Monday 30 January 2012

Thrifty Finds

A few thrifty finds of last week, just love all these useful things of a bygone era (tea at the Ritz anyone) and making them into something useful for today.

A toast rack, which took an awful lot of cleaning, think its seen an awful lot of toast also! a sugar dredger, three old watches who wore these pretty little things on their wrists? a lovely embroidered tray cloth with the most delightful colours and needlework.





Which I turned into these for holding photos


a bit of old lace in the bottom of the sugar dredger, hubby made some wires for the photos (actually he found the wire in the garden, they were from the sparklers from bonfire night and he said they'd just be right!

And away you go for all less than a fiver... bargain.

Oh did find a Venron Ward picture on the market on Saturday for 2 quid, will post a piccy later this week.

Bye for now

Sunday 22 January 2012

Tour of the Dresser


Thought you all might like a bit of a nosey posey round my dresser, having had a bit of a tidy-up in it, as it was looking a bit tired and all sorts of rubbish seemed to have found its way in, sweets, receipts, lotto ticket, not a winner unfortunately. So here we go...

I have always wanted a dresser but never had the right type of house to have one, my first house was built in the 1940's and felt that one would'nt be quite right don't know why but it never felt like a dresser house, second house was a 60's bungalow, so definately would'nt be right in there, but I now  have a terraced house built in 1903 so a dresser is just right.  Haven't a date for when this dresser was made, its pine and has a glass fronted top, two draws across the top and two down the sides and a little arched cupboard in the middle all rounded off with white china knobs and is all warm and glowing, which I love...



Love this little corner, a little bit of cleaning involved with the cutlery and serviette rings, won't get done too often, so it can look old and worn


The little card with the initial 'L'  next to the photo is full of love letters sent by Lily's husband in the photo, so felt they had to be kept together as they were never apart, always happy

More family photos, with Lily again sat in the deckchair, have load of photos of these two in really funny poses!  They lived life to the full, right upto their old age.    Thats what makes all these photos so heartwarming.

Old buttons and cotton reels

Natural History corner


Kings and Queens... daughters collection

Cora and Percy, Cora on the left has a little vase at her base and holes so that you can put flowers in, and Percy is just Percy as snooty as ever

This photo is my Grandad and my Auntie, I never knew Grandad as he passed when I was only one, but do have a picture of him holding me at my Christening, so feel there is a connection there.  He worked for the Co-operative in Manchester, the plate and mug were presented to him at various times and his treasured swimming medals for lifesaving.
This little painted Angel comes to every house we go, I don't think she will be going to any more, right at the bottom it says "Bless this House"

So there we have it, a tour or the dresser hope you've all enjoyed it, I know I have as it brings so many memories.

Bye for now









Monday 16 January 2012

Birthday Blues

Last week was lovely hubby's and eccentric daughters birthdays, hubby on the 10th and daughters on the 11th, good days were had by both, hubby playing all day with some grinding machine, a birthday present!  Daughter had lots of books some weird mystery ones from America. So we thought we might have a little treat of coffee and hot chocolate at The Hive Beach Cafe at Burton Bradstock but they were...


Boo Hoo



Anyway decided that we would have a bit of a mooch round seeing it was a lovely day









Good times were had by all, looks like we'll have to take another trip for coffee and hot chocoate!


Bye until next time



Sunday 8 January 2012

Saturday... Market Day

Hey I know its not Saturday, but had trouble yesterday with the photos getting to the blog, so pretend its Saturday all over again!

On the way to the market we pass this little Chapel called Chapel in the Garden, its a lovely unique place with this little path up to it, so decided it was about time to take a look inside, Saturday mornings their open for coffee and the sale of second-hand books



Wow wasn't dissappointed, it dates from 1794 and the feeling inside this little chapel is one calmness, warmth, love and cosiness, all the pews have little gates on them being of rich gold pine, even the organ is enclosed in  a pine fronted cupboard which all opens out.  Georgous clock which dosn't show up on the photo but is stamped on the face Bridport, why do you always want things that are inaccessible to you, would look lovely on the kitchen wall!

The gallery is accessed by a lovely wooden staircase, where second-hand books take their positions in the pews waiting for the service to begin, some look like they have been there since the 17th century, time has just passed them by


Back out into the sunshine and the bustling market, love the market here, always filled with the strange and wonderful...


Knobs and Knockers

Suitcases that have seen many travels in faraway places, fur coats to keep you cosy


Fruit and Veg

Winter sunshine

Everything you could possibly want

and of course the mad mad dog has to get in on the action and half of hubby's leg!

Bye for now


Sunday 1 January 2012

Moody Greys, Crocheted Blankets...and Curry

Happy New Year to all you lovely people

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year, we were very quiet, but very enjoyable with all the festive food and drink, today though were having curry instead of the usual roast a bit of a change for all of us, but all thought we needed to get out of a rut with the usual food, so were going for it.


Last Wednesday saw a trip to Weymouth and Portland, really to Weymouth to look for my Great Grandad x4 gravestone, which we found in Melcombe Regis Cemetery, still standing  proud after all these years, he died in 1879 at the ripe old age of 78 not bad for those days I suppose, but my Great Grandma x4 lived to the age of 90 and is buried with him, he originally live in Bridport but moved to Weymouth for work in 1860, all the words on the stone still visable, so felt glad that we had been and he'd been found.

So that led to a rather moody grey and blustery walk round Portland Bill, you could hardly stand up, the sea was swaying with the swell, lots of white horses and foam, the mad mad dog hated it, so much he wouldnt even have his piccy taken! he'd already got wet in the cemetery earlier, so wasn't in the best of moods (he hates the wind and rain).

Moody Lighthouse

Moody swaying sea
Splashy sea
standing proud lighthouse

All the moody greys and whites inspired me to start yet another crochet blanket, with grey and white and grey sparkle, which dosn't really show up on the photo

So this one will be called Portland Bill, might put a mad flash of colour near the end

three blankets on the go, I love the start of a crochet blanket, when you can go whizzing round and round, then gets slower and slower.
This one inspired by the garden in the late summer
the green edged one is finished and sits proudly on daughters bed!

No more ramblings for now or else the samosas won't be made to go with the curry!