Nice To See The Sunshine .. It Makes A Girl Happy!

Hello there....

what a lovely day we are having here .. 

the sun is shining and the birds are singing...

how lucky we are..

The sky is as blue as blue and we've been watching the birds way up high .. 

gliding around just enjoying the day..

The buds on the lilac bush are growing daily .. won't be long before they burst forth with all their wonderful scent... 

and early too I should think.

The Honesty is already 'doing its thing' .. what a wonderful colour .. so very pretty.

Hubby P ... almost as bright and dazzling in his ultra orange boiler suit ... although it looks like he needs a good ol'wash.

He too is doing 'his thing' in the garden .. this sunshiny weather is great for painting jobs.

Hubby P spotted some of these .. well similar to this sort of thing .. in one of those Shabby Chic shops...

So I had a bit of a go .. its all a pretty montage of vintage papers and a few vintage buttons.

Something a little different .... cant decide whether I like them or not ..

Now these are something I do like .... I have lots of them .. they are useful and pretty .. and 'fit for purpose' ... they hold the clothes in place well .. the fabric helps grip the clothes.

I cover the wooden hangers with vintage retro fabric .. often bark cloth ... they are popular and sell well .. I have one lady who likes to collect them.. she has one of each fabric I use ..

I think they are just a little bit of prettiness for a girl to use daily..

Its even a small enough project to do sat in the garden admiring the flowers and watching the antics of the birds.

 

So that's us this last few days .. just pootling along..

I will leave you with a pretty pic of the Bleeding Heart .. this is one of the little plants I chose to sit atop the resting place of our dear little Fly .. its flowering away and looking pretty ...

We think of our little dogs .. Fly and Uncas a lot .. its nice we have good strong memories of them ..

'God gave us Memories 

that we might have

Roses in December...'

Bye for now ....x

Spring Went Walkabout This Morning.....

 Hello there .. well what a day ..

We've been working .. trading as usual at the Mona Car Boot Sale.

.. ..a good day despite the Spring going walkabout ...

Boy did it rain .. and rain ..and rain some more...

And last week we had some super sunshiny days ... just look at this pretty Hellebore ...

 pinking its little socks off..

This is a Three Cornered Leek .. 

another pretty .. dainty little allium .. 

these pop up everywhere in my garden .. love um ...

And the Bluebells ... how early are these ..

have you got your Bluebells showing yet?

Some years its as late as June before we have the Bluebells ... maybe its because we've had a mild winter.. its been wet but we've had no real frosty cold spell.

Not that I am complaining they look a treat.

So .. what have we been up to ...?

Well its been all go here .. not all so easy for 'some' of us..

I've had to take Hubby P 'in hand' somewhat .. and brave entry into his workshop...

I promised myself I wouldn't do this... I wouldn't want him interfering with my sewing stash ... but to be honest ... poor man..

he has been a bit overwhelmed with work ...

and the workshop ... well frankly .. a tip.

It needed a firm hand .. iron resolve .. and a lot of bin bags...

and there we are ... room to work .. 

We spent a few days re-vamping some good old furniture.

This 1950's Windsor chair looks fresher.. clean and homely after its makeover.

 

This delightful set of mini steps was sold as soon as Hubby P took it out of the van ... to grace a shop window and help display bits and bobs ...

I enjoyed giving these a bit of a new life .. a new identity..

As 1940's Utility furniture .. they are stamped 1948 .. they were a good shape and sturdily made .. but tired looking .. well they had lived through some pretty tough years.

I searched my fabric stash for something a bit unusual .. something striking ... and this 'asian-y' style print 'spoke' to me..

 

A bit different than your more usual floral .. thought I.

I had a rummage through Hubby P's paint stash ... now we could get to it .. and found a pretty soft green that complimented the fabric .. and away I went.

I was pleased with the result ... maybe a bit wobbly as to ..

 'was it a bit too unusual .. do people prefer the usual floral's..

 are  floral's easier to mix in with other furniture etc' ..

But a lady just loved them .. and they sold the first time out ..

so lesson to me .. just trust my first .. my crafty instinct.

I even found a little time to do what I love ... bit of sewing.

This little cushion is made from a length of deckchair fabric I saved from a dead chair .. nothing goes to waste.

And after a good old wash it looked as fresh as ever and made a lovely jaunty .. sailboat-y cushion ... 

very summer-y!

Just a thought ..if you like follow what we do as work ....

 what we find .. 

what we revamp ... up cycle or whatever 

we do have a Facebook page.

We are called  Graig Trading ...

you can get to it from my Facebook link at the top of this page 

(I think)....I know some of you have similar interests to ours .. the Facebook site is just about work... whereas here I just like to waffle on about my ramshackle life .. and just .. well stuff..

and show you flowers ... I love flowers ... 

who doesn't like flowers ..

So here we are .. a few tulips for you...

take care .. bye for now x

Just Me Again .. Like Buses ...

Hello there ...

I know .. I know .... just like buses .. none for ages then two come together..

Sandie's Patch asked to see a bit more of the slate planter .. thingy.

Hubby P made some of these for me years ago .. I think we saw it done on Gardeners World ...

Its fairy simple .. just bits of slate .. bottom and sides .. drilled and fastened together with copper wire... just like putting together a box.

 This one is a more adventurous with a pointy bit and five sides .. they are made from old roofing slates.

I had them planted up for many years .. with herbs and the like ... you have to line them with hessian .. or in my case old pillowcases .. its all I had at the time. Otherwise of course the soil/compost falls through the rather large gaps at the corners.

 They look really nice planted up .. just thought I would have a change and I like the contrast of the terracotta with the slate.

So what of today ...?

Its amazing what a Girl finds when she decides to clear out under the sink ....

Now when and where I bought these potatoes I cannot remember ... and why did I put them under the sink?

It must be an age thing ...

Anyway there they were .. happily sprouting away ...

So ...in the spirit of 'Waste Not Want Not' .. I found an old feed sack .. poked some drainage holes in the bottom and planted some of the potatoes in it.

I had an old tin bath ready for planting so some went in there too ... don't know how they will do ... but they have two chances ..  hopefully I will get a few 'freebie'

  spuds from them.

And of course we worked today ....

We managed to buy some nice stock ... thought you might want to have a peek ... its amazing what is still found in old attics .. this lot was from a lady clearing her Aunts house .. and an old garage of all places.

A whole lot of beautifully had knit jumpers and cardigans .. the 'Vintage-y' young women like to wear these over their Tea Dresses and floral blouses (and jeans) .. some nice skirts and things too.

They have been through the washer and are drying nicely in the afternoon sun.

Perhaps not quite the right time of year .. but they will keep ....

a collection of  faux fur coats .. one is real fur ... not everyone's taste I know.

 

And just look at this lovely brooch .... sparkling away doing its thing!

And to top it all ... 

a nice Bowler Hat .. in great condition ...

Pity about the model .. looking a bit worse for wear these days ...

still I do believe its very fashionable to do/take? a 'selfie'

isn't it ...

Hubby P has gone out on another job this afternoon ... so its a long day today ... I think we can treat ourselves to a Chinese takeaway for supper.

So that's us ... what have you been up to?

 .. the sun is shining here ..

all is good. 

Bye for now x

Just A Quick Catch Up .... Just To Say Hello!

Hello there ...

Sorry its been a while .... what can I say ....

we've been having techie problems.

The Internet died on us .. 'Oh No !

Luckily it coincided with the arrival of a child ... a grown up .. and very responsible one .. I might say ... Good job! .. he 'took us in hand'.. and dealt with the situation.

he did that .. talking a Internet-ty techie/foreign language .. to another young techie guy .... or various .. and ordered a new router .. the bit that had died?

Anyway ... all is sort of sorted ...although my laptop (well Hubby P's really) ... does not like this new router .. and refuses to talk to it ...so here I am trying to blog on Hubby P's steam driven antiquated PC.

I find this all a bit difficult because of my dodgy neck ... a long sorry saga .. I won't bore you with .. but just to say bloggy posting may be a bit hit and miss until I persuade the naughty laptop to speak to the router...

Hubby P did say that my 'throwing the b****y thing through the window' .. would not help ....

so Please bear with me..

 Meanwhile ... life is good .. we potter on ...

 

 Last week we were kindly given some free wood .. always welcome and stacked up ready for next winter ... this is where a big van is so useful ..

not always so when we want to park somewhere quickly.

 Hubby P gave it bit of a spruce up after a wet and muddy job ... good job he knows how to wield a sweeping brush .. he's found its the best way with such a big van... bucket of water and a brush .. can't beat the old fashioned ways.

Whilst he was picking up the gifted wood he spotted this old battered teapot ... buried deep in the stonewall .. part of the wall had fallen down (perhaps with all the rain and frost) and the little teapot was peeping out .. yes .. I know .. why bury a teapot in a wall?

 

As you can see it has seen a bit of life ... old and battered and it was full of soil .. but Oh' how I love it ...

...and just see how pretty it looks with a few flowers merrily doing their thing.

And before you ask .. I have rubbed and rubbed this little pot well .. if there is a Genie in there .. he's not showing himself to me.

I treated myself to a few spring flowers .. they were so cheap at the car boot it seemed just rude not to ...

This bit of sunshine has done wonders for the garden .. all is blooming its little socks off.

Anyway .. enough of me for now ..do hope all is well with you and you are making time to do what makes you happy ..

Bye for now x

A Day Of Sunshine ... Thrifty Doings and Make Do and Mend ...

Hello there ....

Well .... a spot of sunshine!

I must say it got me all excited and raring to go ...

we got all togged up (still a tad cold) ... and ready for a day playing outdoors .... an outside jobs kinda day.

Its nice to see the garden stirring after all those damp dreary weeks.

This little flower ... Coltsfoot .. reminds me of 'home' ...

Springtime ...when I was a child walking the lanes to school .. or running home ... these little flowers starred the sides of the lane.

They are a wild flower ... found on poor stony ground .. it took me ages to establish them in my garden. 

 This strange little plant sends up scaly little flower stalks .. and blooms long before any leaves ... and the leaves are a 'colts foot' ...bit horse shoe shaped.

Lovely bright and sunshiny coloured.... 

Little sprigs of Tansy .. an old herb ... bitter tasting .. used in the old days to add to dishes as a tonic .. to 'stir the blood'...

I think that might be a step to far for Hubby P ... he says 'his blood don't need no stirring'...

Hubby P set about fitting what he calls 'French doors' .. to the chicken shed. I just asked for a wire/mesh door so they could look out .. and get some fresh air in there. Hubby P found an old folding screen and a roll of wire and made a rather fancy folding door ... the chickens said they were most impressed!

Next up he set about making them some nesting boxes from an old wooden box.

This was much clucked over and tried for size ... we will see tomorrow if they have deemed it suitable to actually lay in.

The next project .. when I have found some chicken wire .. is a covered run at the side of the chicken shed ... its all coming along... its a case of Make Do and Mend here ..

everything that's needed comes along ... eventually!

Whilst Hubby P was doing the nesting boxes ... and he didn't need me to hold wood/nails/wire or whatever .. I pulled the very last of the scraggy leeks.

Mind you there was enough for a good pan of soup ... so that's tonight's tea then.

I weeded and dug over where the leeks had been .. and scattered a trug full of bedding/litter ... from the chicken shed (all nicely enriched with chicken ... you know what).

A bit 'fresh' really .. but I thought .. well its got a good few weeks to all rot down before its planted up again.

I covered the area with an old mat ... help the rotting down and suppress the weeds a bit. 

Just need that sunshine to up its game a bit ... the days a bit longer .. and it will be planting time.

This years leeks are up and will soon be raring to go.

So .. thinking of teatime ... a big pot of leek and potato soup ... and digging deep in the freezer I found the last bag (of last Spring's) nettles.

So they were added to the soup .. give it a bit of a zip.

That reminds me .. the bagging up and freezing of tender young nettles worked so well last Spring .. I will have to get out there and replenish the freezer .. free .. super nutrient rich greens.

Just make sure you pick away from roadsides to avoid any nasty fuel/smoke pollution ... and of course anywhere where dogs may have ... well you know.. all common sense.

So for tea ... on our laps in front of the fire .... 

nice warm soup with fresh from the oven bread rolls (AF bread mix ) and rustic cheese scones.

Ohhh.. it has been so nice to sit out in the sunshine ...

I do hope its been sun shining for you?

xx bye for now  xx

Thrifty Doings ... and Pretty lace...

Hello there ...

well .. a few pretty flowers blooming here..

Maybe we have turned the corner ... and Spring is on the way ...

I do hope so!

   

This is a rather strange sort of 'arrangement' .. but the colours work and it has a rather interesting look...

The large corms on top are some Turks Cap Lilly's I dug up ... with an idea of planting them back behind this log .. once we had finished this garden bed ..

well ..  guess what .. we haven't finished the garden bed ... and the corms are still sitting there. Mind you we haven't had any frost .. and they still look fine .. I should just pop them in somewhere for now.

We've just been a bit busy ... or its been too cold and wet ... and windy ..

just a tad windy here.

Yesterday and today we have managed to get a couple of hours outside to catch up on jobs.

Hubby P spent some time sawing up old.. broken .. past its best... furniture ... it makes excellent firewood.  

Thrifty as always here..

He trudged in earlier today and plonked this down on the counter .... a nice tidy/new washing up bowl full of cleaning stuff.

And posh stuff too ... posher/more expensive than I would ever buy ... I'm afraid its supermarkets basics all the way here.

Anyway earlier in the week Hubby P had a small clearance ... nothing grand ... 'bread and butter' stuff ... all work is good work ... it all adds pennies to the coffers.

He had to clear the cupboards and of course 'under the sink' always holds a stash of cleaning stuff ... so every now and again I get box full of very useful cleaning materials.

They are mostly ...of course....half used but that's hardly a problem .. the stuff isn't going to go off. 

It saves me a pretty penny ... and as I said .. its often posher stuff than I would buy ... this week I will have some nicely scented bathroom mousse to use rather than the 'basics' cream cleanser.

Its a bit worrying ...

 getting excited about a box of cleaning stuff!

Note to self ... must get out more ....

The day gets more exciting :-(  .... sorting wool.

Whenever we get in bags of oddments of wool I bag them up into cheapie 50p bags ... ideal for bits and bats of crafting and whatnot .... so it had to be done.

I had brought my tins of vintage buttons home ....

to have a sort out ... 

And a basket of vintage lace ... the basket had got in a right old pickle with people rummaging through it .. it all needed sorting out.

Whilst I was at it I realised that I have got rather a lot of lace ... I just keep throwing it in the basket as I come across it ..

so I put some nice bundles together and popped them on ebay ...

give it a go .. cheap and cheerful .. free postage an all that.

Its so pretty .. the old lace.

Again with the vintage buttons .. I thought I would try a few on ebay ... I think lots of people love a button!

I suppose I should have some sort of card with my ebay site on .. so I can give it to people when we are trading .. lots of folk ask if we have an ebay site. They are usually on holiday and would like to be able to 'shop' with us all year round ... especially the sewing and crafting ladies ... they love the buttons and lace and whatnot.

Its a thought next time we have some printing done ... I'm just afraid of the ebay becoming a bit of a bind .. a bit of a 'must do' .. as it is I do a bit when I have a mind to ..

Its something to 'think on'!

Leave you with another pic of the daffs .. and their cheery sunshiny colour .. how lovely.....!

Take care .... bye for now... x