I'll be back with you very soon ...

Hi folks, I'm sorry to say that for the next few weeks I will not be blogging :(

But, I still have tonnes to share with y'all so please bear with me and I'll be back with you very soon.

 

 

xx

Eek, one more sleep ...

I am typing this on the eve of my birthday.

Oh how I love my birthday.

No matter how old, I still get the same excited feeling on the eve of my birthday as I did when I was a child.

Eek, one more sleep :D

 

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As the summer draws to a close I would like to dry the Hydrangea's that are in our garden but from previous years experience there is a knack to getting them looking lovely and not brown and forlorn as I seam to do. I have sought the advice of a florist friend who has imparted these wise words that I'll share with y'all:

For the best results leave the flower head on the shrub until late summer. When the colours begin to change and the petals begin to crisp cut each stem to a good length, strip off the leaves and place in a vase with water. Top up the water occasionally, so that the petals keep their colour, and continue until the flower heads are completely dry.

So there you go folks, for anyone wishing to do the same, good luck :)

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Last weekend my daughter was invited to attend her boyfriends sisters wedding.
Humm, what do you give a bride and groom who you have never met before and rather embarrassingly don't even know their names?

After much brain thought I decided to go with this ...
 

 

A wooden heart.

 

Fire up the wood burning pen ready for customisation and ...

 

ta dah ...

 

 

A personalised pressie!

 

 

All wrapped it up, ready to go with fingers crossed they really like it ~ here's hoping.

xx

 

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 Wednesday evening saw the most spectacular full moon ~ large, low and oh so bright. It's known as the Harvest Moon, a name given to the full moon that rises closest to the autumnal equinox. This year's equinox — the official start of autumn — is September 22. Why "harvest"? In the days before electric lights, farmers depended on bright moonlight to extend the workday beyond sunset. It was the only way they could gather their ripening crops in time for market. The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox became the Harvest Moon, and it was always a welcome sight.

 

 

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Oh dear, with the arrival of the colder weather also come the coughs, cold and winter sniffles. This year I am going to try this age old remedy used by grandparents past and present, lets face it Grandparents know their stuff (other than feeding babies booze to send them to sleep)! So, this is what I will be doing:

 

To a cup of boiling hot water, add a teaspoon each of good clear honey and cider vinegar, drink as hot as you can bear it. Have 2-3 cups first day 1-2 cups second day.

 

 I'll let you know if it works!!

 

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After what seams like forever since the last one, I finally attended an auction this weekend ~ huzzah!

 

Here are a few snaps of what was up for grabs ...

 

Victorian Christening gowns a plenty:

 
A 'different' type of flower vase:

Sigh, the most gorgeous vintage gloves. I bid on these but sadly they went for way above my limit, tut:

 

A brown parcel tied up with string, how fab: 

Ah, pink roses. What is there not to love about pink roses?

Once again we were outbid on both of these glass beauts. I also fell in love with the peach lampshade in the background (which we fondly nicknamed 'Auntie Mable') but as much as I hoped peach could blend in with our living room décor deep down I knew Auntie Mable would just end up lowering the tone!!

 

A whole box of enamel ware: 

A beautiful floral tapestry fire guard:

A mahousive set of etched Victorian glass:

Brown furniture everywhere, I have to say this is something I have never fallen out of love with. Sadly, due to our brown wood snobbery it is being shipped out of the Country every single day.
Shame on us ...

 

Boxes of delights lined up ready for a new home ... 

 

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With all of this rose picking I have been doing this Summer (not to be confused with nose picking!) I am still enjoying each bud and bloom. They have dried out really well and have turned some really lovely muted colours.

I just hope our neighbours have such a beautiful crop of flora next year too ;)

 

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Just look at these lil cuties I picked up this week ...

 

 

They are 1940's kiddies Gramophone LP's made of laminated cardboard.

Aren't they fab? I can see them in a kiddies room used as decoration looking retro, cute and uber unique. Until that time they are propped on a shelf in my kitchen and admired every single day :)

 

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And last but not least just look what I now own:

 

....

 

....

 

....

 

Only a blooming pom pom scarf!!!

 

 

Like a scarf made entirely from pom poms!!!

I know right!!!

Soooo Pom pom tastic here in my lil world ~ whoop.

 

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Well, that's all for this week.

Until next week, bye y'all xx

 

As seen on modvintagelife

 

The pom poms did it for me ...

Sadly it's time to bid our Summer clothes a final "farewell" and dust off boots, warm socks and Autumn coats.

The days are noticeably darker (aka dull) and there is a distinctive Autumnal chill in the air by day and evening.

What an amazing Summer we have had though and for that we are VERY grateful.

~ ~ ~

This week I have been lucky enough to discover bargains ~ yay.

First was a pair of shoes belonging to a friend, she suggested I have them as they are very comfortable but no longer required.
Hum, as comfortable as they are they are not really my style ...

 

"Bring out that old skirt" is what I say ...

 

 

and some PVA glue ...

 

Ta~dah

 

 

Still not everyone's cuppa I'm sure but personally I think with a long pair of jeans and the front showing ~ perfecto.

I love them :)

 

I also couldn't resist covering a lil woodland walk find too ...

 

 

Then, I was over the moon to find a really pretty valance this week for a whole £2.00 :)

 

It is made by Dorma with a Sanderson print (that is no longer available) and it reminds me of the Sanderson curtains we had adorning our bedroom window in our previous home (a 400 year old cottage). I really regret leaving those gorgeous curtains behind so when I saw this valance I just had to have it ...

 

 

Lastly, I now have the perfect complement to auction days.

For anyone who has attended an auction you will know that the day can be a long one, usually arriving at 8.30 and leaving happy but exhausted around 4-5pm. Within this time a gallon of tea, coffee along with tasty treats are purchased which can work out surprisingly costly.

 

But no!

Not any more ... 

 

 

I am now organised and have a tin for homemade (or probably shop bought) tasty treats plus a possible sarnie? And ...

 

A large coffee/tea pot to keep us going until at least lunch time!!

 

Those poor Café ladies can now put their feet up of an auction day, well at least for the morning ;)

 

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I have coveted vintage Christmas tree baubles for years now (way before they were cool).  To me they are made of such quality and this shows in the weight, finish and above all and most importantly the shine and sparkle. Annoyingly, they command a high price and will be snapped up at boot sales and listed on ebay for £30 upwards before you can tut and say "damn, I wanted those".

 

Imagine my delight when I was lucky enough to get my hands one some this week. I was trying to act all cool and blasé saying words like "yeh, they are nice" and "hum, I think I'll have those" when my inside my head voice was shrieking "yippee, whoop, omg, what some awesome beauts".

 

 

 

Now, folks this is where the story takes a sad turn. My inside my head voice (who likes all things to be really clean) was not happy until years and years of dirt, grime and gunk had been washed away and removed so each bauble could sparkle and shine once again. NEVER, EVER do this!

I have now realised that vintage dec's are hand painted and can not be cleaned. I found this out when I returned to find the decoration part of my bauble floating in warm water.

Sob, sob, sob.

(This will probably be funny when its not still so raw that after years of searching I managed to wash the vintage from my vintage bauble)

 

I am now left with a shabby chic looking bauble that is very sparingly decorated with the vintage look I so anchored after ...

 

 

Continuing to sob.

If I am ever lucky enough to find anymore vintage bauble beauts I promise to never, ever, ever wash them, like at all!!

 

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So, to cheer me up and also as a reward for all of this money saving I've been doing due to buying absolute bargains (my way of justification) I spent a very sophisticated day shopping with a friend this week.

To step into a shop that has brand new things is a treat in itself (especially as I haven't been high street shopping for like yonks) but also to see the high end shops Winter displays was the best part. Ted Bakers was my fav hands down. Sadly, I didn't have a camera on me so was unable to take shots but they had a whole vintage vibe going on with a collection of 1970's lampshades on cords hanging down, dark wood 1950's mantle clocks and flock wall paper. It was a vision of beauty and for me, I hardly noticed the clothes as I was too busy ogling the décor.

 

I did treat myself to something new, it was the pom poms that did it for me ...

 

A treat non the less as it wasn't cheap but it's my one winter luxury that I will enjoy wearing all winter long xx

 

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My husband has been lucky enough to have been given a constant supply of eggs over these last few weeks. We are given freshly laid chicken and bantem eggs and I never fail to get a warm glow when I see them in our kitchen. Free range eggs, all shapes, sizes and colours with the odd feather attached sums up 'countryside kitchen' perectly.

 

 

Plus, they taste delish too with a double yoker in high demand around our table ~ double the nom.

 

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And finally ... I stumbled upon this last weekend. I think it is a thing of beauty and pure perfection. Up close you can see where this animals ribs meet the chest bone, cavities for vital organs leading to the heart and the interciate and complex bone structure of the start of a tail that leads off the base of the spine.

 

 

I have no idea from what animal this once belonged but it now sits on our mantel piece ~ a very British thing to do!!

 

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Well, that's it for this week folks. You can tell that the kids have returned to school after a long Summer break as I now have more things to share with you!!

Until next week, bye y'all xx

 

~ ~ ~

 

As seen on modvintagelife

Red sky at night ...

I just can't get enough of September:

When harvest starts a subconscious internal switch seems to flick me from Summer mode to the preparation of colder, shorter, stark days ahead.
 

 

 

 

 

Only the month of September brings such soft, beautiful light and the most intense sunsets.

 

 

 

Oh September, how I really do loveth thee.

 

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Louis Vuitton. Now here is a man who knows how to advertise.

 

His Fall 2010 advertising campaign bowled me over, it's the only advertisement that has ever made me actually want to jump inside.

 It just oozed class, style and grace ... 

 

 

 Then came Spring/Summer 2012 and I my love of all things L.V. continued to flourish ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swoon.

Bring on fall 2013 is what I say ...

 

Now this, my friends promises to be the ultimate feast for the eyes, oh how my eyes can not wait as this is what has been wafted up and down the catwalk this season ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lace, faux fur in greys and emerald greens ... big dreamy sigh.

 

How I wait with anticipation to see Fall 2013's ad campaign

(and that one day I may just own a lil slither of Louis Vuitton delights of my very own ... well a girlie can dream)  

 

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I am, with the help of a uber super stylish friend, verging on the start of selling vintage faux fur coats. With the above snippets of this seasons catwalk ensembles it looks like we may have timed

 this well and faux fur may be 'all the rage' this winter,

 eek we do hope so :D  Now, I fully appreciate that this style of winter wear is not everyone's cuppa but I personally love it. I have my very own vintage beaut fully laundered and hanging up ready for the arrival of our colder Brit weather. I have the urge to adorn it with a mahousive vintage brooch, just like they had to back in the day. Any excuse to add a bit of bling! Back in the day (1950's and 60's)these coats were the height of fashion and every discerning lady would step out in one,

 

 

60 years later and my coat is still looking fab and just the part.

 

 

 

 

It's almost worth wanting cold weather for!!

 

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This week my friend Suzanne and I were lucky enough to be given a guided tour around a local organic farm (shop and café).

This has to be one of the most intriguing , beautiful, unique and  inspirational places to spend time. I took some snaps whilst going around for y'all to see ...

 

 

 

In the greenhouses the plants are played classical music 24 hours a day ...

 

 

 

One of many active bee hives ...

 

 

 

Worton Organic Garden

 

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Well that's it for this week folks, I'm off to enjoy September. Until next week, bye y'all xx

 

 

As seen on Mod Vintage Life