I Love Paris.....

as i am confined to barracks at the moment i have been looking at photos of our last trip to beautiful paris and day dreamimg about our next trip - whenever that might be...

this was the view from our apartment on l'isle st louis overlooking the seine and l'isle de la cite and notre dame - magical...

here is the fabulous four storeys we climbed to the apartment...

memorial to the tiny jewish children deported from a kindergarten by the nazis and sent to the death camps...

only in paris could this look so stylish...

inside notre dame...

charlemagne looking fabulous...

 the jewish quarter...

j'eanne d'arc....

got to include le tour effeil....

the bridge on the seine where lovers leave padlocks bearing messages....

gorgeous french bulldog in the market at st michel....

what i wish i was doing right now, in the place des vosges, one of my favourite quiet places for a coffee break in paris...

hope you've enjoyed my indulgent little trip to paris!

Shabby chic fire screen...

...i started work on this project before my accident and have managed to finish it one-handed so i'm very pleased with myself!

our open fireplace creates a very cold draught when it's not lit so i wanted to create a fire screen to block it and also to pretty it up in the summer time...

i'd been looking at these ornate decorative gates/screens/wall art at tk maxx for a while and one day they were in clearance...well, it'd be rude not to wouldn't it? this one and a smaller one cost £12! i spray painted them in antique white, distressed them and attached this one to a piece of painted ply...

...many thanks have to go to MLH's father, Michael (i guess that makes him MLFIL) who provided the ply, cut it and fashioned the little feet for me - there's still only so much i can do with one arm! i was determined to put all the pieces together myself and here's the finished product...

i think it works really well and complements the room perfectly - check out the fab new addition that MLH gave me for valentine's, easter, birthday, anniversary, christmas etc for at least the next year...this gorgeous armoire was an impulse buy but could have been made for the room and is a real keeper - it's just what i've always wanted and will work in any room in any future house...

another couple of views....

i love it!

Sewing box - before and after...

before I had my accident, this is what I was working on, I've only just been able to transfer the photos and share ... I picked up this 1930s sewing box the other day and, although it's a bit modern for my taste, I know a lot of people like Art Deco and it is an incredibly useful piece of furniture with its deep side pockets, drawer and shelf. So it had 50% of the requirements to be useful and beautiful, only the beauty to add then...

first it needed a really thorough clean and replacement of the hinges which were broken, and some general fixing and tidying...

...then I painted it with an undercoat of duck egg and a top coat of old white, distressed, waxed and added an appropriate Graphics Fairy image. I used the freezer paper method of transfer for the first time and it worked really well. I made sure to slightly wet the surface, tape the paper in place and then burnish really thoroughly until I was happy with the transfer...

here's the result...

the finished, shabby, article...

 and the inside where I replaced some of the fabric with a co-ordinating vintage Laura Ashley fabric....

let me know if you like it?

Before and after..now THIS is a restoration...

today I'm sharing the photos of an unusual restoration project - my left elbow!  in the first photo you can see one of the breaks and some of the displacement...

in photo two you can see some of the metalwork inserted by the surgeon to fixate it and lots little metal staples holding the wound together...

...and here's the side view showing the dainty screw holding my elbow together - nice job huh?!

looking at what was necessary to fix me up I can only feel grateful that that I live when, and where, I do. How would I have fared in another time and place? My gratitude levels just went up a notch...

My new Louboutins...

sorry... that should be LouBOOTins...I have a feeling I should have checked the order a bit more closely!  My 'biker' boot is fab for giving me enough support to hobble about. Plus it makes me look like Abby from 'NCIS' - one of my favourite TV programmes...

back at home...

hi everyone, can't tell you how great it is to be back at home after an unexpected week in hospital. a simple slip meant lying on the floor for one and a quarter hours waiting for an ambulance, 6 hours in A and E, a four day wait for surgery and then a complicated operation to rebuild, pin and plate my elbow. i also broke my ankle so i was about as mobile as a beetle turned over on it's back! i can only one finger type so i've given up on upper case letters etc so please bear with me!

i'm so grateful for MLH, family and friends who've given practical and emotional help whilst trying to cope with their own busy lives. Helen has always been a true friend whenever i have been in need and she and Kim had me helpless with laughter when a few hours before i had been helpless with tears as the shock of what i'd done sank in. 

mum and dad in law jumped into action providing food, laundry and a lovely manicure (the sort of thing you don't think is important until you realise how much better you feel afterwards)

my darling husband (only a few weeks into a big new job) has been a total star, nothing is too much trouble for him and his new company have been superbly understanding.

Sharon and the gang from the MK handmade and vintage fair have been keeping my spirits up, i was all geared up to take my latest collection to the fair when everything went pear shaped so i was very disappointed but they always keep me smiling: 'vintage' people are the best! and just look what they sent me today!!!

huge thanks to sharon, suzanne, katie, diane and the ever patient jacqui! these really made my day and were just what i would have chosen for myself, my one-handed photography really can't do them justice - bless you girls...

i also have the services of a carer to help me twice a day and she is wonderful, nothing phases her and she is efficient and smiling.

before i go today i'd like to share the slight downside: i have a lot of therapy and recovery ahead and i have to inject myself in the stomach daily for six weeks with blood thinners to avoid blood clots. however these things will pass and lots of people are so much worse off, i certainly can't complain - i'm very lucky to have the care available and there are people throughout the world with so little access to medical care that we take for granted.

on a lighter note... take a look at the hospital food below. one of these is a fish dish - can you spot it?

it's the last one!

As i am coeliac, and because i think it's important, i like to eat 'clean', i don't eat processed/fast food and always cook from scratch, once again i was lucky to have family and friends bringing in fruit salads and smoothies.....made all the difference!

many thanks...

..for all the kind thoughts and actions following my recent accident. I am out of hospital and now begin a loooong period of recovery and therapy. I also missed the 'tipping over' from 9,999 to 10,000+ views on the blog so thanks for that too! will be in touch...

Something to remember...

My lovely friend Sharon of Shabby Polka Dots posted this on Facebook and it really struck a chord with me so I wanted to share it with you:

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

My favourite phrase of the moment is:

'Change what you can't accept and accept what you can't change'

Something we would all do well to remember....

Have a good day...and night.....

No mess distress makeover...

I picked up this little cabinet ages ago and loved her original bevelled glass and gilded finials - unfortunately I was the only one who loved her so a little re-invention was called for...

one makeover later... and she looks fresh and new... hmmm maybe a little too new (at this point take note of the Costco wet wipes to the right of the photo). I may be new to this particular party so forgive me if you already know this, but: did you know you can 'shabby up' chalk paint without sanding by just rubbing over with a damp rag (or Costco wet wipe)? Just rub the edges to dissolve a little of the paint before waxing!

here she is all finished and ready to make her debut at the next Vintage Fair 2nd/3rd March!

...and here's her inside, lined with some Laura Ashley wallpaper and this time I did sand the finish to get a different look

what do you think - better now?