Whats New! Lots of Pic's today!

Well! Whats New!

This is in disgrace! Dryer Thou is't Bad!!!

As you can see I have banished it to the naughty corner and covered it with a cloth.

We have to take drastic action - we are on power cutting/cost cutting exercise. Hubby P - Bless him, likes to know what he is spending and thus we have always had a pre-pay meter for the electricity. It works well - no big quarterly bills etc. But just recently - I'm sure I can see steam coming out of his ears when he looks at the meter - it just has such an enormous appetite, it eats money!

So the Big Clampdown - the dryer ( a real lazy option - we have a wood burner with hanging space for washing to dry!) - well the dryer was just too handy - next to the washer, to just throw wet washing into. So now it has been banished to the conservatory - to be used only in emergencies!

I'm keeping an eagle eye on the switching off of lights and 'standbys', and I even managed to cook a whole dinner in the oven last night, cooked potatoes in their jackets, braised veg in a covered dish - they filled the oven alongside the chicken and stuffing!

What a job this Thrifting is! - I suppose its just a case of a lot more planning. I have put my big freezer on Freecycle, I will manage with the smaller one - and make sure I use the food in there in rotation (as you should, rather than being lazy and grabbing the first thing that comes to hand!). Looking in the larger one earlier in the week, it was running away ( with Hubby P's precious electricity!) and not even half full.

'Needs Must' as they say, and I can't see the cost of fuel coming down very much in the near future - so there we have it. I haven't got the candles out just yet!

Emptying the larger freezer left me with lot of apples to use, so I made a batch of Apple Chilly Jelly - well I eat it by the bucket full! It is rather scrummy!

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Car Boot Sale finds!
Had a nice day yesterday at the Car Boot Sale, the sun was out, so there were a few more stalls browse.






A new little hat for summer! only 50p!

This little picture of a pretty lady - rather battered and without a frame, but she's too pretty to end up in the landfill.

I might kind of scrap book her -sort of, find some nice decoupage flowers and things to frame her.

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A nice little parcel came earlier in the week.

I had bought some little badges from a Etsy shop - Deb, who came to visit a while ago, is a illustrator, she has such a wonderful imagination! Check out her Blog - theimaginationofladysnail.blogspot.com/ (The imagination of lady snail)

She sent me a darling little notelet.

And the cute little badges!

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Hubby P - on one of his Lunchtime ramblings found me this little display shelf - thingy!

He tours all the Charity shops (I say all - I think there are two in the small town in which he works!). He is such a regular the old Ladies look for him coming - and its a case of - 'could you just fix the pricing gun, toaster, reach something down off the high shelf, carry these heavy boxes out side' etc!

I have used it to display all my vintage perfume bottles and what not.

They are things I use everyday - I wear the old perfume, well it will only gradually evaporate over time, I have it to enjoy it!

So I put the little shelf thing just under my makeup mirror, just where its handy.

I have a collection of vintage lipsticks too - I don't wear them - the colours are a bit too outrageous - even for me. And they taste awful, what was it they use to make them from - whale blubber - Yuk!

Ta Ta for now xx Take care xx

Snowdrops! So Pretty!!

The hedge across from our little cottage has produced the most wonderful show of snowdrops, turning the brown dull barren looking hedge into a feast of fresh green, their little nodding white heads stirring in the breeze!

Such a cheery little sight! Hopefully the hedge will start showing some leaf and blossom buds soon.

Have I mentioned - I just love snowdrops!
I think it partly stems from my childhood, when my favorite book was this little book of Poems. I think it came from school - we had a wonderful Headmaster - very forward thinking for his day, and he encouraged all the Arts, introduced us to all sorts of music, poetry and drama. We went Youth Hosteling, and made a hot air balloon! Mr Nutter - that was his name (Yes! I know - but Honestly - that was his name!)

The book is very battered now, but still I like to look at it - nice memories!

This is the little poem - The Snowdrops

Look how muddy it is in the field - just over the hedge from the snowdrops. Still at least we are not experiencing Flooding like some people in the South of the country.

These little Guys came over to say Hello and have a nosey at what I was doing.

And a little fresh greenness in the house. I treated myself to a couple of Hyacinths at the weekend. I always think its a nice surprise when they bloom - I wonder what colour they will be. I just potted them in some old jugs, gives a bit of colour to brighten the place.

Roll on Spring - I have had enough of this cold damp weather!

Ta Ta for now xx

Just a Big Thankyou for cheering a Girl up!

Just feeling a bit bored and fed up at the moment, its cold and grey - we haven't even any pretty snow!

Muffled up this morning and went outside to feed the chickens and rabbits, and look for some little sign of Spring! Not a lot out there - the Rosemary was bravely putting out a few flowers, and it was trying to snow - the odd flurry.

Soooo, what a nice surprise - the Postman brought me a parcel. Lynn - Gigibird kindly sent me

some nice soft leather gloves to go with my new hat!

They will look so well with my hat, and fit a treat - must think of an excursion, as they say in Larkrise 'Hats -and gloves now! My one weakness!'



Thank you again Lynn - you cheered my day.

xxxxxxx

WHAT ELSE CAN A GIRL DO - ITS FREEZING COLD!

What else' can a girl do when its a so finger numming-ly cold, but Sew, Shop and Lunch!!

Just back form the Car Boot Sale - yes! some hardy souls were still selling their wares - it was so cold! We didn't really hang about there long, I just had a good old nosy in their boxes, then we went for Lunch ( a 'Recession Special' - a choice of five different main meals for £2.95 - my kinda lunch!).

A saved these lovelies from a tatty old box - I thought they were so pretty!

I especially like this one with the white doves.

And wouldn't we all like a garden like this!

I have suddenly got my crafting mojo back - but wanting to be thrifty, I am trying to use up all those odd bits of fabric that we all keep, just in case - they are too pretty to throw away, but a bit small to make anything substantial!

So I hit on the idea of covering old wooden coat hangers with pretty vintage fabric. I have some and find they are so much better than the thin wire ones, or wooden for that matter, they don't leave pokey-out bits in your clothes especially woollen tops and jackets ( bit of a hate/thing with me - iron something, then come to put it on and have 'pokey' shoulders!).

As you can see my little table at the side of my chair is now a total mess of sewing stuff, just handy for when I sit down to watch Larkrise, Victorian Farm etc. I sew them all by hand - I find it very soothing/therapeutic, I have always done a lot of hand stitching, embroidery and the like.

This pretty blue fabric is a bit Cath Kidston-ish, It may be I am not sure, just a lump of fabric I picked up somewhere! Still - its pretty! I made the little padded hearts so that they could be scented with oils - Lavender, Rose or whatever, every one has a favorite. Mine is Patchouli - not everyone's cup of tea.

I used some pretty vintage buttons to finish them off.

I thought I might try some in my Etsy shop, I am a bit disappointed in Etsy, but I suppose it is world wide, and there are so many lovely things on there - I am just a little fish!

Then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Ta Ta for now xx

JUST A QUICK THANKYOU - I HAVE BEEN A LAZY BLOGGER!

Just a quick little Thank you ~ well a what I mean is a BIG Thank you, but short, late night Blog!

Some of you Girls have been so kind as to give me these Awards. I know I am so lazy about doing anything with them (still not too confident with the old cut/paste or whatever!).

Anyway, it seems most of the people I 'follow' would qualify for these awards, I am always amazed at the interesting things they post. How could I choose between you you all, to pass them on!

So Big Big Thanks to :-

Tracy - Craftyscraps for this delightful Pink creation of an Award!

And Many many thanks to Elaine - Bloomin' Myrtle

There are a few nice words that go with this, but I still can't manage to transfer them over to here! - hopeless! I know, I need some more lessons!
But you could just pop along to Elaine's blog - a nice gentle read, from a dear gentle woman. One I considerto be a dear friend, although we haven't met - blogging is such a wonderful way of making friendships - a way of reaching out!

Getting ready for some sleep now - catch you all later!
xx

PRETTY, PRETTY SNOWDROPS!

Look what greeted me this morning!

Pretty, pretty snowdrops!

Last Autumn I had lots of unidentifiable loose bulbs, that I had dug up whilst moving plants around, and generally messing around with the planting.

So I potted them all up, in various spare pots, and stood them down by the side of the shed. All the little shoots are showing now, soon I will move the pots to the side of the path and around the door. Some nice fresh Spring flowers to brighten our days!

I do so love, snowdrops. My bridesmaids carried them, and I had snowdrops on my Wedding dress fabric - this was the first time around, when I had the whole shee-bang! Big white Wedding an all, sadly it didn't last, but I have two wonderful boys from the marriage, and sad as it was, I still think kindly of my ex-husband!

As you all know, I now have the wonderful/solid as a rock/too good to me to be true - Hubby P.

We get on great - so all turned out well in the end, and now I have 4 sons!

Think I am all maudlin because its around this time I was first married and snowdrops, well they just remind me!

Back to jollier things!!!!
Look what we have - some new little souls to join the Allsorts Household!




Not all got names yet, although the white one with back eyes is called Dusty (Dusty Springfield!), we will watch and their names will come to us!

These little pictures I found in the Charity shop on Saturday, the weather was so bad, all we did was have a mooch around the Charity shops. I do hope we have an early Spring!



I like their sweet innocence!

And here' s one of our Girls - a striking pose!

A Chicken for Gary - hope you are feeling better! Lots a love xxx

Got to go - steak for Tea (Yellow label, from the reduced shelf at Somerfields!!!)

Ta ta for now xx

An Afternoon with Engelbert Humperdink!

Just got in from the Car Boot Sale ~ Wow! lots of goodies today ~ just had to share this with you!

I am having an Afternoon of Engelbert and the Stylistics (the best of!)~ only 50p each!

Ooh --- do you remember Engelbert? He had his own show on TV ~ and what he did to my heart as a young girl!

I thought he was Sooooo wonderful!

The perfect lover ~ truth is he was probably a total Rat! Real lounge Lizard material!

Don't know that my choice in men changed much for a good while ~ until I met Hubby P ~ he's more grisly Joe Cocker than Engelbert! (not that he can sing -shame!)

And I found the stylistics - wonderful!

On the 20p table - something to read!

EVERY WOMAN'S ENQUIRE WITHIN

Its very old and battered, but full of wonderful 'Advice' on all subjects, a 'must' for all young Women wanting to be a success in all things!

I can just see me doing this! ~ don't thing I even have the right sort of frock!







This is more me ~ housework and more housework!






The photo's and illustrations are just wonderful!






'Every Woman's Home'?
How things have changed ~ it could well be on a different planet, its so different from the average home today.
Although I would kill to have a go in that kitchen!

Anyway that's all for now ~ back to Eng' and this fascinating book!

Bye for now xxx