Finishing touches for the living room...

life has been pretty chaotic lately, we have builders knocking down walls, gutting bathrooms etc so everything lies under a thick layer of dust and the furbabies have been shut out of the way which hasn't impressed them at all....

At least we have a fairly functional living room, albeit under a layer of dust, so I've shut myself into my workroom to produce a few finishing touches...

Here are some cushions I made using a Laura Ashley fabric called 'Rockpool'. I cut out the designs and appliqued them onto some thick linen and I'm really liking the result...

What do you think? I like the way they blend in with my artwork and colour scheme. I have a large piece of the co-ordinating wallpaper too so I could make some smaller framed images for the walls...and speaking of coral themed artwork...

I found these prints at good old Ikea and framed them in some very reasonable frames already painted in a lovely greige. They'll add a little colour and pick up the tones of the fireplace bricks, at least until I paint them white (there's an ongoing battle about this between MLH and me because he likes the red brick and I don't!)

BTW I'm loving my new French style louvre shutters - just seen in the background.

Hopefully I'll soon be able to post some before and after shots of the building work. Have a good day :) x

Two little cuties...

How do you like these two little cutie patooties?

A vintage Triang tricycle - hands up if you're old enough to remember these, maybe you even had one (I had a scooter and spent many happy hours scooting up and down the pavement outside the house!)...

... and a darling little doll's pram...look at the curly bits on the handle and different sized wheels...it's so cute.

For the record I loved my doll's pram and I used to push my poor cat up and down the garden in it!

Here's the photographic evidence of me about to commit the terrible deed...

I've looked at this photo hundreds of times and I've only just realised I can see my late Mum's reflection in the window, my goodness this is turning into a trip down memory lane!

Anyway, back to business...these two sweeties will be coming with me to the MK Vintage Fair so come and see them for yourself - and see how I've turned out too - ha ha!

Latest goodies for the Vintage Fair........

Okay, here goes...I finally got round to taking some photos of a few of the items I am taking to the MK Handmade and Vintage Extravaganza on 1st and 2nd March.....it helped that the sun finally came out but I have been very bad at posting photos lately and, in my excitement to get going,  I still forget to take the 'before' shots so apologies!

here are two lovely, stylish storage solutions. I think they'd look great stacked in a corner or at the foot of the bed and they'd be perfect for books, DVDs, linens, out of season clothes etc.

This little pretty is a shabby sewing box with lovely curvy legs...

here's the inside...

and the design on the top...

and next a fabulous old chest for all your treasures...

with a seriously shabbied up interior...

I want to keep this one! a super blanket box on castors. I'm a sucker for stacking boxes full of linens and fabric stashes all over the house - they're just so beautiful!

and here's the design on top - this came out really well....

and now a piece of faded grandeur...a gorgeously ornate table finished in an old white over gilt....

look at the fabulous details, this one is really stunning - again, if I had the space I'd keep it!

and here's a different take on the occasional table, with metal legs and shelves underneath this would fit into most interiors...

and look at this dear little French lustre ware salt pot with a wooden lid - how sweet is this?

finally (for now anyway), is this huge wooden chest. This is a real heavyweight and I haven't decided how to finish it yet. So far all I've done is treat it for woodworm as it has a few old holes. There are no signs of active worm but it's always better to be safe rather than sorry.

here's the inside...it will be a really useful piece of furniture when it's finished so it's back to work for me!

and, of course, while I'm working the furbabies are taking it easy in their French style bed with a toile cushion - spoilt or what?

Do come along to the show on 1st and 2nd March, it's always a wonderful occasion with a great atmosphere and even if you don't buy anything you'll have a lovely time!

Rustic kitchen sign.......

well, it's another wet morning here so I've decided to stay indoors and concentrate on painting and making - that makes it sound like a chore but you know the rain is just an excuse to enjoy myself!!

Yesterday I finished a sign for my kitchen, I found out that the barn I work in was originally a dairy so it seemed right to use that idea for my sign....

As usual I was able to find an image from Karen at the Graphics Fairy  which I transferred and then over painted and I used the same technique with the lettering, then a bit of distressing and waxing and...ta da!

my new kitchen sign :) 

Now all I need to do is to redo the whole kitchen!! Lots of plans for walls coming down, moving things around, retiling, reflooring ... the list goes on and on - and then there's the bathroom, bedroom, courtyard, garden room...somebody stop me!!

One of those days...

you know when you have one of those days where everything you touch seems to go wrong? Well, I was going to bring you the new wall art I'm making for my kitchen today but...........I won't go into detail, it's too painful. Here's something else instead... do you remember last Summer that I revamped an old mirror, turning it white and shabby?

Well, no sooner had we moved into our new house than I broke the glass, luckily the frame was undamaged and so I used a piece of fabric I've been hoarding to make this....

Sorry the photo is not great, it was taken in poor light as we never seem to see daylight here at the moment! Hope you can see the details on this lovely piece of botanical toile including snails, bees and flies. It looks perfect in my new garden room and picks up the colours and designs in the quilts piled on the French day bed. Speaking of which:

here's something else piled on the quilts and day bed!

And I finally got a good shot of our woodpecker visitor to share with you

Isn't she gorgeous?  Have a good day x

Escape to the country........

It's a long time since I last wrote anything because we moved just before Christmas and life has been just a little hectic!

It has taken a long time to find the right house for us as we wanted something rural and old but still close enough to a railway station to let my husband commute sensibly.

We found a converted Victorian barn in just the right location with large rooms, exposed beams and so on but the previous owners had decorated it in a style I needed to change. So here's the first room I've started.............

 This was a dining room painted in a fetching shade of bile  which made me feel quite ill ......

Also, it has lovely views onto the walled garden at the rear of the house so we decided to make it into a garden room.....

It's now our favourite room, very warm and so restful and here's what we can see out of the window........

we have lots more wildlife here than in our old home and we can waste hours watching them.....

In the meantime the local predators are taking it easy....

Symi has found all the hot spots in the house including the range...

Lots more to tell but this is a long project so I'll save some for another day.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2014 x

Moving House!

Phew! It's been really hectic around here lately (and by lately I mean for about five months!) but finally we are moving house next week! It has been the usual nightmare of ups and downs and stops and starts and I don't want to do it again soon...

note to self:

“If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too.” - Dr. Seuss

However, we are finally getting our lovely old barn and, quelle surprise, I have plenty of plans for knocking down walls and restyling. It has some lovely features like exposed beams and a range but I don't like the current decor and can see ways to make the flow better. Right from the start I've had 'mood boards', clippings and samples (I know, tragic - right?) so I've got a clear idea of my plan.

So, bear with me a bit longer, I know I've been a poor blogger recently but I'll try and make up for it now with lots of before and after photos and projects and here's just a little teaser.....

so, come through the iron gate, past the lavender walk and follow the changes ........... see you soon x

Amazing Frozen Shoulder Treatment

I know this isn't what I would normally blog about but bear with me....If you have a frozen shoulder or know someone who does, this could be really useful so please read on (if not, then feel free to think about kittens or chocolate - my personal favourites - or whatever floats your boat).

OK, if you're a regular viewer then you might know I had a catastrophic elbow/arm/ankle accident eight months ago from which I'm still recovering. I also suffered a traumatic frozen shoulder which was not diagnosed until much later. The advice I was given was that frozen shoulders get better on their own in about TWO OR THREE YEARS! 

'No way!' I thought and did my own research...and found Hydrodilatation, a quick procedure done under local anaesthetic in about five minutes. The surgeon injects 40ml of saline into the joint capsule to free it up and then you need  to be very conscientious about physiotherapy and exercise for a few weeks to get the best result.

I had it done less than two weeks ago and already have loads more movement which means I can use my arm much more normally. I'm exercising at home and in the pool so I'm sure this will improve even further. It also means I can do more rehab on my broken elbow which is a bonus.

I'm sharing this because I had to find out about it on my own. It doesn't seem to be widely known (my GP had never heard of it) but it is available on the NHS as well as privately.

A frozen shoulder can be a miserable experience. It's painful and can stop you sleeping. You can't dress yourself easily, wash or style your hair or put your earrings in - really basic things. If you're suffering or know someone who is, this could be an answer for you. Good Luck!

p.s normal vintage service will be resumed in the next post!!!

New Retail Space!

I'm very pleased to let you know that as of yesterday I have joined a super craft co-operative called Crafty Buzzards in Leighton Buzzard (no 9, Hockliffe Street if you're local). I have a lovely area in the shop to fill with my vintage lovelies and feel that this is a great opportunity to work with like minded creators and artists.

The website address is www.craftybuzzards.co.uk 

I have just sent photos of some of my stock to the web designer so in the next few days you can view online as well as here on the blog. Don't forget you can always browse and purchase items through the SHOP page on the blog (just click on the SHOP button just under the header) and contact me direct to organise collection or discuss pieces. 

I'm very excited about this new venture and will keep you posted!

One of my favourite quotes........

I have to keep reminding myself of the following quote, it's so inspirational....


“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Join me tomorrow as I have some news to reveal...........

Milton Keynes Handmade and Vintage Extravaganza!

Hi! I wanted to share these photos of the latest Vintage Extravaganza which took place at the beginning of the month..

I went away on holiday  straight after the fair so they are rather late I'm afraid....

but looking at them reminds of what a fun couple of days we all had!

 

I sold all the lovely new pieces I've featured on the blog...

including the racing car, doll's house and rocking horse....

and met loads of regular customers and caught up on all their news. 

Looking forward to the next event (always a good excuse for more junking and hunting) and I'll share some news with you soon about a new retail space for I Love My Home - not long now!

Holidays........

I've been quiet for a while as MLH and myself went to the beautiful island of Mallorca for a break. There are some lovely quiet places on this busy island if you know where to look and this is what we could see from our balcony....

in front of us the sea and behind the majestic, wild mountains

and at night the most beautiful sunsets...

So we're back and raring to go.... in the next couple of weeks I am having a procedure done to help free up my shoulder and help my elbow and I'm also opening some new retail space for I Love My Home - but more of that later......