Friend and Artist Kath Hadden

It never ceases to amaze me how many people I know are truly talented.  I met Kath as a parent at the twins school.  She is a wonderful, bright and beautiful lady.  She is also an artist.  Take a look at her work.  All available for sale on her website http://kathhadden.co.uk/

Walk from the Esplanade iii

Walk from the Esplanade i

Road to the Lighthouse

Road to Harlyn

The final floor

The living room is almost finished.  After seven years in our home and starting from scratch the final floor has been painted and the sofa arrives tomorrow.

The complete room makeover will follow soon ....

Magpie Monday - Stuff, stuff and more stuff

Despite loosing an hour's sleep getting up at what amounted to 5 am to take hubby to work, I had a bumper morning at the boot sale.  The sellers were out in force (but so were the buyers). Elbows at the ready I ploughed in.

First find this gorgeous large cake stand from a (regular) seller who I haven't seen over the winter, but who has now reappeared.  She goes to France to source her stock.  Love it, so pretty.  The bonus is her items are always immaculate and clean too.

Lovely hand painted cup and saucer from the same seller

Set of three beautiful Soup bowls and plates or you could use them for a large cup of steaming coffee.  Yum.

I found lots of plates yesterday, this stunning plate is Royal Worcester

Another stunning plate from the same seller, hand painted flowers on a transfer print.

Set of really pretty unmarked plates.  These again, an example of how something can sit sad and filthy in a box but can wash up a dream.

Stunning Grimwades Byzanta Ware Lustre small bowl

Pretty Side Table already repainted in Craig and Rose paint !  I thought I recognised the colour when I saw it, got talking to the seller and managed to knock £4 off the price.  I will rub it down a bit, give it a wax and think it will look much better.  Looking a bit flat at the moment but I love the shape.

Absolutely beautiful coffee set.  I might not be able to bring myself to sell this just yet.  Talking to the seller, who was Dutch, she told me her three daughter used to play with it when they played house !  All I can say is they must be amazing children, its in immaculate condition.  I regret now that I didn't also buy a pair of the authentic clogs off her too.  She had about six pairs of children's clogs in all different colours.  Argh!  Always something you regret picking up.

Pretty Colclough tea set trios

Woop! another 1950's Meakin plate to add to my now growing collection.  This one is called Covered wagon.  I love it, so as with all my other "story" plates what do you think the story is here ???

I have lots and lots more stock but haven't the time to put anymore on today.  Will do another post later in the week.  Now that the nice weather is bringing out the fairweather sellers its looks like I might have to up my bootsale budget.

One last thing today, not begging or anything but if you like my blog and think its worthy I would LOVE you to nominate my blog in the home or photography category of the MAD BLOG AWARDS  You need to pop a blog name in first along with your email and name then you can go to the second page which gives you the catagories.  Thank you so much if you take the time to vote, it means so much to me xx 

Linking up with Lizzies MagpieMonday

Seaside Style Book Giveaway

Sooooo sorry, forgot to draw the winner of this giveaway.

Milo listened to me read through all the entries and decided that he liked Teri 's entry about her doggie !  Congratulations Teri.

Thak you to everybody who entered, don't fear this is the start of many more to come.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED


If you follow this blog you will know that my husband recently completed the bookcase in our living room and I have been busy sorting and sourcing books to fill its shelves.  I buy lots and lots of books, I love them and can't ever imagine moving over to the darkside which is the Kindle !  I t has to be said most of the books that fill my shelves have beautiful photographs so I can't possibly imagine how the colour and beauty would translate.  Anyway,  what I wanted to say was, I have on occasion duplicated books as I have so many.  One of them being the  Seaside Style book.  Its a lovely book full of inspiring ideas on seaside style .  I have a new copy to giveaway.

The book includes 35 practical projects for transforming your interior and exterior from pebbled floors to driftwood candlesticks.

over 450 stunning colour photographs

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

Just leave a comment telling me what your or your family love most about the seaside.

You can get an additional entry if you follow my blog and leave a comment

Open to UK residents only (sorry)

Winner will be picked at random on Thursday 29th March at 8.pm

Good luck

Pretty colours

After a really successful day selling at Crikey Its Vintage last weekend, I really needed to replenish my stock (the best bit)  I love finding new items.  I dropped hubby to work at 6 am and headed to the boot sale. 

Lots and lots of buyers yesterday and many of the regulars were back, I would have to be quick.  I was pipped to the post for an absolutely gorgeous quilt, I could have cried when I overheard the seller saying she could have it for £3 !!!.  Anyway here are some of the lovelies I found, lots of pastel colours, yah, Spring is here.

Really pretty glass bracelet.  The colours are so gorgeous.  I decided to start sourcing jewellery after almost selling out last week at Crikey.  Its a very popular thing to sell at the moment and people seem to like my taste.

I love the colours and the style of this cuff. pretty enamel(I think) inlaid into silver coloured surrounds .  Its a lovely weight and so pretty on.

Gorgeous Dragonfly brooch

How about this for a stunning cuff !  Its a really good weight too, lovely silver coloured "bars" 

I found all four pieces with one of my regular sellers, I don't usually look at his jewellery so was pleasantly surprised by this little lot.  He thought the silver cuff and the first bracelet might also be silver but I can't find any hallmarks.

Three immaculate Wedgewood milk jugs.  They were in a box full of wedgewood tea sets but by the time I found them I was out of money . Wahhhh! 

Pretty Rosebud cup and saucer

A selection of "mix and match" saucers, side plates and dinner plates

Pretty Spring Tea for one, teaset. This came with three extra saucers, always useful for mix and match.

Pretty bon bon or chocolates  dish.

ooohhhh !

Five beautiful blue and white Crown Derby plates

Remember what I said before about young lads being allowed to sell stuff on their own ! Ha! ha! Two lovely new white metal pots (they stand about 7 inches high), full of heart shaped bath bombs for £1 !

Lovely Poole pottery sugar or condiment pot

Beautiful Delicate cup and saucer.  No makers mark, the seller had a tag on it saying it was from the early 1800's.  I'm not convinced but have very little experience, just loved it.

There you go, hope you had a great thrifty week.

Linking up with Lizzie from Magpie Monday

The Bookcase Dilemma

I posted a comment today on facebook about my husband completing the bookcase he was building for us in the living room and how I was about to set to work filling the shelves with my carefully colour co-ordinated books.  This seemed to spark quiet a debate.  It would see there are those of us who fill our shelves in the same way as me.  There are those who have to have  their books in alphabetical order by author or by book name and there are those of us who don't really give a hoot !

and of course there are Kindle lovers ! bah!

Which kind are you ?

Here are my new shelves, how would you fill them ?

How about like this below

or this

or this

or this

or this

or maybe this

this ?

or this

I'd love to know.  Be back soon with how my bookcase looks when its finished.

Beats the Poundshop

Mooching around the charity shop a few weeks ago I came across this.  My husband was not impressed, the knobs are too big, its just another piece of tat !

Aww, it was only a £1 and I like it, maybe it was the cut out hearts or the detail in the middle.  I'll give it a lick of paint ....

It's now sitting happily on the wall in the bathroom and hubby may or may not have eaten his words.

Linking up with Liz at MagpieMonday

and Jen's Thrifty Blog Carnival 

The French Touch

I long, long to take a trip to shop in France.  Maybe one day, until then I will have to just gaze with lust at the wonderful images on French Provencal Touch with a twist Facebook page.

All photographs are taken from the beautiful French Provencal Facebook page.  Please do pop over  and soak up the beautiful images.