Just an Allsorts mostly Picture Blog - Sickness Prevails!!

Unfortunately these have been my constant companions these last few days - a bit desperate I know, but its all that's got me through - this Flu thing has laid me out!

I'm feeling a little better tonight, I'm sure i will be fine in a couple of days - what a pesky thing this little bug is - its amazing how unwell it can make you feel.

Anyway enough of that.

I took these photo's last week before I was slain - afraid its mostly a Piccy blog - I'm not at my best!

Firstly - Yes, I remember - it was Easter! Hubby P treated me to a visit to the plant nursery and a few flowering bulbs for Easter - they last a lot longer than a chocolate egg, anyway I got to share his egg - too much chocolate you know - not good for Hubby's!

I thought these looked so nice, and just the ticket to go in my new trough. I got loads well 17 pots of flowers for £10, some were only 50p a pot - (I know - a bit of an expensive Easter egg, but 'He Love's Me' - Sigh!!!). Just goes to show it pays to go to the Nurseries rather than the posh Garden Centres - although the latter do have cafes - and cake!

Spring is officially here at the Allsorts Garden -




We have Toad spawn in the pond, and lots of it - yes, all that Romancing did do the trick.

Little Blackie has started sunbathing -yes I know - original name!

The Aquatic shop swore he would change colour to a nice orangey colour - but he has steadfastly refused to do so for the last couple of years - so who are we to say!

His mate in the pond - Elvis (he has a black quiff! ) is not so friendly - although being orange easier to see!


Hawks!

Yes great excitement here, we have been sitting outside watching fantastic aerial displays, we think they are Buzzards - very big Hawks!

You can hear them calling and amazingly all the little birds disappear, you can see them hiding in the hedges, and they are ever so quiet until the Hawks have moved on.

I managed to get a pic of this crow in the tree - he's probably a bit big for the hawks to bother with, but like hubby P said ' He probably thought - I could do with a breather, I'll just sit here for a while - very still!'


Crafty wise - Birdcages!

Don't know why - I think I may have seen something similar on a blog, and then I found this amazing reel of wire!

Don't you just love this old battered reel - just imagine if it could talk! What tales it could tell!

I have no idea what it was used for - have you?

But I felt it would make a nice birdcage - the sort with the ever open door - a refuge for the fluttery little ones - if they have a mind to share a little of their lives with us!

I put some red silk bindings to the door and hoop - for luck, and made a dangly little swing inside!

I just feel it needs a couple of sweet little felt birds - perhaps one on the swing and one fluttering on the outside, when I can get my creative brain to think outside this flu-ey fug!



BOOTS

Hubby P has worn out another pair of boots - so the old ones get planted up and 'planted' in the garden.

I put them at the front of the house with some of my flowering bulbs in for now - brighten up the front a bit!

Having lots of men means quite a few boots, the big Tree Surgeon ones are great - big and roomy they hold lots of plants and don't dry out the same in summer. I like having something as personal as my families foot wear scattered around the place - maybe I'm odd - okay well I am! I know other people make do with photographs!

Pretty though!

These are the big Tree Surgeon boots waiting to be panted up with something colourful for the summer - just look at that wonderful moss growing on them - it sparkles like jewels!


And Here's Geoffrey!

Everything is 'hunky dory' in his world - he's having Chinese for supper tonight - Hubby P brought us Chinese for dinner, so The Geoffreys are having rice, prawn crackers and wholemeal bread

He's been this evening to have a 'catch up' with Hubby P, Mrs Geoffrey is up and about - it must be said she is looking very well and has done wonders to regain her slim figure - maybe we could sell her post baby diet to a Celebrity!

Earlier this evening we had a visit from two of the tiny Geoffrey's - un accompanied by Mum or Dad, they were a but nervous and didn't hang around too long. Hubby P will try and get some pics once they have settled a little.

So all goes well here - or it will do once I have shifted this flu!

Another happy event - we have baby rabbits! Still in the nest but doing well - will post some pics next time -

Oh! Yesssss! S'alll Apinin Ere!!!! Springs come!!

xxxx Take Care xxxx

Hot off The Press _ Geoffrey Update!!

Just a very quick Geoffrey Update -

Great excitement here at the Allsorts household - Hubby P had been keeping an eye out for Geoffrey, he has been absent from the treehouse for a couple of nights ( Hubby P hadn't seen him) - so a relief to see him tonight.

And whats more - not just Geoffrey, but at least one Geoffrey Junior! Yes! there was Dad, proudly showing his son/daughter the way up to the treehouse and the different food options - we do like to give good service here and offer a varied and nutritious menu! that's if the Collared Doves haven't been and scoffed the lot - they usually show up around Supper time - just before it goes dark.

Hubby P is - as I write this - outside communing with the Geoffrey's - and what hardship that is - you really must know - he has The Man Flu!!!!

Yes! I have to know all about it - repeatedly - So I feel you All Should Too!

Lets just hope he doesn't give it to the Geoffrey's!

Hopefully a more varied and interesting post tomorrow - lots of pic's - visitors gone home, back to 'normal' - although with the Man Flu an all - I will try my best!

xxxxxx

And Lo There Was A Miracle!! (or maybe we just got it wrong!)

Well - its that time of year - Easter, special to many people, and a time of miracles.

Well we have our own here in the Allsorts garden - or more likely we were mistaken and jumped to conclusions, putting ourselves through agonies!

To celebrate Easter and all that is just lovely, bright and beautiful - and Spring 'Just Must' be here soon - here for you lovely readers are a few of our Daffs picked this morning.

Lovely just!

And the cause of our celebration, our very own miracle - Geoffrey lives!!

Ohhhhh how happy is Hubby P!

This is Geoffrey tonight - on usual form pinching peanuts.

We have decided that the unfortunate dead mouse we thought was Geoffrey must have been a visiting cousin - most probably Stanley, always to be known from now on as 'Unfortunate Stanley'.
Hubby P had toyed with the idea that Stanley was known for his fighting prowess and had been intent on taking on the evil that was/is Charlie Cat - somewhat Jihad style - but there is no video evidence of this, and Geoffrey is not forthcoming with any information. So it is still all a puzzle. The only sure thing is that Unfortunate Stanley lies still and cold under a pot of daffs.




Here is Geoffrey peanut in his mouth taking it back to his nest.
Hubby P tells me he is certain this is Geoffrey, earlier he sat in the treehouse munching away on a peanut - quietly communing with Hubby P, they have a very Man-ley/Mouse relationship!





With a flick of his tail he was gone back to his nest!

I've been having a night with Judy Garland - Hubby P found me two of her LP's at the carboot sale on Tuesday.




Lovely romantic - slushy stuff! but what wonderful stuff - she had a lovely voice and can knock spots off her daughter Liza Minnelli. You can however hear the similarity in their voices - I suppose that's because they are Mother and Daughter - dough!!

Time i went to bed! All this excitement with Geoffrey is too much!

xxx Take care xxx

Dreadful, Dreadful News I'm Afraid!

Yes, I'm afraid its the worst! It was bound to happen I know, but its still so awfully sad! The cat Charlie got Geoffrey, there was nothing we could do.

Hubby P is so upset, and angry with Charlie Cat - but he knows really that its just nature taking its course. If Charlie Cat had brought us a nasty dead rat - really what we keep him for, we would be patting him and saying what a good boy he was!

Its us humans that are fickle!

But like I said so sad, I just hope he has left a little family behind, and we may have more Geoffrey's in the garden.

So the Allsorts household is a sad little place today - missing our little friend. Hubby P buried him under a pot of daffs.

We'd had such a good day, Hubby P had the morning off work and came with me to the Car Boot Sale, we got a few nice bits and pieces.

Some nice Shabby Chic pieces.

And this wonderful, delightful musical box - for £3 I couldn't resist.

Just look at the delightful ballerina, she twirls in the most alluring way to the tinkly music of The Blue Danube.

Its mirror had come unstuck,and some of the original manicure tools are missing (replaced with oddments) - I shall look for matching pink ones, everything turns up at the carboot sale eventually!




I simply stuck the mirror back in place with good old PVA glue.

Found this little green boot too - I just thought it sweet.




And laced it up with some pretty pink ribbon - a bit 'Shabby' too perhaps?

An unusual find at the weekend was this plant trough, its part of the vintage 'Better Maid' ware. Its something else I collect, the old blue and green ware reminds me of my Grandparents house, and their overflowing collection of Geraniums.

I think I shall have to find some colourful Geraniums to put in the new trough.

Part of my other collection sits on a shelf in the conservatory, I particularly like the little watering can.

Its awfully cold and wet here today - as I think it is everywhere. Just the sort of day to drink lots of hot tea and get the crafting stuff out.

We have a younger friend staying with us this week - college holidays and all that, so its nice to have someone to share the crafting with. Hubby P still doesn't 'get it' - the crafting stuff - even after all these years - I fear he is a lost cause!

Just as well he's happy trawling ebay for obscure and unusual things!

Zoe's busy covering one of the old vintage cardboard folders I found with a montage'/collage of images with a modern celebrity twist.

I've been lining this little basket with some pretty floral fabric, and of course a few buttons!

This is a bit of an upside down image - the glue sticking the buttons is drying.

And this is the culprit - the cause of much distress to the household.

Of course he's not a bit concerned !

That's all for now folks - back to the crafting!

xxx Take care xx

Geoffrey Update!

Geoffrey would just like to say 'Good Evening'!!

Here he is playing 'Peek - a - Boo' with Hubby P!

He runs from one 'window' of the treehouse/bird table to the other, peeking out!

Cutie or what!

Hope you are having a good weekend x

Everyday Stuff - But Evenings - Well! Just One Big Love-in!!!

Hello Lovelies!!

Well! At last! A few pretty Daffodils out at the front of the cottage. I seem to have been waiting for ages. They are so welcome!

Maybe - dare we hope warmer weather is on its way!

A bit of a post of allsorts today.

The Gangs all Here!

All ready and eager to be on their way to their new homes, bringing Easter Greetings to the younger people.

Flushed with the success of the Vintage fabric tea towels I made last week (I know its soooo sad!), I riffled through my fabric boxes looking for similar. I thought to myself 'why have plain boring white linen (that always gets stained and discoloured) - when I could use my nice vintage-y retro stuff everyday - its only sitting in boxes - just need to run it up into tea towels'.

So that's what I did - I found this rather jazzy, bright brown-y/orange-y fabric. There was a pair of curtains and an odd funny shaped curtain (that I cut up). I vaguely remember my friends mother giving me this - she helped run Jumble Sales and brought me loads of stuff at one time, I would just give her an idea of the projects I was working on - sorts of things she could look out for, I just gave a good donation ot the funds.

But then again that's how I end up with huge stashes of fabric - and it get a bit out of hand!

The fabric is like new, the curtains look as if they have never been used. It has that starchy stiffness of new fabric.

I thought the colours would go well with the kitchen cupboards. I've just given them a lick of paint to freshen them up - they are a kind of gentle green colour.




Years ago when we first got the little tumbly cottage - we had not a bean to our name, and 'Made Do and Mended' in every way possible. Hubby P built my kitchen cupboards from old heavy wooden packing chests we bought at the Sale. They are large, sturdy and rustic looking cupboards - a bit like us really!

I painted them in a 'distressed' fashion, and over the years they have indeed taken on a nice old, worn, distressed look and feel. I paint them to freshen them up, but I try and keep that battered rustic look.

And of course - just inside one of the doors I have a gentle reminder!



Je T'aime - Je T'aime

Well! - what can I say - its all happening here - and with warts on!!

This is the House of Luurrrvvvveeee!!

Just step outside the door and the path is littered with Toads - all in a romantic mood!

This little chap wearing the headdress of pond weed is clinging on like mad, he's just ousted another male and has won his prize - for now!

(If you don't know anything about Toads - the males are smaller, and all climb on the back of the female, pushing and shoving to get the best position and cling on. Sometimes you can see the poor female with three or four males atop her back!)

They all show up at this time of year, and we will end up with a pond full of baby toads!

Its a nice introduction to spring and summer.

I will leave you with the gallant loser - the spurned lover! Off he goes to lick his wounds, and gather strength enough to try and win the next lady that comes along!

Update on Geoffrey the mouse - Hubby P saw him a few nights ago with what we think is Mrs Geoffrey ( a rather plump, glowing little lady) He has since been seen taking vast quantities of food down to his/their nest.

We are inclined to think that they are 'anticipating a happy event', and there may well be little iddy biddy Geoffreys soon! Keep you posted!

xxx Take care for now xxx

Hubby P's Gifts and Carboot Treasure Finds!

Mid week - not long to weekend! thank goodness! lets hope its sunny!

Carboot sale finds on Tuesday, I thought I would share this rather lovely retro print fabric with you. I found it wrapped in this old Tesco bag - who remembers Tesco selling or rather packaging things in these paper bags - I know I don't. But there it is, proof that paper was used - if only now they could see it as the way forward, I hate all this plastic tray nonsense - how on earth are we supposed to recycle it?

Anyway enough of the 'Save the Earth' soap box stuff - the fabric is a delight, its a kind of heavy-ish cotton. There wasn't too much of it so I thought if I simply cut it into four, it would make lovely teatowels, and I would have the pleasure of looking at it daily.

So that's what I did - they turned out well.

(note to Gary - 'new' Vintage kettle - no - it does'nt switch its self off!)

As I looked in my teatowel drawer - well, to be honest - its a bit full, so I thought I will keep two and maybe put two on ebay - share the loveliness around a bit! And if I can sell them it pays for the fabric, so my two will cost me nothing - a thrifty thought!


What a week for Hubby P's thrifting activities - I swear that man was a woman in another life! he puts us Girls to shame the was he scours the Charity Shops in his lunch hour!

Home he comes bearing gifts of all sorts of shapes, sizes, and wonderment!

This week he brought me a lovely little book, it is a Welsh Children's book - sadly I don't speak or read much Welsh - I have tried - honestly, so its difficult for me to tell you exactly what its about. However the pictures are just so lovely - I just had to share some of them with you.





She is such a lovely little dot! Busily looking at the flowers!





And how about this lovely bathtime pic!

I think this is my favorite - feeding the chickens, this could have been me and my Uncle (we grew up almost as brother and sister) - He wore the same short trousers!

What a delightful book - I must find something nice to do with the pictures, the book is almost falling apart. The old Ladies in the shop gave it to Hubby P (no charge - its falling apart) they said 'for your wife' - they know I like sewing and crafting, and save many a bag of fabric/wool for me.

Another delightful surprise yesterday - just look at this lovely box that Hubby P found - and it was full of Vintage gloves - how wonderful!

It was just packed with gloves - someones collection of loveliness. Hubby spotted it in the C Shop, snapped it up and brought it home.

What fun I had pulling out the gloves and Oooooing and Ahhhhhhing!

All a kinds of gloves, all colours, all fabrics - wonderful.

I had a session playing about - trying them on and whatnot. Unfortunately I do not have the hands of Elizabeth Bennett, or Dorcas Lane - mine are somewhat heftier and roughened with gardening and whatnot - sad but true!

So I shall keep the ones that fit - and maybe ebay the smaller more daintier ones - a shame but I am trying to be realistic, they would only sit in a drawer, it would be nice if they could be worn and enjoyed.

I am luckily enough to be able to wear these - Gloriously Pink Pair! Ideally suited to go with my Easter bonnet!

Better go now Hubby P is busy switching off lights, he's brought me tea and toast (with lashings of butter - a la' Dorcas lane) for my supper - it must be nearly bedtime.

xxx Take care for now xxx