Tuesday 21 February 2012


Like a Magpie I’m can seek out a pretty object anywhere and everywhere.  When I found these tiles in a Fired Earth factory outlet for £1.00 each I fell in love instantly.  I quickly snapped up the set and on the drive home pondered on how to use them (being as I didn’t have any need at all for tiles, even pretty ones), by the time I got home I’d got it sussed.  I used one as a coaster by the kitchen sink to stand gloopy hand wash on and the rest hang on the bathroom wall looking pretty and chic. 


Hook glued to the back.


Friday 17 February 2012

Tuesday evening is the new Wednesday ...


This week I spent a very enjoyable Tuesday evening with my lovely friend Suzanne.  Armed with a DVD of Kirsties Homemade Home, dried leaves, two frames bought for £1.50 from a charity shop and gold leaf paper I was greeted with an array of glass paints and a large bowl of yummy crisps (one of many reasons why she’s my ‘lovely’ friend);) We set about with high hopes that the end result would be close to the ‘Kirsty original’ we were using as a guide.  As a first attempt I don't think we did too badly at all (I did turn the air blue when trying to stick gold leaf with gelatine though, think that's why the crisps where there).

 
Suzanne's outline
Outline pens and glass paint
My fern drawn on and filled in with purple and gold paint

Our finished masterpieces.

Next on the agenda? Decoupage/more crisps/more coffee ;)

Monday 13 February 2012

Doing something quite peculiar ...


My Sunday evening was spent doing something quite peculiar - beautifying my Deer’s skull!  I re-lived my youth and used papier-mâché to cover and make symmetrical the bit’s I couldn’t bear to look at (i.e. skull) then used fabric to decoupage prettiness over the top. Ah, much better :)

Now I really do have my very own unique 'Homes and Gardens' piece to adorn our wall.



Still an acquired taste but now a pretty acquired taste.


Thursday 9 February 2012

Possibly a ‘controversial blog post alert’!


Possibly a ‘controversial blog post alert’! 


I am a self confessed magazine junkie and buy pretty much all of the house/home magazines going, therefore I have not failed to notice that a trend over the past few months is antlers which come in all shapes, sizes and colours adorning anything and everything.  I like very much!  I mentioned this in passing and my Dad said “I can get you some really nice ones”, in my excitement I explained specifically the size I wanted and where I wanted them to go and even what I was going to adorn them with – what I failed to mention was “please, no resemblance of a real animal”.  My very pleased Dad appeared with ‘a present’ for me recently, I excitedly peered into the bag only to be greeted by the sight of part of a dead dear skull with antlers attached.  Whilst trying to show gratitude I couldn't help but express my horror over the skull part and my dad replied “no, that’s fine.  These are over 100 years old” – like that makes me feel any better?  Then deflated he said “don’t you like them”?   Well, ummm, ewww, errrrrr !!! They don’t resemble anything like what I have seen in Homes and Gardens but they are a present so I must make the best of them. I am racking my brains for ideas how to make the below look chic, cool and more importantly not so ‘animal headish’???  




Monday 6 February 2012

Puppy comparison ...


When a friend of mine heard we were getting a puppy she said “they are just like having a baby”! I struggled with the concept of this …. Human, dog, human, dog????  Needless to say, how right she is but in lot’s of ways.  Yes, when the puppy is awake I get nothing done and when she’s asleep it’s a mad dash to be productive for all of an hour if I'm lucky, yes we live in constant fear that small objects on the floor will end up in her mouth, yes we are doing the ‘control crying’ method through the night and are living on very little sleep and when the puppy wakes up at 6.30 so do we … and yes, cuddles and snuggles are just the best and make it all worth while. What I didn’t anticipate was the ‘subtle competitiveness’ between a minority of  ‘dog parents’. The odd few will burst with pride when telling me their puppy was house trained within less than a week and it’s because their pup is exceptionally intelligent or that theirs could sit, come and stay within the first week of being home due to being very clever. I’m the one saying, phah mine still pee’s and poo’s all over the place,hasn’t learnt her name yet and drags underwear all through the house. It brings back memories of when my children were younger and the ‘odd’ few parents would love to share how forward their children were and have a desperate need to compare red books and what exceptional offspring they had. Whilst this conversation was happening my offspring were running around like loon’s, poking biscuits up their nose or acting perfectly normal with a bright red bucket on their head leaving me thinking “I must be really useless at this parenting thing”. The same feeling is creeping in now I’m a ‘puppy parent’, I keep thinking how can they do it with ease and their puppy is so well behaved whilst mine is biting her own tail and ... oooops, she’s just pee’d down me?  All I can do is hope our puppy dog grows up to be full of spirit and personality and will no doubt resemble my children who are quirky and very individual.









Saturday 4 February 2012

Baby bear ...

I've been a very busy girlie of late tending to the needs of the latest edition to our family, our 8 week old hairy baby ...
Introducing Bessie Bear ♥