Treasure hunting.......................x

Well, well, well......my moaning has paid off! Who said they couldn't find ANY treasures lately??? ME it was me! But ooooh look what we found at the car boot on Sunday. Of course we went looking for other things that were not to be that day, and in true treasure finding, up popped these lovelies........

I have been on the look out for a metal trunk for a while now, as our wicker Fortnum And Mason basket, and old trunk we use as a coffee table were being a bit battered and abused by bumblebee's and doggies.....

Now then - how much do you think???? Well the china was a grand total of £1.20, and the trunk we paid £10!!!

I love the blue inside, but the brown outside is grating on me....it did need a good wash, as it was covered in sticky dust and bird poop!!

I'm sure wicker is addictive, I see some, and I must have it....... but at £2 who wouldn't ?

But this is no ordinary trunk, when we showed friends they were sure it was from Narnia. But it's even more precious than that you see, it contains the most priceless of treasures.....

The bumblebee's are super happy with a new hiding place, and I so wanted to try and get in too, but lets be realistic here eh?!!!

So a happy weekend was had by us all.....friends to play, car boots to wander round, tea and cakes with pals, and afternoon naps ( ok that was just me! )....I am being brave today. My wisdom teeth have been causing chaos .....still......so I am sipping green tea, only able to suck my food, while looking hamster like...but this has not stopped me getting the paint brush out.....oooohhh ahhhh!!!!!

Mr.Q tells me, that for every treasure I bring into the house, one has to go. I find this completely unfair, I was on the lookout for treasures to sell, but when things are sooo nice, how can I sell them????

Let me know of any finds you have found this weekend.......xxxxxxx

Witterings of a chocaholic...................x

I am feeling quite grumpy. I have not found any treasure for yonks and yonks, the charity shops don't seem to be  providing at the mo, and we have missed out on car boots lately....is it the time of year? It's so odd, usually I find a little tea plate or Enid Blyton book at least...grump, grump, grumpity grumps.......

Something that did make me smile this week, has been a little present from my sister....she sometimes sends us bits and bobs in the post.....as she still lives in Sussex where we grew up. I think she knows how much I like to receive ANY post, let alone a parcel!

Isn't she cute, a lovely polka dotty teacup for plants, with saucer if you please. I couldn't resist the potted viola plants at 80p per pot....BARGAIN!!!! ( I easily could have snitched the cutest spaniel puppy I have ever ever seen when I bought these viola's at the local farm shop...It was seriously cute....seriously......and it just snuggled up in it's jumper bed behind the counter, all sleepy and puppy-ish.....ahhhhhh )......anyway...thanks sis, your a doll......

I hope I am not bombarding you with outside pictures too often, but I really wanted to show you how the working garden is getting on. Can you believe all the wood and bricks came from our next door neighbour ...free??? I think we owe him a barrel of cider eh?!! To say the carrots are ropey is being kind ( I blame littlest bumblebee, she did those!!! ) but a mummy at school told me to just sew more carrot seeds in the spaces between, so I have...fingers crossed, as I have no-one else to blame this time!

I think I am wittering on too much today........you see I have been baking cakes all day for the village walk on Sunday, yummy lemon drizzle and a whopper of a malteaser cake. And not once did I sneak a taste! But tut tut I have now had some chocolate, and if you asked my folks what happens to me after chocolate...they will tell you........I become hyperactive....Mr.Q knows when I've had it, I can't shut up....so I'm off now.............................................................sorry for wittering...xxx

T.T.F.N xxxx

This day..................x

It's a sewing day...............................no running about, no this, or that, just my fabric, cotton and needle today.  xxx

Talking flowers........................x

One little bumblebee said to me yesterday " Would you love it Mummy if the flowers in our garden spoke, like in Alice in Wonderland?" .......

  

" I would love it" I replied........but I wonder what they would say??? Perhaps lately..."water me, water me".....or "stop the dogs leaping on us pleaseeeeeee"...or "good morning, can you kindly clear the weeds away now?"......actually as I remember it, those flowers in Wonderland were a bit of a handful...

Infact what I really need is my own Monty Don...I could keep him in the little out building, and let him out to tend the garden. I would supply him with tea and biscuits , then put him away at the end of the day, tucked up in a deck chair with the mice and spiders! I love Gardener's world at the moment, isn't Monty's garden amazing? Last weeks was great, focusing on wildlife gardens, now this fits in with us, as we always have nettles and weeds, and over grown parts! But he has got me thinking about that wildlife pond I wanted........

Too many jobs to do, and not enough time....a Monty Don for the garden is just the thing I need.....

xxxx

Storm counting...................x

 Ooooh we have just sat on our bed with the bumblebee's, window open, listening to a storm...rumbling, flashing, gusts of wind and rain. We counted between the rumbles and flashes smelling the rain ( I remember doing this as a child......terrified I would be blown up or frazzled to a crisp!......) wrapped in our duvet with a cup of tea! The storm has now passed, as has the rain........really we need more rain...shall we all do a little rain dance for our flowers and vege's?

I have been busy again painting more beams this week...the kitchen this time. I just can't leave my Annie Sloan paint alone!! I never quite know how to answer people when they say " what have you been up to?"...ummmmm just all the normal things really, time passes, family needs feeding, watering, dogs walking, house cleaning, food gathering, etc etc....although this morning was our second Knit and Natter meeting, which I have been looking forward too. We were one crafter down ( missed you Kate! ) but I was quite pleased to finally have some time set aside to start my new patchwork......

I have had a lovely delivery of fabric's I intend on using...........some from the lovely Littleteawagon such a delight to open!!! I did take a few moments to admire the pretty packaging first!!

I am trying my luck at a brick type patchwork...hand sewn no less.......how long will this take???? Ummmmm hooo hummmm errrrrr...........as long as it takes! Someone is already bored.............................

Have a beautiful weekend, doing beautiful things with beautiful people. Watch out for those storms and don't forget to count how many miles away they are...xxxxx

Pizza Wednesday.............................x

Any excuse, and I will get my bread maker out. This is all new to me, I realise I'm about 5 years later than most people, but better late than never...

My lovely neighbour gave it to me a few weeks ago, and I am chuffed with it. Quite often we have a pizza tea , which the bumblebee's like as they choose their own toppings...but the bread maker is soooo much better at kneading and rising than my fists and radiator. I found myself with a few minutes spare after helping with little bumblebee's weekly swimming class, so I trotted off to the village shop, and found some delicious Somerset cheeses which squealed and jumped out of the counter into my bag.

 

I love dough. There's something about it.....................

( No that is not my hand, Talulla wanted to grate the cheese, she thinks I don't notice her secret snitching of the cheese........I do bumblebee, I do ....) 

Using a simple dough recipe, and what ever we have in the pantry, our pizza's always taste different...infact I don't even weigh it out, I have inherited my Mum's chuck it in, oooh a bit more flour, a bit more water, bit of sugar.....that's about right. BUT if you want to get a perfect dough try Jamie's recipe.

It's a dog's life eh?..........................................

How are you coping with your post wedding blues?!....x

I think I have post wedding blues............................we, I had such an emotional day, such a build up, but the dress, oh the dress, the cheeky Harry, the trees in the Abbey I thought were so beautiful and whimsical, a real fairytale. Ho hummmm it makes me want to get married all over again......

There have been things to take my mind off the lack of wedding talk.......things being....a spot of boating up the river, ice-creams on the beach, and paint. Annie Sloan to be exact. have I lost you? Lets start again....

I urge you, if you are ever down this west country way, to take a boat out, up the river at West Bay, just outside Bridport - Dorset. The bumblebee's had the best time, the grinning and giggling didn't stop. Of course sunshine is probably best, with a picnic....dogs can be taken ( well behaved dogs.....we left ours at home! ) and off you go in search for ratty and toad....

Also as the boat hire is in the harbour, you can stop off for fish and chips, or a splash on the beach. There is also a new play park for the kiddies which is great...all new parks are always a hit.

Paint, paint, paint. I have been painting. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have found an Annie Sloan stockist nearby. It has changed my life........seriously! The idea of not having to sand down and prep, is insane, and I honestly didn't think it would work. The lovely lady in ShyViolet was so enthusiastic about the paint, that I literally raced home and began the first project........

I don't mind dark furniture, but in small doses. Mr.Q warned me it could end up looking like an Elton John piano if I wasn't careful......how blinkin rude I said!!!

We just need to find a suitable Piano stool now..............................

I love it soooo much!!!

And then there was the sideboard.......

This was given to us by my parents a few years ago, when my Dad still had his Antiques shop....It did take a lot of guts to paint this, as it is such a lovely piece of furniture...eeeek I don't know what my Dad will say when he next see's it!!! 

I love how bright and airy the room looks now, with the painted beams too. This is just how I imagined the room looking when we first looked around the cottage. For a cottage, we are very lucky as we do have lots of natural light from our big windows anyway, but I just love painted furniture so much.....x