed when I saw a pair of Emma Bridewater heart cup and saucers. two cups two saucers . in last charity shop... £2..... yes yes yes £2.. so this is sat beside me to admire and sip as I write this.. The retail therapy did do me good.... and I keep smiling at Paul who is also propped on my bedside table!!! Who is so greatfull I fancey him ..I know..erm

Beautiful song beautiful film...

This music is from a group called Fisher and the clips are from the film Bright star..I think this is one of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard, and it goes so so well with this film.. hope you love it as much as me!

WHITBY

On Saturday the weather at long last was great and the urge to go to the seaside was strong, so my son Nat and his friend , D and my self set off to Whitby, it one of our favorite Yorkshire destinations and is truly magical.. as you can see... the lovely old fishing port is dominated by the abbey high on the cliffs ,reached by 100,s of very steep steps. Whitby is supposed to be the home of Dracula and Bram stoker wrote his epic here, three time a year there are goth festivals ,which are amazing as the goths parade around the town in there amazing costumes , it takes an hour and a half to get there , so our first stop was for refreshments.................... so we headed to Sherlock's

because not only is it a very quirky individual fab coffee shop that has a high Victorian Sherlock Holmes theme we knew they did these........




Can you see them ? there in the glass cabinet..... the biggest yummiest muffins known to man and more importantly woman.... can you see one in the lady,s hand?....

they are six inches across and about a foot tall and have 3 million 5 hundred and 4 calories each..











so we just had to share a heavenly blueberry and cinnamon whopper , don't know if D is just waiting patiently or praying he survives the sugar over load..
I can still remember every mouth full... Hay I can here you say .thought this woman was meant to be on a diet, I am ,no really,I try to only have one naught thing a week ,and boy was this naughty!!!!




The eclectic interior of this not to be missed coffee shop, in Flower gate..if your lucky enough to go to Whitby ..a must...

fully refreshed Nat and Gabriel headed off on there own , we suspected on a girl watch, as the sun had brought the summer dresses out!!! I made a beeline to one of my favorite shops, The Shepperd's purse, which sells pure bliss loveliness, Noa noa , avoca , Nougat and other dreamy clothes , accessories , haberdashery, house lovelies, and also has a organic Deli,



this is a glimpse of the window , can you see the lovely heart?
Is,nt this rather yummy? but it was over £100.. yes splutter £100, its based on a canvass and is old lace ,silk flowers and old print..erm... don't you think this would be easy to copy?I am going to have a go at making one for my self .. I will show you my efforts soon...After my sugar fix , the sun on my face, sea air , and spending time but no money in my favorite shop (!!)
D and I would not be having need for this alley!


I don't know if there was an anniversary(do you know?) but every shop we went in to was playing great 30,s -40,s swing music and lots of the shop windows were displaying great retro/vintage clothes and collect ables, so I just had to buy this.. so retro, a sign for my kitchen .



there is a fab book shop just called the Whitby book shop! and I always find a great book that just can,t live with out, so this is Saturdays little treasure was this,, really FAB , I will do a post on this and show you more, great pics of Caths dog Stanley inside..
More of picturesque Whitby and finally this picture as It sums up how i felt on Saturday, bright , cheerful, full of spring( and cake!!)

CAR BOOT TREASURE.. AND LITTLE PROJECTS..

HURRAY.. finally after our computers been sick .( lightening apparently zapped our Internet connection)they are well again and I can blog,but more importantly I can pop into my favorite blogs and catch up with what you lovely ladies have been up too.. I missed you all....

In my last blog I told you I was wanting a lighter look in my sitting room .. so I decided to paint my sitting room coffee table, I paused for quite a while with a fully loaded paint brush , thinking I am doing the right thing here... and then went for it .. the weights in back ground are my sons ,not mine , he had left them in dinning room and they were so heavy i couldn't lift them!!! how wimpy is that..
Ta da .. Fergal has that shes gone and done it this time look on his face.. so funny.. or may be thinks hes next for a paint job....
What do you think ?? ,I do have other bits of painted furniture in the room ,when the table was dark it did mark so much, with cup marks ect, this should just get more shabby chic looking with time...
Then I got this at the car boot sale at the week end ,it was black originally (same as letters) and when I saw it I knew instantly what I could do with it, so over the Easter break ,between eating sugar coated mini eggs I painted the frame white,
then using some bits of lovely Cath Kidston wall paper I got as samples when I was in York,I covered the letters spelling family .....
and hey presto !! think I will put it in the bath room .. i am sure there is a couple of spare inches of wall in there!!
Do you like it?

As promised I will show you my little treasures that I found at the three ( I only had three small car boots officer!)car boots I went to over the weekend..
I fell on this adorable little wire haired fox terrier when I spotted him on a stall, my new and passionated desire is to collect these dogs, they are so old fashioned and so very 30,s So I had to have him, He was a Lot more than I usually pay at car boots, not saying how much as D may read this...... He sits so well with my other vintage bits, but will look better with some kennel mates.... don't you think?When I was in Skipton I met two lovely old men ,one human ,and one fox terrier , the little dog was so sweet and jaunty he was wearing a red tartan coat and his name was Bertie,the name so suited him.. so I am calling this one Bertie! Have you noticed when we meet dog walkers out with there doggies we ask their dogs name, because it doesn't seem rude, but we don't ask owners because it does ,so I know lots of people by their dogs name, pearls mum, Timmy's dad , Gertie's mum etc ,
any way my next find was this little vintage tin .. yes another little dog,, 50p.
then I spotted this lovely vintage looking little bear, a Russ bear new , 50p. then I saw the great Victorian tin document box, shabby chic and with a lockable key. I shall keep my secrets in here ,my illicit pictures of Ben Wishaw ,Richard Armitage , my savings towards a real fox terrier ,chocolate , so please don't tell D my little secret .. shh...
This is my last little treasure, brand new and 50p.... so pretty and will sit on my dressing table.
So I feel i did well, the car boots are not in full swing yet,so when they do get going ,watch this space....